94 HEALTH AND DISEASE 



amount of work required of them, and do not suffer from any particular 

 illnesses that interfere with their work, the owner does not feel called upon 

 to interfere. Nevertheless, it would be advantageous in many cases if an 

 intelligent interest were manifested in the condition of the animals, and it 

 is more than probable that in many cases it would be found desirable to 

 make changes to meet the peculiarities of certain horses. For example, 

 some horses, like some human beings, suffer from bad appetites, or, as the 

 groom would express it, do not eat their rations clean. This fact is ascer- 

 tained by merely observing that a certain portion of the food supplied is 

 left in the manger, while another portion is probably found lying under the 

 horse's nose. To remedy this condition of things a change of food by the 

 addition of some compound which will add to its flavour will have a very 

 excellent effect. An extra sprinkling of salt will be very grateful to some 

 horses, while others would prefer some spicy additions in the form of tur- 

 meric or some one of the advertised foods, which contain different condi- 

 ments, mixed with meal, and have the advantage of inducing an animal to 

 consume the provender, and at the same time stimulate the digestive 

 powers. 



The horse-owner is often puzzled how to arrange a system of feeding for 

 a horse which remains in poor condition notwithstanding the fact that he 

 cats a considerable quantity of food. The story told will commonly be to 

 the effect that the horse eats as much again as any other animal in the 

 stable, and remains a perfect skeleton all the time. Such animals, it may 

 be remarked, are often possessed of a highly nervous temperament and 

 feeble digestion, and considerable difficulty is often experienced in arrang- 

 ing the food to suit their particular case. Sometimes the addition of some 

 new kind of diet will be found very effective — a small proportion of crushed 

 oil-cake (linseed or cotton), malt meal, the wetting of the food when it 

 is put in the manger, or the addition of an extra quantity of bran, will 

 produce good results. In other instances, which are not benefited by this 

 treatment, the addition of a certain proportion of animal food to the daily 

 ration may have the desired effect. Some little care is required in pre- 

 paring such food, and there may be some difficulty at first in inducing the 

 animal to take it. A plan which has been found to answer is to make fairly 

 strong soup from any coarse pieces of meat, and to pour the liquid, when 

 cold, on to some bran, to make a mash. A small quantity to begin with 

 of this mixture may be placed in the manger and covered with a sprinkling 

 of oats and a little dry bran. Frequently this device is sufficient to induce 

 the animal to take the mixture, of which he shortly becomes extremely 

 fond. If the ration should be refused, however, and left uneaten at the 

 ■end of an hour, the next thing is to clean the manger entirely and leave 



