FEEDING HORSES AND MULES 283 
meals. The daily grain feed is given about one-third each meal. 
Whatever system is followed, it is important to adopt a regular 
routine of feeding so that the horse may get his feed when he ex- 
pects it and in the manner to which he is accustomed. 
Colin has shown that the stomach of the horse will fill and empty 
itself two or three times during a meal; the portion of the feed 
first eaten will remain only a short time in the stomach, subject to 
the action of the gastric juice, being pushed into the intestines by 
the feed that follows. It has also been shown that if a horse is fed 
grain and then watered, much of the grain will be carried along 
into the intestines and will, therefore, not be fully digested; hence 
it would seem that the logical order of feeding is, hay and then 
grain; but horses are most anxious to get their grain and will be 
nervous and excited if it is withheld until the end of the meal. 
Farmers generally, therefore, feed their horses grain first and put 
lay before them to be eaten after the grain. 
Watering.—Experiments by Sanborn‘ indicate that the best 
plan of watering horses is to water both before and after feeding. 
Tangl, however, who conducted elaborate experiments on this 
point,® concluded that it is of no great moment whether horses are 
watered before, during, or after meals, as it has no influence on the 
digestion or the absorption of the feed which they eat. It is im- 
portant, however, to adopt a reasonable, convenient system of water- 
ing as of feeding, and then adhere rigidly to it, for regularity in the 
handling of horses has an important influence on their general 
health and condition. A moderate drink of water may be given 
horses at any time, even when hot and tired. They appreciate a good 
drink after meals, and especially after the evening meal is eaten, 
before lying down, but often do not get it. A horse will drink from | 
50 to 75 pounds of water a day, on warm days even 100 pounds or 
more. Rations of narrow nutritive ratios, like alfalfa rations, re- 
quire larger amounts of water than those low in protein; this is, 
however, a matter of physiological interest mainly, and of but little 
practical importance. 
Allowance of Roughage.—Owing to the relatively small ca- 
pacity of the digestive apparatus of the horse (p. 30), his feed 
must be given to a large extent in concentrated form. Idle horses 
may be fed more roughage than those at work, and the latter should 
have their main allowance of coarse feed at night, when they have 
time to thoroughly masticate it and can rest after the meal. It is 
*Utah Bulletin 9. 
* Landw. Vers. Stat., 1902, p, 329. 
