OF FARRIERY. 



505 



CHAPTER XIX. 



REMARKS ON THE FOOD OF THE HORSE.— MANGER FEEDING. 



MANGER- FEEDING. 



This system, which has now been adopted 

 for some years on the road, arose no doubt in 

 the first instance from a desire in the pro- 

 prietors of Horses to fill the bellies of their 

 animals in the shortest possible space of time, 

 m order that tliey might get more rest on 

 the road. The old broad-wheeled waggons, 

 with large slow Horses, docked almost close 

 to the rump, have given way to lighter and 

 more expeditious conveyances, and which are 

 called " fly- waggons," which we believe per- 

 form their journeys (including stoppages,) at 

 about three miles an hour. Since the period 

 of the starting of the lighter waggons we have 

 noticed manger-feeding with them common 

 on the road. 



The stupid idea that cutting a Horse's tail 

 close to his rump, made his back stronger, 

 seems to have had its day, for we now see 

 almost universally switch or long tails ; a style 

 much more in congeniality with humanity, as 

 the tail is left more in a state of nature, to 

 defend the animal from its natural enemies the 

 Hies. We are glad to see such prejudices give 

 way to a better system. 



Manger-feeding is becoming general among 

 farmers. It is well adapted for Horses who 

 are not over-worked through speed. We 

 know that it is an economical way of feeding 

 by mixing a portion of chaff with the corn and 

 beans, because by this means the animal is 

 compelled to chew his food ; he cannot bolt 

 the straw or hay, and while he is compelled 

 to grind the chaff, the oats and beans are 

 ground with it, which yields more nourish- 

 ment, as the stomach is more slowly filled, 

 and therefore acts better on its contents, and 

 is not so likely to be overloaded ; independ- 

 ently of this the increased quantity of saliva 

 thrown out in the lengthened grinding of the 

 food, softens it, and renders it more fit for 

 digestion. 



Chaff may be composed of equal quantities 

 of clover or meadow hay, and wheaten, oaten, 

 or barley straw, cut into pieces of a quarter or 

 half an inch in length, and mixed well to- 

 gether ; the quantity of oats or beans is after- 

 wards added, and mixed with the chaff. We 

 would recommend that the beans and oats 

 should be bruised, because the whole oat is 

 apt to slip out of the chaff and be lost ; but 

 when it is bruised, and especially if the chaff 

 6 M 



