FEEDING. 23 



At the same time moisten half a bucket of bran with 

 a gallon of water. W^ien the linseed has soaked for 

 four hours, a hole must be made in the middle of the 

 bran, and the linseed mass mixed into the bran mass. 

 The whole forms one feed. 



If a cold is present, or an animal is delicate, the bran 

 can be saturated with boiling water, of which a little 

 more can be added to warm it when given. 



Carrots, when a horse is delicate, will be found 

 acceptable, and are both nutritious and wholesome as 

 food. In spring and summer, w^hen vetches or other 

 green food can be had, an occasional treat of that sort 

 conduces to health where the work is sufficiently mode- 

 rate to admit of soft feeding. 



When an animal is "off his feed," as it is called, at- 

 tention should be immediately directed to his manger, 

 which is often found to be shamefully neglected, the 

 bottom of it covered with gravel, or perhajDs the ends 

 and corners fuU of foul matter, such as the sour re- 

 mains of the last bran-mash and other half -masticated 

 leavings. 



The introduction of any greasy or fetid matter into 

 a horse's food will effectually prevent this dainty crea- 

 ture from touching it. It used to be a common prac- 

 tice at hostelries in the olden time, to rub the teeth of 

 a traveller's horse with a tallow candle or a little oil; 

 thus causing the poor beast to leave his food untouched 

 for the benefit of his unfeeling attendant. 



Again, the oats or hay may be found, on close exa- 

 mination, to be musty, which causes them to be rejected 

 by the beast. 



Where no palpable cause for loss of appetite can be 

 discovered, reference should be made to a qualified 



