206 THE HORSE 



young. Nevertheless, she may be good. There aro 

 many good brood-mares on the farms which have 

 never been used for breeding purposes. There are a 

 multitud of ways to change the heterogenous work- 

 stock of the farm for at least fairly good, sometimes 

 superior brood animals. One of the latter may be 

 worth twenty -five to thirty cents per pound, or six 

 times the price of beef on foot. My friend owns a 

 mare which has performed regular and full work in 

 the summer, and produced colts which, in the aggegate, 

 have been sold when fairly mature for $1,700, or 

 nearly $200 each. A plain grain farmer and a plain 

 appearing mare; the latter suited to a distinct purpose, 

 the former with acumen sufficient to make gox>d use 

 of his opportunity. (Figs. 48 and 49). 

 . . Description of a Brood-mare. It is impossible to 

 secure a clear mental photograph of a good or superior 

 brood-mare by illustrations or printed descriptions. 

 The living animal must be studied long, carefully, 

 patiently, if one is to become an expert judge. How- 

 ever, some help may be secured by means of pictures 

 and descriptions. The brood-mare should ba of good 

 size, considered from the standpoint of variety or 

 breed to which she belongs and the size of the progeny 

 desired. Her body conformation should be rather 

 open, or the reverse of pony-build. She may be, and 

 often is, a shade too long in body and slightly too 

 coarse. But these defects, if they are defects, may be 

 corrected in the offspring through the sire. The eyes 

 should be prominent, bright and well-set; the head 

 fine, for the breed; neck inclined to be, if anything, 



