172 Feeding. 



of proper digestion going on, he has not filled his 

 stomach, and is therefore compelled by the pangs 

 of hunger to roam about in order to obtain his 

 food. 



Besides doing damage to the pasture and to 

 his hoofs, which a hundred sheep or cattle would 

 scarcely effect, he has sustained irreparable 

 blemishes from which his value is considerably 

 diminished. Taking these and many other results 

 into consideration, it naturally occurs that there 

 is seldom any gain in giving a horse a run at 

 grass after being worked for months on hard corn 

 and accustomed to the heated atmosphere of the 

 stable, to which in a measure he is now accli- 

 matized. When he deserves or requires cessation 

 from work, rest, absolute rest, is the object 

 sought. It may be the lungs require exemption 

 from accelerated respiration in consequence of 

 their tone and powers being deficient by reason 

 of disease. The legs also demand that they be 

 relieved of strain and all possible pressure in 

 consequence of tendons suffering from laceration, 

 joints from acute pain and inflammation, and 

 muscles from damage done to their substance from 

 various causes. 



Such being the case, and probably in addition 

 the system suffering from the effects of weaken- 

 ing medicines, blisters, and even the firing iron, 

 one cannot but pause on the folly and injustice 

 inflicted when we turn out that most useful ani- 

 mal and subject him to the very opposite treat- 



