The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-02-01
ON THE MANAGEMENT AND DISEASES
OF HORSES.
TUE STABLE.

liz . hDhIi'
When stable is ventilated by means ofa tube
or chimney, it should be placed in the centre of
the ceiling, the opening in which should be large,
in proportion to the number of horses kept; 1t
cannot well be too large, but it may be contract
| ed upwards, so as to leave concal shape, or 1t
may be made so as to resemble a dome cupo-
la. II should be carried few feet above the
| top Of the roof, and have lateral openings by
meaHs of slantng boards, but closed on the tops
by which contrivance, there would be free
communication with the atmosphere, and the
rain would be effectually excluded.
| There have been different opinions held with
respect to the removal of the litter during the
day: but when we consider how rapidly and a
bundant.y ammonia or the volatile akal is gen
Grated in it, and how injurious that yapour is to
the eyes and lungs, there can be no doubt OF the
propriety of removing it. DR.. Egan OF Dublin
has discovered according to Mr.. Peale, that the
urine of the horse begins to generate volatile
alkali very soon after It is yolded: and It is well
observed, by the same author, that IT this vapour
be capable ofpainfully stimulating sound and
healthy eye, its effects upon one that IS lntiam-
ed, and consequently, extremely irritable, must
be both highly painful and prejudicial to the or
gan. In confirmation Of this opinion, the author
relates the following experiment; A horse la
bouring under inflammation OF the eye, was Iemoy-
| ed from the stable, where he Kept ms eyes con
stanty shut and placed in COO, AIRY situation; IN
the space of half an hour he began gradually to
open his eyes, and, in the space 1.-TWO or three
hours, he kept them open boldly. The horse
was again placed in the stable, and in few min
utes he began gradually to close his eyes, and
after an hour or two, kept them constantly shut.
Not satisfied, however, with this experiment,
though it seems pretty conclusive, the horse was
again removed to the cool situation, and the same
effect followed rs at first. II the vapours pro
duced by foul litter prove SO injurious to the
eyes, it cannot surely be less prejudicial to the
lungs; and it is highly probable !hat if coughs
are not produced in this way they are often az
grayated and rendered incurable by those lil'tat-
ing etiluvia.-Another evil to be considered is
the propensity observable in many horses TO cat
their litter This is often the case with such as
have chronic cough, or are disposed to become
broken wnded, or have worms; and in all these
diseases, there is nothing, perhaps moro likely
to increase them than the animals eating foul
litter. l. must be obvious that horses employ
cd in severe labour should be allowed to, lie
down whenever they are inclined 10 do so but
event then, all their litter may be turned out car
~ in the morning, the floor of the stall swept
perfectly clean, and bed OF fresh straw put in.
1t the foul litter be spread abroad in the open ar
and shaken up two or three times during the day,
the greater part would be again fit for litter and,
~
serve TO replace that upon which the horse has
rested during the day. It has been said, that
horses which stand constantly on litter are apt 10
feel the difference Of the rOatl and become ten
der-footed. Mr. CLARK observes that the heat
arising from the litter occasions a more than or
dinary derivation Of blood to the legs and fcct,-
and hence arise swelling or gourdiness Of those
( parts, greasy heels, and stiffness or nunbness.
! ifthe horse lies down for relief, the heat of the
litter soon forces him to get up again, and after
repeatedly lying down, and forced to get up i'm
mediately from the above cause, he attempts it
no further; he stands upright, or perhaps little
straddllng, often shifting the weight of his body
| from one leg to the other. This erect position,
| in which he is obliged to stand, increases the
swengs in his legs, &c. and recourse is then
had to bleeding, purging, diurctics, &c.
Lord Pembroke, in his Military Equitation, OBJ
serves that after working, and at night Of course,
as also IN lameness and sickness, il is good for
horses to stand on litter; it also produces stang
&c. At other times it is bad custom; the con.
stant use oft heats and makes the feet tender,
and causes swe|ed legs moreover, it renders
| the animal delicate
! Swclled legs may be often reduced to their
natural size, merely by taking away tile litter,
which, in some stables, where ignorant grooms
and farrers govern, would be a great saving of
physic and bleeding, besides straw
| Lord Pembroke noticed by repeated expert
ments, that legs or unswell by leaving litter
or taking it away, like mercury in weather
glass. Mr.. Blaine is ofopinion, that the custom
4 of standing on litter ruins more horses than all
the mail and stage coaches put together; that it
is the fruitful source of contracted feet, and
brings on that r,nnous affection with more Ger
tainty than the hardest ork In nv own sta
bles Che says) no litter is suffered to remain
under the forefcet during the day. The horses
stand on bare bricks, which, in summer arc wa
tered to make them more cool; by which means
have experienced astonishing benefit. iehind
little litter is sstrewed, because they are apt 10
kick and break the bricks with their hind feet;
and because the litter thus placed sucks up tho
! moisture Of the Urine, which would be tletrmen-
tai to the hinder feet which are more liable ia
thrushes than contraction.
.4necdote.-When Sir Richard Steele was
: fitting up his great room in York buildings,
for public orations, he happened at that time
to be pretty much behind in the payment oi
. his workmen, and coming one day among
them to see how they went forward, he or.
dered one OF them to get up into the rostrum
and make a speech that he might observe
r how it could be heard The fellow mount
: ed, and scratching his pate, told him he knew
: not what to say, for in truth he was no orator
c OH said the knight mo matter for that. saw