42 HINTS TO HORSEMEN ; OR, 



I allow, be tempted to attach more value to the 

 being " roomy*' in a mare intended to breed hunters, 

 than the one destined to breed for racing purposes, 

 and for the following reason : to be figuratively 

 speaking, ^' roomy," the mare has usually very deep 

 and curved back ribs, a desideratum, no doubt, in 

 horses for all ordinary purposes ; aftd if progeny ex- 

 hibit a tendency to the shape of the parent in one 

 particular, they are likely to do so in another. Thus, 

 I consider it is an expectation that the foal will 

 exhibit the make of the mother after its birth, is of 

 far more consequence than the room before it. 

 '' Where there is heart-room there is house-room," 

 hospitably says the Irishman, in the warmth of his 

 ever kind heart and feeling ; so I say let the unborn 

 foal be a good-shaped one, I will be bound that 

 somehow he will find room enough to become as large 

 as he need be when foaled, for the development of 

 size and even muscle in the foal in the first four or 

 five days, is often (if a healthy one) truly astonishing. 

 It may be said that mares really of a good sort 

 are somewhat difficult to meet with. I will go 



