th the season of
the year. I usually give only half a feed in the evening about five
o'clock, and the remainder the last thing at night, about eight or nine,
according to the season of the year; but, unless carefully watched,
"syces" will not do this, as it is the custom only to feed three times
daily, and "dastour" (custom) is a thing it is impossible to make a native
break through.

Bolting Food.

Some horses have a trick of bolting their food without masticating it
properly, especially if another is being fed in their company. It is a
good plan to feed such horses apart from any others, which can easily be
done in an Indian stable, as they are all loose boxes, or, if picketed out
in the open, by moving him a short distance away from the others. A small
quantity of chaff, grass, straw, or what is known as "bhoosa," which is
wheat straw that is crushed and broken into small pieces in the process
of treading out the grain by bullocks, mixed in with the feed, will
usually make them masticate it properly.

Spilling Food on Ground.

Horses have also a trick sometimes of throwing their food out of the
bucket or manger, and spilling a quantity on the ground. Not only is a
large amount wasted, but when the animal has finished what is left, and
tries at his leisure to gather up what is on the ground, he eats a large
amount of earth and dirt with it, which is injurious. The best way I know
to prevent this is to feed the horse on a cloth on the ground; any bit of
old sacking about four feet square will answer for the purpose.

Grass.

In India hay is not often seen, and horses are fed on grass; even
race-horses are trained on it. This may at first sound strange, but Indian
grass is very different to English meadow grass, and chiefly consists of
the roots and runners, the actual blade of grass not being more than about
an inch long. The best grass is what is known as "dhoob." It is a short
grass, with long roots and suckers, which is dug up out of the ground with
a short iron hoe or trowel, called a "kurpa," which is used with a
scraping motion of the hand, the process being called "cheeling." A
considerable quantity of earth is taken up with it, which ought to be
knocked off against the hoe; but as the grass is sold by weight, and the
usual quantity a private "grass-cutter" is supposed to bring in daily is
20 seers (40 lbs. weight), it is not to his advantage to clean it. If
horses eat dirty grass for any length of