Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-08-17
FEEDING
HORSES.
circumstances which should
Govern the Quantity and
Variety of RatiOns.

Farmers generally do not give the
feeding Of their horses the attention
1t deserves, writes Colonel d. McCrae
in The Breeders Gazette Balanced
rations and food mixtures for the dairy
cow and the feeding steer are
carefully examined aud discussed,
but the feeding of the horses is
usually all the hay they can eat and
varying quantities of oats. according
TO the work being done. Sometimes
even the latter part is neglected. If a
horse is required to do extra hard work,
he should be literally and frequently
fed. The amount of food given should
be regulated by the size and breed of
the animal and by the amount and
kind of work he is required to do. The
horse has small stomach in proper
tion to his size; hence frequent feeding
when under hard work is necessary.
The human stomach can bear hunger
far better than that of the horse. Ii
driving on a journey you feel hungry,
you may be sure your horse has felt
it before you did and is needing his
feed more than you do.
Opinions differ a good deal as to the
watering of horses. Some prefer to
have water before the horses in the
stall at all times. Others prefer water
ing only as the horses come in from
work or before feeding. Horses should
not be watered after meals, as the
stomach, being small, is liable to be
partially emptied Of the undigested
food, causing trouble in the bowels and
partial loss of the food.
Oats and hay are the ideal horse
foods for our country, but because
they are the best is no reason why
they should be exclusively used. Va
riety is often much relished by the
horse, and with this variety cheapness
and economy may be introduced. Good
timothy hay, early cut and well cured.
is the best hay for horses. Timothy
hay is heavier than that of other
grasses and contains q large quantity
of nutritive matter in small bulk. If
left till it be overripe. it becomes hard
and woody. 1t is more digestible when
cut rather on the green side and makes
better horse food. Many farmers feed
far too much hay to their horses. They
might very well take a few lessons in
this matter from the liyerymen, who
find that their horses do better and
keep healthier on small allowance of
hay. Race horses in large stables are
fed on 6 to 8 pounds of hay and
from Is to 20 pounds of the best oats
per day, and. If needed, bran mash
once week-one-third of the hay aft
er exercise in the morning, the balance
at night and the oats fed at four feeds.
For hunters more hay is given up to 10
pounds per day, pounds loose and 4
pounds cut and mixed with his oats, 1e
to 18 pounds per day. Any farmer can
see how much this differs from his
feeding, and yet these horses are re-
quired to do hard work and sudden ex-
ertions, taxing all their powers In
Scotland a fayorite winter food when
horses are only at moderate work is
cut oat sheaves.
When horses are in the stable much
of the time, the feeding needs to be
carefully managed. In many parts of
Canada roots are a fayortte winter
feed. Swede turnips (ruta bagas) are
relished by horses and seem better
food for them than the carrot They
do well on roots when idle or at
moderate work. Cooking food for
horses has not been found generally
profitable Elaborate and careful ex-
periments made years ago showed that
horses did better on raw food. Crushed
or ground oats are much used. Some
horses have tendency to bolt their
feed half chewed, and some of the
grain is yoided whole in these cases.
Grinding helps any such tendency. Ins
England some of the large companies
which work a great many horses give
mixed food and use considerable guam
titles OF American corn. The North
Metropolitan company 0ondon) allows
for each horse per day about the fol-
lowing rations: Corn, 13 pounds; oats,
pounds; peas. l pound; beans, /
pound; hay, pounds; cut straw, 3
pounds: total. 2S pounds. The South
London Tramway company gives corn,
pounds; oats, pounds; beans, 1
pound; hay, II pounds; straw. 8
pounds; total, 90 pounds.
What needs special attention by our
feeders is the quantity of hay and the
desirability of using q small quantity
of straw in the ration. British cavalry
horses are allowed 10 pounds of oats
and u pounds of hay on ordinary
feed If out on active service. the oats
are increased to 10 pounds. In private
stables and on the farm it is better
to give greater variety to the food. and
the wise feeder will be guided by the
season and the price of foods In keep
ing his animals in the best of health
at the least expense.