Farm Horses. 129 



morning than during any other part of the week. If the 

 plan of giving horses cooked food were more adopted 

 when feeding upon straw, much of this disorganization 

 might be prevented. In Edinburgh, where cooked food 

 is much approved, the food is used well washed, generally 

 being Swede turnips and potatoes, in equal proportion, 

 then boiled and thrown into a large trough or cooler, and a 

 little wheat chaff along with a handful of salt for each 

 horse, well mixed together. The weight of the turnips 

 and potatoes, which is 56 lbs. when put into the boiler, 

 is reduced to about 40 lbs., one-half of which is given at 

 dusk, or whenever the horse returns from work, and the 

 remainder at eight o'clock, when the men clean and do 

 them up for the night, with oat or wheat straw, upon which 

 the owners place no value, considering it as equivalent to 

 the manure from the horses. 



The supply of water is a part of stable routine from 

 which the horse not unfrequently suffers. Horses, in re- 

 ceiving water, should not be always restricted, yet they 

 should not be allowed to drink as much as they like on 

 returning home over-wrought, hot, and tired. A single 

 quart or two before entering the stable will refresh and 

 invigorate, and be productive of no harm. After being a 

 little cooled, water should be liberally supplied to him. 

 Grass or green herbage is given to most horses during the 

 summer months ; and before turning horses out to the 

 field it is necessary to prepare them for the change, the 

 too sudden transition from dry to green food, and vice 

 versa, having the effect of causing obstructions in the 

 intestines. Grass should be given sparingly at first, so 

 that the stomach and intestines may be prepared gradually 

 for the reception of succulent herbage. Horses, when 

 taken up from grass in the autumn, ought to be put into 

 as cool a stable as possible, with a full allowance of water, 

 their food consisting of oats, mingled with bran, with two 

 bran mashes daily for the first week, and a little hay. On 

 the following week more hay and oats may be given, and 

 a bran mash withheld. It is necessary, in keeping horses 

 healthy, to have stables well ventilated, clean, and tho- 

 roughly drained. We can scarcely have too much air 



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