258 



THE HOKSE 



diseases, notably fever in the feet. The same objections, but to a lesser 



degree, apply to barley. , ^ ^ r^ ^^ 



The following is the ration now given (1896) by the General Omnibus 



Company (London) — 



ClTAFF 



lbs. 

 10 



Scale 



lbs. 



1 



2 



3 



Beans 



lbs. 







Oats 



lbs. 



3 



3 



3 



Maize 



lbs. 



15 



15 



15 



10 

 10 



7 lbs. 

 6 lbs. 

 3 lbs. 

 2 lbs, 

 14 lbs. 

 are adieJ to tliis scale. The oats, beans, and 



The Great Western Railway. For horses working in town — 



Oats 13 lbs. 



Beans 3 lbs. 



Bran 2 lbs. 



Chaff (cut hay) ... 14 lbs. 



Country horses receive — 



Oats 

 Maize 

 Beans 

 Bran 

 Chaff 

 During the winter months 2 lbs. of beans 

 maize arc all given crushed. 



The ]\Iidland. This company's allowance is sixteen stones per horse per 



week, composed as follows — 



Beans or peas (split) 2 stones 



Maize ,, 2 stones 



Bran ... ... 2 stones 



Oats (crushed) 4 stones 



Chaff (hay or clover) 6 stones 



I here append also, extracted from Earl Cathcart's Report to the Royal 

 Agricultural Society in 1889, the rations given in the French Government 

 Haras, or National Stud, at Lamballe, Brittany. 



lbs. 

 Hay 4 kilos = about 8| 

 Straw 6 „ = ,, 13| 

 Oats 5 „ = „ 11 



The horses here are stallions, and this allowance is more than that of the 

 French cavalry, which is — 



lbs. 

 Hay 3 kilos = about 6| 

 Straw 5 ,, — ,, 11 

 Corn 4-2 ,, = „ 9^ 



For ordinary hacks and carriage-horses, the cost for food and litter may 

 be taken at Is. per hand per horse per week. 



Malted barley and ivheaten bread are greedily eaten by horses, but they 

 are generally too costly for use. The husk of wheat separated from the 

 meal in the shape of bran is a very important article in all stables, having 

 a cooling effect from its laxative properties when made into a mash with 

 water. Dry bran is often given with sliced carrots, with which it makes an 

 excellent food for slow working horses ; but there is not any great amount 

 of nourishment in it by itself. Bran mash is made either hot or cold. In 

 either case a bucket is half filled with bran, and then as much water as it 

 will absorb is poured upon it, and if hot it is put by till nearly cold, being 



