THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 33 



by the products of indigestion — poisoned as truly as 

 though a drug were being administered three times a 

 day. 



When I sold the " reclaimed lunatic " Mollie, she 

 was, in spite of my urgent advice, returned to her 

 old way of feeding. The first month, on three 

 meals, she lost thirty pounds ; although, or rather 

 because she had less than half the work she had been 

 doing. After this she began to increase in weight 

 until her original weight was reached. But she had 

 exchanged muscle for fat ; and, although she did not 

 afterward " pull," she never has since, nor had she 

 ever before, the condition — the muscular power, the 

 ability to do a long hard day's work with little ef- 

 fort — as during the year I owned her. 



[Since the above was written, the mare, from full 

 feeding and light work, began to show unmistakable 

 symptoms of chest-founder, and, upon my renewing 

 the suggestion, her owner decided to leave out the 

 noon feed — reducing'her diet from nine quarts of corn 

 and oats to six of oats ; feeding only twice, morning 

 and night. Two months of this regimen, combined 

 with an increase of her daily exercise, is fast banish- 

 ing all signs of lameness]. 



In one other instance, a transient season of this 

 plan — a few weeks only under my administration — be- 

 gun a favorable change in an old and valuable horse 

 that was looking a little " seedy." In this case, sim- 

 ply leaving out the noon feed, giving the regular 

 breakfast and supper (of the same amount each as 

 had been given all along), set the horse to gaining in 



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