The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-17
HARN TOPICS.
Care of usrses In the ssmm.r.

toss>$ sSAc. kfrsNt bcHs D~
ing the warm weather. AfsT . d2y's
hard work IN the Geld q horse needs 3
good nights rest, - vel as sufficient
feed, and this can no; be procured with
out good management. The horse -
the most useful Of our brute assistants
withou, his help The worlds work would
stop, and we would u put to sore shifts
- procure food. BY reason Of neg.-;
and bad management his fe 81 useful
ness IL considerably shortened, and, IN
place of 80 wears II possible usefulness,
il il rars TO find = sound, active horse OF
more than half thA; age. Food - pro-
yided sufficiently, and in the maiouty II
cases generously: hut so far s. regards
sanitary care there j. n Esd lack. S;s-
hes are too often foul. liyeutilated, ard
badly ~arTa3ged the horse itscf - rare
IL cleaned. and the skin il left - natur-
al accidents If summer showers for an
occasional waehiIg. The bedding and
litter IL nesrlv always u~nciean, and The
skin II the anima. l. usually 80 seturAt-
ed with e1cremens that the odor - IN
suferable 10 any sensitive person. Tbs
mere handling OF n hOrse n Iis harness
is sufiicien. 10 odorize ihe person and
the clothes 10 q most d.sagTCeah.e eN-
tent, and the farmers house isfrequent-
" fOuled with the pungent scents of the
stable thus introduced. Cleanliness -
indispensable 10 heslth, and health Isin-
~di-pensable for comfort and n long and
useful life. In a ~pocuniary point OF view
this matter looks serious when We con
slider that the value II our horses - not
far from $780, 600 90, and Of this a large
portion il yearly sacrificed for want
Of roper care. This wan Of care Is
most conspicuous in regard 20 the con
struc;ion and management, of stables.
Generally they are close ard i~Dconve-
nient. But it will be easier ~ point out
what they should he than 10 say Whist
they are, for the requisites OF a good
stable are but few. IL should be dry
and well drained. The floor should
slope a little Tn the rear and II should Toe
covered with narrow strips having hall
an inch space between them, through
which the liquids could escspc. The
ceiling should be high, nirc feet at the
least, and should be Of matched boards
to exclude dust from above. The light
should come from neal the top, ~ least
above the level of the horses head, and
should be abundant: If h window -
on a sunny side, it should he shaded by
"A blind or shutter. There should be an
ample means If ventilation by opening
at the bottom and the top, covered with
wire u to exclude flies. The doors
should be double, 80 that the upper half
may nc left open at night, or they may
be made Of strips with half inch spaces
between them, protected with gauze Or
netting. The interior should be kept
whitewashed and perfectly clean and
free from vermin. All these requisites
need only attention, and cost no more
than the ordinary ill-adapted arrange,
ments. The bedding should be fine;
cut straw will be- found economical.
even counting the cost of the labor Ia
prepare it. Ssw-dust is the best of all
bedding, and pine saw-dust - better
than hard wood on account Of ia resin
Gus odOr and its repellent effect against
vermin.
Physical cleanliness, however, is the
great matter to be observed. There Is
no reason why a horse-s:able should be
so powerfully odoriferous. Nothing is
easier than TO keep il clean and sweet.
A gutter should he provided TO carry of
the drainage, and a tank or pit filled
with absOrbents should be made To- re
ceivs it. Once a day n few pailfuls OF
water should be dashed on To the floor
to wash il off. Then a shovelful 81
plaster should be scattered about before
fresh litter is spread. This will add al
least 800 To the value Of the manure
from, an ,.a,r nf har.no - an x.ar gnr Tho
urine is worth more than the solid eX
crement, and would thus all be saved,
even that portion which escapes INTO
the air or is carried into the house and
elsewhere by those who attend the sta
bles. The result of this care will be 10
keep the stable free from those odors
which attract flies in vast numbers and
which have a very injuriously Initiative
effect upon the eyes and lungs of the
occupants. The flies which infest sta
bles are not the common house-flies, as
is generally supposed, but a savage bit
ing tiv, called from its annoying attacks
Cdlcitrans, or "the causer of kicking
This is its specific name, its
generic name being S'omoyys
lin full. StomoryS oa%lcitransJ,
while the house-hy is MuSca
domeStica. Those who have expert
enced the sharp bite of this savage fly
can appreciate to a feeble extent the
sufferings of a tired horse exposed the
whole night to its incessant, blood
thirsty attacks. 1t is this which causes
the constant stamping which Z" murders
sleep" in the homestead upon those
nights when the air is close and heavy,
and the farmer writhes upon his bed,
ignoran,lv anathematizing the noise
made by his suffering team. This may
be prevented by a few minutes work in
the evening. The horses may be brought
into the yard and q pailiul of water, a
sponge, and a piece of carbolico II Whale
oil soap provided. First with a corn
broom the legs of the horse should be
washed down, and then the whole body
rubbed off with a handful of straw dip
ped in water; the sponge is then well
soaped and passed over the whole body,
leaving some soap suds to dry upon the
skin. This cools the horse, removes
the filth from the hide, and drives of
flies, all of which are conducive to lis
comfort and rest. The Change will bt
both conspicuous and agreeable, and the
team, refreshed with a good night'Srest,
will do better work the mex day with
far less exhaustion.
A point that should not be neglected
at this season is to see that the harness
does not chafe or gall the skin. Few
men are intentionally cruel or inhuman,
and the sorely CALLED backs and shout
ders which result from ill-fitting or un'
clean harness and collars are permitted,
under many a mental protest it may be,
because ii is supposed they 3 not be
helped. But they may be prevented by
washing or scraping the collars and
: pads when they are taken off, and rub
bling a little harness oil upon them, and
by washing the parts of the skin expos
ell with strong salt water. This cleanses
and softens the harness, hardens the
skin, and heals chafed spots. "Tht
righteous man is merciful TO his beast
and the converse may follow-that ht
that is merciful TO his beast is 8 righte
Gus man. 1t is certain, however, thai
the cultivation of kindly feeling and at
, tentive care to ones domestic animal,