59 



for by other feeding standards, or by the averag-e vakies deduced from 

 American rations, can, of course, be calculated in the same way. As 

 will be noted, the amount of feeding- stuffs necessary to provide nutri- 

 ents equal to the amount called for b}^ the Wolff standard for a horse 

 at moderate work is large compared with the amounts ordinarily used 

 in this country. (See discussion on pages 57, 68.) 



MUSCULAR WORK AND ITS EFFECT ON FOOD REQUIREMENTS. 



It is commonly said that the amount of food required by horses is 

 proportionate to their weight; it being self-evident that a large horse 

 would require more material than a small horse to build and repair 

 the Ixxly and to carry on all the vital processes which constitute 

 internal muscular work. Investigations have shown that the require- 

 ments are more nearly proportional to the surface areas than to 

 the body weight. Individual peculiarity is, of course, a factor which 

 must be reckoned with, but the general statement is justified. The 

 factor which has the greatest influence on the ration required is the 

 amount of work performed, the ration increasing with the work. 

 When horses which have been consuming a large ration and perform- 

 ing work are compelled to rest, even for a few days, the ration should 

 be diminished. Girard" found that the horses at the Meaux farm, 

 doing hard work, were well nourished with a maximum ration of 16-20 

 lite^uS (15-19 quarts) oats, 6.5 kilograms (14 pounds) hay, and straw 

 ad libitum. If the work stopped for three days and the ration was 

 not diminished the horses were subject to paralysis, resulting in death. 

 It was therefore recommended that on Sundays and holidays the ration 

 consist of 6 liters (5.7 quarts) oats at noon, and 6 liters (5.7 quarts) of 

 bran mash night and morning, with the same amount of hay and straw 

 as before. The disease practically ceased after this practice was fol- 

 lowed. The facts brought out above are quite generally recognized 

 by large feeders and it is a common custom to diminish the rations on 

 Sundays and holida3\s. 



In order to study the effects of work upon the amount of food 

 required it is necessary to have some means of measuring and com- 

 paring the different kinds of work done. 



MEASURING MUSCULAR WORK. 



It has been said already that the total work performed 1)}^ a horse con- 

 sists of internal and external muscular exertion. The former includes 

 the force expended in the digesting of food, the beating of the heart, 

 etc.; the latter that expended in moving the body, i. e., in the motion 

 of forward progression, and in drawing or carrying a load. The latter 

 factor is the one of most importance in considering the horse as a 



"Quoted l>y Lavalard, loc. cit. 



