CAKROTS. 143 



they are now, having formerly had the character 

 of being- good for the wind; but I suspect the 

 only merit they can claim in this respect is, that 

 they keep the body cool and properly open, by 

 which they conduce greatly to health and con- 

 dition, and consequently to clearness of wind. 

 About the same thing may be said of their claims 

 to producing a fine coat: whatever conduces to 

 health does so, consequently carrots do. But 

 I must here add a caution, for, if given too freely, 

 they are apt to produce eruption on the skin. 

 To any one who has been in a racing stable, 

 or in any well-conducted one, it may seem almost 

 useless to say that carrots should be sliced in 

 pretty long slices ; but I have seen them given 

 by those calling themselves grooms cut crossways: 

 this is really dangerous, as horses are extremely 

 fond of them, and, if at all greedy, would be apt 

 to bolt pieces of them whole, which would be 

 quite likely to cause some of them to stick in 

 the throat. 



Some persons give carrots with the corn, think- 

 ing it tempts horses to eat their oats, if of delicate 

 appetite : so they might if perfectly minced, 

 otherwise they will pick them all out, and then 

 the groom may eat the oats if he pleases, for de- 

 pend on it the horses would not ; but if we were 

 to make minced meat of them, I should still con- 

 sider it a very bad plan to give them with oats ; 



