490 THE HORSE BREEDING 



be provided with a moderate amount of bruised oats. A 

 sufficient allowance for a Shire or Clydesdale foal during the 

 first winter is 2 to 3 Ibs. of crushed oats, a J to a \ Ib. of 

 bran, and f Ib. of finely-ground linseed cake, given in two 

 feeds in the day, with \ a peck of roots and chopped sainfoin, 

 lucerne, or clover hay in England, or ryegrass hay in Scot- 

 land. As grass comes in spring, the dry food should be 

 gradually reduced, and finally discontinued when good 

 pasture is available. 



Young Cart-horses should never be too highly fed, as 

 forcing softens the constitution, and they become too fat and 

 heavy for the strength of their limbs. They should at all 

 times be kept thriving to encourage growth, and to prevent 

 disease and the injury which results from the presence of 

 internal parasites. 



Farm horses ought to run out in the fields during the 

 second winter, within reach of good natural or artificial 

 shelter, and be rationally fed. An excessive quantity of 

 dry grain of any sort is liable to heat the blood, and produce 

 skin irritation and incessant rubbing, and sometimes cracked 

 heels. Giving the bulk of the grain (barley or oats) in a 

 boiled or steamed mixture at 60 R, obviates the difficulty ; 

 and linseed cake in moderate quantities, not sufficient to 

 cause fatty degeneration of the liver, acts in the same way, 

 especially when supplemented by a daily allowance of roots. 



Colts born in November, when about two years old 

 should, if intended to do a full complement of work in spring, 

 receive during the winter a mixture per week of (i) 3 

 stones of crushed oats and maize meal in equal parts ; (2) 

 I stone of crushed linseed or finely-ground linseed cake 

 mixed with wheat or barley chaff; (3) \ cwt. of chopped 

 hay clover, lucerne, or sainfoin or an equivalent in strong 

 boned ryegrass hay, with (4) a foddering at night of oat or 

 barley straw to pick over ; also (5) about I stone of roots in 

 season swedes, mangels, and carrots or an equivalent in 

 steamed potatoes. Kept on such food, they will be in con- 

 dition to do good work in spring. Salt should be within 

 reach of all young stock, which must also be allowed plenty 

 of exercise to develop muscle. In the case of Thoroughbreds, 

 the highest authorities say that they cannot be too liberally 

 fed, provided they have sufficient exercise. 



