32 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



into sugar, and consequently aids in the process of 

 digestion. English bran is therefore of itself unsuitable 

 as a food. Indian bran, on the contrary, owing to 

 imperfect manufacture, retains a considerable portion of 

 the flour, which supplies nutriment ; so that horses, doing 

 slow work, may be kept in good condition on 10 or 12 

 lbs. of it alone, without other grain. Given even in 

 these quantities, it hardly ever purges a horse. On the 

 contrary, if an animal gets *' foul " and " loose " from too 

 much corn, nothing is better than to keep him simply on 

 dry bran and grass for a few days ; after which time his 

 dung will become well formed and healthy -looking. 



Dry bran seems to have a binding effect, or, at least, 

 one opposed to a lax condition of the bowels. This is 

 probably owing to a healthy action of the stomach and 

 intestines being induced by bulk being given to the 

 food, without the addition of a large proportion of 

 nutriment which would have a stimulating effect. 



Wet bran, in the form of a mash, is a laxative. 



I am very partial to the use of bran for hacks and 

 ordinary horses, when oats are not used, and would 

 advise that 3 or 4 lbs. of it be given daily in a dry state. 

 If we turn to page 49, we shall see that bran contains 

 a large amount of mineral matter, of which a com- 

 paratively large proportion consists of phosphorus, which 

 is essential to the growth and development of the various 

 tissues. 



With race-horses and others, the custom is to give a 

 bran mash every Saturday night, or oftener, as the case 

 may demand. Instead of a simple bran mash, I much 

 prefer one to which linseed has been added. 



