WA OT TA , May 1 st. 1 91 1 .

Si —I s r, have the honour to present herewi th a serie of short articles on I H orse B reeding and the Care of M ares and Colts , whi ch have prepared in the hope that they may be of some value to farmers interested in this par ti cu lar branch of animal industry .

I would recommend that these should be pri nted in bulletin form for general di stribution .

ir I have the h onour to be , S ,

Y our obedient servant ,

J. G . R UT H E R FO R " .

V eterinary "irector G eneral and L S ive tock Comrmssi oner.

To the H onourable

' Tun Mmrsrna or Acnxcou ro na,

Ottawa . H O R S E B R E E "I N G

B E A R I N G O F C O L T S

"I N G O SE S T H E B R E E O F H R .

“ It is an old and true saying , never truer than it is M ay , that there is " r t th b always roo m at the top "and this applies , n only to e human race , ut “ to all the various species of domestic animals . hus while the individual who s b s breeds and raises scrub tock may , and dou tless often does , find con iderable difficulty in disposing of his surplus , the man who successfully devotes his attention to the production of a first class animal is seldom found complaining

. W is b for want of a customer hile this true of all kinds of stock , it is for o vious reasons especially the case with regard to the horse "for while the beef from e o o b a scrub ste r , the mutt n fr m a scrub wether , the pork from a scru hog, or a o the butter from a scrub cow , while not so remuner tive as similar pr ducts from specially adapted animals, will , if of fair quality , generally find a pur r chaser , the scrub horse is always a drug in the ma ket , and is sure to be less and less in demand as time passes and public taste in this respect becomes more n fastidious . O the other hand , the good horse was never in greater request v z o than he is today. All over the ci ili ed world the prices paid for the go d i s horse of any dist nct cla s are on the rise , and the man who has him or can breed — s sure of hi s market and his money . This being the case and that it r — i is so , is capable of easy demonst ation t behooves us to do our best to find

out how to obtain him .

E very man who owns a mare, ought , before stinting her , to draw a mental i re ctu of the horse he wants to get from her , and in doing so must not , of course, s f nfl u e ose ight of the mare hersel , nor of the i uence which she m st , of n cessity ,

wi eld in bri nging his pro"ects to fruition . H er si ze , shape , make and breeding must all be considered and carefully weighed before the sire of the future prodigy he c is selected , while must be hosen with the v iew of perpetuating the good

points and overcomi ng the deficiencies of the dam . The great initial law of " " “ H “ i l breedi ng is that of eredity , or like produces like "and while , as w l m b be shortly shown , there are any and frequent deviations therefrom , capa le

n - b d more or less of being guarded agai st , this is the sheet anchor of the ree er, ula i all e the basis of his calc t ons , and must be acted upon in cases , except wh re h some individual idiosyncrasy as been incontestably proved to ex ist . This “ " princi ple of li ke producing like is so generally recogni zed that it is scarcely c necessary to dwell upon it , ex ept perhaps , to call attention to the little but

to vi z. salient fact, liable in horse breeding be , by the beginner , overlooked , , l l i that ike really on y produces l ke from like, or in other words , that in ord er r c od i n to obtain a pe fe t pr uction of the orig al type , both sire and dam must

of s so of s s c s . s s r be the ame type, and al the a3me type a to an e try In ca e whe e o r this similarity of type d es not exist however , and where one a ent has a d r preponderance of line bree ing, the prepotency thus acquired wi l stamp the ro en i r tr smi ssi g y with his or her characterist cs in a marked deg ee . The an gili t d e t y of iseas , or of tha tendency towards disease known as hereditary f e diathesis , requently appears to evade this last clause of th law , as no amount of sound li ne breeding or i ndi v idual soundness on one side seems to avail in r r e a io n p eventing the p tu t of congenital faults through the other pa rent. even when the atter is of very i nferior pedigree . Apart from the question b of disease , however , it may e accepted as a general rule that the straighter the pedigree of an animal the greater will be the prepotency exhibi ted in marking the progeny .

