194 HORSES AND RIDIXG. 



a good fillj whicli promises to be big enougb and 

 strong enougb to breed foals worth bringing up, 

 she should be broken and made quiet to ride on a 

 road, when two rising three, and should be taught 

 to jump any description of fence without a rider on 

 her back by being led or lunged over them with a 

 long lead rein. 



At three years old she should be sent to the best 

 thoroughbred available, and then turned out, having 

 corn every day. She will then have a foal when four 

 years old, and if she breeds a filly, the same process 

 can be repeated. By this means the foals will be 

 obtained from fresh sound mares, and will inherit no 

 defects that are produced from work. The foal will 

 then be weaned in the October of the year when the 

 mare is rising five, and she should then be gently 

 ridden on the road till January, after which she 

 may be shown the hounds, and having been taught 

 to fence as a two-year-old, she will practically be a 

 made hunter by the season when she is five rising 

 six. By this means the cost of keeping a brood 

 mare will be almost altogether saved. The mares 

 bred from will be prevented from being hunted and 

 spoilt, as many of them are, between three and five 

 years old, before their muscles are set. It is pro- 

 bable also, that if required to breed from after some 

 seasons' hunting, the tact of their having had a foal 

 before will be in favour of their breeding well again 

 after a lapse of years. 



