The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-14
Injury to Horses from Dry Feeding

IL Is wei known thdl hOlStS kept IN SidbltN
for long time exclusively on dry food, and
generally when fully fed on gram, become
gaunt, hard and dry -cshed, the hair becomes
harsh and the skin loses that peculiar mellow
feeling, especially when kept in stables, indi-
callve OF the healthy animal. In the end II
Is sold for little or nothing, or else descends
down, through all the gradauopS of hur e
poverty, to the street peddler's or scavenger' 5
cart Finally the animal wastes away al0.
gether and dies, or else is carried oil by the
first epidemic that occurs,
One of the most serious effects of this course
of feeding is undoubtedly indigestion, which
beng aggravated, from time 10 time, at last
becomes chronic. This IS one Of the Chief
sources Of the loss of horses in our large ci-
ties Especially is this the case with mat
class OF horses that, under the care OF isno-
rant grooms and doing but little work except
TO the family carriage, are especially suscep-
tible to this intirmlty. Hard fare ami more
work may assist them to partially recover,
but they never come back 30 real health ull-
less they can run tor ii summer al least ON
very short pasture; If they can have the
hrst half of the winter, with warm Shed Tor
shelter, with rather short commons Of good
hay and few carrots until February, SO
much the better They may then be gradual
y fed grain and carrots and, by spring, taeir
coats will again be blooming, and they will
have regained their old life and mettle.
The cause is that the animals have suffered
from continued dry feeding, or stuiling with
grain at the hands of ignorant drivers and
have become grain foundcred, or graln-killed,
rs the disability is sometimes called. In
fact, however, they are confirmed dyspepticS.
The effect OF this course Of feeding is Obser-
vablc IN many farm horses when fully fed
upon grain for IA considerable length OF time,
whether al work or not, particularly, as is
often the case in the West, if they be not pas
tured in summer. The remedy is plain and
simple: When horses are idle in the winter,
the grain should be taken from them in II
great degree, and if it be observed that they
have lnordinate appetltcs, without due con
ditlon, the remedy should be applied as be
lore stated. In the absence of carrots, they
should be fed light bran mashes, or other
similar food, and be allowed the run of Il
yard until the detected appearance and star
ing coat is removed, and the skin again he
comes soft to the touch There are individ-
uals near all our large cities who make bus
mess OF bug ing such horses and treating them
as we have shown, resGlling them in from
eight to twelve months
The livery stable men, and those keeping
large stables of horses, well understand the Ell
tecls Of constant feeding on dry food, and con
sequently buy carrots at high prices, from the
well-known effect that the feeding If these
roots has on the digestive organs OF farm an
imas, and especially on horses, to which they
seem particularly adapted and grateful.
If every farmer would raise from fifteen
to twenty five bushels of carrots for every
team kept, thereafter the feeder would never
be without this invaluable and mar lral RENE
dy for bringing back to health animals that
have been injured from the oyer-teeding of
grain. 1t is well known that horse on full
work will do better on twelve quarts of oats
a day, with the addition Of peck Of carrots
and due proportion of good hay, than ON
three pcckS OF oats without the carrots. In
the winter season, until the first OF February,
horses, unless worked, are altogether better
without grain at all, if fed carrots and hay,
than they would be with grain.
There is Il feeling among farmers that it
costs more to raise bushel Of carrots than Il
bushol of grain. This is fact unless the
soil be in high condition and the crop be kept
clean. If this be the case the cost is far less,
but even if such were the fact it would pay
to cultivate Il due proportion Of these valua
bic roots. Q And again, If enough were grown
to give each mich COW from peck to half
bHshcl daily we should hear less of white
butter IN winter. But when we took up the
subject of the righteousness of dry feeding
we did not intend to enter upon the raising of
corrots for farm stock If we succeed in
calling attention to the number of horses rem
dered dySpeptic and disabled from this cause,
and have made the proper remedial measures
clear, We shall have done what we intended.
-Westcrh RVrdl.