th, and during the first 24 hourse of life it will need to be injected against joint-ill and tetanus. Initially, the mare may act defensively toward her foal, placing herself between the attendant and her helpless youngster. A good-tempered, kindly mare will soon get over this understandable apprehension, and if she demonstrates her confidence in humans, the foal will quickly do the same.
It is best to begin handling the foal in the stable rather than outside, and the mare should be brought in for a short period each day. At this stage, the foal will naturally follow its dam without outside encouragement.
When the foal is no more than three days old, it should be possible to handle it with the help of someone holding the mare. The mare is placed alongside the stable wall and the foal needs no persuasion to come up along the nearside of his mother. The trainer or owner can then place the right arm around the foal's rump and the left around the chest. In a few days, the young animal will consent to stand quietly within the embracing arms so long as it is allowed be close to its dam, his flank touching her side to give him confidence.
The next step should be to teach the foal to lead in hand and that, too, begins within the confines of the stall. The mare is led quietly around and the foal will instinctively seek to follow her. It can be encouraged to do so by being pushed gently forward with the right arm, while the left arm is held ready to restrain any violent forward plunge the foal might take.
Within a few days after birth, the foal can be fitted with a soft leather halter and by then should submit happily to being led around by the attendant, so long as it is not too far from its dam. The slip is first put on in the stable, the foal being gently pushed into it from behind, rather than risking a battle and possible injury by trying to pull the slip over the foal's nose. In a day or so, a soft halter can be placed around the foal's head and, in a short while, it will be possible to lead it in this fashion both to and from the paddock and stable. The foal can be ressured by the attendant scratching its chest, withers and quarters in simulation of its dam's affectionate "love-nibbles" which she gives him in those places.
From the second week of its life, it is advisable to make the foal used to being touched and stroked by humans. Its hooves can be picked up for a second or so as well. This exercise will prepare the young animal for the time when the farrier will first trim its hooves - when he is about three months.
At three or four months, the foal learns to load into a trailer with its mother. The technique for trouble-free loading is to load the mare first. The foal, anxious not to be separated from its mother, then will follow quickly into the trailer.
If the grazing is good and the mare has been fed well, her mile and the grass will be ample food for the foal up to the age of two months. Toward the end of that time, the foal should be sharing its dam's grain. As a guide, a foal requires 1lb of grain per day for every month of its age up to five to six months. In addition to oats, boiled linseed and barley, the feed could also include powdered mile, 2oz rising to 8oz per day, and cod-lover oil to promote bone growth. In winter, the foal needs an ample supply of soft, meadow hay, which will not overtax its immature teeth nor its digestion. Apart from nutrition, a foal's other basic needs are plenty of sleep as well as the company of other horses and plenty of space to romp in.
It is usual for colts, other than those intended for use a stallions, to be gelded before weaning takes place. Gelding can be carried out later but yearling colts can become unacceptable boisterous if left ungelded. Deworming is an essential measure to be taken before weaning.
The weaning of foals from their dams usually takes place between 4 1/2 and 6 months, when the milk hairs have darkened and the foal is able to feed on its own. In practical terms, this is an unavoidable step. However, weaning can cause stress to both mare and foal and, the