—95- 



tion ; and if a mare once casts her foal, she is apt to do so at a 

 corresponding period of pregnancy afterwards, — more especially 

 if like provocation occurs 



Various other causes of abortion, some of which may be 

 briefly referred to, for the purpose of pointing out certain pre- 

 ventive measures and suggesting others. Blows, strains, and 

 any violent excitement may have this effect ; and it is said that 

 to allow a mare to see and smell food to which she has been ac- 

 customed, and of which she is fond, without suffering her to eat 

 of it, will cause slinking. Feeding hogs or other stock upon corn 

 in sight of a mare that is not also thus fed, is, for this reason dan- 

 gerous. Sj^mpathy, is a known cause : a pregnant mare, seeing 

 another cast her foal, is apt to be affected in like manner. 

 Nervous spasms, or a sort of animal hysteria, resulting from 

 sj^mpathy of the womb with a diseased stomach or other organ, 

 occasionally results in causing the foal to be cast. Some affirm 

 that a smell of blood, or of freshly slaughtered meat, will do it. 



If a mare slinks because of a hurt, a strain, or some acute 

 attack of disease, she is not apt to fall into the habit of abortion, 

 provided proper care is taken to guard against excitiug causes at 

 a corresponding period of her next pregnanc3^ 



When once this tendency is established, however, it is difficult 

 to counteract it, as the slinking is more than likely to take place 

 at times when the mare is not under observation. If symptonG 

 of casting chance to be discovered in time, it ma.y be prevented 

 by promptly burning pigeon feathers (or those of other birds, if 

 these cannot be obtained), on a hot pan, or a pan of coals, and 

 holding them so that she will be obliged to inhale the smoke. 



X. How to Raise Colts. 



If the colt is healthy and thriving, he should be weaned at 

 from five to six months old. If allowed to run with the dam 

 after this period, he is an unnecessary burden to her, since he 

 has already learned to pick up and devote to his own use other 

 sustenance, and he may most judiciously be taken away. If 

 at this time the dam is still inclined to furnish milk so copi- 

 ously as to render the udder painful to her, she should be looked 



