92 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



" sweated " in the stack. Indeed, horses that are expected 

 to perform hard work should never be allowed to eat hay 

 less than eight months old. Some people like it better 

 when two years old ; it is then, however, little better than 

 so much straw. 



Oats. — Your oats should be at least a twelvemonth old, 

 bright, clear, full, without smell of any kind, and weighing 

 at least forty pounds per bushel. Many people prefer black 

 oats to white ; provided the weight of both be equal, and 

 they be equally well kept, it matters little which of the two 

 you use — horses will work as well when kept on the one as 

 on the other. Nevertheless it is certainly a difficult matter 

 to obtain black oats of as fine a quality as the white potato 

 oat, inasmuch as they will generally be found to contain 

 more " heads " and " tails " than the latter ; and therefore 

 those who are not simply satisfied with good oats, but will 

 procure the very best, will be more likely to find the great 

 desiderata of weight and plumpness in some species of the 

 white than in the black oat. A horse of good constitution, 

 and in regular and moderate work, should not have less 

 than four quarterns of oats (weighing forty pounds per 

 bushel) in the course of the day. Oats of the above weight 

 may be thus given by measure, and they are by far better 

 than a larger quantity of oats of less weight. It is the most 

 absurd plan to feed a horse by measure without reference 

 to the weight of his corn. It has frequently been found, on 

 examination, in the stables of gentlem.en who never choose 

 their own corn, but suffer a corn-chandler to send them 

 what he pleases, that their horses have been feeding upon 

 oats that to all appearance were little more than the light 

 seeds blown aside by the winnowing machine, and only fit 

 for poultry. No horse can, of course, be expected to thrive 

 and stand his work upon such diet : therefore be particular, 

 when you purchase oats, to see them weighed ; and for this 

 purpose turn out one-third of the oats in the sack, and 

 weigh a bushel from the middle, for here you will often 

 find them of an inferior quality, both as regards weight 

 and cleanliness. 



If you work your horses hard, they must be allowed either 

 a larger quantity of oats than here specified, or you must 

 mix with them a few handfuls of old and sweat beans. 

 This is good, hearty food for a horse of strong constitution ; 

 but some horses of a foul habit of body will not endure 



