THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 65 



for eight to ten hours a day, and is sufficiently fed, he 

 will maintain a more nearly perfect condition than is 

 possible for the horse whose exercise is very light and 

 irregular. The latter is certain to become disordered 

 unless sufficiently restricted not only as to grain, but 

 hay also. For instance, take the hard-working 

 draught horse that does six days hard work every 

 week. Ten pounds of hay and six quarts of 

 whole corn for a horse of this kind weighing, say, 

 1,200 pounds, would be a generous and ample ration : 

 the breakfast consisting of three pounds of hay and 

 three quarts of corn, and at night, two hours after 

 quitting work, seven pounds of hdij fo/ lowed hy three 

 quarts of corn. The hay might all be fed at night, 

 and only the three quarts of corn in the morning ; 

 the horse in this case filling himself with hay at 

 night ; then having his three quarts of corn (or its 

 equivalent in other grain), after which he will lie 

 pretty much all night contentedly, finishing his hay 

 at early morn, when he will be ready to do justice to 

 his small feed of grain. Of course, many will still 

 hold to the three-meals system, but we are improv- 

 ing upon the old practice by giving only a light feed 

 of grain at noon ; no hay, except morning and night. 

 I can not too strongly urge, however, and especially 

 for hard-working horses, a fair trial of the two-meals 

 plan, with the principal meal at night, first allowing 

 a liberal time for rest. 



In my own city I find that one truckman working 

 five horses, feeds each, regardless of size or work, 

 eight quarts daily of corn and oats. One pair, weigh- 



