The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-14
BIanketing OF Horses.

PROFESSOR LIAUTARD, the veterinary
surgeon, has favored us with some obser-
vatiOns upon the subject, which are of
special importance at this season of the
year
He believes that very much harm is done
by too hedcy Wanketing, supporting this
view by sound physiological reasons.
The skin,,of onedomest;c, as of all verte-
brates, consists of two distinct layers.
The outer, or cuticle, is composed of lay
ers Of round cells, in which resides the
coloring matter. Though deprived of
blood-vessels and nerves, this outer skin
has true vitality, and its proper flnc-
tiOns.
The inner or true skin has more per-
feet organization, is more sensitive, and is
the real rOoting-place of the hair. 1t
varies in thickness in different animals,
and in different portions of the same ami
NAL. 1t is much thinner and more sensi-
tive in the thoroughbred racer than in
the ordinary cart-horse. On the interior
part of the thigh, the skin is thin; on the
exterior, much thicker. The hair, also,
which is distributed over the whole sur
face, varies in thickness and length, as pro-
lection against cold is more or less needed.
From all domestic animals in a healthy state
there is an eXhalation from the surface OF
the skin, called inssnsiUe Transportation
When this eXcretiOn becomes sensible, by
active eXertion or condition of tempera-
ture, it is called sweat
Both forms of eXcretiOn are important
to the vital economy, and vary greatly
with the state of the atmosphere, activity
of the digestive organs, and quick or long
continued muscular exertion. 1t is, if we
may use the language, a sort of skin breath
ing, by means of which foul or unneces-
sary matter is eliminated from the body,
Just as vitiated and carbonized air is
thrown off by the lungs. Thus, sometin es
this cutaneous Transportation will have the
odor of urine at other times (sfter dosiDg)
it will have the odor of sulphur.
This natural Transportation should
neither be checked nor should it be exces-
sively provoked. Heavy blanketing in
stables will very likely make the hair lie
smoothly (thus saving some labor to the
groom), and make the skin supple; but il
will open the pores unnaturally, and make
delicate horse fearfully sensitive to sud-
den changes of temperature.
Nature very wisely provides thicker
and more rapid growth OF hair in the
winter than in the summer; and the dis
position of the hair to assume a bristly
appearance in cold weather, however OBJ
noxious to finical tastes, is natures own
adjustment of covering, to ward off danger
rom cold, and to keep healthy the pores
of the skin.
Grooms may rub as much and as often
as they will, but they should not find an
excuse for laziness in heavy and close
blanketing.
Blankets Of coarse wool are the best,
which permit free circulation of air, and
if lined, they should be lined with a
porous cloth. Buffalo-robes, used for this
purpose, are bad, and, if used at all
should be used ioiM tie hair side Dozen
by which means the vapOr will be alb
sorbed by the wool, and not heidi in close
contact with the sweltering skin of the
animal
1t is the poorest of all policies to secure
a sleek, supple skin at the expense of con-
stitutional vigor and native hardness
HeGrth and Home.