FOOD. 5 



who cannot masticate their food properly. It is a 

 common mistake to give too much gram or other 

 grain, there being a prevailing idea that the more 

 that is given the more work the horse will do. 

 There is no greater error ; it is like putting more 

 coal into the furnace of an engine that can only 

 consume a certain amount ; the extra quantity only 

 goes to waste, and upsets the digestive functions of 

 the stomach. What is required is a judicious 

 admixture of food given at a proper time; not a 

 large quantity improperly given of an improper 

 quality. Gram should be given in the proportion 

 of one part of bran to two of gram; or what is 

 better, one part each of bran (choker), gram, 

 and parched barley (adarwah), or oats (jai), by 

 weight. These can be purchased separately from 

 the corn-dealer and mixed together, and thus 

 cannot be eaten by any of the servants, like pure 

 gram can be. If the horse is not digesting his 

 food properly, whole grains will be found in his 

 droppings that have passed through the bowels 

 unaltered. There will be always a few of these 

 found, especially if the horse is getting parched 

 barley or oats, as the husks of both these grains 

 are very indigestible. If the horse begins to 

 get thin, and fall away in condition as well, it is 



