Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-12-08
AaritnltnraI.
FROM The MaInO Farmer
HEAvEs IN HORSES.

Nm - ~ t&tR.A3s
II has often been remarked 10 US
that the disease in horses called the
"heaves" Is more prevalent now than
il was formerly. We cannot say
whether Il is a fact that there are more
borses troubled with this disorder than
there used to be. or whether. as there
are more horses now in existence,
there are consequently more seen
troubled in this way. while the COM
parative number Of diseased ones
may be the same. We have never
been fully satisfied in regard TO the
cause Of this disease. or the real state
Of Il. Every one, however, can soon
distinguish the symptoms. II con-
sists IN difficulty OF breathing-the
TANKS or respiratory muscles seem to
do the whole work, and that, too, We
ry laboriously.
The air is drawn into the lungs,
when the muscles at the TANKS begin
To draw in as IL pushing out the breath,
and after pressing in with good deal
Of action, they diop suddenly. rs II a
catch or spring had let 90 Of them,
and they fell by their own weight
There is also dry. hacking cough at
tending the disease, and on driving
the horse quick the cough is often ex-
cited. and this laborious breathing is
brought on very severely. This would
seem TO FIX the seat Of the disease in
the lungs. We have noticed, howev-
or, that heavy horses, rs they are
called. are generally enormous eaters,
and IL suffered to eat as much rs they
desire, will Gil their stomachs TO a
most uncomfortable extent, and when
thus distended, are much worse troub-
led than when spairingly fed.
Many causes have been alleged as
producing this prevalence--such rs
feeding more freely on clover hay than
formerly-dusty hay, caused by the
smother Of the modern horsepower
threshing- machine, in barns whore
hay is kept, DC, II would seem,
from the fact Of an increased for NOR
bidappetite in the horse, that the stom-
ache has also taken on diseased ac-
ton.
Various remedies have been propos-
ed, and some Of them relieve or pal
late the disease for time. We be-
lieve that care and attention in feeding
is Of great consequence. Don't Jet
him ill his stomache too full with dry
food. Let his food be moist, and OF a
nature that contains much nourish-
ment in small bulk. You do not find
heavy horses troubled much with this
complaint while they are at grass
Thsn let their food approximate as
near to the condition OF grass as you
can. Cut the hay, wet it. and sprinkle
on meal.
A writer in n recent number Of the
Rural New Yorker, J. Libbey, OF Ea-
gle Harbor. N. Y, speaking Of this
disease, attributes it to feeding on clo-
yer hay that has become musty in con-
sequence Of being badly cured. He
says he treated horse that he own
ed, and that had the heaves, in the
following manner: He took the hay
entirely away from him, and fed him
with straw, mill feed. (shorts, DC, we
suppose, and grain. He thinks If he
had cut the straw and wet il with oai
or corn meal, it would have been bet
ter +; but, as IL was, the heaves did moi
trouble him much.
Those who have good horses that
are troubled with heaves--and most
heavy horses are those which are nat
urally most strong and active-should
furnish themselves with q straw-cuttel
and n much-tub, and give them cut
and noistened feed. They will thus
not only keep their horse more econo-
mically, but will improve his health
and keep him in a conf rtable condi-
ton for any labor.
We would add TO this, that in the
opinion Of the best writers, carrots fed
to horses once day viii entirely pre-
vent heaves. while they improve the
general health Of the animal by gclat-
mixing the food in the stomach and
rendering il more easily and complete.
ly digestible.