302 The Feeding of Animals 



6.78 pounds of fiber-free nutrients for a 1,000 -pound 

 horse. As Wolff regarded the fiber as useless to a 

 horse, either for maintenance or for production of 

 work, the last figures represent his estimate of the 

 maintenance needs of a horse at rest. 



It is proper to remark that Wolff's views as to the 

 nutritive value of crude fiber are not generally accepted. 



In calculating rations for horses, the coefficient of 

 digestibility obtained in experiments with this class of 

 animals should be used, coarse fodders, as stated 

 previously, not being so efficiently digested by horses 

 as by bo vines or sheep. For this reason, the gross 

 weight of the maintenance food for horses maj' be as 

 great as that for ruminants, though the actual nu- 

 trients needed are less. Accepting 6.G pounds of 

 digestible organic matter as the daily requirements of a 

 resting horse, the following rations would maintain a 

 1,000- pound animal for one day: 



I 16X lbs. medium quality { ^^ ^^^- ^^^^^ ^^J- 



\ mixed hay. j 3^ lbs. bran, or 



I 3 lbs. oats, or 



2 I 10 lbs. timothy hay. [ 2% lbs. cracked corn. 



''Is lbs. oats. 



