FEEDING HORSES. 41 



per diem being something like the following : — 

 Maize, 13 lbs.; oats, 3 lbs; peas and beans, i lb. 

 eachj hay, 7 lbs.; straw, 3 lb., the latter in the 

 form of chaff, which gives a total weight of 28 lbs. 

 Another Metropolitan tramway company gave 

 maize, 7 lbs. ; oats, 7 lbs. ; beans, i lb.; hay, 11 lbs.; 

 and straw, 3 lbs., thus decreasing the weight of the 

 feed of grain, but adding to that of the hay ; whilst 

 the Dublin people allowed their horses 14 lbs. of 

 maize, the Birmingham folks being the most 

 liberal of all with their oats^ as their horses each got 

 10 lbs. of this excellent food. Ten pounds of oats 

 and 12 lbs. of hay is the ordinary allowance for 

 cavalry horses; but during the period w^hen their 

 regiments are manoeuvring or upon the march, the 

 quantity of oats is increased by nearly 50 per cent. 

 The Government ration is a very fair one, and so 

 far as quantity goes might be reasonably applied to 

 most private stables, w^ere it not that the element of 

 variety is necessarily missing, and therefore the 

 addition of split beans or peas is recommended for 

 harness horses in work when their condition has to 

 be kept up. It is not desirable that much hay 

 should be given during working hours, as it impedes 

 the animal when moving about ; but, upon the other 

 hand, every horse requires a certain amount of filling 

 food each day, and this is better for him after he is 

 done up for the night. The advantages of frequent 

 feeding in small quantities have already been alluded 

 to, for the horse's stomach is not suited to remain 

 long empty, and therefore the sooner after 6 a.m. 

 that he gets his breakfast the better it will be for 

 him. Four meals a day should suffice, and if he 

 gets his allowance of hay after he has cleaned out 

 his manger at night, he should carry on very well 

 until the morning. Some animals, however^ are very 

 gross feeders, and regularly eat their beds ; but this 

 habit of devouring straw in large quantities can be 



