62 THE ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



makes it less costly than some other grain in the ration. 

 As a general rule, it may be substituted for an equiva- 

 lent amount of oats to the extent of 6 or 7 lbs. a day, 

 but to horses unused to it this amount should be intro- 

 duced gradually. The parching of barley has sometimes 

 been advocated to improve the digestibility, but slight 

 crushing is probably the best preparation it can be 

 subjected to. 



Wheat is usually too costly to be fed to horses, if we 

 except the damaged or unmarketable wheat sometimes 

 given to farm horses. It has generally been held to be 

 a dangerous food, giving rise to indigestion and colic, 

 and fed in large quantities, and particularly if new, this 

 is undoubtedly true to some extent. On the other hand, 

 old, hard wheat can be, and has been, fed to horses in 

 small amounts without any ill-effects, and, in certain 

 conditions of the corn market, with economy. It cannot, 

 however, be advised generally, nor does its price often 

 make its introduction economically desirable. 



Dried brewers' grains can be fed to horses with 

 advantage in amounts not exceeding 3 or 4 lbs. daily, 

 and from their high protein content materially improve 

 a low nitrogenous ratio. They are appetizing, and are 

 relished by horses as part of a mixture. 



As stated above, it is necessary that horses should be 

 supplied with hay, but the kind of hay to be given 

 depends on the class of horse and the nature of the 

 work. For hunters and light harness-horses meadow 

 hay is the best. It is not too bulky, has the least 

 amount of crude fibre, and so both for the " wind " and 

 for digestion of the other ingredients of the ration is 

 preferable to clover, sainfoin, and other mixtures. For 

 a horse engaged in fast work — e.g.^ a hunter — it is a 



