258 THE HORSE 



diseases, notably fever in the feet. The same objections, but to a lesser 

 degree, apply to barley. 



The following is the ration now given (1896) by the General Omnibus 

 Company (London) 



SCALE BEAKS OATS MAIZE CHAFF 



Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. Ibs. 



1 3 15 10 



2 1 3 15 10 



3 2 3 15 10 



The Great Western Railway. For horses working in town 



Oats 13 Ibs. 



Beans 3 Ibs. 



Bran 2 Ibs. 



Chaff (cut hay) ... 14 Ibs. 



Country horses receive 



Oats 7 Ibs. 



Maize 

 Beans 

 Bran 

 Chaff 



6 Ibs. 



3 Ibs. 



2 Ibs. 



14 Ibs. 



During the winter months 2 Ibs. of beans are adJed to this scale. The oats, beans, and 

 maize are all given crushed. 



The Midland. This company's allowance is sixteen stones per horse per 

 week, composed as follows 



Beans or peas (split) .. .. 2 stones 



Maize ,, .. .." 2 stones 



Bran .. .. 2 stones 



Oats (crushed) .. .. 4 stones 



Chaff (hay or clover) . . . . 6 stones 



I here append also, extracted from Earl Cathcart's Report to the Royal 

 Agricultural Society in 1889, the rations given in the French Government 

 Haras, or National Stud, at Lamballe, Brittany. 



Ibs. 



Hay 4 kilos = about 8| 

 Straw 6 ,, = ,, 13| 

 Oats 5 = 11 



The horses here are stallions, and this allowance is more than that of the 

 French cavalry, which is 



Ibs. 



Hay 3 kilos = about 6| 

 Straw 5 ,, = ,, 11 

 Corn 4-2,, = 9| 



For ordinary hacks and carriage horses, the cost for food and litter may 

 be taken at Is. per hand per horse per week. 



Malted barley and wheaten bread are greedily eaten by horses, but they 

 are generally too costly for use. The husk of wheat separated from the 

 meal in the shape of bran is a very important article in all stables, having 

 a cooling effect from its laxative properties when made into a mash with 

 water. Dry bran is often given with sliced carrots, with which it makes an 

 excellent food for slow working horses ; but there is not any great amount 

 of nourishment in it by itself. Bran mash is made either hot or cold. In 

 either case a bucket is half filled with bran, and then as much water as it 

 will absorb is poured upon it, and if hot it is put by till nearly cold, being 



