FOOD 197 



teeth, and in the stomach and mtestinal canal may set up 

 irritation. It is perfectly true both horses and mules can 

 eat uncrushed maize, but it is a heavy demand to make on 

 their grinding apparatus. 



Corn crushing is distinctly valuable with old animals, or 

 those with defective teeth, or in a condition of debility, as 

 it saves labour and ensures a breaking up of the grain. 



Linseed requires some form of preparation, either by 

 boiling or prolonged steeping, to render it fit for digestion ; 

 without this it passes through the body untouched. 



' Gram,' as iised in certain parts of India, must either be 

 crushed or soaked. ' Oorud ' and ' coolthie,' feeding grains 

 used in the South of India, require boiling, and potatoes are 

 better boiled than raw. In these special instances boihng 

 is necessary, yet as a practice we are opposed to boiled 

 foods for horses, though many authorities in the profession 

 hold a different view. In our experience they are productive 

 of colic with its sequelfe, for the reason that the soft pulpy 

 mass admits of being eaten very quickly, and this with a 

 greedy feeder spells colic. 



Greedy feeding among horses is very common, and as a 

 cause of disease is tolerably frequent. It is inviting a greedy 

 feeder to contract trouble unless the food partaken of is 

 properly prepared, and the preparation it requires is to be 

 wetted and thoroughly mixed with hay chaff; this ensures 

 mastication, but if the chaff be added to a dry feed the 

 animal very soon learns to blow it away and deal solely 

 with the corn. 



The most thorough manner of defeating a greedy feeder 

 is to use a flat surface to feed from, and spread the food in 

 a thin layer all over it ; this absolutely prevents ' bolting.' 

 The lid of a box does very well, but any contrivance which 

 complies with the above principle may be adopted. It 

 is evident a greedy feeder should never be fed out of a 

 nose-bag. 



If a quantity of ' green meat ' be given for the first time 

 without being mixed with a certain amount of dry hay 

 disease will arise; it is always advisable, until tolerance 



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