40 



no effect on the digestibilit}- of ii ration of grain and ha}'. When hay 

 only was fed there seemed to be a slight advantage in watering before 

 feeding. In general, horses may be watered before, during, or after 

 meals without interfering with the digestion and absorption of food. 

 All these methods of watering are equally good for the horse, and each 

 of them may be employed, according to circumstances. It is obvious 

 that certain circumstances may make it necessary to adopt one or other 

 method. For instance, after severe loss of water, such as occurs in 

 consequence of long-continued, severe exertion, the animal should 

 always be allowed to drink before he is fed, as otherwise he will not 

 feed well. Although all methods of watering are equally good for the 

 horse, it is not desirable to change unnecessarily from one method to 

 another. Animals, or at least some of them, appear to be not altogether 

 indifferent to ; uch a change. In the experiments referred to above it 

 was found that whenever a change was made from the plan of water- 

 ing after feeding to that of watering before, the appetite fell off for 

 some days; not that the horses did not consume the whole of the food 

 given to them, but for some days together they did not eat with the 

 same avidity as before, and took a longer time to consume their rations 

 completely. A similar effect was not observed when the change was 

 from watering l^efore to watering after feeding, or from watering 

 after to watering during meals, or when the change was in the oppo- 

 site direction to the last. It is possible that the method of watering 

 before feeding, until the animal has become accustomed to it, produces 

 a certain feeling of satiety. The time of drinking exercised a marked 

 effect on the amount of water consumed and upon the amount of water 

 excreted. The horses drank the greatest amount of water when it 

 was given after feeding and the least when it was supplied before 

 feeding. This was especially noticeable in the morning when water 

 was sometimes refused if offered before feeding. The excretion of 

 urine was directly proportional to the amount of water consumed. 

 When it is desired to increase the excretion, the author recommends 

 watering after feeding. The method of watering had no effect upon 

 the amount or qualitative composition of the feces. Body weight 

 varied with the amount of water consumed. 



DIGESTIBILITY OF FEEDING STUFFS. 



In the preceding pages reference has been made to the composition 

 of different feeding stuffs and to the tests of the comparative value of 

 different concentrated feeds and coarse fodders. The real value of any 

 feeding stuff is determined, not alone by its composition, but also by 

 its digestibility; that is, by the amount of material which it gives up 

 to the body in its passage through the digestive tract. It is evident 

 that if two feeding stuffs have practically the same composition, but 



