WATERING 291 



eight to ten hours per day, and they are apt to come to 

 the stable at night not only depleted of vitality but 

 over -thirsty as well; in which case great care should 

 be exercised in restricting the amount of water until the 

 animal has recovered some of its normal vitality. Under 

 the conditions described, the horse should first of all be 

 given a small amount of thin oatmeal gruel. If this 

 be fed at from 90 to 100 Fahr., so much the better. 

 It is not so much the amount of water nor its tempera- 

 ture as the amount of vigor which the horse possesses 

 when he is watered that governs the result. 



The horse, like the man, has far less resisting power 

 on some days than on others, that is, he is not always 

 at his best. The careless driver fails to discover this, 

 and, when the horse shows weariness, it is accounted to 

 him as laziness and the whip is used to stimulate his 

 nagging energies. When he arrives at the stable, he 

 may be in just the right condition to be injured by even 

 a single pail of cold water. Horses which are fed all 

 they will eat of hay that is dirty or that contains a large 

 per cent of clover desire much water. In time they get 

 into the habit of eating and drinking too much. This 

 results in large and unsightly abdomens, difficult 

 breathing, and general sluggishness, and is likely to 

 result in the horse's having the "heaves." The animal 

 becomes inefficient, not because of its breeding, but 

 through the ignorance or carelessness of the driver. 

 The horse that is driven four to six hours continuously 

 should be watered midway on his journey; though he 

 be quite warm, no harm will result therefrom. How- 

 ever, he should be driven somewhat slowly for the first 



