28 NOTES ON BREEDING EACEHOESES. 



that case it is generally in consequence of being kept too long 

 on the turf; for mares like Alice Hawthorn and Beeswing, to 

 race till their eighth and ninth year and then bring sound 

 foals, adapted for racing, are rare exceptions indeed. I do not 

 like to buy mares that remained on the turf longer than, at 

 the most, their fifth year. 



The animal living in a primitive state, and acknowledging 

 Dame Nature as the only authority with regard to its sexual 

 instincts, satisfies the longing as soon as it makes itself felt. 

 There is not much difierence in our domestic animals, such as 

 cattle, sheep, pigs ; with them but a comparatively short time 

 passes between the desire being awakened and appeased. In the 

 young mare only that satisfaction is postponed from month to 

 month, from year to year, until hysterics and similar disorders 

 ultimately culminate in absolute sterility, consequences easy of 

 comprehension, if it is taken into consideration that nature de- 

 nied to the mare that salutary cleansing process, menstruation. 



For this reason I prefer for stud purposes mares which 

 during the period of training are never in use. I have fre- 

 quently known such mares, of which on that very account fears 

 of perfect uselessness for breeding purposes were entertained, 

 on being sent to the stud, take the horse at the proper moment, 

 be stinted the first or second time of covering, and retain this 

 very valuable habit during the whole of their stud career. 



I am well aware that it would be as difficult to carry out 

 the exclusion from the stud of every untried or unsound mare, 

 as it is to jirevent others aifected with visible defects or imper- 

 fections being used. I merely mean to say that the breeding 

 from so many untried or unsound mares is the principal ob- 

 stacle to the complete attainment by the thoroughbred horse 

 of its ideal destination. 



The buying of brood mares, if pursued not only with the pos- 

 sibility, but the probability also of success, is indeed no easy 

 task. By deducting all mares which never showed any racing 

 form, nor ever bred a winner, the sum of those remaining avail- 

 able will be reduced by 90 per cent, on those offered. This, 

 however, by no means guards against bitter disappointment; 



