648 Reading-Course for Farmers. 



Two things require attention at this time so far as the mare is 

 concerned: First, the food. She must be properly nourished, not 

 fed too much or too httle and with the right sort of food. Second, if 

 able, she must have light exercise or the foal will have difficulty. 



The foods given the brood mare when nursing her foal should be 

 such as have a tendency to produce milk. Corn and timothy hay fed 

 alone are not good milk-producing foods. The ration suggested above for 

 the pregnant mare is better, and it could be much improved if a little 

 succulent food were fed with it, such as carrots. Many mares at best 

 are poor milk producers, and they must be encouraged. Plenty of good 

 fresh grass is one of the best aids to healthy and abundant nutrition for 

 both mare and foal. 



One should keep close watch on the mare's udder and the condition 

 of the colt's bowels. If the colt is not taking all the milk the udder 

 will become greatly distended, become sore and possibly cake, when there 

 will be difficulty with both mare and foal. If the colt is not taking all 

 the milk, it is necessary to milk the mare. If the bowels of the colt 

 are loose and he is scouring, it may be due to the fact that he is getting 

 too much milk. In that case, the mare should be partly milked by hand. 



The foal 



It is essential that the new-born foal get the first milk from the dam. 

 This fore-milk looks thick and yellow and is a natural purgative for 

 the removal of the material that has accumulated in the foal's digestive 

 tract during the last few days of its development. Its prompt removal 

 is essential to the life of the colt. Sometimes this fore-milk or colostrum, 

 as it is called, is drawn off as unfit for the colt, but such practice is a 

 common cause of death to the foal two or three days after birth. 



If the foal gets his first meal of colostrum milk within an hour after 

 birth, he will ordinarily be all right. Usually the bowels move within 

 four to six hours, but sometimes they do not. If the bowels do not 

 move within twenty-four hours, and the colt presents a droopy, listless 

 appearance, he should be given two ounces of castor oil. In four to 

 six hours relief usually will have been gained and the appearance of the 

 youngster will have changed greatly for the better. 



Most breeders advise leaving the colt in the stable while the mare 

 is at work; others allow the colt to follow the mare into the field. Much 

 depends on the nature of the work which the mare is doing. Some kinds 

 of work the foals may follow without risk to mare or colt, while other 

 sorts, as mowing hay or reaping grain, they cannot. If the foal is kept 



