Special Report on Diseases of the HorseUnited States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Science
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Horses -- Diseases
The length of time occupied by stomach digestion in the horse varies
with the different feeds. Hay and straw pass out of the stomach more
rapidly than oats. It would seem to follow, then, that oats should be
given after hay, for if reversed the hay would cause the oats to be sent
onward into the intestines before being fully acted upon by the stomach,
and as a result produce indigestion. Experience confirms this. There is
another good reason why hay should be given first, particularly if the
horse is very hungry or if exhausted from overwork, namely, it requires
more time in mastication (insuring proper admixture of saliva) and can
not be bolted, as are the grains. In either instance water must not be
given soon after feeding, as it washes or sluices the feed from the
stomach before it is fitted for intestinal digestion.
The stomach begins to empty itself very soon after the commencement of
feeding, and continues rapidly while eating. Afterwards the passage is
slower, and several hours are required before the stomach is entirely
empty. The nature of the work required of the horse must guide us in the
selection of his feed. Rapid or severe labor can not be performed on a
full stomach. For such labor feed must be given in small quantity and
about two hours before going to work. Even horses intended for slow work
must never be engorged with bulky, innutritious feed immediately before
going to labor. The small stomach of the horse would seem to lead us to
the conclusion that he should be fed in small quantities and often,
which, in reality, should be done. The disproportion between the size of
the stomach and the quantity of water drunk tells us plainly that the
horse should always be watered before feeding. One of the common errors
of feeding, and the one that produces more digestive disorders than any
other, is _to feed too soon after a hard day's work_. This must never be
done. If a horse is completely jaded, it will be found beneficial to
give him an alcoholic stimulant on going into the stable. A small
quantity of hay may then be given, but his grain should be withheld for
one or two hours. These same remarks will apply with equal force to the
horse that for any reason has been fasting for a long time. After a
fast, feed less than the horse would eat, for if allowed too much the
stomach becomes engorged, its walls paralyzed, and "colic" is almost
sure to follow. The horse should be fed three or four times a day. It
will not do to feed him entirely upon concentrated feed. Bulky feed must
be given to detain the grains in their passage through the intestinal
tract; bulk also favors distention, and thus mechanically aids
absorption. For horses that do slow work the greater part of the time,
chopped or cut hay fed with crushed oats, ground corn, etc., is the best
manner of feeding, as it gives the required bulk, saves time, and half
the labor of feeding.
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