Feeding the Horse. 697 



and untiring. He must have a fidelity that is unswerving. He must 

 have an innate love for his work. 



The feeder who has some knowledge of animal physiology is better 

 qualified to adjust the foods to the needs of the horse; he will under- 

 stand better the necessity of maintaining relative adjustment between 

 the proportion of grain and coarse fodder; he will have a more nearly 

 correct idea of the treatment suitable for ailments not sufficiently 

 serious to call for the skill of the veterinarian. Some knowledge of 

 chemistry will prove valuable in computing the food factors of the 

 ration and also in preparing them for feeding. The successful feeder 

 must be a man of industrious habits. His work is, in a sense, never 

 done, owing to the ever present necessity of furnishing the horse with 

 food and protection. In some lines of work the neglect of one day 

 may largely be made up the next, but in caring for the horse this is not 

 possible. Injury resulting from neglect is always attended with loss 

 and in many cases cannot be atoned for even by extra care subsequently. 

 The feeder must be devoted to his work. If he does not take to it kindly 

 he does it in a perfunctory manner. Food is fed by rule, regardless 

 of the individual needs of the animal. Such a feeder is likely to 

 be impatient, and perhaps positively cruel. On the other hand, the 

 feeder who loves his work has a more careful regard for the individual 

 needs of the horse entrusted to his care. If any one is to wait for a meal 

 beyond the usual time it will be himself rather than his horse. He 

 will be gentle, though firm. The horse will go to meet him on his 

 approach, and there will be perfect harmony between man and beast. 



Care of the horse's teeth 



Occasionally a horse is found that does not feed well, due to irreg- 

 ularities of his teeth. If the first, or milk teeth, are not looked after, 

 they are likely to remain, causing the second, or permanent teeth, to 

 grow in crooked. The young horse's mouth should be closely watched 

 and the persistent milk teeth removed with forceps. Again, it must be 

 remembered that the upper jaw is somewhat wider than the lower, 

 and that from the fact that the teeth are not perfectly opposed, a sharp 

 edge is left unworn on the inside of the lower molars and on the outside 

 of the upper, which may cut the tongue or cheeks. This condition 

 can readily be felt by the hand, and these sharp edges when found 

 should be rasped down by a guarded rasp; otherwise the tongue and 

 cheeks become sore, the food irritates them, and the horse will not 

 feed well. 



