The husbandman, farmer and grasier's compleat instructor. Containing choice and approved rules, and directions for breeding, feeding, chusing, buying, selling, well ordering and fatning bulls, cows, calves, rams, ews, lambs, swine, goats, asses, mules, &c. : How to know the several diseases incident to them, by their signs and symptoms, with proper remedies to cure them; : as likewise all griefs, and sorrances what-ever. : Also, a treatise of dogs, and conies, in their breeding, ordering, and curing the distempers they are subject to. : To which is added, The experienced vermine-killer, in particular directions, for taking and destroying all sorts of vermine in houses, out-houses, fields, garden, graneries, and other places. / By A.S. Gent.

How to order the Mare and Foal, and oblige the Mare that is backward, to consent to be covered, &c.

When your Mare is near Foaling, put her into a warm closeplace, and take care that she comes to no Damage, by over-reaching, or straining; when she has Foaled, take it from her, and the most expedient way will be, to put it to a Mare that has a Colt sucking, till the Dam has ga∣thered Strength: This must be put to the second Mare in a dark place, lest she refuse it, till she become better ac∣quainted.

Now there may in this Undertaking arise some difficulty, to oblige the Ass to cover the Mare, or she to receive him, being something of a different kind, but may be facilitated by early familiarity, as thus:

The Ass-Colt that you intend for your Stallion, may be taken young from his Dam, and put to a young milch Mare, so that being brought up among that kind, he will

be no stranger to them, nor they to him. But where this cannot be ordinarily done, high feeding will make him met••lesom, and lustful; you must also put first an indiffe∣rent Ass-Colt to her, that if she beat him it may not mat∣ter ••s to the discouragement of the Stallion you intend; and when he has wooed her that she seems something ply∣able, then put the right Stallion to her, who will soon cover her, for these Creatures are naturally lustful; but yo•• must take care you put him to a Mare that has never bee•• covered by a Horse, lest her coyness, or immeasurable beating him, not only cools his Courage, but dull••, and puts him altogether out of his Amorous sit, so that ten to five, if he be ever brought to be free in this kind of busi∣ness afterward; and by this means you may procure your de••ire.

When you have brought up the Colts to a weaning time, which may be at three or four Months; turn him into some close Pasture, make him gentle and tractable by feeding him, letting him eat out of your hand, either sweet Grass, short sweet Hay, choped Straw or Chaff; for this kind of Creature, as I have said, will be kept with little, and fare hardly; but that which he has must b•• sweet and good.