THE 



ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The food of an animal is necessary for the purpose of 

 building up the tissues and organs during growth, for 

 making good the wastage due to wear and tear, for keep- 

 ing up the body temperature, and for supplying the 

 necessary energy both for the vital functions and for any 

 external work the animal may be required to do. During 

 growth, the food most suitable varies with different 

 stages, but must especially provide material for the 

 sufficient production of bone and muscle. Even from 

 birth all the tissues and organs of the body, in carrying 

 out their functions, are subject to wear and tear. 

 Throughout life some of the cells of which the body is 

 made up are wearing out or dying, and these have to be 

 replaced by means of fresh material built up from the 

 food into cells. Thus the food to supply these needs 

 must necessarily contain all the chemical elements found 

 in the normal animal body. Not only is this so, but to 

 be useful these elements must be supplied to the animal 

 in the form of complex organic compounds. It is not 



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