76 THE HORSE. 



Breeding from Mares with Foal at Foot. — 



A mare with a foal at foot ofenerallv coines into season from 

 seven to ten clays after foaling, and it is best to have her 

 sei'ved by the horse on the ninth day, she being tried again, as 

 recommended above, after three weeks have elapsed. 



Condition of Breeding^ Mares. — Mares must be in 

 good breeding condition when they are put to the horse. They 

 must not be very fat, as a fat condition renders conception 

 more difficult. It is also indesirable that mares should be 

 very poor in condition, as this is not conducive to successful 

 ccnception. Old mares that have never been bred from often 

 do not conceive, and are difficult to get in foal. For this 

 reason, the j^lan of buying old and worn out mares for breed- 

 ing purposes frequently fails to be a success. 



Barrenness in Mares— It not infrequently happens 

 that mares are barren. The causes of barrenness are various 

 and many; space forbids of their being discussed in this hand- 

 book. Should a breeder find that repeated services fail to 

 put a mare in foal, his best and only plan is to discard her. 

 Sometimes, a mare, which proves difficult to put in foal, will 

 successfully conceive if served by two different stallions within 

 a few hours of each other. 



After Service. — After a mare has been served, she 

 should be rested for a few hours, or, if she has been sent to 

 the stallion and has to travel home, she must be Avalkod, 

 and should not be made to travel at a fast pace. 



