106 The Practical Stud Gh~oom. 



her to move forward a step or two and accommodate herself 

 to the horse's movements. When the horse has finished, 

 pull the mare's head short round to the near side and let her 

 take a step in that direction, this greatly facilitates the 

 horse's dismounting. Take the hobbles off the mare quickly 

 and lead her about quietly for ten or fifteen minutes, not 

 letting her stop to " strain." Then shut her up in her box 

 for the rest of the day. 



Take the stallion back to his box, tie him up and sponge 

 his chest, arms, belly, stifles and sheath with a weak solu- 

 tion of chinasol. This will remove the scent of the mare 

 from these parts, and prevent him acquiring objectionable 

 tricks. If manipulating his sheath annoys him too much, 

 it is best to discontinue that part of the routine. With a 

 great many stallions, it is often difficult to be absolutely 

 certain that they have thrown the seminal fluid when cover- 

 ing a mare. This is especially the case when the horse has 

 been called on to cover several mares in quick succession. I 

 have had experienced stallion grooms assure me that a cer- 

 tain service was satisfactory beyond a doubt, which the 

 prompt use of the speculum has proved to be quite the 

 reverse. The proper method, no matter how clever and 

 experienced the stallion man considers himself, is to insist 

 on his " testing " every service by placing a finger very 

 lightly on the under side of the horse's penis towards the 

 close of the service, when, if the service is satisfactory, the 

 impulse throb will plainly be felt, and all doubt be set at 

 rest. 



Another bad practice one frequently sees at serving 

 time is that of the man at the mare's head holding her in a 

 vice-like grip, occasionally actually pushing the mare back 

 on to the stallion. I have often wished at such times that such 

 men could have seen mares being covered on the prairie 



