The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-24
evening state gularnal.
of Draft Horses

A former secretary of the Woodawn
farmers club, now of this city, addressed
the following letter to the April meeting Of
the club, from which we quote: ....
Your horses will soon be put to hard
labor after season of comparative rest.
Care and foresight exercised now will save
much trouble and loss of time when it
will be felt the most; also add much to
the comfort of the beasts.
Calls and sore shoulders are almost
chronic on some farms. l believe they can be
avoided in eyery instance. need not at
tempt 10 prove to you the inconvenience
and loss to the owner, or suffering to the
animal caused by them, 'syou know how
it is yourselves. A horse collar should
fit him e.rdctty, and the names fit the
collar. Too much care can't be exercised
in this direction. A horse fed light through
the winter though apparently fat, may need
several collars for in winter he takes a
large one, and by June mule collar is
too big, but when a horse is kept in one
condition all the time, a perfect fitting
collar is just as easy to get as
fitting boot ! for his owner. The
collar and harness should not be changed
from one horse to another, as horses
seldom if ever have shoulders exactly alike.
Do not make the horse to fit the harness,
but adapt the harness to the horse. With
the back-band and girth fix Gmmovably)
the trace, SO that the portion OF it between
them and the collar, when drawing, will be
perpendicular to the line of the shoulder.
Make this adjustment by observations of
the shoulder OF the horse when he is draw
ing, for the line of the shoulder is more
obliqne then, than when standing at rest.
A horse. can draw more with his traces
liked so than any other way. To illustrate:
Let A be ring to which horse is hitched
by inflexible traces B B.; if B B are at
right angles to the line of the shoulder,
the pressure will be to the horse Just as
an evenly balanced weight is on mans
shoulder, and all his strength can be exert
ed to move the load; but lower the point
A, say till it strikes the ground midway
between his front and hind feet, his efforts
to draw then would have tendency to
throw him on his knees, just as a man re-
ceiving a weight when leaning forward.
Now raise the point A., until, b b pass
above the horses hips. Pulling would have
a tendency to raise his front feet from the
ground, and injure his loin. He can no
more work to advantage with b B raiseds
above the proper point than a man can
sustain heavy weight while leaning back
wards. Then to get the full strength Of your
animals without injury to them, look we'll
to the direction Of B B. IF they are right,
the pressure is square against the shoulder;
there is no friction, no wear, no gals.
Any one can press a piece of iron, hard
and continuously against his hand, and
there will be no gall or sore so long
as the pressure is perpendicular to
the surface, and without lateral motion.
If, B b are not right, at every step of the
horse there will be a movement of the col
lar, and gals must follow. The street.car
horses here are generally harnessed right.
The line from the shoulder to the car hap
pens to be nearly right for most of the
horses, and as the result don't think there
lisa sore shoulder among them. Nine out of
ten of the animals used for towing on the
canal have bad gals; the boat raises B
too high. Now, gentlemen, if this savors
too much Of theory, try it on and prove Its
fallacy or correctness, and if in the end
adds one bit to the comfort of your stock,
am yours respectfully, Il. S.. W.