THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 



89 



FIRST-CLASS STABLES, 



both private and boarding — including Mr. Vander- 

 bilt's, Mr. Bonner's, and Mr. Work's, that it is the 

 invariable rule to feed hay* only at night, — generally 

 at 5 or 6 o'clock, and from 6 to 8 lbs., according to 

 the size of the animal, and the work : the harder the 

 work the less hay, usually. 



For grain, oats is the standard ; in fact almost the 

 exclusive feed. The daily ration is about the same, 

 nominally, in all the stables visited, viz. : " Nine to 

 twelve quarts, according to the work." But in al- 

 most every instance, we found that a " dose " of 

 some kind, once or twice, generally twice, a week was 

 deemed necessary, " to keep 'em cleared out," " to 

 cool their bowels," " to prevent 'em from getting 

 clogged up," '''■ or else they'd get constipated," etc., 

 etc., proving, as it seems to me, conclusively, that the 

 diet exceeds the needs of the organism, or, in other 

 words, that the sound old physiological mandate, viz., 

 *' In the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread," is 

 constantly and well-nigh universally violated ! 



THE ETERNAL MASH. 



True, the " dose " referred to above is oftener than 

 otherwise a mash ; but what is a ^' mash " ? Why, 

 practically, what our best physiologfsts and hygienists 

 are now sounding the alarm against, viz. : unmasti- 

 Gated and unmasticable food ! At this time, when 



* Stage and railway horses are fed cut hay with meal three times 

 a day. We believe that this custom might be improved upon. 



