THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XII 609 



foal that she should have if idle. If a mare gets heated when at work 

 she should not be allowed to nurse the foal until she has cooled down, 

 and has some of the surplus milk that has remained tgo long in the udder 

 to be good for the foal drawn from her. This is the general cause for 

 scours which sets the colt back and is fatal if it becomes of a chronic 

 nature. 



To raise horses successfully and profitably they should be constantly 

 kept improving. The raising of young stock may be compared to the 

 progression of a railway train. We all know what a tedious thing it is 

 to travel a long journey by rail v/hen the stops are numerous and we 

 grumble at the time wasted. It is not only the length of time the train 

 stops, but the time it takes before it can be got properly on to speed again. 

 The same way with the colt, if by neglecting to supply suitable food or by 

 mismanagement you .allow the animal to come to a standstill in its growth 

 and condition it will very often take a couple of months ,^6od feeding be- 

 fore any apparent improvement in condition is made. **This is a serious 

 loss of time and food which means a pecuniary loss to the owner, whereas 

 if sufficient food is supplied to keep the colt constantly improving you will 

 have a good return for the quantity consumed. To keep colts constantly 

 improving must be the result constantly aimed at. 



The best means to secure this improvement must next be considered. 

 Size, bone and muscle are the three things necessary for a draft horse to 

 possess. They can only be obtained by proper breeding and feeding of 

 food suited for their conformation and by exercise. Generally when the 

 colts are three weeks old they will begin to nibble a little oats or bran. 

 Encourage them by having a few nice sweet crushed oats in your pocket 

 and when you go in the stall or pasture scratch them on the back with 

 one hand and let them eat the oats out of the other. It will only be a 

 short time until they will be looking for you. I want to say that kind- 

 ness is one of the best foods that can be mixed with the ration. A sulky 

 groom that is always kicking the animal out of his way is not fit to feed 

 anything and must not be tolerated. Provide a little box in the stall or 

 pasture and while you feed the mother don't forget to have a little pan 

 for the foals. I would not advise buying alfalfa meal or bran for a ration. 

 When the mares and colts are en good pasture they do very well on oats 

 alone. Before weaning time mix a little alfalfa meal with their oats and 

 get them started on full feed. Then when they are taken off the mother 

 they will go on and grow and keep their flesh. 



In the winter time give them plenty of clover hay if you can get it, 

 or cane. Keep up the ration of oats and alfalfa meal and a small amount 

 of corn will do good. Let them out every day for they must have exercise 

 to develop their feet and muscles. They will roll in the snow banks and 

 enjoy it. The next spring j^ou will have colts at twelve months old weigh- 

 ing close to twelve hundred pounds and better, and you are now well on 

 the way to make a good draft horse. When the yearlings go on grass give 

 them a ration of three or four quarts of oats tv/ice a day, and when the 

 heat and flies are bad increase the ration a couple of quarts a day. When 

 winter comes again duplicate the ration you used before only increase as 



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