FEEDS FOR HORSES 307 



horses sweat more easily than the others, altho showing excellent coats of 

 hair and good appetites. He concludes that while a small amount of 

 sugar may be fed as a conditioner, it is not an economical substitute for 

 the various grains ordinarily available. (282) 



II. PROTEIN-RICH CONCENTRATES 



485. Wheat bran. Bran is one of the most useful feeds for horses, be- 

 cause of its bulky nature and mild laxative properties. (218) If not 

 more freely provided, its use once a week is desirable. A good plan is 

 to feed work horses on Sundays and other idle days a mixture of one- 

 third bran and two-thirds oats or other grain, when grain alone is fed 

 on work days. In cases of constipation, a wet bran mash may be used, 

 which has a more pronounced laxative effect than dry bran fed in 

 mixture with other feed. As the immediate effect of a bran mash is 

 somewhat weakening, it should be given at night and preferably before 

 a day of rest. 



When low in price, bran may be profitably fed in larger amounts as a 

 partial substitute for oats. Fed with timothy hay, a mixture of equal 

 weights of bran and corn has been found equal to one of half oats and 

 half corn 19 . As bran is low in lime, if heavy allowances of it are used, 

 feeds should be given which are high in lime, or lime should be added 

 in the form of ground limestone, etc. (98) 



486. Wheat middlings; shorts. Tho furnishing more nutriment than 

 bran, middlings or shorts are not as desirable for the horse, because of 

 their heavier character. When fed to horses, they should be mixed with 

 bulky feed and should not form over one-fourth the concentrates, as they 

 tend to produce colic, the danger being great with some horses. (220) 



487. Linseed meal. Linseed meal, rich in protein and having tonic 

 and somewhat laxative properties, is an excellent supplement for rations 

 poor in protein. (254) Not over 1 to 1.5 Ibs. per head daily is ordinarily 

 fed, due both to its high price and its laxative effect. Linseed meal is 

 useful as a laxative for constipated animals and for bringing into con- 

 dition run-down horses with rough coats. It gives bloom and finish in 

 fitting horses for show or sale, and is excellent to feed in spring to hasten 

 the shedding of the hair. 



In a trial with 1,170-lb. artillery horses McCampbell of the Kansas 

 Station 20 secured excellent results with a ration of 1 Ib. linseed meal, 4 

 Ibs. oats, 6 Ibs. corn, and 12 Ibs. prairie hay. As less was needed to 

 balance the ration, linseed meal was considerably more economical as a 

 supplement than wheat bran. In a trial at the Iowa Station 21 with 3 

 teams of farm horses Kennedy, Robbins, and Kildee found a mixture 

 of 1 part oil meal and 10 parts shelled corn, fed with timothy hay, too 

 laxative for horses at hard work in summer. A mixture of 1 part oil 

 meal, 4 parts oats and 12 parts corn, proved as satisfactory as one of 6 



18 Burkett, N. H. Bui. 82. ^Kan. Bui. 186. a lowa Bui. 109. 



