109 
TRAINING OF THE ENGLISH IiACE-HORSE. 
Grain and pulse are commonly used as articles of* food, in ad¬ 
dition to the hay, which of itself is not considered sufficiently 
nutritive and substantial to support the animal under his more 
laborious and trying duties. Those generally chosen are, 
“ Gals, which (Mr. Darvill says), arc the most nutritious of any corn, and 
appear to agree best with horses. To be of the best quality, they should 
prove sweet, heavy, and thin in the skin, and so thoroughly winnowed as to 
do away with all the light grains and tailings.” 
The pulse used as food are beans and peas. 
Beans are very nutritious, and are of an astringent and heating nature ; 
and if given too liberally, they produce thirst, and make horses costive. 
Craving horses do not require them ; though even to them beans may be 
given at places where the corn is found to be of bad quality/ 
“ Beans should be mixed with the oats of such horses, likewise, as are in 
the habit of 4 throwing off their meat/ Prior to being given, the beans 
should be hulled and split. 
“ White peas are sometimes mixed with oats by way of change; but 
beaus are preferable. 
“ Chaff consists of a mixture of about equal parts of the best sort of hay 
and wheat straw, cut short in a machine. It is given to horses mixed with 
their corn, to make them grind the grain. The best clover hay, cut into 
chaff, may, in small quantities, be given to light delicate horses, even while 
in training, to induce them to eat more heartily/’ 
Bran, the produce of the ground husk of the oat, is the pro- 
vender we make use of when a low diet is required; at the same 
time, to it is usually ascribed some laxative effects on the bowels. 
It is commonly given in the form of a mash , the proper mode 
of making which is to pour boiling water upon the bran, in suffi¬ 
cient quantity, and afterwards to cover the vessel up so close as 
to confine the steam until the mixture has acquired the tempera¬ 
ture at which we wish the animal to eat it. 
“ Brau is generally used in preparing horses for physic. It is also useful 
for such horses as are apt to be costive. A mash of equal parts of bran and 
corn is very efficacious in keeping the body open.” 
With all deference to the experience of our author, as a groom, 
w 7 e have always held bran and corn to be not only a heteroge¬ 
neous sort of mixture, but a combination that was by no means 
suited to the purposes intended. Bran requiring but little or no 
mastication, and oats a great deal of “ grinding,” the latter, 
when so given, we have found to be very liable to pass through 
the body whole, leaving, consequently, the animal but little or 
nothing benefitted by them. When oats are to be given mixed 
with the mash, they ought to be scalded with the bran ; and thus, 
being like it rendered soft, would with it undergo the necessary 
mastication. 
VOL. HI. 
Q 
