24 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



is especially the case with hard-worked animals, because 

 they can eat an almost unlimited quantity of oats without 

 it disagreeing with them. On the contrary, gram and 

 Mlthee, given in amounts sufficient to supply the necessary 

 nutriment, almost always upset the digestion, and induce 

 a " heated " state of the system. 



In order to make up for the inferior quality of the oats, 

 we may, with great advantage, supplement them by an 

 addition of gram or kulthee, which should not exceed a 

 third of the whole amount. This practice is in accord- 

 ance with that, in England, of adding beans to the corn, 

 and is particularly applicable to old horses whose powers 

 of assimilation are impaired. In England, new oats are 

 rightly considered to be indigestible — an objection which 

 may be removed by having them kiln-dried ; but in this 

 country they do not appear to be injurious to any great 

 extent — a fact which may be accounted for by the extreme 

 heat of our tropical sun. New Indian oats never present 

 the soft pulpy appearance seen in new English oats. 



Oats should be given in a bruised state, for then the 

 possibility of the grain passing through the horse in an 

 undigested state is avoided, and the animal is obliged to 

 chew it more thoroughly than if it were given whole. 



On the Bengal side, oats are principally grown in 

 Tirhoot, Dehra Doon, and the Meerut district. 



Gruel is best made by mixing a pound of oatmeal well 

 up with a quart of cold water, to which should be added 

 three quarts of boiling water; the whole being put to 

 simmer over the fire and occasionally stirred up until it 

 thickens. It should then be removed and allowed to 

 cool. It should be given to the horse in a lukewarm 



