146 The Compleat Horfeman : <?r 



When you have chofen your Stallion, three 

 Months at lea ft before the Time he is to cover, feed 

 him with good Oats, Peafe or Beans, or with coarfe 

 Bread, and little Hay, but a good deal of Wheat- 

 Straw, ftepping him out twice a day to the Water ; 

 and after he hath drunk, walk him up and down an 

 Hour, without making him fweat. If he were not 

 thus brought in wind before he covers, he would 

 either become purfy and broken-winded, or run a 

 great risk of being fo ; and were he not well fed, 

 he could not perform the Task \ or at leaft the Colts 

 would be but pitiful and weak; and although you 

 nourifh him well, yet you will take him in again 

 very lean. If you give him many Mares he will 

 not ferve you fo long, and his Mane and Tail will 

 fall away through Poverty ; and you will find it dif- 

 ficult to recover and bring him into a good Condi- 

 tion of Body for the Year following : Give him 

 Mares therefore according to his Strength, that is 

 twelve or fifteen, or at moft twenty. 



We mould in England cover our Mares in the be- 

 ginning of June, that fo they may foal in May \ in 

 which Month there is plenty of Grafs, which will 

 make the Mares have a greater abundance of Milk 

 for the better nourifiiing of their Foals. ' Mares 

 c go with Foal eleven Months, and as many Days 

 c as they are Years old. For Example •, A Mare of 

 1 nine Years old will carry her Foal eleven Months 

 c and nine Days •, fo that a Man may fo order his 

 1 Mares to be covered, that their Foals may be 

 * brought forth at fuch a Time as there will be 

 c abundance of Grafs. 



You mould about the end of May, at which Time 

 there is commonly ftore of Grafs, put your Mares 

 into an Inclofure, which may be capable to feed 

 them the whole Time the Stallion is to be with them, 

 or that they are in feafon,in which Inclofure all your 

 Mares fliould be put together, as well thofe which 



are 



