CARE OF FOAL AND DAM AT WORK 217 



it will be when the flies are most annoying, the sun 

 fiercest, pastures scant, the grasses dry and more or 

 less innutritions. It is cruel to separate the young 

 things from their dams and turn them out at this time 

 of the year to fight for their lives. Far better, place them 

 in darkened box -stalls until the flies have departed. 



Water should be offered in the winter twice and in 

 summer thrice daily. The drinking water in the win- 

 ter will be most acceptable if raised to a temperature 

 of 98 degrees Fahr., though this is not imperative. 



A roomy box -stall should be provided for the mare 

 and foal; one ten by fifteen feet in the clear will 

 suffice, except for large draft -mares. When the foal 

 is a few days old, its dam may be led out of the stall 

 daily. At first she should not be separated from her 

 offspring but for a few minutes at a time; the time of 

 each successive separation may be increased until it 

 will be safe to use the mare for two or three hours 

 at a time. The blood of the mare should not be over- 

 heated, nor should the foal be allowed to nurse when 

 the mare is over -warm. A good plan is to allow the 

 mare a liberal breathing spell at the far end of the 

 field, with her head away from the barn, a half -hour 

 or so before she comes to the stable. If this does not 

 result in her cooling off, then it will be better to 

 relieve the udder of some of the milk before returning 

 her to the stable and her foal. 



The foal should not be allowed to follow its dam 

 when she is at work. The mare and foal would better 

 be turned into a field or paddock during the pleasant 

 weather a few hours each day in the winter, and at 



