44 FARM ANIMALS 



ing horses. This hay has been studied carefully 

 in the United States and in European countries 

 with reference to its availability for horses and other 

 farm animals and as to the possible medicinal 

 effects from its use as a food. In Germany alfalfa 

 hay has been found superior to ordinary meadow 

 hay, furnishing about 180 Ibs. more of nitrogenous 

 matter per acre. Alfalfa has been fed to brood 

 mares with excellent results and without producing 

 bad effects on the mare or foal. In Oklahoma and 

 other states and territories where it has long been 

 fed to horses under careful observation it is pro- 

 nounced the best possible coarse food. It has 

 sometimes been accused of causing heaves and 

 bloody urine, but this does not appear to be the case 

 under normal conditions. As before stated it is 

 the almost exclusive feed of young horses in all of 

 the Rocky Mountain states and if it had the tenden- 

 cy to produce heaves or bloody urine or other un- 

 desirable effects these would have been noticed 

 much more frequently than has been the case. On 

 many farms, horses are maintained at hard work 

 on alfalfa alone without any grain. On account 

 of this observed fact a study was made of alfalfa 

 as an exclusive maintenance ration for horses in 

 Utah. It was found much easier to maintain the 

 weight of horses on alfalfa than on timothy, the 

 cost of the maintenance was always less, and the 

 appearance of the horses was in every case in favor 

 of the alfalfa ration. No bad results were noted on 

 the health of the horse and it was found that colic 

 and other digestive disturbances could be prevented 

 by rational treatment of the feed. In general it 

 may be stated that too much hay is fed to work 

 horses on the farm. In some localities the amount of 

 hay fed to such horses might profitably be reduced 



