OA TS — OBEDIENCE 



and carry out the instructions given him to the letter, is an 

 almost priceless blessing to a horse owner, by whom he should 

 be appreciated as his merits deserve. (See Hospital.) 



o 



Oats. — Care should be exercised in the selection of oats, 

 as unless they are of good quality they are not of much use 

 to the horse, and though they may cost less money to 

 purchase, they are usually the dearest in the end. Good 

 oats should be short and plump-looking, with thin skins 

 and the less beard the better, and should weigh 42 lbs. to the 

 bushel. Old, that is, second year oats, if well harvested and 

 in good condition, are preferred to new ones, but they should 

 be genuinely old, it being a practice of some dealers to sell 

 their customers kiln-dried oats instead of grain which has 

 been properly harvested, as the process of kiln drying makes 

 them look as though they possessed age. " Foxy oats," which 

 have a musty taste owing to their having undergone the 

 process of heating by being dried in bulk, are a bad food in 

 every respect for a horse. The colour, whether white or black, 

 is immaterial so long as the grain is sound. (See Feeding.) 



Obedience. — All those who come into contact with a 

 horse, either as rider, driver, or groom, should be master of 

 the animal. Unless they are so the horse's instinct soon 

 teaches him that he possesses the upper hand, and his 

 manners and steadiness will suffer. It is not, however, 

 necessary to thrash a horse unmercifully to render him 

 obedient, though a cut or two of the whip will do him good 

 if he displays an inclination to be obstinate. Of course, there 

 are cases of savageness in which very drastic measures are 

 necessary, but in the majority of instances patience and 

 firmness will accomplish more good than severe punishment. 

 (See Breaking.) 



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