FEEDING, WATERING AND GROOMING. 233 



The ordinary farm-hoise should be given as much oats as he will eat 

 three times a day, in summer, and be allowed grass or hay at night, in 

 their proper season. When not at work, on Sundays, they are sometimes 

 put upon pasture, and we have known farmers turn out their horses at 

 night to feed. This plan we dislike. The farm-horse has exhausting 

 labor, and should rest in the stable when not at work. The grass at 

 night is good ; let the farm-horse have it by all means, but cut and carry 

 it to him. 



Horses kept for driving, light pleasure horses, and the business-man's 

 horse, should be fed on sound oats and hay, with a sweet mash of bran 

 once or twice a week. Many persons of this class, turn their horses out 

 to pasture during the summer. Nothing could be more injurious. The 

 animals are eaten up by flies and mosquitos ; they get out of condition, 

 and the owner blames the person who has grazed them at so much a 

 week. If they are turned out at night and sheltered during the day, and 

 get half rations of oats, it is not so bad. 



The proper time for a horse to have a run at grass is in May and early 

 in June ; but the animal should have a little oats daily. A month at 

 grass is amply sufficient. 



The full feed for driving horses is from four to six quarts of oats, 

 three times a day, according to size, and as much sound hay as they will 

 eat. Musty grain, musty or dusty oats, gives rise to heaves and other 

 disorders, and should never be fed to any horse. Hence, in using ground 

 feed, be sure that it is made from sound grain. Washing and kUn-drying 

 does not cure musty grain, though it may deceive the unwary. Hence, 

 again, the best plan with all driving horses, and horses for other fast 

 work, is to feed whole grain to them. 



m. When to Peed. 



A horse should get his feed as regularly as a man. His stomach, like 

 that of a man, is small, and the size has been reduced by artificial 

 breeding and care. Horses doing f?»,st and exhausting work, should be 

 fed grain four times a day ; at six and at ten o'clock in the morning, at 

 two in the afternoon and again at night. Carriage horses should also 

 be fed four times a day ; but the morning feed need not be until seven or 

 eight o'clock, since the animals are not required to be used, as a rule, 

 before ten. They should be fed again at lunch-time, or as near twelve 

 as possible ; also before going out in the afternoon, and again upon their 

 return in the evening ; if they bring the family home late, they should 

 also have a feed before being left for the night. 



Trotting horses and racing horses should be fed with grain four times 

 a day, and light-feeding animals should have every inducement held out 



