274 COMPENDIUM OF THE VETERINARY ART. 



The best food for horses that work hard 

 is oats and hay, with a moderate quantity of 

 beans. The hitter, however, should not be 

 allowed, unless the horse's work be consider- 

 able, as under moderate exertion they dispose 

 the system to inflanuiiatory complaints, such 

 as coughs, inflamed eyes, &c. 1 am convinced 

 that horses whose labour is severe are often 

 injured by being stinted in water, particularly 

 when they are allowed a large quantity of food. 

 It is a common practice with waggoners, when 

 their horses come in from a long and fatiguing 

 journev, their strength ahnost exhausted by 

 long-continued exertion and sweating, to offer 

 tliem immediately an unlimited quantity of 

 food, and very little (most commonly not a 

 drop) of water. Under such circumstances,, 

 the stomach is not able to dioest the food that 

 is taken in ; and I firmly believe that the 

 staggers are often tlie consequence of such 

 manacrenient. When a horse comes in from 

 a lono" iouriiev, lie should always be allowed a 

 small quantity of water before he is fed; and 

 if he be allowed a little immediately after 

 feeding, it is more likely to promote diges- 

 tion, and prove bewcficial, than to injure the 

 •animal. It is certaudy a good plan, to give 



