MANAGEMENT OF YEARLINGS, ETC. 85 



require for proper growth and development by grazing". The 

 pasture on Avhieli tliey are running should, of course, afford a 

 good and continual growth of grass and herbage of good 

 quality. The supply of water on the pasture must be good 

 and ample; if there is no natural w^ater supply, such asi a brook 

 or a pond, a large ^Yater tank is required, and this must be 

 kept constantly tilled with clean water. The tank recjuires to 

 be cleaned out thoroughly every fortnight. There should be 

 ample shade, as exposure to the hot noo>day sun is. detrimen- 

 tal to the well-being of horses. If shade is not furnished by 

 trees or a well-grown hedge, some kind of shed ought to be 

 erected in order to afford the required shade. During a long- 

 continued drought, wdien the grass gets burnt up, and there is 

 no fresh growth on the pasture, the young horses ought to re- 

 ceive some additional food in order to keep them in satisfac- 

 tory growing condition. This additional food may consist 

 either of oats or of cut lucerne or sainfoin, according to which 

 can be most conveniently provided. 



Winter Treatment — During the w^inter season, it is 

 best to house the young horses at nights, but in the day time 

 they must be turned out. The food of yearlings, tAvo-year- 

 olds, and thiee-year-olds, during the winter should consist of 

 hay, oat-straw, chop, corn, and roots, in addition, to the grass 

 which they consume by grazing. The grass will, of course, not 

 yield much nourishment, being both scanty in supply and of 

 poor quality. No rules as to the quantities of food to be given 

 can be laid down ; but in all cases, enough must be given each 

 day to satisfy the appetite of the young horses completely, and 

 to keep them in good condition. It is a bad plan to let colts 

 lose condition in winter, trusting to the pasturage in summer 

 to make up for this. The thing is to keep young horses going 

 on all the time and making continual groAvth, and carefully 

 to avoid checking their develoiDment so far as can be helped. 

 The allowance of corn for young horses, after the first winter, 

 should be from two to three pounds a day. In the case of 

 young horses of the light class, the corn should be oats, but 

 for those of the heavy class, a mixture of two parts of oats and 



