FEEDING. 101 



Before the advent of steam as a means of reaching dis- 

 tant points, when horses were the engine, and at a time 

 when clover hay was fed to horses as it is at the present 

 time in the rural or country districts, and when timothy 

 hay was unknown and not cultivated, we have concurrent 

 testimony to show that broken wind in the horse was not 

 so frequent as it now is, nor were diseases among horses so 

 prevalent. 



Those who are disposed to give this kind of hay a fair 

 trial as a feed to their horses, should measure or weigh 

 the hay as you would the oats or corn, and give it at stated 

 periods of time, chiefly at night, when the ride or drive 

 for the day is over; and as before stated, allow no hay of 

 any kind, especially to driving or saddle horses, during the 

 daytime. By this course little anxiety may be felt as to 

 causing broken wind. Clover hay is a medicine to the 

 sick or tired horse, and he will eat of it when he will touch 

 nothing else. It is equal to fresh-cut grass for changing 

 both the excretions and secretions of horses, thereby 

 removing bad smells from the stable and the body of the 

 animal. The straw-colored dung indicates an unhealthy 

 condition of horse, but it is at once made healthy and 

 darkened to a brown or good color by clover hay. Being 

 less in price and less quantity being required to be fed, it 

 also obviates the necessity for the bi-weekly or tri-weekly 

 bran-mash usually fed to the horse. 



To those who may have doubts of the value of clover 

 hay, and regard it as liable to give rise to diseased wind, 



