FEEDING AND WATERING. Ill 



this difference, a soft woollen bandage can be wrapped 

 loosely around it, by which it will in a very short time be 

 completely dry by heat and evaporation. These few, but 

 necessary preparations need not consume many minutes of 

 time, but will add to the health of the horse, facilitate the 

 operation of grooming, and insure a smooth coat of hair on 

 all parts of the body. A portion of the food, water, or per- 

 haps the whole allowance of either, may now be given to 

 each horse. Some grooms prefer to give the water before 

 the oats or feed, others give the feed and follow with the 

 water, when the feed is eaten. Still, others feed and water 

 in half quantities at a time — two waterings and two feeds 

 in the morning, in the manner the celebrated horse Dexter 

 is fed (page 70). Whether water or corn be first fed to 

 the horse in the morning is like some other questions in 

 the care of horses, which can only be satisfactorily answered 

 by stating that when horses, their nature, health, and work 

 are all alike, then, and then only can treatment of them 

 be fairly fixed. 



Horses of slow work that are not over-excited and warm 

 when they arrive at the stable in the evening, can have as 

 much water given to them as is necessary without injury; 

 such animals can be fed or watered in the order the groom 

 may choose, but horses for light harness or the saddle, and 

 that perform their work in from two to four hours out of 

 the twenty-four, and arrive at the stable very warm, and 

 sometimes at a late hour in the night, cannot with safety 

 be allowed much cold water to drink, and tepid water will 

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