BREEDING THE MARE. 315 



ally go dead lame in one hind leg, and finally she 

 proved to be in foal. The first season I came to Palo 

 Alto, Aurora came into use early in March, and was 

 bred. A few days later she slunk a colt, being in foal 

 from a service the previous season ; and we have since 

 had a similar case. These instances prove that a mare 

 may take the horse at almost any period of pregnane v. 



Our practice is to breed in the evening. If horses 

 are used in the morning they are excitable and rest- 

 less all day ; and mares also are cooler and calmer after 

 an evening's service. I have no faith in artificial tricks 

 to get mares to catch. Some throw cold water over 

 the mare ; another jabs an awl into her ear just at 

 what he supposes the vital moment ; another has a 

 theory about the moon. All this is nonsense of the 

 witchcraft order. If the mare fails to hold after three 

 or four services, it is well to "open" her, to see that 

 the mouth of the womb is in proper place and condi- 

 tion. Every breeder who breeds extensively should 

 have a speculum, and acquaint himself, or have his fore- 

 man acquaint himself, with the condition and position 

 of the genital organs of the mare, so that he can intelli- 

 gently cope with any slight irregularity that may pre- 

 vent conception. 



After we breed the mares we turn them out in a 

 paddock until they go out of use. Then they are 

 turned in with the others, and a horse is led among 

 them every day to ascertain which require attention. 

 Our trial d^js are the eighteenth after being bred, then 

 again nine days later, and again nine days after that. ^Ve 

 carefully keep account of the trial days of each mare, 

 and try her particularly then. We breed her whenever 



