112 THE HORSE 



at which the crop was cut. By reason of their 

 liability to seed out, oats are always cut fairly 

 green, when, consequently, a lot of the nutrient 

 material is still in the straw. Oat straw, then, 

 which is known to have been early cut, may make 

 an excellent addition to the forage of horses which 

 are not expected to gallop. Wheat straw is cut 

 when the grain is comparatively ripe, so that there 

 is little if any nutritive material left in it. Barley 

 is cut dead ripe, and the stra^v, for this reason, as 

 well as for another to be mentioned hereafter, is 

 practically valueless either as food or bedding. 



Othee Foods 

 Bran is generally used in the stable in the form 

 of a bran mash, which is made by pouring as much 

 boiling water on dry bran as will be absorbed, add- 

 ing salt, and putting a handful of dry bran on top 

 of the mixtm^e to keep in the steam. Given on 

 Saturday nights instead of a feed of corn, this 

 mash will, by its somewhat laxative action, help 

 to keep in health those horses which spend their 

 whole lives in the stable with never a run at grass. 

 Dry bran has an astringent action, and is, con- 

 sequently, not to be recommended as part of the 

 regular dietary. 



