SWALLOWING WITHOUT GRINDING. 377 



SWALLOWING WITHOUT GRINDING. 



Horses have many unpleasant habits in the stable and on the 

 road, which cannot be said to amount to vice, but which mate- 

 rially lessen their value. 



Some greedy horses habitually swallow their grain without 

 properly grinding it, and the power of digestion not being ade- 

 quate to the dissolving of the husk, no nutriment is extracted, 

 and the oats are voided whole. This is particularly the case 

 when horses of unequal appetite feed from the same manger. 

 The greedy one, in his eagerness to get more then his share, bolts 

 a portion of his grain whole. If the farmer, without considerable 

 inconvenience, could contrive that every horse shall have his 

 separate division of the manger, the one of smaller appetite and 

 slower feed would have the opportunity of grinding at his leisure, 

 without the fear of the greater share being stolen by his neigh- 

 boi-. 



Some horses, however, are naturally greedy feeders, and will 

 not, even when alone, allow themselves time to chew or grind 

 their grain. In consequence of this they carry but little flesh, 

 and are not equal to severe work. If the rack was supplied with 

 hay when the grain was put into the manger, they will continue 

 to eat on, and their stomachs will become distended with half- 

 chewed and indigestible food. In consequence of this they v/ill 

 be incapable of considerable exertion for a long time after feed- 

 ing, and, occasionally, dangerous symptoms of staggers will 

 occur. 



The remedy is, not to let such horses fast too long. The nose- 

 bag should be the companion of every considerable journey. 

 The food should likewise be of such a nature that it cannot be 

 rapidly bolted. Chaff should be plentifully mixed with the grain, 

 and, in some cases, and especially in horses of slow work, it should, 

 with the grain, constitute the whole of the food. This will be 

 treated on more at large under the article "Feeding." 



In every case of this kind the teeth should be carefully exam- 

 ined. Some of them may be unduly lengthened, particularly the 

 first of the grinders : or they may be ragged at the edges, and 

 may abrade and wound the cheek. In the first place the horse 

 cannot properly masticate his food ; in the latter he will not , 



weight on the foot required to be shod, so that the smith is unable to lift it 

 up, or afterwards to support it ; besides which the animal will keep continu 

 ally kicking or endeavoring to get the foot away, to the imminent dangei 

 of the limbs of the unfortunate operative. This deplorable and vicious habit 

 is greatly increased, if not altogether produced, by rough usage at the early 

 shoeings, and it generally gets worse at each time of shoeing, so that the 

 horse is often rendered at last completely worthless 



