802 LIFE WITH THE TROTTEKS. 



witli me I never saw him wlien he was not ready to eat, and 

 in the hardest part of the season I fed him about fifteen 

 pounds of oats a day. In their stomachs horses differ more 

 from the human being than perha^os in any other part of 

 their physical structure. A man in the course of tAventy- 

 four hours will take into his stomach more different kinds 

 and sorts of food than a horse would in a lifetime, and for 

 that reason, I think what a horse does take has more effect 

 on him than it otherwise would. Whatever a horse eats 

 should be of the cleanest and best. I think on an average 

 that ten pounds of oats a day with a fair amount of hay, 

 is enough for a horse to be trained on. I think that all 

 horses in the training season should have plenty of grass. 

 In winter, I like carrots in small quantities, and for a change 

 boiled oats have proved themselves a very satisfactory food 

 to me. Some peoiDle say: "What about bran?" I am a 

 good deal like Dr. Weldon about that; sawdust will answer 

 the purpose Just as well, and it is a good deal cheaper. 



After deciding what to feed the horse, next comes how 

 to feed him, This depends a good deal upon the horse. If 

 he is a good feeder my idea is to feed him often, and a 

 small quantity at a time. In this way you get the greatest 

 amount of good out of the smallest amount of food. When 

 you take into consideration the size of the horse's stomach 

 and extraordinary strain that is j)ut on every part of a 

 horse in a race, you can plainly see that with an overloaded 

 stomach you are liable to meet with very serious consequen- 

 ces. I think a great many cases where horses dro}:* dead 

 in harness are due to some derangement of the stomach. 

 In feeding a horse ten i^ounds of oats a clay I would suggest 

 to have it divided in not less thtm four feeds of equal pro- 

 portion. Never give a horse his hay and oats at one 

 time, for if he is a free feeder he will be sure to gorge him- 

 self more or less. As to water, I think every horse should 

 have all he wants and at all times. A man says: "Why, will 

 you give your horse water before a lace?" Yes, before 

 the race, in the race, and after the race and any other 