- d w l n g d as g bree ing , thou h by no means to be commende , a reat factor in the earlier days of scientific breeding in conferri ng the po wer of pe rpetuating c s a distin t type upon variou families of both horses and cattle , although in such cases I have always been of the opinion that it partakes to some extent r s b of the natu e of the next pha e of our su "ect with which we have to deal , “ " " b “ b " Atavism or reversion , etter known , perhaps , as breeding ack . " - - b Throwing back , the bug bear of the cross breeder , has never een fully ex co r plained , although the researches and dis ve ies of Mendel have , of recent years , thrown a flood of light upon the sub"ect . It is undoubtedly due to dominant ancestral influence but without a thorough and complete knowledge of the line t r b s c age direct and colla e al of oth sire and dam , it is , in most ca es , practi ally impossible to account for its occurrence in line bred stock . Many apparent freaks and sports of nature are due to Atav i sm and it is the strongest possible

r s , s s a gument in favor of pure bred sire and dams a , in the ca e of such animals , the rs c to s reve ion , when it does oc ur , is an ancestor of the same type and of, perhap , as good individual quality as the more immediate progenitor , while in breeding

h - from mongrels the chances are all the ot er way . In short pedigreed stock also wi c the tendency to throw ba k is very much stronger , o ng to lack of the pre

potency conferred by a long line of ancestors of similar type . This is very clearly shown in breeding to the so- called general purpose and agricultural stallions , many of them remarkably fine individuals , but seldom , even when l bred to equally fine mares of similar short breeding , getting colts at al equal he b in any particular to either t sire or the dam , who dou tless obtained their

- excellence from one or more crosses with pure bred stock . The stinting of

- - h o cross bred mares to cross bred sires is , for t is reason , the m st rapid and effect

e- flesh ual mode of deteriorating hors yet discovered , as the large number of d shapeless , unsaleable plugs which disgrace this continent amply emonstrates . Wha b e t intelligent re der wishing to improve his herd of cattle , would use a and b b a ? grade bull , yet what etter right to pu lic patron ge has the grade stallion

l w Climate is also responsible for many variations from the a of heredity " s c s c s c although , i na mu h a the hange i more gradual and not mu h noticed in

one generation , it does not attract the same attention as the more striking

. O ne s ss s phenomenon of reversion find , neverthele , in almo t every country , s m c i t s that the original or native hor e has adapted hi self to the ond ion , geograph

ical or topographical , peculiar to his surroundings . The Arab , at home in the b sandy desert , wiry and spare as the scanty her age which forms its food "the s h b - fl "the fl - d Icelandic pony , with hi roug one and wool like eece int foote , deer ed a S W the d s w- s legg , mount in ponies of cotland and ales " pon erou ide oled L wC e S draught horses of the o ountri s "the active mustang of outh and Central

- a - i Sh i i America , the hardy F rench Canadi n and the much endur ng agg nap p ’ are all living proofs of "ame N ature s wonderful power of adapting herself ms nce to circu ta s . V e l ariation from the typ anticipated is a so occasionally broug ht ah i ut i n o c w v iz. t g the a ay but seldom taken int onsideration , , hrou h nervous im d e the pression pro uc d on a female at first service , stamping her subsequent rogcny i n a greater or less degree with the characteri stics of her first m ate .

m d - his phenomenon , ter e scientifically Telegony , is , as most dog fancier" k b , s now , f uently observed in the bitch , eing of cour e , more noticeabl e b e t but : owing to t e remarka le div rgence of canine y pes " it is also , recent pro nouncements to the contr notwithstanding , patent to the close O bSO rv p r

' s . F tl S of horse requently , in Middle tates , I have notice d horses whi ch r "r e r , s o r: at a sho t distance st ong , e mbled mules , and , up n inquiry , have inva i shly found such animals to be the progeny of mares which had first been used in breeding that useful but unpretentious h brid . Though too generally entirely disregarded , the possible occurren ce 0 this form of variation should t brccde be taken into considera ion by the careful and ambitious r, especially o when a pure type is s ught to be att ained .

V due r c s ariation may also be to ext insi causes , as when monstro ities are t borne by females in"ured or frigh ened during pregnancy , causing violent nervous shock "or in a less ma rked form by an impression produced upo n the imagi nation oi the dam by some unusual sight not necessarily of a frightful or terri fyi ng nature . Most of us have read of the smart trick which Jacob played

- - o s i n s s . Warfield up n hi father law "and i n omewhat more recent year M r . K the eminent cattle breeder of entucky , relates that an Alderney heifer grazing m s in the same field with a number of ar y hor es , produced a heifer calf with

r U .S. s the lette s distinctly marked in white hair on the left shoulder , which peculiarity was also noticeable in her heifer calf . While variations of this description are interesting , they are not so frequent among the domestic animals ' as they are in the human species and may therefore be held to scarcely aflect e practical breeding operations . Th two last mentioned variations are needless s s , to ay , much more likely to occur in animals of a highly sen itive , nervous temperament than in those of a more lymphatic and lethargi c nature .

