FOOD. 353 



be lost; but when it is bruised, and especially if the chaff is a little wetted, 

 it will not readily separate ; or, should a portion of it escape the grinders, 

 it will be partly prepared for digestion by the act of bruising. The preju 

 dice against bruising the oats is, so far as the farmer's horse, and the 

 waggon-horse, and every horse of slow draught is concerned, altogether 

 unfounded. The quantity of straw in the chaff will always counteract 

 any supposed purgative quality in the bruised oats. Horses of quicker 

 draught, except they are naturally disposed to scour, will thrive better with 

 bruised than with whole oats; for a greater quantity of nutriment will 

 be extracted from the food, and it will always be easy to apportion the 

 quantity of straw or beans to the effect of the mixture on the bowels of 

 the horse. V The principal alteration that should be made in the horse of 

 harder and more rapid work, such as the post-horse, and the stage-coach 

 horse, is to increase the quantity of hay, and diminish that of straw. Two 

 trusses of hay may be cut with one of straw. 



Some gentlemen, in defiance of the prejudice and opposition of the coach- 

 man or the groom, have introduced this mode of feeding into the stables of 

 their carriage horses and hackneys, and with manifest advantage. There 

 has been no loss of condition or power, and considerable saving of proven- 

 der. This system is not, however, calculated for the hunter or the race- 

 horse. Their food must be in smaller bulk, in order that the action of the 

 lungs may not be impeded by the distention of the stomach; yet many 

 hunters have gone well over the field, who have been manger-fed, the pro- 

 portion of corn, however, being materially increased. 



For the agricultural and cart-horse, eight pounds of oats and two of 

 beans should be added to every twenty pounds of chaff; and thirty-four 

 or thirty-six pounds of the mixture will be sufficient for any moderate- 

 sized horse, with fair or even hard work. The dray and waggon-horse 

 may require forty pounds. Hay in the rack at night is, in this case, 

 supposed to be omitted altogether. The rack, however, may remain, 

 as occasionally useful for the sick horse, or to contain tares or other 

 green meat. 



In order to pi'event some horses from turning much of the chaff out of 

 the manger in their search for the oats, small iron bars may be placed 

 across it, and the provender plentifully sprinkled with water, but the water 

 should be applied only at the time of feeding, for the wetted mixture would 

 soon become sour and mouldy. 



Horses are very fond of this provender. The majority of them, after 

 having been accustomed to it, will leave the best oats given to them alone, 

 for tlie sake of the mingled chaff and corn. We would, however, caution 

 the farmer not to set apart too much damaged hay for the manufacture of 

 the chaff. The horse may be thus induced to eat that which he would 

 otherwise refuse; but if the nourishing property of the hay has been im- 

 paired, or it has acquired an injurious principle, the horse will either lose 

 condition, or become diseased. More injury is done by the eating of 

 damaged hay or musty oats than is generally imagined. There will be 

 sufficient saving in the diminished cost of the provender by the introduc- 

 tion of the straw, and in the improved condition of the horse, without 

 poisoning him with the refuse of the farm. 



While the mixture of chaff with the corn prevents the corn fi-oni being 

 •.no rapidly devoured, and a portion of it swallowed whole, and therefore 

 :he stomach is not too loaded with that on which, as containing the most 

 nutriment, its chief digestive power should be exerted, yet, on the whole, 

 a groat deal of time is gained by this mode of feeding, and more is left for 

 rest. When a horse comes in wearied at the close of the day, it occupies 



