Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1871-07-26
FARMER'S COLUMN.
RAISING HORSES.
Frem the Scientific Press.

ffem the Sclentlnc fress
wish. through your valuable paper,
to make few remarks on the subject OF
raising horses. The practice general,
adopted in this. country Of raising the
horse in large herds necessiates another
practice wich in itself, is cruel and per-
nicions | refer to the practice of cas-
trating when very young. The great
msjer y of male colts are emascuated
at tie age OF one and TWO years and but,
very few, if any, at the age of three aud
four years, as should be The case with
Al where the END sought is good service
able animal.
1t must be seen by any careful obser-
yer that very many Of our gelding
horses are lame from corns in the feet ;
and so badly affected in that way as to
render them almost entireley worthless
Tiis is caused not so much from hard
usage, as from want Of strength and firm
ness in the hoof 1t IS well known, at
least among The medical men, that emas
culatiou seriously interfrres with the
proper Development Of the bones. horns,
hoOf5. nails or claws, etc, of animals
tha. is 10 say, the shell of the horn or
hoof; and where early emasculation is
resorted 10, the shell OF the horn or hoof
must of necessity be thin and week, and
OF soft spongy texture, in consequences
OF the natural supply of eustenance be-
ing cut Of before the animal is well ad-
vaneed in his development.
Take, for instance, two male calves of
the same breed castrate the one at the
age of two months, and the other at the
age of, say two years, and see what
difference there will be in their horns
when they are full grown The horns
OF the one castrated at the age of two
years VIII be two or three times as heavy
and strong-especially the shell-as that
of the one castrated at the age of two
months. This rule holds good with re-
gard to the hoofs, nails or claws of all
animals Therefore if a colt be emascu
lated when very young or before he has
attained the form of a stud, he will have
when fully grown, but thin light shell
on the hoof, and that of a soft, spongy
texture; and c0rns on the feet, after a
little Use on the hard roads and pave
menis, will be natural consequence
Of course this rule woald vary some
what in different animals, as there is
great difference in the ages at which they
develope
Nor is that all ; for horses, when early
emasculated, are rendered light and
weak III the fore parts, as compared with
that OF horse of the same breed, which
has been emasculated, say at the age of
four years, the two being full grown
when compared, say seven years old =
Moreover, being light and weak in the
fore hams and shoulders, and therefore
unable to stapd the hardships that he
might otherwise be able to do, the dis
eases Of the foot may to some degree be
communicated to the fore limbs and
shoulders through the nerves.
A thorough bred American colt
should not be ca trated younger than in
the fall, say October, after he is three
years old. This gives him the advantage
of the fall season in which the blood is
most active in this particular. and it is
nearly as well for him as though the
operation was performed early in the
spring, of the fourth year of his age
hut it VIII still be better if it was allowed
to run to the age of four or FIVE years
before beng castrated. With Spanish
horses, that develope very young, it is
not necessary that they should run to so
great an age.
Were my suggestions to be acted upon
it would with the practice of early train
lng afford an Opportunity to know some
thing of the quality of horse, aud
where he gave great promise, he could !
be kept for his blood and we would /
have less geldings and more stations, of
the quality of Dexter, ToPgallaut, Rat
tier, Duchman, etc. This must of itself
be very important decideratum. But
| have extended this article to a greater
length than had intended. | had only
hoped by introducing the subject to elicit
from some able correspondent an article
that would do the subject better justice
A Cure for Founder.
y correspondent writes Take some
old woolen blankets or rags-if woolen