REARING AND FEEDING OF ANIMALS. 333 



to be worked beyond his power, and never to be allowed to fall, in condition, 

 below the work which he is to perform. 



The stable for the farm-horse, as for every other, should be spacious and 

 well ventilated. It is a great error to suppose that horses require a close, warm 

 stable, to preserve them in health. To keep them fully sheltered, and free from 

 the action of any cold current, is all that is requisite. The horse is well suited 

 to bear an equal temperature, but not sudden changes produced by artificial 

 means. Farm-horses regularly worked have been known to be kept through- 

 out the coldest winters in mere sheds, not only without injury, but with greater 

 benefit to their health than if they had been closely confined. 



Next to ventilation in importance, is cleanliness of the stable. No filth should 

 be suffered to accumulate, out every day the stable should be cleaned out, with 

 the same attention for the farm as for the saddle-horse. In the farm-horse 

 stable, every ploughman should have a small fork, a curry-comb, a brush, a 

 mane-comb, and a foot-picker. 



Light should be admitted into every stable, to a certain extent. But in the 

 case of farm-horses, which are only in the stable during the hours of rest and 

 feeding, less light is necessary than in the case of the saddle-horse, which 

 passes a great part of his time within doors. The light required for the farm- 

 horse stable is that which is sufficient to allow the workmen to perform their 

 duties in the day-time. Sometimes there is a room adjoining the stable for 

 holding the harness, but it is perfectly convenient and sufficient in practice, to 

 have the simple furniture of the farm-horse hung on pins in the wall behind 

 each pair of horses. 



The food of the horse in this country consists of herbage, or green forage, 

 as clovers and sainfoin; of dried forage, as hay and straw; of various farina- 

 ceous substances, as oats, barley, peas, and beans; and of the succulent roots 

 of plants, as the potato, the turnip, the carrot, the parsnep, and the beet. Of 

 the grains given to the horse, the most generally employed in this country, and 

 that which is regarded as well adapted to his strength and spirit, is the oat. 



The oat is, for the most part, given to the horse without any preparation, 

 though it is sometimes bruised, which is always beneficial, by rendering it 

 more easily masticated and digested. It is usually given in portions at a time, 

 familiarly known under the term feeds, the measure of which, however, varies 

 in different districts. A feed in some places consists of a gallon, being the 

 eighth part of a bushel, and weighing, upon a medium, about 4j Ibs. 



Two gallons in the day, or 9 Ibs., are considered to be good feeding when the 

 horse is on dry food, and not on hard work; when on hard work, the quantity 

 may be increased to 3 gallons, and when on light work, and green food, it may 

 be reduced to 1 gallon, and sometimes altogether withdrawn. But on an 

 average, 2 gallons in the day, that is, about 90 bushels in the year, will be suf- 

 ficient in every case for the working horse of a farm. In practice, too, it is not 

 the superior but the lighter oats that are given to the farm-horses. These are 

 the light corn formerly described. 



Oats may be given to horses reduced to a state of meal, but this is only prac- 

 tised in the case of gruel given to a sick horse. To induce a horse to take 

 gruel, it is put into a pail and placed beside him, so that when thirsty he may 

 drink of it. 



Meal is sometimes given with cold water to horses, when travelling. This 

 is a refreshing feed to a horse on a journey, and a safe one when the chill is 

 just taken off the water; but it is chiefly employed in journeys when time is of 

 importance, and it is accordingly rarely given in the case of the farm-horse, 

 who should always have time given him to feed. 



When oats are kept in a damp state, fungi grow upon them, and they acquire 

 a musty smell and bad taste. They should never be given in this state to a 

 horse, but should first be kiln-dried, so as to expel the moisture and destroy 

 the fungi. 



Barley is more nutritious than oats, although, in the practice of this coun- 

 try, it is not so much approved of in feeding. But over all the continent, bar- 

 ley is the most common food of the horse. If bruised and mixed with chopped 

 straw or hay, it is an excellent provender. But the most common method of 

 giving barley to horses in England is in what is termed a mash. The barley 





