Breeding. 105 



picking a little grass or clover, the young animal must 

 further be early taught to eat a few bruised oats, some 

 steamed bran, or other such food. At Michaelmas, the 

 foal, if healthy and well grazed, will be strong and in good 

 condition, and the progress thus made must not be lost. 

 In many parts of England, and especially where old 

 pastures abound, young horses, often promising and well- 

 bred, are stunted in growth and spoilt by being kept in 

 the fields late in autumn, and even during winter exposed 

 to the inclemency of all weathers, and receiving nothing 

 but the coarse innutritive grass they gather. This is 

 wretched parsimony. There can be no greater mistake 

 than to stint young animals, or allow them to lose during 

 winter the condition acquired in summer. So soon as the 

 October nights get long and cold, foals should be brought 

 into the yards or sheds, or placed in a field with a good 

 open hovel into which they may run at pleasure. They 

 must further be supplied, at least once a day, with some 

 hay and a few bruised oats mixed with chaff or bran. If 

 the weather continue tolerably fine, they will thrive better 

 if thus allowed to be in the fields during the day, and pro- 

 tected at night. When frost and snow set in, the foals 

 may be placed in their winter quarters. A good yard, 

 sufficiently roomy for exercise, and provided with an open 

 shed, is preferable to a loose box. Colts and cattle 

 seldom agree well in the same yard. The colts, full of 

 play, chase and disturb their more placid neighbours, 

 which occasionally retaliate by a dangerous thrust of the 

 horn. Barley and oat straw, frequently varied with an 

 occasional allowance of bean or pea straw, may constitute 

 the bulk of their winter food. A few handfuls of hay once 

 a day are well bestowed, and are absolutely essential for 

 weakly or late foals. A few sliced Swedes^ mangolds, or 

 carrots, regularly given with some chaff, cut straw, or hay, 

 keep the bowels open, and add to the general health. 

 But besides this, and especially if the colts live more on 

 straw than hay, they require some food of more nutritive 

 character to keep them growing. For this end, supply to 

 each foal daily three or four pounds of oats, which are 

 best given cracked or bruised, along with several handfuls 



