As will be seen, much of the success that should attend horse-breeding depends upon the care and attention bestowed upon the mare towards and at foaling time, as then not only are her own health and safety at stake, but the welfare of her progeny is also a matter for serious consideration. But if suitable precautions are adopted and intelligent observation maintained, the mare and foal usually pass through this critical period of their existence in a satisfactory manner. It is certainly true that in very many instances pregnant mares receive little notice beyond that given at other times, and are often hard-worked and exposed to all kinds of unfavourable treatment. This is more especially the case with animals belonging to poor people, and particularly farmers in a small way of business, who exact labour from their mares almost up to the day of foaling, and set them to work again after that event has taken place. But this treatment is not always pursued with impunity, for accidents of a serious kind often occur, and sometimes the foal, sometimes the mare - not infrequently both - suffer disastrously. And it is no less true that common-bred animals are less predisposed to accidents at this time than those which are high-bred high-breeding bringing in its train greater liability to certain accidents incidental to pregnancy and parturition. High-bred animals therefore require more careful supervision on the part of the breeder.