12 THE HORSE. 



bulky forage in addition. Dry fodder supplies the necessary 

 bulk in the diet of stabled horses, while it also, of course, 

 furnishesi more or less nourishment to them. 



Meadow- hay. — Of the various kinds of hay, meadoAv- 

 hay is most commonly used for feeding to horses. It should 

 be in sound condition, having a pleasant smell, and being as 

 free from dust as jDossible. Mouldy hay is unwholesome, and 

 may give rise to digestive disturbances, hence it must not 

 be fed to the horses. Slightly browned hay, the brown colour 

 of which is due to the hay having " heated " in the stack, is 

 quite suitable for horse-feeding purposes. Some horses prefer 

 brown hay to that of green colour. Hay which has undergone 

 an excessive amount of heating in the stack, and which, in 

 consequence, is of a very dark brown colour, and has a very 

 strong smell, has lost some of its original nourishment ; it is 

 not very suitable for horses, and is not liked by them as a 

 rule. Usually, horses prefer meadow-hay of a somewhat 

 hard character to that which is veiy soft, though this is not 

 always the case. A good sample of meadow-hay should con- 

 tain a fair proportion of clover, and should be free from an 

 appreciable admixture of weeds. 



Seeds-hay and Cloverhay are very suitable for 

 farm horses, and are much liked by them, if the stems in the 

 hay are not too hard and thick. Sainfoin-hay and lucerne-hay 

 are also excellent horse fodder, provided the hay has been cut 

 at the proper time, and has been carefully saved. In making 

 hay from seeds, clover, sainfoin, or lucerne, it is essential that 

 the plants should be cut while still young, and before their 

 stems become hard and woody. If the plants are allowed to 

 grow too old, the hay will be of inferior feeding value, and 

 unpalatable to the horses. In curing the hay care must be 

 taken to handle it carefully, so as to prevent the leaves of 

 the plants from breaking off. The leaves are the most valu- 

 able part of the various kinds of hay just mentioned, and if 

 many of these are lost in the process of curing, the hay loses 

 much of its value. 



