The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1898-04-21
Food and Care of Farm Horses.

1t is not every farmer who Is the
fortunate owner of stable OF good
horses but improvement in feeding
might be employed to advantage for
the well-being of his stock and to his
own interests. The feed for the
horses on the average farm consist of
rack filled with hay, morning and
night, with ten or a dozen ears of corn
at each feed, or perhaps a gallon of
oats occasionally for variety, and q
filling up with water two or three
times day. This kind of feeding is
generally the rule, and it is not much
deviated from during the months Of
the year that the horses are worked
and kept in the stable, and while q
good condition of flesh may be main
tanned by the practice, it is not the
best for iusuring good healthy diges-
ton and longevity to the animals. In
the first place, the farm horse is de-
serving of the best that the farm pro-
duces, suitable for his food; this in
the end is cheapest. A variety Of
provender should be mixed together,
and the quantity of each kind SO ad-
justed that the mass shall contain as
much of the elements OF nutrition and
nitrogen as possible. In England tits
the castom to feed farm horses, when
at full work, on vetch seed and beans
the latter crushed), these containing
an excessive proportion of nitrogen.
mixed with bran. This alternated with
oats, either crushed or whole, makes
almost an ideal horse feed. Except
the bulky parts which consist of hay
and straw cut and thoroughly mixed;
it is then called "chaff." 70 every
forty pounds of this chaff mixture,
sixteen pounds crushed oats and four
pounds crushed beans are added, and
thirty-six pounds of the compound is
used for daily ration for the horse
when at work. English farm horses
are proyerbialiy sleek, fat and we'll
rounded out.
The stomach OF the horse is very
small in proportion to the size of his
body, and to secure the best all round
results, he should never be without
food for any great length of time, yet
farmers horses often work eight or
nine hours without a break; the stom-
ach becomes empty and the intestines
are filled, more or less, with gas, and
when the animal comes to the stable
water and food are at once given him,
which he consumes voraeiously to his
injury, often followed by all attack ol
gripes or collie.
Whenever term of work of I'M
usual length is in prospect, and along
fast to be expected, the nose ba5
should be used, and the horse given
his regular ration at the customary
time.
Good hay stands probably first in
Importance in the list of horse foods,
so far as rough provender is con-
cerned. Many winter their horses,
when standing idle, upon hay alone,
others again on corn fodder and straw,
and if these materials are sound,
bright, free from dust, and in every
way of the highest quality, o degree OF
thrift and health will be maintained
that cannot be improved upon.
Straw if fed alone, however, and
free access to it is given when the
horse is doing no work, is not exactly
TIE thing to insure best results; it is
hard to digest, and there is danger OF
the horse eating more of it, while no
is at rest and doing nothing, than the
organs of digestion can dispose OF, and
then more trouble ensues.-Farm,
Field and Fireside.