Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-12-18

over slippery places neither are his h0ols
demoralized, as most would suppose.
A very common mistake in tho wintering,
and sometimes in the summering Of horses,
is TO keep them on hard plank floors too
long. We were lately asked by lady, the
owner Of noble span Of horses, "What can
be the matter with the animals2 | have
used them very little, and they have been
fed and groomed with great care, and still
they are stiff in their joints, and growing
worse" The great trouble with her horses
We iound to be that they had not been used
enough, had been kept in the stable almost
constantly the year round, aud after they
were stiffened little, instead Of being turned
out TO grass and allowed to roll and tread IN
the dirt, had been kept more quietly than
ever. One Of them, still noblo-lookiug ami
nal, was past remedy, and was fit only for
the compost heap. There is virtue in exer.
ciso both for man and beast, and there is
great healing power in the soil. Contact
with mother earth is good medicine for man
and beast.
Box. stalls are excellent for horses that
are not hard-wOrked. They give them lit
tie opportunity to turn around and roll over.
This tying an animal up in a stall four feet
wide with only four feet Of halter motion, is
close confinement not congenial to his com.
fort or health. A box-stall is all the better
if its bottom is on the ground. If this is
impossible then cover the panks with good
coating Of dry earth. An under.bed Of
sand or dry loan, with a straw bed on top,
makes the perfection Of a bedroom for a
horse. The earth serves to relieve the hard
pressure Of planks, and is also a great absor-
bent Of all noxious gases. 1t also makes
the manure Of twofold value as well as bulk
Horses as they roam wild over their ma.
tive plains Of Arabia and Persia or over the
prairies Of Texas and Mexico, are not the
delicate and diseased animals we find 10 our
stables, and the great reason for this is that
in their viii d state they have an abundance
Of exercise and pure air. The great want Of
our winter stabling is plenty of fresh air A
horses excrement decomposcs rapidly and
fills the stable with ammonia and carbonc
acid. We hear it sometimes said that
horsc-stable is a healthy place and the care
of horses a healthy business Let those be-
lieve this who can. A groom may be healthy
in consequence OF his exercise and drives,
but not in consequence Of his confinement in
n stable. In most of the stables which we
see We would never put our foot five could
avoid it. We should expect to carry away
in our clothes aud hair enough ammonia to
manure small potato patch. A person
may become accustomed to breathe this vita
ted air aud not mind much about it, just as
he can become accustomed to the smoke of
tobacco but that ammonia or tobacco
smoke improves the healthfulness of the air
is too big dose Of ialsehood for us to swal-
low.
How we shall render the air OF our horse
stables pure is difficult problem. We gave
in last weeks Times our ideas OF the ventia-
tion Of COW stables, aud the same general
principles apply to those of horses, though it
is more difficult to keep the latter pure than
the former. Earth bedding will greatly con-
tribute to purity, but in all cases there
should be tubing to let in fresh air, and to
let out the foul, the former coming in from
the side of the barn, and the latter extending
up to the roof. If there is barn cellar un'
der the stables in which the fermenting ma.
nure is dumped, this should by all means be
ventilated by a tube, aud if q large cellar,
by two or more tubes, each fifteen inches
square.
We are frequently asked whether it is
worth while to blanket horses in winter. Il
the stables are warm, US they should be
there is no need Of blanketing horse while
IN his stall. When he first comes in, wei
from perspiration, or snow or rain, he shoul,
be rubbed thoroughly with straw till he il
dry, aud if there is not time for this, cover
him with blanket. AT all other times q
blanket on horse in his warm stall is worst
than nothing, 1t makes him tender and
more disposed to take cold when he goe,
out. Blanketing, when horse has beer
driven and is htched outdoors, is another
thing. Then it is requisite, and he is either
thoughtless or cruel who will hitch horst
at store-door after a sharp or slow drive
without covering him carefully. Then the
cold winds rapidly evaporate the perspira'
tion Of an uncovered horse, and If he doe
not catch cold he must have unusual vitality
Analogous to blanketing is the fashionable
practice Of shearing off in winter the natu
raj protection which the horse has in hi
hair. The reason which the advocates o
this practice give for this is that the supera
bundant hair causes superabuudant perspira
tion, and that this perspiration cannot evapo
rate SO readily with all the hair on. Th
true reason is that the horse looks q ltt
, better Mouse color is very fashionable
! and fashion is a tyrant. Still there is SOM
philosophy in the reason urged for the prac
J tice and if persons are so situated that theN
J can take double care of their horses, put ol
double blankets, and compensate every wa
for the loss Of the fur coat which a kim
Providence has furnished for the comfort o
horse, let them clip but it is not a prac
, tice to be commended for common folks.
. A few practical suggestions as to the win
ter feed of horses Feed regularly. Systel
: goes great way with all animals. Fee
no more than a horse can eat, nor quite s
!. much. Food that has been breathed upo
. and mumbled over is not very relishablo.
horse is standing idle feed but little grain
Grain-fed horses must be worked to use u
: the carbon that accumuates, or they will bC
come feverish, have the rheumatism, o
J something worse. Whether they work O
stand still the insensible perspiratiou wi
carry off lots Of water, and they must there
, fore be watered regularly twice day if the
, are idle, and four or five times if WORKED
o BY all means, feed few carrots or othC
Q roots occasionally. These will keep the bow
e els in good condition. Beed no medicine III
less the horse is sick, aud then apply to
r regular physician aud not to quack. MOI
0 horses have been killed than cured by med
o cine. In nine cases out Of ten the iami
Q physician will prescribe better for a hOr'
( than will the rse-dootor.-Nel0 YO,
!, Times.
A PLEA FOR S0ILING.