ON THE MANAGEMENT OF FARM HORSES. 171 
to the turning of our horses out during the three or four warmest 
months of the year, many of the foregoing objections do not apply. 
For my own part, I have been in the habit, after the warm weather 
has thoroughly set in, and the hay has been made and carried from 
the pastures, to turn out my cart-horses during the night, and 1 
have never seen other than benefit arising from the practice. 
Its advantages are, that much litter has been thereb} r saved, as 
well as considerable labour in carting green food or hay to the 
stable. The coolness of the pastures during the night, as compared 
to the heated stables, is very conducive to health ; and, indeed, 
I have generally found that the horses have gained flesh during 
this period. 
One of the principal objections to this practice is, that the dung 
is likely to be dissipated and lost. This, however, may readily 
be avoided by employing a lad with a wheelbarrow and shovel, 
to collect the droppings from time to time into a heap, to be 
afterwards mixed with ashes or earth, to be laid out in the pasture 
at a more suitable period of the year This mode should also be 
followed with regard to the dung of cattle; the expense is trivial, 
and is far more than compensated by the advantages that attend 
the saving of the herbage from the too powerful action of the dung, 
and its more economical use when collected together. 
Another objection to the practice is, that horses are more likely 
to get kicked or otherwise injured by being thus turned out. This 
certainly is of some weight, and is only to be obviated in a measure 
by abstaining from turning out those horses that are at all viciously 
disposed. 
The practice of turning out during the nights of summer applies 
only to those farms where there are abundant pastures, and, 
consequently, where the after-grass abounds. 
In farms where pastures are deficient, the horse may be turned 
into yards, and supplied with green food to equal advantage. 
When the nights get cold, and before the moulting season, the 
horses should no longer be turned out at night, but the change 
may be rendered gradual by letting them out a couple of hours in 
the afternoon after the day’s work is over, and also on Sundays 
during the day, if the weather is fine. 
So far, and so far only, I believe, the practice of turning out 
working horses is consistent with reason. 
4. Feeding in different Seasons. 
We now approach the most important part of our subject, viz., 
“ feeding in different seasons for the expense of keeping the 
horse-power on a farm is very great, and forms a very considerable 
