Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1901-03-07

In the feeding of horses the owne-
must take into serious consideration
the kind and amount of work to b
done in making up a ration that will
prove at once economical and nutri
tious. He can afford to feed in on
way when the horse is idle or dom
but light work but this feeding woulI
be wrong and wasteful OF animal It's
sues IL the animal we're at hard labor
The food at all times must supply
sufficient amount of material to main
tain the horse without loss of weight,
This is the food of maintenance. TIL
latter feed is sufficient II the animal
be doing nothing but must be aug
mented whenever the animal is to per-
form labor or produce healthy
foetus. Where work Is expected every
day the bowels must be so regulated
that nothing of value is lost. When
the animal is idle work does not re-
move any surplus nutrients Of the
food not required for repair OF tissue
or actual maintenance. II the bowel;
in the latter condition should become
constipated and the surplus matters
be not removed through the kidneys
and sweat pores the liver and kidney
become surcharged and the blood
sluggish and impure. These facts
show the Importance of right use OF
succulent food for horses. While the
horse is working hard the succulent
food is a positive injury in that 1t
tends to remove undigested, as a result
of laxity CT the bowels. food nutrients
that are daily required for formation
of muscle supply or vim and vigor ana
in other words repair or tissue waste.
Where on the other hand the horse is
idle the cucculent food may be and
usually is required to overcome the
tendency to constipation and its ac-
companying train of evils. In the
former case the feeding Of bran daily
would be detrimental in the latter case
1t would be useful and profitable. The
hard working horse keeps its bowels
in condition by exercise and utilities
all of the food nutrients supplied him
so long as his digestive organs are
kept in good condition. II he be fed
bran daily he will continually suffer
from what may be called subacute in
digestion and fail to derive the proper
amount of nourishment from the
sound oats given him in addition to
the bran. When Sunday arrives. how
ever his wonted exercise is stopped
and he is unable to throw off the sur
plus food nutrients not needed by
work. II he has been daily fed bran
he will now be liable to suffer from
acute indigestion IL given a bran
mash. This being the case the feeding
OF bran mash to a horse that has
been taking dry bran throughout the
week is dangerous practice. Whera
the hard working horse not fed upon
bran but getting large quantities OF
oats during the week Is given bran
mash on Saturday night the effect will
be good and the practice Is to be COM
mended. Occasional bran mashes are
also excellent for idle horses when
fed upon corn, and small quantity
OF bran will make the crushed oats fed
to colts more effective. We say these
things for the reason that bran causes
opening of the bowels by irritating
the bowels. 1t does not give a great
amount Of nutrients although its an
aiyses would lead one to suppose that
it was even more nutritious than oats.
1t Is indigestiblo and passes through
the intestines In many cases wholly
undigested. 1t acts as a laxative for
the reason that 1t is a foreign body
and is thrown of as useless by the
'irritated intestines. For this reason
1t is an excellent preparation for
physic ball as when fed In the shape
OF bran mash without any other food
for two or three feeds the bowels are
opened up somewhat and rendered fit
for the purgative effects Of an aloes
hall. Carrots act In somewhat differ
ent manner. They do not prove lax
alive on account Of any irritating ef-
feet but on account of real succdlence
and have the special power of acting
nicely upon the pores of the skin.
They may be fed to a horse in poor
condition when bran would only ag-
gravate the impoverishment. Roots
are relished by horses and digestibls
but bran must be feI with caution.