H i w r fl m s w c r b d av ng no b ie y entioned the law hi h gove n the science of ree ing, it may be well to devote a few words to their application . B y the careful selection of good individuals of proven prepotency all the varieties of the horse now known as pure breeds have been brought to the present standard of e excellence "and by using the standard thus made ready to his hand , I b lieve it is possible for the modern horseman to breed any kind of horse he may fancy . While I do not propose to advise farmers as to the particular kind they ought

I r r b ru , of to breed , may he e fo mulate a few rief les the observance which will , : I am certain , take no money out of their pockets

se - s s s as sufli ci ent 1 . U only pure bred ires "or , at lea t , uch have line breed n ing to insure prepotency . In this way an amou t of certainty in experiment , s and to so to peak , is obtained , the danger of reversion an inferior type is greatly l essened .

2 "o c r s s , to an one . not lub your ma e , even at greatly reduced rate y and o horse "but carefully study the good bad p ints of each , with the ob"ect of stinting her to the horse best adapted to improve her good points and remedy her defects .

3 c r . s r t s es . Watch a efully the hor e ma ke s of the world , and tudy the qu tions

- flesh so b of supply and demand in horse , that you may be a le , in the near future to command the highest pri ce for the produce of your labor and skill . 6

. Avoid violent crossi ng . All deformed colts are not caused by m e tal n 1mpresai o m, very many bei due to the foolish but too Ct men practice of t g‘ r si stin i ng small light mares to cavy d aught res. I t is well known that some stallions are notorious for this sort of thing "and it is a curious but i nstructive fact that the worst offender I ever knew was himself a small horse but from extra heavy Clydesdale stock on both sides of the house . While this s mo i c w n r , r ss n u s ru is , pe hap the st ob"ectionable all v olent o i g ill be fo d , a a le unsatisfactory .

5. B reed onl from sound stool . I cannot impress this maxim too strongly o S c 11 you . The yal Agricultural o iety of E ngland , acting upon the advice "to al Co e V Sur e ns dis uali fies u the lleg of eterinary g o , q for premiums , horses ' sufleri n i i n n n g rom any of the follow ng d seases"roari g or whistli ri g bone , na a s vi n bo - s v i n re g) 1 r1n side bone , vicul r disease , curb , bone pa . g pa , g ase ve g and c c m t - cataract "and under ertain ircu s ances , splint , string halt , contracted feet , s c weak feet andbursal enlargement , su h as thoroughpin and wi nd galls . Y ou wi se to m and to will be , then , look out for these aladies refrain from breeding fl from animals of either sex af icted with them , as also from parents of faulty con formation or weakly constitution , there being quite enoughpunsound and shape n w co less horses o in the untry without your deliberately adding to the number . TH E R N O F MAR KS I T EATM E T N FOAL .

fouli n s ch As the g sea on approa es, owners of pregnant mares are naturally

somewhat concerned for their welfare , and as many C anadian farmers have a r e few s as to compa atively limited xperience in horse breeding , a hint the proper ra e u -i i diet and gene l treatment of prosp ctive eq ine matron may not come am ss . The mortality among both mares and foals in this country is very much la rger

, e o a b than it ought to be and while in some instances doubtl ss , l ss is un voida le , in a great majority of cases the death of either dam or progeny is directly truce able to the ignorance, carelessness or cupidity of the owner .

