Among Horses in India. 39 



freshwater life, and is invigorating to the digestive organs of 

 graminivorous animals. 



Gkass-cuttees' Ponies. 



Before dismissing the subject of food, I will refer for a 

 moment to the feeding of grass-cutters' ponies. Nominally 

 the property of the grass-cutters, they in reality belong to the 

 battery or regimental native banker, to whom nearly or quite 

 all the grass-cutters and saices are in debt. The banker 

 advances money for buying the ponies, and receives a certain 

 sum monthly from the grass-cutters' pay. The grass-cutters 

 are usually quite indifferent to the condition of the ponies, 

 and the latter are generally mere bags of bones unless the 

 commanding- officer insist upon each animal receiving a sir of 

 grain daily. 



This ought to be given every morning under the super- 

 vision of the stable orderly, or some other European. 



Conditioning foe Woek. 

 In the hot season horses generally have too little work, 

 and fall out of condition to some extent. Their skins too 

 become very tender, so that if sent on a march without pre- 

 paration at the commencement of the cool weather they are 

 liable to lose flesh, and are very subject to galls. The latter 

 would be far less frequent if the horses were taken out route- 

 marching twice weekly for three or four weeks before starting 

 for their new station. Their skins would be hardened, any 

 slight misfit in the harness would be detected, and their 

 muscles, tendons, and bones brought into condition for real 

 work. 



Shoeing. 



Eoads in India being rarely so gravelly as in Englaud, 

 shoes can be made extremely light. In the batteries to which 

 I was attached the rule was to make shoes as light as 

 possible, provided they did not bend with the weight of the 

 horse. Even these in most stations could be worn for two 

 months, being only removed at the end of the first month. 



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