Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-09
Care Of Horses EOOfS in Winter.

The following advice and comment; on
this subject, which we find in the Chicago
Field is timely and . more Importance
than large majority Of persons keeping
horses ever dream Of They cannot but
know, however, how much depends on the
sound condition OF the horses hoofs. They
cannot but observe, when i hOrseman cx-
amines an animal, that the hOof is the first
object that attracts his attention, and
with what care he scrutiniZes every part of
it. Hence, the remarks which we append
will! bc acknowledged to bc weilexpressed
and the information Impaired to be worth
the first consideration in the management
Of the hOOf of the horse:
''Lack of moisture l., not nee cessarily 4
cause of britt,cncss OF the hoof, since the
horse has !. strong LOol. Il continued
drought is especially dangerous when it
acts on 4 foot accustomed to abundance
of water. Under tic action of water the
horn cells absorb, increase in size and push
each other apart. Ey this action, too,
some of the SciatiloUS matter that builds
ur the horn is dissolved out, and when the
hoof is again allowed to dry it has lost it's
power OF cohesion. The more frequently
the process of soaking and drying is re-
pea:cd the more i:urtiul it proves Ito
brittle and liable TO split up. If, farther,
this tendency to brittlcness has been in
bred through generations of horses, where
the feet arc alternately soaked by drcncl-
ing rains, and withcrcd by drying suns
tho danger is proportionately increased,
and the feet Of such race of horses are
especially liable to splitting and I'M ury.
1t is not habitual dryness that Injuries, it
is the alterations Of rain and drought.
While upon this n.icct it may he well to
note that the evil effects of moisture may
be largely waried Off by smcaripg the
mOistcEed foot with an imperviOus oily
agent before exposing it to the drying pro-
cess. In this way the moisture that has
been absorbed by the horn is retained,
the sudden drying and shrinking are OBJ
Waited and the norm remains elastic and
comparatively tough. AS it is often
needful to soak the foot in warm or cold
water, or in poul:ics in eases of disease. it
is all-impoltlnt that the above named pre-
caution should bc constantly borne in
mind, and that the so;tcned foot should be
smeared throughout with some hoof oint-
mcnt before itisaliowedtO to dry andharden.
For this purpose nothing is simpler nor
better than mixture in equal parts Of
tar and whale oil or lard. This may he
smeared on the foot every other day.
''ln addition to the changes OF the wra
tiIcr, the frequent standing in rotten dung
heaps Or the pools OF dccomposcd liquid
manure, may bn named as causes of brittle
hOOts. In the dung heap there is not only
the moisture and steam soaking and soft
ening the hoof, but there is abundance Of
ammonia gas. which is especially calculated
to softer, dissolve and destroy the horn.
Rotten manure and pu:rid liquors. there
fore, are much more injurious than pure
water, muddy pools or wet clay Again
the en,aLations of this kind are far from
conducive to general health. so that they
prove hurtiul i'll two ways, first, 10y direct
ly destroying the substance of the hoGf,
and second, 10y reducing the animal visor,
the power OF digestion and assimilation,
and the power OF secretinS good horn.
Standing in SEch ticcomposing organic
matter is still more Injurious however,
when the animal is confined to stall or
box. for here TIC injurious effect OF mac
tivity is added 10 the above named condi-
tions.
'LOng exposure to wet and mud also at
this time OF year ;rehuently produce cracks
and ether troubles in horses feet. The
prevention is in keeping tho feet clean by
frequent washing and wipins dry with
coarse stable cloth. \ IiitIc crude l'ctro-
lcum applied to the feet before the horses
arc taken from the stable will help greatly
in preventing them from becoming crack
ed. IL the feet are already in bad shape
they should be ban;l:.gcd and tho horse
kept where it is dry. Cleanliness is the
most effective prevention of troubles iii
the feet of hcrscs.'