i6o 



In the absence of grass, corn is the natural laxative. At 

 least two days in the week he should have a mash at noon, 

 say Tuesdays and Fridays. The mashes should always be 

 cooked. It is frequently the case at the present time that 

 cold ones are served, and they often produce colic. One 

 might go on for twelve months and not have an accident 

 from this cause, but in the thirteenth month he would go to 

 his stable some morning and find his horse dead in the stall. 

 Instead of feeding the mash at night, it should be given at 

 noon, so the horse may show the effects in the daytime. 



Walk the horse the first week, giving him short trots 

 occasionally to accustom him to the work. Pursue the same 

 course the second week, but you may gallop him if he is 

 getting along nicely. Then when you send him out for the 

 third week you may give him a mile and a quarter gal- 

 lop, and then walk him a half mile. Give him another mile 

 and a quarter, and then walk him about until he is rested. 

 Take him back to the stable and have him rubbed down 

 gently, in order to close the pores of the skin, which have 

 been opened by the exertion. In this respect he is just like 

 a human being. A man always feels refreshed after toil 

 by a good rub down, and it is so with a horse. 



By this time he is getting pretty well along. If he is 

 very gross, he should be given a two-mile gallop, walked a 

 half mile and given another one of two miles. At this time 

 his feed should be increased to twelve quarts of solid grain 

 per day. But if he is not gross, the distance should not be 

 increased to over a mile and one-half. This refers to a deli- 

 cate horse. 



The latter animal should be taught to eat as much as 

 possible, in order to increase his strength and vitality. If 

 the bowels are too loose, cut off the mashes for a time; but if 

 the animal is inclined to constipation, they should be kept up. 

 By this time, if there has been nothing of a nature that has 

 affected the horse's condition, you may begin to move him 

 along at the rate of 30 seconds to the quarter two days in 

 the week. With such a horse there should be no change 

 made until the end of the sixth week. Of course, you must 

 be governed by circumstances. 



If the track is good and the weather favorable, you may 

 work the horse at a two-minute gait for half a mile. This 



