The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-12-29
Care Of uorses-"OId Jack."

1t is safe to assume that large per
centage of the horses in the United
States 90 to the bone yard before hal
the service they are competent to per
form has been rendered. This is mo-
owing to defect in breed, but simply tt
carelessness in their management. Tht
horse, with all his spirit, ambition ant
muscular power is, in many particulars
among the most tender and easily In
iured of farm stock. 4 disregard o
this fact, or forgetfulness of it, Otter
deprives men of the use of animals o.
the greatest promise before they
have fairly entered the field of Ia
Dor. The plodding and ruminative OF
will bear up under course of severe
treatment and neglect which would de
stroy the usefulness, if not the life, O
the horse. The former is slow and pos
sessed of much power of endurance
while the latter is quick of movement
aud trimming over with ambition tt
occupy front position in the line o.
competition. Yet, with this power il
allied tenderness and delicacy which
cannot abide, unframed, neglect or il
usage. These bring down the horse II
the morning of his strength, rendering
him but a shadow of what be was be
fore hard service and poor care deprived
him of power and usefulness.
The horse cannot labor and thrive or
scant food; must be shielded from win
ter storms; be regularly grOomed, espe
cially when compelled to perform severe
and exhausting labor. Many valua
BILE animal is ruined by being hardly
driven and then left exposed for hour.
to the peltings of driving storms. Sucf
exposure is unfeeling, and, we believe
rarely permitted by the real owners Of
the suffering beasts, bat there are hun
dreds who obtain horses on hire whose
debased feelings are dead to the calls OF
Justice, whether made by man or beast
These creatures should never be allowed
to control, even for brief period, any
thing capable of feeling pain, or endur-
ing suffering.
1t is not the amount of labor per
formed that renders so many horses in
valids while yet young, but the want OF
niinftfted tasks. The labor may be hard
and the hours of it protracted, but the
horse will 90 through it with unbroken
spirit 1t kindness Is exercised towards
him in connection with his toll. AS an
example: Some few years since we
paid visit to an old friend, noted fol
the number and character of his horses
when casual mention was made of one
quite remarkable for his speed on the
road and endurance while working on
the farm. The horse was supposed dead
long before that time-hence the sur
prise with which we heard the re-
Spouse of-"Old Jack is in the pas
tire. Would you like to SIC him :"
Of course the implied invitation was
accepted, and there, under the shade OF
an apple tree, unused Jack" plump as
a partridge, and with hide as sleek as
an otter Now, this horse was fully
twenty-five years old, and, though ex-
cused from ordinary farm labor, would
spin a buggy to the village, distance
of ten miles, with all the airiness and
ambition If his younger days. The Sc
cret of Jacks" longevity and good
condition may have depended some on
breed or blood, but much more, proba-
bly,, on the kind and considerable treat
meut received during the years of ac-
tive service.