42 HORSE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA 



and when the green stalk is beginning to turn in colour ; 

 the object being to get as much flour in the grain as 

 possible, without allowing the stalk to become hard and 

 dry. We must remember that if the grain be allowed to 

 ripen, the sheaves would bear transport badly; for even 

 a moderate degree of shaking would then cause a large 

 proportion of the grain to fall out of the ears. In South 

 Africa, oat hay frequently replaces hay and grass entirely 

 in the feeding of horses — and with good results. Eace- 

 horses in that country are fed entirely on " forage " (as a 

 substitute for hay) and oats, in which case, about six 

 inches of the lower end of the stalks of the oat hay are 

 cut off. I must, however, say, from personal experience, 

 that I do not think that race-horses trained on this food, 

 show as good condition as those which are prepared in 

 India on doob grass and oat; notwithstanding that the 

 Indian oats are inferior in quality to those grown in South 

 Africa. I am therefore of opinion that although oat hay 

 is a valuable adjunct (as I have often proved it to be) to 

 doob grass, it is not altogether a satisfactory substitute. 



Wheat hay, prepared like oat hay, though not as good, 

 can be used in place of it. Green oats or green wheat 

 may be used as " green meat " for horses, in the same way 

 as we would employ lucern, etc. 



Kurbee. — Kurhee, which is the stalks of Indian millet, 

 called in Hindustanee,y^'war (Holcus sorghum, or Sorghum 

 vulgar e), or hajra {Panicuiii spicatum), may be given, 

 without being prepared in any way, in quantities of about 

 25 lbs. daily, as a substitute for grass for feeding and 

 bedding, when grass is scarce. Ju'war is known in 

 Madras as cholum. 



