230 THE TORSE. 
is nearly the same, proving slightly aperient and diuretic at first, and 
then serving to cool the system. After a short time they fatten him, and 
may be continued for months together without inconvenience. It is 
supposed that two pounds of carrots are about equal in nourishment to 
one pound of oats, but they do not possess the same amount of muscle- 
making material, and are therefore only suited to slow work. Parsnips 
are not often given in this country, but in France they are a very common 
kind of horse-food. Mangold-wurzel and common turnips are altogether 
refused by the horse, and he has no great fancy for Swedes, but by a 
litile starvation he will eat them in small quantities. Whenever, there- 
fore, a change is desired during the winter, carrots alone supply the want, 
and they can only be given with advantage to those horses which are not 
doing hard work. They are made up chiefly of starch and sugar, and 
afford little gluten and albumen as compared with oats. 
GREEN FOOD SUITABLE FOR SOILING HORSES. 
THE OBJECT in giving green food to horses in the stable is generally to 
afford them a temporary change for their unvarying rations of hay and 
corn without losing their condition entirely as they do when turned out. 
All the articles which are used for this purpose, and which I have 
enumerated at page 220, slightly purge the horse when first given, and 
act beneficially in that way for some two or three weeks. After this, 
however, they fatten him rapidly, and then, instead of doing the legs 
good, as is generally the intention, they make them more stale by increas- 
ing the weight of the carcase, as soon as the horse is put to work. 
CLovER is greedily devoured by all horses, and fattens them quickly, but 
it is not suited to those cases where a cooling diet is wanted to relieve 
inflamed joints. 
TaRES OR VETCHES when young are very relaxing, and they also act 
powerfully on the kidneys. As soon as the seed is nearly ripe in them, 
they are nearly as stimulating as corn, and at that time only are they fit 
for horses at work. This ought to be known to all horse-masters, or 
they will be apt to make the mistake of giving young vetches to horses at 
work, and old ones to those which are put by to be freshened up. 
LucerveE is a good kind of green food, being neither so relaxing as 
young vetches, nor so stimulating as old ones. 
Rye-crass is chiefly to be recommended as coming very early in the 
year, when no other kind of green food can be obtained. 
SarnFoIn is very similar to clover in its effects upon the horse, but is 
not quite so fattening. 
GREEN Oats are only given where the land is so poor that it will 
not produce clover or vetches. The crop is a very light one, and in an 
economical point of view it is not to be recommended, excepting for the 
reasons given above. 
Gorss, Furze, on WuIN makes a good food for horses that are not 
doing fast work, and in those situations where it can be procured it is 
most economical. Asa change it acts quite as beneficially as any other 
green food, and sometimes it is the only kind which can be procured. 
The following is the method of using it:—It is cultivated by sowing it 
with a crop of barley or oats, and it is fit to cut the second autumn after 
planting. It is then mown every year during the winter, as required, 
with a common scythe, close to the ground. A tolerably good soil, dry 
enough for this plant, will cut from seven to ten tons per acre; and tho 
