296 SWAPPING HORSES AND HORSE JOCKEY TRICKS. 



breed her, and after getting her safely in foal to sell or trade 

 her off as a brood mare and not as a general purpose horse. 

 As I lived on Prudence Island, K. I., at the time, I started for 

 Newport with my mare for the purpose of breeding her. 

 While on the Newport steamer I met a horse-jockey who 

 seemed much interested in my mare and after learning of my 

 intention of breeding her, revealed the fact that he was the 

 owner of a fine blood bay Morgan mare much more suitable 

 for the purpose of a brood mare than was mine, and said he 

 would give me a good trade for mine. Consequently, as I had 

 no fear of being cheated in any trade that I could make with 

 this mare, provided I gave no boot, I swapped with him even 

 for a beautiful bay mare which was out to grass, and had not 

 been harnessed for some time although sound and all right, 

 and notwithstanding it was in the busy season of gay New- 

 port when the services of almost every animal on the island 

 were,, called into demand. 



This mare had a docked tail, and as it was past the time 

 when docked tails were fashionable I naturally inquired as to the 

 cause, and was told by her honest (?) owner just whv she came 

 to be docked. 



He said : " You see it was just this way ; she was owned by 

 a farmer on the island who was of a hasty and nervous dispo- 

 sition, and one day when mowing with her — on one of those 

 days when the flies will torment a horse almost beyond endur- 

 ance — this mare in fighting flies with her tail accidentally 

 caught the rein and was so frightened on the account that she 

 kicked just once ; this so surprised and irritated her owner that 

 he had her bereft of her beautiful tail at once and was so ex- 

 asperated with her that he got rid of her as soon as practi- 

 cable." 



This mare, given a fair trial, proved herself a high kicker 

 when in the mood, but to her credit I will say there were times 

 when she worked very satisfactorily, and furthermore, while in 

 my hands she did lots of it. 



Once while buying cattle in the Brighton market my atten- 



