HORSES AND MULES 



327 



other parts of the ration and to keep 

 the bowels in good order. Many ex- 

 periments have been made to test the 

 feeding value of different roots in horse 

 rations, but as a rule, these feeds are 

 used, as already stated, not for nutri- 

 tive value, but for the medicinal effect 

 which they may exercise upon the di- 

 gestive organs or upon the kidneys. 



Almond hulls — In the preparation of 

 almonds for market, it is customary to 

 hull and sort them, the hulls being ordi- 

 narily discarded. It has been observed 

 that horses eat the dry almond hulls, 

 and an analysis of them has shown 

 this material to be rich in sugar and 

 starch. The material, however, con- 

 tains about 7 per cent of tannin, and, 

 therefore, should not be fed except in 

 small quantities. 



Fruit — The use of fruits in feeding 

 horses is well known throughout the 

 country. Nearly all horses are fond 

 of fresh fruits, and will eat them 

 readily in rations of moderate size. On 

 account of the high percentage of water 

 in fruits, they are usually considered as 

 having little feeding value. It re- 

 quires 100 pounds of apples to equal 15 

 pounds of corn or 6 pounds of cotton- 

 seed meal. Apples and oranges are 

 practically equal in feeding value, 

 standing considerably above melons. 

 Prunes, figs and grapes are somewhat 

 more nutritious. On the basis of their 

 relative feeding value, when bran is 

 worth $15 a ton, fresh prunes are 

 worth $3. Dried fruits are much more 

 nutritious than fresh fruits. In food 

 value, raisins stand at the head of the 

 list of dried fruits, followed by apricots, 

 both of these fruits, in a dried condi- 

 tion, being about equal to bran. These 

 facts should be borne in mind, for at 

 times dried fruits may become slightly 

 injured, and instead of throwing them 

 away, they may be used as feed for 

 farm animals, particularly hogs and 

 horses. 



Artichokes are readily eaten by 

 horses. They may be substituted for 

 about half of the hay ration. For this 

 purpose about 30 pounds per day are 

 required, but this is too large an 

 amount for hard working horses, and it 

 is better, therefore, to feed them only in 

 small quantities. 



Carrots exercise a well known laxa- 

 tive effect upon the bowels and stimu- 

 late the stomach and kidneys slightly. 



They are commonly recommended in 

 the case of colds and digestive disturb- 

 ances, but may cause sweating, and 

 should not, therefore, be fed to hard 

 working horses, except sparingly. Some 

 feeders recommend that they should be 

 cut into thin slices in feeding, while 

 others have found that this was not 

 necessary. About 4 or 5 pounds for 

 colts, and 8 to 10 pounds for adult 

 horses, is a suitable ration of carrots. 

 In Canada, carrots were fed in rations 

 of 10 pounds per day. 



Cassava i s a very starchy root, being 

 used quite extensively in the manufac- 

 ture of starch. Cassava has been tested 

 as a horse feed in Florida, during a pe- 

 riod of six weeks. The horses did not 

 take kindly to cassava and appeared to 

 relish it much less than they did sweet 

 potatoes. The cassava was not con- 

 sumed in uniform rations, so that it 

 was difficult to estimate accurately its 

 feeding value. Cassava is slightly more 

 effective as a feeding stuff than sweet 

 potatoes. 



Mangels were fed to horses in Can- 

 ada in rations of- 6 pounds per day, 

 but were not much relished by horses. 

 They were eaten in smaller quantities 

 than any other of the roots tested for 

 this purpose. 



Potatoes have not proved very suit- 

 able as a feed for thoroughbred horses. 

 In a raw state they are not readily di- 

 gested, and may, therefore, cause colic. 

 They should always be cooked and may 

 then be fed to farm horses in the pro- 

 portion of 12 pounds to each 5 pounds 

 of hay. According to German experi- 

 ments, 12 pounds of raw, wholesome, 

 ripe, unsprouted potatoes may be fed 

 to horses with good results. They 

 should be fed whole, if small, and 

 sliced if large, and should preferably be 

 mixed with straw or hay. The de- 

 velopment of colic as the result of feed- 

 ing horses potatoes may often be avoid- 

 ed by not watering the horse too 

 soon after feeding. In the same set 

 of experiments, old, moldy or decayed 

 potatoes caused death in eleven cases even 

 when the potatoes were fed steamed. Po- 

 tatoes may be substituted for a part of 

 the corn ration, and, according to 

 Wodarg, should be steamed. 



Pumpkins are often fed to horses in 

 small quantities on farms, but no ex- 

 periments are on record regarding their 

 feeding value, or other effects on horses. 



