Dan in San Diego wondered whether the mare in nightmare is a horse. It isn’t. In old folklore, a mare, German Mahr, was a goblin or demon thought to press on a sleeper’s chest and bring terrifying dreams. The same heavy image turns up in Spanish...
bucket baby n.— «A couple of breeders I know have successfully used this drug this year on mares that were pastured on infected fescue fields, and all produced milk within 72 hours of initial dosage. They had no bucket babies at all, for the first...
barn sour adj.— «This “balking” behavior that you see in your mare as you try to ride her away from her herdmates in the field is often called “herd bound” or “barn sour.”» —“Herd Bound Horses” by Nancy Diehl TheHorse.com July, 2001. (source:...
big smoke n.— «The “big train” has reached the end of the road.…Walter Johnson somewhat sadly admitted today that he was through.…Twice now the “big smoke” has started in the series.» —“‘The Old Gray Mare Ain’t What She Used to Be,’ Says Walter...