I n the first lace a great many mares are annually bred which ought not to be put to the orse at all . The farmer who has but one breeding female and ’ u to s fouli n who calc lates generously give his mare a week s re t at g time , would in most cases find himself in pocket by either keeping her religio usly fro m the n her fo r e stallion , or if unable to resist the temptation , by tradi g a g lding . N o ’ mare can be reasonab expected to work har dat all kinds of drudgery fromyear ’ ly f end to year s end an at the same time develop, deliver and rear a oal at all his w likely to prove an wornament to his species or a source of profit to o ner . e t e Mares used in this are h victims of gross injustice , and such a system of horse breedi ng can en only in disgust and disappointment . Only such animals should be stinted as can be spared from the rougher and more arduous tasks u n of the farm both d ring preg ancy and for some time after foaling . The man f who puts a good mare to the horse , rattles her through a sti f harvest, lifts an l engine or separator with her severa times in the fall , trots her sharply home from and her all i t the elevator, hauls wood hay with w nter over all sor s of roads , her sole respite being in stormy weather when she stands tied up in a none too comfortable stable, on the hardest of hard feed , puts her into spring work and e l only removes the harn ss when abor ains make their appearance , is often the i g d first to compla n of bad luck because is bree ing operations are not a success . The confidence of such men in "rovidence and in the procreative powers of their ' long sufieri ng mares is apparently unbounded , for they never seem to profit by experience, failure appearing only to stimulate them to fresh expenments on the same lines . The number of abortions and premature births among mares n s m handled in this unreasoni g and unreasonable fa hion is enor ous , while mal formation , malnutrition and malposition of the foetus are frequently induced fi' ‘ s in this manner. Of 9 mare which I noticed , some years 0 now , one morning r in March , tugging and straining over ba e roads with big eigh loads of wood , two aborted , one dropped a dead foal, one had the foal removed piecemeal , while the fifth after considerable difficulty actually succeeded in rearing a creature in some few general characteristics resembling the species to which he belonged .

I n sharp contrast to the above- mentioned manner of handling mares is the i i pampering system , and while sl ghtly preferable t is very far from being correct or advi sable . In this case the pregnant mare is kept entirely idle during the wi nter"she is in foal , therefore she must not only do no work , but she must not leave the stable, lest she catch cold , lest she sli and fall, lest she run about and a over ex ert herself. She is overfed with stim ting food , the system becomes loaded with fat, the muscular tissu es are flaccid , the excreto organs are torpid , d the circulation is languid , an when at last the foal sees t e light it is uny , di e weak and undeveloped , more likely to than to live, while if any trou ls or 8 obstacle presents itself during the act of parturition the mare herself is apt to

fall a victim to the mistaken kindness of an over indulgent owner. Man mares

also are treated in this fashion all winter, and with the system weakened t rough

out by lack of proper exercise and other means mentioned above, are turned

into hard exhausting work on the advent of spring , in some cases when they are i ks w thin a very few wee of foalin g

There is , however it edi u m course, b which a great deal of useful work

can be obtained from a mood mare, not 0 y without inj ury , but with positive — — benefit to both dam and rogeny . Steady mark the word not too heavy

employment, is even better or a pregnant mare than total idleness , but especially

during the last half of pregnancy , it ought to be one t hing or the other, either the collar should be taken off and kept off for good or it should be worn more

or less every decent day throughout the winter. The far too frequent custom of allowing mares to stand idle on full feed for periods varying from one week off to four, and then suddenly starting them to the distant hay stack or wood o lot, perhaps loughing thr ugh snow up to the belly or straining across bare pi spots with a g load behind them , can not be too strongly condemned . Such

treatment is hard enough on any horse , but when meted out to heavy brood

mares it is cruelty to ani mals in the first degree . It is little wonder that so

ham - many foals are annually quietly interred in yard manure heaps, and that “ " so many mares prove not in foal when the expectant stallion owner puts in

an appearance to claim his reward .

Every man who wishes to raise foals successfully ought to have a yard ,

well sheltered by straw if nothing else , in which his mares when otherwise idle e may exercise themselv s for " several hours a day, thus keeping the muscles developed and the vital organs in full and healthy la so that when called 8g upon , should necessity arise, to do a little work , no ock may be given to the

system . A good , roomy , clean and well ventilated loose box should also be e provided for each matron , so that perfect r st may be nightly obtained, and in case of abortion from any cause the isolati on thus secured may be the means to r of preventi ng similar misfortune some other membe of the stud . When brood mares are worked the should be driven only by reliable and trustworthy ack men "over exertion, sharp ing or rou handling of any kind should be w - e unkno n , the single tre s should be longer t an those in ordinary use, deep snow l or other bad footing should be sedulous y avoided , riding forbidden, and the whip

entirely banished from the neighborhood .

