The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-06-03
FARM AND OUSEHOLD.
From the Maryland Farmer.
The SymmetriZing Rack and Manager.

ANIMALS has produce some very interest
ing results, and has established the fact
that radical changes may he produced
in the natural conformation
The cadet, or military student, is de-
velopcd in the chest, and given fine
graceful carriage by disciplining and
drilling for that purpose; the Indian
papoose is dashed on q board, and there
by given an erect figure; hence the
proverb, cas- straight as an Indian"
The feet of the Chinese are checked in
growth, until those of an adult are no
larger than those of natural growth
at eight or ten years of age
The old coach-horsc which has long
fed from high Manager, and been long
accustomed to being severely refined up,
can scarcely get his head to the ground,
in fact he cannot, without spreading his
front limbs, or bending the knees.
These examples of the effect of train
ing and forming the animal structure,
furnish reliable evidence that we may
fashion the horse very much as we
please by commencing at an early age
and using the necessary appliances
adapted to the object desired
We have given an illustration of what
we denominate the symmctrizing rack
and mangcr
This is an upright post, with man
ger and rack attached so as to be raised
and lowered to suit the hight of the
horse always placed SO high that the
animal will have to reach up and curve
his neck in order to feed from the box.
Ed.
The object of this feeding arrange
ment is to require the animal to take the
position shown in the cut at all times
while he is feeding in the stable.
BY beginning with the foal as soon as
it will take food, and adjusting the rack
SO that it can just reach the food when
it has distended and arched the neck all
that he can bear, without occasioning
too much discomfort, and by readjusting
the rack as the growth of the animal
requires it, the elegance and symmetry
illustrated in the figure, may be produce
in the maturcd animal.
as represented, without depressing the
posterior portion of the dorsal section of
the vertebrn and in the entire lumbar
section, or depressing the back from the
withers to the highest portion of the
rump, and raising all back of that point,
thus producing the most graceful curved
line Imaginable, from the crown of the
head to the tip of the tail, and symme-
trizing the entire CONFORMATION of the
animal which characteristics will be
pcrpetually maturing until their perma-
nancy is secured.
This operation we recommend only in
case in which the breed and character of
the colt is such as to adapt it to the pur-
poses of the saddle, the light carriage,
and the family coach.
For the uses, style and symmetry add
materially to the value of the animal.
For draught purposes artificial SYM
metry produced in the manner described,
is not only unnecessary, but is actually
injurious to some extent, as the tendency
of this CONFORMATION is to narrow the
x
great rotundity and compactness to the
trunk; these are not desirable charac-
teristics in the draught horse, as he
should not have the head elevated, the
chest should be broad, and the stomach
and belly capacious.
In rearing the colt so as to adapt him
to draught purposes, he should be fed
from manger and rack so placed, as to
be about on a level with the nose, when
in an easy position. This position of the
neck tends to expand, or widen the chest
and shoulders; and by feeding literally
with food of Il moderate degree of nutr-
ton the stomach and bowels are we'll dis
tended, and their capacity for receiving
and retaining food for labor increased
thus adapting the animal to his use.
The opposite characteristics are dcsir-
able in the other classes of horses emu
mcratcd Horses for speed, or quick
action, NAV have the chest narrowed
and the trunk rounded, or compact, as
they are usually fed upon highly nutri-
tritious forage; hence less capacious
stomach and bowels are adequate to
their necessities
The most fleet animals-thc fox, ante
lopc, reindeer, gray hound, hare, and the
racc-horse-arc narrow in the breast;
hence this characteristic, produced i'll
this feeding arrangement, in the speedy
road-horsc, is not Objectionable.
In rearing the horse for speedy work
he shonld have liberal supply of mus
cle-forming food, at all periods of his
growth. While the foal depends on the
dam for nourishment, her food should
abound in this property.
The symmetrizing mangcr will be
found immensely valuable to breeders cf
horses; as it will often double the mar
kct value of the animal developed by its
use. j. WILKINSON,
Rural Architect, Baltimore, Md