928 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



away from passing trains, and a further advantage gained 

 by this is that they are then generally in the best position 

 for watering and feeding. 



After all the horses are in the door is closed, and the 

 head-ropes thrown back into the truck and left trailing on 

 the floor. 



Some military journeys abroad last several days, and 

 this necessitates a carefully thought out programme for 

 the horses, prepared in conjunction with the railway 

 authorities. It may be taken as a rule that for the effective 

 watering and feeding of these horses, they ought if possible 

 to be detrained twice in each 24 hours. The length of time 

 it takes them to water, and to consume a given amount of 

 corn and hay, plus the time occupied in entraining them 

 again, is the period for which the train should stop. Say, if 

 possible, li hours. Watering and feeding in railway trucks 

 is a most unsatisfactory proceeding and a wasteful one. 

 Under certain military exigencies it may be impossible to 

 detrain at regular intervals ; in this case both watering and 

 feeding must be done in the truck as best possible, but it 

 can only be done by turning out the men at any hour of 

 the day or night when water is available. Hay under 

 these circumstances would be wasted, but corn can be given 

 in nosebags, and two men should travel on each truck at 

 feeding time to attend to this matter. 



The truck containing the forage for a troop train should 

 be the furthest from the engine; we have known of serious 

 accidents from the neglect of this elementary precaution. 



When a horse gets cast in a truck there is only one way 

 of getting him up, and that is by taking a couple of horses 

 out. There should always be a man riding on each truck 

 to render what assistance is possible in the event of 

 difficulties occurring, or to call for help at the next stopping 

 place. 



If it is fine weather there is no comparison between an 

 open and a closed truck for comfort ; the closed trucks are 

 stifling on a hot day, especially when made of iron as many 

 are on our colonial railways. 



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