THE MARE HEK QUALITIES AND TREATxMEJMT. 45 



mare. The stables should be light, airy, and free from contami- 

 nating influences. Any neglect, exposure, and abuse will tell 

 upon the young animal. The mare should do light work up to 

 within five or six weeks of foaling, at which time she should be 

 relieved of all service until a month or six weeks after foaling. 

 As she nears the time of foaling she should be removed from 

 other animals and kept where she can be watched, so that if any 

 difficulty arise during parturition assistance may be obtained 

 promptly. 



After thirty days the mare may again be put to the horse; but, 

 as said before, it is best to breed every other year. Pregnancy 

 alters the character of the milk. It is evident that a small num- 

 ber become pregnant during lactation. Sr. Trail says: ''That 

 conception should not occur during lactation is very clear. It is 

 certainly not in accordance with physiological law, nor is it pro- 

 bable tliat a woman while nursing one child will develop so per- 

 fectly the ovum for another." 



Grass when it can be obtained is the best food for the mare. 

 If in the time of pasture she will need but little grain. In the 

 latter month of gestation the food should be increased. The 

 mare then has both the foal and herself to support. She should 

 never be allowed to fall off and become poor, and on the other 

 hand a plethoric condition is objectionable. The food given 

 should be of the best quality in order to make pregnant mares 

 healthy, to strengthen them generally and locally. 



PARTURITION. 



This is performed in the mare in its natural way with no suf- 

 fering. It is a perfectly natural function with them, as it should 

 be with all living creatures. All females in perfect health pass 

 through their time of trial with comparative case. Nature never 

 intended that they should be tortured when fulfilling her laws. 

 The perversion of nature's laws has brought about suffering in 

 the human family. The only cases accompanied with suffering 

 in the mare are where her body is diseased, or where she has 



