334 The Feeding of Animals 



horseman should be familiar must be learned through 

 experience and by consulting- special literature. 



It is proper to state that our knowledge concerning 

 the feeding of colts consists largely of the conclusions 

 derived from experience of practical men. Very little 

 experimental attention has been given to this subject 

 by investigators. Duriug the twenty-five years that 

 experiment stations have existed in the United States 

 only two stations have reported experiments along this 

 line, and these were not extensive; but notwithstanding 

 the lack of direct data from scientific sources there are 

 well proven and safe facts to which we can refer. 



Feeding the dam. — The proper feeding of the young 

 foal is accomplished first through the proper feeding 

 of the dam. The mare with a colt at her side should 

 be regarded as a milch animal, making demands upon 

 the food for generous milk production similar to those 

 made by the milch cow. This is equivalent to the 

 statement that when suckling her foal the dam should 

 be given foods that stimulate milk secretion. If she 

 is allowed the run of a good pasture both mother and 

 colt will usually thrive satisfactorily. Young pasture 

 grass is as efficient with the mare as with the cow. 

 If, on the other hand, the feeding is from the stable, 

 either wholly or to amend an insufficient or inferior 

 food supply from grazing, then the grain ration should 

 be made to include such feeding stuffs as barlej% oats, 

 wheat, wheat bran, wheat middlings, peas, and even 

 a small proportion of linseed meal. Whenever soiling 

 cfops are grown these may be fed, especially alfalfa. 

 In case the legume fodders are available, either green 



