FEEDING. 71 



livery stable-keeper and the owner of every hard-worked 

 horse. The quantity of oats must vary with the size 

 and the work to be performed. 



Bran or the ground husk of the wheat is useful as an 

 occasional ai)erient in the form of a mash made with 

 boiling hot water. Before using allow it time to steam 

 through, and if mixed with an equal quantity of bruised 

 oats is very beneficial for horses suffering from cold or 

 cough or to build them up when recovering from sick- 

 ness, but it is wrong to use it as a regular article of food, 

 as is often the case. Frequent cases of indigestion are 

 caused from the accumulation of bran in the large in- 

 testines, and when wetted with cold water it is positive- 

 ly injurious. 



The virtues of carrots are not sufficiently known, 

 whether it be in contributing to the streiigth and en- 

 durance of the sound horse, or the rapid recovery of the 

 sick one. To the healthy horse they sliould be given 

 sliced, in his chaff. They also imx»rove the state of his 

 skin, forming a good substitute for grass, and an excel- 

 lent food for horses out of condition. To sick and idle 

 horses they render grain unnecessary; and are not only 

 serviceable in diseases of the skin, but liave a marked 

 influence on chronic coughs and broken wind. In com- 

 bination with oats they restore a worn-out horse much 

 sooner than oats alone. 



