Hygiene of the Horse. 469 



Tlie Physiology of the Farm, lay it down as a well estab- 

 lished fact that any, even a temporary, failure in theouantity 

 or quality of the food of the dam at this period will surely 

 jirove the source of some one or another defect of the foal, 

 and perhaps lay the foundation for some serious vice of the 

 constitution, which may affect its value throughout life. 

 The food should not be rich, nor fattening, as a condition of 

 plethora or obesity is always injurious to the fetus ; yet the 

 nourishment should be somewhat more abundant than in the 

 ordinary condition. Moderately rich pastures, fairly set in 

 any of the better class of grasses in summer, and clean, 

 well cured hay, with medium quantities of grain in winter, 

 should be the diet of the pregnant mare. 



Drink. — The average horse varies in the amount of water he 

 will consume daily, from two buckets to five or six. It should 

 be given at regular intervals and those not far apart. Three 

 times a day is not frequently enough. Double that fre- 

 quency would be more correct. AYhen the horse is in active 

 use he should not be allowed to drink to repletion at any 

 time, except in the evening, after the day's work is done, 

 and when the hide has cooled to the ordinary temperature. 



The water selected should be jDure, soft, and cool. Hard 

 water, however, agrees well with horses which are accus- 

 tomed to it, and their bowels are as apt to be disturbed on 

 changing to soft water as are those of animals accustomed to 

 the latter w^hen first placed upon that which is hard. Es- 

 pecial care should be taken that the water does not contain 

 decaying animal or vegetable matter. Various instances 

 have been reported where whole stables have been sickened 

 by water containing these organic impurities.- 



Cleaning. — All horses are better for cleanliness, both as res- 

 pects their stables and their coats. When well groomed, the 

 secretion of the skin is more active, and the internal organs are 

 not nearly so liable to congestion. An exception to this is 



