468 FOOD. 



the vigour of the horse. There are many horses that will not stand hard 

 work without beans being mingled with their food, and these not horses whose 

 tendency to purge it may be necessary to restrain by the astringency of the 

 bean. There is no traveller who is not aware of the difference in the spirit and 

 continuance of his horse whether he allows or denies him beans on his journey. 

 They afford not merely a temporary stimulus, but they may be daily used 

 without losing their power, or producing exhaustion. They are indispensable 

 to the hard-worked coach horse. Washy horses could never get through 

 their work without them; and old horses would often sink under the 

 task imposed upon them. They should not be given to the horses whole or 

 split, but crushed. This will make a material difference in the quantity of 

 nutriment that will be extracted. They are sometimes given to turf horses, 

 but only as an occasional stimulant. Two pounds of beans may, with advantage, 

 be mixed with the chaff of the agricultural horse, during the winter. In summer 

 the quantity of beans should be lessened, or they should be altogether discontinued. 

 Beans are generally given whole. This is very absurd ; for the young horse, 

 whose teeth are strong, seldom requires them ; while the old horse, to whom 

 they are in a manner necessary, is scarcely able to masticate them, swallows 

 many of them whole which he is unable to break, and drops much corn from 

 his mouth in the ineffectual attempt to crush them. Beans should not be 

 merely split, but crushed ; they will even then give sufficient employment to 

 the grinders of the animal. Some postmasters use chaff with beans instead of 

 oats. With hardly-worked horses they may possibly be allowed ; but, in 

 general cases, beans, without oats, would be too binding and stimulating, and 

 would produce costiveness, and probably megrims or staggers. 



Beans should be at least a twelvemonth old before they are given to the 

 horse, and they should be carefully preserved from damp and mouldi- 

 ness, which at least disgust the horse if they do no other harm, and harbour 

 an insect that destroys the inner part of the bean. 



The straw of the bean is nutritive and wholesome, and is usually given to 

 the horses. Its nutritive properties are supposed to be little inferior to those of 

 oats. The small and plump bean is generally the best. 



PEAS are occasionally given. They appear to be in a slight degree more 

 nourishing than beans, and not so heating. They contain five hundred and 

 seventy-four parts of nutritive matter. For horses of slow work they may be 

 used ; but the quantity of chaff should be increased, and a few oats added. 

 They have not been found to answer with horses of quick draught. It is 

 essmtial that they should be crushed ; otherwise, on account of their globular 

 form, they -ire apt to escape from the teeth, and many are swallowed whole. 

 Exposed to warmth and moisture in the stomach, they swell considerably, and 

 may painfully and injuriously distend it. The peas that are given to horses 

 should be sound, and at least a twelvemonth old. 



In some northern counties pea-meal is frequently used, not only as an 

 excellent food for the horse, but as a remedy for diabetes. 



LINSEED is sometimes given to sick horses raw, ground, and boiled. It is 

 supposed to be useful in cases of catarrh *. 



* " Mr. Black, veterinary surgeon of the sugar seemed to supply the place of the corn eo 

 14th Dragoons, says that sugar was tried as well, that it would have heen probably given 

 an article of food during the Peninsular War. abroad ; but peace caaie,and the circumstances 

 Ten horses were selected, each of which that rendered the use of sugar for core de- 

 got 8 Ibs. a day at four rations. They eirable ceased, and the horses returned to their 

 took it very readily, arid their coats be- usual diet. That the sugar might not be ap- 

 came fine, smooth, and glossy. They got propriated to other purposes it was slightly 

 no corn, and only 71bs. of hay, instead of scented with assafoetida, which did not pro- 

 the ordinary allowance, which is I21b. The duco any apparent effect upon them," 



