FIRST-HAND BITS OF STABLE LORE 



while the greedy feeder will gorge himself with a 

 mass which his digestive apparatus is wholly un- 

 able to handle. The man who will invent an 

 automatic feeder that shall expose extra feeds at 

 certain hours will meet a vital want ; but, failing 

 this, the man who feeds at say six and ten in the 

 morning, and two, six. and ten in the afternoon, 

 the usual daily amounts, subdivided to meet the 

 occasions, will find his sure reward in the im- 

 mediately bettered condition of his horses, and 

 in the fact that they are ready, at any time, to 

 use. Especially must the thin animal have his 

 meals often ; in concentrated form, and small in 

 quantity. No satisfactory progress can be expected 

 if allowance is not made for the weakened con- 

 dition of the subject's digestive apparatus, which 

 is the prime cause of his failure to do well. 



Exercise of course has its necessary place in the 

 attainment of satisfactory condition, and herein 

 we all err on the side of insufficiency. Not one 

 horse in twenty in private stables is used enough 

 to keep him really healthy. If the pair go down 

 town on a shopping tour they must do no more 

 that day ; if our saddle horses get an hour in the 

 park or riding school every day they are in luck. 

 Any horse in work, can do and should do his ten 



62 



