126 THE POCKET AND THE STUD. 



good as our own. People might infer that they 

 are not so from the fact that a much larger allow- 

 ance of them is made to horses in Ireland than 

 we give ; their feed being always half a peck, 

 whereas ours, in a general way, is only a quartern. 

 This extra allowance is not, however, made from 

 any acknowledged inferiority in the oats, but 

 from the want of nutrition in the Irish hay, 

 which, from the way it is treated in the making, 

 is generally dry, tasteless, inodorous, and bad 

 altogether. Figuratively speaking, they know 

 nothing of good hay. 



In point of age, I should say that, for horses in 

 fast work, oats should not be less than two years 

 old ; after that I consider their farinaceous part 

 begins to shrink, and that, consequently, a greater 

 proportion of husk falls to the horse's share. The 

 objection to new oats is, first, that they are fla- 

 tulent; and, secondly, as is the case with new 

 oatmeal with hounds, they do not, as we say in 

 kennel language, " stay by them." 



A proper stock of oats should always be kept 

 on hand of course proportionate with the num- 

 ber of horses kept. This should be done that we 

 may not be taken short, and, consequently, obliged 

 to buy at any price, or to put up with oats of a 

 bad sort : but then care must be taken that corn 

 in store is frequently turned over, otherwise it is 

 apt to heat and get musty. 



