86 THE HORSE 



fact, that nothing but necessity should ever pre- 

 vent its being done. If it is really necessary to 

 use the mare, a roomy box stall should be provided 

 where the colt may remain during his dam's ab- 

 sence. This box stall should not be a ramshackle 

 affair that the colt will try to get out of or in 

 which he can get tangled up in any way. It should 

 be strong and the sides both smooth and high. If 

 two colts are being raised at the same time, both 

 can be confined in the same stall. They will be 

 quieter and better contented — and therefore will 

 do better — than one alone. 



If the mare is worked, she should be generously 

 fed — and even if she is not, it often pays to give 

 her some grain. If she is not bred again and is 

 running in pasture, she may do very well and give 

 plenty of milk on grass alone, provided, of course, 

 that the grass is abundant and of good quality. 

 But if, as is commonly done, she is immediately 

 bred again, the feeding is of increased importance 

 and should never be neglected when it seems to be 

 needed, for she is performing the double duty of 

 feeding the foal at her side and the foal she is 

 carrying. 



It is an excellent plan to give the mare her oats 

 in such a way that the colt can get his nose into 

 the mangerl In this way he will soon learn to eat 

 with her. The foolish business of " teaching him 



