HORSE SENSE. 51 



were sick, get the best medical adviser obtainable and carry out his 

 instructions. 



The hay for the stallion should be of the best and cleanest, but should 

 not be fed in large quantities, as the services of the stallion are of a 

 character that requires activity, energy and pressure on the abdominal 

 visera. Twelve to sixteen pounds of hay in twenty-four hours is suiH- 

 cient for the largest stallion, and much less for smaller ones. Too much 

 hay has a tendency to make the stallion dull, short-winded and uncom- 

 fortable in his services. 



HANDLING THE STALLION FOR SERVICE. 



This is a much more important matter than most people will prob- 

 ably concede, but it is nevertheless true, that the quieter and least an- 

 noyingly the stallion can be handled, the better for the future ofifspring. 

 No stallioneer should, under any circumstances, have a fight with his 

 charge. Neither should he use a whip in handling the stallion for serv- 

 ice. It tends to make the horse nervous, timid or more often vicious; 

 all of which must have its influence with the progeny. The stallion or 

 safety bridle, represented elsewhere, is all that is necessary in handling 

 any stallion, both for the control of the horse and preventing rough 

 teasing of the mare. He can be prevented from biting his keeper or the 

 mare without any trouble. Never give the stallion pain when in close 

 contact with him, but if he is headstrong, let him have his head and 

 when at the length of the stallion bridle (twenty feet rope) "pinch" him 

 promptly and he will have business with his keeper in order to get relief, 

 Avhich should never be neglected. Always give the horse comfort when 

 he is near by and when he acts on his own volition, is the time to get 

 him to understand that his groom is his best friend. 



The stallion should not be allowed to tease the mare long or roughly, 

 but as soon as it is determined that she is ready is the time that the 

 stallion should be allowed to serve her. 



Most stallioners have some specific methods of their own about how 

 the stallion should cover the mare, but all of this depends largely upon 

 how the horse has been educated to service. Some allow the stallion 

 to come up from immediately behind. Well this will do if hobbles are 

 always used on the mares, but otherwise this is a dangerous procedure 

 and the stallion may be seriously injured. The approach of the stallion 

 from the side or even as far forward as the shoulder of the mare, is the 

 safer method if the stallion is properly educated. 



The attendant of the mare should be instructed to be ready to elevate 

 the mare's head just as the stallion goes to mount, and then there is 

 much less danger of her kicking him, as she cannot get both ends up 

 very well at the same time. In dismounting, the heads of both stallion 

 and mare should be pulled together, which will throw their hind quarters 

 away from each other and avoid injury from kicking. Never try to 

 force a service where the mare is decidedly opposed to the embrace of the 

 stallion, as the results will not be satisfactory generally. And a service 

 when the mare is not in condition is a service thrown away. 



