142 THE STOCK FEEDER'S COMPANION 



straw cut and oats bruised. The proportions he used 

 were 12 sacks of oats to 10 cwts. of hay and oat 

 straw. 



Watering. The safest plan is to give water to 

 horses before the feed of corn, as there is some danger 

 of the unsoftened coarse hulls of oats or similar foods 

 getting washed into the bowels, and there causing 

 colic, if the horse is watered immediately after the feed 

 of oats. 



When it is inconvenient to give the water before 

 the feed, watering should be delayed for, say, half an 

 hour, so that the food may have time to soften and get 

 acted on by the gastric juice in the stomach, before 

 it is carried on into the bowels. 



It is also very risky to give horses cold spring 

 water when they come up very hot and tired ; in 

 fact, a large quantity of water at atmospheric tem- 

 perature, which is much less risky, is scarcely advis- 

 able under these conditions, as it may give the 

 horse colic through the sudden chilling of the 

 system. A much safer plan is to give, say, half a 

 pailful of water with the chill taken off, as soon 

 as the horse comes up ; then after it has had time 

 to cool down, it may be allowed to have its fill of 

 water. 



Horses doing fast work, such as trotting or hunting, 

 should have the quantity of water strictly limited before 

 starting off, otherwise they will be burdened with the 

 water, and perspire very freely. 



Cost of Keeping a Farm-work Horse for a Year. 



It is a very common thing to give horses simply 

 oats for the concentrated feed for ordinary work, and 



