HOW TO MAKE MONET BY HOKSES. 55 



I shall say but little on their treatment as regards 

 provender; this should be, as in the case of all 

 valuable horses, good, sweet, and nutritious of its 

 kind, and in such quantity, and no more, as to keep 

 the mare in the highest state of health and vigour ; 

 for a debilitated constitution must in the generality 

 of cases produce a weakened progeny ; while, on the 

 other hand, absolute fat is injurious to sire and dam. 

 Sires are mostly kept far too fat, in some cases from 

 the very erroneous idea ^that it manifests a superior 

 and thriving constitution ; an inference by no means 

 to be relied on, for fat may, and often does, exist 

 where the constitution is positively in a state of 

 debility. Good firm condition, with full muscle, 

 bodes high health, and consequent vigour ; but fat 

 lessens vigour perhaps quite as much as being some- 

 what under the mark as regards condition ; in truth, 

 fat is absolutely dangerous both to sire and dam. 

 Sires in such overfed state are subject to apoplexy 

 and various inflammatory ailments, and mares 

 suffer from it at the time of foaling. It must strike, 

 I should think, any one, that an accumulation of 



