FOOD * 119 



The above results were obtained by giving different articles of food 

 separately, but it appeared that when the foods were mixed, as they 

 usually are — oats, chaff, roots, &c, being given together, — the different 

 foods remained in the mixed condition in the stomach and passed into 

 the intestines together, that containing the most moisture passing in first. 

 Tiie conclusion from this series of experiments was the very obvious 

 one, that it is not desirable to mix foods of different degrees of digesti- 

 bility, as they all pass into the intestines together, whether they have 

 been acted upon by the gastric juice or not. 



Most horsemen are aware of the common impression, which is un- 

 doubtedly true, that the digestion of the horse is extremely rapid — a 

 necessary provision, indeed, to compensate for the smallness of the stomach 

 compared with the animal's bulk. 



Colin found that very early after the commencement of a meal the 

 stomach beoins to s;et rid of the food; in fact, as soon as the stomach is 

 distended to a certain point a portion of the food begins to escape into 

 the intestine, and in a quantity proportionate to the amount which is 

 being eaten by the horse. 



This circumstance naturally leads to the suggestion that the rations 

 should be small in bulk, and given frequently, and that water should 

 be given before feeding. 



It was also ascertained that the conformation of a horse exercised a 

 considerable influence upon the function of assimilation. Horses with 

 narrow chests, badly ribbed up, and of a light mealy colour, animals 

 which are known as bad doers, require great attention to their diet; in 

 short, all the food which is given to them should be of the best quality, 

 and the rule respecting small and frequent rations must be carefully 

 observed. That the results of the experiments undertaken by the French 

 physiologist are highly instructive will not be questioned. The probabili- 

 ties, however, are that they will not be estimated by horse-owners in 

 general as of sufficient importance to cause any interference with the 

 ordinary routine of the stable; nevertheless cases may occur in which 

 a strict attention to the princqjles which have been deduced from the 

 facts discovered will be highly advantageous. 



WATER 



When it is known that something like four-fifths of the animal body 

 consists of water, no argument will be necessary to prove the impor- 

 tance of a constant supply of the fluid in a proper condition for appropria- 

 tion. 



