ARTICLES USED AS FOOD 185 



wood very foul. No more should be boiled nor given than 

 will be consumed before next morning. It should not be 

 boiled to a jelly. It should always be mixed with chaff. 



The Husk of Wheat is very useful, and employed in all 

 town stables. It goes under several names, of which the 

 principal are bran, and pollard, hen-meal, and gudgings. 

 There are two kinds, the one much finer than the other. 

 The coarsest is most usually termed bran ; pollard is supposed 

 to contain and to yield more nutriment ; but the difference 

 does not appear to be great. 



Bran is seldom give in its dry state, but when beans or peas 

 form the bulk of the grain, some dry bran is added, to make 

 the horse masticate them, and to correct the constipating 

 property of these articles. 



Bran-Mash is the usual food of sick horses ; it relaxes the 

 bowels. Its laxative property has been supposed to depend 

 upon mechanical irritation, which can not be true, since bran 

 is constipating to dogs. It contains little nutriment, but sup- 

 plies the place of grain to an idle or a sick horse, when he 

 must be kept low ; and it helps to keep the bowels in order 

 when the horse is confined to hay without grain. The bran- 

 mash is given either cold or warm. Some horses like it bet- 

 ter in one way than another ; some will not eat it when mash- 

 ed, but will take it dry, and a few seem to dislike it altogether. 

 The cold bran-mash is usually made with cold water ; as much 

 being poured upon the bran as it will absorb. The warm 

 mash is made with boiling water. The mash should be close- 

 ly covered up till cool enough to be eaten. When oats, beans, 

 and hay, form the ordinary feeding, it is usual to give a large 

 bran-mash, about half a pailful, once a week. It relaxes the 

 bowels, operating upon them very gently, and clearing out 

 their contents. In Scotland, road and canal-horses work none 

 on Sunday. On Saturday night they get a bran-mash instead 

 of their ordinary feed of grain ; but when grass or boiled food 

 is in season, bran is not generally used in this way. When 

 the horses are in high condition, with bowels liable to con- 

 stipation, the bran-mash prevents any evil that might arise 

 from Sunday's rest ; but when low in flesh, doing all the work 

 they can bear, they can hardly afford to lose a meal, even 

 though they rest on Sunday. [Mashes are laxative, and of 

 course debilitating. They should not be given to lean horses, 

 that are to continue in hard work. But when they are to 

 stand idle, or it is desired to make them fat, mashes act as an 

 alterative and are therefore beneficial.] If the bowels be 



16* 



