Bran is seldom give in its dry state, but when beans or peas form the bulk of the grain, some dry bran is added, to make the horse masticate them, and to correct the constipating property of these articles.

Bran-Mash

Bran-Mash is the usual food of sick horses; it relaxes the bowels. Its laxative property has been supposed to depend upon mechanical irritation, which can not be true, since bran is constipating to dogs. It contains little nutriment, but supplies the place of grain to an idle or a sick horse, when he must be kept low; and it helps to keep the bowels in order when the horse is confined to hay without grain. The bran-mash is given either cold or warm. Some horses like it better in one way than another; some will not eat it when mashed, but will take it dry, and a few seem to dislike it altogether. The cold bran-mash is usually made with cold water; as much being poured upon the bran as it will absorb. The warm mash is made with boiling water. The mash should be closely covered up till cool enough to be eaten. When oats, beans, and hay, form the ordinary feeding, it is usual to give a large bran-mash, about half a pailful, once a week. It relaxes the bowels, operating upon them very gently, and clearing out their contents. In Scotland, road and canal-horses work none on Sunday. On Saturday night they get a bran-mash instead of their ordinary feed of grain; but when grass or boiled food is in season, bran is not generally used in this way.

When the horses are in high condition, with bowels liable to constipation, the bran-mash prevents any evil that might arise from Sunday's rest; but when low in flesh, doing all the work they can bear, they can hardly afford to lose a meal, even though they rest on Sunday. [Mashes are laxative, and of course debilitating. They should not be given to lean horses, that are to continue in hard work. But when they are to stand idle, or it is desired to make them fat, mashes act as an alterative and are therefore beneficial.] If the bowels be costive, the mash may be given, but the grain should be given .00; not both together, for a bran-mash almost compels the horse to swallow his corn without mastication.

Many stablemen add bran to the boiled food. They seem to think its use indispensable; they talk as if the food could not be eaten or not boiled without the addition of bran. This is nonsense. The food may be of constipating quality, and bran will be wanted to correct that; or the horse's health or his work may make bran a useful article in his food. But to give bran as nourishment to a horse under ordinary circumstances, is to give him almost the dearest food he can live upon even when his work does not absolutely demand stronger food. A shilling's worth of oats is a great deal more nourishing than a shilling's worth of bran. To the horse, bran is just what gruel is to man; but the relative cost of the two is very different.