424 LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 



littered down, which is kept as sweet and clean as possible, 

 with plenty of ventilation without direct draft, and the mare 

 liberally fed, having the feed-box low enough for the colt 

 to muss with the feed, and watch its mother eat. After the 

 weather has become settled and warm enough to leave them 

 out nights, take the halters from the foals and let them go. 

 Experience has taught me that halters left on will some- 

 times get caught in the iDasture, and often colts will get to 

 chewing each other s halter, and it is better to have them oft'. 

 I can think of no advantage gained by leaving them on, for 

 if the colt needs attention the proper way is to lead the mare 

 to her stall, where it can be attended to better and more 

 safely than in pasture. 



With the colts all out to grass and doing well it is time 

 to separate the oldest of them from the younger and com- 

 mence feeding them grain, which is done in this way: 

 Build a pen in some suitable place which is the most conven- 

 ient, maldng it high enough so the mare will not try to 

 jump it and have the space from the ground to the bot- 

 tom rail or board sufficient to allow the foal to pass 

 under. Put in a handy gate or bars, then an ample feed 

 trough. Lead your mares and foals singly into this inclo- 

 sure and let them eat together two or three times and they 

 will soon learn where the food is. Take out the mares, shut 

 up the gate, leave the colts in, keep a good supply of oats 

 there, and you will lind the foals there regularly running 

 in and out getting their rations. To induce the dam to 

 loiter about this place keep a large lump of rock salt near 

 it and occasionally a mess of oats, and there is no further 

 trouble. In this way at weaning time, which is at the age 

 of five months, the colts have learned to eat and the result 

 is that when they are taken away from their dams they do 

 not miss them so much, nor does it stop their grooving. Now 

 we put on the halters and keep them on, leading the foals 

 more or less while weaning them. Leave them in their 

 boxes, two or three together, several days, and have the 

 boxes open into a nice grass paddock. Let them run oat 



