68 



THE ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



digested, heat units provided, and market price of a 

 food, and thus the price per 100 heat units is made 

 evident. We thus obtain some idea of the relation 

 between the market price of the food and the benefit to 

 the horse. We also see at once that in one food the 

 heat units are bought at a high figure, or, in other 

 words, are dear ; whilst in another food the heat units 

 are much lower in price, and yet have exactly the same 

 nutritive value in the body of the horse. 



This may be illustrated by the examples of beans and 

 maize : 



It must be borne in mind, however, that beans con- 

 tain a much greater percentage of the costly proteins, 

 the essential elements in a diet, than does maize. Thus 

 beans have a high value for mixing with other substances 

 of a low protein content in order to bring the mixture 

 up to the required nitrogenous ratio. For this reason, 

 whilst the price per unit is higher than in maize, beans 

 are worth their price because of this power of improving 

 and bringing up to standard requirements the cheaper 

 but less nitrogenous foodstuffs. 



At the same time, if the mixed ration contains the 

 required amount of nitrogenous matter, but is wanting 

 in total nutritive value, the defect can be made up by 



