The Management of Light Horses 149 



place. For the trouble is by no means at an end when the foal 

 is born, the umbilical cord secured, and the recuperating mare 

 is quietly licking her foal. There are after pains, and the after- 

 birth, and the foal must get on to his legs and have his first meal 

 before the attendant can flatter himself that his day's or night's 

 work is over. 



" After pains " are caused by the contraction of the parts after 

 their abnormal expansion during labour. Sometimes they are 

 scarcely noticeable, and in my own experience I have never had 

 any occasion to use remedies for them. But sometimes they are 

 very severe, and then prompt measures must be taken or serious 

 results may follow. The symptoms are similar to those of colic. 

 The mare will paw and "look at herself" — a sure sign of a horse 

 being in pain — and if the pains are severe she will lie down, roll, 

 get up and lie down, and roll again, sometimes very violently, 

 sweating and blowing hard. When this is the case she must be 

 seen to at once and a sedative given. Two oz. of chlorodyne in 

 three gills of water is perhaps as good as anything which can be 

 given; but it is a golden rule in all cases where the foaling mare 

 does not go on as she should, to have veterinary assistance. If the 

 mare is unattended to under these circumstances it is possible for 

 her to bring on labour again, which may, and probably will, mean 

 an inverted womb and the end of the mare's career as a brood 

 mare. But this need not be seriously dreaded. In my own experi- 

 ence I not only never had a case of severe after pains, but I never 

 knew of one in my neighbourhood or amongst my friends' mares. 



The afterbirth will generally come away of itself within about 

 twenty-four hours of the mare foaling. It is generally unnecessary 

 to interfere with it unless it should be dragging on the ground. 

 Under those circumstances it should be tied up on about the level 

 of the mare's hocks or rather above them, as, if by any chance the 

 foal should step on it and break it, it may lead to serious trouble. 

 But in general the afterbirth will take care of itself. 



I have frequently seen farm servants, even men who have had a 

 considerable amount of experience, make the mistake of hurrying 

 the foal on to his feet and getting him to suck. No sooner have 

 they bound his umbilical cord, and the mare has made a few per- 

 functory licks at him, than they hurry to see him well fed. They 

 will urge the foal to suck, pushing his nose against the mare's 

 udder, the while making sarcastic remarks about his " stupidity ". 

 Now, as a rule. Nature will teach him when to take his natural 

 sustenance far better than his anxious and perhaps fussy attendant. 



Generally, a foal will be on his legs in from half an hour to an 



