THE HORSE 267 



water is of much importance. Investigators have shown that 

 the stomach of the horse must be filled and emptied two or three 

 times for each meal given. It appears that during the earl}'^ 

 stage of the meal the partially digested food is pushed into the 

 intestines by the food that follows soon after it enters the 

 stomach; toward the end of the meal the passage is slow and 

 the digestion in the stomach is more nearly perfect. This being 

 true, it would seem that the more nutritious food should be fed 

 toward the end of the meal, especially since the important 

 nutrients are largely digested in the stomach. 



The order in which food should be given cannot he discussed 

 intelligently without considering the time of watering the horse. 

 Many feeders believe that the horse should be watered before 

 feeding, while others are equally certain that feeding should pre- 

 cede watering. The object sought is that the horse shall be fed 

 and watered so frequently that he will feel neither hunger or 

 thirst at any time. He should therefore be fed at least three 

 times, and watered not less than four times — if convenient, six 

 times — each day. He should be watered in the morning before 

 feeding, and for the morning meal should receive approximately 

 one-fourth of the daily allowance at least one hour before going 

 to work. This food should be in a condition to be easily and 

 rapidly consumed, so that it will be well digested when the ani- 

 mal goes to work. As he goes to work he should be watered, and 

 after five hours of exhausting labor he should be given his mid- 

 day meal, a second quarter of the daily allowance. Before being 

 fed he should again have a drink of fresh, cool water, but care 

 should be taken that he does not drink too rapidly nor gorge 

 himself if he is very warm. If convenient the harness should 

 be removed, so that the horse can eat in comfort and have a few 

 minutes of much-needed rest. One hour should be allowed the 

 horse in which to consume the midday meal. After watering and 

 feeding he is ready for the second half of his day's work. AMien 

 he has worked for five hours he should be given the evening 

 meal. As he comes to the stable in the evening he should first 

 of all be given a drink ; care must be exercised as before to see 

 that he does not drink too rapidly. He is now ready for the 

 remainder of his daily allowance. Thus heaw feeding comes at 

 night, when the horse has ample time to masticate and digest his 

 food and is not obliged to go to work immediately. 



Feeds for the work horse. — The ration for horses usually lacks 

 variety. If rations of horses in a given locality are studied, they 

 are found to be composed of one kind, or at most two kinds, of 



