232 CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 



power and to repair the great waste that goes on during 

 a siege of hard work. The horse naay start in the spring 

 fat and sleek, and before the heavy fall work is completed, 

 the cellular structure of the body may have been torn 

 down and rebuilt many times. This calls for protein in 

 the ration ; and the energy that must be supplied necessi- 

 tates carbohydrate and fat material. 



A good grain mixture for the horse consists of 3 parts 

 of oats, 2 parts of corn, and i part of bran by weight. In 

 feeding horses, a safe rule to follow is to allow one pound 

 of grain daily for each 100 pounds of live weight of the 

 animal, and to increase this amount if the horse is hard 

 at work. The horse at extra hard work will require about 

 50 per cent mere grain than is called for by the above rule. 

 Draft horses weighing 1600 pounds will therefore require 

 8 pounds of grain three times daily when at hard work. 



Roughage. — A horse will consume daily about i pound 

 of roughage for each 100 pounds of live weight. Tim- 

 othy hay is the roughage most commonly fed. Clover hay 

 of good quality, bright, and free from dust, may be fed 

 safely. Mixed hay consisting of blue grass and timothy, 

 or other grasses, is excellent. Alfalfa hay is fed almost 

 entirely in western sections, and horses work well on it in 

 spite of the fact that it makes them sweat freely and 

 causes a larger secretion of urine. If corn silage is fed, it 

 must be of good quality, free from mold, and must be fed in 

 moderate amounts. 



Precaution. — When the work horse gets a day or two 

 of rest, the ration should be decreased. During a resting 

 time the horse accustomed to hard work will, if allowed 

 to do so, eat more feed than can be utilized by the body. 

 A great many cases of a disease known as " Azoturia," 



