344 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



exceeding three quarters of a bushel, horses will stand any 

 quantity of work. 



Horses are particularly fond of raw potatoes. I have 

 found them prefer this to every other food ; but they have 

 been found more nutritive when boiled, and they will thrive 

 well upon them. We would, however, recommend their 

 being mixed with the manger food, in the proportion of one 

 pound of boiled potatoes to two and a half of the other 

 mixture. Horses fed upon potatoes, as above recommended, 

 require less water 



Swedish turnips are a tolerably nutritive food, and very 

 easy of digestion. Twenty-five to thirty pounds of sliced 

 turnip, to twelve pounds of bruised oats and six pounds of 

 straw, forms an excellent meal for a horse. 



Nothing contributes more to the health of a horse than 

 feeding regularly, and at fixed intervals. As his digestion 

 is very rapid, he should be regularly fed. When kept 

 long without food, the horse is apt to take his meal too 

 rapidly, and by distending the stomach, produce stomach- 

 staggers. 



That the food may be well ground down to prepare it for 

 digestion, it must be previously moistened. The horse is 

 fed in a stable on dry food. In the vicinity of the mouth 

 are placed the salivary glands, destined to secrete abun- 

 dantly a limpid fluid of a saltish taste. This fluid is 

 conducted into the mouth by various ducts while the animal 

 is chewing his food ; and being mixed with it, assists in 

 making it more easily ground and conducted into the 

 stomach, and better prepared for digestion. 



Sometimes horses are afilicted with inflammation in the 

 stomach from having eaten poisonous plants, although this 

 is of rare occurrence. It is, however, diflScult to ascertain 

 whether it proceeds from the stomach or bowels ; therefore 



