ARTIFICIAL CONDIMENTAL FOODS 265 



without calling upon the groom to bale it out with a teacup, which I have 

 actually seen done in one particular stable, the owner of wliich prided 

 himself on the perfection of his arrangements. If the water only came 

 into contact with the ii'on, no great harm would ensue, because the oxide 

 formed by the union of the oxygen in the water with the metal itself, in 

 the shape of common rust, is by no means prejudicial to health. But no 

 iron manger containing water will long remain free from decomposing 

 vegetable matter, unless it is regularly scrubbed out daily, because the 

 horse, as he holds his head over it during his feeding, drops particles of 

 hay, corn, etc., into the water, and this, being raised in temperature to that 

 of the stable, soon dissolves the starch and other ingredients which are prone 

 to decomposition. The consequence is, that the sides of the tank become 

 foul, being covered with a thick slime, which not only renders the water 

 nauseous to the horse, but also makes it prejudicial to his health. For this 

 reason a waste-pipe and stop-cock are absolutely essential, for by their aid 

 alone can the groom be expected to do his duty ; if enamelled, the tank is 

 also more easily cleaned. 



The quantity of water which will be imbibed by horses varies even 

 more than that of their solid food, yet ignorant grooms are too apt to give 

 all alike. The most strenuous advocate for the continuous supply would 

 doubtless make an exception at those times when horses are just about to 

 be severely galloped, as in hunting or racing ; and on the other hand, almost 

 all grooms who know their business allow their charges to fill themselves at 

 night, and also give them a liberal allowance when they have done their 

 work and are dressed and cooled down after it. I have found in my own 

 stable, in measuring the actual quantity of water drunk by the horses, that 

 even among those which are doing the same amount of work and eating 

 similar food both in quantity and quality, the water will vary from two 

 buckets a day to nearly five. If salt is given, it will pi'oduce considerable 

 thirst at first, but after a time this effect ceases, and I have not found it 

 in the long run make much diiFei'ence. Green food will also make less 

 alteration in the desire for water than might be expected, which may be 

 accounted for by the fact that it increases the secretions of urine and 

 perspiration, and also acts gently on the bowels ; so that, though more 

 fluid is taken into the system with the green food, yet a proportionably 

 large quantity passes off. It is, however, necessary to be cautious in the 

 allowance of water to horses which have just begun to eat grass or vetches, 

 for if given in the usual quantity on a stomach full of green food, it will 

 very probably bring on an attack of colic. As a rule, no horse should go 

 to any moderately fast work with more than half a bucket of water in him, 

 and that should have been swallowed at least an hour. This subject, how- 

 ever, will be better considered under the next head. 



The quality of water best suited to the horse is one moderately soft, 

 but it should not be rain water collected in tanks, which soon becomes 

 full of decomposing vegetable matter. I have known the health of a 

 whole stable full of horses seriously injured by using rain water, as was 

 proved by the fact that its filtration through charcoal, gravel, and sand 

 soon restored the animals to a fair state of health, without any alteration 

 in their solid food or work. On the other hand, very hard water disagrees 

 almost to an equal extent, often producing the state of the skin known 



