DISEASES OF HORSES 101 



coat. Broth made from sheep's head is sometimes given. In France, 

 Spain, and Italy, besides the grasses, the leaves of limes, vines, the 

 tops of acacia, and the seeds of the carob tree are given to horses. 



The age and health of the animal will, of course, modify the di- 

 gestibility of foods, as will also the manner and time of harvesting, 

 preserving, and preparing the foods. 



In the horse digestion takes place principally in the intestines, 

 and here, as in all other animals and with all foods, it is found that 

 a certain part only of the provender is digested; another portion is 

 undigested. This proportion of digested and undigested food must 

 claim passing notice at least, for if the horse receives too much food, 

 or bulky food containing much indigestible waste, a large portion 

 of food must pass out unused, entailing not only the loss of this 

 unused food, but also calling for an unnecessary expenditure of vital 

 force on the part of the digestive organs of the horse. It is thus that, 

 in fact, too much food may make an animal poor. 



In selecting food for the horse we should remember the an- 

 atomical arrangement of the digestive organs, as well as the physi- 

 ological functions performed by each one of them. Foods must be 

 wholesome, clean, and sweet, the hours of feeding regular, the mode 

 of preparation found by practical experience to be the best must be 

 adhered to, and cleanliness in preparation and administration must 

 be observed. 



The length of time occupied by stomach digestion in the horse 

 varies with the different foods. Hay and straw pass out of the stom- 

 ach more rapidly than oats. It would seem to follow, then, that 

 oats should be given after hay, for if reversed the hay would cause 

 the oats to be sent onward into the intestines before being fully 

 acted upon by the stomach, and as a result produce indigestion. Ex- 

 perience confirms this. There is another good reason why hay 

 should be given first, particularly if the horse is very hungry or if 

 exhausted from overwork, namely, it requires more time in mastica- 

 tion (insuring proper admixture of saliva) and can not be bolted, 

 as are the grains. In either instance water must not be given soon 

 after feeding, as it washes or sluices the food from the stomach before 

 it is fitted for intestinal digestion. The stomach begins to empty 

 itself very soon after the commencement of feeding, and continues 

 rapidly while eating. Afterwards the passage is slower, and several 

 hours are required before the stomach is entirely empty. The na- 

 ture of the work required of the horse must guide us in the selection 

 of his food. Rapid or severe labor can not be performed on a full 

 stomach. For such labor food must be given in small quantity and 

 about two hours before they go to work. Even horses intended for 

 slow work must never be engorged with bulky, innutritions food im- 

 mediately before going to labor. The small stomach of the horse 

 would seem to lead us to the conclusion that this animal should be 

 fed in small quantities and often, which, in reality, should be done. 

 The disproportion between the size of the stomach and the amount 

 of water drank tells us plainly that the horse should always be wa- 

 tered before feeding. One of the common errors of feeding, and the 