should be generous but judici ous, if too dr and sti mulating it o oty) may cause c nstipation , with torpidity of the liver and er organs , seriously e affecting the deveio ment of the f tus, while if too relaxing it will produce a fiacci looseness and ity of the whole system, and a general lack of vigor with the l . a tendency to abortion on s igh test provocation Coarse , bulky , indi gestible

foods should be avoided , as also any sour , musty , frozen or fermented articles

of diet , while all sudden c are to be condemned . B ran may be given i with freedom , but flax seed , o meal or oil cake, ought to be used with great

caution, and only when a decided tendency to constipation is known to exist. A e da lib ral supply of good hay, a little oats and bran twice a y, with soft feed i feedi n at n ght, and a regular allowance of salt is fair for any mare, but common sense must be employed and the system regulated y a ual and judicious ' ad ustment of the com nent parts of the di et. Ice co d water occasionally

in uces abortion, and w en possible the chill should therefore be taken 05 . All t su rgi cal opera ions are attended with danger, and medici ne should be entirely — . a o i tabooed , save case of vital emergency physi especially , hav ng a tenden cy 9

e be to relax th womb as well as th e bowels, ought to given only when absolutely necessary . Y oung mares should he often gently handled all over and accustomed to having the udder and flanks touched , this simple precaution frequently obviating deal of su bsequent trouble and annoyance . As the time so the mare to foal she ought—to be closely watched , that should mischievous interference be required it may be furnished without loss of time.

With regard to the symptoms of approaching parturition , no rule can be wdl laid down , as man mares loosen up , make bazg, form wax and even run ye milk weeks before t y foal , while others will do nonae of these things , but simply lie down and institute proceedi“ngs without any warning whatever . As a general 1s thing , however, when the teats gasre full and the piece of wax on the end suc ceeded by a dro of milk , when the hips have su nk and the vulva has relaxed , m m while the ani shows sy ptoms of more or less uneasiness , the act of foaling is not far 06 . The treatment to be afiorded to the foal and to its dam after the act of partu rition has been accomplished may conveniently l e considered in another chapter. 1 0

TH E CAR E OF Y OUNG FOALS.

to if t the act of parturition , and that the foe us is in proper position, e er u . lse favorable, birth occurs v y q ickly and easily Should you, however, n e r whe your mar foals , and the youngste is comi ng right, e but not progressing as fast as h might, it will do no harm to rupture the mem hel li e l branes and p a ttl , pu ling only when the mata presses, and always m a down i i ward di rection or towards th e h nd feet of the darn . t would appear on first ' impression that breath as a necessary and indispensable adjunct to life"but 1n i s — fi i n the unborn foal such , of course , not the case the rst 19 taken upon " s iration en i 0p1 m the advent to the ope air of the little an mal , and it is portance that no thin8g shall i nterfere with the supply of oxygen to the lungs as they begm to assume their vital functions . Many foals are lost thro“u8gh the nasal es being occluded by the foetal membranes or otherwi se the first feeb e attempts at l respiration proving of no avail , the blood fai s to become oxy enated , the next ' ’ g I wi efiort S weaker still , the heart s action , at the best, uncertain o ng to the sudden change in the course of the circulation, soon ceases entirely , and independent existence ends before fairly begun .

As soon as the foal has emerged , free the head from the env elo see that r a d i l the air passages are clea of mucous or other fluid , n lay the l tt e anima on hi s right side. If the umbilical cord or navel string is not ruptured at birth , it may be tied with a stout cord a couple of inches from the navel and cut off below the ligature, and to prevent blood poisoning, or the absorption of septic germs , it s may be dres ed with a strong solution of carbolic acid , care bei ng taken not to injure the surrounding tissues , or it may be tempporarily smeamd with carbolic oil . e while a Should animation appear to be suspend d the heart still be ts, an attempt may be made to resuscitate the httle creature by po cold water in small a d at 30th i quantities on the he d , slapping the body with a col , hold ng ammonia ’ to the nostrils or even by what is generally more convenient , pufii a little o p tobacco smoke int them . Should these measures fail, a little may be taken from the navel , but when syncope is present there 18 no great hope of bring

I would li ke here to interpolate a little advi ce rre arding foals coming 1s th e g o wrong . I f there any malposition of foetus not 0 a sen us nature , you ou ud meat may , if y are at hand , be able to rectify it , using g and common sense, i bearing 1 n m nd that a mare will not stand much rough handling, and, above e x all , keeping cool and end avoring to avoid e citement, which at su ch times is

ry natural and verry dangerous . Should you find yourself unable to remedy u si the evil, lose no time, b t send at once for profes onal assistauce if such can be procured, and, meanwhile, allow no interference save by some intelligent and thoroughly experienced stockman who understands the vital i mportance of who e absolute cleanliness and will know , aft r making an exami nation , whether he can do any good or not, and will guide himself accordingly . G reat harm may l i n result from wel meant but mischievous nterfere ce with these cases, and the i en ni e veter nary surgeon oft finds on his arrival a well gh hopel ss subject which, h h W if let alone , he mig t have andled with one tithe of the trouble and ith far greater certainty of saving life. 1 1

