836 
MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 
contrary, if hard worked, there is little chance of the pro* 
geny being good. 
The mare comes into heat early in the spring, and gene¬ 
rally goes with foal for eleven months, although it not 
unfrequently happens that they vary, even so much as from 
a month to six weeks, either earlier or later. From the 
time which the mare is covered until she foals, she may he 
moderately worked with safety, and even with advantage to 
both parent and colt; but we would recommend for a 
week or two before foaling that she should not be worked, 
but subjected to regular daily and moderate exercise. The 
time can be pretty nearly guessed from the time she was 
covered. About a day before foaling an adhesive matter 
issues from the teats of the mare, and after this she should 
on no account be subjected to any sort of work, but allowed 
to go at large, and constantly watched by some careful 
person. 
After the mare is about half advanced in pregnancy, she 
should be well fed, and from one to two feeds of oats given 
to her daily, as a greater quantity of nourishment after this 
period is required for the support of the foetus. If the 
system is allowed to become debilitated from want of a 
supply of food to meet the increased demand, then there is 
a probability that her weakness may lead to her proving 
abortive, to which mares are more liable at this period than 
either before or afterwards. There can be little doubt that 
good feeding and moderate exercise will be most conducive 
to the prevention of dropping a foetus ; but after this 
time hard work must be avoided, and also galloping or hard 
trotting. Should a mare once prove abortive, it is extremely 
likely to happen afterwards. It is a curious fact that 
where two or three mares in foal are on the same pasture, if 
one is abortive, the rest are very liable to the same occur- 
