DENTITION AND DIET. 135 



the same. It is the young and growing animal that requires our 

 greatest attention. If our readers desire to raise colts that bhall 

 remunerate them for the trouble and expense incurre.1, they must 

 feed the same, during their minority, with a liberal hand. Any 

 neglect at this period can never be made up in after life. The 

 eubiect will always remain lank and lean — living monuments of 

 their master's folly or ignorance, as the case may be. In additic n 

 to the food required for the colt's growth, we nuist also furnii^h 

 enough to supply the waste incurred by expenditure of muscular 

 power. AVe all know that the young are very active and playful. 

 Every muscular movement involves an expenditurt.' of vital force, 

 and thus exhausts the system; therefore, in view of developing 

 their full proportions, and promoting the integrity of the living 

 mechanism, they must have nutritious food, and plenty of it. They 

 are not, however, to have a large quantity at a time, but iittlc and 

 often. Their stomach is small, not larger than that ot a man's. 

 Should it be overdistended with innutritions food, the organs of 

 res])iration and circulation become embarrassed, and the blood 

 loaded with carbon. They require food often, because tne diges- 

 tive organs are very active, and soon dispose of an ordinary meal. 

 Then comes the sensation of hunger, which every one knows is 

 hard to bear. 



The climate or temperature of the surrounding atmosphere has a 

 wonderftd effect on the animal machine. I^et two horses be located 

 in different stables, one of which shall be, like "Jack Straw's* 

 house neither wind-tight nor water-proof; the other built on 

 tne air-tight principle. The occupant of the former will require 

 more food than he of the latter, because cold air has a depressing 

 influence on the body, exhausting superficial heat. Our readers 

 are probably aware that if a hot brick be placed in contact with 

 a cold one, the caloric radiated from the first is absorbed by the 

 latter, until a sort of equilibrium be established. The same is 

 true as regards the body of a horse. He being in an atmosphere 

 many degrees less than that of his own body, gives off the hciit 

 of the same to the surrounding medium. The heat thus given 

 off has to be replaced by food, which is the combustible material 

 But it often happens that the digestive organs are deranged, in- 

 capable of assimilating a sufficiency of carbonaceous material to 

 maintoir. even the normal temperature of the body. The const'- 

 ']U'-r'>.' Are, loss of flesh and health. On tho ither hand, a tat 



