282 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



sion of the semen before conception, or soon afterwards. 



To reduce barrenness among brood mares, avoid all 

 causes which may have a tendency to produce it. Feed a 

 moderate amount of clean, nutritious food and provide 

 the mare with sufficient exercise. Keep . her in good 

 health and if she is normal she will conceive. If she lis 

 not normal or is unthrifty, she either may not concei\^e 

 at all or only occasionally, and even then there is likely 

 to be difficulty. 



Abortion in mares. — Perhaps many mares thought to 

 be barren conceive freely, but abort soon after concep- 

 tion. Either difficulty is serious, as they prevent living 

 offspring and thus render the mare worthless as a 

 breeder. Abortion may be brought about by any cause 

 that very generally disturbs the mare's system, such as 

 the feeding of too stimulating a ration or the reverse, 

 the feeding of certain harmful materials as ergot of rye, 

 smut of corn or other grain, and the drinking of filthy 

 stagnant water, iced water as well as the eating of iced 

 grasses and other indigestible materials. In addition, 

 abortion may be due to a number of more or less direct 

 mechanical causes, as falls, blows, overwork and violent 

 exertion, traveling on muddy roads, soft, plowed ground 

 or jumping fences, ditches, and the like. 



As in barrenness, abortion can usually be prevented by 

 avoiding all causes which may have a tendency to pro- 

 duce it. The same precautions should be taken as sug- 

 gested for barrenness. When all measures fail and mis- 

 carriage results, all that can be done is to assist in the 

 removal of the fetus and its membranes, as in ordinary 

 parturition. At this time the mare should have extra 

 care. She should be placed in a roomy, well-lighted and 

 well-ventilated stall, and fed easily digested food, as it 

 is essential to avoid constipation, diarrhea, indigestion 

 and the like. The mare should never be bred on the ninth 

 day after a miscarriage. Let her go over at least one 

 period. 



