The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-22


the following:
Nineteen out of every twenty cases of
collie are chargeable to irregularity in
food or water. The rules for watering
are:
Use only pure water.
Water before feeding.
Water frequently Grom three to five
times daily.
Never give large quantity at one
Time, especially if the animal is very
warm OF about to undergo severe exer-
lion.
The quality and quantity of food and
the regularity with which it is given are
of the greatest Importance. Oats are the
best grain for horses or mules, though
corn is more commonly used in this
state and is a good food if used with dis
cretion. Oats are better because they
are more easily digested and possess the
essential constituents of a good food i'll
better proportions, and therefore, by
throwing less work on the digestive or
gans, are less liable to cause indigestion
and collie. They should be dry, clean
and free from must. If cut before they
are too ripe, their value is greatly en-
HANGED. While corn is fruitful cause
of collie, yet it is good food for working
stock, but should be fed with caution.
Oats and corn may be fed whole to
grown horse while his teeth remain good
but for colts and old horses they are bet
ter if ground. Bran, inseed meal, ETC.,
if fed in small quantities and with other
foods, are beneficial in keeping the bow
els loose and in good condition. Almost
any of the varieties of hay in common
use may be fed with safety if they are
cut before becoming too ripe, are well
cured and free from mold. New hay
should never be fed to working stock, as
it is very apt to cause arrangement of
digestion, and SO cause collie. The guam
tity of food to be given must depend
largely upon the amount Of work re-
uuired from the animal and his individ-
ual peculiarities.> From four to eight
quarts of oats, or from s to 10 ears of
corn two or three times daily are about
the proper limits. The quantity of hay
required is usually from 70 to 30 pounds
daily.
If horse is required to do more work
than usual on given day, it is COM
mon custom to give him more food. This
is great mistake. Owing to the fatigue
consequent to the increased exertion, the
animal is less able to digest large feed
and therefore should be fed less instead
of more. Again, it is decidedly i'm
proper to give a horse large feed, espe-
cially of corn, immediately after under
going severe exercise. If a large feed
be given Immediately before active ex-
ercise, the blood which is required by the
digestive organs in order to carry on
their proper functions goes to the mus
cular system, digestion is impaired, and
collie is a possible result. Il large feed
be given Immediately after active or
prolonged exercise, the animal is weak,
and the blood is drawn upon largely for
the rebuilding Of the muscular waste,
and the digestive organs suffer accord
ingly.
A change of food should be made with
caution. If change must be made, a
smaller quantity of the new food should
be given for several days, and the
amount increased gradually. In no case
should change of food and work be
made at the same time. A good rule is,
never give horse a full feed on change
of work, nor full work on a change Of
feed.
Instead of feeding large number of
mules together, giving the grain in large
quantities and using foul water-and
that only when convenient, as is the
common practice-if the following meth
| cd be pursued the great loss of mules by
collie now experienced by Mississippi
| planters would be reduced at least three
fourths: The mule should be. watered
and then fed at least one hour before go
ing to work in the morning. In the mid
| die of al long forenoon he should again
| have water. At noon he should be flrst
watered and then allowed to eat hay for
short time before receiving his grain,
which should be given him at least one
hour before he is again put to work.
| In the middle of the afternoon he
should be watered again, and in the
| evening his grain should not be given
| him until he has first been watered and
allowed to eat hay for at least an hour,
The trouble and loss of time required to
water working animals in the middle Of
| the forenoon and afternoon may in some
cases render it impracticable, but fire..
ouent watering will be found advan-
tageous to the stock in all cases and a
| powerful factor in the prevention of
| collie.
So long as the animal will drink it no
water is considered too foul for either
horses or mules. Not only is this neglect
on the part of stock owners responsible