The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-10-24
Care of Horses.

The majority of the owners ofhorseflesh
are not aware of the great amount ofservice
a horse is capable of rendering if properly
treated. Instead of giving out at about Is
years old, he may be made to do good work
twice that number of years-continuous, sat
isfactory work, avoiding straining, that is,
putting the horse to his hardest If met
tlesome animal, all of his powers will be en-
ployed, and his muscles are liable to be I'M
duly tasked when young, resulting in sore
ness and stiffness and constitutional hurt
Some horses are thus treated habitually.-
They are, of course, short-lived and loss to
the owner, yielding but small profit ON their
keep and loss of the original cost. Such
are the extreme cases. But take the general
run, and we find more or less of straining, oc-
curing not often, but occasionally, as neces-
sity seems to require. 1t is thought that an
occasional effort of this kind will not result
in harm, or at least not seriously. 1t is not
considered that the harm is all the greater,
the strain more disabling in its effort on ac-
count of the rareness ofthe occurrence. Sc
rious results are thus 0ccasioned with high
strung animals. Now, the excess Of work
thus secured is very little, and of little value,
in no way proportionate to the harm. Not
unfrequently the work is expedited by lessen
ing the load and going oftener.
Here is the error: The benefit derived
from violent efforts Gf any there be, which,
on the whole is doubtfuD is far out of pro-
portion to the loss sustained in the animals
capacity, and the shortening of his years
This is so much the case that the horse at Is
years has become condemned animal, hay
ing passed out of market. And yet at this
age if well treated, he is still in his best con-
dition for service, and will continue efficient
for the next 5 or 6 years, and then gradually
laplinp NJ ~ moi nrl n vii
his way well in his Decline but giving profit
on his first cost, making the horse one of the
best interest paying investments the farmer
has. The mare usually arrives at her matur-
ity sooner than the gelding, say at 6, while
the gelding requires year or two more, con-
tinuing to spread out and develop his strength
till his eighth year. From colthood up to this
time he requires careful treatment if sub
stantal, serviceablc animal is to be made of
him. And this attention is not to be inter-
mitted, but continued, to keep good what was
made good, which can now be done with lit
tie trouble. Avoid the temptation of seeing
the capacity of your horse for endurance or
moving heavy loads put to the test. By do
ing this you will further avoid putting your
horse into q highly-sweating condition so
plentiful of evil in its consequences. An
even tenor produces an even and unimpaired
appetite, with less tendency to developing all
ments. Less food, particularly less concen.
trated and costly food, isrequired there will
be less waste of nutriment as well as of
strength. Horses are abused, and the abuse
is widespread and common. Much of this is
owing to ignorance; much, also, to the tenn
per of the owner or handler of the horse
Could the aggregate loss in consequence be
seen, it would make one stagger, to say moth
ing of the inhumanity-C Country Gentleman.