QUANTITY OP FOOD. 



131 



The more grass that is put before a horse at those 

 times, when it is not left long before him, the better, 

 because he will have the advantage of picking the best 

 out of a lot, and I suppose you do not require to be 

 told that his taste in this respect should have pre- 

 cedence of yours. After morning's feed as it is all 

 taken away again at half-past ten, and after evening's 

 feed, as you can take away as much as you like, when 

 you look in at nine it is of no consequence how large 

 a quantity you put down. The grass and water, as 

 a rule, should be very gradually reduced, a little 

 every month ; and the grain as gradually (at the rate 

 of about a quarter of a pound a week) increased ; but 

 the appetite for all must be consulted to a certain 

 extent. If the digestion keeps pace with the appe- 

 tite, and there is no looseness, well and good ; do not 

 overstrain his stomach in order to see how much he 

 "really would take in :" if the appetite is better than 

 the digestion, there must be reduction. The following 

 (supposing he was in good condition when the train- 

 ing commenced) may be considered a fair quantity 

 for a full-sized Arab, of fourteen hands two inches 

 high, actually to swallow in one day and night. 



