RULES FOR WATERING HORSES. 143 



due to the fact that while their blood is in a rapid state of 

 circulation, owing to recent exercise, the water they drink, is 

 quickly absorbed out of the intestine, and into the fluids and 

 tissues of the system. 



6. A horse should not be watered shortly before work which, 

 like racing, would try his breathing powers to the utmost. 

 Considering the fact that a horse which has an unlimited sup- 

 ply of water will under ordinary circumstances drink only two 

 or three times a day, and that he drinks, not only to meet 

 existing requirements, but also to lay up a store for use 

 during the next few hours ; I think that before running a race 

 a horse should have no water to drink for, say, three or four 

 hours. It is evident that a considerable quantity of water in 

 the caecum will more or less interfere with the action of the 

 diaphragm during forced breathing, and its weight will have a 

 retarding influence. On the other hand, depriving a horse of 

 water for such a long period as will make him decidedly thirsty, 

 cannot fail to injuriously affect his lungs, heart, muscles, and 

 other organs, by depriving the system of its due supply of 

 water. This practice of stinting a horse of water, so that he 

 might maintain the highest possible rate of speed for a few 

 minutes (say, 62 seconds for 5 furlongs, or 10 minutes for the 

 Grand National) would of course be injurious if applied to 

 ordinary horses, such as trappers and hunters. 



7. A horse should be frequently watered during long-continued 

 work, especially if it be severe and the weather hot ; and he 

 should be watered immediately after hard work, whether it be 

 long or short. I have had ample opportunities of seeing the 

 good results from the practice observed by the St. Peters- 

 burg cab drivers, of frequently watering their horses in the 

 middle of their journeys at the numerous public watering 

 troughs in that city, especially when the animals were hot 

 and tired, no matter how intense the cold might be. During 

 winter, the attendant at the respective troughs is almost 



