THE HOKSE. 21 



should possess somewhat opposite qualities. Her carcass should be 

 long, in order to give room for the growth of the foetus ; and yet with 

 this there should be compactness of form and shortness of leg. What 

 can they expect whose practice it is to purchase worn-out, spavined, 

 foundered mares, about whom they fancy there have been some good 

 points, and send them far into the country to breed from, and, with all 

 their variety of shape, to be covered by the same horse? In a lottery 

 like this there may be now and then a prize, but there must be many 

 blanks. 



As to the shape of the stallion, little, satisfactory, can be said. It 

 must depend on that of the mare, and the kind of horse wished ^o be 

 bred ; but if there is one point absolutely essential, it is "compactness" 

 — as much goodness and strength as possible condensed into a little 

 space. 



Next to compactness, the inclination of the shoulder will be regarded. 

 A huge stallion, with upright shoulders, never got a capital hunter or 

 hackney. From him the breeder can obtain nothing but a cart or dray 

 horse, and that perhaps spoiled by the opposite form of the mare. On 

 the other hand, an upright shoulder is desirable, if not absolutely neces- 

 sary, when a mere slow draught-horse is required. 



From the time of covering, to within a few days of the expected 

 period of foaling, the cart-mare may be kept at moderate labor, not only- 

 without injury, but with decided advantage. It will then be prudent to 

 release her from work, and keep her near home, and under the frequent 

 inspection of some careful person. 



When nearly half the time of pregnancy has elapsed, the mare should 

 have a little better food. She should be allowed one or two feeds of 

 grain in the day. This is about the period when they are accustomed 

 to slink their foals, or when abortion occurs ; the eye of the owner 

 should, therefore, be frequently upon them. Good feeding and moderate 

 exercise will be the best preventives of this mishap. The mare that has 

 once aborted is liable to a repetition of the accident, and therefore should 

 never be suffered to be with other mares between the fourth and fifth 

 months; for such is the power of imagination or of sympathy in the 

 mare, that if one suffers abortion, others in the same pasture will too 

 often share the same fate. Farmers wash, and paint, and tar their 

 stables, to prevent some supposed infection — the infection lies in the 

 imagination. 



The thorough-bred mare — the stock being intended for sporting pur- 

 poses — should be kept quiet, and apart from other horses, after the 

 first four or five months. AVhen the period of parturition is drawing 

 near, she should be watched and shut up during the night in a safe 

 yard or loose box. 



If the mare, whether of the pure or common breed, be thus taken 

 care of, and be in good health while in foal, little danger will attend 

 the act of parturition. If there is false presentation of the foetus, or 

 difficulty in producing it, it will be better to have recourse to a well- 

 informed practitioner, than to injure the mother by the violent and in- 

 jurious attempts that are often made to relieve her. 



The parturition being over, the mare should be turned into some 



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