and often. 



124 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



watering after feeding, and as horses readily become accustomed to 

 any mechod which is systematically adopted, actual illness does not 

 result as frequently as might be imagined, but the practice is unsound, 

 and as a matter of fact is becoming less and less common. 



It must not be imagined^ however, that "water before feeding" 

 means "do not give any water till the next meal." The horse's stomach 

 is, as a matter of fact, never really empty, some food usually remains in 

 it ; but within an hour of feeding water may be given if desired ; and 

 when left constantly with the horse it will be found that a sip or two is 

 frequently taken, but not a long draught. 



A working horse, especially if tired and hot, will naturally swallow 

 an inordinate quantity of water very rapidly, and the common-sense 

 application of this rule, is to allow him the opportunity of quenching his 

 thirst before giving him a dry corn feed. 

 Feed in (2) Feed ifi small qiicnitities •and often. — The digestive apparatus of 



small the horse is arranged to admit of leisurely feeding for many hours at a 



?l'^"iffl!f stretch. The stomach is small, and cannot contain large quantities at 

 a time like that of the ox, there is no gall bladder to store up the bile, 

 which flows constantly from the liver directly into the bowel, but the 

 capacious bowels are capable of accommodating a large quantity of food 

 during slow digestion. The bulk of the food then does not stay long in 

 the stomach, but once it is about two-thirds full, passes through at the 

 rate that it is taken into the mouth, until feeding is finished. A horse 

 out at pasture spends most of his time eating, steadily grazing by the 

 hour ; the only variations he allows himself are an occasional short 

 gallop with others, a brief and infrequent visit to the stream, and a few 

 hours' rest. But the working horse receives at stated intervals a large 

 amount of very stimulating and palatable food which he learns to eat 

 with rapidity. The stomach works best when it is about two-thirds full. 

 If these periodical feeds, which require a good deal of digestion, are 

 too large, there is a danger of the animal over-distending the stomach, and 

 so incurring the risk of indigestion. A feed of 3 lb. to 4 lb. of oats, mixed 

 with a couple of handsful of chaff represents when chewed and mixed 

 with saliva the amount which the average horse is capable of consuming 

 to the best advantage at a meal. This may be followed by a long and 

 slow consumption of hay, and the gradual passage of the food into the 

 bowel takes place under favourable conditions. But if the feed is much 

 larger it causes a distension of the elastic stomach, and a corresponding 

 weakening of its digestive power. Should this overloading be very 

 excessive the stomach is stretched to such an extent as to be incapable 

 of effort, the food soon ferments, gas is given off from it, and acute 



