290 Western Live-stock Management 
where all the foals are turned out when the mares are at 
work, and the other is to turn the mare and the foal in 
the pasture at night. Usually the latter method is the 
easiest to put into practice. In either case, the colt 
must be taught to eat grain if possible. This may be 
brought about by putting an extra trough in the stall, 
or by a creep in the paddock where they can run and not 
be bothered by the other horses. Some arrangement of 
this kind is necessary. Open sheds for wintering brood 
mares are practical, especially when there is not sufficient 
exercise in the form of work to keep these mares in good 
physical condition. A mistake that is often made is 
confining the mares closely, feeding them heavily, and 
thereby getting them softer and fatter than they should 
be. One way to avoid this is by the open shed system, 
having a shed where the mares can run in and find protec- 
tion, or run out into an open lot for exercise. Sheds of 
this kind will keep the mares in good physical condition. 
A horse barn is not complete unless it has maternity 
stalls. By these are meant large, roomy box stalls, 
where the mare may foal without being in cramped 
quarters, if it is necessary that she foal in the barn. The 
stalls are also useful for the mare and colt, as the common 
small box stall is somewhat confining for the mare and 
foal. Double stalls with a pole run between the horses, 
which can be converted into large, roomy box stalls open- 
ing on the outside are a very practical method of solving 
the problem. During the winter the stalls will hold more 
animals than if arranged in permanent box stalls. 
