250 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 188. 



Part II. 



FEEDING TRIALS WITH HORSES. 



Results and Suggestions. 

 (a) Alfalfa for Horses. 



1. On the basis of 1,000 pounds' live weight, a ration composed of 1.7 

 pounds of oats, 6.8 pounds of corn and 8.5 pounds of alfalfa hay did not 

 prove sufficient for horses doing reasonably hard farm work (Kansas 

 ration). 



2. Fed such a ration the horses appeared quite restless and nervous, 

 and lost in live weight, indicating insufficient food and possibly an unfavor- 

 able action of the alfalfa upon the nervous system. 



3. An increase of 10 per cent, in the above ration checked the loss of 

 live weight, but not the restless, hungry condition. 



4. The substitution of a timothy hay mixture for a portion of the al- 

 falfa seemed to check in a measure the restless condition of the horses. 



5. During the fall months the same grain ration was maintained, but 

 timothy hay was substituted for all of the alfalfa. The horses fully main- 

 tained their weights and appeared quieter than when the alfalfa ration 

 was fed. This may have been due in part, at least, to the fact that less 

 work was required daily than in the early part of the season. 



6. A combination of one-fifth oats and four-fifths corn, together with 

 a mixture of one-half alfalfa and one-half timothy, is likely to prove more 

 satisfactory than a ration in which alfalfa constitutes the entire roughage. 



7. A combination of one-third oats and two-thirds corn and timothy 

 hay appears to be quite satisfactory, and furnishes sufficient protein for 

 horses doing ordinary work. Only when quite hard work is required is it 

 necessary to increase the protein by feeding alfalfa or a small amount of 

 a protein concentrate. In such cases the roughage should be reduced and 

 the amount of grain increased. 



(6) Brewers' Dried Grains for Horses. 

 Brewers' grains, when prepared from perfectly fresh material, may 

 constitute from 15 to 25 per cent, of the daily grain ration for horses, and 

 may replace a like amount of oats. 



(c) Velvet Bean Feed for Horses. 

 1. Velvet bean feed represents the ground bean and pods of a tropical 

 legume. 



