WEIGHT AHD GROWTH OP FOALS. 367 



tleness, avoiding all excitement. If the foal is allowed 

 occasionally to go to the field with the dam while at work, 

 and also on the road, for very short drives, it will familiar- 

 ize it with such objects as will surround it afterwards, and 

 it will thus be made more fearless. 



The colt should be handled almost daily while with the 

 dam, and made familiar with men. Great care should be 

 taken to avoid frightening it. It should be taught to 

 regard man as its greatest friend, from whom it may always 

 expect a pleasant caress, or something agreeable to eat. 

 This is not only important in reference to its future temper 

 and usefulness, but vastly important to its rapid growth. 

 Animals do not thrive under excitement and irritation. 

 There is no place for a passionate man among young ani- 

 mals, and not a very profitable place for him anywhere. 

 We often hear of very different results from the same food, 

 upon animals of the same age and class ; but our experi- 

 ence has proved that this is caused in more cases by the 

 feeder than the animal. If, then, the colt-raiser desires to 

 produce the greatest result with the least food, he must 

 accompany the food with the kindest and most pleasant 

 treatment. 



WEIGHT AND GROWTH OF FOALS. 



The rate of growth in foals, and the food required to 

 make a pound growth, have not been much studied. In- 

 deed, we are aware of but one published experiment as to 

 the weight and growth of foals, besides the one made by 

 the author. Some years since he weighed three foals at 

 birth; the dam of No. 1 weighing 1,000 Ibs.; of No. 2, 

 1,025 Ibs., and of No. 3, 950 Ibs. The sire (a good general 

 purpose horse) weighed 1,120 Ibs. The following table 

 will show the weight and growth of these foals for two 

 separate periods, as well as those in the experiments of 

 Boussingault: 



