3?4 HOE 
to lead the mare to be covered, as noticed above, juft 
nine days after her foaling, that no time may be loft; but 
it is certain, that the mare having, by this means, both 
her'prefent and future foal to nourilh, her ability is divided, 
and fhe cannot fupply both fo largely as fhe might one 
only. It would therefore be better, in order to have ex¬ 
cellent horfes, to let the mares be covered only every 
other year: they would lait the longer, and bring foals 
more certainly : for-, in common ftuds, it is fo far from 
being true that all mares-which have been covered bring 
colts every year, that it is confidered as a fortunate circum- 
ftance, if half, or at moft two-thirds, of them turn out 
pregnant. They ufually breed till they are fourteen or 
fifteen years old ; and the moft vigorous till they are 
eighteen. Stallions, when well managed, will cover till 
the age of twenty, and even beyond; but it muft be ob- 
ferved, that fuch horfes as are fooneft made llallions are 
alfo the fooneft incapable of generation; thus,if horfes are 
. ufed as ftaliions as loon as they are four years old, they 
are incapable of generation before they are fixteen. 
After the colts have fallen, they may be fuffered to run 
with the mares till about Michaelmas, fooner or later, 
according as the cold weather lets in; then they lliould 
be weaned; though many prefer weaning them after 
Martinmas, or about the middle of November. Some 
able judges, however, are of opinion, that the reafon why 
moft foals advance fo llowly, and are not capable of hard 
fervice till they are fix or feven years old, is becaufe they 
have not fucked long enough ; whereas, if they had fucked 
the whole winter through, they would be as good at four 
or five years old as they are now at eight. This affords 
an additional argument for not allowing the mares to be 
covered more than once in two years. It is however 
pretty certain, that in a ftate of nature the mare breeds 
regularly every year. 
In order to rear and fecure the moft valuable ftock, 
either for domeftic ufe or fale, it is necelfary to give the 
colts corn immediately from weaning, and during every 
winter. It is alio of the utmoft confequence that they 
Ihould have good Ihelter from cold, wet, and ftorms, in 
hovels or out-houfes, moderately littered down. Low 
keep and damp lying produce a poor and watery blood, 
and are by no means favourable to the growth of that 
pluinpnefs of the mufcular fibre, which fo materially con¬ 
duces to fubftance, ftreng'th, and fymmetry. A quarter- 
peck of ground oats per day, with good hay, or even 
plenty of good oat-ffraw, is excellent keep the firft winter 
for a foal. The only fubftitute for corn is fine pollard or 
carrots; of the latter, a yearling will eat a peck per day, 
diced thin. Foals are often griped by the milk, either 
on account of its being heated by the mare’s labouring,or 
its quality being affefted by four and bad herbage. Warm 
readies of fine pollard and bran are in this cafe ufeful. 
If necelfary, a fmall quantity, of fulphur, magnefia, and 
honey, may be added. Sucklers are alfo occalionally liable 
to be hide-bound, dull, and inapt for motion. They will 
be fometimes coltive, then loofe, the excrement fcouring 
from them in fmall quantities. This arifes on moft occa¬ 
sions from the imperfeCt digeftion of bad milk. Balls of 
fine rhubarb and magnefia, equal quantities, made up with 
honey and the lifted meal of oats, are the proper remedy, 
and muft be ufed as necelfity requires, until the colt be 
■weaned. From two to four tea-fpoons full make a dofe, 
and care ought to be taken that the ball be not too large. 
When the colts have completed their fecond year, it is 
ndvifeable to gentle them, by accuftoming them to be led 
about in a halter, occafionally tied up in the ftall, and 
their ears faluted with the plealing found of the fieve, in 
dulling therh a little hard corn. By this method they 
will readily become traCtable and tame; and, in cafe of 
accident or difeafe, the labour of the farrier in affording 
them relief will become much more eafy and effectual. 
Thus they Ihould go on till the completion of their third 
year, which is'the proper time to take them in hand. 
S E. 
Of BREAKING. 
