76 MARE AND COLT. 



Have an aim in breeding and try to breed all of the colts 

 to a standard. They will then make pairs and sell for 

 more. A whole town should unite in this and make a repu- 

 tation for good horses and horses alike. Where this is done 

 money will flow in like a steady stream. 



Defects caused by accidents should not debar a good 

 mare from being a breeder. Such as pin-hipped, or injuries 

 caused by overwork or bad shoeing. Avoid a kicker, a 

 puller or a balky mare. 



Many a man owning a valuable road mare will not breed 

 her because he dislikes to spoil her shape. But this trouble 

 can be entirely prevented by care directly after foaling. The 

 dam has a feeling of emptiness succeeding parturition, and 

 will eat abnormally if not restrained. If this inclination is 

 controlled for three or four days she will return to her nor- 

 mal form. Soothing, laxative and nutritious food must be 

 administered and no stuffing done with hay. 



The farmer should never fool with trotters unless he hap- 

 pens to have a genuine, full-bred trotting mare, and if he 

 has such a one he should sell it. Paper trotters are no 

 good, neither are those which make fast time around bar- 

 room stoves. Blood will tell with trotters, but it must be 

 there. The last kind of horses for farmers to breed are the 

 expected trotters. 



What are you going to do ? Are you going to breed farm 

 horses? Then get a pony-built, solid mare and take her to 

 the same kind of a horse, weighing about 1,200 pounds. 

 You want a mare and horse with a good, strong walking 

 gait and a square, steady trotting motion. Avoid the lungers, 

 the high-steppers and the fast trotting action. Such horses 

 will not settle down to the slow and steady gait required on 

 the farm and for hauling loads, and they are not so strong. 

 They will fret and fume and tear themselves all to pieces. 



