104 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



the strain of horses with which one is breeding, or only to 

 market the greatest possible number of animals ? If the ob- 

 ject is to improve the strain, one should never attempt to breed 

 a two-year-old filly. 



The practice in certain draft-horse producing countries. Great 

 Britain for example, is to breed the draft fillies the spring they 

 are two years old and allow them no work whatever that season. 

 After weaning their foals, they are taken as three-year-olds and 

 put to work, and not bred again until they are four years old. 

 This system is worthy of adoption when one wishes to know 

 the breeding qualities of his mare as early as possible; otherwise 

 there is no advantage, as one will secure just as many colts if he 

 waits till the mare is three years old and then breeds her. 



When draft horses are wanted only for marketing, there is 

 no reason why fillies cannot be bred at two years of age, provided 

 they are mature, have been well grown, and their owner is 

 willing to feed and care for them properly during their pregnancy. 

 Nor is there any reason why they should not be bred each year 

 thereafter. They should not, however, be put to work till over 

 three years of age. 



At about twelve years, the productive powers of some draft 

 mares will begin to wane, although many of them are reliable 

 breeders to about fifteen years, especially if they have been bred 

 continuously from their maturity. Above this age, it is rarely 

 profitable to keep them for breeding. Perhaps it is best to 

 dispose of draft brood mares at ten or twelve years old unless 

 they are exceptionally good breeders, in which case they should 

 be kept as long as they will breed. 



Season of the year to breed. — The natural time for foals to 

 arrive is in the spring, and under ordinary conditions, especially 

 on breeding farms, this is customary. However, on most farms 

 the.mare must do the season's work in addition to raising the colt. 

 This often necessitates breeding the mares so as to have the 

 colts arrive in the fall. With good stables, abundance of food, 



