FOOD ON BOARD SHIP. 379 



of employing this method of bandages on horses at sea, did 

 not occur to me until within the last three years, and con- 

 sequently, I have not been able to give it as extended a 

 trial as I would have wished. On two sea trips, of ten days' 

 duration each, I put, prior to embarkation, these bandages 

 on the legs of five or six horses I had with me, and did not 

 remove them until we had arrived at our destination ; the 

 result being that when the bandages were taken off, the legs 

 of the animals were free from the slightest suspicion of 

 " fulness," and the feet were cool. 



Slings may be placed under the horse in fine weather. 

 They should be so loose as not to press against his belly when 

 he stands up ; but tight enough to enable him to rest his 

 weight on them if he chooses. If the sea gets at all rough, 

 the slings should be at once removed. If the slings are so 

 tight as to take any weight off the horse's feet, their pressure 

 on his abdomen will have a more or less injurious effect on 

 his digestive organs, and the security of his foot-hold will be 

 endangered. 



As regards food I have found the following daily ration 

 to be well suited to the requirements of horses on board 

 ship : 



Oats . 4 lb. 



Carrots . . . . . . . ... 7 



Dry bran . . . . . . . . 2 ,, 



Hay -12,, 



If carrots cannot be obtained, we may double the allow- 

 ance of bran, and utilise a part of it for a bran mash about 

 every three days. I consider the slightly laxative effect 

 produced by carrots on horses is far superior to that caused 

 by bran mashes. As bran soon becomes musty, it should be 

 obtained direct from a miller and not from a corn chandler. 



If any help on board ship be required for the horses, 

 arrangements for obtaining it had best be made with the 



