MANAGEMENT OF THE BROOD MARE 
63 
opinion that nursing mares need not be put to work if it could be avoided 
or else the condition may lead to scouring or rickets of the foals. Or, if 
the mare has to be worked the work should be only for half a day each 
time, and she should first have a month’s rest immediately after foaling. 
When returning from work it should be borne in mind that the milk 
which has collected in the udder during the work is poorer in fat than 
the milk drawn at frequent intervals and besides such milk differs from 
the natural kind in other respects and certain poisonous substances might 
have developed, so it is advised that a little milk should first be drawn 
before the foal is allowed to suck the mother. 
Hunt 75 states that after foaling the mare should be allowed to clean 
the foal and then she may have warm gruel, or a stimulant if she is 
worn out. A pint of strong ale, or Guinness’s porter is recommended 
which can be handled by the inexperienced. Feeding during the first 
twenty-four hours consists of gruel and a moderate amount of hay 
Richer food may be given as soon as milk secretion is established. 
Reynolds 46 says: “If the mare has been pastured up to the time of 
foaling, they [mare and foal] will be benefited by being turned to grass 
during fine weather, in a week or so after birth; but they must be shel¬ 
tered from rain and cold, particularly at night, so long as the weather 
continues unfavorable. 
“At this early period the mare should never be permitted to graze 
until she has had a small allowance of sweet hay, or some other nutrious 
dry food, nor should she be subjected to work for at least three weeks 
before parturition ... In the absence of a plentiful supply of grass, 
boiled barley made into a sloppy mash, with the addition of some treacle 
and a little salt, is a palatable nourishing diet, tending to increase the 
lacteal secretion. Should the season not admit of mares being pastured, 
barley mashes, pulped roots, scalded oats and hay of the best procurable 
quality, should be liberally supplied. A plentiful allowance of water, or 
for bad milking mares, nutritious gruel is necessary. 
“Most mares, however, secrete a plentiful, and many a superabundant 
supply of milk . . . The provision of rich but close herbage suffices 
for their general requirements. 
“In districts where the mare is not required to work until the foal is 
weaned grass suffices for all her requirements. 
“If at any time during the period of lactation the udder becomes in¬ 
flamed, hot or tense, the diet must be promptly reduced, the milk res¬ 
ervoir very frequently emptied, and warm fomentations adopted, to be 
followed by very gentle friction with soap and water (greasy substances 
ought not to be rubbed upon the glands or if used, the residuum should 
be carefully removed by subsequent washing). If the foal is dead, or 
can conveniently be weaned, a dose of physic may be administered to 
the mare.” 
According to Harper 95 a beneficial, cooling and laxative feed which 
may be given to the mare during the first few days after foaling is a hot 
bran mash fed once a day. The mare may be placed to work at the end 
of one week after parturition. 
Timmis’s 96 “prescription” for the brood mare after parturition con¬ 
sists in giving her crushed oats "with boiled oats at night for several 
weeks after delivery. It is pointed out that only little amounts should 
be furnished at a time but she may be fed as much as she will eat. Af¬ 
terwards uncrushed oats can be fed and linseed meal added to the feed. 
Dimon 40 writes on the care of the puerperal mare: “It is always well 
to have on hand at such times, and to give the mare a wheat bran mash 
mixed with warm water or a few quarts of warm oatmeal gruel. Give 
no cold w'ater to drink for two days after foaling if in cool or cold 
