RULES FOR WATERING HORSES. 141 



and other noxious impurities from the more or less tainted 

 air. 



If it is not practicable to keep a constant supply of water 

 in reach of a horse when he is in his stable, he should at least 

 be given as much water as he will drink, before each feed, and 

 immediately after his return from work. 



As water is the natural drink for horses, it possesses no 

 properties that would induce these animals, under natural and 

 usual conditions, to take more water than the quantity demanded 

 for the requirements of the system. Although we find that 

 many human beings are inclined to drink more beer, wine, tea, 

 and other artificial beverages than is good for their health ; we 

 meet with few, if any, cases of persons who habitually drink 

 more water than is good for them. We may therefore accept 

 the fact that a horse's appetite, in the form of thirst, is the 

 best general means for regulating the quantity of water he 

 should drink. 



Owing to the ignorance and laziness of grooms, and the 

 ignorance and apathy of owners, the large majority of horses 

 in England which are kept in private stables, suffer greatly 

 from thirst. Omnibus, tramway, railway and city corporation 

 horses are generally better off in this respect ; because they 

 are as a rule under veterinary superintendance. 



4. Special precautions should be observed in watering a 

 thirsty horse which has been recently fed ; because, as we have 

 already seen, watering horses after feeding, instead of before 

 feeding, is a prolific cause of colic. Supposing that a horse 

 had as much water as he wanted to drink, say, an hour before 

 feeding ; it would be extremely unlikely that as soon as he had 

 cleared out his manger, he would be thirsty enough to take 

 sufficient water to do himself any harm. My experience is, 

 that if a horse has not been allowed to fully satisfy his thirst a 

 short time before being fed, it is dangerous to give him free 

 access to water for at least two hours after he has finished his 



