224 HORSE PORTRAITURE. 



more the horse eats the better condition he will b^ in, we 

 must qualify it with the explanation, that his work must 

 be in proportion, so that he continually gains in speed 

 and stoutness. The horse that eats so much, that, with 

 all the work his legs and lungs will stand, he keeps taking 

 on too- much flesh, must be restricted in the supply, if even 

 it fall below that which we would like to see him eating. 

 The position then may be untenable although sanctioned 

 by those highest in the profession. One of the great re- 

 quisites for speed is muscle, and all recognize the fact that 

 a diminution of that article is an injury. Hence the vol- 

 ume has to be kept up ; and the argument used is, that 

 food makes muscle, and that the quantity will decrease 

 with any curtailment of the rations. It would be impos- 

 sible to say how much food would have to be given to 

 form all the muscle a horse could carry. 



An idle horse eating, say twelve quarts per day, would 

 eliminate from the surplus a good deal more fat, and 

 nothing like as much muscle, as the one eating the same 

 quantity and regularly worked. All that the horse eats 

 ,bove the daily waste is stowed up for future use. When 

 he food is below the requirements, the fat is first seized 

 on by the absorbents, and it would take a long time before 

 a very gross animal would become emaciated on a slight 

 decrease of food. When a horse has become inordinately 

 fat, it is distributed both in the interior and on the out- 

 side ; and one that is high in flesh, and that flesh acquired 

 while doing a fair quantity of fast work, has his surplus 

 mainly covering the ribs and filling up the interstices be- 

 tween the muscles. . In one case the fat interferes with the 

 action of the heart and lungs, completely hindering the 

 working of the machine, and making it totally impossible 

 to go any distance fast ; while in the other, though ham- 

 pered with the additional unnecessary weight, the horse 

 works with far less labor. His legs would become weary, 



