HORSES AND MULES 



321 



Cowpeas — The cowpea is another legu- 

 minous grain, which may be used in 

 horse rations in the same way as soy 

 beans and other beans. The size of the 

 ration, like that of beans, should not ex- 

 ceed about 2 pounds. 



Flat pea — This legume, while showing 

 a high protein content, according to its 

 chemical analysis, must generally be re- 

 jected as a horse feed on account of the 

 fact that it is somewhat poisonous. Its 

 poisonous principle exercises its effect 

 whether the pea is fed whole or ground, 

 and mixed with oats or other grain feeds. 



Carob bean — The carob bean at pres 

 ent has but little consequence as a horse 

 feed in this country, for the reason 

 that it is scarcely available in quantities 

 worthy of mention. Wherever it has 

 been used, however, it has been found to 

 be a valuable horse feed on account o± 

 the large amount of sugar and other car- 

 bohydrates it contains. When carob 

 beans have been substituted for oats, 

 pound for pound, to the extent of 2 

 pounds in the daily ration, considerable 

 economy in the cost of feeding has been 

 accomplished. 



A number of rations containing this 

 bean have been suggested by French in- 

 vestigators as suitable for horses and 

 mules at hard work. Two or three of 

 these rations may be here cited : Oats, 4 to 

 6 pounds; carob beans, 10 to 15 pounds; 

 barley meal, 2 to 4 pounds; clover hay, 

 12 to 14 pounds. Carob beans, 10 to 12 

 pounds ; hay, 20 pounds ; bran, 10 pounds. 

 Carob beans, 12 pounds; bran or barley 

 meal, 8 pounds; clover hay, 14 pounds. 

 The continued use of carob beans some- 

 times causes an irritation or obstruction 

 of the esophagus and, for this reason, 

 it is best that they should be cracked, 

 ground or moistened with hot water be- 

 fore feeding. 



Millet — According to the experience 

 of Stewart, millet is a highly nutritious 

 food for colts or mature horses. It ap- 

 pears to contain a larger amount of nu- 

 triment than oats, but somewhat less oil. 

 It is particularly adapted to the develop- 

 ment of muscular strength, when well 

 ground ; but it is recommended by Stew- 

 art that it never be fed without grind- 

 ing. A number of varieties of millet 

 have been fed to horses in small quan- 

 tities and usually with good results. On 

 the basis of these experiments, it is con- 

 sidered as about equal to kafir corn. Mil- 

 let hay is also recommended by French 



feeders who have used it. This ma- 

 terial has also been used quite exten- 

 sively in the Soudan and in various 

 English colonies. 



Kafir corn — Kafir corn is about equal 

 to corn in composition. Naturally it 

 has not been fed extensively to farm 

 animals, except in the Southwest, where 

 it is grown on a large scale. In Okla- 

 homa, kafir corn has been fed to horses 

 and mules with good results. It appears 

 not to be quite so well relished by horses 

 as corn, but it is considered to be a safe, 

 economical and valuable feed. It may 

 be used to occupy the same place in a 

 ration as corn, or in other words, may be 

 fed in rations of 6 to 10 pounds to bal- 

 ance an equal amount of oats or other 

 more nitrogenous grains. 



HAY AND COARSE FORAGE 



Alfalfa has been extensively tested as 

 a horse feed in the United States and in 

 nearly all foreign countries. In addition 

 to the many careful experiments which 

 we have on record with reference to it, 

 we should also remember the vast ex- 

 perience which has been had by farmers 

 who use it as the chief hay or coarse 

 forage for horses and mules. At the 

 present time, this, of course, is particu- 

 larly true for the western states, where 

 alfalfa is the most important hay. When 

 fed to brood mares it produces fine re- 

 sults and shows no bad effects on either 

 the mares or foals. In Oklahoma, al- 

 falfa is considered the best hay for 

 horses, although other common legumes 

 are frequently used for this purpose with 

 good results. It is sometimes accused of 

 causing heaves and bloody urine. Alfalfa 

 may cause heaves, as is true of clover, 

 when the hay is moldy or otherwise im- 

 properly cured. 



As to the possibility of alfalfa causing 

 bloody urine, such an effect is exceeding 

 rare, if indeed it ever occurs. This 

 statement is based on the experience of 

 hundreds of farmers who use alfalfa as 

 the almost exclusive feed of young 

 horses. For instance, in Utah, many 

 horses are reared to maturity with prac- 

 tically no oth&* feed than alfalfa. If 

 this plant had the effect of irritating the 

 kidneys to such an extent as to cause 

 bloody urine, it is quite impossible that 

 such horses should reach maturity in a 

 good condition. A careful experiment 

 was instituted by Merrill, in which the 

 relative feeding value of alfalfa and 

 timothy was tested, together with various 



