48 



THE ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



must not be supposed that there is a direct proportion 

 between the amount of food required and the weight of 

 the animal. Food requirements are largely determined 

 by the skin surface of the animal, for a large skin surface 

 means a large area for the radiation of heat, and loss of 

 heat must be made up for by the food. Now, it can be 

 shown that a small animal has a larger skin surface 

 in proportion to its weight than a large animal of the 

 same species, and so requires more food in proportion. 

 Thus a pony weighing 500 lbs. requires more than half 

 the amount of food sufficient for a horse of 1,000 lbs., 

 and, OQ the other hand, a horse of 2,000 lbs. is satisfied 

 with much less than twice the amount given to the 

 1,000-lbs. horse. Taking the ration for a horse of 1,000 

 lbs. as the standard, it may be said that, for every 

 100 lbs. required by such an animal, the approximate 

 amounts required by animals weighing more or less than 

 1,000 lbs. would be in the following proportions : 



So that, having determined the amount of food for a 

 horse weighing 1,000 lbs., the quantity for a horse 



