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) — 



SoAi.E Beans Oat3 Maize Chaff 



U.S. lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. 



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 lbs. 



Beans ... ... 3 llis. 



Bran 2 lbs. 



Chaff (cut hay) ... 14 lbs. 



Country horses receive — 



Oats 7 lbs. 



Maize 6 lbs. 



Beans 3 lbs. 



Bran 2 lbs. 



Chaff 14 lbs. 



During the winter months 2 lbs. of beans are ad led to this scale. Tl.c 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 



JIaize ,, ... ... 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 Erench Government 

 Haras, or National Stud, at Lamballe, Brittany. 



lbs. 

 Hay 4 kilos = about 8f 

 Straw 6 „ = ,, 13| 

 Oats 5 „ = ,, 11 



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

 French cavalrv'-, which is — 



lbs. 

 Hay 3 kilos = about 6^ 

 Straw 5 „ = ,, 11 

 Corn 4-2,, = „ d-^ 



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

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



Malted harUij 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 Iran is a very important article in all stables, having 

 a cooling effect fi'om 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 



