52 DISEASES OF THE HOBSE. 



the part of the digestive organs of the horse. It is thus that, in 

 fact, too much feed may make an animal poor. 



In selecting feed for the horse we should remember the anatomical 

 arrangement of the digestive organs, as well as the physiological 

 functions performed by each one of them. Feeds must be whole- 

 some, clean, and sweet, the hours of feeding regular, the mode of 

 preparation found by practical experience to be the best must be 

 adhered to, and cleanliness in preparation and administration must 

 be observed. 



The length, of time occupied by stomach digestion in the horse 

 varies with the different feeds. Hay and straw pass out of the stom- 

 ach more rapidly than oats. It would seem to follow, then, that oats 

 should be given after hay, for if reversed the hay would cause the 

 oats to be sent onward into the intestines before being fully acted 

 upon by the stomach, and as a result produce indigestion. Experi- 

 ence confirms this. There is another good reason why hay should be 

 given first, particularly if the horse is very hungry or if exhausted 

 from overwork, namely, it requires more time in mastication (insur- 

 ing proper admixture of saliva) and can not be bolted, as are the 

 grains. In either instance water must not be given soon after feed- 

 ing, as it washes or sluices the feed from the stomach before it is fitted 

 for intestinal digestion. 



The stomach begins to empty itself very soon after the conmience- 

 ment of feeding, and continues rapidly while eating. Afterwards 

 the passage is slower, and several hours are required before the stom- 

 ach is entirely empty. The nature of the work required of the horse 

 must guide us in the selection of his feed. Eapid or severe labor can 

 not be performed on a full stomach. For such labor feed must be 

 given in small quantity and about two hours before going to work. 

 Even horses intended for slow work must never be engorged with 

 bulky, innutritious feed immediately before going to labor. The 

 small stomach of the horse would seem to lead us to the conclusion 

 that he should be fed in small quantities and often, which, in reality, 

 should be done. The disproportion between the size of the stomach 

 and the quantity of water drUnk tells us plainly that the horse 

 should always be watered before feeding. One of the common 

 errors of feeding, and the one that produces more digestive disorders 

 than any other, is to feed too soon after a hard dmfs worh. This 

 must never be done. If a horse is completely jaded, it will be found 

 beneficial to give him an alcoholic stimulant on going into the stable. 

 A small quantity of hay may then be given, but his grain should be 

 withheld for one or two hours. These same remarks will apply with 

 equal force to the horse that for any reason has been fasting for a 

 long time. After a fast, feed less than the horse would eat, for if 

 allowed too much the stomach becomes engorged, its walls paralyzed 

 and "colic" is almost sure to follow. The horse should be fed 



