62 HOUSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



horses drinking cold water, than when the system has 

 begun to flag; and that, in the latter case, the water 

 should be made slightly tepid, or a bucket of gruel 

 should be substituted for the cold fluid. As the applica- 

 tion of cold causes contraction of the muscular coats 

 of the blood vessels, so does it retard the absorption 

 of water which is taken into the stomach. 



When a horse goes through violent and continued 

 exertion without drinking, the amount of water in his 

 blood falls below its normal quantity. If this loss is 

 considerable, the thickened blood will be unable to 

 circulate through the lungs with its wonted facility ; 

 in fact, more or less congestion takes place, while the 

 action of the heart becomes laboured in its efforts to 

 pump this abnormally dense fluid through the system. 

 If a horse, in this state, be given a couple of gallons of 

 water, they will be absorbed at once into the blood, 

 and will restore it, more or less completely, to its nor- 

 mal fluidity ; while the action of the lungs and heart 

 will be almost instantaneously relieved, and the feel- 

 ings of distress will rapidly subside. But had water 

 been denied until the horse had cooled down, the pro- 

 longed distress, even if the congestion had passed off 

 with no bad results, would undoubtedly tell on the 

 animal's condition and spirits. In accordance with this 

 principle, I have adopted, with the best results, the 

 practice of giving half a bucket of water to race-horses 

 I have had in training, immediately after their gallops. 



Those who have had to ride long distances, in hot 

 countries, are well aware of the advisability of allowing 

 their mounts to drink frequently during a journey, at 



