PASTURING. 277 



may have a few tonic balls between the setting of one dose, 

 and the administration of another. Four drachms of gentian, 

 two of ginger, and one of tartar emetic, made into a ball with 

 honey, form a very useful tonic. One of these may be given 

 every day, or every second day, for a fortnight. If not im- 

 proved, or improving under these, the horse requires a vete- 

 rinary surgeon. 



In some places the horse is bled upon coming from grass, 

 with what intention or what effect I can not tell. I should 

 think that the operation can not be very necessary to any 

 horse, and to a lean one it may be pernicious. If required at 

 all, it is probably after the horse is stabled and acquiring flesh 

 too rapidly. 



The Mode of Grazing Farm-Horses requires a little notice. 

 Other horses are sent to pasture, and, with few exceptions, 

 remain at it for days or weeks without interruption. But those 

 employed in agriculture are pastured in three different ways. 

 By one the horse is constantly at grass, except during his 

 hours of work ; he is put out at night, is brought in next 

 morning, goes to work for two or three hours, and is then re- 

 turned to pasture for about two hours ; in the afternoon he 

 again goes to work, which may be concluded at five or six 

 o'clock, and from that time till he is wanted next morning the 

 horse is kept at grass. By another mode, the horse is turned 

 out only at night. During the day he is soiled in the stable 

 at his resting intervals. When work is over for the day, he 

 is sent out till next morning. By the third mode, which is 

 generally allowed to be the best, the horse is turned to grass 

 only once a week. He is pastured from the time his work is 

 finished on Saturday night till it recommences on Monday 

 morning. 



If the horses have anything like work, the first two modes 

 of grazing are, I think, objectionable. There is much expen- 

 diture of labor in procuring the food, and there is a great loss 

 of time. It may cost the horse four or five hours' good work 

 to cut down the grass he eats. A man armed with a sythe 

 will do the same work with far less labor, and in a few 

 minutes. If there be nothing else for the horse to do, it is 

 very right to make him gather his own food. But, otherwise, 

 it is absurd to exhaust his strength and time in doing that 

 which a man can do so much more easily and quickly. Be- 

 sides this expenditure of the horse's time and strength, the loss 

 of manure, and the damage done to pasture by the feet, ought 

 to be considered. 



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