728 VETBEINARY HYGIENE 



do animals mind either snow or rain. It is frequently found 

 in paddocks and straw-yards that they are standing away 

 from the shelter during either of these, or even sleeping 

 outside at night. 



What they do not like is wind, and as protection against 

 this they huddle together for warmth : for this reason 

 shelter sheds in the paddock or straw-yard should be given 

 animals. On no account should they be placed in a closed- 

 in building, unless it is freely ventilated and doors and 

 windows removed, for if these are left nothing can prevent 

 them from being closed. 



The mangers used in these sheds must be sufficiently low 

 for the animal to feed in comfort, and sufficiently high to 

 save his rather short neck. All the foals should feed 

 together, but here the watchful eye of a foal attendant is 

 required ; one or more bullies will exist, and one or more 

 subservient, weak charactered foals will in consequence 

 suffer. Driven from the manger by the bullies, they suffer 

 not only from emptiness but from kicks. Every kicker 

 should be removed, and every bully banished ; these must 

 be fed by themselves, even if necessary kept by themselves, 

 but on no account allowed to worry the others and teach 

 them by example that habit almost characteristic of the 

 English horse, viz., kicking. 



Foals should be turned out to pasture, but it must be 

 sufficiently long to afford a bite and so prevent close grazing 

 which is a cause of parasitic invasion. Wet pastures are 

 fruitful sources of parasitism, and they also contribute to 

 the feet becoming flat and spreading, for these reasons, 

 and the fact that the herbage is frequently poor in quality, 

 they should be avoided. 



Confinement in a straw-yard is no place for a growing 

 animal, the utmost freedom should be given ; so long 

 as the pasture affords sufficient grazing, the rougher it is 

 underfoot the better, it teaches him to pick his feet up and 

 look at the ground he is travelling over. A moderately 

 hilly pasture is an excellent place, especially for the foal 

 that will eventually become a saddle horse ; it teaches him 



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