1 40 WATERING HORSES. 



and brood mares, especially mares with a foal at foot, would 

 require to drink oftener than others. Under severe conditions 

 of work and atmospheric heat, it might be necessary for a 

 horse to drink several times a day. 



CHANGE OF WATER. 



Change of water is sometimes cited as a cause of indisposi- 

 tion in horses. The cases are generally those of racehorses 

 which are said to have suddenly lost their " form," on account 

 of broaching a new tap of drinking water at stables away from 

 their home. Although I have travelled thousands of miles, 

 from one country to another with horses, I have never met 

 with the slightest difference in the health of these animals 

 from change of water ; provided, of course, that the water was 

 good of its kind. To verify the accusation in question, one 

 would have to eliminate all suspicion from the hay, corn, and 

 sanitary conditions of the new abode. Until such a test has 

 been made, the burden of proof rests on those who assert 

 the affirmative. It is possible that horses which have been 

 long accustomed to hard water might not at first freely drink 

 soft water ; and vice versa. 



SUMMARY OF RULES FOR WATERING HORSES. 



1. Drinking water for horses should not be artificially 

 warmed^ especially if the animal is at work (p. 137). 



2. It should be given to a horse as fresh as possible (p. 133). 



3. The best general ride for watering horses in the stable is 

 to have a constant supply of it in their box or stall, in which 

 case the ideal arrangement would be, to have a continued flow 

 of water to pass through the water receptacle. If this plan 

 could not be carried out, the water should be changed at least 

 thrice a day. In adopting this constant supply method, we 

 should bear in mind that water left in a stable, even for a few 

 hours, becomes flat, and during that time absorbs ammonia 



