40 The House Farrier. 



wash, and paint, and tar their stables, to prevent some 

 supposed infection; — the infection lies in the imagin- 

 ation. 



When the period of parturition is drawing near, she 

 should be watched and shut up during the night in a 

 safe yard or loose box. 



If the mare, whether of the pure or common breed, 

 be thus taken care of, and be in good health while in 

 foal, little danger will attend the act of parturition. 

 If there is false presentation of the foetus, or difficulty 

 in producing it, it will be better to have recourse to a 

 well-informed practitioner, than to injure the mother 

 by the violent and injurious attempts that are often 

 made to relieve her. 



The parturition being over, the mare should be 

 turned into some well-sheltered pasture, with a hovel 

 or shed to run into when she pleases ; and if she has 

 foaled early, and grass is scanty, she should have a 

 couple of feeds of grain daily. The breeder may de- 

 pend upon it, that nothing is gained by starving the 

 mother and stinting the foal at this time. It is the 

 most important period of the life of the horse ; and if, 

 from false economy, his growth is arrested, his puny 

 form and want of endurance will ever afterwards testi- 

 fy the error that has been committed. The grain 

 should be given in a trough on the ground, that the 

 foal may partake of it with the mother. When the 

 new grass is plentiful, the quantity, of corn may 

 gradually be diminished. 



The mare will usually be found again at heat at or 



