232 THE HORSE IN SERVICE 



much from a knowledge of either German or American feeding 

 standards, as from the actual requirements of the horses them- 

 selves. These requirements are indicated by their spirit or 

 " feel " ; the expression of their countenance ; the condition of 

 their coats and legs ; and the color, odor and consistency of the 

 faeces. If feeders read these signs aright it will usually be found 

 that the rations fed will check up very closely to what would be 

 a balanced ration if calculated on the basis of generally accepted 

 feeding standards. 



Two Systems Compared. — In the feeding of cattle and hogs 

 the lot is the usual unit, but in the case of horses, even more than 

 with dairy cows, the individual is the unit, and even his individ- 

 ual requirements may be subject to considerable variation. 

 One system of supposedly economic feeding is to calculate, in 

 the office, from the requirements set forth in the Wolff-Lehmann 

 or modified standards, the rations to be fed, compare them with 

 the stock of feed on hand and the number of horses to be fed, 

 then notify the stable boss that his feed should last till a certain 

 date, and hold him responsible for any shortage. This system 

 ignores, completely, the individual requirements of the different 

 horses, which only the artist feeder can appreciate and meet. 

 Another way is to employ a thoroughly competent feeder, pro- 

 vide anything and everything that he may desire in the feed 

 line, allow him every latitude in the use of it, and then hold him 

 responsible for results only, as measured by the fitness and 

 capacity of his horses for their work. The former method may 

 be more economic of feed consumed, but the latter will be much 

 more productive per unit of feed consumed, which is the real 

 economic consideration. 



How the Feed is Used. — The horse utilizes the constituents 

 of his ration, — the water, ash, protein, carbohydrates and fat, 

 chemical compounds, — in the growth and maintenance of his 

 body structure, in supporting the vital processes by which he 

 lives, and in performing those functions which we designate as 

 work. The extent to which the ration contributes to either or 

 all of these depends upon the relative proportions of each of the 

 compounds it contains. 



Water is present in considerable amount in all tissues, being 



