THE FEEDING OF HORSES 235 



logical effect on the digestive tract and condition of the animal 

 in general. The use of succulence for horses at work must be 

 g-uarded or it will induce such a lax condition of the bowels as 

 to seriously interfere with their serviceability. Succulence is 

 admissible according to the nature of the work a horse does, as 

 in the case of roughage. 



CONCENTRATES FOR HORSES 



Oats. — The concentrate best adapted to the feeding of horses 

 is oats ; on account of both chemical and physical composition, 

 they stand first in this class. They not only meet the protein and 

 carbohydrate requirements best, but the hull is an advantage, in 

 so extending the kernel as to insure most complete digestion. 

 Besides, there seems ample reason for believing that oats improve 

 the fettle, especially of haniess and saddle horses. The cost 

 ])rice of oats is high, however, and in the interests of economy 

 they may be displaced by the other feeds, either wholly or in 

 part, without any serious detriment to the ration. 



Corn is the logical substitute for oats in most sections of this 

 country. In fact, economy demands the use of corn in the ration 

 of the work horse to a much greater extent than it is used at 

 present. 



Wlien its general use in the corn belt States is considered, 

 much of the prejudice of the Eastern feeders loses weight. The 

 average Iowa horse, for instance, is produced by a dam which 

 was raised on com, and had no other grain during the period 

 of carrying and suckling her foal. The foal receives a little 

 cracked corn or even cob com for his first bite, with the amount 

 gradually increased until he is allowed from 20 to 40 ears per 

 day at maturity. In spite of this fact, when these very horses 

 come East, top our markets, and pass under the management of 

 the city stable boss, com is absolutely prohibited as dangerous to 

 feed; yet it requires a long time to induce and teach some of 

 these horses to eat anything else. 



Corn Supplements. — An exclusive com ration is not to be 

 recommended, but com in combination with either oats and 

 bran, bran or cottonseed meal alone is all right. Recent inves- 

 tigations at the Iowa station have shown that com with cotton- 