The breaking of colts may be likened to the early 
education of man. The talk is evidently of the higheit 
confideration, and demands adequate ability ; but it is 
too often committed to thole who imagine that nothing 
can be effected without brutality, and that the art of 
breaking confifts in little elfe than a copious exercife of 
the whip. Such perfons Ihould not be fuffered within 
the purlieus of a breeding-ftud : nor indeed within the 
ftables of any gentleman who values his cattle. “ To 
bend the twig while it is young,” and, '‘to bring up the 
child in the way it Ihould go,”—are maxims which apply 
as forcibly to the education of colts as to that of the 
human fpecies; and a judicious refort to gentle clialtife- 
ment when delerved, and to encouragement and reward 
when merited, are the only legitimate rules to be adopted 
on fuch occafions. 
The firft objeCt is to fubject the colt to the breaker’s 
tackle. This confifts of a head-ftall of ftrong leather, and 
a caveffon, (from the Italian cavazana, a liead-ftrain.) 
Its ufe is to reftrain or keep down the head, while the 
neck is kept in an arched pofition by the reins. A fade 
die is then put upon him, and he is led about by a long 
rein, till the whole of the apparatus becomes familiar and 
agreeable to him. The Ikilful breaker is now to teach 
him the firft and moft important lefl’on of his whole edu¬ 
cation, that of “ mouthing the hit ,” and -pulling at it;’ for if 
he is not taught to prefs upon the bit, and made familiar 
with its aftion, it is impoflible he ftsould ever be guided 
by it, or acquire a fafe and lleady mouth. Moft horfes 
foon become fond of the bit, which is known by their 
champing and playing with it; and, when the colt gradu¬ 
ally finds his neck ftronger than his rider’s arms, he will 
pull with the greater oppofition, thinking to foil or over¬ 
come the force exerted againft him. This therefore is the 
favourable time to teach him that lupplenefs of the neck, 
and pliancy of action, on which his future merits will 
depend. 
Thefe firft and early leffons are ufually and very pro¬ 
perly taught with the large cannon-bit, having an iron 
ring at each end, to which the reins or the caveffon are 
attached. But, after this, the colt muft be accuftomed to 
the fnaffle. Of all the bits, this is the belt adapted for 
the mouths of horfes : it fuits all, and accommodates 
itfelf to all; and either finds them good, or very fpeedily 
makes them fo ; and the mouth once made, will be always 
faithful to the hand, let it act with what agent it will. 
This bit can at once ihbjeft the horfe to great reftraint; 
or indulge it in eafe and freedom: it can place the head 
exactly as the breaker likes to have it, and work and bend 
the neck and fhoulders to what degree he pleafes. Fie 
can raifie the head, by holding up his hand ; by lowering 
it,' it can be brought down ; and, if he choofes to fix and 
confine it to a certain degree, he muft ufe for this,»is well 
as for the purpofe of bending, double reins-, that is, two on 
each fide, the ends of which muft be faltened in a ftaple- 
near the pommel of the fiddle, or to the girths, higher or 
lower, as the mouth, proportions of the horfe, and hi? 
manner of going, require ; and, if properly meal'ured and 
adjufted, they will form and command the colt fo effec¬ 
tually, as, in a great degree, to palliate many imperfections 
of the mouth, and many faults in the mould and figure. 
The reins thus faltened, or even one only, for the fake 
of working one jaw and one fide, will operate more or¬ 
iels as the branches of a bit; and the fnaffle will almoft 
be a bit, a bridon, a caveffon, and martingal, in one. 
When the breaker would bend the colt, he muft pull the 
rein on that fide to which he is going, and lengthen that 
of the oppofite, that they may not counteract each other. 
Nothing, will ftimulate a dull mouth, and bring it to life 
and feeling, fo foon as this. If the mouth be hard and 
callous, the iron ftiould be fo twifted as to-have a fort of 
edge, which will fearch the lips, and, when they will per-> 
mit, the. bars alfo; and if gently moved,, or drawn from 
fide 
