80 THE HORSE BOOK. 



hard drives to and from the horse should be 

 avoided. If it is desired to road a mare any 

 great distance to the stallion, arrange to take 

 her to him slowly and to leave her near him for 

 a time. 



A mare bred on the ninth day (or therea- 

 bouts) after foaling will quite generally con- 

 ceive, but there is wide difference of opinion as 

 to the proper day on which a mare should be re- 

 turned to the horse to be tried. Authorities 

 never have agreed as to this and probably never 

 will. Mares differ greatly in the recurrence of 

 their periods of heat, though not so much so as 

 to render a general rule impossible. Each man 

 should size up the condition of his mare with re- 

 lation to returning her, but the weight of au- 

 thority is in favor of around the eighteenth day, 

 then the twenty-fifth and the thirty-second. She 

 should have these three chances to take the horse 

 before being considered safely 'settled. If con- 

 ception has taken place the attentions of the 

 horse in the teazing process will not cause the 

 impregnation to fail. 



Some mares show no signs of heat and stead- 

 ily refuse to take the horse. This sort of a case 

 is comparatively rare, but it is one that need 

 cause no trouble. If a mare is never willing to 

 be embraced by the stallion and it is desired to 

 get her to breeding, hopple her securely and 

 breed her anyhow. It will be found that she 

 will come around more or less peaceably in from 



