THE BROOD MARE 183 



large enclosure) and exposed to such fearful 

 weather, I quite expected another case of 

 joint-evil, or worse ; instead of which I 

 found the youngster as lively as a basket 

 of kittens, and she did as well as possible 

 through the wet summer. And such has 

 been my personal experience. Only three 

 foals have I ever had born indoors, of 

 which one died, and another got joint-evil ; 

 my others have all been foaled in the open, 

 and no harm has happened to any one of 

 them. Therefore I would advise that any 

 mare due to foal not earlier in the year 

 than May be left out and allowed to take 

 her chance ; for I believe that chance to 

 be the best she can be given. Nature evi- 

 dently makes some provision to protect the 

 newly born creature from the effects so com- 

 monly produced by wet and cold upon those 

 subjected to artificial treatment. With 

 thoroughbreds intended for flat -racing, and 

 therefore foaled early in the year, the ela- 



