22 HORSES: 



ing the latter) degeneration begins ; the muscles begin 

 to diminish in size and to grow "soft." If any one 

 wishes to comprehend this point, let him examine 

 carefully and compare a slice of sirloin from a fat, 

 stall-fed ox, and one from the loin of a working ox, 

 slaughtered before fattening. Every farmer knows 

 that in life the latter can " pull " the stall-fed ox and 

 his load. Mark the clean, red appearance of the mus- 

 cle in the one case, with no perceptible covering or 

 admixture of fat, and mark the size of the muscle itself, 

 as compared with that of the creature that is not sup- 

 posed to be fit to eat until he has been made unfit 

 for work ! The very terms used to describe a de- 

 licious steak or roast tell the story — ^^ tender and 

 well mixed." It is not a tender and well-mixed 

 muscle that makes a record of 2.1 1, or draws a heavy 

 load v/ith ease, but just the reverse — tough and un- 

 mixed with fat. 



It is quite customary to keep up the feed of 

 trotting horses, between seasons, permitting them to 

 become somewhat fat, and then when they are to be 

 fitted for sharp work, this fat is worked off and out, 

 while muscle is being worked on, and improved 

 in quality, by getting rid of the fat, which has 

 been taking the place of the muscular fibre. In 

 other words, the horse is forced to take on disease, 

 by feeding him in excess of his work, and then is 

 cured by restoring the just balance between work 

 and feed. This is, in my judgment, very bad policy — 

 proving in the end exhaustive of vital force — ruins a 

 great many valuable horses, and injures all that are 



