Horses 321 



172. Feeds for horses. Oats is the grain used most ex- 

 tensively in the United States for horses, but it is becoming 

 so expensive in some parts of the country that there is a con- 

 stant demand for other feeds to take its place. Corn is most 

 commonly substituted and it has been found to be a safe and 

 satisfactory feed when used in the correct proportion. At the 

 New Hampshire Station, a mixture of one part of bran and one 

 part of corn was found to be a good substitute for oats. Barley 

 is much used on the Pacific Coast. Kafir corn is used in the 

 semi-arid regions of the country. Factory by-products make 

 good feed and are extensively used. Bran, shorts, gluten 

 feed, linseed meal, and cottonseed meal are often included in 

 the rations for horses. 



Timothy and prairie hay are the most used hays for horses, 

 although in many sections where these are not produced others 

 are substituted. At the North Dakota Station, brome-grass 

 hay was found to give as good results as timothy. At the 

 Utah Station, alfalfa when judiciously fed was found to be 

 satisfactory. When feeding alfalfa hay, less grain is required 

 in the ration than if timothy hay is fed. At the Illinois Station, 

 from 20 to 22 per cent less hay was required to maintain the 

 weight of horses fed with alfalfa than those fed with timothy. 

 At the same station, a slight difference was observed in favor 

 of clover hay over timothy hay. 



In Table XII are given examples of rations actually fed to 

 horses in the different parts of the country. It will be noticed 

 that there is a predominance of oats and corn in the rations. 



173. Time to water horses. 1 The proper time to water horses 

 is a matter concerning which opinions differ. Many feeders 

 believe that they should be watered before feeding, while 

 others are equally certain that feeding should precede watering. 

 Some extended experiments have been recently made in Europe 

 which have led to definite conclusions, and seem to have 

 reached the truth in the matter. 



1 C. F. Langworthy in Farmers' Bulletin 170. 



