Mares will sometime get in season early in the spring, when they will
discharge a thin, whitish fluid, resembling bluish milk, of a glutinous
nature, but very clean. If the mare does not become pregnant until the
latter part of May or the beginning of June, this fluid will change
into a mattery state, and will affect the parts in the region of the
womb to such an extent as to cause rawness and inflammation.
A mare, that is in a condition as described above, is very apt to
communicate to the horse covering her, the disease of Gonorrhœa, or
Clap, especially if such horse be permitted to cover from five, twelve
and fifteen mares a day, where another horse, covering only once every
few days will escape unharmed. The reason of this is evident; the penis
of the one covering so many mares, becomes very tender and almost
transparent, so as almost to cause the blood to shine through it.
Another instance in which a horse is apt to become diseased, is, when
he is suffered to cover a mare on the ninth day after she has undergone
the process of foaling. At this period there is still a discharge of
bloody matter, which is very apt to generate clap in an animal of the
opposite sex.