Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-04-27
How Much Hay For Hard
Working Horses?

/ -
In hot, weather, when the horses
and mules are working hard, what
amount of hay ought to be fed?
The usual rule given by authori-
ties on the feeding of horses is that
from 1 pound to 11A pounds should
be given daily for every 100 pounds
of live weight. This rule might be
interpreted to mean that hard-work-
ing horses should receive one pound
of hay per 100 pounds weight, while
idle horses and mules might receive
more hay, presumably " pounds per
100 pounds live weight. At least this
is the best Interpretation of the rule.
In the opinion of the writer, even
one pound of hay a day per 100
pounds of the weight of the animal
is too much for the best. results when
horses and mules are doing hard work
and the weather is warm. This is also
the opinion of many practical feed
ers who have tried restricting the
allowance of hay on work stock that
had previously been allowed all the
hay they would take. When the hay
was restricted to say 10 pounds a
day and all of it fed at night, the
horses and mules sweat less, stood
the heat better, kept in better flesh,
and suffered less from indigestive
troubles, such as collie, etc.
Bulletin No. 95 of the Montana Ex-
pertinent Station, in summing up the
results of experiments with re-
stricted hay ration says: "The horses
that received the smaller amount of
hay (two-thirds as much as they
would have eaten) had more life and
sweat less than those that were un-
limited in their hay" In other words,
the horses that would eat Is pounds
of hay day would do better on 10
pounds and those that would eat IL
pounds day would do better on 8
pounds. Quite an extensive expert
ence and observation in the feeding
of horses and mules, having due re-
gard for the health and efficiency OF
the animals as well as the matter OF
economy, leads me to suggest the fol-
lowing rule for the feeding of rough
age to horses and mules: The amount
of hay given any Woodworking horse
or mule, especially in hot weather,
should never exceed three-fourths of
a pound per 100 pounds of the ami
l.aPs weight, and all of it should be
given. at the night feed. For driving
and saddle horses this is even more
important than for farm work stock.
Idle horses and those doing light
work may be allowed to eat all the
hay they wish, if feeding in this way
will reduce the cost, as it usually Will
when the hay IS grown on the farm.
r No matter how long the habit has
been prscticed, or how popular it is,
the man who fills the racks with hay
and allows his horses and mules that
are working hard to gorge them
selves is losing money in increased
feed costs and decreased efficiency OF
his animals. When the weather is hot
these losses are very great, for the
excessive feeding of hay so common
in the South (when we have the hay)
is largely responsible for the deaths
from "overheating," collie, and other
digestive troubles. The saving in hay
or the decreased losses from inettl-
cheney and death, either one alone,
will more than pay for the increased
trouble and cost of the more careful
feeding.
The idle horses and mules may be
allowed all the hay desired when it
is grown on the place, but owing TO
high shipping charges, when hay is
purchased, it will pay to restrict the
hay even to the idle horses and
mules.
The writer, from his experience as
practicing veterinarian and with the
feeding of driving horses, early be-
came convinced of the greater econ
omy and efficiency resulting from the
restricting of the hay ration to hors-
es and mules doing hard or fast work,
especially in summer. For rs years
I have been pleading for q more ra-
tional system of hay feeding, and
every years observation serves to
strengthen my conviction that exces-
sive hay feeding to horses and mules
is one of the large wastes on Ameri-
can farms.
The stomach of the horse is small