St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1880-04-03
FEEDING HORSES.

In lecture made before an Eng
lish Farmers Club, M. ]. Siorer
spoke OF the feeding of horses as
follows:
Glow must horses be treated that
they may be able to perform a GER
tain amount of work without injury
to their system?" In the first place
they must have food; in the second
place they must have grooming, and
in the third place they must have
good stabling. In regard to feed,
of all animals, the horse, in compari-
son to its size, has the smallest |
stomach; it is, therefore. of great |
importance that his food Should |
contain MS much nutriment as pos
sible in the smallest bulk, more es-
pecially when undergoing hard
work Hay and oats have this
qualification to n greater degree
than any other of the feeding stuffs
in general use. and that they should
form the staple food has been proved
by long experience. Bruised oats
are very suitable for cid horses and
those that bolt their corn, but be-
yond this they have nothing especi-
ally to recommend them.
The average quantity of oats re-
quired to keep horse undergoing
hard work in good condition is
about 20 pounds per day. Of course
some horses would eat more, others
cannot be induced to eat more than
IA pounds. Drivers of contractors
horses are practically aware of the
fact that the more they can get their
horses to eat, the more work they
will do. But the result of over
feeding and oEer-wQrkirg is the
premature death of many valuable
animals. Indian corn, when it hap
pens to be cheap, may be advan-
tageously used in the proportion OF
one to six; the only objection to it
is that it causes torpidity of the
bowels. This must be copnteraGted
by giving an equal proportion of
bran. Beans, but for their heating
tendency, would form very snita-
BILE adjunct to oats, as they contain
a large proportion of nutritive ma
terial. They may safely be given TO
animals that are hard wrought and
upwards of seven years old.
A horse cannot be maintained in
good health Oh grain alone. The
stomach requires a certain amount
of mechanical distension to keep it
in proper condition. Ordinary al
lowances should be about 20 pounds
per day; something like 5 pounds in
the morning, pounds at noon, and
10 pounds at night. A few years
ago chopped hay became greatly in
vogue; but the principal argument
in its favor was that the bad hay
was eaten along with the good.
This tells seriously against the plan,
as horse is certainly better with
out bad hay in its stomach than
with it.
All kinds of straw are inferior to
hay, oat being the only kind that
should be used; it does well when
horses are idle, as they are not very
likely to get in too high condition
on it. Green foliage is we'll suited
to horses in its season; then the
work is light and they appear to
thrive on it. 1t must be given III
moderation, especially at first, as
horses are so fond Of it they soon
eat more than is good for them.
Carrots, turnips and potatoes re-
quire to BE- given with equal care.
Indeed, / am inclined to condemn
the use of potatoes entirely, though
I have known instances where
horses were allowed as many as
they could eat, without bad results;
such cases are exceptional.
Cooked food is used by many
, horse owners with more or less adj
vantage. The great objection to it
, is that it fattens without giving
, strength and tirmness to the mus
. Giles. 1t is also apt to be bolted
+ without proper mastication, which
causes collie and indigestion. For b
horse recovering from any debili-
:. tating disease, or after long Jour
ney, it is of great benefit if given
iudiciogsly. To make practice OF
- feding with it every day, however,
.n,,ntnrnl and I believe hipnlY