FEEDING. 69 



years old a handful of beans or peas may be added 

 to each feed. A horse will do with a mash made of 

 bran and hot water once or twice a week, and after 

 a day's hunting, half a pailful of g-ruel made of oat- 

 meal and hot water is generally the first food given 

 them on reaching home. 



Hay is generally given to horses twice a day, 

 morning and night, but it is better to divide it into 

 three, and give them some in the middle of the day 

 as well. But the times of giving hay in the daytime 

 must depend upon the hours of work ; that is, they 

 should not have hay just before they are wanted to 

 go out, as eating their hay will prevent them from 

 doing their work so easily, and doing their work will 

 hinder them from digesting their hay. Whatever 

 corn and hay the owner allows, some grooms will 

 have their horses always looking better than others 

 will ; and if the horse gets a fair allowance of food 

 and does not look well, you may conclude that it is 

 the fault of the man who has him to attend do, and 

 that it is no use giving him more food to make him 

 look better. 



Hunters being only required for the winter months, 

 there are several weeks in the summer when the 

 horse is, as a rule, doing nothing, and there are 

 several ways of treating him during this interval, 

 each of which has its advocates. 



I will enumerate them. 



First, keeping the horse in exactly the same 



