VARIED DIET NEEDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 January 1939, Page 3

VARIED DIET NEEDED

BRAN MASH FOR HORSES.

AGREEABLE CHANGES

There is nothing more valuable in the dietary of the horse than bran mashes, but, excellent as they are. they are often abused, being offered without any variation or alternative until the horse tires of them. The whole art of dieting a sick horse is little, often and varied, and, although bran mashes act as a laxative it is probably because so little is assimilated, the remainder passing along the digestive canal mechanically. To prepare a bran mash, put in a clean bucket, about 31b of bran and loz of table salt and add three pints of boiling water. Stir thoroughly, cover, and let it stand until cool.

In diseases of the organ of breathing a bran and linseed mash has a soothing effect and forms an agreeable change. It may be prepared as follows: Boil lib of linseed slowly in six pints of water for about three hours, then mix with it a couple of pounds of bran, cover and give when cool. As a change from water or hay tea, these may be replaced by linseed tea, which may be made by boiling, and occasionally stirring 1 lb of linseed in two gallons of water for two hours. Strain whilst hot and give when cold. In febrile cases many horses will sip cold linseed tea when they will scarcely eat or drink anything else.