TrtE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 21 



own judgment and give according to circumstances. \\^hen 

 horses are working very hard, at either drawing or running, 

 there is nothing Hke changing their corn occasionally, 

 giving them a few spHt peas or beans in addition to the 

 oats. Some people do not think much of oats for horses, 

 but say maize, barley and French buckwheat should all be 

 split up together with the beans and given to them. My 

 experience is that horses which have been long journeys, 

 especially if they have been running hard, do best on oats, 

 with a few split peas or beans mixed with them for a 

 change. It is a capital plan to have an oat crusher, as in 

 some instances the oats pass through undigested, because 

 some horses bolt a great many of the oats down, that is 

 to say they swallow them without masticating them ; but it 

 is not a good plan to buy them crushed, if so they 

 should always be bought by weight, as they are very often 

 inferior oats crushed for the purpose. I always like to see 

 the corn whole and sound. 



I know some Veterinary Surgeons go against crushed 

 oats, but I merely speak as I find. I had a great deal to 

 do with cart horses in my younger days, being brought up 

 on a farm. Then later on, I had to do with hunters and 

 carriage horses. In fact, I may say I have been among 

 horses ever since I was six years old, so that I think I may 

 speak from experience. If ever I hear of a horse doing 

 extra work, or going on a long journey and standing it 

 without fatigue, my first enquiry is, " How is the horse fed, 

 and what corn is used ? " In almost every case the principal 

 part of the food is oats. What do our sportsmen use for 



