The Treatment of Foals. 67 



old enough) learn to eat grass, and at three months should 

 be taught to eat a small ration of extra bruised oats. Foals 

 acquire these last mentioned accomplishments from 

 imitating their dams, and in practice it will be found that 

 an orphan's education in these respects will be immensely 

 facilitated by the companionship of an already weaned foal, 

 or, failing this, a donkey or calf. 



For the first few days after foaling the mare should 

 have plenty of scalded bran with her corn, and her usual hay 

 ration should be much curtailed ; this will prevent constipa- 

 tion and favour milk production. If the foaling box is not 

 required for another due-to-foal mare, it is as well if the 

 mare and foal are left undisturbed for the first forty-eight 

 hours after foaling. If it is really necessary to remove them, 

 the following method will be found the most expeditious 

 and least calculated to " fluster " the mare. Let two men, 

 facing each other, join hands round the foal, their arms 

 round its chest and buttocks respectively. It can in this 

 way easily be restrained or urged forward as required in its 

 first journey from box to box, while the mare can be led 

 behind her offspring, and can touch it with her nose and 

 assure herself that all is well. 



Strict attention should be given to the cleanliness of the 

 box to be occupied by the mare and foal, as at this stage 

 both are extremely susceptible to infection, the one through 

 the navel, the other through the inflamed generative organs. 

 If the mare has a copious sticky and offensive discharge 

 from the vulva, she should have the parts irrigated twice 

 daily with a solution of chinasol (one tabloid to a pint of 

 warm water) till an improvement takes place. This will 

 prevent the offensive matter contaminating the mare's udder 

 and setting up diarrhoea in the foal, and also ensure the 



