FEEDING AND WATERING 89 



" souring " ; and to the accumulations of stale food in 

 the corners of the mangers. 



The serving basket, or measure, should contain by 

 weight one-third, one-fourth, one-j&fth, or one-sixth 

 of the daily ration, according as the animals are fed 

 three, four, five, or six times a day. When the chaff 

 and corn are supplied to the stable mixed together it 

 should be remembered that the heavy corn gradually 

 sinks to the bottom of the feeding barrow as it is being 

 pushed round the stable. For this reason a partitioned 

 barrow with corn in one part and chaff in the other is 

 often used. 



The times at which food is given vary greatly, and 

 this is influenced by the nature of the work performed, 

 and the length of time that is allowed for the animals 

 to stand at the manger. The number of times that a 

 horse must be fed daily varies inversely as the concen- 

 tration of the food. It would be necessary to give an 

 animal several feeds daily of a material poor in pro- 

 teins, carbo-hydrates, and fats, in order that it might 

 derive enough energy for work. A horse at grass has 

 to be eating most of the time to get a maintenance diet. 

 On the other hand, three or four feeds daily of a con- 

 centrated diet will give all the energy required. Again, 

 a certain amount of bulk is necessary for mechanical 

 digestive processes, and it is well to remember the 

 normal physiological variation that may take place in 

 the stomach when diets are changed. Most owners 

 appreciate the value of trying to keep as near as possible 

 to the conditions which the horse's digestive apparatus 

 demands. On the other hand, the equally satisfactory 

 economic results, which appear to be obtained by three. 



