CAUSES OF INDIGESTION 119 



much, unless he is very warm. Even when he is 

 quite warm, a quart or two may be given with 

 impunity. The proper plan is to water before 

 feeding, as the water is then rapidly absorbed 

 and does not interfere with digestion. Unfortu- 

 nately, it is difficult to get many horses to drink, 

 particularly in cool weather, before feeding, and 

 they have to be watered afterwards; it is, how- 

 ever, wise to allow an hour to elapse before doing 

 so. If a horse takes a full feed of grain and a 

 drink shortly afterwards and is then put to any 

 violent exertion, he is very apt to suffer from 

 digestive derangement. If a horse is suffering 

 from diarrhoea, or is purging from a dose of 

 physic, water must be restricted and slightly 

 chilled ; otherwise, superpurgation and death may 

 result. 



An irrational plan of salting horses sometimes 

 causes trouble. That horses require salt is gen- 

 erally recognized, but a great many follow the 

 plan of giving it at intervals of a week or more, 

 when they become very ravenous for it and eat 

 a great deal of it, which makes them so thirsty 

 that they will drink immoderately, and this will 

 sometimes cause digestive derangement. Horses 

 should have access to salt constantly; they then 

 get the most benefit from it. 



Before leaving the subject of feeding, it should 

 have been stated that care should be taken in 



