50 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



bulk seems to fit the needs of the horse. Both are usually free from dust. 

 For the light horse that is required to make long, hard drives no satisfactory 

 substitute for oats and timothy hay has been found. 



Grain. Corn and barley are used extensively in some sections for a 

 part or all of the grain ration. Because of its hardness the barley should 

 be ground or cracked. 



Bran and oil meal are often used to supplement corn or barley, and 

 for growing animals or brood mares corn, oats and bran form an excellent 

 ration. The bone and muscle-building elements in bran and its laxative 

 effect are considered indispensable by many horsemen. 



Roughages. A mixture of timothy and clover is considered an excel- 

 lent roughage for horses. Either clover or alfalfa hay is good, except for 

 horses doing heavy or rapid work. Oat hay, when cut a little green, forms 

 an excellent roughage and sheaf oats are often fed with good results. Millet 

 hay is considered unsafe to feed by most horsemen. 



Corn stover and oat straw are used with success when properly bal- 

 anced with a grain ration. 



Good clean silage that is not too acid is an excellent feed for brood 

 mares, idle horses and growing colts, though it should be fed in limited 

 quantities and with some dry roughage. It has been fed with good results, 

 but great care must be exercised in feeding. No mouldy or musty silage 

 should be fed. 



Watering. Horses, under natural conditions, drink frequently. The 

 most common practice among horsemen is to water the horses before 

 feeding, although many practice watering before and after feeding. Horses 

 that are heated should be compelled to drink very slowly. The value of 

 good running water in the horse pasture cannot be overestimated. 



The Work Horse. A horse at work should receive ten to eighteen 

 pounds of grain daily, depending upon the kind of work performed and 

 the size of the horse. On days when idle the grain ration should be reduced 

 and the roughage increased. The addition of a small amount of bran is 

 recommended. 



The Foal. The foal should be taught to eat grain and hay as early 

 as possible. Oats and bran with some clover or alfalfa hay of good quality 

 are the best feeds because they contain the muscle and bone-forming 

 elements required for growth. 



While the mare and colt are in the pasture some grain can be fed very 

 satisfactorily in a small creep. After weaning, at about five or six months 

 of age, feed for growth rather than condition. 



The Orphan Foal. Milk from a fresh cow, one whose milk is low in 

 butter-fat, is well adapted to raising an orphan foal. To a dessert-spoonful 

 of granulated sugar should be added enough warm water to dissolve it. 

 To this three tablespoonsful of lime-water and enough fresh milk to make 

 a pint should be added. A small amount, one-half pint, should be given 

 each hour. In a short time the amount should be increased and feed should 



