110 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



good combination of nutrients, having considerable protein 

 besides the carbohydrates. They are also especially valuable 

 on account of their richness in fat and mineral matter. Thus 

 it is seen that oats makes a pretty well-balanced ration. 



Besides, oats seem to give horses life, vim, activity, and 

 power. 



Corn is probably next in importance as a feed for horses. 

 This grain, however, is more of a fattening feed and lacks the 

 nerve stimulus. Barley is also used to some extent but this 

 is not so well relished as is either oats or corn. 



To supply a laxative and also a httle more protein wheat 

 bran is frequently used. This is very often fed as a mash 

 once or twice a week to help keep the bowels in order. Some- 

 times it is also fed dry regularly as a part of the ration. To 

 obtain more protein for the growing colt oil meal is frequently 

 used. This is what is left from flax after extracting the oil. 

 From this it seems that ground flax would also be good both 

 as a source of protein and as a laxative. 



Roughages. — Since the principal concentrated horse feeds 

 are of the carbohydrate nature, the variation as between 

 feeding colts and work horses is primarily in the roughage part 

 of the ration. Timothy hay is primarily a horse hay. It is 

 a carbohydrate roughage and is adapted to feeding work or 

 mature horses. Such animals need only enough protein for 

 maintenance and can develop energy or do work to the best 

 advantage and most economically on carbohydrate feeds. 

 These, as a rule, also contain enough protein for maintenance. 



When it comes to feeding colts, however, timothy hay should 

 not be used. Leguminous hays like alfalfa, clover, pea hay, 

 etc., all of which are protein feeds and furnish the material 

 for growth, should be substituted. 



Mineral Matter. — It is common knowledge among farmers 

 that horses frequently eat the bark off trees; also, that many 

 times when poplar saplings are cut and left in the yard the 

 horses eat off the bark. Sometimes, also, in the spring of the 

 year horses are seen to go onto a plowed field and eat dirt by 

 the mouthful. All this is simply an indication of the require- 

 ment of mineral matter by the metabolism. These substances 

 must be had or the internal machinery will not work right. 



