Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-06-12
Improper Treatment OF Animals the
Cause of Disease.

HORSES, as We'll as OJner animals, are
flesh and blood, and they have a constitu-
ton which is subject to physical laws,
which cannot be violated with impunity.
But they are often treated with extreme
cruelty and negligence, when their owners
do not even think of ill-treatment; and it
is fact, which cannot be gainsayed, that
most of the diseases and premature deaths
of horses and other animals are the sure
and natural results of the most needless
and outrageous violations of the laws of
nature; and if horses were treated with
that care and attention at all times, which
dumb brutes require, they would live and
be serviceable during half the ordinary
age of men.
1t is not our design to show how i'm.
proper treatment causes disease and death
in animals. We shall merely advert to q
few instances in which disease and death
have followed ill-treatment in close sue
cession. We give no fancy sketch. Our
own eyes have witnessed all that we re-
late on this subject. Owners of horses
should place these facts as beacons along
their course, that they may shun "the
rock on which many have split"
A man rode fine and noble young
horse few miles one evening, and as his
business detained him unusually late, the
animal doubtless became cold by standing
long at the hitching-post. His rider gave
him slack rein homeward, and he was
turned into the field with the other horses
on cold October night. In the morning
he coughed violently, and showed by his
coat of hair that he had been ridden SO
fast as to produce profuse perspiration,
and had taken cold. Disease of the lungs
ensued. All medicine was inefficacious,
and the valuable horse was shortly given
up, and turned out "to die"
Another man drove large and valuable
horse lengthways on some timbers and
slabs. His feet slipping, he fell. Shortly
after, the horse showed symptoms of bots
and collie The skill of the most success
full veterinarian could not reach his case
A post m0rtena examination showed an in
ward rupture.
Another man drove his horse, which
was accustomed to travel but little, nearly
a score of miles, and fed it twelve quarts,
equal to thirteen pounds, of oats, when the
animal was accustomed to eat nothing but
grass. In a short time his horse was with
ing in agony with the bots, as was sup
posed. A heavy dose of medicine was re-
peated once and again. After arriving
home, greatly debilitated and sick, another
mess of oats must be given, for the poor
creature would eat nothing else 1t was
long time before the improperly
animal appeared well again.
Another man placed three horses abreast
on sweep threshing machine, having a
strong, healthy horse, in the prime of his
days, on the outside of the other two. Of
course, the distance the outside horse had
to travel was much greater than the dis
lance travelled by the others. The day
was intolerably hot. Threshers could not
spare horse-fesh AT noon that horse re-
fused to eat his dinner. In the afternoon,
as his strength failed, the lash was not
spared. The threshing must be done, sick
or well. That noble horse suffered many
things of many farriers, and in few DAYS
he died from over-driving.
A hungry mare, that had been accus-
toned to eat nothing but grass, with q
young colt at her side, was fed few quarts
of corn. A painful death soon followed
Instances are by no means rare in which
death has been the certain ami inevitable
result of a little violent exercise; of driv-
ing horse little too fast when his stom-
ach was full; of compelling horse to
perform long journey without rest or
food, and then allowing it to have free &C
cess to an abundance Of green, succulent
food, in the exhausted and faded condition
in which the end of this hard journey
found him; of combining, in cold and airy
stables, When they have been accustomed
to warm ones; of being shut up in foul
stables, not half ventilated, and blanketed
warmly, and glutted with the most nu-
tritious food, and allowed no exercise; of
being exposed for hours to the pelting and
Indictment storms of winter, without the
necessary protection, after being driven
furiously.
1t is, doubtless, furthest from the inten-
tons of every one to do anything, or leave
1t undone, which will result in injury to
his animals. 1t is an excellent rule to see
that animals are always fed and made COM
Portable before our own wants are sup
piled. When working animals are weary,
they must rest. When their meal-time
comes, they must stop and be fed, whether
they have performed their accustomed task
or not. In driving on the highways, lei
rail cars, omnibuses, and express vehicle.
leave you far in the distance. Let the i'm
petuous roadster disdain your deliberate
pace. Let Jehu g Kings tx, 20) and &
retinue of a whole township pass you il
their impetuosity. They leave the high
way behind them. Let dark and dreary
night come ON before you reach your plac,
of destination, but let not your horses b,
driven beyond their natural gait.-N Y
Times.