Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-19
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Feeding Horses.

There has never been discovered any hor-
ses. for elegance of form and power of en-
durance, SUPERIOR or even equal to the steeds
of Arabia. Probably most persons suppose
that this superiority is entirely due to diff
ference in breed but as there is no reason
to believe that at the creation any horse
was made better than his fellow, it must be
concluded that the reason why many horses,
and particularly American ones, are not so
we'll suited to their places as the Arabian,
is because their original qualities have be-
come deteriorated, either by bad usage,
wrong feeding, ignorance in breeding, or
all combined and think the right feed
ing of a horse is as requisite condition to
health and strength as any other.
DR.. Smith, in his pilgrimage to Pales-
tinen saws that the Arabs usual method
of feeding their horses is as follows -Four
or five quarts of fine pounded or cut straw,
in which from two to four quarts of large
horse beans are mixed, are given regularly
night and morning. While shedding their
coat in spring, all that can be spared are
allowed to range the mountains for fresh
feed. about four weeks, when their regular
diet is resumed. Upon this feed the Ara
bian and Turkish horses travel over the
toughest routes from ten to fifteen hours IN
a day, for weeks in succession, without ex-
hibting fatigue To compare this method
of feeding with the old-fashioned American
way, is but to discern the excellence of the
former and the badness of the latter. Here
many farmers, if they intend to keep horse
well, as they term it, stuff him with hay at
any and every time they approach the sta
bic. Horses need some time for digestion
as we'll as men, and when kept continually
distended, they often become "pot-bellied,"
and besides it costs far more to keep them
than necessary, and renders them less use
full than they would otherwise be. Lately,
however, there has been quite an improve
ment made in feeding horses. allude to
the plan of chopping the fodder and mixing
it with meal and water this lessons the
cost, and, perhaps, improves the horse still
this Is open for objections, the principal OF
which is the practice Of wetting the feed.
No animal ever needs to wash down its
feed such treatment weakens the diges-
tive powers, and generally, in time, acts
like physic, and thereby lessons their
strength. To feed a horse, or indeed any
animal, correctly, requires considerable
knowledge of its nature and constitution.
A horse needs very nutritive feed, also some
thing to keep up the distention of the stom-
ach for these purposes, meal or beans,
mixed with few quarts of fine chopped
timothy hay, can be used, and fed regular
ly twice or thrice day ; the feed should
not be wet much, only just moistened.-
Again. horse should be allowed to drink
at stated times There is more in regular
ity in tending a horse, than many persons
have dreamed. Most men permit their hor-
ses to drink at every opportunity but 1t
is hazardous for horses to drink much cold
water when they are warm and perspiring,
as have known them to die from drinking
when heated.
do not see why the same plan of feed
ing horses could not more generally be ad-
opted with proportional advantages if feed
ing cattle but perhaps there is in the
minds of many farmers, the objection that
such manner Of feeding would necessiate
more work and time, so as to counterbal-
ance all profit derived from its adoption.
There is, indeed, soundness in this object
ion, and | can hope for its removal only as
the era of machinery advances. In En-
gland, many farmers have no such hinder
ance, as they employ steam engines on
large farms-and would it not be more ad-
vantageous for American farmers to use
steam more than they do They could
then with ease cut the fodder, turnips and
other roots thrash their grain unload
their hay by the aid of the horsc-pitchfork
irrigate their land, and employ it in many
other ways.-EX.