MAKING MASHES AND GRUELS 299 



may also be employed with healthy horses at suitable 

 intervals. It can be made by soaking the flax seed in 

 cold water for twelve hours, at the rate of I Ib. to the 

 gallon of water per horse. The seed should be stirred 

 periodically, and by this time the seeds will have burst, 

 to form a jelly-like mass. Half a pint is sufficient to 

 feed at a time. When it is preferred to boil the flax 

 seed, the seed, at the rate of I Ib. to 2 galls, water, 

 should be gradually dropped into boiling water and 

 stirred. For drinking purposes, the seeds should be 

 strained off to separate the mucilage part, and the seed 

 residue may be fed with hay chop, either to the same or 

 other horses. 



Linseed oil is probably the most convenient and 

 safest laxative for farm live stock. For horses, 2 to 3 

 tablespoonfuls can be added to the provender night 

 and morning. 



Oatmeal gruel will be readily taken by some animals, 

 and is very strengthening. It is made as follows: 

 take i Ib. of oatmeal, add a very little cold water till 

 it makes a thick paste, then pour on 3 quarts boiling 

 water. Leave fifteen to twenty minutes, add cold water 

 till the gruel is body-temperature, and allow horse to 

 drink it. 



Ground linseed-cake gruel is made in the same way 

 as oatmeal gruel. 



Grass, forage crops, and roots have a laxative and 

 cooling effect when available. 



When it is necessary to give a horse purgative 

 medicine (" physic ") without delay, its action will be 

 all the more certain if it has been preceded with 

 mashes. A useful purgative in this case would be 

 Barbadoes aloes, made into capsuled balls containing 

 4 to 6 drachms each. 



