Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-15

ment of heat next the skin. So also the
long hairs which grow in the hollow I'M
der the jams and on the neck and along
the belly and TANKS should never be
clipped or singed on farm-horses. They
are placed there for special purpose
the protection of the animal.
1t is true there is wide difference of
opinion in regard to trimming the heels
of horses. 1t is contended by some that
the long hair keeps the skin wet and cold
for long time, thus giving rise to scurfy
heels, scratches, grease, and other dis
eases attendant upon this state. But
those who will take the trouble to ex
nine the matter impartially will find
~. although the outer hair may remain
na. n even frozen, the hair next the
sh;nn Ill be dry, and the skin itself
800. Thus 1t Is evident, il the limbs
$3.50, 10 ,"arefully washed and dried
assar Secom;, C wet and muddy, the hair
had better be left long, and the longer
the better: but, il the reverse is to be
the rule, then the ,'horter the more easily
the work win be doA ne.
A simple and ca sy plan lor farm,
ers, and one which mas WORKED wen
with u.s. fs TO have . et Oh Hammer ieg-
cings for each horse long enough to
wrap twice around the leg, from the
knee To the hoofor hocks ana fastened
with straps at top and DO ttom. When
the horses are brought into the stable al
night they should be imme<iis, 'eiy washed
and rubbed with a wisp Of ha) until the
circulation is active. Then pl on the
leggings, feed the teams, and yea may go
to supper with consciousness "a 'at the
teams are not suffering Your s, upper
eaten you will have but little dific uity
in rendering the teams comfortable Tor
the night by a little additional rubin, 7;
If this plan were adopted we should
advise by all means not sheariBg the /,
heels as closely as though they had been
shaved, but thinning the long HAIR OF the
fetlocks fully one-half and shortening
the remainder in the same proportion.
The reason is simple: 1t viii save much |
time in cleaning
There is one thing more in this con-
nection to be mentioned: In winter and
during the spring no teams should be al
lowed to stand with seven legs wet and |
unprotected while one is being cleaned. |
If the hair be long, while six are being |
dried the other two will have dried |
themselves or nearly SO. This team will |
have received all the injury possible and |
op The other hand, the hair is short they |
will have become more quickly chilled.
So there is danger In any event. Hence,
after considerable experiment, we decid- |
ed upon leggings for our own stable |
many years since and found the plan to |
work well, especially for the heels of |
horses the hair of which was rather |
short.
A vicious practice, and one that |
will be remembered in the hereafter |
IL there is "horse heaven" is the |
plan, still persisted in by many, of giving |
the horses continued doses OF salts, or |
other medicines, under the notion that
humors generate during the winter and |
must be purged out. Some, whose hairs |
are gray enough, probably remember the |
spring dosing that they as children had |
to undergo, to the same supposed end |
to get the humors out of the blood. IL |
pretty efiectually contracted an i'll -humor |
in the poor, hcart-broken urchins and |
lassies who were obliged to swallow the |
uauseous doses. And for what end were |
they given? Well, we used to think, TO |
crafty the malignancy or stupidity Of |
some snutfy old medical granny. How |
ever, intelligence Ii progressive, and
men and women are better for 1t; and SO,
pray, don't dose your horse because his
coat looks little rough in the spring.
1t is the natural consequence of the
season. Remember, a horse may carry
much robust health under rough ex-
terror. From the Farm and Garden" in
Chicdg0 Tribune.