64 THE HORSE BOOK. 



to breed mares, and for this reason a shed is 

 preferable to an open yard. Let the yard or 

 shed be concealed from view as much as pos- 

 sible, and always at some distance from the 

 dwelling house for obvious reasons. At a 

 convenient spot erect the teazing pole to form a 

 sort of stall in which to try the mares. I like 

 it best with the wall of the shed or tight-board 

 fence of the yard forming the off side of it. 

 For the pole part of it set two stout posts deep- 

 ly in the ground parallel to the wall and dis- 

 tant from it about the width of an ordinary 

 standing stall in a stable. Set these posts 

 about eight feet apart and to them, three feet 

 and eight inches from the ground, bolt a smooth 

 six-inch pole of some tough wood hickory of 

 course preferred. Take the bark off it and 

 round off all corners and edges. At the front 

 end of the stall so formed build a stout little 

 pen. Into this the foal of a nursing mare may 

 be bundled with little trouble and with it in 

 front of her the mare will stand quiet enough 

 without fretting as she surely will if it is out 

 of her sight. When the mare is in place, lead 

 the horse from his box, make him come up 

 quietly at right angles to her and do not let him 

 rear and tear all over the place in his efforts 

 to get at her. There is no sense in letting a 

 horse nip and fuss and fool with a mare for 

 half an hour. Sometimes it may be necessary 



