FEEDING AND WATERING 91 



theoretically and practically quite good, and it is 

 economical, for it reduces a highly nitrogenous and 

 expensive labour diet down to maintenance value during 

 the period of rest. Moreover, it prevents those diseases 

 which are known to occur after a short rest on a full diet. 

 The usual practice is to give half a bucket of warm bran 

 mash after finishing work on Saturday, and to reduce 

 the corn given at the first two meals on Sunday. Another 

 method is to supply bran instead of corn for the first 

 and second Sunday meals. 



During summer various special articles of diet are fed 

 to horses either at the week-end, or at the evening 

 meal on working days. Among these summer feeds 

 may be mentioned various green foods, such as lucerne, 

 and roots, such as carrots. The change is appreciated 

 very much by horses, and is doubtless not without its 

 beneficial effects upon them ; commercially, however, 

 many large horse-owners have not been convinced of the 

 value of the practice. 



The need and value of supplying rock-salt to horses 

 appears to be recognized in both small and large studs. 



Even more debatable than feeding in relation to work 

 and disease is the question of the times at which water 

 is to be offered. The lessons which are to be learned 

 from the natural mode of life and structure of the horse, 

 together with experiments on watering, and the careful 

 observations of horse-owners, are so divergent and 

 opposed to each other that it is not possible to formulate 

 any dogmatic rule as to when a horse should receive his 

 water. Some authorities believe that a horse should be 

 watered before feeding ; others advise keeping a supply of 

 w ater always in front of him ; whilst a third school maintain 



