The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-07-27
MANAGEMENT OF HORSES.

beasts" runs the proverb, and at this
season, it is not difficult to tell who the
merciful men are. During the harvest
period, shorses are indispensable and
severe work is required of them they
shoul be managed with care and con-
sideration. In a late Ohio Farmer, ID
u Evans, Jr., has some suggestions
which are sensible and timely, as fol-
lows:
1t is no wonder that so many horses
are prematurely made old, for any 9TH
er animal under the same careless man
agement, would soon show the bad effect
of want Of care on the part Of the owner
of course it is necessary TO know how to
treat a horse, from having first had ex-
perience. Under Indifferent treatment
the horse is liable to variety of disease;
but we can not now give space to an
enumeration of them, nor TO get Unto de-
tails, even, of stable management the
most we can do being to point out some
of the errors, the most common ones,
and to endeavor TO show how they can
be remedied.
We sometimes see plow boys, and
men too, bring their horses in from a
steady half days plowing and then bathe
their legs with cold water to cool them
off This is mistaken kindness and is
productive Of great harm. The same
persons would be very particular not to
bathe themselves while warm with per
spiration after hard and steady morn
ingls or afternoons work, for they well
know that the perspiration would be
checked too suddenly and sickness
would ensue. The same would be the
result, though perhaps not Immediately
apparent, with horse treated similarly.
Far better let the horse cool off grad
ually in a place free from draughts, af-
ter which you can water him. This is
rational treatment and does not tend TO
injure the animal, consequently is true
kindness. Though often practiced, we
most heartily condemn the practice OF
watering horses intended for driving,
Immediately after eating, as it tends to
loosen the animal considerably, and con-
sequently weaken him. We much pre-
fer to water the horse before feeding, or
else let him stand in the stable some
time after he has eaten.his grain food be-
fore giving him water. This applies
more especially to driving horses than
10 work horses. And still another item
just here: Some persons think they are
doing kindness to a horse by giving
him an extra feed just before driving, to
make him brive better. A horse thus
treated not only drives worse, but is
more apt to be hurt by long and sharp
drive when the stomach is overloaded.
Let man try to run a short distance or
work hard right after hearty meal,
and then he will be able to appreciate
the feelings ofa horse. These two prac
tees are mistaken kindnesses, but for
getting or neglecting to cover a horse
well after a sharp drive, or when he
is warmed up from a long drive and
then exposed to chilling wind is a
cruel neglect of "a duty well known to
every horsemm. Yet how often do you
see men do this and yet complain, ere
long, that the horse does not wear well.
1t is wonder that under such careless
treatment that they wear at all
A very good thing for work horses,
when they come in from the field cov-
cred with sweat, is to have them vigor-
ously rubbed down with dry, coarse
wheat straw. By the time they are well
rubbed down they are cool enough to be
watered after which they can be fed on
usual grain food. This takes but little
time and should be the duty of every
plowman. In starting off for a drive,
especially for a long drive, do not start
e off from lome on brisk trot as some
foolish persons do, but start off moder-
ately, even slowly; till the horse becomes
settled well, after which he will be capa-
ble of travelling better and faster, with
less fatigue, than if started away on a
swinging trot, as he is done by those who
are not tit to have a horse; starting off
rapidly just fresh from the stable, when
the animal is full of feed, has done more
10 engender disease than perhaps any
other thing and wears even good horse
out very soon.
There are very many more items
4. Il
but will have to reserve them till an
other time, but trust that what we have
already written may be the means of
bettering in some small degree at least,
the treatment of our horses.