94 DISEASES OF INIMALS. 



suring. New oats, not well saved, are hard to digest^ 

 and rather purgative. If too old, they become musty, 

 and full of insects. Some contain dirt, dust, earth, &c. 



Preparation and Feeding. Horses prefer oats whole 

 and raw. Grinding is not generally considered profita- 

 oie. Bruising is good, but it is much labor. Soaking 

 is good ; even wetting is beneficial in hot weather 

 When horses are travelling, they waste oats from a 

 trough, a,nd they lose many from provender baskets by 

 tossing up the head. Nose-bags are best, with a good 

 fit, to prevent waste, yet allowing room for the jaws tt- 

 operate. 



Indian Corn is used to a great extent in this country 

 for horses ; it being the cheapest grain raised, consid- 

 ering the nutriment it contains. But, owing to its heat- 

 ing properties, and the large amount of nutriment in a 

 small space, it should not be given alone, excepting in 

 moderate quantities. Hence the advantage of grinding 

 the cob with the corn, to add to the bulk. The cob con- 

 tains some nutriment, also. Meal, or cracked corn, is 

 better than whole corn. If a horse be fed on wliole corn, 

 fowls will live well on the manure, or particles of undi- 

 gested grain that are voided. Some soak corn a day or 

 two before feeding, which is doubtless an advantage. 



Barley. Some regard barley as valuable as oats, 

 pound for pound. Others say it is heating and laxative. 

 Its laxative effects soon cease. It is better for boiling or 

 soaking ; or grind and scatter it on cut, moistened fodder. 

 Feed lightly at first. 



Wheat is hard to masticate and digest ; therefore it is 

 not good food without preparation. Horses are very fond 

 of It, and will eat it to excess. It is said to be poisonous 

 in large quantities. It has proved fatal in several cases. 

 Wheat bran, pollard, and shorts, are valuable for mashes. 



Buckwheat is but little used for horse feed. In some 

 parts of Europe it is used, being first made into bread. 

 Some say this grain is too laxative ; others, that it has 

 stupefying effects. 



Rye is but little used as food for stock. We have 

 observed that it is laxative ; and this might be inferred 

 from its peculiar qualities. A good preparation would 

 be to grind it and strew the meal on fodder 



