FEEDING. 69 



FEEDING. 



"Bone and muscle go in at tlie mouth." 



The proper feeding of horses intended for driving is 

 of the utmost importance, and I am sorry to say that it 

 is very much neglected. As a general thing a horse 

 gets four quarts of oats three times a day and a fork of 

 hay at night with perhaps a bran mash once or twice a 

 week. All horses not being alike in their constitution or 

 appetite it is quite natural that what will fatten one 

 will not fatten another. 



Good feeders or greedy horses should have their oats 

 mixed with chaff (cut hay). By this means the animal 

 is compelled to chew his food 'as the chaft being too hard 

 and sharp to be swallowed with sufficient mastica- 

 tion, he is forced to grind that do^Ti, the oats and corn 

 are consequently ground down with it and yield much 

 more nourishment. The stomach is more slowly filled 

 and therefore acts better on its contents, and is not so 

 likely to be overloaded. The increased quantity of saliva 

 thrown out and the lengthened mastication of the food 

 softens it, and makes it more easy of digestion. It is 



