THE FEEDING OF FARM STOCK. 179 



a feed of hay the last thing a( night. Bui additions differ so greatly in the 

 town and the country, and the amount the horse nets from the paddocks 

 varies SO widely that cadi rase has to be dealt with on its merits. 

 Feeding should be as regular as possible if the best results are desired, and 

 no sudden changes of food should he given if they ran he avoided. New 

 foods should he introduced gradually. Watering should precede feeding, 

 and the horse should always have water available even when eating. 



When arrangements to such an end are practicable, each horse should be 

 fed separately ; the custom of feeding many horses from long troughs is 

 wasteful and leads to the bolting of 1 lie feed on the part of greedy animals and 

 the underfeeding of those weaker or of more slow-eating habit. Bolting of the 

 food and consequent imperfeel mastication, prevents the animal deriving the 

 full benefit of its ration, as much is passed through improperly digested — ■ 

 often with serious results. With teams continually on the move, long trough 

 feeding may be unavoidable; but in standing camps and on farms the extra 

 labour and cost involved in providing partition rails should be more 

 than recouped by feed economy and lessened risk. The use of nose 

 bags is worthy of greater consideration than it receives, for they provide a 

 method of accurate feeding, ensuring extra feed to those animals which 

 require it. The idiosyncrasies of various animals with regard to diet are worth. 

 some study, as a ration which will keep in condition an animal with good 

 digestive and assimilative powers, and one which eats slowly, may not be 

 sufficient for other horses. Peculiarities of this nature can only be known 

 and dealt with by the man in charge of the horses. 



Salt is usually supplied to horses, and is much relished by them, but it is 

 not taken in quantities large enough to have as much influence on parasitic or 

 other disease as is usually supposed. It probably acts more as an aid to 

 digestion and in rendering the food more appetising, and so improves the 

 general health. Thus, as with everything which improves the general health, 

 it increases the animal's power of resistance to the effects of parasites. 



Hors3 Foodstuffs. 



The preceding remarks on the general principles of horse-feeding may be 

 usefully considered in conjunction with the following brief notes on the chief 

 materials used as food in this State. 



Oats. -The best of all grains for use in feeding horses, and not sufficiently 

 appreciated in this country — a very safe grain to feed, as the amount of hull 

 on the grain prevents overgorging and massing in the stomach. Especially 

 useful for horses on hard and fast work. The various food constituents are 

 very well balanced in oats. 



Maize (corn). — A very valuable horse-feed, but the food constituents are 

 not so well balanced as in oats, and better results are obtained if maize is fed 

 with the addition of some bran, linseed meal, or hay, or chaff made from 

 legumes such as clover or lucerne to supply the deficiencies. Providing the 

 ration is otherwise satisfactory, maize is as good as oats for the average working 

 horse, but not so good as oats for young growing animals. 



Wheat. — An unsatisfactory grain to feed to horses on account of the danger 

 of engorgement and its tendency to form a pasty mass. Unlike oats, it 

 sihould always be fed mixed up in chaff to prevent trouble, and horses which 

 have not been accustomed to wheat should be brought on to it carefully. Its 

 nutritive value is high, but it is not so well balanced as oats. 



