FATTENING HORSES FOR MARKET. 269 



As previously stated, one of the most important points to 

 be considered in fattening draft horses for market is to se- 

 cure heavy gains. In this connection fattening of the draft 

 horse is commonly termed stall feeding horses for market. 

 It is done in very much the same way as with cattle. In 

 one of the large horse feeding establishments of the West 

 the following method is practiced: The horses are pur- 

 chased, their teeth are floated and they are all put in the 

 barn and fed gradually, as great care must be taken for a 

 few days to avoid colic. It seems most preferable to feed 

 them grain about five times per day, due to the fact that 

 the stomach of a horse, being proportionately smaller than 

 the stomach of a cow, he needs his feed in smaller quantities 

 and often. The hay is placed in racks so that they may 

 have access to it at all times. They are given all the water 

 they will drink twice a day. The following method is fol- 

 lowed in feeding the grain: Corn is given at 5 o'clock in 

 the morning; water at 7; the hay racks filled at 9 o'clock, 

 when they are also given oats and bran, the proportion being 

 two-thirds bran and one-third oats. Then at 12 o'clock they 

 are fed corn again; at 3 in the afternoon oats and bran, and 

 the hay racks are refilled; at 4 they are given a second 

 watering: and at 6 the last feed of corn is given. The pro- 

 portion for each horse when upon full feed is as follows: 

 Corn, from ten to fourteen ears at each feed; oats and bran, 

 about three quarts per feed, making in all from thirty to 

 forty ears of corn and six quarts of oats and bran per horse 

 per day. The horses are not given any exercise. It seems 

 impossible to give them all sufficient exercise, thus they are 

 not given any from the time they are put in the barn until 

 a few days before they are to be shipped. As a substitute 

 for exercise, in order to keep the blood in good order, thus 

 preventing stock legs, Glauber salts is used. This is found 

 to be quite satisfactory and will in most cases prevent this 

 trouble. It is mixed with the oats and bran, as in this way 

 the horses eat them quite readily. These salts are fed about 

 twice per week. They can be purchased very cheaply from 

 the druggist when bought in considerable quantities. They 

 are not so strong as the Epsom salts and they have a desira- 

 ble and cooling effect upon the blood. The same firm also 

 feeds oil meal. They claim that it aids greatly in putting 

 on flesh; also that it gives the skin a soft, mellow touch. 

 The mangers and feed boxes should be cleaned out twice a 



