30 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



It would be useless to deny that both in Europe and in 

 America, maize, when given as the only grain, has been 

 proved to be an unsuitable food for horses that have to 

 do hard, and especially fast, work. The question naturally 

 arises : what is the cause of the difference between maize 

 used in those countries and maize in South Africa ? The 

 correct answer to this is, I am convinced, that the differ- 

 ence does not lie in the respective values of the Indian 

 corn, but in the material with which it is given. South 

 African chaff is exactly like tihen (p. 41), and consequently 

 it forms an admirable vehicle for the mealies, in that 

 it separates the particles one from another, and by its 

 softness allows the animal to thoroughly masticate them, 

 whether the grain be whole or broken. 



By examining the composition of maize (p. 49), we 

 find that maize is exceptionally deficient in mineral 

 matter (ash), a good supply of which is essential for 

 maintaining the tissues, and especially the bones, in a 

 state of health. Hence, in feeding hard-working horses 

 on maize, this grain should be combined with a form of 

 grain food which is rich in mineral matter, such as bran, 

 for instance. By referring to the table on p. 49, we see 

 that bran contains nearly four times more ash than maize, 

 and nearly twice as much ash as oats. Acting on these 

 data, I have tried the experiment of feeding two hunters 

 on equal quantities (by weight) of maize and bran during 

 the past three years, and have obtained quite as good 

 results as by feeding them on the best oats. Therefore 

 I strongly recommend the adoption of this combination 

 to horse-owners in India. 



Wheat. — This grain is difficult of digestion, probably 



