138 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



soon destroy the health and vigor of the horse, 

 and especially of his genital organs, as close 

 confinement and high feeding; and the man 

 who endeavors to keep his horse in show con- 

 dition the year round will find that he has un- 

 dertaken a difficult, not to say dangerous under- 

 taking. It will work in some cases for a year 

 or two; but, like constant indulgence in intoxi- 

 cating liquors in man, it will in the end sap 

 the strongest constitution. A strong, vigorous 

 horse may be able to withstand the deleterious 

 influence for a few years, but it is only a ques- 

 tion of time with the best. 



EFFECT OF CASTRATION ON STALLIONS. 



It may be proper to supplement what I have 

 written upon the management of the stallion 

 by a few remarks concerning the effect of cas- 

 tration and the time at which it should be per- 

 formed. It frequently happens that it is found 

 desirable to castrate a stallion after he has per- 

 formed several seasons of service in the breed- 

 ing stud, but many owners are deterred from 

 doing so from mistaken notions as to the danger 

 of the operation and its probable effect upon 

 the temperament of the horse. So far as the 

 danger is concerned it is very slight with any 

 horse in good health and not enfeebled by age 

 if performed in pleasant weather and by one 

 competent to do the work properly; and the 



