158 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



positively beneficial to mares in foal, provided 

 proper care be taken not to overload them. It 

 is certainly better than keeping them tied up 

 in the stable or permitting them to run at large 

 in the yards or fields with many other horses. 

 In the former case they suffer from want of 

 exercise, and in the latter they are exposed to 

 numberless accidents resulting from racing, 

 playing or fighting with each other. In my 

 own experience in horse-breeding more abor- 

 tions have resulted from mares being kicked 

 or otherwise injured by other horses when in 

 the pastures than from all other causes com- 

 bined. Exercise is essential to good health; 

 and when moderate work is given care being 

 taken to avoid overloading and proper attention 

 being paid to the shoeing so that there shall be 

 no danger of strains from slipping the mare 

 will get plenty of exercise without the exposure 

 consequent upon running at large with other 

 horses. If proper care be taken the mare can 

 safely be used in the ordinary work of the farm 

 up to the very hour of foaling; but as this time 

 approaches it is important that the weight be 

 not heavy nor the pace rapid. After the foal 

 is dropped the mare ought to have at least 

 three or four days of rest and quiet, although 

 many farmers who are hurried with their work 

 and cannot very well dispense with the services 

 of the mare in the field find no evil results fol- 



