I20 



ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



Crushing. 



Crushers 



and 



kibblers. 



Parching. 

 Soaking. 



Steaming. 

 Boih"ng. 



become loosened. The large quantity of dust from oats which are very 

 dry, or have been " clipped," will sometimes necessitate their being 

 screened before use. 



Crushing. — The value of crushing food is that it ensures every grain 

 being thoroughly digested, even though it may have escaped mastication, 

 and the whole nutritive benefit of the amount of food given is thus 

 obtained. With very hard grains, such as old beans and maize, with 

 small thin-husked foreign oats, and with any grain which is newly 

 introduced into the ration, and to which the horse is unaccustomed, it 

 is particularly indicated. An objection which is sometimes urged 

 against crushing the food of troop horses, is that it encourages them to 

 swallow their food without much mastication, and unfits them for eating 

 the rations they are likely to obtain on service. This view is not however 

 borne out by experience, for it is found that horses accustomed to 

 crushed grain as a rule have not proved less hardy and useful on service. 

 In this connexion the use of chaff must be alluded to, for by its 

 admixture with the crushed grain, full mastication becomes a necessity, 

 and liability to bolt food is avoided. 



It is a matter of some importance that the rollers of the "crusher" or 

 " kibbler " should be set so that the grain shall not be ground to powder, 

 but shall only have the outer husk split. If powdered a proportion of the 

 flour will escape and may be wasted. Oats are easily crushed, beans and 

 peas are split and maize broken, without difficulty, but barley is more 

 resistant, and requires a closer setting of the rollers, and sometimes a 

 second passage through. 



Parchi?ig is usually employed only in the case of barley, and is fully 

 described under the heading of that grain. (See p. 97.) 



Soaking.— T\\\s is not a process to be recommended as a rule : its 

 employment in hot weather requires careful supervision, as ferm.entation 

 is apt to take place and render the grain sour. It is sometimes resorted 

 to in the case of grain in India, and a prolonged soaking of twenty-four 

 hours will render linseed eatable if boiling cannot be employed. Under 

 the name of " Steaming," hot water is sometimes used to soak oats for 

 sick horses or delicate feeders. 



Boilijig. — With two grains, Kulthi and linseed, boiling is a necessity, 

 and it is also frequently utilized for the preparation of barley. 



On boiled Kulthi and barley, horses may be kept in excellent working 

 condition, but it is not advisable to feed troop horses on boiled rations 

 if it can be avoided. 



If for no other reason than to avoid the carriage of cauldrons and 

 fuel, boiled food as a ration for troop horses is out of the question. 



