FEEDING 91 



indeed, to be, in a trifling degree, tough, and not to crackle 

 when twisted in the hand, thereby denoting that it has 

 preserved its juices and nutritious qualities. Many people 

 are in the habit of never giving any other than meadow 

 hay to their horses, but tiiis is not at all necessary. Pro- 

 vided the quantity of hay you allow your horses in the 

 day be not too great, they will be gratified by a slight 

 change in their diet now and then ; and you may with 

 great propriety let them have an occasional handful of 

 sainfoin hay, or of white clover and bents (rye-grass), 

 though most grooms will assert that by so doing you will 

 ruin your horse's wind. Those who say so, however, have 

 never made the experiment themselves, or have made it 

 improperly, by allowing their groom to stuff a horse with 

 hay until he is surfeited, or by giving it in too new a state, 

 when it will produce acidity and flatulence. The allowance 

 of hay for each horse is, in most stables, two trusses per 

 week ; one-half this quantity is sufficient. Eight pounds 

 of hay per diem is as much as any horse should be allowed 

 to eat, and those who give them more go the right way to 

 breed listlessness, dulness, and disease. Of all animals the 

 horse, in comparison to his size, has the smallest stomach, 

 and consequently his food, when hard work is required of 

 him, should contain as much nutriment as possible in the 

 smallest compass; for remember that the origin of impaired 

 digestion, and consequently the cause of most diseases, is 

 distention of the stomach and bowels, by which they 

 become debilitated, and their secretions vitiated ; the 

 natural and inevitable result of which is ofeneral weakness 

 of the whole system. 



How can any horse possess vigour and sprightliness who 

 is allowed to swallow as much hay at a time as he will eat, 

 when a large quantity of this species of food does not 

 contain sufficient nutriment of itself to keep a horse in 

 condition ? The food of horses, whatever it may consist of, 

 should at all times be small in quantity, and of the very 

 best quality ; for as we require great exertions from them, 

 so must we take the best means to provide them with 

 the most nutritious sustenance without over-taxing their 

 powers of digestion. 



Hay that is at all mow-burnt is liable to produce gripes 

 or flatulent colic ; as likewise is that which has been 

 recently made, and has not, as it is called, completely 



