FEEDING AND CONDITION 47 



be given to a horse after a day's hunting or after 

 long and severe labour. This may be made 

 either of oatmeal or linseed. The oatmeal gruel 

 is made by scalding the oatmeal, which is 

 moistened first with cold water to prevent it 

 getting lumpy. The linseed gruel is made by 

 boiling the linseed till it forms a jelly. It is then 

 diluted to the required strength. I prefer linseed 

 gruel to oatmeal. I am told that in the hill 

 countries which are frequented by tourists the 

 horses which draw the coaches are given wheat 

 flour gruel and that it is very recuperative. I can 

 well believe it though I have had no experience 

 with it. Of course it is essential that wheat flour 

 should be carefully mixed with cold water first 

 — otherwise we should get a pasty mess. 



Old oats and old hay of course should always 

 be used. They are not only best but cheapest in 

 the end. Be careful to get oats that weigh well, 

 and that are thin in the husk. There is nothing 

 to choose between black oats and white ones, 

 other things being equal, but the best Scottish 

 white oats are the heaviest grain. There is 

 however not much to choose in this respect be- 

 tween them and the best black ones off similar 

 land. Never buy kiln -dried oats under any 

 circumstances. 



The hay should be upland hay, sweet and 

 well got. The coarse grasses of low-lying land 

 are all well enough for cattle or for draught horses 

 but they are injurious to horses that have to do 

 fast work. Under no circumstances should such 



