204 BREEDING HORSES FOR PROFIT 



of pregnancy. Even when a few months gone, 

 the shocks they receive will be bad for the foal. 

 Therefore fence your brood mares in so that they 

 are as free from harm as is reasonable. 



Never try to foal your own mares if you have 

 a practical and steady veterinary surgeon within 

 easy distance. But a mare more often than not 

 does not require professional help, which it is 

 merely being on the safe side to send for if the 

 case seems difficult. I allude to the presentation 

 being at all complicated, i.e. one of the foal's legs 

 being twisted in an unusual position, and so pre- 

 venting the mother from bringing it into the 

 world after a series of labour-pains, which are too 

 often most painful to witness. 



In Stoneheno-e's "The Horse in the Stable 

 and the Field," published by Routledge & Sons, 

 there is a carefully written article on the treat- 

 ment after foaling which it would be difficult to 

 improve on. " In a healthy state the mare very 

 soon recovers the efforts which she has made in 

 bringing forth the foal, and in fine weather she 

 may be allowed to enter the paddock on the 

 second day afterwards, which is generally soon 

 enough to suit the strength of the foal, though 

 occasionally the young animal is very active 

 within six hours after it comes into the world. 

 For a couple of months, or perhaps less in some 

 cases, the mare and foal are better kept in a 

 paddock by themselves ; but in a large stud this 

 is difficult, where the foals come very quickly, 

 and then several mares of quiet temperament are 

 put together, still keeping separate those which 



