196 FARM AND SCHOOL PROBLEMS. 



Two of the most important points in favor of the heavy 

 draft horse are these : 



1. The heavy horse is by nature more docile and teachable, more steady 

 and willing than the lighter breeds. 



2. The heavy horse will do more work and do it more easily and at 

 lower cost than the lighter horse. 



Feeding the Horse. 



Economy in feeding is one of the important factors in de- 

 creasing the cost of horse power. 



Watering. 



Watering horses has been much discussed by those who favor 

 watering before feeding and by those who feed before watering. 

 There may be conditions and circumstances favoring each theory 

 but, there is a good plan that certainly can me'et with no objec- 

 tions it is (i) watering, (2) feeding sprinkled grain, (3) 

 moistened hay, (4) watering again. 



This will satisfy the horse; he will feed well, consume a 

 sufficient quantity, retain the food in the stomach properly, and 

 he will not be unsatisfied, anxious or nervous. 



Rations. 



In computing digestible nutrients for horses it is necessary to 

 distinguish between the percentage of food elements digested by 

 ruminants, like the cow, and by nonruminants like the horse. 



The average results of a considerable number of tests, show 

 that ruminants digest 26.9 per cent more protein, 5.4 per cent 

 more fat, 16.7 per cent more nitrogen-free extract, and 4 per cent 

 more crude fiber from timothy hay than horses. In the case of 

 oats the amount of protein digested is practically the same, but 

 the ruminants digest 12.8 per cent more fat, and 0.5 per cent more 

 nitrogen-free extract and crude fiber than the horse. Similar re- 

 sults have been obtained with other feeds. 



The following table gives the weight of horse, kind of labor 

 performed, weight of each kind of feed in a ration for a certain 

 kind of work : 