Space will not allow of our entering into the details of the various abnormal presentations to which the equine foetus is liable, and of the modes of manipul ff li v ating them to e ect e ery, and su ch is not the object of this article. We will supp ose that the fo is dro ped safely and lying breathing and sneezing behind i his dam , who has "ust had t e gruel w th which she ought always to be rewarded termi nat1on a Th after the of her l bor. e mare will generally, on rising , turn round and begin fondly to nose and lick her progeny , a process , by the way , of great i n mporta ce and value to the latter"but young and ne rvous mares , especially if ' delivery has been protracted and painful , will often act in an entirely di flerent no i manner, s rt ng , pawing and evincing fear and irritation at sight of their off spring . Under such circumstances it is well to protect the foal for a time by a l smal hurdle or gate placed across one corner of the roomy , airy , dry and warm - i i loose box, in wh ch , t is presumed , he has first seen the light , to ru b him smartly but gently with soft rough towels and to endeavor to induce the mare to begin the li cking process by sprinkling the youngster with a little dry bran or meal and salt . Such measures are not, however, often necessary , kind consi derate treat ment and judicious letting alone generally proving effectual in bringing about a reconciliation in the family .

"l u enty dry , clean bedding should be f rnished , the shorter the better, for the foal will soon begi n to tumble about in repeated attempts to get his long and d shaky legs under him . If he does not succee after a reasonable time in getting on his pins , a little assistance may be given , and his dam proving friendly , he l wi l soon , if let alone , find his way to the maternal font "but if he is unable to is e stand , or the mare touchy and r stive, she ought to be held while he is guided to the teat and allowed to obtain nourishment . If the foal is weak and quite i ncap able of supporting himself, the mare may be milked and the fluid thus obtained given to him slowly and very carefully , it being a matter of great importance that the little chap obtain if possible some of the very first milk secreted by the mare . When once friendly and confidential relations have been established between mare and foal, they should be left alone for some ti me, care however being taken to remove the placental membranes from the stall as soon as they are dropped .

I f the mare has gone much over her time and especially if she has lost much milk , it will be necessary to watch the foal closely for sym toms of consti ation , which will be manifested in the first place by continu elevation of t e tail i he accompanied by straining without the passage of faeces . Th s will succeeded n by dulness and then by evidence of ma , the abdomen will become bloated , the little animal will show t uneasiness and begin to perspire and the pulse and respiration will he sees erated. In the early stages a few ounces of soapy warm water or a little raw linseed oil introduced by a syringe into the rectum will generally aflord relief , but should acute pain and distress make their appearance , wo c the admi nistration of t or three oun es of castor or linseed oil with twenty or d n thirty drops of lau anum and half a teaspoo ful of turpentine well shaken up , will be in order"a small enema should also be given from time to time, and the abdomen covered with a Woolen cloth wrung out of hot water. These measures ' if adopted in time Will usually be sufii ci ent and it must not be forgotten that the administration of medicine to newly born foals is fraught with great danger so e n sta es that the mechanical remedies, vi a: th i j ections and the p to the abdomen are much preferable to large or repeated doses of physi o.

" i n as e t iarrhoea may set , either spontaneously from septic causes or a r sul of th e too free use of medicinal eats, the mortality among young foals from this aflecti on being very great. he treatment will depend on the origin of th e 1 2 — trouble i f from medicine little can be done save in keepi ng the strength support ed by stimulants and concentrated nourishment , and for th beaten up with a tablespoonful of—brandy and a mare will be found very effective this mixture may be repeated from time to

time as the condition of the patient may demand . Should the diarrhoea on the s t i other hand , ap pear to originate spontaneously , it is pos ibly due to irri at on of t a ex hi i the bowels , and in such cases no re tment is more successful than the b tion of one or two table- spoonsful of castor oil with a little laudanum to allay 0 e e f es any tendency towards griping . N r lief b ing a forded by th e measures it

- is advisable to try an antacid , and for this purpose a table spoonful of lime water may be gi ven in two or three ounces of milk from the mare every three to or four hours , while the strength of the patient is be sustained by stimulants

and nourishment as recommended above.

Where veterinary assistance i s not available , five to fifteen grains of grey

powder given twice a day will often be found beneficial .

