The Management of Light Horses 155 



WEANING THE FOAL 



A foal should be weaned at from five to six months old accor- 

 ding to circumstances. An early foal generally gets the advantage 

 of a full six months' run with the mare, and I think that it is an 

 advantage. As a general rule on farms, foals are run with their 

 dams till the grass season is over, and they are sometimes, per- 

 haps it would not be any exaggeration to say that they are often, 

 neglected and left too long with their dams. Many a time I have 

 heard a man say, " It is time those foals were weaned ; they must 

 be looked to to-morrow", and on visiting him three weeks later 

 I have found the foals still unweaned. The fact is, that as with 

 foaling time, so is weaning time a busy time on the farm. In late 

 districts there is harvest to clean up; there are potatoes to lift and 

 turnips to pull; and autumn seed time is at hand. There is only 

 one thing to do: as soon as the time comes when it is necessary 

 to wean the foals, wean them then and there; do not wait till 

 to-morrow. 



The mare will have been gaining in condition if she has been 

 liberally treated. It should be needless to say, that as soon as her 

 foal is taken from her she should be removed as far as possible 

 out of his hearing. Missing his accustomed milk he will make no 

 small noise about it, and should the mare hear and answer him, 

 they will both be all the longer before they settle. The mare 

 should be shut up for a few days, and her diet be a little more 

 spare if she is not being hard worked, so that she may secrete less 

 milk. She should be given no green or sloppy food, and her 

 supply of water should be limited. Milk should be drawn from 

 her udder twice a day, or even oftener if it gets very full, which 

 is perhaps scarcely likely, but she should never be milked clean 

 out. If the milk does not begin to "go away" in a few days 

 a slight dose of physic may be necessary, but this is seldom 

 required. 



The foal should be treated liberally. If he is not, he will slip 

 back and much of the good work of the summer will be undone. 

 Care should be taken not to give him too much food at one time. 

 " Little and often" is the motto for feeding foals. A small quantity 

 of cut grass, as sweet as can be obtained, should be given fre- 

 quently. The allowance of bruised oats should be about 3 lb. per 

 day and should be given at twice. A mash should be given occa- 

 sionally. Bruised oats, bran, and beans make a capital mash, and 

 it is none the worse if a little boiled linseed is added. A plentiful 

 supply of sweet water is essential, and everything out of which the 



