AND HIS VATilorS BUKDDS. 
7 : 2 :^ 
The same gentleman had also a very favourite mare, but dread¬ 
fully lame from navicular disease. He bred from her a filly that 
obtained the second prize at the show at Croydon, given by D. 
Robertson Esq., for yearlings: and certainly at this period she 
was a youngster of much promise. She was, however, lame occa¬ 
sionally, even before she was ever shod, and, although every care 
was taken with her, at five years old she could scarcely go even in 
soft land, across country, and was sold at Croydon fair for a few 
pounds. The mare was also a rank jib in single harness, and when 
her progeny was tried, she uniformly exhibited the like propensity. 
As an additional proof, if it were wanted, I could relate another 
instance in a mare of Mr. Kenrick, of Bletchingly. I have the 
coffin and navicular bones in my museum now, and in the latter 
bones the work of destruction has sufficiently marked its diseased 
condition. Although it may be needless and also tedious to pro¬ 
long this paper by the continued history of similar cases, I cannot 
avoid mentioning the fact of a mare, whose name I have forgotten, 
who in running a race on Epsom Downs some years since unfortu¬ 
nately broke her leg. Mr. Bond, a highly respectable and intelli¬ 
gent man, reduced the fracture, but ultimately the leg was crooked. 
She likewise bore a filly foal which had a deformed leg on the 
same side as the mare and with precisely the like curved inclina¬ 
tion. I can speak also of a curious case of a pointer dog, the pro¬ 
perty of W. Turner, Esq., of Reigate, who got under the sweeps 
of a windmill when in motion, and was thrown a considerable 
distance, producing fractured ribs, and a most severe and lacerated 
wound on the side. It got perfectly well under the care of my 
excellent father-in-law, Mr. Edward Turner, although, of course, 
there was left an extensive cicatrix. A bitch afterwards had 
puppies by him, and all were marked on the side with similar lines 
of apparent scarification. 
I will now speak of other circumstances to which I attribute the 
decrease of useful horses in this country. Some, from accidental 
causes or want of proper consideration, put the mare to horse at 
too early an age, and before she arrives at maturity; but many, 
far many more, fall into the no less baneful error of breeding from 
old and enfeebled mares. It is, indeed, too often that we find a pro¬ 
prietor of horses, who, when he has a mare incapacitated for work, 
is probably actuated by the most humane feelings, and has an un¬ 
conquerable aversion to take away life while the mere bodily 
functions are carried on without impediment or distress: we find 
such a man come to the conclusion, that she can bear a foal, and 
thus remunerate him for her keep. 
Now, we know that in the early periods of life all the powers of 
the system are directed to the building up of the frame and of the 
