STALLIONS, BROOD MARES AND FOALS. 177 



the latter will sometimes attract her kindly to it; should 

 this means fail the foal must be dried with soft flannel, con- 

 ducted to the teat, and assisted to obtain its first aliment. 



It is sometimes necessary to protect the foal from ill- 

 intention by the peevish dam, but after the mare has per- 

 mitted the foal to suck, and has evinced maternal solicitude 

 for its welfare by licking and caressing it, no fear need be 

 entertained that she will subsequently injure it willfully. 



All the means briefly reviewed as necessary for the pre- 

 servation of the newly- born foal and comfort of the mare are 

 to be continued for a period more or less prolonged, as their 

 conditions and surrounding circumstances indicate. If both 

 mare and foal are healthy, and especially if the mare has 

 been pastured up to the time of foaling, they will be benefited 

 by being turned to grass during fine weather in a week or so 

 after the birth; but they must be sheltered from rain and 

 cold, particularly at night, so long as the weather continues 

 unfavorable. 



At this early period the mare should never be permitted 

 to graze until she has had a small allowance of sweet hay or 

 some other nutritious dry food, nor should she be subjected 

 to work for at least three weeks after parturition. Some 

 mares, especially primiparous ones, do not furnish sufficient 

 milk for the sustenance of their offspring. In ^ these cases 

 the mammary glands must be frequently stimulated by the 

 foal and subsequently submitted to gentle friction, and a sup- 

 ply of succulent, easily-digestible food allowed. In the ab- 

 sence of a plentiful supply of grass, boiled barley made into 

 a sloppy mash, with the addition of some treacle and a little 

 salt, is a palatable, nourishing diet, tending to increase the 

 lacteal secretion. If these means fail to excite a sufficient 

 flow of milk the foal must be periodically suckled by a foster 

 mare, or be artificially nourished. Should the season not 

 admit of mares being pastured, barley mashes, pulped roots, 

 scalded oats and hay of the best procurable quality, should 

 be liberally supplied. A plentiful allowance of water, or, 

 for bad milking mares, nutritious gruel is necessary. 



Most mares, however, secrete a plentiful, and many a 

 superabundant supply of milk. Such do not require, soon 



