HUNTER BROOD MARES 



man beginning breeding operations with troubles 

 so commonly regarded as being capable of in- 

 heritance. Mares that are good jumpers them- 

 selves may, reasonably, be expected to produce 

 offspring gifted with the same qualifications, 

 much more so than in the case of brood mares 

 having no such record. Considering the large 

 number of brood mares that are registered by 

 the Hunters' Improvement Society, there ought 

 not to be much difficulty in obtaining the right 

 type of animal, provided that a reasonable price 

 will be paid. The question of price is an im- 

 portant one; nevertheless, it is impossible to lay 

 down any rule as to what should or should not 

 be paid, the reason of this being, that it is cus- 

 tomary, not to relegate the animal to maternal 

 duties, until such time as its sphere of utility, so 

 far as work is concerned, practically ceases. To 

 this rule there are some exceptions, but these 

 are not numerous. Concerning the number of 

 mares to be purchased, much will depend 

 upon the facilities for grazing, housing, &c. 

 To begin in a small way, half a dozen mares 

 might be purchased, and roughly speaking, 

 these will cost ^200. The best time to 



17 B 



