Exercises

1. Study the new words:

Work horses, saddle horses, pulling ability, determinating value, different purposes, pleasure riding, to overbalance, records of close ancestors.

2. Characterize work horses and saddle horses:

Good for children, the most useful on a farm, able to pull heavy loads, good in racing and pleasure riding, need much professional training.

work horses	saddle horses

Housing Horses

The quarters for horses should be dry, comfortable and warm. Horses should have individual stalls. Each stall is about 4.5 to 5.5 feet wide, depending on the size of the horse. A standard length for a horse stall is 7 feet, some farmers prefer cement floors in the barn.

If foals are raised, provide a box stall for the mare and her offspring. A standard-size stall is 12 feet square.

Because horses are kept by man to do work, their value depends on how long they live and remain healthy. Individual daily care and feeding are required throughout the year.

Successful indoor foaling requires a good box stall. As foaling time approaches, place the mare in the box stall, and watch her closely. Unlike parturition in the cow or sow, foaling is rapid and occurs soon after the appearance of the first signs of starting parturition.

The average foal has sufficient strength to get on its feet within 2 hours after it is born. If foal is too weak, take some milk from the mare and feed the foal.

By the time the foal is three to five days old, turn both mare and the foal outdoors to get some exercise. Weather should be warm for the young foal to be outdoors.

A mare may be put to work by the time her foal is two weeks old. It is desirable to keep the foal in the box stall while the mare is working. A mare can raise a foal and do almost a full season’s work if properly and carefully handled and well fed.

Exercises

1. Look through the following words. You’ve already learnt some of them.

Quarters, stalls, a foal, a mare, to be required, parturition, appearance, average, sufficient strength, weak, to handle, a barn.

2. Insert the words into the sentences:

Stalls appearance mare housing foals average barn

1. Heavy planks are desirable for the floors in horse … .

2. Large well-developed … may be used for light work when they are two years old.

3. In some cases part of the general purpose … is used for … work horses.

4. The … foal has sufficient strength to get on its feet within 2 hours after it is born.

5. The less the … and the foal are disturbed during the first days of their life, the better they will get along.

6. Selection is based much more on pedigree and prepotency than on individual … .

3. Answer the questions:

1. What do you know about housing equipment for horses?

2. What does health of horses depend on?

3. Speak about peculiarities of foaling.

4. Speak about the development of a foal soon after its birth.