The Management of Light Horses 147 



FOALING AND THE FOAL 



A mare's period of gestation is generally considered to be eleven 

 months, but there is no certain rule. I have known some mares — 

 certainly not many — that foaled at the ten months' end. Some 

 mares never carry their foals the full eleven months ; others again 

 will carry them a week or more over that time. Fortunately the 

 signs of parturition in a mare are plain and unmistakable, and 

 the time when she has to be closely watched is reduced to a 

 minimum. 



About a month before the mare foals her udder begins to spring, 

 and in the mornings it will be very full, but will be reduced in size 

 by exercise. Soon, however, the udder gets more and more dis- 

 tended, and exercise does not reduce it. Then the quarters begin 

 to fall in, and a waxlike substance appears at the end of the teats. 

 In one, or at the outside two days, that is, from twenty-four to 

 forty-eight hours, this wax drops off, and milk begins to drop away 

 from the surcharged udder. Now is the time when the mare needs 

 closely watching, for when once the milks begins to drip away she 

 may foal at any moment. 



It is more with the foal than with its dam that the attendant 

 will be troubled. As a rule, parturition with the mare is speedy, 

 and it is in the majority of cases got over without any assistance 

 being required. Indeed, it may pretty safely be said that no ordi- 

 nary assistance is ever required by the mare, and that when she 

 is not speedily delivered, a veterinary surgeon, well skilled in 

 obstetrics, should be sent for at once. I hasten to say that I have 

 bred a good few foals in my time, but I never experienced any 

 difficulty, and never gave any mare I had the least assistance. 



Some mares are very nervous when a light is brought into their 

 box, but with a little use this nervousness disappears. I never had 

 any trouble with it myself When I looked into the box, after the 

 first two or three nights, when probably the mare would " blow her 

 nose out", she took no notice of the light we carried. If the ner- 

 vousness continues, it is easily obviated by having a light carefully 

 placed the night the mare may be expected to foal. It stands 

 to reason that everything which tends to excite the mare should 

 be carefully avoided. It also stands to reason that the greatest 

 care should be taken to ensure cleanliness in the foaling box. 

 It should be well disinfected before the mare is put into it and 

 thoroughly ventilated, and there should be an ample supply of 

 wheat straw to bed it with. Everything in the shape of dirt and 

 all the manure should be regularly removed every time the box 



