160 HUNTING 



a distance from that of the mare that they cannot 

 hear each other, and further care must be exercised 

 to prevent either of them rushing through open door- 

 ways. Should the breeder possess more than one 

 foal, a separate box should be assigned to each, or 

 the stronger foal will bully the weaker. A few days 

 should elapse after the foal is taken from its dam 

 before it is let out into the paddock, so that both 

 may have become reconciled to the separation. 



We now pass on to the system of rearing foals, which, 

 after they are weaned, should not be kept in confine- 

 ment more than the weather demands, as they require 

 exercise in order to promote the development of their 

 young frames. A first-rate judge once aptly compared 

 the legs of young horses to willow twigs, which you 

 may bend to any form you please'; and so the 

 surface of the land on which they are reared demands 

 attention. An unequal surface is far preferable to a 

 flat surface, as on the former the young horse will gain 

 that elasticity coupled with strength on which to a 

 large extent he will have to depend in the hunting- 

 field, which is not like the flat surface of a race- 

 course, yet the uneven surface must not be hard. 

 Ploughed fields, when not too deep or too hard, will 

 teach a young horse the use of his limbs, as well as 

 uneven turf, while the walking about on the soil 

 has a beneficial effect on the feet. In frosty weather, 

 when the ground is hard and slippery, tan or straw 

 must be used. In all cases, stony places, such as 

 flinty downs, must be avoided, or any place where 

 a horse is likely to blemish himself. 



