162 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



WEANING THE FOAL. 



When the colt is to be taken from the dam 

 it should be tied in an adjoining stall, with the 

 partition so open that they can easily see each 

 other, and the food of the mare should be re- 

 duced to a very small ration of dry oats and 

 hay. When her udder becomes so full as to 

 cause her uneasiness a part of the milk should 

 be drawn off, but she should not be milked dry. 

 The first milking may be done by the colt it- 

 self, but afterwards it should be done by hand, 

 as the milk in the drying-off process soon be- 

 comes unfit for the colt; and, besides, the dry- 

 ing off will be more speedily accomplished than 

 when the colt is occasionally permitted to suck. 

 After the milk has entirely dried up the mare 

 and her foal may be separated and she may 

 safely be turned out to grass. 



Skimmed milk may still be given to the colt, 

 especially if it is not in good condition to enter 

 the winter; but clean, sound oats, ground or 

 unground, constitute the best x>f all grain foods 

 for the colt. I prefer to have them ground; 

 and as cold weather approaches about one- 

 fourth in weight of corn-meal may profitably 

 be added, as it helps to lay on fat and keeps up 

 the animal heat. A little oil-meal say a pint 

 a day may also profitably be given with the 

 oats for some time after weaning/ Don't be 



