FARM HORSES 273 



In winter, horses do better when the stable is not kept too 

 warm; the walls, therefore, should not be too tightly con- 

 structed. Tight walls not only tend to promote too much 

 warmth in the stable, but also cause a condensation of 

 moisture on the inside. Dry walls, open enough to allow 

 air to pass through slowly, are the most satisfactory. 



Stalls should be wide enough to allow grooming and harness- 

 ing of the horses. The partition walls should be strong. It 

 is especially important to have tight floors which should be 

 nearly level, with just enough fall for drainage. A floor with 

 a greater fall than one inch in six feet is apt to put too great 

 a strain upon the horse's legs. Wood flooring is regarded as 

 the best kind if properly constructed. Cement floors are often 

 used but they have the disadvantage of becoming slippery. 



The arrangements for feeding should take into consider- 

 ation the need for a rather large box for grain, so as to compel 

 the animal to eat slowly. A small rack for hay will diminish 

 the chance of over-feeding. 



Feeding. A sharp distinction must be made between 

 feeding horses when idle or at light work, and when at heavy 

 work. In the former case, a maintenance ration only is 

 needed, but additional feed must be supplied to furnish 

 energy for heavy work. 



A standard ration for a horse lightly worked, per 1000 

 pounds live weight, is: 20 pounds of dry matter, 1.5 pounds 

 protein, and 10.4 pounds of carbohydrates and fats, which 

 gives a nutritive ratio of i : 7. A standard ration for a horse 

 heavily worked is: 26 pounds of dry matter, 2.5 pounds of 

 protein and 14.3 pounds of carbohydrates, which gives a 

 nutritive ratio of i : 6. Individual horses will vary in their 

 feed requirements, and standard rations should be varied to 

 meet such differences. 



