Food and Feeding. 



171 



I have often found at sea that the substitu- 

 tion of dry bran for oats, or for a mixture of 

 oats and bran, will often cure a horse of 

 diarrhoea apparently set up by the oats, in 

 which case undigested oats will generally be 

 seen in the dung. 



Formerly, the daily grain ration for each 

 horse on Government transports consisted of 

 half bran and half oats ; but I see by 

 the Government " specification," printed in 

 July, 1901, that it is now to consist of 60 per 

 cent, of bran, and 40 per cent of oats. 

 The increase in the proportion of bran pro- 

 bably arose from the favourable reports made 

 upon bran as an article of food for horses 

 at sea. 



The only drawback to the use of bran on 

 board ship is its liability to ferment, in which 



