38 
THE PERCHERON REVIEW 
One of the most common troubles at foaling time 
is a wrong presentation. Normally the foal comes 
with the fore feet first, with the nose between them. 
If the feet appear but the head is bent round to one 
side, a little skillful manipulation will usually be 
effective. In this work experience is necessary and 
if the owner has never had any experience in this 
line It is better to secure the services of a skillful 
assistant for the first few times, after which the 
operator may safely trust to himself in all ordinary 
A Teamster Laddie with a Team Worth While 
cases. It is a mistake to begin pulling on a foal if 
everything is going nicely, but if any pulling is to 
be done it should be when the mare labors. When 
assisting the foal always pull toward the mare's heels. 
Sometimes the hips of the foal are so large that they 
cause trouble in delivery and in this case a strong 
man can grasp the foal and by giving it a quarter 
turn assist the matter greatly. This procedure 
turns the greatest width of the foal parallel with the 
greatest length of the vagina, making the delivery 
much easier. If everything is going along nicely 
it is much better to let nature take her course, but, 
above all, do not become excited. I have known 
men who were a positive nuisance at such a time. 
If the presentation is wrong and cannot be corrected 
at once the veterinarian should be summoned with- 
out delay. In these days of the telephone and the 
automobile it does not take long to secure assistance 
when it is needed. We do not make a practice of 
tying the navel cord, for nature has provided a 
place where it should break after the foal has been 
born. If it does not break it may be pulled apart 
with the hands and not tied unless serious bleeding 
ensues. If the cord is not tied the open end will 
drain and free itself much better than if it is tied. 
It is very necessary that the navel cord should be 
thoroughly disinfected and it should receive careful 
attention for several days, as the dreaded navel 
disease starts from infection of the severed cord. 
This is one of the important reasons why the foal 
should be brought into this world amid sanitary 
surroundings. 
A very important matter, and one sometimes 
neglected, is to make sure the foal sucks the mother 
within an hour or two. Nearly everyone realizes 
how important this is, but many breeders are inclined 
to trust to luck in this regard and ofttimes a valuable 
colt is lost. Some colts will work under their mother 
and make a sucking sound even when they have 
not the teat in their mouth. Of course it is instinct 
for the foal to reach under the mother and try to do 
something and if the little fellow does not seem to be 
able to make connections some skillful assistance 
will be necessary. A job of this kind calls for con- 
siderable skill and an infinite amount of patience. 
It is good practice to give a foal a tablespoonful of 
castor oil before he sucks, as this assists very mate- 
rially in cleaning out the alimentary tract, and the 
colt should be carefully watched to see that all the 
hard balls have passed from the bowels. 
It is of the utmost importance that the attendant 
assure himself that the entire afterbirth has passed 
from the mare within two or three hours after the 
foal has been born. Be assured that the mare is 
thoroughly clean. If in doubt call a good veteri- 
narian and do it before infection has set in. 
We will now assume the little fellow has been born 
without any mishap and is enjoying the best of 
health. As soon as he will begin to nibble oats 
keep them constantly before him, inside a creep, 
permitting the colts to enter but excluding the 
mothers. From this time on the colt that is really 
given a chance should never know what it is to be 
very hungry. Feed! feed! feed! is the lesson the 
American horse breeder has to learn. And learn 
this lesson we must, for as breeders of purebred 
horses we are face to face with the greatest oppor- 
tunity ever presented to the American horse breeder. 
By courtesy Farmers Review. F. S. PrICHARD. 
