For the first six months of the young horse's life, his principal food is mare's milk. He begins to eat much sooner, but few are entirely weaned before this time. Farm mares are usually put to gentle work two or three weeks after parturition. Her work should be moderate, and her diet substantial. She is often treated as if work could have no influence on the milk. When she has much to do, the milk is neither good nor abundant, and the foal is half-starved. The foal is sometimes permitted to follow his dam to the field, where he may occasionally suckle her. This renders the foal familiar, and at an early age reconciles him to subjection, and it prevents engorgement of the udder. Bad weather, on the nature of the mare's work, may forbid the practice. When the mare comes home, the foal is put to suck her. In some places, the milk is previously stripped on to the ground, and the udder bathed with cold water, or vinegar and water. This is not necessary. It is supposed that the milk is injured and pernicious when the mare is overheated; but, in the first place, her work should never be so severe as to overheat her; and, in the second, the milk is not apparently altered when she is.

Hard work will diminish the quantity of milk, and render it less nutritious, but it will do no more. [Hard work diminishes the carbonaceous portion of the food; it contains less sugar of milk and less oil.] If the foal be withheld till the udder be gorged and distended, a little inflammation will take place, and the milk will be bad. In such case it is proper to draw, off a portion before the foal is put to it; and it may also be proper to bathe the udder with cold water. But to empty it or to bathe it merely because the mare has been perspiring, is absurd; and to neglect both mare and foal till the udder needs such treatment, betrays very bad management.

Sometimes a mare, especially with her first foal, will not permit sucking. She requires to be held, to have the udder rubbed with the hand and stripped. Hold her by the head and keep her steady till the foal is satisfied. Do so five or six times a day. On the third day, or thereabouts,she usually begins to perform her duty without interference. In general, the mare is merely restless; she will not stand quiet till the foal suckles her; but sometimes she is ill-natured or vicious if she strike at the foal, threaten her with the lash, and hold up one of her fore-feet. If she continue obstinate and resists the repeated efforts of the foal so long that he is likely to get exhausted, put the twitch on the mare's nose. But, if possible, she must be managed without this, and every time the foal is to suckle her, she must be patiently tried before applying the twitch. It is not good to meddle with the foal by way of assisting or directing him to the udder. He may be very awkward, but he soon learns. It is sufficient to control the mare, and this often requires a great deal of patience and perseverance. After the foal has been permitted to suckle her, she is reconciled to it in a day or two, and may afterward prove a very good nurse.

Confinement in a dark loose box sometimes renders her kinder.

* Denham's Travels in Africa.

Unless the mare be very obstinate, or the foal very weak and awkward, no cow's milk should be given to it. If its hunger be appeased by drinks, it will make no attempt to suckle, and it is only by constantly persevering with the mother that she can be brought to her duty.