WATERING AND FEEDING. 31 



58. Regularity desirable in the hours of feeding. 



Regularity in the hours of feeding is a matter of some importance. 

 Over-lengthened abstinence is for the structural reasons explained above 

 in itself injurious ; and the mischief is often aggravated by the animal 

 eating to excess when he gets his food. An over-hearty meal is hurtful 

 at any time, but it is especially so when the stomach is weakened by 

 long fasting. Undue pressure and irritation are the result, producing 

 indigestion, and in some cases gastritis, colic, &c. 



59. Necessity of good forage. 



It is absolutely necessary that the food supplied should be good and 

 sound. Inferior or damaged forage of any sort, such as mouldy hay, 

 damp or kiln-dried oats, or green meat kept till stale, or grazing on 

 fouled ground, very readily produce intestinal disturbance or disease. 

 Besides which we cannot expect to develop the best powers of the animal, 

 unless we supply him liberally with the best nutriment. 



60. Of watering. 



From feeding we pass on to watering. How often should horses be 

 watered, and what quantity should be given at one time ? 



The anatomical structure of the horse may here guide our practice. 

 The stomach or receptacle for solid food, as has been stated above, is 

 very small, and consequently the horse requires to be fed frequently ; but 

 the caecum or water gut, on the other hand, is very large. It is not 

 uncommon, indeed, to see a horse drink two or even three pails of water 

 at one time, and most of this passes tolerably direct to the caecum. Hence 

 it is probable that he does not require to be watered often. In a state 

 of nature, though no doubt the succulent nature of the food in part at 

 least supplies the place or want of water, it would be impossible that all 

 the horses on a large plain could be constantly down at the river side. 



It has been generally noticed in camps that horses standing in the 

 open air, though fed on dry food, never drink more than twice and often 

 only once in the day. But in stables it is certain that horses drink 

 readily and are refreshed by being watered at least three or four times 

 a day. It is not very difficult to conceive that the difference between the 

 close warm atmosphere of a stable and the cool refreshing air of heaven 

 may sufficiently account for this. Though, for the reasons given above, 

 it is not at all necessary, yet there is no objection to horses having 

 water constantly before them, provided the water in the trough is 

 wholly drained off and supplied afresh at each stable hour. 



61. Quantity of water to be given at one time. 



Of the quantity of water to be given at one time, the horse himself is 

 in general the best judge. Excepting in a few cases, such as where the 

 horse is excessively hot or exhausted, or has from any cause been kept 

 without water for an undue length of time, or where there is a tendency 



