THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 97 



that furnishes the digestive fluids for extra grain to- 

 morrow. 



3. The hay ration should not be increased with in- 

 creased labor — only the grain. Indeed, in case of ex- 

 traordinary exertion, covering several days in succes- 

 sion, especially when the usual hay ration is a heavy 

 one, the hay may be, and often with advantage, 

 lessened. 



4. Night Feed. — Feed all the hay at night, say at 6 

 o'clock for horses not regularly worked until that 

 hour or later, or feed hay an hour after coming to 

 stable. Meantime offer water before the hay. In an- 

 other hour feed the grain. If thirsty after eating 

 hay, the horse should have a little water, then grain. 

 After this the horse will satisfy his appetite with the 

 balance of the hay, lie down and sleep the sleep of the 

 just. 



5. It is always safe to try two meals a day, and in 

 proportion as a horse's work is constant and severe 

 throughout the day this system is rendered more and 

 more essential, for this reason, viz. : the horse of light 

 work will have ample time to digest a mid-day lunch 

 and it is a matter of comparative indifference whether 

 his proper allowance is divided into two or three por- 

 tions. But in the case first supposed, a middle meal 

 is impossible without a violation of the rule which 

 most persons agree in considering desirable, and 

 which we hold to be imperative, viz. : the rule relat- 

 ing to rest before and after eating. 



6. Referring to rule 1, it may be remarked that, in 

 proportion as the work is lessened, the hay ration 



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