126 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



rived from the statistics of horse-breeding in 

 France and the general results attained in this 

 country, so far as we can approximate them, it 

 is safe to conclude that the number of mares 

 served has no influence on the percentage of 

 foals got, and that a horse properly treated 

 may serve from 80 to 110 mares in a season 

 with as large an average percentage of foals as 

 one limited to less than half that number. 



EFFECT OF AGE UPON THE FERTILITY OF A 

 STALLION. 



Another point upon which there has been 

 much discussion is the effect which age has 

 upon the fertility of a stallion; and here again 

 we are left without any official statistics of 

 horse-breeding in our own country, and will 

 resort to those of Saxony. For the years above 

 quoted, 1856 to 1862, inclusive, we find the re- 

 turns disclosing the following state of facts: 

 In 1856 the average get of the stallions aged 

 six, nineteen, twelve, eighteen, and fourteen, 

 respectively, and in the order named, was the 

 highest, while those aged eight, nine, seventeen, 

 sixteen, five, and seven were the lowest. In 

 1857 those aged four, twenty, fourteen, seven, 

 and eight got the largest percentage, in the 

 order named, while those aged five, nine, eight- 

 een, seventeen, and six were the lowest; and 

 those aged twenty-one and twenty-two got a 

 greater per cent of foals than those aged five, 



