GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 33 



burned. Constant stirring would prevent this. Linseed 

 was largely used in the army for the horses, more especially 

 in the veterinary hospitals, and it proved its value beyond 

 all question of doubt, at home, in France, and other 

 theatres of war. 



Locust beans were a good deal used, the steamed beans 

 being mixed with the forage. The locust beans contain 

 a large amount of sugar, and the majority of horses 

 became very fond of them. Carrots, swedes, turnips, etc., 

 form useful auxiliaries in the feeding of horses, more 

 especially carrots for sick animals. There are very few 

 horses that would refuse carrots, even when seriously ill. 

 It is a poor man's stable that cannot afford a sack or two 

 of carrots in the year. They should be washed and given 

 whole, and this remark apphes to turnips and swedes. 

 For working horses boiled food does not commend itself 

 to the writer as he believes that it is inchned to make 

 horses soft in flesh, just the very reverse of what occurs 

 when beans are given, to counteract the effects of which 

 an occasional swede or two is useful. 



Bedding 



The best bedding material is straw, either oat, wheat, or 

 rye, the last named being perhaps the best of all. There 

 is very little rj^e straw about, so it is hardly likely to be 

 used for bedding purposes. Moss litter, bracken, and no 

 bedding at all, excepting the hard, hard floor are the 

 remaining materials. There is nothing to supersede a 

 deep bed of clean wheat straw. To economise stable 

 expenditure this can be lifted in the daytime, all soiled 

 particles removed, and the bedding relaid between four 

 and six o'clock. If a horse is given a good bed it does at 

 least afford it the opportunity of lying down and resting. 

 Some horses apparently never lie down, but a well- 

 earned rest is always a great restorative. In some 

 locaUties straw is plentiful, whereas in others it can hardly 



