1835.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



89 



ers usually possess. The bad qualities of the 

 cross are too soon engrafted on the original stock, 

 ami once engrafted there, are not, for many gene- 

 rations, eradicated. The good ones of both are 

 occasionally neutralized to a most mortifying de- 

 gree. On the other hand, it is the fact, however 

 some may deny it, that strict confinement to one 

 breed, however valuable or perlcet, produces 

 gradual deterioration. The truth here, as in 

 many other cases, lies in the middle; crossing 

 should be attempted with great caution, and the 

 most perfect of the same breed should be selected, 

 but varied, by being frequently taken from differ- 

 ent stocks. This is the secret of the course. 

 The pure south-eastern blood is never left, but the 

 stock is often changed with manifest advantage. 



A mare is capable of breeding at three or four 

 years old; some have injudiciously commenced at 

 two years, belbre her form or her strength is suf- 

 ficiently developed, and with the developement of 

 which this early breeding will materially interfere. 

 If she does little more than farm-work, she may 

 continue to be bred from until she is nearly twenty; 

 but if she has been hardly worked, and bears the 

 marks of it, let her have been what she will in 

 her youth, she will deceive the expectations of the 

 breeder in her old age. 



The mare comes into heat in the early part of 

 the spring. She is said to go with foal eleven 

 months, but there is sometimes a strange irregu- 

 larity about this. Some have been known to foal 

 five weeks earlier, while the time of others has 

 been extended six weeks beyond the eleven 

 months. We may, however, take eleven months 

 as the average time. In running horses, that are 

 brought so early to the starting-post, and whether 

 they are foaled early in January or late in April, 

 rank as of the same age, it is of importance that 

 the mare should go to cover as early as possible: 

 in a two or three year old, four months would 

 make considerable difference in the growth and 

 strength; yet many of these early foals are almost 

 worthless, because they have been deprived of that 

 additional nutriment which nature designed for 

 them. For other breeds, the beginning of May- 

 is the most convenient period. The mare would 

 then foal in the early part of April, when there 

 would begin to be sufficient food for her and her 

 colt, without confining them to the stable. 



From the time of covering to that of foaling, 

 the mare may be kept at moderate work, and that 

 not only without injury, but with decided advan- 

 tage. The work may be continued up to the very 

 time when she is expected to foal; and of which 

 she will give at least a day's notice, by the adhe- 

 sive matter that will appear aboutthe teats. When 

 this is seen, it will be prudent to release her from 

 work, and keep her near home, and under the fre- 

 quent 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 corn in 

 the day. This is about the period when they are 

 accustomed to slink their foals, or when abortion 

 occurs: at this time, therefore, the eye of the 

 owner should be frequently upon them. Good 

 feeding and moderate exercise will be the best 

 preventives against this. The mare that has 

 once slinked her foal is ever liable to the same ac- 

 cident, and therefore should never be suffered to 

 be with other mares about the time that this usu- 



Vol. Ill— 12 



ally occurs, which is between the fourth and fifth 

 months; for such is the power of imagination or 

 of sympathy in the mare, that if one of them sut- 

 lers abortion, the greater number of those in the 

 same pasture will share the same fate. Planners 

 wash, and paint, and tar their stables to prevent 

 some supposed infection: — the infection lies in the 

 imagination. 



If a mare has been regularly exercised, and 

 apparently in health while she was in foal, little 

 danger will attend the act of parturition. If 

 there be false presentation of the foetus, or difficul- 

 ty in producing it, it will be better to have recourse 

 to a well informed practitioner, rather than injure 

 the mother by the violent, and injurious attempts 

 which are often made to relieve the animal. 



As soon as the mare has foaled, she should be 

 turned into some well sheltered pasture, with a 

 hovel or shed to run into when she pleases: and 

 as supposing she. has foaled in April, the grass is 

 scanty, she should have a couple of feeds of corn 

 daily. The breeder may depend upon it, that no- 

 thing is gained by starving the mother and stint- 

 ing the foal at this time. It is the most important 

 time in the life of the horse; and if, from false 

 economy, his growth be arrested now, his puny 

 form and want of endurance will ever afterwards 

 testify the error that has been committed. The 

 corn should be given in a trough on the ground, 

 that the foal may partake of it with the mother. 

 When the new grass is flush and plenty, the corn 

 may be gradually discontinued. 



Our work is intended, principally, for farmers: 

 they well know that the mare may be put to mod- 

 erate work again a month after the foaling. The 

 foal is at first shut in the stable during the hours 

 of work; but as soon as it acquires sufficient 

 strength to toddle after the mare, and especially 

 when she is at slow work, it will be better for the 

 foal and the dam that they should be together. 

 The work will contribute to the health of the mo- 

 ther; the foal will more frequently draw the milk, 

 and thrive better; and will be hardy and tractable, 

 and graduallv familiarized with the objects among 

 which it is afterwards to live. While the mother, 

 however, is thus worked, she and the foal should 

 be well fed; and two feeds of corn, at least, 

 should be added to the green food which they get 

 when turned out after their work, and at night. 

 The mare will usually be found at heat at or be- 

 fore the expiration of a month from the time of 

 foaling, when, if she be kept principally for breed- 

 ing purposes, she may be put again to the horse. 



In five or six months, according to the growth 

 of the foal, it may be weaned. It should then be 

 housed for three weeks or a month, or turned into 

 some distant rick-yard. There can be no better 

 place for the foal than the latter, as affording, and 

 that without trouble, both food and shelter. The 

 mother should be put to harder work, and have 

 drier meat. One or two urine balls, or a physic 

 ball, will be useful if the milk should be trouble- 

 some, or she should pine after her foal. 



There is no principle of greater importance 

 than the liberal feeding of the foal during the 

 whole of his growth, and atthis time in particular. 

 Bruised oats and bran should form a considerable 

 part of his daily provender. The farmer may be 

 assured that money is well laid out which is ex- 

 pended on the liberal nourishment of the growing 

 colt: while, however, he is well fed, he should not 



