Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1854-09-21
farmG's department
Mis- -Man4E Ecmsut Of. Horses.

Is there anything in the go-ahead lempera-
ment as the AnglO-SaIOn, which makes him 8
hard horse master2 The fact cannot be denied
that, in Great Britain and America, the nOblest
of all domestic animals is heartlessly abused. -
The mi-barbarie Arab admits his fayorite
marc to all the rights andlprvIeges.of the So
cial circle; the Russian sef makes a compan-
Jon Of lis horse, talks to him in more gentleness
than The rude Anglo-Saxon converses with his
brother man. The wandering Tarter instructs
his horse with more patient assiduity than he
teaches his children; while British and Ameri-
cans, the inhabitants of the two greatest and
most enlightened nations on earth, abuse rath-
er than use their proud, powerful, and willing
slave. In England We have seen a collar,
names and appurtenances that would weigh at
least hundred weight, which, with other har-
ness in like proportion, is Of itself sufficient
load for all but the most powerful horse. In
the hot summer months be is frequently taken
from HIS pasture at five in the morning, driven
TO his work, and, without tasting bit or drop,
kept at work ill four in the evening We do
not say that he is made to do too much work,
but rather that for the W Jrk he is compelled to
perform, he is made TO undergo an unnecessary
amount Of privation and suffering. Instead Of
keeping him at plow oil through the heat of
the day, let him be taken home for tN Nohours
at noon, and he will do more work without half
the fatigue In this country, however, our
harness is not too heavy, and farmers have the
good sense to preeeive that neither man nor
| horse can work with advantage nine or ten
hours without food; but we fearfully abuse our
horses, nevertheless; our harness, tho gh in
fnitly superior 10 the English as aIwhole, is, in
some respects, too much the reverse Of theirs;
for heavy work our collars are frequently too
light, there is not sufficient substance to keep
the hames from calling the neck and shoulders,
We are not content to turn over a decent fur
row, say nine inches wide by six deep, but for
sooth, we must flop over furrow sixteen 10
twenty inches wide, and ten to fourteen deep,
and this sometimes with single span Of horses.
After few days OF such overstraining, they
will probably be hitched to buggy or lumber
wagon. and driven to the city at the rate of ten
miles an hour; when arrived there, they are
tied up to post in the street, where they must
remain for several long hours exposed to the
direct rays of a scoTching midsummer sun. -
They are then driven Jehu.like nome again,
where, bathed in presPration, the harness is
stript off and they are turned into the pasture.
Is this an exaggerated picture? We all know
it is not. We would ask, Is such treatment
humane? Is il profitable?
We like to see horses work. and work hard,
but let it be steady work. and let every possi-
ble attention be paid to the poor animals ease
and comfort. We clean our horses too little.
If they get eurried down twice a week, they
may think themselves sortunate while regular
daily cleaning with combs, brush, or wisp, is
never thought Of, except by some old-country
fogy, that is altogether in the rear of Young
America" Horses in their natural state, the
young gentlemen will tell you,are never groom
ed. True, but horses in their natural state
are not subject to artificial treatment they have
no collars to gall their nocks and shoulders
they are not forced to labor till bathed in pres
pration, which, on cooling, converts their hair
into a cotted converting, preventing the due
exercise of the important function of the skin.
The domestic horse is in an artificial condition,
and needs artificial treatment, to keep him in
health and in the right condition to exercise
his utmost power in the service Of man.
In regard to Diet we are equally culpabe;
we furnish food enough, but it is so injudici-
ciously fed out as to be about half wasted. A
horse comes in from long journey, and, be-
fole his harness is taken off, has half peck Of
oats or corn thrown into his manger, which, in
his hurry, he swallows without maslication.-I
Better far, let him 60 without grain till you
have rubbed him down, and then bran mash
or moist cut hay and mill feed would b. far bet
ter than raw grain.--Stoek Register