I n severe and protracted cases of septic ori gin formalin has been successfully e d used . This agent must however be used with caution , the b st mo e of admin i strati on being as follows : "i ssolve one fluid ounce of commercial formalin in 1 0 ounces of water and give of this solution a teaspoonful or a teaspoonful and a z f half , according to the si e of the colt , in one pint o milk , twice or at most three i t mes a day .

Small injections of flour gruel or very thin starch containing a little laud

anum are also useful .

The greatest attention should be paid to the sanitary conditions "the stable as well as the patient and the dam should be kept scrupulously clean while the diet of the latter should be closely watched and changed gradually from time ’ a i l afl to time. The f cts that an ma s on pasture are seldom ected and that the

malady once established in a stable, appears to recur regularly , are strong argu

ments in favour of the adoption of all possible hygienic precautions .

Another and perhaps the most fatal disease to which young foals are liable is suppurative inflammation of the na v el and joints often erroneously termed

inflammatory rheumatism . The first symptom of this malady is a difficulty of n i motion , accompa ied by swell ng in the region of the navel or in one or more of n the joints, the swellings rapidly increasi g i n si ze and termi nating in

large absc esses containi ng enormous quantities of unhealthy pus . The progress

of the disease is ch aracterised by hi gh fever, rapid emaciation and great weakness s m followed by tupor , foetid diarrhoea, general maras us and death . Curative treatment dm not appear to be of much avail : the opening of the navel if in l flamed should be frequently dressed with carbo ic lotion , or other suitable anti l w septic , a mild anodyne liniment app ied to the s ellings , the bowels gently moved by a small dose of oil and the strength sustained by concentrated nourishment and

the judicious use of stimulants, while the abscesses when ripe are to be freely

Opened and the cavities injected with an anti septic solution , The disease is septic

and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It i s almost invariably due to the absorpti on of germs (streptococci) by the exposed end of the umbili cal cord ' or navel thus affording good reason for the treatment of that part recommended

. w t above With a vie to the prevention of this disease also , the mos scrupulous cleanli ness should be observed in the housing of young foals and their dams "the all too common customs of letting them lie on a couple of feet of heating manure r thinly cove ed with straw , or on a cold wet earthen floor, cannot be too strongly 1 3

condemned . The floor and bedding shoul d always be dry and clean while an occa sioual sprinkling of lime will not cost much and will add greatly to the health fulness of the inmates.

Where the existence of infection is suspected the floors and stalls should be thoroughly scrubbed with boiling water and subsequently treated with a reliable disinfectant such as crude carbolic , creolin, or a solution of corrosive sublimate of a strength of one part to 1 000 parts of water .

Occasionally the urine continues to dribble from the navel opening owing to the duct from the bladder having failed to close after bir th . I n such cases the parts should be thoroughly cleansed and rendered aseptic after which a su bcut aneous ligature is to be applied but this like all other operations requiring surgical skill , and in fact all really serious or acute conditions should , when possible, be relegated to the qualified veterinarian .

There are of course numerous other ailments and acci dents to which young foals are liable but those mentioned are responsible for the needless loss of many valuable ani mals and should therefore be carefully guarded against and promptly but cautiously dealt with on the first indication of trouble . T H E CAR E O F WEAN LIN G S .

r To some , advice on this head , is of cou se , superfluous , but others , less to experienced , may be glad of a few hints as the most approved methods of starting the youngster on an independent career. In the first place, be certain thri vi n that our foal is old enough to wean , that he is in fair condition , and healt y , that he knows w at grain is and what it is for, and that , shoul you ' i have any cow s milk to spare, he will not be above drink ng it . As to age, no n i colt should , if at all possible , be perma ently separated from his dam until he s o at least four months old , while an ther month , or even two, by her side will make him a better horse and lessen considerably the risks of his first winter .

