ARTICLES USED AS FOOD. 191 



Hempseed used to be given to racers a few days before 

 running. It was supposed to be invigorating and " good for 

 the wind." I believe it is not now employed, except occa- 

 sionally to stallions, during the travelling season. Some give 

 four or six ounces every night. 



Sago. — In the year 1839, this article was a good deal spo* 

 ken of as an excellent food for horses. Mr. Ritchie, veteri- 

 nary surgeon of Edinburgh, made some experiments with it, 

 and detailed them in the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture. 

 He tried it with only one horse. He gave daily three pounds 

 of sago stirred into two gallons of boiling water ; and this 

 quantity was divided into three feeds. After a few days he 

 found that this feeding made the horse sweat more at his 

 work. He then gave the sago nearly dry, or just moistened, 

 by adding to it about four ounces of water ; and thus fed, the 

 horse perspired no more than he had done upon oats and hay. 



I have no doubt but sago might be used partially as a sub- 

 stitute for oats, and possibly it might, under certain circum- 

 stances, be used to the exclusion of other grain. But from 

 my own experience of it on several horses, I found, 



1. That no horse would eat it unmixed with other grain. 



2. That very few would eat it raw, even when mixed with 

 oats. 



3. That none refused it when it was boiled with oats or 

 beans. 



4. That it is not profitable if it costs more than twelve shil- 

 lings per cwt., while oats are twenty shillings per boll. 



Sugar. — Mr. Black, veterinary surgeon of the 14th Light 

 Dragoons, informed me that sugar was tried as an article of 

 horses' food during the peninsular war. The experiment was 

 made at the Brighton depot, upon ten horses, during a period 

 of three months. Each got eight pounds per day at four ra- 

 tions. They took to it very readily, and it was remarked 

 that their coats became fine, smooth, and glossy. They got 

 no grain, and only seven pounds of hay, instead of the ordi- 

 nary allowance, which is twelve pounds. The sugar seemed 

 to supply the place of grain so well, that it would probably 

 have been given to the horses abroad ; but peace came, and 

 the circumstances which rendered the use of sugar for grain 

 desirable ceased. The horses returned to their usual diet ; 

 but several of those who were the subjects of this experiment 

 became crib-biters. [Sugar wants nitrogen, but abounds in 

 carbon. It would not, therefore, answer as a horse food. 

 The food must contain nitrogen to form muscle.] 



