BRUISED OATS. 435 



not require more. With reference to the flow of the saliva, 

 without entering upon the question how far it is necessary to 

 assist digestion, no animal can swallow its food without a suffi- 

 ciency of saliva to assist the act of deglutition ; and it is not 

 recommended to reduce the oats to flour, but merely to bruise 

 them. Many persons fancy that by giving oats in small quan- 

 tities, and spreading them thinly over the manger, the horses 

 will be induced to masticate them. Those who have watched 

 their operations will find that a greedy-feeding horse will drive 

 his corn up into a heap, and collect with his lips as much as he 

 thinks proper for a mouthful. 



Little, if any, advantage arises from cutting hay into chaff, 

 especially for the most valuable kind of horses. It is done in 

 cart stables to prevent waste, which is often enormous in those 

 departments where horses are permitted to pull the hay out of 

 their racks, and tread it under foot. 



The state of perfection to which the higher classes of the 

 horse have been brought in this country, is attributable to the 

 great attention devoted, during a long period of time, to the 

 selection of the best descriptions for the purpose of perpetuating 

 the species ; the treatment they have received, under the in- 

 fluence of a propitious climate; and the nature of the food with 

 which they have been supplied ; greater improvements are 

 capable of being realized by judicious management. 



With reference to treatment, and the climate of this country, 

 practical experience assures us that the atmosphere is suitable 

 to the constitution of the equine tribe ; but the vicissitudes of 

 the elements are so great, that protection is necessary to guard 

 against their effects. This is found to apply, not only to the 

 horse, but to all others of our domesticated animals. Warmth, 

 in connection with a pure and uncontaminated air, is of the 

 utmost importance ; but it is not necessary to enter into the 

 details by which tliat desideratum is to be accomplished. The 

 subject of food requires more minute observations, especially 

 as it is too frequently disregarded, except by breeders of race- 

 horses. 



Tlie great perfection of tlie j)hysical powers of the horse is 

 obtained by the due proportion and constituent elements of 

 muscular fibre, bone, and sinew ; and the more these substances 



