Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-05-08
THE CARE OF HORSES.
Valuable Hints, Prompted Alike BY Econ
omy and Humanity.


A correspondent of the New York
Tribune writes: have had the care of
horses for the last twenty-one years, and
never had one sick in all that time,
though have had two die of old age, one
at %. There is no great secret in keeping
horse sound and well; and since the ad-
vent of the horse.tamer and lecturer it is
plainly to be seen that the number of
sttled, spawned, ringboned ond diseased
horses is constantly growing less, but
there is still room for great improvement.
Some farmers make a great mistake in
feeding too much grain, keeping in close,
warm stables, blanketing, etc. A horse
SO pampered is apt to get sick, and when
brought out Is easily heated and catches
cold; or is apt to be above his business
with heels higher than head, which is
neither pleasant nor profitable, as man
can keep his team feeling well without
feeding up all the coarse grain a common
farmer can raise. The requirements of
nature are very simple and very easily
supplied, and consist chiefly in proper
feed air and exercise, and regularity and
moderation in feeding ana handling, the
two chief causes of trouble being bad
management in the stable and hard driv-
ing and caielcssness on the road.
A horse should have a stable entirely
above ground, well lighted and well ven.
tllatcd. 1t is next in Importance that he
be fed at certain regular hours; also that
he be not ted too much at once, as he
should clean ont the manger every time,
especially if not used. and be ready to
grab at the next ness 1t will do no harm
if the bunk is empty two or three hours.
Horses fed in this way will really eat
more and do better than if the mangcr Is
constantly crammcd with that which has
been muSed over; besides, the horse is not
kept stuffed all the time and hls
wind ia better. Again, it makes
a great difference what q horse is fed.
Hay and oats alone will soon ruin some
horses, and hay should not be fed steadily
wlntcris as follows: Hay in the morning,
and good bright cOrnstalks twice day, |
with few years OF corn morning and
night if not working, otherwise corn three
times Il day, the cornstalkS being Just
lOsening enough TO cOunteract effects of
the hay and keep the animal healthy. Oat |
straw may be used in place of the corn
stalks, together: and then oats may be fed |
in place of the corn. II horse is not be- |
ing used he should not stand in the stable
two days in succession, but on mild days |
should be let out in the yard for exercise |
few hours, or be hitchcd up and driven.
When the horse comes to be worked in
the spring, the feed should be changed en-.
tircly; but in changing feed always do it
gradually, and no harm will ensue.
When working, the feed should consist of
hut hay, wcttcnd and mixed with meal
made Of corn and oats IN equal parts
ground together; and it astonishing how
little feed of this kind will keep Il horse
good at hard labor; it gaunts him, as he
should be; he is not stuffed with hay, his
wind, or breathing power, is better, and
he does not need to drink 50 much water.
As to watering, | have sald nothing, as
the rules for that are so simple and so gen
orally understood that any man who will
founder horse ought to De fined and I'M
prisoncd for cruelty to animals imrrgard
to the rearing and raising of horses, will
say but little, being not an expert. though |
| must have some useful knowledge, and
will simply add: In the management Of
a horse, bring into play all yonr skill and
ingenuity, taking advantage Of your
knowledge of the nature and disposition
Of the particular one with which you are
dealing, which knowledge You will obtain
hy observation mo two requiring the same
aud thus avoid the necessity
Of ruling Gy brute force.