Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1862-04-19
HORSE COVERINGS AND THEIR
USE.

Some good horse men blankets their
horses all the year, while others discard
their use. The advocates Of the former
practice claim that blanketing imparts a
sleek and glossy appearance to the coat,
effects saving Of Iood by keeping up the
animal heat, protects them from flies and
dust, making the grooming easier, and
preventing sudden check Of perspiration
which would result in colds or other dis,
eases. Assuming that nature gives the
horse sufficient protection, and that what
ever increases the labor of tending him
without an equivalent gain is to be avoided,
too much is claimed His coat receives
au additional gloss from the blankoting,
but horse in good hoalth, well fed and
faithfully groomed, wears a coat that needs
no polishing. All the food saved by blanks
cts, think, can be better estimated upon
paper than seen in the measure. Were
there material gain, it would be economy
to blanket our cows and oxen.
Constantly wearing the blankets tends
to make a horse sensitive, and liable to
take colds, When a horse brought from
warm stable, is stripped of his thick blank
ct, he undergoes sudden and great
change of temperature. Such treatment
zeems harsh, if not cruel at any rate quite
the reverse to the course men pursue
When we 60 out in the Geld weather, we
are very careful to put on extra garments,
and lay them aside while in the house.
What would be said of the man who ad-
vocated wearing oyercoats in the house,
and going in shirt sleeves while cut of doors
Precisely similar is the practice of always
keeping blanket on u horse in the sail
As with mea, so with horses, the same
regimen is not applicable in the same de.
gree to all classes. For those horses
which are used ouly for fast driving, the
constant use of the blanket may be advi-
sable and practicable, for they stand in
the stable the greater part Of the day, and
when taken out, they are either heavily
blanketed, or their exercise is severe. 1t
is by the owners Of this class of horses that
the practice is nest strongly recommended.
But for horses Of all work, out every day
IN all kinds Of weather, warm stalls with
plenty of bedding in o warm barn are suf.
Acient Wide cracks between boards near
the stalls are not approved means of ven
tilation in Mew-England climate. A
barn may be warm and tight, and at tie
same time we'll ventilated. The stal s
should be upon the warm side Of the barn,
with high and tight sides, affording duobc
protection. Influenced by such views, some
extensive owners and excellent managers
of horses in this vicinity have made Their
stables warmer, thus dispensing with The
constant use of blankets in doors.
1t is in their occasional use for prevent
lug chills and colds, that their real bene,
fit is found. Some sort of covering is in
dispessable for the health and comfort o
the horse, when he is made to stand expo
sed to cold winds, and when he returns t.
the stable tired and heated, the blanke
should be worn until he has cooled of
then remove it, and give him thorough
rubbing down. 1t is important that blan
kets should be of ample dimensions, fol
while exposed to cold, in heated condi
ton, the muscles oftbe breast and legs necc
protection as we'll as the back and sides
for this purpose blankets should be widC
and long enough TO pass around and faster
under the breast. A light thin covering il
fy time saves the horse much torment
frequently saves the master serious runa
ways and accidents The inlia-rubbel
coverings now becoming SO common viii
express men and others, who are OBLIGED
to be out in all kind of weather, can not
be highly commended. The judicious use
of blankets and ether coverings in the way,
stated, amply repays all exp ense and trou
BILE. They prolong the days of many {
hard.worked horse, and save him muel
suffering from stifened legs und rhoumat
10 muscles N S. T.
Amerieaa Agrjcuhrist.