50 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



FEEDING HORSES. 



The problem of horse feeding is one which each feeder must 

 solve more or less for himself. The question regarding what is and 

 what is not a satisfactory feed will vary more or less with the time 

 and place and the varying conditions under which the feeding is to 

 be done. While the opinions of experienced men differ as to the 

 value of this food and of that food, yet it is evident that the actual 

 food requirements of a horse performing a given amount of work 

 cannot vary as a result of a change of opinion on the part of the 

 feeder. The animal needs a certain amount of food to nourish his 

 body and produce the energy that is required of him. With horses 

 as with all animals including man, the real problem is to supply suf- 

 ficient nourishing material to build up the body, repair its waste and 

 furnish it with the energy necessary to perform the required work. 

 It makes no difference whether it be the work that goes on inside the 

 body, as the beating of the heart, movements of breathing, etc. ; or 

 whether the work is performed outside of the body, as hauling a 

 load or to perform any other kind of labor. The body temperature 

 must also be maintained at the expense of the food ingredients thai 

 produce heat. Whether this material is burned in the body for 

 maintaining the body temperature, or whether the necessary heat 

 results from internal muscular work, does not necessarily concern 

 the feeder. The problem of feeding horses is somewhat different 

 from that of feeding many other domestic animals. Beef cattle, 

 mutton sheep and pigs are fed to increase gains in weight, that is to 

 fatten them. Milch cows are fed for the purpose of maintaining the 

 body and to produce abundant secretion of milk rather than fat. 

 In the same way fowls are fed for the production of eggs. Horses, 

 however, are fed almost universally as beasts of burden. They are 

 maintained for the work which they do, whether it be in drawing a 

 load, carrying a rider or propelling a vehicle at extreme speed; the 

 horse is maintained for that particular kind of labor. The most 

 satisfactory test of a practical feeding ration for work horses is that 

 it enables the horses to perform the required labor and to maintain 

 a constant bodily weight. If the animal loses weight, it is evident 

 that the ration is insufficient ; if he gains in weight, he may become 

 too fat, which is evident that more food is given than is needed or 

 that the ration does not contain the proper food constituents. If a 

 working horse is in good condition, it is seldom desirable to induce 

 any considerable gain in weight. The most satisfactory ration must 

 of necessity be made of materials which are wholesome and are rel- 

 ished by the horse. This ration should also be secured at a reason- 

 able cost. In quantity it must be abundant enough to meet all 

 bodily requirements, but not so abundant that any marked gain in 

 weight will be noted. 



Principles of Nutrition. The principles of nutrition or nour- 

 ishing are practically the same in the case of all animals including 

 man. The study of foods, or feeding stuffs, has shown beyond ques- 

 tion that, although they differ so much in texture and appearance, 

 they are in reality made up of a small number of constituents that 



