Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-12-30
Horse Clothing.

A great many more horse are prema
turely worn out by neglec, than by har'
work. Cold kills more than work does
Sudden chills. when they are warmed u,
hy severe exercise, ruin unmberless hors
es. La how few stables can a good Sc
Of blankets be found ? These are al
ways seen in the stables of valuable
horses, but rarely elsewhere. But 9
cheap horse feels and suffers from sudden
changes as much as a costly one, and hu
manity calls for proper care Of such q
one as much as for any other. MOI
should the lap-robe, or the buffalo-rober
with which the driver protects himself,
be used to cover the horse while he stands
for short time. This conveys the dis.
agreeable smell of the animals not al
ways clean skin to the clothes, from which
it is plentifully evolved aud diffused when
a warm room is entered. The horse
should be provided with blankets for Its
special USE These need not be costly.
and may be easily made at home. A
pair of coarse, heavy brown wool blank
cts, costing So. will make make very
scrviceable suit of horse clothing The
clothing should be made in two parts, one
to cover the back from the withers to the
cruppcr and reaching beneath the belly,
and another TO cover the neck and throat /;
both should he lined with gunny cloth to
strengthen them. The neck and chest o f
a horse are very sensitive parts of the
animal and need ample protection as well
as the body. The body clothing should
be made of two pieces, cut so as to ad'
init OF two cores one short narrow one
upon the rump, and one longer wide one
at the wi,Eers, These should be cut so
that the blanket fits smoothly to The curve
of the hack. else it will not lie in its
proper place, but will slip down and gath
or in wrinkles in the middle Of the back.
A Saddle pie;e Of stiff cloth should be
stitched upon the blanket, and two Sits
worked in it upon each side, through
which the girth is placed to retain it in
its place. Two straps and buckles should
be stitched in front to faSten the blanket
close upon the chest, and 1t should be
bound with proad strip of colored fan
uel. The throat-picce should be careful.
ly cut to fit the neck, and be made low
enough to lap over the blanket several
inches. A strap is fastened to 60 across
the forehead to hold the covering in its
pla &c, and others are attached by which
il is fastened beneath the throat. This
part of the clothing should be bound and
trimmed to match the blanket. These
coverings should not be worn in the stable
bu, only out of doors, when the horse is
exposed to cold winds, or when it is stand.
ing after having been warmed by work.
No stable should be so exposed as to
make 1t necessary to blanket horse when
within it. Stables should be tight and
warm, and ventilated in such a manner
as rot to throw cold drafts upon the horse.
Pure fresh air in the stable, although it
may be Of low temperature, will 90 In
vigorate the circulation Of horse that
no protection beyond its own natural
covering will! be needed. even in
the coolest winter weather. 1t is when
brought out from the still air of the stable
into the cutting winds tibet the animal
needs covering, or when carless driver
leaves him steaming, after. a brisk drive,
standing 10 December snow.storm,
while he is warming himself before hot
stove.