CHAPTER VII 

 WATERING AND FEEDING 



npHE best way is to water your horse first, then give 

 -*- him his hay, then water again, and finally give him 

 his grain. Water immediately after grain has some 

 tendency to interfere with his digestion. This is espe- 

 cially the case when the horse is put to work imme- 

 diately after feeding. Truckmen in the city often speak 

 of "afternoon colic." This is usually caused by first 

 graining the horse, then watering him, and at once 

 starting on the afternoon's work. These horses should 

 be watered before receiving their grain, and again two 

 hours later. 



One often sees the statement that a horse will worry 

 if not watered immediately after feeding. He cer- 

 tainly will worry if any change whatever is made in the 

 time of watering or feeding him, but once accustomed 

 to any system he will eat or drink freely at the 

 appointed time. What the horse objects to is irregu- 

 larity or unpunctuality. He carries no watch, but he 

 knows almost to a minute when the usual time for 

 feeding or watering him arrives. " Livery horses," 

 says Dr. Schoenleber, "are never sick except when 

 over-driven. Why is this? Because a livery horse 

 gets a certain amount of feed regularly, is watered 

 regularly, and cleaned regularly." 



To eat grain does not make a horse thirsty, but the 



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