17 



About the only examination of water that can be made by the aver- 

 age stock-raiser is to observe its taste, color, smell, and clearness. 

 Pure water is clear and is without taste or smell. It should possess a 

 slight bluish tint. 



Chemical and microscopic examination will frequently be necessary 

 in order to detect the presence of certain poisons, bacteria, etc., and caii 

 of course only be conducted by experts. 



Foods and feeding. — In this place one can not attemi)t anything like a 

 comprehensive discussion of the subject, and I must content myself 

 with merely giving a few facts as to the different kinds of food, prepa- 

 ration, digestibility, proper time of feeding, quality, and quantity. Im- 

 proper feeding and watering will doubtless account for over one-half of 

 the digestive disorders met with in the horse, and hence the reader can 

 not fail to see how very imijortant it is to have some proper ideas con- 

 cerning these subjects. 



Kinds of food. — In this country horses are fed chiefly upon hay, grass, 

 roots, oats, corn, wheat, and rj'e. Many think that they could be fed on 

 nothing else. Stewart, in "The Stable Book," gives the following ex- 

 tract from Loudon's Encycloj)edia of Agriculture, which is of interest 

 at this point: 



In some sterile countries they (horses) are forced to subsist on dried fish, and even 

 on vegetable mold; iu Arabia, on milk, flesh-balls, eggs, broth. In India horses are 

 variously fed. The native grasses are judged very nutritious. Few, perhaps no oata 

 are grown ; barley is rare, and not commonly given to horses. In Bengal a vetch, 

 something like the tare, is used. Ou the western side of India a sort of pigeon-pea, 

 called gram {Cicer arietinum) forma the ordinary food, with grass while in season, and 

 hay all the year round, Indian corn or rice la seldom given. In the West Indies 

 maize, guinea corn, sugar corn tops, and sometimes molasses, are given. In the 

 Mahratta country salt, pepper, and other epices are made into balls, with flour and 

 butter, and these are su^iposed to produce animation and to fine the coat. Broth 

 made from sheep's head is sometimes given. In France, Spain, and Italy, besides the 

 grasses, the leaves of limes, vines, the tops of acacia, and the seeds of the carob-tree 

 are given to horses. 



For information as to the nutritive value, chemistry, and classifica- 

 tion of the different kinds of food, I will refer the reader again to 

 Smith's Veterinary Hygiene. 



We can not, however, leave aside entirely here a consideration of the 

 digestibility of foods ; and by this we mean the readiness with which 

 foods undergo those changes in the digestive canal that fit them for 

 absorption and deposition as integral parts of the animal economy. 



The age and health of the animal will, of course, modify the digesti- 

 bility of foods, as will also the manner and time of harvesting, preserv- 

 ing, and preparing the foods. 



In the horse digestion takes place principally in the intestines, and 

 here, as in all other animals and with all foods, we find that a certain 

 part only of the i:»rovender is digested ; another portion is indigested. 

 This proportion of digested and indigested food must claim passing 

 notice at least, for if the horse receives too much food a large portion 

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