Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-10
agricultural.
For the New York Observer.
Unsound Hores and Hard Driving.

In this age of steamboats,, railroads
aud electricity, when people, in their
frantic madness, must be whirled with
the speed Of the swiftest rail-car up
the mountain, or down the precpice, a
perfectly sound horse is an animal of
rare occurrence. Horses cannot keep
pace with steam-car but men are
impatient to travel at such a speed
that horses are urged beyond what
they are able to endure. Consequent
ly, their wind fails their lungs are
injured, and they fall an easy prey to
the many diseases which are most sure
to follow The farmer who has fat
and young horses, which are calcula-
ted for blowing and heavy work, sees
the tiee' carriage-horS pass him, when
they are both travelling on the same
road, aud he "whips up" thinking "it
will not hurt his fat team to move
little faster" Not accustomed to such
speed, nor calculated for it, their wind
falls their nostrils expand like the
opening Of volcano their fanks
hrAye cJnrulsively ; they tremble and
can scarcely get breathe. "Why," he
sXcIa'ms, Il did not drive fast !" Does
such treatment injuge u horse Let
the ghosts of the departed horses, that
have returned to their mother earth
10y being over driven, answer this in
tarrogation Hard driving is one
very fruitful cause of uusouudness-.
JUDGED, | have no hesitancy in affirm
ing tn 1t full three-fourths of the hor-
ses which show marks Of uns0und-
ness. were rendered $, by hard driv-
ing.
Another cause of unsoundness is ex-
posing colts, during the first and sec
ond winters, to the pilching cold and
peltims storms, without any protection
bat heavens broad canopy for a COW
criDg and the cold and frozen goound,
on a pile of snow, for bed, with not
ali enough to eat. 1t is truly sur
prisipg that colts live at all under such
circumstances. But multitudes of men
ale unWise enough 10 think that such
treatment "makes them tough Y 1t
does, indeed give them an uncommon
Iy thick, tough skin, but a delicate and
tender constitution. None but the
barbarous viii countcnauce such bar
barism.
Another cause # unsoundness is too
close confinement III foul and i'll ven
tiiatcd stables, and feeding too high,
with but little or no exercise, for sew
crai successive days.
Another cause is the shameful, cru
q and unwise treatment which young
horses receive when they are being
broken
Who has not seen colts, only three
three years old, hitcaed before cart,
or Il plow, or harrow, or a heavy draft
Of some kind, alone, and dashed, and
beaten, and starved, and run up hill,
etc, until they appeared like an old
broken-dOwn stager? 1t is true that
horses sometimes inherit unsoundness.
1et,a general rule it can be traced
directly to improper management
Moderate driving, every day, with
proper care in feeding, watering, and
protection from old storms of winter,
would proIoag the lives of good hor-
scs to sach a degree that they would
finally die With old age.
There are numerous instances of the
great longevity Of horses that have
been always treated properly by care
full managers. There are scores of ex-
cellent young horses now in the State
of New York that were got by the 30.
tile horse "Henry Clay" when he was
thirty five years old q! :. +. 7.