350 



FARM ANIMALS 



better than a horse. It is used in the southern states 

 more than in the northern. It is free from most 



animal diseases 

 and remains ser- 

 viceable even 

 when quite old. 

 The prevailing 

 opinion that 

 mules are treach- 

 erous and ad- 

 dicted to kicking 

 is not borne out 

 by the facts. 

 St. Louis is the 

 greatest market 

 for mules in the 

 world. 



Care of Horses. It has been experimentally 

 demonstrated that ruminating (cud-chewing) animals, 

 like the cow and sheep, can digest a much larger per- 

 centage of fats and crude fiber than horses, and it has 

 long been recognized that, in general, horses digest 

 their food less thoroughly than cattle. This would 

 seem to indicate that horses to be kept in good condi- 

 tion must be fed with care. (See Chapter VIII.) The 

 object is not to fatten the horse, for that will unfit him 

 for labor and thus render him useless. Provided a 

 horse is in good condition, it is seldom desirable to 

 increase his weight. The best test of suitable feeding 

 rations for a horse is that the animal maintains an 

 even weight. 



It is necessary for the health of a horse that he be 

 kept clean and that he be fed clean fodder. Clover 



