82 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 



The stomach of the horse is comparative!}^ small, 

 but the intestines are very large, and are of necessity 

 liejyt distended hy residual gas, which it is one of the 

 functions ofthe healthy body to keep evenly balanced 

 in regard both to quantity and quality. This con- 

 stant distension of the intestines by healthy gas 

 causes that roundness and tension of the belly we 

 see so well marked. When the horse is in hard 

 condition, there is a minimum quantity of healthy 

 gas in the bowels. This can only be when he is 

 living on highly nutritious diet in a concentrated 

 form, such as oats and hay. Should an animal, as 

 in summer, be living on less nutritious diet, and 

 this engulphed in coarse watery non-nutritive 

 material, causing the digestive apparatus much 

 w'ork, then this residual gas is for the time greatly 

 increased, whilst the powers are taxed to their 

 utmost, and it not unfrequently happens that these 

 fail in balancing the quantity of this gas, and so 

 ' windy colic' results. It is then for us to ask first 

 of all what the horse we are purchasing is living 

 upon. If it is green food, we expect to find a larger 

 belly than when living upon harder and more 

 concentrated food. When the gas in the bowels is 

 much less than common, it gives to the animal an 

 unsightly appearance, and he is said to be ' tucked up 

 in his flanks ;' but I must caution you here against 

 being deceived in the import of this. If a horse is 

 pained in moving his hind legs, he will be tucked 

 up in the flanks on the side on which the lame leg is. 



