ON THE BREEDING OF HORSES. 187 



to exert every muscle in the trot, as well as in the run. Colts 

 should never be driven fast for long distances ; they become leg 

 weary and cut themselves, or " interfere" as it is called. At three 

 years old, the horse can perform very moderate work. At four, 

 more still, but not until five should he be expected to do " day's 

 work," and better yet if deferred until six ; most horses are ruined 

 before five, by early and injudicious driving or brutal treijtment of 

 some kind. The farmer can best use horses up to this age ; all 

 his work can be done by his brood mares and colts, and leave all 

 his matured horses for market. One horse thus raised and trained 

 is worth two such as we now often meet, and so the breeder's 

 purse will prove who tries it. 



Grooming and feeding Horses. A few words now about groom- 

 ing and management. Every horse should be thoroughly cleaned 

 each day. The bedding, instead of being thrown under his man- 

 ger, to fill his food, his eyes and his lungs with ammonia, should 

 be thrown behind him, or out of doors to air. His manger should 

 be kept clean and once a week washed with salt and water, and 

 salt left in it. One night in each week he should have a warm 

 bran mash, eight quarts, generally given on Saturday night, as it 

 is somewhat loosening and weakening, and the horse is presumed 

 to be idle on Sunday. Oats are by far the best food, and ground 

 oats wet with water is better than whole dry grain. Cut hay is a 

 great saving, and moistened and sprinkled with ground oats, forms 

 the best of food. The hull of the oats is hard and often unmastica- 

 ted, and passes undigested through the system, thus taking away 

 instead of imparting strength and nutrition. For medium sized 

 horses, with moderate work, nine to twelve quarts of oats per day 

 and fourteen pounds hay are ample. For large draft horses, eigh- 

 teen quarts oats and sixteen pounds hay. Food consisting of one- 

 third corn ground with two-thirds oats, form strong, hearty, winter 

 food for work or coach horses. But corn is unfit for road or fast 

 horses. It is too heating. Good beds and good grooming are as 

 important as good feeding. Horses, like men, want good, dry, 

 warm, clean beds. In grooming tie your horse so he can't bite his 

 manger and thus learn to crib bite, and if you find your groom 

 currying and tormenting the poor animal when tied, so he is uneasy 

 and restless, use your stable broom over the groom's back ; it is 

 an excellent instructor to teach him to be gentle. Let the curry- 

 comb be very moderately used on the body to loosen up the scurf 



