WATER CONSUMED BY HORSES 



51 



The preceding experiments show that the feeding of oats is 

 not necessary to maintain the desired weight of the work 

 horse, nor necessary for efficient labor. Their use also renders 

 the ration more costly than any other fed. 



For winter feedino; when horses are on light work a ration 

 consisting of corn stover, bran, and corn is fully as desirable 

 as timothy hay, corn, and oats, and is furnished at less than 

 two thirds the cost. 



COST OF FEED AND WORK 



Throughout the two years the five horses were under the 

 same conditions of shelter, water, grooming, etc. The table 

 below gives the weights of each horse at the beginning and 

 ending of two years' experiment: 



TABLE XIX 



WEIGHTS AT BEGINNING AND ENDING OF EXPERIMENTS 



Date. 



Rob. 



Nell. Mag. 



Bess. 



Maud. 



Beginning Maj^ 1, 1899. 

 Ending May 1, 1901.... 



1230 

 1235 



1195 

 1245 



1275 

 1300 



1237 

 1315 



1275 

 1370 



It will be seen by this that all horses gained during the time 

 which would indicate that none of them was overworked or 

 underfed. A study of the relation between cost of food and 

 work done would not mean therefore a comparison of maxi- 

 mum conditions, but rather the average and ordinary. 



Glancing back at table XVII it will be noted that during the 

 two years Rob did 3,747 hours' work; Nell, 4,950; Mag, 

 4,938 ; Bess, 3,997 ; and Maud, 3,828 ; a grand total of 21,460 

 hours. 



To feed the five horses to do this amount of work required 

 during the two years $743.26, or for every hour's work done 

 3.4 cents. 



The writer desires to acknowledge the patient help and 

 careful assistance given him by Mr. H. P. Richardson, assist- 

 ant in this department, and Mr. James Dickson, also in this 

 department, during the two years covering the experiments. 



