Oxford Democrat., 1916-09-12
Feeding Work Animals.
ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION IN THE CARE
OF HORSES.

ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION IN THE CARE
OF HORSES.
In order that the best results be OBJ
tanned, the matter of feeding work
horses should be we'll understood. Feed.
ing should be in accord with the kind
and quantity of work performed by the
animal. An understanding of the ar.
rangemeut of the digestive system and
proportions of the digestive organs is
essential.
The stomach, the receptacle of all
food and water, has a capacity of three
or four gallons. The intestiues have a
capacity of "A gallons. The primary
chemical processes of digestion are car
ried on in the stomach and continued in
the intestines. The small size of the
stomach makes careful feeding ueces-
ssry IN order in order to prevent over
loading of the stomach and interference
with its digestive function.
Work horses and mules should be
watered frequently during warm weather
and always before feeding rather than
afterward. The quantity of feed neces-
ssry TO enable the animal TO perform the
required amount of work is governed BY
several factors: The kind of work, the
speed at which it is performed, the age,
weight and type of the animal, the care
exercised by the driver, the adjustment
of harness and load, climatic conditions.
character of feed, all have direct bear
ing in the matter. Animals driven at
high speed and those doing heavy haul
~
ing and numbering, require more feed
than those doing ordinary farm or town
work.
Young growing animals require more
feed, in order to keep up the process of
growth and development, than animals
of mature age doing the same kind and
| same amount of work.
In many instances light weight ami
mails, fitted by nature only for light
work, are put at work in which weight
is considerable factor, l. g., blowing and
numbering. Naturally the extra effort
required of the light weight animal
must be compensated with additional
nourishment.
1t Is pretty generally known among
horsemen that animals of long-legged,
long bodied and narrow -chested confor-
nation require more feed and have
weaker digestive systems than those of
more blocky build.
Animals suffering discomfort on ac-
count of lameness, harness sores or
other wounds, and those animals labor
ing under an overwronght nervous con-
dition, due to excitement or rough
handling, consume an excessive amount
of energy, and this, of course, must be
replaced in order to maintain the ami
mails condition.
Horses and mules protected from flies
while at work and while in the stable
will do better than those not so protect
ed. During hot weather, when animals
sweat freely when at work, considerable
water and protein is thus consumed and
additional food is therefore needed if we
would maintain the weight and strength
of the animal.
Young horses and mules have stronger
powers of digestion than old ones. This
is ia many cases due to the condition of
the teeth. Thorough mastication OF
grain and forage is very important
step in the process of digestion. If the
teeth are in bad condition, mastication
will not be thorough and indigestion,
loss of condition and attacks of "colic"
may result. Animals known to have
bad teeth should be fed on ground or
soaked grain.
AVOID BULKY FEED FOR WORK ANIMALS
Feedstuffs that contain an excessive
amount of woody or fibrous material are
difficult of digestion and dangerous on
account of the likelihood of causing OBJ
struction of the bowels. Bulky and in
nutritious foods are not fit for work
animals. Digestion of such foods may
be carried on better by animals standing
at rest than those at work. Moldy,
dirty or otherwise spoiled feeds should
not be given to horses or mules. Such
feeds are dangerous and often are the
direct cause of serious illness and death
of animals.
Feedstuffs too finely ground, such as
flour, cornmeal and shorts, should al
ways be fed mixed with something con-
tanning some roughage, such as wheat
bran, shelled oats, chopped hay or straw
in order to prevent the formation OF
soggy, doughy masses in the digestive
organs.
The condition of the animal at feeding
time is an important factor in the proc
ess of digestion. Animals overheated,
exhausted from work or suffering from
nervous exctment from any cause
should not be fed grain or other concen-
trated food. They may have hay or
other roughage until such time as they
have become cooled, partially rested OF
quieted, as the case may be, after wnicn
they may be watered and fed as usual.
Rapid or heavy work too soon after
| hearty feed is dangerous. During diges-
ton the digestive organs require great
Quantities of blood. During hard OF
rapid work the lungs and muscles re-
quire it. 1t may readily be seen that
both cannot be carried on simultaneous
| ly without endsngering the health OF the
animal. An hours rest after feeding Is
always desirable.
The best results are obtained by feed
ing grain three times day and rough
age once day. Divide the grain as fol-
lows: One-fourth for morning, half al
noon, one-fourth at night. Roughage Is
preferably fed at night time.
VARIETY OF FEED NEEDED
Many horses having irregular work
are permitted to consume great quanu-
ties of hay. They are put 10 WORK witu
the digestive system overloaded with
bulky material, and in many cases dis
orders of the lungs or stomach are the
result. Sudden changes in the character
of feed are dangerous. If il becomes
necessary or desirable to change from
corn to oats, or from old to new crop OF
either, the change should be made grad
uslly by feeding mixture of the feeds
for few days.
The feeding of any one kind OF feed
over too long a period of time is not de-
sirable. The processes of digestion are
carried on under stimulation from the
nervous system. A monotonous ration
fails TO properly stimulate the glands
producing the digestive juices and the
ultimate result of such ration is poor
digestion and Loss Of condition.
Regular hours for feeding and work
ling are essential. The system OF the
| ,ni,,al accustoms itself to routine. III