124 Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 



for the growth of colts. Soils on a limestone foundation are sup- 

 posed to be suitable for the development of bone, and rich alluvial 

 deposits will grow size and muscle. On arable farms, where grass 

 land is not available, it may be found expedient to send them out 

 for the summer to farmers, who make a practice of taking in colts 

 at a charge of from ^s. to 5j. per week, according to the size of the 

 colts and the quality of the pasture. There are many poor pas- 

 tures, though, where the colts will have to be very busy to get 

 a living on the grass alone, and where a little hand feeding is 

 necessary if we want them to grow into heavy horses. A feed 

 of oats and bran once a day will greatly assist them in their 

 growth, and will prove a good investment. The quantity given 

 should be regulated by the quality of the pasture and by the 

 progress the colts are making. The " tail " oats from the thrashing 

 machine may be utilized profitably in this way. The aim must be to 

 keep them growing and improving all the summer. The following 

 winter, when rising two years old, the colts, being stronger and 

 hardier than the yearlings, will stand rougher treatment through 

 the winter. Indeed, in some favoured localities in England, the 

 two-year-olds have to winter out, and if there is natural shelter 

 and a good bite of grass on the land, it is wonderful how they will 

 do. Generally speaking, it pays to help them a little even on the 

 best land, whilst on poor farms, high altitudes, and in the northern 

 climate it is necessary to do them through the winter in a similar 

 manner to that described for the yearlings, using a larger proportion 

 of the bulky food and comparatively less of the grain. On arable 

 farms swedes may enter largely into their ration. These may be 

 boiled and mixed with cut straw, light grain, and bran, or they 

 may be given a few in a raw state when free from frost, as much 

 straw or hay as they will eat being supplied in the racks. If straw 

 and no hay is used, the pail food should be made richer or a little 

 corn given dry. It is not a good plan to box up the two-year-olds 

 and keep them warm. Although in stormy weather some shelter 

 is necessary, yet it is astonishing what little use they will make 

 of a shed if they have the chance of going into one. They seem 

 to prefer being out unless the weather is both cold and wet. 



The life of a heavy horse may be divided into three eras: 

 say, two and a half years of idle colthood, three years of work 

 on the farm, and the remainder of life on the road or street. Of 

 course many continue all their life on the land. Females for 

 breeding, geldings with some unsoundness or deformity, and others 

 too small and light for the streets are kept on the land. But where 

 horse breeding is worked on scientific principles, the farmer aims 



