FOALING. 159 



weakness or any other cause, foals lying down, and does not 

 get up at once when the young animal is expelled, so as to tear 

 through the umbilical cord (navel-string) — which is the natural 

 way of preventing haemorrhage — it will be necessary to tie it 

 firmly with a piece of tape or cord in two places two or three 

 inches apart, severing it between these places. 



The enveloping membranes of the foetus (or " after-birth ") 

 come away a short time after delivery, as a rule ; if they do 

 not, they may be allowed to remain for a day or two. After 

 that time, if they are not expelled they should be removed 

 manually, and if they have begun to putrefy, the passage and 

 the uterus ought to be cleaned out by injections of warm water, 

 followed by an injection of a dilute solution of Condy's fluid, 

 to prevent blood-poisoning'. 



It is recommended that after foaling, aged mares with large 

 pendulous bellies should be relieved by supporting this part 

 with an evenly adjusted wide bandage, passed several times 

 round the body. 



Earely does the straining continue after the birth of the 

 foal and the expulsion of the membranes ; should it, however, 

 do so for some time, even when the latter have not come away, 

 they may be acting as an irritant, or something else may be 

 wrong which requires the intervention of the veterinary 

 surgeon. 



Interference between the mare and the foal is not often 

 needed, the former instinctively attending to her progeny, if 

 undisturbed and good-tempered, cleansing it and allowing it to 

 approach the teat. Sometimes, however, through fear or 

 temper, the mare will not tolerate the foal, and gentle persuasion 

 is necessary to induce her to do so. They ought to be left 

 together quietly for a short time, the mare meanwhile becoming 

 accustomed to the novel situation in which she finds herself, 

 and being tranquillised by gruel and hay. When she allows 

 the foal to suck, and begins to lick it, she will not require 



