Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-02-19

unfounded. The quantity Of straw in the
chaff will always counteract any supposed
purgatlFe quality in bruised oats. Horses of
quicker draught, except they are naturally
disposed to scour. will thrive better with
bruised than with whole oats for greater
quantity Of nutriment will be extracted from
the food, and it will always be easy to ap-
portion the quantity of straw or meal to the
effect of the mixture on thebowels OF the horse.
The principal alteration that should be made
in the horse of harder and more rapid work,
such as the driving horse. and the stage-coach
horse, is to increase the quantity OF hay, and
diminish that of straw. Two russes of hay
may be cut with one of straw.
Some gentlemen, in defence Of the preiu-
dice and opposition Of the coachman or the
groom. have introduced this mode of feeding
into the stables of their carriage-horses and
hackneys, and with manifest advantage.
There has been no loss of condition or pow
er. and considerable saving of proyender.
This system is not, however, calculated for
the hunter or the race-horse. Their food
must lie in smaller bulk in order that the act
ION OF the lungs may not be impeded by the
distention of the stomach yet many hunt
ers have gone well over the field who have
been manger-fed, the proportion of grain,
however, being ma erially increased.
For the agricultural and cart horse, eight
pounds Of oats and two Of meal should he
added to every twenty pounds Of chaff. Thir
ty-four or thirty-six pounds of the mixture
will be sufficient for any moderate sized horse
with fair, or even hard work. The draw and
wagon horse may require forty pounds. HAY
in the rack at night is in this case suppos-
ed to be omitted altogether. The rack how
ever. may remain, as occasionally useful for
the sick horse. or to contain tares or other
green feed
Horses are very fond of tins provender.
The majority of them, after having been ac-
customed to it, viii leave the best oats given
to them alone, for the sake of the mingled
chat and grain. We would, however, eau
ton the farmer not to set apart too much
damaged hay for the manufacture of the
ehaii The horse may be thus induced to eat
that which he would otherwise refuse but
if the nourishing property Of the hay has
been impaired, or it has acquired an iniuri
Gus principle, the animal will either lose con-
dition -or become diseased Much more in
jury is done by eating damaged hay or musty
oats than is generally imagined There will /
DC eulucltIi saving IN lue DIMINISHED cost OF I
the provender by the introduction Of the |
straw. and the improved condition of the |
horse, without poisoning him with the refuse |
IF the farm. For old horses, and for those |
with defective teeth, chat is peculiarly use
iul, and for them the grain should be broken
down as well as the fodder.
While the mixture of chaf with the grain
prevents it from being too rapidly deyoured
md portion Of it swallowed whole. and
therefore, the stomach is not too loaded with
hat on which, as containing the most nutri-
nent, it chief digestive power should be ex-
rted, yet, on the whole, great deal Of time
S gained by this mode Of feeding. and more
5 left for rest. When horse comes in wear
ed at the close of the day. it occupies, after
lie has eaten his grain, two or three hours to
lear bis rack. On the system Of manger-
eeding, the chat being already cut into small
ieces, and the corn and oats bruised. he is
BE fully TO satisfy his appetite in an hour
nd half. Two additional hours are there
ore devoted to rest. This Is a circumstance
eserving Of much consideration