194 



every second year only ; but this chiefly de- 

 pends on her being well fed, raid on the good- 

 ness of the pasture. 



To make a mare keep the horse, if she do 

 not prove with foal, she must be reduced in 

 flesh, and fed sparingly for some time before 

 she is covered ; for those that miss are generally 

 such as are too fat. If, hov/ever, after they 

 are reduced in flesh they still continue barren, 

 let them be rode into a pond immediately after 

 copulation, or let some v/ater be throvv^i on 

 their hind quarters and back, which will some- 

 times cause the fattest mares to keep the 

 horse. 



Breeding from stallions not related to the 

 mares is allowed to be best. Crossin<T the 

 breed of the generality of animals produces a 

 better ofl^spring, there being too great a simi- 

 larity of constitution and habit of body in 

 those which are too nearly related. Their 

 union is more frigid and languid, and is not 

 performed with equal fire and spirit as between 

 those which are distantly related, or not re- 

 lated at all, or from another country. In 

 England, changing even from North to South 

 would be of service. It is the same with all 



