^53 



horse comes in warm, In cold weather, a smaH 

 mash of bran, made moderately warm, is a 

 good thing for his stomach. This should be 

 given to him before he has his oats or water, 

 allowing him only as much at first as will cool 

 his mouth, and which cannot hurt him. After 

 he has had this a little while, has eaten a little 

 hay, and become cool by being well rubbed 

 down, a reasonable quantity of water may be 

 given, and afterwards his oats. Watering 

 horses in a pond or river is always preferable 

 to giving them pump or well water, for the 

 following reasons : — Well and pump water is 

 extremely cold and heavy ; because, being fil- 

 tered through a great depth of earth, the heavi- 

 est particles will always descend in endeavour- 

 ing to find their level. This water, drawn up 

 suddenly, strikes a deadly cold on the vitals of 

 the animal ; and being unmixed with air, (the 

 reverse being the case with pond or river water,) 

 it greatly affects the constitution of the horse. 

 If no other than pump or well water can con- 

 veniently be procured, it ought to be drawn up 

 or pumped into a trough some time before it 

 be used, and the air, by acting on it and mix- 

 ing with it, will soften it considerably. The. 



