574 IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT 



ordinary horse, and he will pursue the chase for 

 a longer time without exhaustion sometimes for 

 above three hours, and to the distance of forty 

 or fifty miles. As a further proof that the vital 

 energy of the hound exceeds that of the horse, the 

 former requires l\ Ibs. of actual nourishment per 

 day, such as hard biscuit and fat, making -fa of 

 his whole weight, which is about 60 Ibs. But the 

 usual allowance of a common work horse is equi- 

 valent to twelve quarts of oats per day ; so that if 

 a bushel of oats average 37 Ibs.* two-thirds of 

 which, or 24^ Ibs. consists of pure meal, he must 

 consume above 9 Ibs. of solid food, independent 

 of chaff; and about -fa of his whole weight, if the 

 latter be estimated at 700 Ibs. From which it 

 follows, that the composition of the hound is re- 

 newed in about forty days, and that of the horse 

 in about seventy days. 



The capacity of the chest and nostrils of the 

 fine blooded race-horse is also larger, in propor- 

 tion to the size of his body, than in any other 

 description of the horse kind ; corresponding with 

 his great muscular strength and activity. These 



* A bushel of oats weighs from 32 to 42 Ibs. (average 37 Ibs.) 

 and affords 74-3 per cent, of actual nourishment, according to the 

 analysis of Sir H. Davy. The cavalry allowance in England is 

 four feeds, consisting of eight quarts of oats every twenty-four 

 hours, and 12 Ibs. of good meadow hay, which contains about 

 8 per cent of nutritive matter, making in all nearly 8 Ibs. of 

 nourishment. In Spain and Portugal, horses in the army are 

 allowed 8 Ibs. of barley per day. 



