226 THE HORSE 



tions are in sight, to reduce the ration of oats whilst the 

 horses are doing very Httle work, the amount saved being 

 kept as a special reserve to be added to the rations, when 

 the hard work requires more than the Government serve out. 



The amount a hunter will consume does not depend 

 entirely upon the size of the animal, but rather upon its 

 constitution and appetite. As a general guide, it will 

 consume about 14 lbs. of oats and 12 lbs. of hay, the real 

 measure being what it will eat, and few will continue to 

 consume 16 lbs. of oats. It is a good plan to chop up about 

 4 lbs. of the hay and mix it with the corn, as this causes the 

 animal to masticate the grain more completely, if the oats 

 are not crushed. When horses grind their corn thoroughly 

 it is better to give the oats whole, as the promotion of saliva 

 is thereby encouraged, but the droppings should be closely 

 observed, and if undigested oats are seen in them they 

 should be crushed accordingly. When taking their turn 

 regularly in the hunting-field a double handful of old beans 

 or peas, which should be split, may be given daily, either in 

 addition to the usual allowance of corn or in substitution for 

 about 2 lbs. of oats. Carrots should be given, a daily allow- 

 ance of 1^ lbs. being not at all too much, and twice a week a 

 bran mash with linseed gruel added to it. 



For carriage-horses doing light work 10 lbs. of corn and 

 12 lbs. of hay should suffice ; in some cases 8 lbs. of corn and 

 14 lbs, of hay might be found sufficient, in which case it 

 should not be exceeded. Dray-horses, which work hard 

 every day for a number of hours and have a very large bulk 

 to maintain, can consume 18 lbs. of oats, a pound or two of 

 beans or peas, and 18 lbs, of hay ; whilst smaller horses, such 

 as tramway horses, should have 1.5 lbs, of oats, 1 lb. of beans, 

 and 15 lbs, of hay. When maize was cheap in comparison 

 with oats, as was the case some years ago, tramway horses 

 were chiefly fed upon it instead of oats, but with either 

 grain a total of 16 lbs., including 1 lb, of beans, was the 

 usual ration. Wheat is unsuitable for horses, the germ 

 being of an oily, viscid nature, which appears to interfere 

 with the digestion of the animal. It contains the gluten, of 

 such inestimable benefit to children, and mankind in general, 



