SELECTION, CAKE AND MANAGEMENT 515 



is not nervous or fretful. The frothy-dispositioned 

 mare is a nuisance and should be avoided. Look 

 your mare over and find a stallion that can correct 

 her faults. Keep her in harness, if you can, working 

 her up nearly to foaling time. 



"We prefer to keep our mares in harness almost 

 up to foaling time, working them carefully, slowly, 

 and in moderation. The feed before foaling is on 

 the laxative order — oats and bran, not too much 

 hay. We have fed our mares some silage for some 

 time before foaling and like it very much; about 12 

 pounds twice a day make a reasonable feed. The 

 silage must be absolutely free from mold. 



"When the mare foals, if we are present and the 

 afterbirth is separated from the navel, we disinfect 

 the navel at once with a good disinfecting powder 

 and repeat the treatment until the cord is dried up. 

 We give the mare tepid water to drink, a little at a 

 time for three or four hours until her thirst is 

 quenched. One should be sure that the foal sucks 

 within a reasonable time. Give it a chance to nurse 

 without assistance if possible. Do not be deceived 

 by its nosing around the mare 's udder ; be sure that 

 it is nursing. We always give a foal about an ounce 

 of castor oil before it sucks, if we see it in time. 

 This assists in regulating the bowels. The foal 

 should be watched for the first three days quite 

 closely to see that the bowels are working properly. 

 Make sure that the mare cleans in a couple of hours 

 after foaling. One can usually remove the after- 

 birth by taking a round stick and wrapping the 

 point of the afterbirth around it and winding it up 

 and out of the mare slowly. Examine the afterbirth 

 carefully to see that it is whole and complete. If 

 fragments are left, infection will follow and the 

 mare may be lost. Feed her moderately for a couple 



