The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-06-12
Horses and Spring Work.

WOULD like to say a few words for
the benefit of the noblest and most
abused of Gods animals, the horse.
Spring work has but fairly begun, and
already l know thousands of poor
horses are suffering daily torture from
poorly-fitted and poorly-adjusted har-
ness. l wish a law could be passed
making it a Penitentiary offense for a
man to be found working horse with
a CALLED shoulder; or, better yet, let
him be tied to stake and let the horse
be waltzed over his corns till he ap-
preciates how it is himself. In 900
cases out of 1000, it is the result of
criminal carelessness, petty parsimoni-
BUSINESS, or asinine stupidity, and in
either case the offender ought to be
whipped, or ducked, at least. The
main trouble is with the collar, and the
main reason is they are too large.
Many people in buying collar seem
to act on the principle of the Chinese
buying boots-try to get the most leath-
er for their money. If they would pick
a collar just large enough, in their
opinion, not to choke horse to DEATH
and then buy one size or two smaller,
it would probably be a very good fit.
A collar that fits horse before he COM
mences work will be size too large in
weeks time, when his shoulders
shrink, and by the time he. gets as poor
as most horses do in the summer, one
can throw his hat under it almost any,
where. A collar is long enough for a
horse if, when the horse has his head
IN a n o%,,ro1 ,,ocitiop ono oon r,,n h;o
fingers between the neck and the collar
at the bottom; and the collar is wide
enough if you can get it on; it is al
most Impossible to get it too narrow.
The length of collar is really of but
little Importance if the draft is in
the right place: but, as no attention is
generally paid to this, the hame being
fitted to the collar, and as in ordinary
farm work the draft is apt to be too
low, q short collar is preferable.
If q horses neck is sore on top, there
IS too much weight, or the draft is too
high. Remove the weight, adjust the
draft by changing the position of the
hame-strap at the top Gf you have low
names, throw them away or convert
them into high hames); wash the neck
every night and put on some camphor,
arnica, or turpentine, and soft soap;
use zinc pad, and in a few days it
will be we'll; if not, turn him out till it
is. If he throws his head, use mar
tingale. If the sore is near the top,
the draft is too high or the collar is too
large. Adjust the draft and the collar;
put pad above and below, not on the
sore; wash as before, and it will soon
get well. If the gall is on the point of
the shoulder, the draft is too low or
the collar is too wide. Adjust the draft,
and if you can't afford to buy new
collar, cut out two or three inches at
the bottom and fit the collar in buck
ling the hame; wash and pad as before.
After your horses become reduced in
flesh, if you can't afford to buy new
collars for all generally, by judicious
changing it will be necessary to buy but
one or two.
Beat a collar well with a round stick,
soak it over night, put it on while wet,
and it will adjust itself to the shoulder
as well as a new collar. Keep your
collar free from dirt, wash the Shout
ders every night OF brush well with a
good brush, keep the collar fitted and
the draft adjusted, and your horses
will not have CALLED shoulders. You
will feel happier and sleep better, and
so will your horses.-Cor. Inter- Ocean,