go ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



be of any further active use, are turned to account for breeding purposes 

 — and the result is, a weak foal, lacking thrift and lacking spirit. 

 Mares hacked about until they are ring-boned, spavined, and splinted, or 

 perhaps dropsical or ^\'ith a glanderous tendency, — no longer useful on 

 the farm or on the road, are relieved from the work which they can no 

 longer do with any chance of profit, and sent to the stallion. Result: a 

 foal ^\^th a rickety or knotty osseous system, or with a tendency to some 

 form of dropsy, or ready, in the presence of any exciting cause, to 

 develop a case of glanders. And so of other disorders, more especially 

 of roaring, thick-wind, blindness, contracted feet, grease, and affections 

 of the brain and nervous system. Some mares have a peculiar predispo- 

 sition to surfeit, some to swelled legs, some to vertigo, some tt) a sort of 

 unaccountable viciousness. No wise breeder can afford to disregard these 

 things. If he wishes to rear a horse^'for service, he wants a sound foal ; 

 for he knows he can get from such a one more work for less cost 

 than from one unsound in bone, muscle, secretions or integument. 

 If he designs to breed for market he is aware that neither a puny nor a 

 diseased creature can be palmed off there either to his profit or his credit. 



To insure healthy, active, thrifty progeny, then, the dam must be 

 sound and vigorous; and this is no less true of the sire. We dwell less 

 upon the latter because it is of far less frequent occurrence for a broken 

 down and diseased stallion to be kept for the service of mares than for 

 mares of this description to be put to breeding because they are known 

 to be fit for nothing else, but are erroneously deemed useful for this. 

 The condition of the stallion, however, must not be overlooked. Every 

 breeder must have a care to choose a vigorous stallion, and one free from 

 blemishes, mal-formation and hereditary taints. 



Nor should mares be put to breeding too young. They should be full 

 grown and vigorous, and when their powers begin to fail they should no 

 longer be subjected to this service. It is the practice of some to begin 

 to breed at two years of age. This is injurious to the mare, and 

 otherwise unprofitable to the owner. The growth of the mare is 

 hindered ; her form is modified both by the weight of the stallion and by 

 carrying the foal. And the foal itself is apt to lack fullness and power, 

 yet, it takes from the young mother that sustenance which she needs for 

 her own development, so that she is dwarfed, while it grows up a mora 

 or less puny creature — of insufBeicnt vafue to compensate for the injury 

 done to the dam. No mare should be so used till she is at least three 

 years old — four would be the better and more profitable age. It is said 

 that mares which are allowed to mature, and are well treated afterwards, 

 will not lose enough of their natural vigor to disqualify them for bringing 

 forth good foals till after they are twenty years old ; but it is idle to 



