Management and Feeding of Heavy Horses 129 



a capital feed for a busy time, and might be safely reduced in an 

 idle time by docking them of all or part of the beans. 



In summer when on green food the maize and the bran might 

 be omitted. When maize is dear there is no need to include it, but 

 add a few oats instead. The only reason for using maize at all is 

 its being usually a cheap form of supplying a nutritious food. As it 

 is not grown on the farm it is never advisable to buy it except when 

 it is at a low figure, unless it is wanted to improve the condition of 

 the home-grown grain. Farmers as a rule are acting in their own 

 interest when they use food grown on their own land to feed their 

 own horses, and they should aim to grow the oats and beans 

 necessary for the purpose. It happens sometimes, of course, after 

 a bad harvest, that the home-grown grain is not in a dry enough 

 condition for bruising or cracking; then a little dry maize mixed 

 with it would correct matters. If very damp, a slight drying on a 

 kiln may be found necessary. 



If a grass run is available the cart horses should be turned out 

 about the beginning of May in the south of England, the time 

 graduating to the beginning of June in Scotland. The early 

 summer grass has a medicinal benefit on horses working hard and 

 fed on corn all winter. To modify the change and lessen the risk 

 of catching cold at turning-out time, it is a good plan to turn them 

 out for about two hours in the evening for a few days, bringing them 

 in all night. Then on Sunday they may be turned out after a good 

 feed of corn in the morning and left out all night, thus beginning 

 their lying-out time. 



If the work of the farm permits, it is a good time during June 

 to give a colt a little rest for a few weeks ; he will be all the more 

 fit for the work of the harvest. On strong land farms where there 

 is much work on the fallows this opportunity might not occur; but 

 on light land farms sometimes a few weeks intervene between turnip 

 sowing and hay time, when some of the horses might have a little 

 rest and run on grass. Now that the horses are required to do all 

 the harvest work, they must still have their feed of corn, although 

 on the pasture, the quantity being regulated by the quality of the 

 pasture and the amount of work expected of them. Oats crushed, 

 say about 140 lb. per pair weekly, or about 20 lb. of beans in 

 addition, if the work is heavy, is the most suitable food on grass. 

 Maize or bran is unnecessary. 



The horses, when required to work, should be got in early, so 



that they will have an hour and a half to feed in the stable and get 



well groomed. Some chopped hay should be mixed with the corn. 



If no good hay is available, or if straw has to be used, it is a good 

 Vol. III. 42 



