THE HORSE. 
45 
is natural to suppose that these different kinds of water would produce 
somewhat different effects on the animal frame ; and such is the fact. 
Hard water, freshly drawn from the well, will frequently roughen the 
coat of the horse unaccustomed to it, or cause griping pains, or materi- 
ally lessen the animal’s power of exertion. The racing and the hunting 
groom are perfectly aware of this ; and so is the horse, for he will refuse 
the purest water from the well, if he can obtain access to the running 
stream, or even the turbid pool. Where there is the power of choice, 
the softer water should undoubtedly be preferred. 
The temperature of the water is of far more consequence than its 
hardness. It will rarely harm, if taken from the pond or the running 
stream, but its coldness when recently drawn from the well has often 
been injurious; it has produced colic, spasm, and even death. 
There is often considerable prejudice against the horse being fairly 
supplied with water. It is supposed to chill him, to injure his wind, or 
to incapacitate him for hard work. It certainly would do so if, imme- 
diately after drinking his fill, he were galloped hard, but not if he were 
suffered to quench his thirst more frequently when at rest in the stable. 
The horse that has free access to water will not drink so much in the 
course of a day as another, who, in order to cool his parched mouth, 
swallows as fast as he can, and knows not when to stop. 
A horse may with perfect safety be far more liberally supplied with 
water than he generally is. An hour before his work commences, he 
should be permitted to drink a couple of quarts. A greater quantity 
might probably be objected to. He will perform his task far more 
pleasantly and effectively than with a parched mouth and tormenting 
thirst. I he prejudice both of the hunting and the training groom on 
this point is cruel, as well as injurious. The task or the journey being 
accomplished, and the horse having had his head and neck dressed, his 
legs and feet washed, before his body is cleaned he should have his 
water. When dressed, his grain may be offered to him, which he will 
readily take ; but water should never be given immediately before or 
after the grain. 
GROOMING. — Of this little need be said to the agriculturist, since cus- 
tom, and apparently without ill effect, has allotted so little of the comb 
and brush to the farmer’s horse. The animal that is worked all day 
and turned out at night, requires little more to be done to him than to 
have the dirt brushed oft his limbs. Regular grooming, by rendering 
his skin more sensible to the alteration of temperature, and the inclem- 
ency of the weather, would be prejudicial. The horse that is alto- 
gether turned out, needs no grooming. The dandriff, or scurf, which 
accumulates at the roots of the hair, is a provision of nature to defend 
him from the wind and the cold. 
It is to the stabled horse, highly fed, and little or irregularly worked, 
that grooming is of so much consequence. Good rubbing with the 
brush, or the curry-comb, opens the pores of the skin, circulates the 
blood to the extremities of the body, produces free and healthy per- 
spiration, and stands in the room of exercise. No horse will carry a 
fine coat without either unnatural heat or dressing. They both effect 
the same purpose ; they both increase the insensible persiration ; but 
