TIIE HOKSE. 
21 
should possess somewhat opposite qualities. Her carcass should be 
long, in order to give room for the growth of the foetus ; and yet with 
this there should oe compactness of form and shortness of leg. What 
can they expect whose practice it is to purchase worn-out, spavined, 
foundered mares, about whom they fancy there have been some good 
points, and send them far into the country to breed from, and, with all 
their variety of shape, to be covered by the same horse? In a lottery 
like this there may be now and then a prize, but there must be many 
blanks. 
As to the shape of the stallion, little, satisfactory, can be said. It 
must depend on that of the marc, and the kind of horse wished to be 
bred ; but if there is one point absolutely essential, it is “ compactness” 
— as much goodness and strength as possible condensed into a little 
space. 
Next to compactness, the inclination of the shoulder will be regarded. 
A huge stallion, with upright shoulders, never got a capital limiter or 
hackney. Prom him the breeder can obtain nothing but a cart or dray 
horse, and that perhaps spoiled by the opposite form of the mare. On 
the other hand, an upright shoulder is desirable, if not absolutely neces- 
sary, when a mere slow draught-horse is required. 
From the time of covering, to within a few days of the expected 
period of foaling, the cart-mare may be kept at moderate labor, not only 
without injury, but with decided advantage. It will then be prudent to 
release her from work, and keep her near home, and under the frequent 
inspection of some careful person. 
When nearly half the time of pregnancy has elapsed, the mare should 
have a little better food. She should be allowed one or two feeds of 
grain in the day. This is about the period when they are accustomed 
to slink their foals, or when abortion occurs; the eye of the owner 
should, therefore, be frequently upon them. Good feeding and moderate 
exercise will be the best preventives of this mishap. The mare that has 
once aborted is liable to a repetition of the accident, and therefore should 
never be suffered to be with other marcs between the fourth and fifth 
months; for such is the power of imagination or of sympathy in the 
mare, that if one suffers abortion, others in the same pasture will too 
often share the same fate. Farmers wash, and paint, and tar**heir 
stables, to prevent some supposed infection — the infection lies in the 
imagination. 
The thorough-bred mare — the stock being intended for sporting pur- 
poses — should be kept quiet, and apart from other horses, after the 
first four or five months. When the period of parturition is drawing 
near, she should be watched and shut up during the night in a safe 
yard or loose box. 
If the mare, whether of the pure or common breed, be thus taken 
care of, and be in good health while in foal, little danger will attend 
aCt °/ P artur ' t > on - If there is false presentation of the foetus, or 
difficulty in producing it, it will be better to have recourse to a well- 
informed practitioner, than to injure the mother by the violent and in- 
jurious attempts that arc often made to relievo her. 
The parturition being over, the mare should be turned into some 
34 
