100 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



of good clean litter. This is usually straw, and there is no 

 doubt that for healthy horses it makes the best bed. Of all 

 straw the best is that of wheat. A good bed implies a liberal 

 allowance of straw, and there are many horses which will not 

 lie down, or will rest badly when down, unless the bed is good. 

 Unless horses rest well, and especially if they refuse to lie 

 down, they cannot perform their work in a satisfactory 

 manner ; and therefore every inducement for them to take 

 their natural rest should be provided, and a plentiful, clean, 

 and well-arranged bed of sweet dry straw is certainly most 

 conducive to that end. Wheat straw is stronger and tougher, 

 and more easily spread, than other kinds, and is therefore best 

 suited for bedding purposes. It should be unbroken, dry, 

 clean, bright in colour, and not have broad flaggy leaves. 

 Wheat straw being long, it happens that it frequently becomes 

 soiled at one end only, and this often causes it to be thrown 

 away as manure ; to obviate this apparent extravagance, each 

 bundle of straw may be cut in halves before being used. An 

 allowance of from 8 lbs. to 12 lbs. of good wheat straw per day 

 should furnish a fairly good bed. Other kinds of straw, as oat 

 straw, do not answer so well, they being either too hard or too 

 soft, and less durable, being easily converted into manure. 

 Sometimes hay, too bad to be used as forage, is used as litter ; 

 but this is objectionable, as it cannot make a comfortable bed, 

 and it is said that if its use be continued for any length of 

 time the horses will become infected with lice. 



Horses should stand upon a thin layer of litter, if the 

 stable floor is dry, when they are not allowed to lie down ; this 

 litter should be that which has been used, but it must be dry. 

 If horses work hard and require much rest, the resting bed 

 should be laid down at the most convenient period. To 

 prevent voracious horses eating the straw — which very often 

 proves hurtful, as well as to save it — the fresh straw should 

 not be placed within their reach. In order to accomplish this. 



