80 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



prevent their heating during the voyage. Oats, also, which 

 have been badly harvested, or become dirty from any cause, are 

 sometimes washed to improve their appearance, and then dried 

 on the kiln. New oats are also sometimes slightly kiln-dried 

 to make them hard, resembling old oats, and thus increase their 

 value. When so dried, oats have a peculiar smell and taste, 

 and a wrinkled appearance about the ends of the husks, owing 

 to the shrinking of the kernel ; the colour is also deeper, and 

 sometimes reddish in tint. What are called " foxy " oats are 

 oats which have heated in bulk when not perfectly dry, and 

 undergone fermentation to some extent. They have a pink or 

 very red colour, an unpleasant smell, and a bitter taste. When 

 given to horses they act injuriously upon the kidneys, causing 

 diabetes and loss of condition. Damp oats are generally 

 recognised by their softness, mustiness, or mouldiness, or 

 sprouting, depending upon the amount of damp, the period 

 of exposure, and whether the oats are in bulk. If merely 

 soft, no great harm is done, but if they have a musty smell, 

 or show mould, then they are unfit for food. Sprouted oats 

 should not be given for food. Oats may be mixed with 

 stones, dirt, or any foreign matter, as well as the small seeds 

 of weeds. These should be got rid of by winnowing. New are 

 chiefly distinguished from old oats by the smell, which in the 

 former is rather earth-like ; the husk of the new oat is also 

 bright, while its taste is sweet and milky; it is likewise softer 

 than the old oat. 



Maize. This has now become a very common diet for 

 horses, especially for those doing moderate and slow work. 

 Compared with oats, it contains more heat-forming, and rather 

 loss flesh-forming, elements. The difference between the price 

 of the two is generally in favour of maize, and influences its 

 use on economical grounds. It should be at least a year 

 old and clean. New maize is distinguished from old by its 

 softness. In this country it is usually given combined with 



