458 



THE MODERN SYSTEM 



milk. This alien milk will generally disorder 

 and gripe the foal, for which the best remedy 

 is two or three spoonsful of rhubarb in pow- 

 der, with an equal quantity of magnesia, in 

 warm gruel. This medicine should be given 

 to the foals of labouring mares, which are 

 often griped by sucking pent milk. The dis- 

 order arising from wet and cold, a table 

 spoonful each, of the best brandy and syrup 

 of white poppies, may be given several times. 

 Mares that come early, and in bad weather, 

 should invariably be brought to the house to 

 foal. 



Mares travelling with young foals ought 

 not to go above fifteen miles a day, and their 

 pace must be entirely regulated by the natural 

 pace of the foal, which must never be hurried 

 or left behind. Every mile or two the mare 

 should be allowed to stop a little, and the foa! 

 be permitted to suck and rest itself Thus 

 the journey ought to occupy the whole of the 

 day. 



Mares having dead foals, ought to lose e 

 little blood, be fed moderately on cooling 

 mashes with a little nitre, and on no account 

 be allowed corn. Moderate walking exercise 

 is very desirable for mares before foaling ; and 

 alternate mashes of plain and of scalded bran 

 are much to be recommended. 



It should be observed that geldings should 

 not be admitted among the brood mares, as 

 by leaping them, or harassing them about, 

 abortion may be occasioned. 



Docking the sucking foal at a month old, 

 is an operation which may then be performed 

 with a sharp knife, and is attended with 

 trifling pain, and no risk ; whereas both the 

 pain and the danger of the operation on adults 

 are considerable. 



in five or six months, according to the 



growth of the foal, it may be weaned. It 

 should then be housed for three weeks or a 

 month, or turned into some distant rick-yard. 

 There can be no better place for the foal than 

 the latter, as affording, and that without 

 trouble, both food and shelter. The mother 

 should be put to harder work, and have drier 

 meat. One or two urine balls, or a physic 

 ball, will be useful if the milk should be trou- 

 blesome, or she should pine after her foal. 



There is no principle of greater importance 

 than the liberal feeding of the foal durinsr the 

 whole of his growth, and at this time in par- 

 ticular. Bruised oats and bran should form a 

 considerable part of his daily provender. The 

 farmer may be assured that money is well laid 

 out which is expended on the liberal nourish- 

 ment of the growing colt ; while, however, 

 he is well fed, he should not be rendered 

 delicate by excess of care. A racing colt ia 

 sometimes stabled ; but one that is destined 

 to be a hunter, a hackney, or an agricultural 

 Horse, should merely have a square rick, 

 under the leeward side of which he may 

 shelter himself, or a hovel, into which he may 

 run at night, or out of the rain. The process 

 of breaking-in should commence from the very 

 period of weaning. The foal should be daily 

 handled, partially dressed, accustomed to the 

 halter, led about, and even tied up. The 

 tractability, and good temper, and value of 

 the Horse, depend a great deal more upon 

 this than breeders are aware ; this should be 

 done as much as possible by the man by whom 

 they are fed, and whose management of them 

 should be always kind and gentle. There is 

 no fault for even harshness, towards the rising 

 stock; for the principle on which their after 

 usefulness is founded, is early attachment to, 

 and confidence in man, and obedience, im- 



