PRINCIPLES OF FEEDING. 241 



garding a horse's food. It is extensively believed that boiled 

 food, barley, carrots, and some other articles, produce purga- 

 tion — that raw wheat is poisonous — that peas swell so. much 

 as to burst, the stomach — that potatoes, and many other things, 

 are flatulent. 



The truth is, a sudden change of diet produces evils which 

 would not occur were the change made with care. The most 

 frequent result of a change is colic, next to that, purgation, 

 and after these come founder, surfeit, weed, constipation, and 

 apoplexy. Some of these, perhaps the whole of them except 

 purgation, may arise as often from the horse eating too much, 

 as from the sudden change. But it appears quite certain that 

 the stomach and bowels require some little time to adapt them- 

 selves to articles upon which they have not been accustomed 

 to act. The horse eats too much, because the new article is 

 more palatable than his ordinary food ; and the groom often 

 gives too much without knowing it. ; he gives barley and beans 

 in the same measure that he gives oats. These articles, and 

 wheat, are much heavier in proportion to their bulk. An 

 equal weight of oats might not be eaten, though it were given, 

 and the horse would suffer no evil ; but if the horse is not 

 used to beans or barley, he will eat a greater weight of those 

 than of his oats ; if an equal quantity, by weight, were given, 

 the horse would be in less danger ; but still it is not safe sud- 

 denly to substitute one article for another. 



If it were determined to use a certain portion of barley in- 

 stead of oats, say an equal quantity of each, the change is not 

 to be made in one day nor in one week. At first give the 

 barley in only one of the daily feeds, and in small quantity, 

 so that, during the first week, one feed will consist of three 

 parts oats, and one part barley — the other feeds will be the 

 same as usual ; in the second week, one feed will be half oats 

 and half barley ; in the third week, give two of those feeds 

 every day ; in the next, three, and so on till the horses receive 

 the allotted quantity. 



One dose of physic, perhaps two, may be useful when the 

 diet is altered ; but if the horses be seasoned, and in full work, 

 it is seldom necessary. It is most required when the food is 

 richer and more constipating than that to which they have 

 been used. 



The Quantity of Food may be insufficient, or it may be 

 in excess. The consumption is influenced by the work, the 

 weather, the horse's condition, age, temper, form, and health *. 



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