180 A TREATISE ON HORSE-BREEDING. 



It is frequently alleged that "heated milk" is extremely 

 prejudicial to the foal. I admit there is a probability of 

 troublesome skin disease being caused by allowing a foal to 

 partake of the milk of a mare when she is overheated, but I 

 think the danger of "heated milk" producing diarrhoea or 

 "scour" is exaggerated, or rather that the evil consequences 

 in this particular respect are as much attributable to the 

 fact that the young animal, pressed by hunger, partakes too 

 greedily and too plentifully, and, as a consequence, is prima- 

 rily attacked with acute indigestion . 



It is always better to be on the safe side and allow the 

 mare to become cool and to bathe her distended glands with 

 lukewarm water before the foal is admitted to her. 



It is not always that a mare which secretes a copious sup- 

 ply of milk is a good nourisher; some, especially old mares, 

 or those subjected to very heavy work and inefficiently fed, 

 elaborate a fluid deficient in nutritive quality, a circumstance 

 rendered evident by the condition of the foal, which will be- 

 come wasted and probably attacked with diarrhoea. 



In such cases the mare must be especially well nourished, 

 and, in instances of extreme necessity, the foal assisted by 

 artificial lactation; it should also, as soon as possible, be en- 

 couraged to take manger food, of which boiled beans should 

 constitute the basis, in order that the advantage of an early 

 weaning may be secured. 



Notwithstanding the purgative effects of the colostrum, 

 the young foal frequently suffers from constipation of the 

 bowels, and especially so if the dam is or has bsen during the 

 later periods of pregnancy fed with dry or indigestible food; 

 certainly so if the mare has had an acute attack of dyspepsia 

 near the end of the gestative term. Many persons establish 

 the rule that every foal should have a dose of oil shortly 

 after birth. The practice is generally good none but bene- 

 ficial effects are likely to result therefrom, and the life of 

 the foal must be regarded as unsafe until free evacuation of 

 the bowels has been effected. When preceding circum- 

 stances have rendered it probable that the foal will be con- 

 stipated, the exhibition of a full dose of castor oil is impera- 



