The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-12-31
Horse Clothing.

A GREAT many more horses are prema-
turely worn out by neglect than by hard
work. Cold kills more than work does.
Sudden chills, when they are warmed up
by severe exercise, ruin numberless
horses In how few stables can a good
set of blankets be found? These are al
ways seen in the stables of valuable
horses, but rarely elsewhere. But a
cheap horse feels and suffers from sud-
den changes as much as q costly one,
and humanity calls for proper care of
such a one as much as for any other.
Nor should the lap-robe or the buffalo
robe with which the driver protects him
self be used to cover the horse while he
stands for short time. This conveys
the disagreeable smell of the animals
not always clean skin to the clothes,
from which it is plentifully evolved and
diffused when warm room is entered.
The horse should be provided with blan-
kets for it's special use. These need not
be costly and may be easily made at
home. A pair of coarse, heavy brown
wool blankets, costing five dollars, will
make very serviceable suit of horse
clothing. The clothing should be
made in two parts, one to cover
the back from the withers to the
crupper and reaching beneath the
belly, and another to cover
the neck and throat; both should be
lined with gunny cloth to strengthen
them. The neck and chest of 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 admit of two
cores; one short narrow one upon the
rump, and one longer wide one at the
withers. These should be cut so that
the blanket fits smoothly to the curve of
the back, else it will not lie in its proper
place but will slip down and gather in
wrinkles in the middle Of the back. A
saddle-piece 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 it should be
bound with broad strip of colored fan.
mel. The throat-piece should be care
fully cut to fit the neck and be made
low enough to lap over the blanket for
several inches. a strap is fastened
to 60 across the forehead to hold
the covering in its place, and
others are attached by which it 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 sta
BILE, but only out Of doors, when the horse
is exposed to cold winds, or when il is
standing after having been warmed by
work. No stable should be SO exposed
as to make it necessary to blanket a
horse when within it. Stables should be
tight and warm, and ventilated in such a
manner as not to throw cold drafts upon
the horse. Pure fresh air in the stable, al
though it may be of a low temperature
will SO invigOrate the circulation of q
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 sta
BILE into the cutting winds that the ami
NAL needs covering, or when careless
driver leaves him steaming, after brisk
drive, standing in December snow.
storm, while he is warming himself be-
fore hot stove-Agricuuurist.