210 THE HORSE 



FALL VERSUS SPRING COLTS 



In the fruit and dairy districts the pressing work 

 ceases in September; in the grain -raising sections it 

 is October before the farm -horse gets relief. If fall 

 or winter colts are to be raised, it is evident that the 

 foals should not appear until October or November in 

 the former case, and November and December in the 

 latter, unless there are enough animals on the farm to 

 permit of diminishing the work of those which are in 

 foal. However, circumstances will to a great extent 

 govern this and other details. Wherever the fall work 

 will permit, the time of breeding might well be 

 advanced two or three months; provided, however, the 

 foal does not appear when flies are cruelly annoying. 



The female is not as likely to be amorous in the 

 fall and winter, as in the spring. Usually, she is 

 rather thin in flesh after the summer's work. If so, 

 the task of securing the desired results will be the 

 easier. By increasing the food, especially the grain 

 ration, by giving regular but somewhat moderate exer- 

 cise, and by double or single blanketing, conditions 

 will be produced similar to those which prevail in the 

 spring. Meantime the bowels should be kept free from 

 constipation by feeding moderate amounts of succulent 

 foods. 



It is often asserted that fall colts do not shed their 

 hair as freely and as perfectly as do spring colts. It 

 is doubtful whether this is so. 



Colts usually shed their incisor teeth about three 

 months in advance of their third, fourth and fifth 



