354 "^^^^ HORSE. 



aflei he has eaten his co.n, two or lliree liours to clear his racK. On the 

 system of" manger-feeding, the ciialF being already cut into small pieces, 

 and the beans and oats bruised, he is able fully to satisfy his appetite in an 

 hour and a iialf. Two additional hours are therefore devoted to rest. 

 This is a circumstance deserving of much consideration even in the farmer's 

 stable, and of immense consequence to the postmaster, the stage-coach 

 proprietor, and the owner of every hard-worked horse. 



Manger-food will be the usual support of the farmer's horse during the 

 winter, and while at constant or occasional hard work; but from the middle 

 or end of April, to tiie end of July, he may be fed with this mi.xture in the 

 day, and turned out at night, or he may remain out during every rest day: 

 a team in constant employ should not, however, be suffered to, be out at 

 night, after the end of July. 



The farmer should take care that the pasture is thick and good ; and that 

 the distance from tiie yard is not too great, nor the fields too large, other- 

 wise a very considerable portion of time will be occupied in catching the 

 horses in the morning. He will likewise have to fake into consideration 

 the sale he would have for his hay, and the necessity for sweet and untrod- 

 den pasture for his cattle. On the whole, however, turning out in this way, 

 when circumstances will admit of it, will be found to be more beneficial 

 for the horse, and cheaper than soiling in the yard. 



The small farmer's horse is sometimes fed on hay or grass alone, and 

 the animal, although he rarely gets a feed of corn, maintains himself in 

 tolerable condition, and does the work that is required of him; but hay 

 and grass alone, hov/ever good in quality, or in whatever quantity admin- 

 istered, will not support the horse under hard work ; and therefore other sub- 

 stances, containing a larger proportion of nutriment in a smaller compass, 

 have been added. We will briefly enumerate them, and consider their 

 compartive value. In almost every part of Great Britain, the Oat has 

 been selected as that portion of food which is to afford the principal nour- 

 ishment. It contains seven hundred and forty-three parts out of a thousand 

 of nutritive matter. The oat should be old, heavy, dry, and' sweet. The 

 new oat will weigh ten or fifteen per cent, more than the old oat; but the 

 difFerence consists principally in watery matter, which is gradually evapo- 

 rated. The new oat is not so readily ground down by the teeth as the old 

 one, and forms a more glutinous mass, difficult to digest, and, when eaten 

 in considerable quantities, is apt to occasion colic and even staggers. The 

 old oat forms, when chewed, a smooth and uniform mass, wliich readily 

 dissolves in the stomach, and yields the nourishment which it contains, 

 and perhaps some chemical .change may have been slowly effected in the 

 old oat, disposing it to be more readily assimilated. Oats should be plump, 

 bright in colour, and free from unpleasant smell or taste. The musty 

 smell of wetted or damaged corn is caused by a fungus wliich grows upon 

 the seed, and which has an injurious eflV^ct on th.e urinary organs, and often 

 on the intestines, producing profuse staling inflammation of the kidney or 

 colic, and inflammation of the bowels. 



This musty smell is removed by kiln-drying the oat, but care is here 

 requisite that loo great a degree of heat is not employed. It should be 

 sufficient to destroy the fungus without injuring the life of the seed. The 

 kiln-burnt oat, however, is not so grateful to the animal : it acquires a heating 

 quality — causes increased discharge of urine, and not unfrequently pro- 

 duces inflammation of the eyes, and mangy affections of the skin. 



Of ihe quantity of oats in the chaff we have already spoken. An 

 Improvement would be effected, by cutting the unthreshed oat straw into 

 chair. The expense of threshing would be saved. Oat straw is better 



