The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-02-20
The HORSE.
The Anatomy of the Animal Indicating
How lie Should BE Fed.

The Anatomy of the Animal Indicating
! How lie Should he Fed.
To properly understand the manage
Inent and feeding of horse it may not
be out of place to state that in several
parts of his anatomy the horse is one OF
the most interesting of existing man.
mails, but none of his organs shows
more marked peculiarities than his
stomach. The first noticeable feature
in this organ in the horse is its relatively
small size. This is most strikingly
brought out by comparing it with the
stomachs of the other domesticated
animals. The capacity of the stomach
of an average-sized horse is about three
gallons. The stomach of an ordinary
dog. such as collie or retriever. will
hold more than half gallon, and that
of pig nearly Two gallons. The OK
and the sheep have four cavities that
are generally termed stomachs, and one
of these-the paunch-has capacity
many times exceeding the single cavity
Of the horse.
Another interesting feature of the
horses stomach is not noticeable until
it is cut open. 1t is then seen to have
two quite different kinds of lining.
Thus, its left half-thc one at which the
food enters-iS lined by white, thick
membrane like that Of the gullet; while
the right half, by which the food leaves,
has soft, pinkish yellow color. Now,
from the microscopic structure OF these
two parts of the lining membrane, it is
known that the left half takes no share
in the manufacture of the gastric juice,
the formation OF which is the main duty
Of 4 stomach. l. thus happens that the
aeryiceable part of the horses stomach
Is even one-half less than would appear
from looking at the outside of the organ.
A third peculiarly of the stomach of
the horse is that it is so constructed
that it is almost or quite impossible for
the animal to bring food that has once
entered the stomach up again by the
gullet; in other words, to vomit
Everybody has seen dog vomiting.
and the act is performed quite easily
py the pig. The OK and sheep vomit
rs normal part of the process of pre-
pairing their food for digestion and foI
rumination.
The relatively small size of the
horses stomach points to its being
very active, and recent observations
seem 20 show that, whereas in other
animals the stomach forms gastric
juice only when 4 meal has been taken
IN the horse it forms it constantly. >
consideration of the anatomy of the
borse's stomach affords some useful in
dications regarding feeding and water
ing.
When convenient. horses should be
fed at short rather than at long inter-
vais. 1his Is an obvious indication,
for the small SIZE of the stomach pre-
Guides the horse from rapidly iniesting
a quantity OF food suiiic eut to serve
him for long period. THIS applies
with even greater force 70 Watering
Ii Is very common practice 10 water
horses ONLY three times day, the
water beng by some given before
meals. and br others altsrward. What
ever OF these plans is adopted the svs-
tenn is bad; bat it is worse when the
latter method is adopted. For when
the horse, with his small stomach al
ready filled with food, injests large
quantity OF water, a great portion o.
the food must be washed on into the |
intestine before the gastric juice has
had time to act on it. And if it be the |
case that gastric juice is formed even
in the fasting stomach. then watering
before meals must wash away this |
juice into the intestine, where it is of |
no service. Horses should, therefore,
have water a. short intervals, and.
where practicable, they should have
free access to it in their managers.
When this is the case. the horse drinks
frequently, but never in quantities SO
great as practically to wash out h,s
stomach NORTH British Agricu4arisl |