32 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY. 



The more thorough the digestion and absorption, the better 

 will be the returns for food consumcL/. 



Thorough digestion with imperfect absorption means wasted 

 feed, and useless work for the digestive organs. 



Generous feeding therefore is not enough. It must be done 

 intelligently. 



Best results are secured when the bowels are in a medium 

 •condition between diarrhoea and constipation. 



Both digestion and absorption and through them good or 

 bad results in feeding depend to a considerable extent upon the 

 •condition of the mucous membrane lining the digestive tube and 

 through which absorption must take place. 



Water horses before feeding and do not give more than 

 ■one-half pail within an hour after feeding, if you wish to get 

 the very best results from food consumed with the least risk 

 to health. 



There is usually no profit in grinding grain for horses, un- 

 less they have poor teeth or eat rapidly, and yet the old street 

 car system may be practical and economical when done on a 

 large scale, if the mechanical work can be done cheaply. This 

 method is to cut and wet the hay or straw, then mix in the 

 ground grain. This is a very safe method and secures thor- 

 ough digestion and absorption, and in addition the horses so fed 

 are not stuffed with hay. 



Feed only as much hay at one time as the horse will clean 

 up at each feed with the grain, approximately lo lbs. to 15 lbs. 

 per 24 hours. Feeders are usually surprised to find how well 

 their horses do with greatly reduced hay ration and the same 

 grain. There is less danger from stomach and bowel troubles, 

 and almost no danger at all from heaves. 



Beware of dry bran for horses that eat hurriedly. They 

 are liable to choke on it. 



When any animal is choked do not try to force any straight 

 and stiff object down its throat. There is great danger of rup- 

 turing the oesophagus near the pharynx. 



The cow has an entirely different stomach as to its plan 

 and size, and the intestinal canal is nearly twice as long. Her 

 iarge paunch and the other stomachs, as well as the long intes- 



