98 HORSES: 



may be Increased and the grain lessened ; or, stra^v 

 used, in part, in place of hay ; or, again, meal with 

 the cob ground in. 



7. If 200 miles of sharp roading, weekly, demand 9 

 qts. of oats a day, 4 qts. would be ample for a horse 

 jogging ten miles a day. If the latter have an extra 

 day's work of, say, twenty-five to forty miles, he 

 might be benefited by, say, 4 qts. of oats extra on the 

 succeeding day. If fat, no increase would be de- 

 manded ; he would be better without. 



8. Thirst. — Of the two appetites, thirst Is the least 

 apt to be abnormal, and hence the safest to satisfy. 

 Except when heated, and speaking generally, a horse 

 should drink as often and as much as he wants. If 

 not overfed he will not be overthirsty. However 

 hot, a little water should always be allowed ; then, 

 after a fair interval, more, and, at last, all he wants. 

 No demand is so imperative, none causes so much 

 pain and danger from being denied, as the demand 

 for liquid food — water. A horse would continue to 

 live, and without suffering pain, for many days with- 

 out solid food, but not without drink. 



9. Constipation — i. e., the accumulation of foecal 

 matters, that harden and are passed with difficulty — 

 indicates indigestion. It may arise from (i) deficient 

 exercise, as relates to quantity of food, or (2) a viola- 

 tion of the rule we have so urgently put forth ; that 

 is, the horse may have been often driven on a '' full 

 belly," or fed too soon after his drive. 



10. A horse that was being underfed, might have 

 very little pass his bowels — nothing, if he was being 



