FEEDING 



grain and other foods, it may be pointed out that some are 

 far more nourishing than others, and that the quality of each 

 varies very considerably. The amount, too, that a horse 

 should get must depend, not merely upon his size, but upon 

 the amount and nature of the work he is doing and the 

 season of the year, but in all cases the quantity he gets per diem 

 should be divided between at least three and, better still, 

 four and even five feeds a day. This is because the horse's 

 stomach is extremely small for his size, and consequently 

 requires to be filled at frequent intervals. A horse doing 

 fast work upon the roads or a hunter during the season will 

 require more food and a larger proportion of corn than 

 he does when he is taking matters easily, and under any 

 circumstances the question of cleanliness must be carefully 

 studied, for horses detest soiled food, and their health suffers 

 from dusty oats and mouldy hay. It may be mentioned, too, 

 that a sudden change of diet is apt to upset a horse, and 

 therefore such matters should be arranged gradually. 



Regarding the quantity allowed each horse per diem, 

 whilst it may be repeated that some animals will require 

 more than others, the following scales may be suggested 

 as a general guide, but they can be increased or diminished 

 as circumstances demand. Harness horses, lo lbs. of corn 

 and 12 of hay or chaff; hunters in hard work, i6 lbs. of corn 

 and 10 lbs. of hay or chaff, with occasionally a couple of 

 pounds of beans in lieu of a similar weight of oats ; light 

 vanners in heavy work, oats 7 lbs., maize 7 lbs., beans i lb., 

 chaff 12 lbs.; heavy street horses, oats 10 lbs., maize 4 lbs., 

 beans 5 lbs., hay 16 lbs. If desired, a little bran may be 

 added to the above, whilst it may be mentioned that beans 

 (or peas) are not approved of by all owners. Sliced roots 

 and linseed or oat meal are also frequently given to heavy 

 horses, the other forms of food being proportionately reduced ; 

 and a small allowance of roots may be supplied to the 

 lighter breeds when not in very hard work with satisfactory 

 results. A bran mash will do good, if substituted one night 

 a week before the horses' resting-day for the last feed, and 



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