THE HORSE. 779 



unnatural heat from over-driving, bandaging with wet cloths will reduce the feverish temper 

 ature, and prevent wind-galls. 



Horses that are not used for work should have some exercise every day. Always use 

 the curry-comb lightly, for the skin of the horse is very sensitive, and rough usage in this 

 respect will cause him much nervous irritation and pain. When tied in the stall, the halter 

 should be sufficiently long to admit of the horse lying down in a comfortable position, yet at 

 the same time care should be used that it be not so long as to permit him to get his foot over 

 it, and thus be thrown ddwn and get cast. Serious results sometimes follow carelessness in 

 this respect. 



Feeding. Improper feeding is the prolific cause of disease in horses, especially to those 

 used upon the farm, and for draught. Horses should always be fed regularly, and in such 

 quantities as will keep them in good condition. Horses that work hard will require nearly 

 twice the amount of food that an idle horse does, other conditions being equal, while, of 

 course, a large horse will need a much larger amount than a small one. The amount of food 

 required will therefore depend upon the size of the animal, and the amount and kind of work 

 performed by him. Enough food should be given under any circumstances to supply the 

 waste of the system. 



Due regard should also be had to age and constitution, as well as to size and the amount 

 of labor performed. It is estimated that horses that work require about two per cent, of 

 their weight as a daily allowance of food. From fourteen to sixteen pounds of grain, and 

 the same of good hay, is regarded as a generous allowance for a hard-working horse of large 

 size. The American cavalry horses are allowed about fourteen quarts of oats, and an equal 

 amount of hay, and are fed three times a day. The English cavalry horses have a little less, 

 which is an allowance of ten quarts of oats and twelve pounds of hay, three times a day. 



It is very desirable to have a horse a &quot;good feeder,&quot; but some horses are gluttons, and in 

 such cases it is not well to give them all the food they will crowd down. A light feeder is 

 apt to be a tender animal, and lack endurance. 



Grain of some kind should always be given horses that work hard. Hay or grass alone 

 is not sufficient to sustain a horse that labors hard, because there is not sufficient nutriment 

 in either to supply the waste, while a horse that has his stomach distended with such coarse, 

 bulky material as hay alone, is in no condition to work, providing it met the demand of the 

 system. When worked hard, the food should be chiefly oats, with some hay; when not 

 working, less grain and more hay may be fed, or the feed may be chiefly hay, with a moder 

 ate quantity of oats or other grain. Oats seem to be the natural food of horses, and are to be 

 preferred to any other kind of grain. They supply more nourishment and flesh making 

 material than any other kind of food. Barley is also good. Corn is rather heating, and 

 should never be fed alone. It is best when ground, and given in connection with other food. 

 New corn should never be fed to horses in large quantities, as it affects them very injuriously; 

 many valuable animals have been lost by eating soft corn. New oats and new hay should 

 not be fed in connection, and never in large quantities, but should be mixed in part with 

 that which is old. 



Roots are excellent for horses, when being fed on dry food. Carrots are the most valua 

 ble roots for this purpose, and many horsemen feed regularly with them in considerable quan 

 tities, they taking the place, in part, of the grain rations. 



A ration of one-half carrots and one-half oats is thought to be equivalent to a full 

 ration of oats, while it has been found that horses that perform but little work will keep in 

 good condition on hay and carrots alone. Raw potatoes given occasionally, as well as apples, 

 are also very beneficial. The former are especially valuable for horses troubled with worms. 

 The English feed beans in connection with oats and hay to hunters, and horses that work 

 hard. Beans are heating, and should be given only in small quantities, and never regularly. 



