The Brood Mare 277 
tions, however, it is usually advisable to breed the mare 
so that she will foal after the spring weather has opened 
up and the pastures and lots are accessible. The general 
exceptions to this rule are due to mares being busy, and 
to the inability to get them to breed at the proper time. 
With the work mare the time of foaling may be adjusted 
to the season when the least loss of work will result. It 
must be borne in mind that while mares are pregnant 
they can do more work than when suckling a colt. Es- 
pecially is this true when the foal is only a few days or a 
week old. If the heavy work of the farm comes in the 
spring, therefore, the foal should not arrive until the rush 
is over, so that the mare can be turned out to pasture 
as soon as the foal is dropped. Generally speaking, fall 
foals are not as desirable as spring foals, but with good feed 
may be raised very successfully. The larger number 
of colts throughout the West are dropped in April, May, 
and June. Very few are dropped in March and July. 
Early foals necessitate good barns. In breeding the mares 
in the fall, it is often necessary to give more feed, prefer- 
ably of a succulent nature, so as to start the mare picking 
up a little and cause her to breed when she would not 
otherwise do so. 
Heat and gestation period. 
In mares the period of heat usually occurs every eighteen 
to twenty-one days, and lasts from three to five days. 
The first period of heat after foaling occurs in nine days 
or less if the mare is. perfectly healthy, and received no 
injury during parturition. The mare is usually bred 
at this nine-day period if she is in good condition. 
The gestation period varies from 330 to 340 days, the 
average usually given as 336 days. Most horse-men 
