13'i FOOD. 



middle of April to the end of July, lie may be fed -witli this mixture m 

 the day and turned out at night, or he may remain out during every rest- 

 day. A team in constant employ should not, howevei", be suffered to be 

 out at night after the end of August. 



The farmer should take care that the pasture is thick and good ; and that 

 the distance fi^om the yard is not too great, or the fields too large, otherwise 

 a very considerable poi-tion of time "will be occupied in catching the horses 

 in the morning. He v, ill likewise have to take into consideration the sale 

 he would have for his hay, and the necessity for sweet and untrodden pas- 

 ture for his cattle. On the whole, however, turning out in this way, when 

 circumstances will admit of it, Avill be found to be more beneficial for the 

 horse, and cheaper than soiling in the yard. 



The horse of the inferior farmer is sometimes fed on hay or gTass alone, 

 and the animal, although he rarely gets a feed of corn, maintains himself 

 in tolerable condition, and does the work that is required of him : but hay 

 and grass alone, however good in quality, or in whatever quantity allowed, 

 will not support a horse under hard work. Other substances containing 

 a larger proportion of nutriment in a smaller compass, have been added. 

 They shall be briefly enumerated, and an estimate formed of their com- 

 parative value. 



In almost every part of Great Britain, Oats have been selected as that 

 portion of the food which is to afford the principal nourishment. They 

 contain seven hundred and forty-three parts out of a thousand of nutritive 

 matter. They should be about or somewhat less than a year old, heavy, 

 dry, and sweet, plump, bright in coloui", and free from unpleasant taste or 

 smell. New oats will weigh ten or fifteen per cent, more than old ones ; 

 but the difference consists principally in watery matter, which is gi^adually 

 evaporated. New oats are not so readily gi-ound do"v\Ti by the teeth as 

 old ones. They form a more glutinous mass, difficult to digest, and, when 

 eaten in considerable quantities, are apt to occasion colic and even stag- 

 gers. If they are to be used before they are from three to five months 

 old, they would be materially improved by a little kiln-drying. There is 

 no fear for the horses from simple drying, if the corn Avas good when it 

 "was put in the kiln. The old oat forms, Avhen chewed, a smooth and 

 uniform mass, which readily dissolves in the stomach, and yields the 

 nourishment which it contains. Perhaps some chemical change may have 

 been slowly effected in the old oat, disclosing it to be more readily assimi- 

 lated. The musty smell of wetted or damaged corn is produced by 

 fungus which grows upon the seed, and the deep red (foxy) colour which 

 some oats possess, is produced by excessive fermentation in the rick, and 

 in both these conditions they will have an injurious effect on the ui'inary 

 organs, and often on the intestines, pi-oducing profuse staling, inflammation 

 of the kidneys, colic, and inflammation of the bowels. 



This musty smell is removed by kiln-drying the oat ; but care is here 

 requisite that too great a degree of heat is not employed. It should be 

 sufficient to destroy the fungus "without injuring the life of the seed. 

 Many persons, but without just cause, have considerable fear of the kiln- 

 burnt oat. It is said to produce inflannnation of the bladder, and of the 

 eyes, and mangy affections of the skin. The fact is, that many of the kiln- 

 dried oats that are given to horses were damaged before they were diied, 

 and thus became unhealthy. A considerable improvement Avould be ef- 

 fected, by cutting the un threshed oat- straw into chaflT, and the expense of 

 threshing would be saved. Oat-straw is better than that of barley, but 

 does not contain so much nutriment as that of wheat. 



When the horse is fed on hay and oats, the quantity of the oats must vary 

 with his size and the work to be perfoi'med. In Avinter, four feeds, or from 



