1 8 BREEDING AND REARING OF 



practical truth that I hope may be of interest to my 

 young readers. 



I remember a very noted trotting stallion that stood 

 at Nashville, Tenn., at $ioo per mare. He did a very 

 large business and I think he served the best class of 

 trotting mares, and if he ever produced over a very 

 few extra winners I never knew them. Blackwood 

 ranked among the first-class trotting stallions of his 

 day. I think he was over-taxed with business. 



I think it best to have a stallion to tease for a jack 

 that is used for mares. Some mares are afraid of 

 jacks and will not show sign of being in heat. Hence 

 it is best to have a stallion as a teaser. Now from 

 experience and observation I think that after a mare 

 has been bred she ought not to be taken back until 

 the tenth day to try her. Should she appear to be 

 ill do not have her teased much, but after she has 

 refused once, she may be coaxed more the second or 

 third time. While I am writing more for the interest 

 of the breeders of jacks and jennets, I wish to state 

 just here that I have found that plowing mares in 

 rocky or rooty ground while breeding is injurious. 

 Would advise, that if the mares are to be plowed, let 

 them be used in old land, clear of roots and rocks, 

 and use mules or geldings in their stead until you 

 have them safely in foal. Mares when breeding and 

 having to be worked in rough, rooty or rocky ground, 

 cast off a great deal when jerked by the hitching of 

 the plow, etc., and have known men fail to get colts 

 under such circumstances. Neither should they be 

 allowed to run on white or red clover in bloom or 

 rye at this time. Another important point I wish to 

 call the attention to is, after a mare or jennet foals, 



