66 VETEEINARY STUDIES 



or it may be deposited between the cells, where it becomes a 

 stored reserve. Under some conditions such storing up of fatty 

 matter may constitute a diseased condition, as when the heart 

 muscle undergoes fatty degeneration. The final changes which 

 fats undergo are oxidation, whereby heat and mechanical energy 

 are given out, and then excretion as C0 2 and water. 



Practical application and suggestions. — Mature animals need 

 a constant supply of food to provide heat and energy for physi- 

 cal work and, in the case of fattening animals, to furnish stor- 

 age fat. Young and growing animals must have food to supply 

 heat and energy for physical work, and also for the building of 

 new cells. 



The more thorough the digestion and absorption, the better 

 will be returns for food consumed, although large gains in 

 weight or large milk production do not seem to depend so much 

 on actual difference in ability to digest quantity as upon ability 

 to assimilate and use for the special purpose. 



Thorough digestion with imperfect absorption means wasted 

 food, and useless work for the digestive organs. 



Generous feeding is therefore not enough; there must be in- 

 telligent feeding. 



Best results are secured when feeding is regular and when 

 the rations are well balanced and the bowels are in a condition 

 midway between diarrhea and constipation. 



Both digestion and absorption depend to a considerable extent 

 upon the condition of the mucous membrane lining the digestive 

 tube, through which absorption must take place. To get the 

 best results from food, with the least risk to health, horses 

 should receive most of their water before feeding. 



Usually there is no profit in grinding grain for horses, unless 

 they have poor teeth or eat too rapidly; and yet this may be 

 economical when done on a large scale. This method is to cut 

 and wet the hay or straw, then mix in the ground grain. This 

 is a safe method and secures thorough digestion and absorption, 

 and horses so fed are not stuffed with hay. 



Only as much hay should be fed at one time as the horse will 

 clean up at each feed with the grain. Feeders are usually sur- 

 prised to find how well their horses do with greatly reduced hay 

 ration and the same amount of grain. There is less danger 

 from stomach and bowel troubles, and almost no danger from 

 heaves. 



