The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-10-16
StnbIe Management.
Michigan Farmer.l

Stnble Management.
Michigan Farmer.l
Stables should be built on high ground. so
that the surface water can be thoroughly
drained from the building The earth, sat
urated with water and decaying vegetable
matter, produces a change in atmospheric
air, and converts 1t into a miasma that is per-
niclous to the health of all animals. Horses
will never enjoy good health confined in a
damp, filthy stable. It is the source of blind
ness, farcy, CHAMBERS and other fatal disorders
that cause the death of so many valuable
horses There is another fatal delusion in sta
Bile economy, namely: not one-tenth of the
stables are ventilated. The animals confined
in tight, ill.ventilated stables are compelled
to breathe the air over and over, which is
prenicious to health. ley will lose condi-
ton in spite of good grooming, warmth and
cleanliness. The air which the horse bIeaths
out is very different from that which he in.
hales. He inhales pure air and respires a
diluted gas that is rank poison TO the lungs
of all animals. The air, in the process
of breathing diminishes its spe-
cific gravity and rises into the
lighter atmosphere. 1t can be conducted
out of the barn by shaft or tubes for that
purpose The constant agitation of the ele-
ments by the ingrsss of fresh air and the
egress of foul air-like running water
pumps itself. Port holes can be made at
the base of the builing to let in fresh air,
and shafts can be placed at the head of each
horse to conduct the foul air out OF the
stall as fast as it is breathed in the surround
ing atmosphere, or large shaft can be built
in the center OF the barn, which will answer
the purpose as a general conductor of foul
air.
The horse requires TO be fed often on
good, substantial food. The stomach is
smaller than that of the bovine race. The
equine species digest their food rapidly. II
has been found by experiment that the
horse digests his food in four hours. The
stomach becomes empty in that short space
of time, and Graves new supply to restore
the exhausted muscles and replenish the
natural waste of the body. In all acts of
exertions there is an expenditure of
muscle, which must be replaced in the
fDrin and salts contained in the cereals and
nutricious grasses, which enter in through
the blood to restore the exhausted elements
of the body. Oats, of all the cereals, are best
adapted to feet footed animals because they
contain most of the salts of the earth that
form the constituents of bone and muscle.
Hay forms the bulk of the food for domesti
Gated animals. Ii contains sugar and starch,
the constituents OF fat, and hbrin, with
some of the constituents of muscle. Work
horses are fed all the hay they will eat, but
| grain is parcelled out according to the work
they perform. Water is the primitive agent
of condition. IL is INDISPENSABLE to the
4
halt pailful as often as they desire it is the
| best measure for anything like fist work
/ When cool they can be suffered to drink
| what their appetite Graves. Salt is essential
TO the health of all animals. 1t should be
! furnished TO the equine and bovine species
/ once a week.
| The horse should be fed his grain four or
| five times q day on account of his small
J stomach. When overloaded it obstruets his
/ wind and interferes with fast travelling. 1t
| has been found in staging that the horse
| will do better to be driven nine or ten miles
| an hour for five hours and then fed and
\ rested, than he will to be driven five miles
/ an hour for ten hours on an empty stomach.
/ Even If driven sixty miles in six hours he
/ will be in better condition and do his work
/ more cheerfully the next day than If driven
| all day on an empty stomach and without
rest. The horse ought to be fed and watered
/ one hour before be is wanted for use.
! The legs are important levers OF the body.
1 The horse will prove miserable failure I'M
| less his feet and legs are strong enough to
| carry his body. The feet require stut6ng in
| dry weather twice week with equal parts
of clay and COW dung, to prevent contrac
uOn, corns, Inflammation, tender feet or
| lameness. The legs must be hardened by
! exercise, sweated out and rubbed down dry,
day after day, till their muscles be.
| come so firm that constant ham,
mering of their feet on the road will
leave no impression on their limbs.
Artificial cultivation has prepared the legs
! to stand their work without breaking down
or putting up from hard driving. The pedes-
TRAN prepares his legs to stand great eyer
ton from constant walking. The pug,list
prepares his body TO stand the knocks OF his
opponent without serious impression, by
violent exercise such sparring, swinging
dumb bells, throwing, sweating out the
| body, rubbing down the legs week after
week, which leaves him in condition to bear
an amount of bruising that would use HIM
up without this preparation. The same or
similar process is adopted to condition
the horse to bear fatigue. He is exercised,
sweated out, rubbed down and cooled Off II
is repeated several weeks TO harden muscles,
clear the wind, and is finally finished of
with blanket sweats to save the legs. They
must be preserved in their full strength and
vigor to peaform their function with greater
force and endurance in the act of progress
sion. Drawing out the surplus fat leaves the
internal organs free and unobstructed TO per
form their pert with greater ease and more
force to keep the machinery moving. The
object OF sweating is to improve the health
and get rid of the surplus fat that acts As
dead weight to impede adtion. Seven pounds
is claimed on the course as equal 10 to dis
lance OF loo yards, which shows how loading
down the frame with fat retards locomotion
l. m