HINTS TO YOUNG BREEDERS 159 



because the food goes further, and the cattle are 

 more quiet and less exposed to accident, while the 

 vast amount of valuable manure that is collected 

 and the soakage secured in tanks admits of an 

 increased quantity of stock being kept on a given 

 quantity of land. If the system of confinement is 

 good for cattle, it must be doubly so for horses. The 

 old prejudice that the system is opposed to Nature 

 falls to the ground when we consider that, except in 

 certain parts of Wales and Exmoor, the horse now is 

 a domesticated animal, and is as much liable to incur 

 harm from the vicissitudes of nature as the human 

 being. 



The period at which foals may be most advan- 

 tageously weaned is determined by such a variety of 

 circumstances that the novice ought to consult his 

 veterinary surgeon. Of course the circumstances are 

 mainly dependent upon the quality and quantity of 

 the mare's milk, and the question of her being again 

 in foal; but the laws which govern the quality and 

 quantity of the milk, and the remedies which cure 

 the deficiency, are too complex and multifarious to 

 admit of discussion in these pages. As a rule, 

 September is the best month for weaning foals, and 

 then further precautions must be taken. 



A few weeks before the time of weaning a small 

 head-collar with an 18 - inch strap for holding 

 and leading should be put on the foal, in case of 

 subsequent illness or accident, besides being a pre- 

 liminary education. A secure box is necessary for 

 the accommodation of the foal when weaned, at such 



