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FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



head, some delirium, and finally consid- 

 erable swelling of the head, with erup- 

 tions on the skin. The maximum safe 

 ration of buckwheat for horses and mules 

 ranges from 4 to 6 pounds. It may be 

 substituted to this extent, pound for 

 pound, for oats. Buckwheat is very use- 

 ful for fattening horses for sale and in 

 England is extensively used for this pur- 

 pose, since it makes very rapid gains. In 

 the French army buckwheat is allowed as 

 a substitute for oats, pound for pound, 

 to the extent of one-quarter of the grain 

 ration. The regulations of the German 

 army permit the use of buckwheat as a 

 horse feed in small quantities. 



Rice — This grain has recently assumed 

 considerable importance in this country 

 on account of its extensive cultivation in 

 Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and else- 

 where. Rice bran, rice polish and other 

 milling products have been fed to farm 

 animals, including horses. The experi- 

 ments thus far conducted with horses, 

 however, are not sufficient to permit of a 

 general conclusion regarding the value 

 of this material. Rice hulls are some- 

 what objectionable on account of their 

 irritating effect, due to their sharp 

 points. The milling products of rice 

 have been found useful in mixtures of 

 other meals for the production of horse 

 bread, in France and other European 

 countries. 



Beans — Lavalard carried on quite ex- 

 tensive experiments with beans in con- 

 nection with horses owned by cab com- 

 panies, and with army horses. It was 

 found that when beans were used to re- 

 place oats in the horse ration, only one- 

 half the quantity should be used. Beans 

 may be advantageously fed to horses 

 when required to perform long-contin- 

 ued, sudden or severe labor. In Eng- 

 land the idea prevails that the feeding 

 of beans adds greatly to the endurance 

 of hunting horses. Moreover, in the chief 

 racing stables, a moderate sized ration 

 of beans is usually added. As a rule, 

 beans should not be fed in larger quan- 

 tities than 1 to 2 pounds, and then for 

 the purpose or replacing from 2 to 4 

 pounds of oats in a ration. 



All varieties of beans are fed to horses 

 in common practice and good results 

 have been obtained in nearly all cases. 

 Beans may prove injurious to horses 

 with thick wind or in animals which arc 

 especially susceptible to founder. Fresh 

 horse beans sometimes cause colic. On 

 this account, they should be fed cracked 



and it is usually recommended that they 

 be held over for a year or so before feed- 

 ing. Girard found that horse beans are 

 very readily digested. French experi- 

 ments, carried on for a period of six 

 years, and based on more than 1,600 

 horses, show that beans constitute a very 

 effective means of increasing the energy 

 and capacity of work horses. No special 

 precautions seem to be necessary in feed- 

 ing beans except those which have al- 

 ready been mentioned, namely, that the 

 daily ration should be small and that the 

 beans should be cracked, ground or 

 soaked before feeding. 



Vetches — Vetches may also be used as 

 a horse feed in replacing oats, at a rate 

 of four parts by weight for 10 parts of 

 oats. Vetch seed should not be added to 

 horse rations in larger quantities than 

 about 2 pounds. 



Lentils — These are often fed to horses 

 in Europe, especially if the seed has 

 been injured in any way so as to ren- 

 der it unfit for human food. Along the 

 Mediterranean, lentils are often fed to 

 mules. This grain, however, frequently 

 causes colic if fed in large quantities. 

 On this account, horses and mules should 

 gradually be accustomed to it, and the 

 ration should not be larger than 2 

 pounds. 



Peas — Peas constitute an excellent 

 horse feed. They are practically equal 

 to beans in feeding value. Peas some- 

 times exercise a slightly constipating ef- 

 fect. Stewart found that a ration con- 

 taining eight parts of peas, eight parts 

 grain and one part of flaxseed, the whole 

 being ground together gave excellent 

 results with work horses. Peas are ex- 

 tensively fed to the street car horses in 

 Europe and in Canada. Stewart fed 

 pea meal to the extent of 16 pounds a 

 day, mixed with 1 bushel of cut hay. 



Soy beans — This bean is gradually at- 

 tracting much attention in the South, 

 on account of its high feeding value. 

 The beans, as well as the hay, have been 

 fed more extensively to cattle and hogs 

 than to horses, but they may be fed to 

 horses in rations similar to those rec- 

 ommended for horse beans and other va- 

 rieties of beans, namely about 2 pounds. 

 A black variety of soy bean has been 

 found most useful for horses in experi- 

 ments in France. This bean has also 

 been used as a horse feed in Japan and 

 elsewhere. 



