The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-23
AGRICULTURAL.
Rearing Colts.
By J. W. DAVIS, FAIRLEE, VT.
SECOND PAPER.

elapsed, trials been attended TO and APP
pearances indicating that I'll Q mare is
"with foal''-pregnant.
The stallion has entirely fulfilled his
mission in the case so we are done with
him and now have only the mare to at
tend to. We believe in kind sensible
treatment of all animals, and especially
of the brood mare. We do not believe
in "hothousing," but in following the
directions and laws of nature as nearly
as domesticstion allows. We believe
there are two good ways of managing
brood mares while with foal. The first,
the best and most natural, is to give
them perfect liberty, in good pasture
during the grazing season, and good
large yard with a comfortable, we'll
bedded shed, running water, ETC., in
winter season. We would like for feed
plenty of good early cut hay to keep them
in good thrifty condition, not neces-
sarily clear timothy or best market hay,
but rather the upland hay graded as
''mixed;" and if the hay is not suffi
cient to do this small ration of ground
oats, perhaps alternated with good
bran. If this fails to keep the hair
looking sleek, bright and healthy, or if
the mare is little run down by raising
foal, we would mix and grind togeth-
er equal weights of wheat and oats.
Roth IF fhaoH Eindo IF in ~, tbio mr.
portion, and proper quantities, are good
for the mare; and it is well known that
the effect of the wheat for each, the
mare and the fetus, is to make bone and
muscle. We believe in raising colts
from two and three years old mares;
and thus managing them they grow
larger, keep in better condition if with
foal than if not; and as they are not
old enough to work there is no loss of
use, and no expense other than stallion
service to raise colt from such. But
never feed corn to any great extent, in
any form, to brood mare. Corn is
fattening but deficient in bone and
muscle making properties; in hundreds
of cases it has made good healthy,
fat, sleek-looking mare, and also caused
her to abort her foal, or to foal small
boned, weak, slender little thing, I'M
able to stand or hold up its head, and
with too little life to "start up" even
with the best of care and nursing.
Brood mares, or other grown horses,
that do not work and sweat will be-
come "lousy" if exposed to lice, and
then of course their foals will soon be-
come lousy. Give them proper care
and attention.
The second way and the one almost
unavoidable where the farm mare, or
family mare, is also used for breeding
purposes, is to work her; and we be-
lieve as healthy, sound, and strong
colts can be raised in this way as in
any, if the mare is properly worked,
handled and managed. Avoid feeding
corn, excepting perhaps occasionally a
small allowance of a few whole ears.
Avoid giving the mare several days of
rest and inactivity in stall, then a
long hard drive or a hard, rough days
work. A little ''thump" of the thill
against the mares side, caused by the
sled runner or cart wheel hitting
against a solid stone or stump, has
caused many good mare to lose her
colt. A hard days work at blowing
or drawing cart in muddy field,
slip on ice, a fall, fright as from
smell of blood or fresh meat, hard
whipping, and many other things will,
at the critical period, cause the abor-
ton of the foal. One very dangerous
thing to do is to let the mare get very
thirsty and then drink an unusul guam
tity of very cold water. This is also
very likely to cause collie, or infamma.
ton, with any horse.
But careful, regular, every day work,
if no accidents occur, may be safely
continued, even very close up to foal-
ing time. Use great care at foaling
time. 1t used to be considered the
best way to ''turn the mare out aud lei
her alone," but losing few valuable
foals in this way, by their foundering
down a steep bank, into a deep
brook, or even very small brook
or mudhole, before they could
stand up; or young mare not &C
customed to any such experience be-
ing for time frantic when the young
foal tries to "nurse," or any one of a
dozen other things that may happen,
teach us that it is better to have the
mare in a nice large pen, if in cool or
rainy weather, or if warm and fair in a
good safe yard, no wells, water tubs or
holes opener in smooth, grassy
paddock; then attend to her, and be
with her when she foals, especially if a
young and inexperienced mare.
We recall dozen cases of loss at foal-