752 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



must nourish the young life and contribute to its support and growth until it makes its en 

 trance into the world. She should have a liberal supply of food of the best kind, and be 

 provided with warm quarters in winter. Moderate work up to within two or three weeks of 

 foaling will not prove injurious; but excessive labor, such as straining, and drawing heavy 

 loads, should be avoided. She should be kept quiet and apart from other horses, after the 

 first four or five months. The period of gestation varies somewhat with different mares, but 

 is usually from forty-seven to fifty weeks, although sometimes not more than forty-four 

 weeks, and occasionally as long as fifty-six weeks. When the time of foaling is near say 

 about two or three weeks previous she should be put into a large box or stall, where she 

 should be allowed her freedom; this should be done especially nights, while during the day 

 she might, if desired, be allowed the freedom of the yard, or near pasture. The box should 

 be of large size, twelve by twenty feet being good dimensions, and thickly strewn with sand, 

 gravel, saw-dust, or tan-bark, over which a bedding of straw or dry leaves should be strewn 

 to the depth of about a foot. 



Some mares will eat their bedding. If there is any tendency in this direction, she should 

 have a muzzle of wire put on and wear it, except when eating her rations, as it is not well for a 

 mare to be filled with coarse food at such times. Care should be taken to have everything 

 in the box so arranged that there will be no danger of her getting cast, should she lie down 

 to roll. After foaling, she should still be very liberally fed. Stinting both mother and foal 

 at this period will be found very poor economy, for, if stunted in growth at this early stage 

 of his life, the young colt will never wholly recover from the effect. During all the period 

 of gestation, the mare should be treated with the greatest kindness. She should never 

 receive a blow, or even a harsh word. Either will sometimes cause her to slink the foal. 



Care of Young Colts. If the colt is strong and vigorous at birth, he will not 

 require much special attention ; but if he is unable to get on his feet soon after, it is best to 

 assist him to do so. If he is too weak to stand, he should have his body and limbs nibbed, 

 especially the latter, to promote circulation. A woolen cloth dipped in water, blood-warm, 

 should be first used, after which a dry woolen cloth, to dry him off, followed by hand-rubbing. 

 This rubbing will promote circulation throughout the entire system, and give strength to the 

 muscles. It should be kept up until he is able to stand. If left lying unattended in a weak 

 state, to take care of himself, he will be quite as liable to die as to live. He should be held 

 up to the dam, so that he can draw the milk as soon as he is strong enough. He should not 

 be allowed to get chilled, but be kept warm and comfortable. In order to have a colt become 

 a strong, vigorous, and well-developed animal, he should be well fed. Never stint him at all 

 at any period of his life, and especially at the start. 



Particular attention must be paid to his growth during his first summer and autumn, for 

 if stunted then, he will never recover from it under any circumstances. There is quite a 

 difference in dams with regard to the quantity of milk they are able to supply. As previously 

 stated, the dam should be very generously fed in order to produce the largest supply of milk 

 possible for the foal, while if lacking at all in quantity, and she fails to keep him in good 

 flesh and steadily improving, a sufficient supply of cows milk should be given him daily to 

 make up the deficiency. Skimmed milk may be used for this purpose, but in such cases a 

 little flax-seed jelly, oil-meal, or cotton-seed meal (a heaped tablespoonful night and morning, 

 to begin with), should be mixed with it. This can be gradually increased to a pint a day by 

 the time the colt is six months old, or, if he be of the large breed, double this quantity may 

 be given. Oats should also be given as soon as they can be eaten. Many breeders bruise 

 the oats for them at first. &quot;When the dam is fed, her rations of oats should be placed where 

 the colt may eat with her, and it can be depended upon that when allowed this opportunity 

 he will not be long in availing himself of it. A half pint of oats at night and in the morning 

 is sufficient to allow him at first, which rations can be increased to four quarts per day, 



