224 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 



disoro-anized ; and though this itself is objectionable, as showing a weak- 

 ness of the organ, it is not so bad as the regular cataract. 



Such are the chief absolute defects, or deviations from health in th« 

 mare ; to which may be added a general delicacy of constitution, which 

 can only be guessed from the amount of flesh which she carries while 

 sucldinof or on poor "keep," or from her appearance on examination by 

 an experienced hand, using his eyes as well. The firm, full muscle, the 

 brjo-ht and lively eye, the healthy-looking coat at all seasons, rough 

 though it may be in winter, proclaim the hardiness of constitution which 

 is wanted, but which often coexists with infirm legs and feet. Indeed, 

 sometimes the very best-topped animals have the worst legs and feet, 

 chiefly owing to the extra weight they and their ancestors also have had 

 to carry. Crib-biting is sometimes a habit acquired from idleness, as 

 also is wind-sucking ; but if not caused by indigestion, it often leads to 

 it, and is very commonly caught by the offspring. It is true that it may 

 be prevented by a strap ; but it is not a desirable accomplishment in the 

 mare, though of less importance than those to which I have already allu- 

 ded, if not accompanied by absolute loss of health, as indicated by ema- 

 ciation, or the state of the skin. 



Lastly, the temper is of the utmost importance, by which must be un- 

 derstood not that gentleness at grass which may lead the breeder's fam- 

 ily to pet the mare, but such a temper as will serve for the purposes of 

 her rider, and will answer to the stimulus of the voice, whip or spur. A 

 craven or a rogue is not to be thought of as the "mother of a family ;" 

 and if a mare belongs to a breed which is remarkable for refusing to an- 

 swer the call of the rider, she should be consigned to any task rather 

 than the stud-farm. Neither should a mare be used for this purpose 

 which had been too irritable to train, unless she hapiDcned to be an excep- 

 tional case ; but if of an irritable family, she would be worse even than 

 a roarer, or a blind one. These are defects which are apparent in the 

 colt or filly, but the irritability which interferes with training often leads 

 to the expenditure of large sums on the faith of private trials, which are 

 lost from the failure in public, owing to this defect of nervous system. 



CHOICE or STALLION. 



Like the brood mare, the stallion requires several essentials — com- 

 mencing also like her, first, with his blood ; secondly, his individual 

 shape ; thirdly, his health ; and, fourthly, his temper. But there is this 

 difficulty in selecting the stallion, that he must not only be suitable ^^r se, 

 but he must also be adapted to the particular marc which he is to " serve." 

 Thus, it will be manifest that the task is more difficult than the fixinsr 

 upon a brood mare, because (leaving out of considerations all other 



