Annual Meeting 1071 



then see that it is thoroughly disinfected; bed it down nicely 

 every day until the colt is several weeks old. I should take the 

 trouble to touch that little navel cord with some disinfectant. 

 Then you will have no troubles, as a rule, along these lines; you 

 will eliminate one-half of the danger when this time is past. 



Just a word or two as to the future care of that little colt. Do 

 not allow him to follow the brood mare in the field; you cannot 

 expect growth if you do this. He is made for a heavier horse 

 later on; he has just awkward joints. Just as soon as you compel 

 this little animal to walk day by day behind the mare, he is 

 going to make a permanent growth. Keep him closed; he will 

 worry and fret, but in a day or two he will be all right. I find 

 it a very good plan to have, over in one corner of the stall, a low- 

 dov^oi box, where he will have bran or oats ; you will find him en- 

 joying himself. 



In feeding the brood mare, feed her in that low-down box ; be- 

 cause the time is going to come when the colt will have to depend 

 on himself, and the earlier you put the responsibility on him the 

 better he is going to be. Let him learn to eat without the mare 

 regularly at the time of feeding. 



As to the time of weaning. I am not very particular, not 

 nearly so particular as I used to be. I should prefer he should 

 run three or four months ; but, if I had more work for the mare 

 to do after he was ten or twelve weeks old, I would just as soon 

 put hini in a box stall, provided I had cow's milk to give him. 

 Let it be sweet. Feed him about three times a day, in the bran — 

 not a large mess, two or three quarts perhaps. Then see that 

 he has a nice manger of oats and hay — about two parts, by 

 measure, of oats, one part of wheat bran ; they are both strong 

 in lime, in building material ; they provide exactly the elements 

 of growth necessary. Let us take pains in feeding him. 



Just a word of caution right here. When you shut the colt 

 up in the box stall, it is very much better to have two colts than 

 one, because that little colt must not be confined there continually ; 

 he needs exercise just like any other little animal. If you have 

 two to run together it is preferable; if not, I should buy another 

 at this time, and I believe it will pay you better to do it, provided 



