1 6 Breeds of Horses 



large and successful studs. With regard to the management of 

 foals after weaning, it is perhaps just as well to point out first 

 of all that many farmers, especially small farmers, make a mistake 

 in turning out foals to grass after weaning, to find their own living 

 in the fields in the autumn and often well into winter, without any 

 help whatever, except perhaps an occasional feed of long hay or 

 straw. Now this is a suicidal policy, for if young animals get a 

 severe check in their growth during this period of their lives, it 

 throws them back at least twelve months, and often permanently 

 injures their constitution. It probably takes them the whole of 

 the following summer to gain sufficient strength and nourishment 

 to start their growth again. Foals require a great deal of care and 

 attention during their first winter and they will respond to judicious 

 feeding and kindly treatment in a manner that is bound to be 

 remunerative in the end. They should be taught to eat before 

 they are taken away from their dams by having a feeder or trough 

 in the field, and given a small quantity of crushed oats with hay 

 chaff once a day, about a month or so before weaning. They soon 

 learn to eat with the mares, and do not feel the loss of their dam's 

 milk when weaning time comes along. This should be continued 

 throughout the winter with the addition of a bucketful each day 

 of gruel, consisting of dissolved cake, preferably linseed cake, and 

 sweet, skim, or separated milk, together with a feed of good 

 meadow hay. A few carrots each day are also a very useful adjunct. 

 The legs of foals and their manes and tails should be regularly 

 washed, not only for cleanliness, but to promote the growth of 

 hair. Their feet also should be attended to at intervals by the 

 local blacksmith; the hoofs trimmed, and kept in good shape. 

 The care of foals' feet is of the greatest importance. They are 

 better turned out to grass in the daytime through the autumn, and 

 until bad weather comes. Our experience is that they are then 

 better in a big roomy yard, with a shed to run into during the 

 winter when the land is very wet or frozen hard, but in fine 

 weather it is certainly better to let them run out in the fields in 

 the daytime. 



As to the management of brood mares, some breeders are 

 averse to their doing any work during pregnancy, but the writer's 

 experience is that mares are all the better for being kept at steady 

 farm work, except in the case of mares that are going to be shown 

 throughout the show season, when it would be impossible to keep 

 them in good show condition if in regular work. For mares, how- 

 ever, that are not to be shown, they are far better at work, and 

 earning their living; they are better in health for it, and stronger, 



