264 THE HORSE 



Watering horses. It used to be supposed that watering horses when 

 hot and fatigued was a fruitful source of colic, and those horsemen who did 

 not withhold water until the horse was cool, would permit only one "go- 

 down," just to enable the animal to take food. Increased knowledge of 

 the subject has caused a change of practice among those best qualified to 

 form a judgment, and we cannot do better than quote Captain Hayes' 

 opinion and the reasons he gives for allowing a plentiful supply of water, 

 subject only to the condition that the water must not be cold, such as 

 spring or well water. Good stablemen often put a bucket or two of water 

 in the sunshine to get the chill off while their horses are out, or add a little 

 hot water before allowing the animal to take his fill. 



" Experience proves that it is perfectly safe to water horses immediately 

 after work, no matter how hot they may be, provided always that the water 

 is not too cold ; but that they are apt to get colic or be otherwise injuriously 

 affected, if they are allowed to drink largely after they have cooled down. 

 It is important to recollect that the only harm cold water of itself can do 

 the horse, when digestion is going on, is the shock which its low temperature 

 causes to the nervous system of the animal. A moderate degree of cold 

 acts no doubt as a healthy stimulus, though its excess may injure by 

 nervous shock. A quantity of cold water remaining unabsorbed in the 

 intestines may cause contraction of the muscular coat of the bowels, and 

 consequent colic or diarrhoea. The very time above all others that a horse 

 requires a liberal drink of water, is when he is heated and exhausted by 

 fast work ; for his blood will then be in an abnormally thick state on 

 account of the large amount of water in the form of perspiration, etc., it 

 has lost, and will, consequently, be unable to circulate with due facility. 

 When a horse is heated, the small blood-vessels which are situated on 

 the surface of the interior of the stomach and intestines, and whose office 

 it is to absorb fluid, will, owing to the rapid state of the circulation, take 

 up the water drunk with extreme rapidity. But if the horse be allowed to 

 cool down without getting water, his blood will gradually recover its fluidity 

 at the expense of the tissues. It is reasonable, then, to suppose that useless 

 waste of tissue — of which water forms a component part^ — and consequent 

 exhaustion is entailed by stinting the horse of water when he i^ heated from 

 exercise. Experience proves both in our own persons and in that of our 

 horses, that drinking a moderate amount of water when the man or animal 

 is hot and tired from hard work, diminishes to a very great extent or 

 altogether obviates any subsequent exhaustion and depression. An owner 

 should exercise his judgment in guarding against the possibility of his horse 

 getting water which is too cold." 



Few horses are allowed as much corn as they will eat, and the rattling of 

 the sieve or bin will make every occupant of a stall place himself in an 

 attitude of expectation. But if the lifting of a bucket produces the same 

 eager look, and especially at any hour but the usual time of watering, it 

 may at once be concluded that the horse is not regularly and sufficiently 

 supplied with fluid, and it will generally be found that his condition suffers 

 accordingly. It is astonishing how little water will suffice if it is given 

 at regular intervals, and it is the neglect of this periodical supply which 

 produces the craving that leads to dangerous repletion. If it is decided to 

 adopt the tank, provision sliould also be made for emptying it readily, 



