lo THE TURF 



in the autumn, that he may be hard and in good 

 health when he begins his stud duties. It can scarcely 

 be necessary to remark that the age of thoroughbreds 

 dates from January ist. Foals have occasionally 

 appeared during the last days of December, and the 

 unfortunate owners find themselves possessed of " year- 

 lings " that are actually only a few hours old, the little 

 creatures therefore rating as two-year-olds when their 

 age is really twelve months //^^i- the hours by which they 

 anticipated the beginning of the year ; and it is obvious 

 that they are at a hopeless disadvantage with their 

 quasi contemporaries who have months of additional 

 growth ; for a few weeks make a great difference to a 

 foal when he once begins to grow the right way and 

 to "do well." Some breeders like their foals to be 

 born in January, so that they may have the more time 

 to get forward ; others think that the young creatures 

 thrive better if they do not come into the world till 

 the spring grasses have begun to grow, till there is 

 more sun and the winter winds are gone. Seeing 

 that days in March are not seldom as bleak and cold 

 as any in the year, attempts to avoid winter winds are 

 likely to have doubtful results. Here, as elsewhere, 

 hard-and-fast rules are in truth impossible. Much 

 depends upon the mildness or inclemency of the 

 season ; much more on the treatment to which the 

 foals are subjected, the shelter afforded them, and so 

 forth ; very much again on the young animals' con- 

 stitutions. Roughly speaking, it would seem that a 



