The Horse by Fred Burnham

Excerpt ; "Scouting on 2 continents" by Fred R. Burnham

This is some excellent information on horse husbandry by Fred Burnham.While working as a packer and guide in Montana and new Mexico, I have seen horses and Mules eat "people food" on several occasions, Personally, I have always wondered if "Our" food was nutritionally balanced for other animals. This excerpt from Fred's book clearly states that Horses CAN eat "most foods"  that a man eats...... 

 
A scout knows that a horse can thrive on most of the food that a man eats, even cooked food. One of the reasons why I was sometimes able to outride the cowboys and frontiersmen of the west was that I gave infinate care to my mount. In Alaska and the Klondike our horses would eat bread, all kinds of drief fruit and vegetables, crackers, sugar , prunes, raisins, candy, syrup - even bacon, dried meat and dried fish in very small quantities.They also ate raw eggs when obtainable, dried milk, and other things not ordinarily thought of as foder. The twig ends cut from willow and cottonwood give roughage and some strength. In the deserts a man may save his mount by gathering the fig like fruits from the top of the pitahaya or suhauro. The "Spanish bayonet" also has a good fruit. Horses will eat crushed mesquite beans, acorns soaked and ground, and other desert shrubs and seeds in season. There are bunches of gramma and other grasses clinging to the cliffs that can be gathered for the Scouts faithful friend in time of need.
 
See you on the trail!

Tomahawk