Breeding. 79 



being of the mare. The mares for some weeks 

 before foaling time should be kept in loose 

 boxes, and those boxes near the groom's or horse- 

 keeper's housOj so that they can pay every atten- 

 tion to the mares. The mares should never be 

 tied up, as many foals are lost by so doing ; the 

 mare being tied up assumes a habit of always 

 lying on one side ; this often causes great trouble 

 at birth, many foals coming wrong, and causing 

 great trouble to the groom or horse-keeper, much 

 anxiety to the employer and pain to the animal. 

 I purpose in this paper giving a few cases of 

 difficult foaling to enable my readers to proceed 

 rightly under difficult cases. But in all difficult 

 oases it is best to send for the veterinary surgeon. . 

 But many mares and foals are annually lost where 

 the veterinary surgeon resides a considerable dis- 

 tance away. 



The period of gestation is generally 48 weeks ; 

 but when the mare is carrying a colt-foal, she 

 will sometimes go 49 and even 50 weeks; on the 

 other hand, if she is carrying a filly-foal, the mare 

 will often foal on her 46 or 47th week; there- 

 fore it is necessary that the foaling-box or yard 

 should be close to the attendant's house. It is no 

 uncommon occurrence that mares through some 

 unknown cause will slip their foals after going 30 

 weeks or more ; and when they have once slipped 

 their foals, they are always liable to do so again. 

 Indeed, some breeders will not put the mare to 

 the horse again after they once slip a foal. It 

 is a thing that is very little known among 

 breeders how to prevent a mare slipping her foal. 



