GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 23 



stable ; nevertheless, a liberal supply of water is essential 

 for the well-being of these animals. In some stables a 

 constant supply of fresh water is kept in front of the 

 horses, the manger being fitted with a water trough. 

 This is an excellent plan and one which should be borne 

 in mind by anyone contemplating building a stable. All 

 horses should be watered three times a day, and four 

 when convenient. During the winter the early morning 

 watering of horses, more particularly when the weather is 

 severe, is not necessary, as the animals will seldom drink. 

 If horses are watered at 8 a.m., 12 noon, and 4 p.m., being 

 fed one hour later, the arrangement will usually be found 

 satisfactory. In summer feed and water an hour earlier, 

 but regularity in feeding and watering is a sine qua non. 

 It is a bad practice to feed and water horses only twice a 

 day. It is considered a good plan always to water your 

 horses a short time before they are fed in order that their 

 stomachs may be given the opportunity of deahng to their 

 fullest extent with the corn supplied, Where several 

 horses are watered at the same trough it is a most impor- 

 tant matter not to take the animals away from the trough 

 until all have drank freely. Some horses will drink freely 

 immediately they get to the trough, whereas others 

 require to be given time to think the matter over, and if 

 those which have had their fill of water are taken away 

 immediately, the others usually want to follow suit, 

 although they may have drunk little or no water. The 

 result is some members of a stud are properly watered, 

 and the rest improperly so. A horse will drink from half 

 to three gallons of water at one time. If the body is over- 

 heated about half a gallon of water will be sufficient for 

 the time being. Horses which are poor drinkers never 

 thrive as well as those which drink freely. Drinking 

 water at public troughs is a most pernicious practice, 

 and carters and vanmen shoud be warned against the 

 dangers of allowing this. The greatest offenders in the 

 watering of horses are farmers, many of whom, and their 



