MAINTENANCE RATIONS 315 



nutritive effect of a ration, and these factors must be con- 

 sidered according ,to the best judgment of the feeder. 

 It is possible, without question, to maintain an animal 

 on one fodder alone, such as hay, but for several obvious 

 reasons it is better to feed some grain. 



The maintenance rations heretofore stated apply to 

 a 1,000-poimd animal. For animals weighing more or 

 less the quantity should be increased or diminished, but 

 not ia just the ratio in which the animal varies in weight. 



MAINTENANCE FOOD FOB HORSES 



The general facts which have been presented in rela- 

 tion to the function and character of a maintenance 

 ration are as applicable to horses as to bovines. It is 

 true, however, that rations simply sufficient for main- 

 tenance purposes have a very limited application with 

 horses, because in nearly aU cases they are at least used 

 for occasional driving or light work, and even if merely 

 "boarded," regular exercise is necessary to their welfare. 



415. Studies of the maintenance needs o^the horse. — 

 Zimtz, who so thoroughly studied the nutrition of the 

 horse, concluded, after a critical survey of the results of 

 other men in connection with the elaborate data from his 

 own extended investigations, that a 1,000-pound horse 

 can be maintained on 6.4 poimds of nutrients, provided 

 the total ration contains not more than 3 pounds of crude 

 fiber. This means that the nutrients should come from a 

 mixture of hay and gram if this minimum quantity is to 

 be sufficient. Were only hay to be fed, tibe necessary 

 nutrients would probably exceed the amount named. 



Grandeau in his experiments found that three horses, 

 whose mean weight was 852 pounds, were maintained 



