Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-25
The Care and Feeding of Horses.

The London Horse Book throws out
the following suggestions, which will be
of interest to those having the care of
horses:
'tAl horses must not be fed in the same
proportions, without regard to their ages,
their constitutions, and their work; be-
cause the improperly of such a practice
is self-evident. Yet it is constantly done,
and is the basis of diseases of every kind.
''iSever use bad hay on account of IFS
cheapness, because there is not proper
nourishment in it,
Damaged corn is exceedingly injuri-
Gus, because it brings on inflammation of
the bowels and skin diseases.
'fChaff is better for old horses than
hay, because they can chew and digest it
better
''Mix chaff with corn or beans, and do
not give the latter alone, because it makes
the horse chew his food more and digest
! il better.
ebay or grass alone will not support a
horse under hard work, because there is
not sufficient nutritive body in either.
''When q horse is worked hard its fool
should chiefly be oats-if not worked
hard its food should chiefly be hay-be-
cause oats supply more nourishment and
discriminating material than any other kind
of food; hay not so much.
''FOr a saddle or coach horse, half q
peck of sound oats and eighteen pounds
of good hay are sufficient. If the hay is
not good, add quarter of peck more
oats. A horse which works harder may
have rather more of each; one that works
little should have less.
Crack feeding is wasteful. The better
plan is to feed with chopped hay, from a
manger, because the food is not then
thrown about, and is more easily chewed
and dgestcd.
Sprinkle the hay with water that has
salt dissolved in il, because it is pleasing
TO the animals taste and more easily di-
gested A teaspoonful of salt in bucket
of water is sufficient
coats should be bruised for an old
horse but not for a young one, because
the former, through age and defective
teeth, cannot chew them properly, the
young horse can do so, and they are tirus
properly mixed with the saliva and turned
into wholesome nuiriment"
The american Stock Journal has the
following suggestions on the subject:
eve have no hesitancy in asserting al
the outset, that but a limited number OF
horse-owncrs, in providing sustenance fo1
the animals under their charge, take into
consideration the effects of food upon the
system or the connection of the manager
with the stomach, and the subsequent
| bearing of certain modes of treatment
upon the constitution. The system OF
feeding horses is diverse and complex; nC
set formula can be laid down, for with the
various qualities of horses it must vary,
and the various circumstances under
which they may be required to do theil
work have also a controlling influence.
Generally speaking, all horses receive toe
much hay and not proportionate amount
of grain, or too much of both. Slow
working horses do not require so. much
nutrition of a high quality as thosC
which are called on to do quick work anC
perform long distances; but as a rule, al
animals which have to do hard work, anC
much of it, must necessarily be so kept a
to have hard flesh, and they cannot be 81
Kept, unless they are fed on hard grain
The faster ard seyerer the work which
horse is expected to perform, the sounder
more nutritious and more abundant shoul,
/ be his food. His oats should be increase,
and his hay diminished. For a gentle
: mans road horse, in regular work an
: expected to perform considerable dis