280 Western Live-stock Management 
condition of the sexual organs, or by having the neck 
of the uterus stopped up with mucus, or excessively 
enlarged. The latter ailments are very common, and if 
the neck of the uterus is closed, it should be opened as 
above indicated. In inserting the hand, it should always 
be perfectly clean and lubricated with pure soapsuds. 
When any diseased condition is suspected, the hands 
should be absolutely free from any breaks in the skin, 
such as cuts, scratches, hang nails, and the like. Mares 
that are in diseased condition should not be bred by a 
stallion. If it is thought best to breed them, this should 
be done artificially. A veterinarian should be called to 
handle any unusual conditions of the sexual organs, as 
they require skilled treatment. 
The re-trying system that is practiced in the serving 
of the mares is to re-try them in three weeks after breed- 
ing, and then re-try again once a week for four weeks 
following, or until seven weeks from the time of breeding. 
Many mares will not re-breed at twenty-one days if they 
are not in foal, but come in at the fourth or fifth week 
after breeding. In order, therefore, to be sure that they 
are in foal, it is necessary to have them re-tried at least, 
four times, instead of once, as many stallion men practice. 
Artificial impregnation. 
Three methods of artificial impregnation are commonly 
practiced: with the breeding bag, with the impregnating 
syringe, and with the use of capsules. The object of 
artificial impregnation is to breed two or more mares 
from one service of the horse, and in this manner lessen 
the necessary services of the horse, and increase the number 
of mares which it is possible for him to breed. When a 
mare is bred, the horse injects the semen or male ftuid 
