THE HORSE. 95 



ral the mare is merely restless; she will not stand 

 quiet till the foal suckles her ; but sometimes she is 

 ill-natured or vicious. If she strike at the foal, 

 threaten her with the lash, and hold up one of her 

 fore feet. If she continue obstinate and resists the 

 repeated efforts of the foal so long that he is likely 

 to get exhausted, put the twitch on the mare's nose. 

 But, if possible, she must be managed without this, 

 and every time the foal is to suckle her, she must 

 be patiently tried before applying the twitch. It is 

 not good to meddle with the foal by way of assisting 

 or directing him to the udder. He may be very 

 awkward, but he soon learns. It is sufficient to 

 control the mare, and this often requires a great deal 

 of patience and perseverance. After the foal has 

 been permitted to suckle her, she is reconciled to it 

 in a day or two, and may afterward prove a very 

 good nurse. Confinement in a dark loose box 

 sometimes renders her kinder. 



Unless the mare be very obstinate, or the foal 

 very weak and awkward, no cow's milk should be 

 given to it. If its hunger be appeased by drink, it 

 will make no attempt to suckle, and it is only by 

 constantly persevering with the mother that she can 

 be brought to her duty. 



