78 MARE AND COLT. 



sary. When she is fed mostly on straw, she requires bran 

 or oats to make up the elements required to keep up her 

 vitality and to make the colt strong. 



Many persons think that a mare should rest from work for 

 several weeks before foaling. It is not so. If a brood 

 mare has been accustomed to farm work before she is with 

 foal, let her continue at such work, without forcing her, until 

 she is about ready to drop her colt. Regular and moderate 

 exercise is as necessary to the health and comfort of horses 

 as it is of human beings, and in no way can brood mares 

 have it better than by being used in the manner to which 

 their muscles have been accustomed. Of course, she should 

 rest a few days after the colt is born, on her account and the 

 colt's also. Straining work is not good, but any kind of 

 light work will not injure. 



To dry a mare up in her milk, feed her straw for a 

 few days, or a little hay, and rub soft soap on her udder. 

 Give her a reduced amount of water. Milk the udder out 

 only partially each day. 



Choose mares that are young, sound, roomy and of good 

 disposition. They are better if larger than the horse, rather 

 than smaller. 



The stallion must not have ring bone, navicular disease, 

 cataract; unsound feet or bad temper, however beautiful in 

 form he may be. 



Impotency in stallions is caused more by want of exercise 

 than by any other cause. Feeding fattening foods is also a 

 chief cause. Moderate work is better than idleness. Any 



work which is not straining 

 is beneficial. 



The paddock for a stal- 

 lion is drawn so as to show 

 the inside, which has a sloping fender four feet high to 



