HORSE SENSE. 61 



When the head and front feet have appeared and the shoulders re- 

 main a long time, with hard trials and sufficient intervals for rest, then, 

 and not until then, will it be prudent to render your assistance, which 

 will be by taking hold of the legs and pulling, only, when the mare 

 makes an effort at expulsion. 



If the mare has had a hard labor, she may be so prostrated that she 

 will be unable to rise after foaling, in which case it will be of great ad- 

 vantage (and may save the life of your mare) to have ready some warm 

 oatmeal gruel (very thin) to give her from a pail or bottle. 



WRONG PRESENTATIONS. 

 Whenever other than the natural presentations are present (which 

 are very unusual) you should lose no time in securing the best vet- 

 erinary skill that you can get, before it is too late. Whatever you do, 

 don't go at the mare as though you expected to get the foal away in a 

 minute. Remember that you are dealing with muscular and serous tis- 

 sues, as well as nerves in a highly wrought state, and it is necessary to 

 move deliberately and cautiously, for the success of both dam and foal. 



AFTER FOALING. 



The mare should be watched carefully to see that she is kept warm 

 enough, as a chill may be the cause of serious difficulties that will re- 

 quire great skill to recover from. Her food should be of the laxative 

 character, and only given in very moderate quantities for several days, 

 when it may be increased as the foal becomes strong enough to take 

 and digest it well. Many mares are inordinately thirsty after foaling, 

 and if indulged to their satisfaction, both dam and foal are apt to get 

 into trouble. If she drinks large quantities of cold water it is liable to 

 derange her digestion, and the foal will have diarrhea; when as a rule, 

 the majority of people begin dosing the foal, whereas, if the attention is 

 given to the mare, in the reduction of the water drank one-half, and a 

 reduced ration of food, the mare and foal both will soon be well, with- 

 out any medicine v/hatever. As soon as the mare is strong enough 

 and the weather will permit, both she and her foal should have plenty 

 of exercise daily, and if her food is in proper quantity and quality, both 

 mare and foal will do well until weaning time, when the colt will be 

 treated under a separate chapter. 



We have dwelt at apparent length in some particulars in this article, 

 but, we fully realize that the horse business is daily improving and we 

 must make the best of it, if we meet the sharp competition of the future 

 on an equal basis with the foremost breeders of the land. Generalities 

 are good for general observation, but when we wish to fathom the depths 

 of any business, we must then go into the details. 



CARE OF THE YOUNG FOAL. 



After the foal is up and around it should have a free operation of the 

 bowels. If it should not you will notice that it is uneasy; it will switch 

 its tail, draw up at the flanks, breath short and strain more or less. It 

 is time now to prepare an injection of slippery elm water, flgx seed water 



