90 HORSES: 



our soundest dietitians, among whom Dr. Oswald 

 takes first rank, are warning the people against the 

 soft-food-and-slops nuisance (more especially for the 

 sick or ailing), and pointing to the better fed animals, 

 as the horse, for example, that chews the dry grain, 

 and thus accomplishes the only real mastication such 

 as the starchy foods demand on pain of indigestion, — • 

 surely at such a time it would seem unwise in the 

 extreme to carry this most unnatural practice into 

 the stable, or to continue it if already there ! When 

 a horse is not in condition to take a natural diet — i.e., 

 to chew his own food and to warm and moisten it 

 naturally — prepared food of any sort will do him harm 

 and not good. The stomach can not do the work of 

 the mouth, nor, indeed, its own, when the first neglect 

 has been suffered. 



AT MR. BONNER'S STABLES 



we ascertained that this noted horse fancier's animals, 

 when doing fair work, received nine quarts of oats 

 daily, three quarts at a feed. On any day, or succes- 

 sion of days, that an animal is not well-exercised,- the 

 night feed of oats is omitted. The total feed of hay is 

 about 6 lbs., and is given about 5 : 30 P.M. The grain 

 follows at 7 P.M. 



Mr. Bonner's horses are watered before, not after 

 eating. 



The only criticism we have to offer in this connec- 

 tion is, that the fine condition of these animals would 

 be maintained with less inconvenience, less occasion 

 for special care during " working hours " — that is, dur- 



