CARROTS. 143 



been many months highly fed on corn, they are 

 extremely serviceable, indeed necessary ; in winter 

 I used them very sparingly. They used to be 

 given to race-horses in far greater quantities than 

 they are now, having formerly had the character 

 of being good for the wind ; but I suspect the 

 only merit they can claim in this respect is, that 

 they keep the body cool and properly open, by 

 which they conduce greatly to health and con- 

 dition, and consequently to clearness of wind. 

 About the same thing may be said of their claims 

 to producing a fine coat; whatever conduces to 

 health does so, consequently carrots do. But I 

 must here add a caution, for, if given too freely, 

 they are apt to produce eruption on the skin. 

 To any one who has been in a racing stable, 

 or in any well-conducted one, it may seem almost 

 useless to say that carrots should be sliced in 

 pretty long slices ; but I have seen them given 

 by those calling themselves grooms cut cross ways ; 

 this is really dangerous, as horses are extremely 

 fond of them, and, if at all greedy, would be apt 

 to bolt pieces of them whole, which would be 

 quite likely to cause some of them to stick in the 

 throat. 



Some persons give carrots with the corn, think- 

 ing it tempts horses to eat their oats, if of delicate 

 appetite ; so they might, if perfectly minced, 

 otherwise they will pick them all out, and the 



