THE nORSE. 



4t)3 



There is, of course, a certain relation between the height or, if 

 you will, the weight of the horse, and the quantity of provender he 

 requires. Some attention, as we have seen, has been given to this 

 point, in connection with horned cattle ; but with reference to the 

 horse I know of no data but such as I myself possess. Seventeen 

 horses and mares, aged from 5 to 12 years, and having each proven- 

 der equivalent to 33 lbs. of meadow hay, weighed together 18,190 

 lbs. The mean weight of each horse being represented by the num- 

 ber 1070 lbs., we perceive that for every 100 lbs. of live weight 6.7 

 lbs. of meadow-hay are required for the daily ration, the horses 

 working from 8 to 10 hours a day. This relation differs very little 

 from that which we have obtained in reference to cattle. 



I was anxious to ascertain the rate of growth of the horse ; and 

 in connection with our breed, which have a mean weight of about 

 1100 lbs., I found that the foals weighed as follows : 



The mean increase per day during the period of suckling in thtj 

 three cases quoted above, therefore, appears to have been rather 

 more than 2 and /oths lbs. avoirdupois. 



Immediately after weaning, young horses appear to experience an 

 arrest of their growth for some short time, an event which indeed 

 happens to animals generally. I found, for example that Chevreuil's 

 filly, which on the day of weaning weighed 294 lbs., nine days after- 

 wards weighed but 288 lbs., and had consequently lost 6 lbs. 



I shall add a few weighings of horses further advanced in age, 

 although still young : 



Alexander, a colt, weighed at birth 110 lbs. : at the age of 128 

 days, 337 lbs. ; increase 227 lbs., or about 1.8 per diem : 51 days 

 afterwards, 490 lbs. ; increase 105 lbs., or per day 1.4 lb. 



Finette, a filly, weighed, when weaned at the age of 86 days, 295 

 lbs. ; 83 days afterwards, 396 lbs. : increase 101 lbs. ; per day, 1.1 

 lb. 



Hechler's filly weighed when weaned at the age of 87 days, 286 

 lbs. ; 65 days afterwards, 358 lbs. ; increase 72 lbs. or per day 1 J 

 lb. 



From what precedes we may conclude : 



*38 



