32 Care of the New Born Foal 



REPRODUCTION 



The normal period of pregnancy in the mare is eleven months, but 

 cases are on record where the foal was not born for 18 months after 

 the dam was bred. Twelve months is nothing unusual. There are var- 

 ious reasons offered for prolonged generation. The two that look the 

 most reasonable to me are as follows: I It takes longer for some in- 

 dividuals to develop to a state where the lungs and other organs are in 

 proper form to perform their function without the aid of the parent stock. 

 II The second logical reason is the fact that it is possible for the 

 sperms of the stallion to live in the womb of the mare many days before 

 the egg of the mare mixes with or fuses with the sperm of the stallion. 

 I have observed in warm weather sperms from the stallion kept at body 

 temperature for 24 hours and apparently just as motile as when they left 

 the body of the stallion. 



NATURAL FOALING OR PARTUATION IN THE MARE 



Birth may be given to a foal with the mare standing or lieing down 

 hence the neccessity of bedding in a barn. After two or three pains in 

 normal foaling the water bag bursts, and the fore feet protrude with the 

 nose resting between the knees, with a few more pains the colt is born. 

 The whole operation often consumes less than ten minutes.. 



CARE OF THE YOUNG COLT 



The big breeding establishments of la., 111., Minn, and other states 

 keep men in their breeding stables both night and day during the 

 foaling season, to give the proper care to the new born foal. I do not 

 advocate this as a practical plan for the diversified farmer, but from the 

 big breeders experience we may well pattern a few lessons. One of the 

 first duties of these men after a colt is born is to see to it that the mem- 

 brane which the new born colt carries over his body does not extend over 

 the nostrils thus causing suffocation. 



These men are there to see to it that the colt does not bleed to death 

 from the navel. When bleeding occurs they have cords previously sat- 

 urated in carbolic acid, creolin or a good dip made by use of 1/^ pint 

 disinfectant to 1 gallon of water. With this string they tie the navel and 

 stop bleeding. The stump of the navel is emerged in one of the above 

 solutions to prevent navel ill which should be repeated in 10 or 12 hours. 



