The liange Horse 329 



of stallions has been to keep the stallions up and herd 

 the mares, bringing in the ones which are in heat. This 

 results in a smaller percentage of the mares getting in 

 foal but a larger number of the colts that are dropped 

 are saved, due to the better care which the mares are 

 receiving. Another benefit of this practice is that the 

 stallions may tend to more mares and especially the mares 

 which one wishes him to serve. When the stallions are 

 loose on the range, it is an all too common practice to drive 

 mares to those that are known to be the best colt-pro- 

 ducers, and therefore the better stallions are very often 

 overworked and injured. 



After the breeding season is over, the range stallion 

 that is kept up is handled very similarly to the stallion 

 in other places. Usually a large paddock or field is suit- 

 ably fenced so that he may run in it and keep in good 

 physical condition. If he is a light-boned stallion or one 

 that will stand the range conditions, he is usually turned 

 loose with the mares and allowed to roam with them. 

 This method will often catch some of the mares that have 

 failed to get in foal earlier in the year. It will also insure 

 that the stallion receives plenty of exercise, which is not 

 always the case when kept in close quarters. 



GROWING STOCK 



Different conditions of range necessitate different 

 methods of growing the younger stock. The common 

 practice, however, is to let the stock run, furnishing them 

 with the hay that is absolutely necessary in the winter 

 and gradually letting them attain their growth. Under 

 this practice, the horses at four or five years of age will 

 usually not weigh over 1000 to 1200 pounds. On the 



