The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-07-21
FEEDING FOR WORK.
Tho Kinds OF Food Required by Driving
and STORYTELLING Horses.


exertion causes large consumption Of
muscular fiber, as well as of fat. It also
increases the circulation and respiration
as well, because the respiration is ale
ways proportionate to- the circulation,
and thus causes waste of heat. This
is known by the perspiration produced
by severe muscular exertion, and this is
simply method of nature to get rid of
the excess of heat. 1t therefore results
that an animal which is working re-
quires an increased quantity of food Of
both heterogeneous and carbonaceous
character to make up for the waste Of
muscle, largely consisting of nitrogen
Gus matter, and the loss of heat, which
consumes carbon. The muscular ex-
ertion is accompanied by disin-
tegration of fiber and it's absorption into
the blood, from which it is filtered by
the kidneys in the form of urea. A
great many experiments have been made
to elucidate this point, both upon work
ing animals and men who have been
subjected to severe labor, as soldiers on
h march and the professional pedestri-
ans, whose muscular work has been OF
the most exhausting kind. The results
of these investigations have been re-
duced to rules by which the owners of
establishments where many horses are
in use fix the rations and the choice of
various foods. Another element how.
ever, comes into the consideration,
which is the relative cheapness of the
various kinds of food, for where profit
is the end in view the varying prices are,
of course, taken into account. Thus oats
are considerably dearer than corn
pound for pound, and containing more
indigestble fiber, and unless there is
some good reason why oats should be
used corn is more economical food.
There are two kinds of work: Fast
driving and slow pulling. as blowing or
handling heavy loads upon roads. The
difference between these two kinds Of
work would reasonably call for different
feeding. The fast working horse exerts
the lungs more freely than the slow
worker; hence, the food should be more
concentrated but yet digestible; it should
also contain sufficient quantity of fiber
mixed with the finer matter to give, the
masticated food porous consistence
and prevent it from forming too solid
mass in the stomach. Oats are precisely
the kind of food required to meet such
a case. The husk Of oats forms large
portion of the substance of the grain,
while the kernel is rich in heterogeneous
matter, and has sufficient carbonaceous
matter to supply all the needs of the
lungs, which are stimulated by the mus
cular action to greatly increased exer-
ton. The oats contain precisely the
requisite proportions of fine and coarse
matter for the horses aliment in suf-
ficiently concentrated condition to avoid
overlooking the stomach, and are thus
the best food for the fast working horse,
which needs no hay. But to get the best
results from this grain it should be
crushed, and should be fed four times
day, so that the system is never exhaust
ed for want of food.
The slow working horse, on the con.
srary, the farm horse for instance, does
not require concentrated food nor so
frequent feeding, because its work is
slower and the consumption of force is
not so great. A nature richer in car
bonaceous elements is required, and as
bulk is not Objectionable cheaper food
may be used. The ration of city car
horse, for instance, which does not
travel more than four miles an hour, is
about fourteen pounds of hay and
twenty pounds of corn-meal, finely
ground, and on this feed the horses
travel about twenty miles per day. The
meal is never fed alone and always with
cut hay, which is wetted, and it is found
that the finer the meal is the better it
sticks to and mixes with the hay, and
the better, therefore, it is digested. To
feed whole corn and long hay has been
proved over and over again to be
waste of one-third of the food, and to
feed fine meal dry and alone, without
the cut hay, is exceedingly dangerous,
and apt to produce fatal attack Of
collie. Where economy is not pressing
necessity an excellent feed is ten bushels
of corn, ten bushels of oats, five bushels
of rye and one bushel of fiax-seed
ground together. This meal affords
every element required for slow
working horse, and the oil of the
tlax-seed has most excellent medicinal
effect upon the bowels, as we'll as sup
plying carbonaceous and fattening mat
ter which is specially adapted to the
healthful supply of oil-glands of the
skin. The soft glossy coat of the horse
fed upon this mixture-which is COM
mon one among the best farmers of
Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, who
grow tlax-seed for the special purpose Of
feeding it to their horses and calves
proves how this food fits the functions
of the skin. Where the grain ration is
rich, the hay may be reduced in quantity
and straw substitution it. The Penn
sylvania farmers use their rye straw for
horse feed and sell hay, bringing back
for every ton of hay a large load OF
manure, which taxes the full strength of
their enormous wagons and their power
full four-horse teams. The heterogeneous
character of clover hay fits it excellent
ly for the food of working horses. and if
it is cut and wetted and mixed with corn
meal cakes, without any other mix
ture, sufficient food for the hardest
worked farm horses. IN. Y. Times.