FOALING, 41 



thoroughly well understood in our racing establish- 

 ments, but is accomplished with much less severity 

 than it formerly was, and consequently with less 

 danger to the animal. 



The time of foaling is one of great interest to 

 owners of valuable brood mares, and particularly so 

 when the produce is engaged, perhaps heavily, or 

 when they are of what is termed a running family. 

 The attention of the stud-groom is directed by 

 sundry forewarnings, the most palpable of which is 

 what is called " waxing of the udder," and appear- 

 ance of milk, which generally precede parturition 

 two or three days, but in some instances more. As 

 the mare brings forth on her legs, there is little 

 fear of the foal being overlaid by the mother ; but 

 the less she is disturbed the better, lest she should 

 trample on its legs. Her treatment afterwards is 

 now so well understood, that nothing requires to 

 be said about it ; but a bran mash, with from 

 four to six ounces of nitre dissolved in it, given as 

 soon as she has brought forth, keeps off fever. The 

 great preventive of accidents to foals, is the simple 

 contrivance of rollers on the sides of the door-frames, 

 which secure them from being injured as they rush 

 out of the hovel or shed by the side of their dams, 

 especially in cases of alarm. 



Some persons prefer purchasing to breeding young 

 racing stock, and it is difficult to determine between 

 the advantages and disadvantages of the systems. 

 It is true that, in the first case, the purchaser has 

 a certainty of some return for his money, inasmuch 

 as he gets his colt or filly, which the breeder may 



