638 APPENDIX. 



AVhen mares come in season early in sj^ring they often display an unnatural 

 and constant iieat. Conception will not take place until this has passed 

 away. Bleeding and a run at grass restores a healthy condition, and success 

 may be expected to follow. 



It is not believed that clover pasture, especially white clover, is suitable 

 for mares during the jieriod in which conception is desired to occur. Many 

 breeders are of the ojjinion that such i)asture causes the mares to pass out of 

 heat and not to return, and the breeder is led to suppose they are in foal 

 until the lapse of time discloses the fact of his disapjioiutment. However 

 valuable clover may be for young stock, and especially in the fall, I should 

 not allow mares in the breeding season to pasture on such grass. 



Mares once in foal are liable at the third or fourth month to lose their foals, 

 and this danger is greatly increased by scarcity of water or improjjer food, 

 and especially by the tiring of guns by hunters in the vicinity of their pastures. 

 This latter cause of danger may extend to other periods. Many otherwise 

 quiet horses are very excitable when they hear the near report of a gun, and 

 many foals are thereby lost. 



There is also a liability to the same danger at a later period — say at eight or 

 nine months, but this comes from improper feed, and care must be used at 

 this period that no rye is fed to the mares. Hemp seed has been found to be 

 a valuable preventive of abortions, when taken at about the time of impend- 

 ing danger, and before the case has gone too far. 



I have had several mares giving strong indications of such a mishap, which 

 were carried through successfully by the use of one to two tablespoonfuls of 

 hemp seed once each day; or oftener if the animal displays indications of 

 restlessness or disquietude. Mares at such times are very nervous, and it is 

 best to keep them entirely separate from other animals, and give food and 

 other care that will engage their attention, and take the mind away from the 

 impending danger. 



Twin colts are apt to be slipped or aborted at about the period of eight 

 months, and if they are not then lost, they are apt to die, and the mare rarely 

 survives. Twin colts are not often seen alive. 



I have had several slipped prematurely, and the mares came out all right. I 

 had one pair carried imtil a period of ten to eleven months, and I lost the 

 mare. 



A mare sometimes shows slight signs of heat when in foal and three or 

 four months advanced. Should she be oflfered the horse at such time, she 

 may receive him, but generally she does so with some evidences of unwilling- 

 ness. The result is, that the abortion of her foal follows within aboutaw'eek; 

 hence great care should be exercised in permitting such a service, after a mare 

 has been supposed to be in foal. 



The time of year at which foals should come has some importance. If 

 they come in winter or very early spring, great care must be exercised to have 

 the mare on such feed as w^ill promote a ready flow of milk. There is nothing 

 equal to grass — but it is cjuite hazardous to have colts foaled in hot weather. 

 I want to avoid the hot days of June, July and August, and the last two in 

 particular. A colt foaled in the heat of the sun, is killed by it sooner than if 



