24 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA. 



unlimited quantity of oats without it disagreeing 

 with them. On the contrary, gram, ktilthee, and 

 barley, given in amounts sufficient to supply the 

 necessary nutriment, almost always upset the digestion, 

 and induce a "heated " state of the system. 



In order to make up for the inferior quality of the 

 oats, we may, with great advantage, supplement them 

 by an addition of gram, or ktilthee, which should not 

 exceed a third of the whole amount. This practice is 

 in accordance with that, in England, of adding beans 

 to the corn, and is particularly applicable to old 

 horses whose powers of assimilation are impaired. 

 In England, new oats are rightly considered to be 

 indigestible an objection which mUy be removed by 

 having them kiln-dried ; but in this country, they do 

 not appear to be injurious to any great extent a fact 

 which may be accounted for by the extreme heat of our 

 tropical sun. New Indian oats never present the soft, 

 pulpy appearance seen in new English oats. 



Oats should be given in a bruised state ; for, then, 

 not alone is the possibility of the grain passing through 

 the horse in an undigested state avoided ; but, also, 

 the animal is obliged to chew it more thoroughly than 

 if it were given whole. 



On the Bengal side, oats are principally grown in 

 Tirhoot, Dehra Doon, and the Meerut district. 



Gruel is best made by mixing a pound of oatmeal 

 well up with a quart of cold water, to which should be 

 added three quarts of boiling water ; the whole being 

 put to simmer over the fire and occasionally stirred 

 up until it thickens. It should then be removed and 

 allowed to cool. It should be given to the horse in 



