144 FEEDING FARM ANIMALS 



mother as milk. For a week or ten days after birth 

 the mother should be given rest in the pasture field, 

 after which she can be started in again on light 

 work. Ordinarily, it is best to train the foal to re- 

 main in its stall while the mother is at work. When 

 the mare is started in at work again, the foal should 

 be allowed for a while to have its mother's milk at 

 least once in the forenoon and once in the afternoon, 

 and to remain at its mother's side during the noon 

 hour, and from quitting time in the evening until the 

 mare is put to work in the morning. 



If allowed to stand at its mother's side, the foal 

 will soon eat of grain in the manger, and in this 

 way learn to eat both grain and hay, in addition to 

 grass in the pasture field. By weaning time the foal 

 should know how to eat what it subsequently will be 

 given. Corn, oats, bran, and oil meal make an ex- 

 cellent mixture and can be given in equal parts, 

 though at first only in small amounts. Grass is an 

 ideal food when supplemented with oats or with the 

 combination just mentioned. The weaning should 

 be done gradually; then neither foal nor the dam 

 will suffer. After weaning, increase the grain and 

 provide good bright hay for roughage. Handled in 

 this manner, the foal will go through the winter 

 nicely and when turned out to pasture in the spring 

 will show thrift and make rapid growth. 



