III. 



THE MARE-HER QUALITIES AND TREATMENT. 



For breeding purposes the mare should possess a sound body. 

 The nutriment of the fetus being derived directly from the 

 mother's blood, if she is disordered or defective, its vital func- 

 tions must suffer also. After conception the sire's condition or 

 habits can have no further influence on the offspring during its 

 embryonic life. The mother, however, must affect its character 

 and destiny through all of her varying conditions during the 

 whole period of gestation and lactation. Hereditary diseases are 

 generally transmitted by the mare. The rule, then, for the pro- 

 duction of sound colts is exceedingly simple. Keep the mare 

 healthy. The rule extends through the entire period of gesta- 

 tion and lactation. 



I do not hold that every disease of the parents will be trans- 

 mitted to the colt. Some fine colts are raised by feeble mares, 

 although such is by no means the rule. Unhealthy parents in 

 favorable conditions of procreation may produce healthy off- 

 spring. But if only healthy parents produce colts, and that, too, 

 with a strict compliance with the conditions of procreation, the 

 result will be a steady improvement in quality, and the gradual 

 breeding out of physical corruptions. Youatt says: ''There is 

 scarcely a disease by which either of the parents is affected that 

 the foal does not inherit, or, at least, show a predisposition to. 

 Even the consetiucnces of ill-usage or hard work will descend to 

 the progeny. There has been proof upon proof that blindness, 

 roaring, thick wind, broken wind, s])avin, curb, ringbone, and 

 founder have been beciueathed to their offspring both by the 

 sire and their dam.'' The animal races will never attain sound 

 bodies until the people have learned how to breed healthy pro- 

 geny. We have made considerable progress in the procreation 



(41) 



