TRAINING, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 83 



there has been previous trouble to get her in foal. In 

 such cases have her served every day during the period 

 of heat. My reason for this will be obvious to an in- 

 telligent horseman who understands the physiology of 

 the generative organs and the theory of conception. 

 In my opinion, three years of age is quite early enough 

 to breed the mare. Two, I think, as a rule, is much 

 too young. 



If the mare is in work at the time of service put 

 her back to work again ; if she is on pasture put her 

 back to pasture ; and if she has been idle in the stable 

 or paddock she at once goes back to the same con- 

 dition. In other words, try, if possible, to make no 

 change in the conditions under which the mare has 

 been kept, the primary object being to avoid all excite- 

 ment. The common system of taking the mare away 

 from home to a strange place, amid strange surround- 

 ings, to be bred, is not so favourable to conception as 

 is the common system, where the stallion makes his 

 regular rounds, and the mares are served on the farms 

 where they are kept, owned, and worked. This system 

 is better for the mares, and is also better for the stallion, 

 because, under it, the latter is sure to get plenty of 

 exercise — a thing which is niucJi neglected by some 

 owners of stallions, when their entires do not traveL 

 This neglect is one of the principal sources of vice. 

 I had one sent to me when at Perth that would fairly 

 savage a man, yet in less than a week I drove him in 



