96 THE ECONOMICS OF FEEDING HORSES 



and answers well. Some of the hay is chopped and mixed 

 with the bran, the rest being given long and fed chiefly 

 in the evening. For a horse weighing 1,000 lbs., a suit- 

 able amount would be from 15 to 20 lbs. of hay, 

 half as chaff and half long, with 4 or 5 lbs. of bran. If 

 the animal is in poor condition to commence with, 

 advantage should be taken of the rest to put on flesh 

 and condition, and for this purpose additional food, pre- 

 ferably rich in carbo-hydrates or fats, or both, should be 

 given. One or two pounds of maize added to the daily 

 ration will answer the purpose well. 



So far as is possible, the diet for a resting horse should 

 be similar to that of Nature, and so green food, either cut 

 grass or artificial grasses — clover, vetches, or lucerne — 

 should be given whenever obtainable. At the same time, 

 care should be taken to prevent the animal becoming too 

 soft in condition if the rest is likely to be only a short one. 



For a sick horse suffering from some systemic disease 

 the variation of the diet from that suited to working con- 

 ditions is of even greater importance. A change is neces- 

 sary not so much on the grounds of economy, as for reasons 

 connected with the animal's treatment. What the par- 

 ticular ration shall be depends on the disease. In many 

 cases of disease of the digestive tract it may be advis- 

 able to give a very restricted diet for some days, some- 

 thing far short of even a maintenance ration. In other 

 cases there is partial or complete loss of appetite, and the 

 chief difficulty is to get the animal to feed at all. At 

 such times professional advice will usually be sought and 

 a suitable diet prescribed, but there are certain general 

 principles which must be observed, and these may here 

 be mentioned. 



The supply of water should always be ample, and this 



