76 THE HOKSE BOOK. 



Brood mares should always have grain dur- 

 ing the winter. No set rule can be laid down 

 as to quantity, but they should have enough to 

 keep them in good strong round flesh without 

 getting fat. The caretaker must gauge the ra- 

 tion necessary according to the need and capac- 

 ity of the individual. Each mare should have 

 her own manger and be tied up while she is 

 eating. This takes time and some bother, it is 

 true, but it pays. When each mare is tied up 

 all accidents are avoided, and each gets just 

 what she should have and what is intended for 

 her. If mares are promiscuously fed at a large 

 trough the stronger get the most and the weaker 

 the least or none at all, and the proper order is 

 just reversed. Moreover when they are tied 

 up at feeding time the mean ones can do no 

 harm and each mare is seen at close range at 

 least twice a day, which is no bad thing in itself. 



Stalls with mangers for grain feeding mares 

 can be cheaply and strongly constructed. Com- 

 mon sense will dictate how. Let each mare be 

 put in her place a few times and she will soon 

 learn where to go. A horse learns most quickly 

 through the medium of the feedbox. Keep hal- 

 ters on their heads and have a short rope fitted 

 with a snap fastened in each stall. When the 

 mare goes into her stall snap the tie-rope into 

 the ring of her halter. When they are turned 

 out of the stalls after eating, stretch a long rope 

 run through rings on the stall posts and draw 



