i9ii] ON HORSE MANAGEMENT 193 



who is nettled, proposes to examine the brain of this animal 

 to-morrow. 



Went up the Ramp this morning. There was light enough 

 to see our camp, and it looked homely, as it does from all sides. 

 Somehow we loom larger here than at Cape Armitage. We 

 seem to be more significant. It must be from contrast of size; 

 the larger hills tend to dwarf the petty human element. 



To-night the wind has gone back to the north and is now 

 blowing fresh. 



This sudden and continued complete change of direction is 

 new to our experience. 



Oates has just given us an excellent little lecture on the 

 management of horses. 



He explained his plan of feeding our animals ' soft ' during 

 the winter, and hardening them up during the spring. He 

 pointed out that the horse's natural food being grass and hay, 

 he would naturally employ a great number of hours in the day 

 filling a stomach of small capacity with food from which he 

 could derive only a small percentage of nutriment. 



Hence it is desirable to feed horses often and light. His 

 present routine is as follows : 



Morning. Chaff. 



Noon, after exercise. Snow. Chaff and either oats or oil- 

 cake alternate days. 



Evening, 5 p.m. Snow. Hot bran mash with oil-cake or 

 boiled oats and chaff; finally a small quantity of hay. 

 This sort of food should be causing the animals to put on 

 flesh, but is not preparing them for work. In October he pro- 

 poses to give ' hard ' food, all cold, and to increase the exer- 

 cising hours. 



As concerning the food we possess he thinks : 



The chaff made of young wheat and hay is doubtful; there 

 does not seem to be any grain with it and would farmers cut 

 young wheat? There does not seem to be any 'fat' in this 

 food, but it is very well for ordinary winter purposes. 



N.B. It seems to me this ought to be inquired into. Bran 

 much discussed, but good because it causes horses to chew the 

 oats with which mixed. 



Oil-cake, greasy, producing energy excellent for horses to 

 work on. 



VOL. I 13 



