WHEAT.] 



MODEEN VETERINAEY PRACTICE. 



[beaxs. 



almost his only food. It is more nutritious cuuistance arises from the water p.assint* rapidly 

 than oats, containing nine liundrodaiultwi'nty througli the stomach and small intestines in 



parts of nutritive matter in every thousand. 

 There seems, however, to be something neces- 

 sary besides a great proportion of nutritive 

 matter, in order to render any substance whole- 

 some, strengthening, or fiittcning. AVliere 

 horses are very hardly worked, barley does not 

 seem to agree with them so well as oats. They 

 are more subject to inliammatory complaints, 

 and particularly to surfeit and mange. "When 

 barley is given, the quantity should not exceed 

 a peck daily. It should be always bruised, 

 and the chaff should consist of equal propor- 

 tions of hay and barley-straw, and not be cut 

 too short. If the farmer has a quantity of 

 spotted or uusaleablebarley whichhewishesthus 

 to get rid of, he must very gradually accustom 

 his horses to it, or he will probably produce 

 serious illness among them. For animals that 

 are recovering from illness, barley, in the form 

 of malt, is often serviceable, as tempting their 

 appetite and restoring their strength. It is 

 best given in mashes — water, considerably be- 

 low the boiling heat, being poured upon it, 

 and the vessel or pail kept covered for half an 

 hour. 



GRAINS. 

 Grains fresh from the mash-tub, either alone 

 or mixed with oats or chalf, or both, may be 

 occasionally given to draught horses; they 

 would, however, afford very insufficient nou- 

 rishment for such as are employed iu quicker 

 or harder work. 



WHEAT. 



"Wheat is, iu Great Britain, more rarely given 

 than barley. It contains nine hundred and 

 fifty-five parts of nutritive matter. "When 

 farmers have a damaged or unmarketable 

 sample, they sometimes give it to their horses, 

 and, being at first used in small quantities, 

 they become accustomed to it, and thrive and 

 work well. It must, however, always be bruised 

 and given iu chafl'. Wheat contains a greater 

 proportion of gluten or sticky adhesive matter 

 than any other kind of grain. It is difficult of 

 digestion, and apt to cake and form obstruc- 

 tions in the bowels. This will oftener bo the 



its way to the cacum, carrying off with it all 

 the starch, which is the most nourishing pro- 

 perty of wheat, and leaving the sticky masa 

 behind to accumulate and harden, and obstruct 

 the intestines, and frequently to destroy the 

 animal. A horse that is fed on wheat should 

 have very little hay. The proportion shoulil 

 not be more than one truss of hay to two ot 

 straw. 



AVhcaten flour, boiled iu water to the thick- 

 ness of starch, is given with good effect in 

 over-purging, and this especially if combined 

 with chalk and opium. 



BEANS. 

 Beans contain only five hundred and seventy 

 parts of nutritive matter, yet they add con. 

 siderably to the strength of the horse. This 

 fact forms a striking illustration of the prin- 

 ciple, that the nourishing or strengthening 

 effects of the different articles of food, depend 

 more upon some peculiar property which they 

 have, or some combination which they form, 

 than on their actual quantity of nutritive 

 matter. There are many horses that will not 

 stand hard work without beans being min"-led 

 with their food. Those that have a tendency to 

 purge, it may be necessary to restrain by the 

 astringency of the bean. There is no traveller 

 who is not aware of the difierence in the 

 spirit and endurance of his horse, whether he 

 allows or denies him beans on his journey. 

 They afibrd not merely a temporary stimulus, 

 but they may be daily used without losing 

 their power, or producing exhaustion. Two 

 pounds of beans may, with advantage, be 

 mixed with the chaff of the agricultural horse, 

 during the winter. In summer, tlie quantity 

 should be lessened, or they should be alto- 

 gether discontiniied. They are generally given 

 whole, which is very absurd; for the young 

 horse, the teeth of which are strong, seldom 

 requires them ; while the old horse, to which 

 they are in a manner necessary, is scarcely 

 able to masticate them. He, from being 

 unable to break them, swallows many whole, 

 and drops much corn from his mouth, iu the 

 ineiiectual attempt to crush tiiem. Beans 



case if the horse is suliered to drink much ' should not be merely split, but bruised. They 



water soon after feeding upon it. This cir- 



will even then give sufficient employment to 



133 



