310 AGRICULTURE 



7 . Feeding Horses 



The feeding of farm work horses is a different prob- 

 lem from the feeding of most other farm stock. This is 

 because the horse is fed for work, while other animals are 

 fed for meat, milk, eggs and so on. 



The ration for horses. The ordinary farm ration for 

 working horses is some form of hay for roughage, and 

 one or more cereals, such as oats or corn. The particular 

 kind of hay fed is not important, so that it is in good con- 

 dition and free from dust. If dusty hay must be used, it 

 should be sprinkled with water as it is fed. Horses seem 

 to find timothy hay more palatable than most, other kinds, 

 but red clover, alfalfa, meadow fescue and other meadow 

 grasses have been found satisfactory. It is thought that less 

 grain is necessary to keep up the weight of horses at hard 

 work when alfalfa is fed instead of some other hay. 



Grain ration for farm horses. Oats are the choice of 

 the cereals for horses wherever they are obtainable. They 

 are relished better than most grains, and seem especially 

 suited to the horse as a nutrient. Horses fed on oats also 

 seem to show better mettle than those fed on other grains. 



In the corn producing region corn is usually a more 

 economical feed for horses than oats, and has therefore 

 come into quite general use as a part of the ration. Corn 

 and alfalfa hay make a satisfactory ration, at least for a 

 limited time, and are cheaper than oats and timothy hay. 

 A very satisfactory and rather heavy daily ration for a 

 horse weighing from one thousand two hundred to one 

 thousand three hundred pounds, and employed at general 

 farm labor is : 



7% pounds of whole corn. 

 7 l /2 pounds of whole oats. 

 1 pound of oil meal. 

 3 pounds of wheat bran. 



