114 THE HORSE. 



several years. In Norfolk, it has lately become the 

 practice among the farmers, to feed their horses on 

 barley instead of oats, as more economical, and ac- 

 cording to their experience, equally nutritive and 

 beneficial to the animals ; I believe they steep, or 

 malt the barley. With respect to horse corn, I have 

 said, because I have proved it on frequent experience 

 — the heaviest and best is the cheapest ; the analogy 

 holds with regard to hay, on which I cannot speak 

 more to the purpose than I have in another place. " I 

 shall make a single remark on the miserable, harsh, 

 and sapless garbage, on which farm horses, in some 

 places, are stuffed and blown out. Where from poverty 

 this cannot be avoided, it is but necessary evil, other- 

 wise it is pure deception in the guise of economy ; 

 for exclusive of the insalubrity of such food, and its 

 tendency to produce obstruction, broken wind, grease 

 from poverty of the blood, blindness, and a train of 

 kindred maladies, the cattle soon decline to half their 

 proper strength and utility, and hasten to a premature 

 old age. I know not how much, the rubbish here 

 alluded to may be improved by boiling and conti- 

 nental cookerv ; but I am convinced that no method 

 of dressing can impart to sapless haum that power 

 of nutrition which nature has denied it." — History of 

 the Horse. 



The straw yard. It is the good custom of per- 

 sons who do not ride on horseback during the winter 

 season, more especially in the metropolis, to send 

 their hacks to straw yard ; a winter's run abroad also 

 is the last and best remedy for horses of all descrip- 

 tions, so far injured by labour, in their feet, joints, and 



