HAY AND HORSES.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1434, 1 December 1923, Page 3

HAY AND HORSES.

In no case should he be given more food, including both hay and grain, than he will consume in about one and a half or at most two hours. The too common practice of keeping hay before horses at all times when they are standing in the stable is as harmful as it is wasteful. Whether a horse be performing hard work or light work, or standing idle, the amount of roughage should be about the same. He should have sufficient to satisfy bis hunger, but not sufficient to cause engorgement. Most horses are gluttons, and should be treated as such.

As regards feeding grain, the amount given should depend largely upon the nature of the work he is expected to do. Even an idle horse should be given a little grain. As with hay, we may say that under© ordinary conditions lib of oats to every 100 lb of the animal's weight makes a reasonable ration for a day—we assume that the grain is of standard quality, viz., 341 bto the bushel. The grain should be given in equal quantities at each meal. If by reason of the horses having to perform more than ordinary labour we wish to feed more grain, the best results will be obtained by feeding -a fourth meal late in the evening. When this is not expedient the extra amount may be divided among the three meate, giving one-quarter of the total quantity in the morning and at noon and the remaining half at night. Opinions greatly diffe" as to the better form in which to feed oats. The writer's experience, both In feeding his own horses and in giving pro • fessional attention to others, is that under any conditions rolled or crushed oats give the best results We have noticed this in our own stable and noted that in stables of horses used either for light and fast work or for heavy and slow work the stable that feeds rolled oats has need of the veterinarian much less often than the one in which whole oats are fed.

In addition to hay and oats a horse should be given a feed of bran at,least once ,or twice weekly. Many feeders, especially where oats are fed, add to each feed of o?ts a quantity of bran. This practice gives good results, but we have always favoured feeding bran by itself, either as an extra or as a substitute for oats, according to conditions. During the months when no pasture is available it is good practice to give a horse a couple of carrots or a small mangel once daily.—" Ontario Agricultural Bulletin 264."