76 
PURE BRED DRAFT HORSES 
mends the feeding of a narrow ration, say one to five or one to five and a 
half, to colts up to the time they are ready for work. When the dam 
becomes pregnant the foal should receive additional ration, besides 
the mother’s milk. Watering should be given twice in winter and three 
times in summer. It is claimed that during winter water which has been 
heated to 98° F. is most acceptable. 
Regarding the separation of the mother from the foal when she is to 
be put to work, Roberts 59 states that “At first she should not be separated 
from her offspring but for a few minutes at a time; the time of each 
successive separation may be increased until it will be safe to use the 
mare for two or three hours at a time. The blood of the mare should 
not be overheated, nor should the foal be allowed to nurse when the 
mare is over-warm. A good plan is to allow the mare a liberal breath¬ 
ing spell at the far end of the field, with her head away from the barn, 
a half-hour or so before she comes to the stable. If this does not result 
in her cooling off, then it will be better to relieve the udder of some of 
the milk before returning her to the stable and her foal.” 
Sanders 46 advises the use of boiled beans as grain feed for foals. Pre¬ 
cautionary measure is enjoined so that mares are first cooled off and the 
udder washed with lukewarm water before the colt is permitted to 
suckle. Should the foal become constipated the administration of a full 
dose of castor oil together with frequent application of warm soap and 
water enema are recommended. In some instances in which constipa¬ 
tion is expected by previous indications foals should have a dose of oil 
shortly after birth. It is hinted that young foals often suffer from con¬ 
stipation as a result of feeding the dam on dry and indigestible foodstuff, 
particularly during the later period of pregnancy, and indeed so, with 
mares affected with dyspepsia at the end of gestation. 
In a lengthy and comprehensive way, Dimon 40 gives account of the 
management of the foal: “When the foal is once firmly on his feet the 
first thing to do is to get him to suck, as he requires nourishment at 
once, and there is nothing equal to the first milk of the mother . . . 
“It sometimes happens that the foal has not sufficient strength to 
break the blanket in which he is enveloped; then, unless some one is at 
hand to do so, the young thing will soon smother to death. 
“When it is difficult to get the youngster to help itself, try to stream 
some milk from the teat of the dam into its mouth, and rub some of 
the milk on its nose. Continue this until it gets a taste of the milk, after 
which it will be more eager to help itself. 
“Close watch should be kept to see that there is an evacuation of the 
bowels ... If the foal exhibits symptoms of distress or much un¬ 
easiness, and especially if the hind legs are drawn forward and the head 
drooped and the little thing stumbles about the stall or paddock as if 
trying to stand on its head, or turn a somersault, give it at once an in¬ 
jection of half a pint of blood warm water with just enough soap in it 
to make it feel slippery to the touch. Glycerine may be added to the 
water in proportion to one part glycerine to two parts water. This may 
be administered by a common rubber bulb syringe suitable for family use, 
or by any other style of syringe not too large. 
“It may be necessary to follow up the injection for a day or two. A 
dose of castor oil may be given if required; care should be taken not to 
give more than is necessary lest purging may be induced. 
“More can be done for the foal in the first six months of its life than 
in any year thereafter, consequently the mare should be extra well fed 
during the time of nursing the colt, and then, if she proves to be a poor 
milker, as is many times the case, the foal should be fed in addition to 
what it can get from its dam. It should be taught to drink sweet skim- 
milk, which is very good for young foals. Do not feed whole, or new 
milk as cream is unnatural to the foal; there is none in mare’s milk. 
