330 FEEDS AND FEEDING 



III. WORK HORSE AND MULE; FATTENING AND FITTING DRAFT HORSES 



530. The work horse. The regularity in work, feeding, and rest 

 usually bring long years of usefulness to the work horse. The general 

 principles which govern the production of work by the horse and the 

 various feeds employed for his maintenance have been discussed in de- 

 tail in the preceding chapters. The ration to be fed will depend upon 

 the size of the animal and the nature and severity of the work, as has 

 been shown before. (449-56) 



As a rule the total allowance of grain and hay should be from 2 to 

 2.5 Ibs. per 100 Ibs. of horse. Sufficient grain should be fed to keep each 

 horse in the desired condition. Some horses are "easy" and others 

 "hard keepers", requiring considerably more grain for the same amount 

 of work. On the average, horses at medium to hard work will need 0.7 

 to 1.4 Ibs. of grain per 100 Ibs. live weight. The morning meal should 

 be light, not over one-third the daily allowance of grain, with a small 

 allowance of hay. Most horsemen believe that some grain should be 

 fed at noon, tho the mid-day meal is sometimes omitted, especially with 

 horses on the street all day. Many feed one-third the concentrates at 

 morning, noon, and night, respectively. It is not necessary to feed 

 any roughage at noon. Most of it should be fed at night. Some prefer 

 to feed a larger allowance of concentrates also at this time. 



To avoid digestive troubles and possible deaths from azoturia, it is 

 imperative that the allowance of concentrates for horses at hard work 

 should always be decreased on idle days. A safe rule is to feed on idle 

 days not over about 70 per ct. the usual weight of concentrates, using 

 in place, of all grain a mixture of two-thirds grain and one-third bran. 

 Others feed a small allowance of grain at noon with only a bran mash 

 both night and morning. 



On coming to the stable at noon, the work horse should have a drink 

 of fresh, cool water, care being taken, if he is warm, that he does not 

 drink too rapidly or too much. Before going to work he should be water- 

 ed again. (464) Many good horsemen remove the harness so the horse 

 can eat his meal in comfort and rest easily. If possible, an hour should be 

 given for the mid-day meal. When the horse comes in after the day's 

 labor, after giving him a drink, unharness at once, and when the sweat 

 has dried brush him well. (468-70) 



Many rations for work horses have been discussed in Chapter XIX, 

 and the principles which should be followed in computing rations for 

 them have been stated in Chapter XVIII. As an additional guide iu 

 working out economical rations suited to one's own conditions, the fol- 

 lowing sample rations are given for 1,000-pound horses which are idle, 

 and at light, medium, and hard work. All these rations meet the require- 

 ments according to the Morrison feeding standards, and should prove 

 satisfactory in practice. (454-5) With horses of other weights, the 



