194 BREEDING STOCK SHOULD BE FAMILIAR. 



it is very seldom sufficiently attended to. Nearly all 

 mares, by kind and gentle treatment, may be brought 

 to this. The being perfectly free from alarm pro- 

 duces a general placidity of temper and feeling that 

 is highly desirable in any breeding animal as to their 

 well doing ; fright, we all know when in this state, 

 has often most fatal effects both on mother and off- 

 spring: reasoning therefore on analogy, if absolute 

 fright is often fatal, constant alarm or apprehension 

 must be at least prejudicial. Independent of this, 

 mares galloping about, to avoid being caught whenever 

 they are approached, is highly dangerous : and, after 

 the foal is produced, he naturally follows the mother : 

 if she is wild, the colt becomes so, and learns from her 

 to avoid man as his enemy, whereas he should be taught 

 to hail him as a friend. The mare should be induced 

 to come up to man the moment he enters her paddock 

 or pasture, from always gaining caresses and indul- 

 gence when she does so. A little corn from a sieve or 



o 



a carrot from the hand will soon teach her this ; and, 

 if when laid hold of she gets this and caresses, and is 

 never suffered to be alarmed, she will come as readily 

 and willingly as a favourite dog. What, then, is the 

 result of the tameness of the mother ? the foal na- 

 turally follows her either to or from you, and from 

 constantly approaching man he becomes familiar ; and, 

 as a matter of course, never being hurt or alarmed, he 

 in a few weeks has no more fear of him than of his 

 darn, and will suffer himself to be handled in any way 

 you please. As soon as he is able to eat, he should 

 get something from the hand, he will from this watch 

 for the approach of man, instead of (as most colts do) 

 galloping away to avoid him. A flock of sheep follow 

 the shepherd from habit, and finding him their friend. 

 A herd of deer, from want of habitual intimacy with 



