264 THE HANDBOOK FOE PEACTICAL FAEMERS 



able to mare and foal alike ; in both it induces a weakened con- 

 dition and leaves the system an easy prey to disease. 



The best practice is to avoid conditions that are likely to cause 

 such disorders. If the dam is properly fed and exercised, there 

 is little danger. On the other hand, should digestive disorders 

 appear, the foal must receive immediate attention and the cause 

 must be removed; even then relief may come too late. When 

 the attack is due to an over-supply of rich milk, the dam should 

 be milked in part by hand. 



In administering treatment the nature of the difficulty should 

 not be ignored. It is caused by an irritant in the stomach or the 

 bowels that must be removed before a cure can be effected. In 

 all such cases the best practice is to expel the disturbance with 

 a laxative, such as two ounces of castor oil, and later, after the 

 irritant has been expelled, to check the discharge. Even this 

 treatment is beset by many a difficulty. 



Navel infection. — Another disease common to young foals is 

 the so-called navel infection, or joint disease. It should be under- 

 stood that this disease is due to filth germs that gain access to 

 the body of the foal by way of the open umbilical vein of the 

 navel at birth. AVhen these germs enter the body they set up 

 irritation and inflammation; pus forms and is absortjed into 

 the circulation from the navel abscess, and other abscesses are 

 formed in all parts of the body, especially in the joints of the 

 limbs. The foal is seen to have a swollen joint, and the breeder 

 is likely to think that the mare caused the injury; other joints 

 will soon be affected, however, and the condition may affect the 

 throat and the poll as well. It is comparatively rare that an 

 infected colt can be saved after the disease has reached the 

 pus-forming stage. 



It has been proved that simple hygienic measures will prevent 

 the disease. The stall in which the mare foals should have every 

 bit of old bedding, litter, and dirt removed, and the young foal 

 should be born only on clean, fresh bedding. Perhaps it would 

 be a safeguard to wash the stump of the umbilical cord — which 

 should never be cut, but should be allowed to break of its own 

 accord — with a saturated solution of boracic acid, and then to 

 dust it with boracic-acid powder. 



Feeding the foal. — As soon as the foal is old enough it should 

 be encouraged to nibble at grain, preferably oatmeal or wheat 

 bran. It will begin to munch grain and hay at three or four 

 weeks of age. If it is necessary that the foal have milk after 

 it is two months old, skimmed milk should be substituted for 



