Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-03
FARM AND GARDEN.
HORSE NOTES.
Treatment Of Co,,.J

| SAS III SOustant DANGER OF harmlns
our horses in our colts "A colt is tender
it Is not yet grown, but growing, and it,
Dones are not in that solid, strong oondi
ton which we find in mature horse.
Hence there is q chance of bending OF
maltormalion. Hard labor, before matu,
rity, is one of these causes, and prolific
one; horses viii be bent crippled; Their
bones are not in their proper, natural
shape. The ligaments in consequence arc
also out of place; and sometimes by hard
strainiug, are so far distorted or prevent
ed from firmly holding the bone, that
there will be apermanent loss ia the Ca
pacity of the animal. Muscles are over
strained, and will become indura.ed, stiff
tened, and they will never acquire the use
they would have had, had the
proper treatment been given.
We thus hurt our colts, be-
cause they are tender; we form them, but
we malform them. A colt should not be
worked hard until it is five years of age.
The bones are then hard, and the liga-
ments in their place and firm. But there
should be some exercise. This will
strengthen and enlarge the muscles in
word, develop the animal. Kind hand
ling and moderate exercise from birth up
to maturity, with discrimination in treat
ment, make your horse, and make him
good one, if he is not hereditarily dwarfed
and vicious. Abuse and haphazard
treatment will lessen what good qualities
he may have inherited.
Overlooking with any kind of food,
particularly with grain, is one Of the
worst evils that can befall a colt. What
he wants is growth, not fat, not mettle,
artifcially infused or awakened. This is
a premature call on the future strength,
lessening the capacity for that strength.
Good, tender hay and grass are the feed,
winter and summer, for colt, varied a
little if desired, but not with grain. A
little corn or barley may be given where
the hay is poor, over-ripened or ill-cured.
Thus colt should grow, reserving its
strength-and grow into tractability as
well, the whole thing being carried on,
growth and tuition, till at the proper age
you have horse in limb and in training.
You then stand a chance to have sound
horse-a well-developed, kind and tracta
BILE one that you can rely upon. And this
treatment blindness and care) is to be con-
tinued. At six and seven, and thence for
many years, your horse will be service
able animal, an instrument trained to or
der; and you are the one that should drive
him and keep him; no one will get the
good out of him that you will. And he
will last half as long as you will, begin
ming your career at manhood.
But never over-feed, never over-do,
never abuse because you may be passion
ate, never overhead, nor expose to the
cold after heating; and keep out of the |
cold rains. Treat well, but do not pam
per; treat as horse, with strength yet
kindness.
As we have said, the food should be
simple-good, clean hay, not over-ripe-
not ripe at all, save now and then little |
given for change. This with oats and |
occasional bran mashes, with a little |
cropping of grass in summer, is all your
horse needs, is the best you can give him. !
Then treat well; use the currycomb and !
the blanket when sweaty, aud put in the !
stable; have soft bed for his feet, and |
for his body 10 lie on. Then you will |
have what you will be proud of; what |
you will have an affection for-what you
have had all along, or you would not have |
succeeded as you did in bringing up and |
maturing such good horse, and one that |
is member of the family at the barn, |
where your thoughts often are--where |
you will often go 10 visit what is a reli- |
anceon the farm, and such good, staunch, |
kind, continuous one.
If the food is simple, the treatment |
should be the same; this will avoid con-
fusion. Never contradict yourself to !
your horse; use decision at all times; let |
him know that you are master, but kind |
master, who will not hurt him if he is |
obeyed, and he will obey-he will be glad
to obey. And thus he should grow into |
this treatment and up with it, making it, |
as it were, second nature to him. He |
will then never forget it; indeed, it will |
be difficult to break him of it, We see
this in the few instances of thorough cul- |
ture in the Arabian horse in his own ma
tive land, where he is taught and handled |
from his youth up. He will |
then know no other way but TO be racta-
ble.
You can thus treat your horse as you
want him-adapt him to your purposes.
If you are intelligent withal, and accus-
toned to horse flesh, the way will be
easy; you will get a service able animal, |
not only for yourself, but for any one
a horse that will sell at any time and COM
mand a full price, Country Gentleman.