THE HORSE 137 



drinking a great deal more water, and by taking 

 it oftener, than they would need to if fed on 

 naturally juicy food. The horse's intestines are so 

 formed that they can drink a large quantity of 

 water at a time, so that the common practice of 

 watering a horse three or four times a day is 

 founded on the natural capacity of the animal. It 

 is better, however, to ahvays stand a bucket of 

 water in the stall or box, so that the horse may 

 take it when he likes and in what quantities he 

 fancies. Furthermore, horses when eating dry hay, 

 etc., will be seen to constantly take a mouthful of 

 water wherewith to moisten it if a bucketful is 

 within reach. Under these circumstances the 

 bucket should be refilled each time the horse is 

 fed, and it is strongly urged that every horse- 

 owner adopt this method, and keep water always 

 within reach of his animals. Some people have 

 protested against standing a bucket in the corner of 

 a loose box on the score of possible injury to the 

 horse by getting his foot into it ; but no accident 

 from such a cause has ever been reported. If the 

 manger is unsuitable to stand a bucket in, the lat- 

 ter could no doubt be dropped into an iron support 

 attached at a convenient height to the w^all. 

 Horses should always be vratered before they 



