130 avery's own farrier. 



inflammation of any of the internal organs as when fed 

 on other kinds of grain. 



Feeding and rearing are closely connected with stable 

 management, and have so much to do with the habits of 

 a good horse. Yon will allow me to state here that 

 buckwheat puts on fat and helps form bone of the ani- 

 mal as fast as any kind of grain; consequently it is good 

 for an occasional change of diet, as well as for its me- 

 dicinal properties. But oats feed the muscles and give 

 better action and livelier feeling than any other kind of 

 grain; and they cause the colt to run and play more, 

 giving strength and activity to the limbs and muscles. 

 Therefore oats, being readily digested, plainly show why 

 they are the best kind of grain for common use. "Un- 

 less the horse is naturally disposed to scour, ground food 

 is best." Many have supposed and practiced brining 

 the hay and straw, thinking that their horse would eat 

 much better and more of it. This undoubtedly is so, and 

 may be useful'some times to induce a sick horse to eat; 

 but not unless he has been shamefully neglected before 

 by not having what salt he wanted, when he eats it for 

 the sake of the salt alone, and, by so doing, eats too 

 much hay, if he does not eat too much must and other 

 foul stuff that otherwise injures him. 



Every overseer and proprietor of the stable ought to 

 understand the nature and formation of the foot; and I 

 might add to the above with propriety the shoe smiths. 

 Some have frequently had the frog of the foot pared out 

 very nicely in order to give beauty to the foot: Why? 

 because it was the prevailing fashion. And after a few 

 repetitions of the same, they would wonder why their 



