78 THE HORSE, 



therefore, be given to the mare if it is too early in the season 

 to turn her out to grass. As soon as the weather is suiri- 

 cientlr wariu, mare and foal should be turned out on a good 

 pasture. If there is a good growth of grass and herbage, the 

 iiiare may not require any additional food, as good grazing 

 produces a. nice tlow of milk. But, in the case of poor grass- 

 land and during droughty weather, when the grass fails to grow 

 sufficiently for want of rain, the nourishment to be obtained 

 by grazing will hardly be adequate to meet the requirements 

 of both dam and foal, and, under these circumstances, some 

 additional food in the form of oats or maize and bran should 

 be provided. When it is too early in the season to allow of 

 mare and foal being out at grass day and niglit, they ought 

 ty be turned out for a few hours each day Avhen the Aveather 

 is dry. 



Working: Mares after Foalingr — A mare can be 



worked a week after fualing ; at hr^vt the work must be light, it 

 beino- increased in a gri^dual manner. The dam must not be 

 kept away from the foal for more than four hours at a. time 

 during the first few months, because otherwise the foal will be 

 come too hungiy, and is apt to overfeed itself by sucking too 

 large a quant liy of milk at a time, which gives rise to diarrhcea 

 and a general upset of the digestive system. Nor must the 

 foal be allowed to suckle its dam when the latter is in a 

 lieated condition from work, as in this case the milk is very 

 liable to disagree with the foal and to cause digestive troubles. 

 When parted from their dams, foals evince great anxiety, and 

 make efforts to join them ; it is, therefore, necessary to see that 

 they are well secured while their dams are away, and that 

 tliere is no risk of their injuring themselves or getting away. 



Feeding: the Mare — When. a mare with a foal at foot 

 is worked, she must receive extra food, in addition to the 

 allowance of corn she gets as a working ration. This extra 

 fcod should consist of oats, bran, and green forage; it is espe- 

 cially necessary to feed plenty of the latter in order to stimu- 

 late the yield of milk. Foals require plenty of fresh air and 



