2 8 
TRAVELS 
highly fpoken of, though they would be reckoned but very 
middling, or rather mean, in feveral other countries. I was fur- 
prized to find that there was no flraw or other bedding for the 
horfes. The animals {land or lie on perforated boards, like fol- 
diers in barracks. This practice I found to be univerfal through¬ 
out all Scandinavia. It occurred to me that it might have had its 
origin in the oeconomy of faving flraw for the cattle in a coun¬ 
try where winter provender is fo much wanted : and, perhaps, 
this may be really the cafe; though even in Denmark, where 
flraw and other provender are abundant, the fame practice is fol¬ 
lowed. It has been approved by the Veterinary Colleges of both 
Stockholm and Copenhagen, and univerfally adopted by the 
royal and other great' families, on account of its falutary effedl 
on the foot of the horfe. In countries where the horfes Hand 
in a hot-bed produced by their own litter, their feet become ten¬ 
der and fubjedl to divers diforders; but you very feldom fee a 
lame or foundered horfe in Sweden or Denmark, which, if it is not 
to be afcribed to the fkill of the licenfed farriers, who are (at 
leafl in the Danifh dominions) all brought up in the Veterinary 
College, may, to a certain degree, be owing to the manner of 
keeping the horfe on boards inflead of flraw. In mofl countries 
wood is dear and fcarce: but if any other fubflitute could be 
found for flraw in the bedding of horfes, the reduction it would 
bring about in the price of hay and corn mufl be very great. It 
is well known that, in many places, flraw is the only food that is 
afforded during the winter months, for cattle and even horfes. 
The 
