CHAPTER X. 
DIFFICULTIES WITH AND DISEASES OF YOUNG 
FOALS. 
IT is an undeniable fact in nature that "like begets like"; 
in other words, applying this principle to the horse, a 
sound and healthy dam and a sound and healthy sire 
will produce, under natural conditions, sound and healthy 
offspring. But, although it may be ever so important to choose 
breeding stock from the best that can be had, or at least from 
the best that one can afford, in order to produce the best off- 
spring possible under existing circumstances, it must be remem- 
bered thr.t the breeder's responsibility does not end in merely 
producing. When the foal is young, however promising may 
be the possibilities, the wise breeder will be careful to note 
these possibilities and so care for and nurture the foal that it 
may develop into the best possible at maturity. With this 
end in view it is important to become familiar with difficulties 
and diseases treated of in the following sections of this 
chapter. 
L Constipation. 
It is often a very troublesome matter to get the bowels 
of a young foal to move naturally. 
Causes. — There are many conditions that may cause con- 
stipation in young foals. The commonest being the previous 
diet of the mother or the fact of not allowing the foal to 
receive the mother's first milk. Should a mare be fed on dry 
feed and foal early in the spring the foal is liable to be 
troubled with constipation. 
Symptoms. — There is a noticeable fullness and less desire 
to suck. He apparently has a desire to pass manure, as 
indicated by straining, but without success. He lies down in 
some cases and looks round at his side as if in pain. 
Treatment. — Give, with a syringe, injections of one pint 
of lukewarm water containing a little raw linseed oil, three 
or four times a day. It may be necessary in some cases, if 
the manure balls be hard and large, to oil the finger, pass it 
into the rectum and remove them ; care must be exercised, 
however, in doing this to prevent undue irritation of the 
bowels. Mix a teaspoonful of whisky and a dessertspoonful of 
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