Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-11-06
farm and FIRESIDF.
causes Why Hsrses Become Blind.

Ndu1tb WY nofsSs 0cCVmS Nifu8s
A great many have noticed that
among al domestic animals that thehorse
is the one which suffers the most from
ailments Of the eye, and the one that
gets blind most frequently. There are
especially five causes Of disease in tie
eyes of horses.
HIGH FoDDER-RACKS.
The FIRST lies In the high fodder-racks.
These are in all ordinary stalls so
fastened above the cribs, that the ami
NAL must pull the hay from the rack in
a position which requires its neck 10
be stretched out, and with its head aud
eyes turned upwards. Thus it often
happens thata beard of grain-which,
as every one knows, is armed with
little hooks-drops into the eye of the
animal and fastens itself in such a
secure way, that all the water flowing
from the lachrymal duct is not able to
remove 1t. An inflammation Of the eye
sets in, often causing the loss of that
organ in consequence Of the false or
even cruel treatment to which it is
often subjected.
AMMONIA IN STALLS.
Il second cause is The sharp and biting
vapor in the stable. The sharp ammo
nical gas produced in the stable, which
even brings the tears from human eyes.
must also do harm to those ofhorses.
1t is commonly believed that the latter
are used tot, but that idea is totally
wrong.
The biting vapor from the stalls,
which some think impossible to remove
can very easily be destroyed by cleanli-
ness and careful management. For
tunately there are numerous horse
stables in which there is not the least
feeling Of it. 1t is not necessary to use
means Of disinfection, such as gypsum.
vitirol. etc.; cleanliness IS a thorough
remedy. The floor of the stalls, however,
must not be so arranged that it absorbs
the urine, ETC., and so prepares a SUBJ
stratum OF foul smells.
BADLY LIGHTED STABLES.
The horse. although it looks straight
forward much more than most animals,
yet does not do 20 nearly as much as
man, and therefore requires in its
habitation an arrangement of liz hit quite
different from that in Its owners dwell
ing. Give the horse the light from onl,
one side, and it will direct only one of
its eyes towards it, but the Other eve
will be in the shade; this inequality
weakens both eyes. Put it in such
position that it looks INTO the dark,
which Is certainly unnatural, and when
taken Out Of the stable the abrupt
change from darkness to light will harm
it. To place it straight against the
light gives the latter a binding effect
which is also injurious to the eyes The
horse-stable should therefore always re-
ceive its light from above, either THROUGH
skylights or through windows placed
near the ceiling in the wall to which the
animals head is turned as he stands in
the stall. Moreover, the stable should
be always bright, as bright indeed as
daylight; for the horse is not night or
twilight animal, and is in no need Of an
artificial darkness, like fattening stock.
THE USE OF BLINKERs.
The fourth and principal cause of the
evil is to be found in the use Of the
blinkers. The eyes Of the horses, as it
is well known, lie at an acute angle
with the hose-bOne. They lock, there
fore, straight out sideways, but COM
mand a far larger view than those Or
men. To prevent the animals from
being startled by objects suddenly seen,
blinkers are used, square shades which
compel the eye to look only straight
ahead. But The horses eye is not con-
structed for this purpose and is there
fore perpetually strained. The ID
ventor Of bllnkers had certainly the
human eye in mind when he hit upon
his device. A shade always attached 10
the human eyes, would be almost
harmless, and well fitted to put all
objects on the sides Of the road quickly
out Of sight. 1t is quite different,
however, with the eye Of horse. Yet
the blInkers fOrcibly compel him to
direct his eye Oalls towards The front,
thus straining the superior obique
muscle and contracting the inferior
muscle. Moreover, imagine the torture
and the irritation OF having board, day
after day, close before your eyes! Is il
astonishing, then, that the horse get:
dim-sighted, sick or completely blind;
Ind all this evil Is brought about by q
device of no earthly use! For the
bllnkers actually tend 10 frighten {
horse and thus increase the evil o
timidity they were designed to dlminisf
or prevent.
THE WHIP.
The fifth and last cause of the blind
ness OF horses is the whip. How often
the fine end of the whip, even in play
full whirls. strike the hOrse's eye an(
burst therein bloOd-vessel or produce
an inflammation, and consequently til,
loss Of sight, Even drivers who trea
their horses well often do This unwill-
ingly, while only wishing to keep theil
animals lively and TO cheer them III