152 THE FAMILY HORSE. 



cellar for feeding in winter and early spring. For this purpose the 

 Half-long Stump-rooted is best, as they grow to a good size, yield 

 heavily, and are not difficult to harvest. It rarely pays to grow com 

 for horse feed on a small lot. Immature com, eithtr green or 

 cured, is not good food for horses. 



FEEDING. 



In this matter no rigid rule is applicable. Some horses require 

 nearly twice as much feed as others of equal size to keep in equally 

 good condition. The owner of a horse must determine how much 

 feed is required by intelligent experiment, and the condition of the 

 animal must be the guide. It is no sign that a horse has not had 

 sufficient because the manger is found empty. Feed a horse lightly 

 when at rest — ^just enough to keep in good condition. Increase the 

 feed when at work, not a day or two previous as is the common 

 practice. Clean, bright, early cut hay is best for a working horse. 

 Experience has proved that it rarely pays to run it through a feed 

 cutter. All hay that is dusty should be dampened slightly when 

 fed. Heaves are caused by feeding overripe and dusty hay, or by 

 driving rapidly on a full stomach. Heaves is an incurable disease, 

 always caused by mismanagement, and it depreciates the value of a 

 horse fully one-half. An animal afflicted with this disease can be 

 comfortably driven and worked on such feed as carrots, oats soaked 

 in water six hours, and grass or bright oat straw dampened. Equal 

 freights of oats and com, w^hole or ground, forms an excellent grain 

 feed for horses. Two parts oats, two of bran, and one of shelled 

 corn, if sUghtly dampened, is also very good for a working animal. 

 All overripe or moldy hay, and moldy or damaged grain of all sorts 

 are not only worthless for feed, bnt also extremely injurious to the 

 animal. Carefully avoid all such trash. The value of carrots for 

 feeding in winter, and in early spring when the horse is shedding its 

 coat, cannot be overestimated. They act on the digestive organs 

 similar to grass, keepiug the bowels open and the system cool when 

 the animal is on dry feed. One or two carrots may be cut fine and 

 mixed with the evening meal. An hour on pasture every evening 

 in summer is excellent. If this cannot be had, an armful of green 

 grass is the next best. Green millet with a httle bright oat straw 

 and the regular grain ration make a very good feed for evenings in 

 late summer. A horse lightly worked will winter nicely on clean 

 oat straw, with a mixed ration of oats, bran, shelled com and carrots 

 twice a day. Horses worked hard and steadily should have the 

 best of hay. It is the poorest kind of economy to buy cheap feed of 

 any sort. 



