ON THE GCCONOMY OF THE STABLE. 73 



the quantity. They find warrant for this 

 praftice in fome of the old authors, but how- 

 well foever a horfe may fliift with' little or no 

 water, whilft abroad and feeding upon fuccu- 

 lent meat, it is indifpenfible to him in the 

 liable ; and I have oft-times feen much mif- 

 chief enfue from its being withheld : coftive- 

 nefs, inflammation, gripes, and their various 

 confequent morbid derivatives ; perpetual long- 

 ing, and the danger of excefs upon every op- 

 portunity. . 



The well known ufe of hay is to dilate the 

 body of the horfe, to fatisfy his appetite with 

 bulk and quantity, as corn does with compaft 

 and folid nutriment. Englifli hay, the beft in 

 the world, it is true, contains great nourifli- 

 ment, and will keep a horfe, and even fat him; 

 but he is unable to labour upon hay alone, and 

 I have experienced the truth of Bracken's ob- 

 fervation, that it injures the fight of Horfes to 

 keep them fo, in particular if fuddenly taken 

 from good keep and full feeding. Hard up- 

 land hay is the proper kind for nags and coach- 

 horfes, and it ought to be of fine colour, fra- 

 grant fcent, and full of flower. Clover hay, 

 and that of the artificial grafles in general, 

 from its groflhefs, is appropriated to cart- 

 horfes. Without attempting to afcertain the 

 precife quantity, it may be faid, that hay 

 fliould be given as often as a horfe has a keen 



3 appetite 