Many farmers, however, who are trying to raise colts can ill afford to let their l mares suckle so long , and whi e it might , in many cases , be more profitable o for such men to refrain from breeding alt ether, the fact remains that they ' f s r must use the mares on the farm , and the o have to ufie accordingly .

e a t It is a good plan to t ach the fo l to eat ou of the same box as his dam, how on and it is astonishing little tuit , even with very young colts, is necessary r when the food is placed within easy reach . F o some time also before the foal is actually weaned he should be schooled to drink mi lk , if there is milk to be had , and it is well to remember in this connection that milk drinking is an accomplishment of no little value for any horse to acquire, nothing being more n ff n m advantageous to an a imal su eri g fro any febrile or debilitating disease, than the voluntary absorption of milk in lieu of other fluid when the appetite for solids is cap ricious or altogether lost . As regards the diet best suited for '

r . n n young foals, y di fiere t opinions are promulgated, but in the experience of the writer nothing is equal to good sound oats with a moderate admi xture of bran twice a day , and a well scalded , not too bulky , mash of the same materials, seasoned with a tablespoonful of salt , and perhaps a handful of crushed oil cake f or the evening meal . Many recommend crush ed oats , but repeated trials e have convinced the most succ ssful breeders that whole oats are more nutritious , rl t ed and if prope mastica as they generally are when fed with dry bran, more easily di geste than chopped feed of any kind .

Colts should be halter broken and taught to lead when yet with the dam , as this renders them much more tractable and easily controlled during the ex citement inseparable from weaning, and also facilitates housi ng when the accommodation is limited , and there are several to be kept together . L oose boxes are preferable to ordinary stalls for young stock , but provided the stable n is clean , airy and well lighted it will do no harm to have them tied at ight, ' taking it for granted that they en oy for the greater part of every day the freedom of a roomy , and in winter, we sheltered yard . This latter point is of very great importance . Y our youngster must have a chance to develop bone and n muscle, and in no other way tha by lots of exercise can he be reasonably expected to properly assimilate the generous diet recommended above, while despite all

- old fashioned ideas to the contrary , wi thout a liberal grai n allowance he will not en l likely be much to look at wh the sun begins to me t the snow in the spring . When two or more colts are kept together it is better to have them separated at e e t of wl feeding tim s , or the strong s the lot i l be apt to wax fat at the expense of his weaker or less voracious companions , many backward colts being literally starv ed by careless neglect of this si mple precautionary measure. 1 5

s h n Weanling are frequently troubled to a considerable extent wit intesti al .

worms of various kinds , especially if grazed on low lying pastures in late summer

or earl fall . Some of these parasites are more to be dreaded than others , but none 0 them are desirable guests or in any way beneficial to their involuntary o e h sts , and it is ther fore ad able to take measures for their removal . The old ’ d farmer s reme y of wood ashes and salt is not to be laughed at in this connection , and if persevered with in small doses for some time will often have the desired f ef ect , but where a more speedy and certain riddance is desired it is well to gi ve l d wder a course of anthelmintic powders, as iron sulphate rachm or ed areca 2 3 nut or drachms twice a day in a little soft food for a week , to followed by a

e nti ne 1 os. 10 oz. , drench compos d of t , and raw linseed oil from to a pint , n z accordi g to the si e an condition of the patient . This mixture should be given on an empty stomach and all dry food withheld until the bowels have responded its c to a tion . In all cases of intestinal worms , benefit is found from occasional i m re te injections of tepid water strongly gna d with soap , and for this purpose ’ s G amgee enema funnel , a cheap an convenient instrument easily turned out

by any tinsmith , will be found suitable . Some varieties of worms demand for their successful removal a repetition of the medicinal treatment but those most

commonly met are generally satisfactorily disposed of at the first attempt .

External parasites should also be guarded against . Many a good colt has gone to skin and bone from the constant irritation and uneasiness produced by

lice , and whenever a young animal shows unaccountable loss of condition and want of thrift it is advi sable to examine him closely for signs of the presence of f these undesirable compani ons. Should they be detected , the su ferer may i n reasonably mild weather be washed well with carbolic soap and soft warm dr i n o water, and after thoroughly y the skin , carefully and cl sely dressed, more a particul rly about the roots of t e mane , with a good insecticide . F or this purpose an ointment composed of equal parts by weight of sulphur and lard will ff c be found e e tual , as also safe, cheap and easily procured . In cold weather the i s wash ng must of course be di pensed with , but the ointment may be applied

without risk in a moderately warm stable at any season of the year .

When colts are debarred from taking much outdoor exercise their hoofs e very soon become d formed , and great harm is often done to the bony and tendonous structures of the limbs from negler to properly trim and regulate

. the growth of the horny coverings of the feet . Accidents of various kinds are

liable to occur, and in all such cases the advantage of hav ing the patients halter

broken , thoroughly domestica and free from fear of their human friends

is incalculable . This state of affairs can only be brought about by the most

careful , systematic and painstaking handling of the young animals from the time

n . they are foaled , but more especially during the first week or two , after wea ing

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