CHOICE OF THE MARB. 81 



would be willing to run some risk of having & worlhlesa 

 animal for his own use, in the hope of possibly having one 

 free from the dreaded defect and of superlative excellence. 

 In any event, however, the practice is to be eschewed and 

 the risk CO be considered excessive. 



Previous to sending the mare to the horse she should 

 be got into the most perfect state of health and condition, 

 by moderate exercise, abundance of good nutritious food, 

 and warm stabling. It is not desirable that she should be 

 in a pampered state produced by hot stables or extraordi- 

 nary clothing, that she should have the short fine coat, or 

 the blooming and glowing condition of the skin, for which 

 one would look in a race-horse about to contend for a four 

 mile heat — not that she should be in that wiry form of sinew 

 and steel-like hardness of muscle, which is only the result 

 j)f training. Still less desirable is it that she should be 

 overloaded with flit, especially of that soft fat generated by 

 artificial feeding. 



While the mare is carrying her foal, during the first three 

 or four months of her gestation, she will be much the better, 

 not the worse, for doing her ordinary work, — not of course 

 galloping long distances at her speed, nor trotting matches, 

 nor doing extraordinary distances on the road ; but, if she 

 be a carriage mare or a hackney, doing her regular day's 

 work at her ordinary pace before a carriage or under the 

 saddle ; or, if she be a farm mare, going through the usual 

 routine of light ploughing, harrowing, or road- work, nevei 

 being put to any sudden or extreme exertion, such as being 

 made to pull at excessive loads, or to any efforts likely to 

 produce sudden jerks or strains, which are, of all things, 

 the most likely to cause a mare to slip her foal. At a later 

 period her work should be lighter and slower, but none 

 the less regular, nor should her exercise ever be wholly 

 tDtermitted. If she be let to run at grass, she should ht 



