MANAGEMENT OF THE STALLION 
23 
regular strata of food arrangement in the stomach, half of which perhaps 
may be carried away because the water drunk passes directly through the 
stomach without stopping in the cecum. So he states: “Hence . . . 
the golden rule of experience that horses should be watered first and fed 
afterwards.” In this connection, Smith brings out the effect of watering 
on digestion by saying: “ . . . during the earlier hours of digestion 
the horses receiving water digested hay better than those kept without it, 
but there is no difference after the ninth or tenth hour succeeding feed¬ 
ing.” 
Woll 5 " says in regard to feeding: “It is generally considered necessary 
to feed the horse three times a day, although the noon meal is sometimes 
omitted without apparently impairing the working capacity of the horse. 
The heaviest meal, so far as hay is concerned is given at night, the morn¬ 
ing meal being next in amount, and the noon meal smallest, as he has 
then less time to eat; at least one-half hour is allowed after the morn¬ 
ing and noon meals. The daily gain feed is given about one-third each 
meal. Whatever system is followed, it is important to adopt a regular 
routine of feeding so that the horse may get his feed when he expects 
it and in the manner to which he is accustomed.” 
Woll 60 cites Colin to have demonstrated “that the stomach of the horse 
will fill and empty itself two or three times during a meal; the portion 
of the feed first eaten will remain only a short time in the stomach 
subject to the action of the gastric juice, being pushed into the intestines 
by the feed that follows. It has also been shown if a horse is fed grain 
and then watered much of the grain will be carried along into the in¬ 
testines and will, therefore, not be fully digested; hence it would seem 
that the logical order of feeding is hay and then grain; but horses are 
most anxious to get their grain and will be nervous and excited if it is 
withheld until the end of the meal. Farmers generally, therefore, feed 
their horses grain first and put hay before them to be eaten after the 
grain.” 
Fitzwygram 51 is here quoted to say the following on the subject: “Ex¬ 
perience has showm that it is sufficient to feed the horse three times a 
day. Less frequent feeding is decidedly objectionable. The corn should 
be divided into three portions and the hay into two. If a horse is used 
in the morning the portion of the hay should be omitted at the early 
feed and reserved for midday and evening. If he is required to work in 
the afternoon he should get his hay in the morning and evening. Cart 
horses, whose work is always slow should be fed with hay three times a 
day.” Fitzwygram goes on to indicate that “Horses should not be fed, 
when heated, immediately after work. If the horse is exhausted a 
bucket of warm gruel should be given at once; but the corn should be 
withheld until the animal is cool and has been dressed.” It is pointed 
out that at the close of the stable hour the feeding should best be made. 
On the system of watering Fitzwygram 61 states that “It is a cardinal 
rule in stable management that horses should be watered before being 
fed. The contrary practice is exceedingly likely to cause colic, otherwise 
called gripes.” Further on he says that “If the horse is thoroughly 
tired and fagged the water should be made slightly tepid, or a bucket 
of warm gruel may be given instead.” 
According to Gardenier, Gill, and Gilbert, 62 “Hay and straw are digest¬ 
ed and pass out of the stomach more rapidly than oats or other grain. If 
oats are fed first, and are followed by hay, the hay soon passing onward 
into the intestines will carry along with it oats that are not yet prepared 
for intestinal digestion thus causing a loss of food. Another reason for 
feeding hay first (more particularly if the horse is very hungry or tired 
from overwork) is that it takes time to masticate the hay and the horse 
cannot bolt it down as it would grains.” The same writers state that 
“An error that produces many disorders of the digestive system is to 
