Hybrids between the horse and the ass are noticed in the articles Hriaxy and MULE. Hybrids have also been produced between the horse and the zebra, and between the horse and the quagga, exhibiting, in some degree, the stripes so characteristic of these species; but they have been turned to no use.
Fossil remains of the horse have been long noticed associated with the mammoth, rhinoceros, and other extinct quadrupeds, in the drift formations and ossif, erous caverns in the new world, as well as in the old. Their occurrence in America is the more remarkable, from that continent being entirely without the horse when it was discovered by Columbus. envier was unable, in the fragments that he examined, to see any difference from the similar portions of the existing species. Meyer and Kaup have pointed out distinctive characters, and Owen has shown that the remains observed in this country belong probably to two different species. The largest (equus fossilis) was about the height of a middle-sized domestic horse, and differed from this animal in pos sessing a proportionally larger head and jaws, resembling in this respect the wild horses of Asia described by Pallas, and in having the molar teeth, while equal in length, yet decidedly smaller. The second species (equus plicidens) was about the size of a large ass, and differed from the other species, as well as from the living horse, in the more com plex plications of the enamel of its molar teeth.
Horses, of whatever breed or description, should be of good size, shape, and style; for superior animals are fed and kept at the same cost as inferior sorts, are always able to perform their work easily and satisfactorily, and are at any time salable at remit: nerative prices. To produce such animals, requires careful selection of sound, active, symmetrical, well-descended parents. The mare carries her colt eleven months, but occasionally exceeds her time by one or two weeks. Farmers prefer their mares to foal in May, from which time the age is generally calculated, but on the turf, ages date from Jan., and hence the earlier the racing foals are dropped the better. Parturition is usually performed easily and without any assistance, the foal soon getting on his legs, and sucking. Good grass, with a feed of oats daily, will insure an abundant supply of milk. Weaning may take place in five or six months; and the foal, when taken from its mother, most be supplied with a few oats and bran, some good hay, and comfortable shelter at night. At a year old, colts are generally castrated; and are gently broken in and lightly worked when about three years old; but under good treatment they con tinue to grow, and ought not to he put to severe work until they are five.
Oats and hay are the staple articles of food for hard-working horses. The oats should be sound, sweet, and heavy; and for hacks and hunters, are seldom sufficiently dry until they are a year old. Along with good hay, 10 lbs. is a fair allowance. To insure thorough mastication and digestion, oats should be given either slightly bruised or along with some chaff. For coaching or farm-work, a few beans or peas should be given; half a bushel, along with a bushel of oats and hay, is a usual weekly allowance for well-kept farm-horses. Clover and rye-grass hay (q.v.), such as is common through out Scotland. is more palatable and nutritive' than the meadow-hay in general use in England. liiding-horses eating a fair allowance of oats, will consume daily 14 lbs. of hay; but the neavier class of horses require more. Farmers use oat, pea, and bean straw for fodder during the winter months, and in most well-managed establishments a consideraVe portion of the fodder is now given cut, which enables the hard-worked horse to fill himself more rapidly, and thus gives him more leisure for rest and repose.
Cart-horses usually have an evening allowance of sliced Swedes or carrots; a daily pound of tinseen-cake is now frequently added. to keep the coat glossy; whilst a weekly bran-mash is advisable, and should contain during winter an ounce of pounded niter. Horses should be liberally supplied with water at least three times daily, nor is it ever necessary to restrict the supplies, except for a few hours before severe fast work, and when the animal is much overheated and fatigued. In some`well-constructed boxes and stables it is so arranged that water is constantly before the animal in a shallow vessel capable of holding about a quart, and which, as it is removed, is slowly replen ished, and thus cannot be drunk either with undue rapidity or in injurious quantity. During summer, horses generally have such green fond as grass, clover, or vetches; but if their work is severe or long continued, oats and hay ought still to form the principal articles of diet. In summer, farm-horses are often turned out to graze after their day's work is over; but it is generally more economical to bring their green food to the stable, or, better still, to clirrinaodioua yardS. It is seldom adviSable to folloW the old-fashioned plan of turning hacks or hunters out to grass, as they are apt to get kicked or otherwise injured, and lose besides their condition. if not required during the .ununer months, they are better and safer in a large ,yard or a commodious box, where they can have proper feeding and daily exercise. They will thus, at little extra expense, be kept is good condition and fit for work, their legs free from blemishes, and their constitutions uninjured by violent diversities of feeding and management. The small stomach and natural habits of the horse indicate the necessity of his being fed at frequent moderate intervals of five or six hours. In most localities, farm-horses turn out at seven, return ing to the stable at 11.30 or 12, being fed and rested for an hour and a half or two hours, and then returning to work for four or five hours. In the midland and southern Counties of England. the straggling position of the fields, and their inconvenient dis tance from the stables, induce ninny farmers to keep their horses in the yoke from seven uutil two or three, when they finish for the day. This practice is, however, by no means commendable, unless the work is very light, and the horses have a feed, a few mouthfuls of water. and 10 or 15 minutes' rest about mid-day.
To insure health, horses must be kept in commodious, •ell-lighted, airy, properly ventilated stables, which ought to be erected only in dry situations, should be thoroughly underdrained, and well paved, if possible without a loft overhead, whitewashed annually, and always kept scrupulously clean and free front smell. This may be effected by the prompt removal of soiled or wet litter, and by strewing the floors daily with a little gypsum, or 11I'Dougal's disinfectant powder. Where there is room, loose boxes are preferable to stalls, especially for the lighter sort of horses, that spend much of their time indoors. With proper feeding. exercise, and grooming. with plenty of fresh air, and good stable management, horses are scarcely ever out of health, and require neither balls, cordials, nor any such messes. Without professional advice, no groom or carter should, under any pretense, be permitted to indulge his predilection for physicking or doctoring healthy horses.