252 THE HORSE 



a renovating change after a long-continued course of hay and corn. For 

 the former of these purposes, the horse is generally turned into the fields; 

 but for the latter, he is very often supplied with cut grass, or some other 

 kind of green food, in his stall or box. The effect of grass, when given by 

 itself, is apparent in its action on the bowels, which is at first very marked, 

 and also on the kidneys and skin. These increased secretions subside in 

 the course of a few days to a considerable extent, but continue, more or less, 

 as long as the grass continues to be the sole article of food. This will, of 

 coui\so, account for the cooling effect always remarked on horses at grass, in 

 which inllamed joints and swelled legs rapidly subside, and inflammatory 

 diseases of most kinds have a tendency to abate. The amount of nourish- 

 ment contained in grass is small as compared with its bulk, and hence the 

 belly of every horse enlarges considerably while at grass, because of the 

 necessity for a larger quantity being contained within it, so as to afford a 

 sufficient means of nutrition. Winter grass, which contains no clover, from 

 this plant not being of a nature sufficiently hardy to stand the frost, is so 

 void of nourishment, that the horse confined to it alone speedily becomes 

 veiy poor, and will almost starve if he has not some hay or corn. 



Hay is not merely grass cut when most full of nourishment — that is, 

 just when it is in bloom — but it is also subjected to a degree of ferment- 

 ation, which converts some of the starch into sugar. Until this change 

 has been fully gone through, the hay is not wholesome ; and hence new hay 

 has obtained a character for producing worms, which is not without some 

 foundation ; the reason being that the stomach and bowels are put out of 

 order; and this being a condition favourable to the development of the 

 ova of most parasitic animals, it is a natural consequence that worms should 

 be more frequently met with in horses fed upon new hay, than in those 

 whose digestive organs are strengthened by the healthy stimulus of sound 

 old hay. Of course, fodder of all kinds may be too old, as well as too new ; 

 but well-made hay does not begin to lose its good qualities till after the 

 second winter, and remains perfectly fit for ordinary purposes during at 

 least another twelvemonth. There are several varieties of hay grown and 

 sold throughout the country, which may be divided into three principal 

 growths ; viz. upland hay, in which no water grasses are met with, and 

 which generally contains a large proportion of clover ; meadow or lowland 

 hay, made up of the various kinds of water grasses and plants fond of wet 

 soils ; and clover hay, which is made from the common red clover, without 

 any admixture of grasses. Of these, upland hay is alone fit for horses used 

 at high speed ; and no other should ever be admitted into the stables of 

 the private gentleman, except clover intended to be cut into chaff. 



Good old Upland Hmj is known by its peculiarly sweet and grateful 

 smell, and by being made up of fine grasses with no seeds developed, mixed 

 with a small proportion of white clover. The colour should be neither a 

 bright green nor a dark brown, an intermediate shade of brownish-green 

 being the best, and showing by its green cast that the hay has not been 

 lying out in the rain, and by the absence of any deep blackish-brown tint 

 that it has not been put together too soon and thereby become heated. If 

 it has been got up in perfect condition, and without having had any rain 

 on it, a delicate bloom may be observtdon the leaves, like that on a plum 

 or grape. A rick of good hay may be entirely spoilt by a want of proper 



