Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1881-09-07
INTERESTING TO FARMERS
MANAGING AND JUDGING OF HORSES.

III colt IS never allowed to get an
| advantage, says writer in the Ian
| caster Farmer, it will never know that
it possesses power that man cannot
control and if made familiar with
strange objects, it will not be skittish
and nervous. If a horse is accustomed
from his early days to have objects hit
him on the heels, back and hips he
will pay no attention to the giving out
of the harness, or to a wagon running
agains him at al unexpected moment.
We once saw an aged lady drive a
high-spirited horse, attached to car
riage, down a steep hill, with no hold
back straps upon the harness and she
assured US there was no danger, for
| her son accustomed his horses to all
kinds of usage and sights that common
ly drive animals into frenzy of fear
and fright. A gun can be fired in front
of horse, an umbrella held over his
head, buffalo o-robe thrown over his
neck, a railroad engine pass him close
by, his heels be thumped with sticks,
and the animal take it as a natural
condition of things, if only taught by
careful management that he will not
be injured hereby
MANY believe that horses are injured
by the use of blinds, especially when
they are allowed to stand close to the
eyes. So also by the check-rein. One
writer demands the intercession of Mr..
Bergh to prevent this most coolly-pre-
meditated wrong and cruelty to a
noble animal. The horse is intelligent,
and enjoys as we'll as man the sights
about him. And when he is treated
rightly and has full sight of all about
him, he is more kind and tractable.
Imaginary evils and bugaboos are al
ways more frightful to man and beast
than real ones. Besides the discom-
fort to the horse, and the disfgure.
ment of his appearance, blinds are in
jurous to the sight. They cause a
sharp current between the closely
pressed blind and the eye, causing the
lodgment of dust and dirt in that too
tender organ, and this aids in accelerat-
ing the too-frequent blindness. Think
of his patience, his faithful service, his
intelligent devotion, and leave off those
torturing instruments, the blinds and
check-reins.
The following rules for judging a
horse, says the Turf, Field and
Farm, will be found useful:
l. Never take the sellers word il
dishonest, he will be certain to cheat
you; if disposed to be fair, he may
have been the dupe of another, and
will deceive you through representa-
tions which cannot be relied upon.
9. Never trust to horses mouth as
| q sure index to his age.
8. Never buy horse while in mo-
ton watch him while he stands at
rest, and you will discover his weak
points. If sound he will stand firmly
and squarely on his limbs without
moving any of them, the feet planted
fiat upon the ground, with legs plumb
and naturally poised. If one foot is
thrown forward, with the toe pointing
to the ground and the heel raised, or if
the foot is lifted from the ground and
the weight taken from it, disease of
the navicular bone may be suspected,
or at least a tenderness, which is a
precursor Of disease. If the foot is
thrown out, the toe raised, and the
heel brought down, the horse has suf-
| fered from lammitis, founder, or the
back sinews have been strained, and is
of little future value. When the feet
are dra Sn together beneath the horse,
| &c ,Loro bo, haa, No licaa on thara 10 n
displacement of the limbs at least, and
a weak disposition of the muscles. II
the horse stands with his feet spread
apart, or straddes with the hind legs,
there is weakness of the loins and the
kidneys are disordered. When the
knees are bent and the legs totter and
tremble, the beast has been ruined by
heavy pulling, and will never be right
again, whatever rest and treatment he
may have. Contracted or Informed
hoofs speak for themselves.
4. Never buy horse with blush
or milky cast in his eyes. They indi-
cate constitutional tendency to oph-
thalmia, moon blindness, etc.
5. Never have anything to do with
q horse that keeps his ears thrown
backward. This is an invariable indi-
cation of bad temper.
6. IF the horses hind legs are SCARED,
the fact denotes that he is kicker.
I. If the knees are blemished, the
horse is apt to stumble.
s. When the skin is rough and harsh
and does not move easily and smoothly
to the touch, the horse is heavy eater
and his digestion is bad.
| 8. Avoid horse whose respiratory
organs are ut all impaired. If the ear
is placed at the side Of the heart and q
wheeling sound is hear, it is an indica-
tion of trouble.
| SHEEP BREEDING.
There is scarcely any other branch
or department Of live stock breeding
that pays as well as sheep-breeding,
when properly managed, and it seems
strange that more Of our farmers do
not give it at least fair trial. Espe-
cially arc sheep desirable on a povr
farm, for they will materially assist in
increasing the fertility of the land in
the hands Of an intelligent and practi-
cal man.
No other live stock will return the
profits so soon and so regularly as will
sheep, and the percentage Of profit can
not help but prove entirely satisfactory
under fairly favorable circumstances,
for not only are there lambs to sell at
good prices every spring, but there is
quite supply Of wool each season to
still further swell the profits, while the
average cost of keeping them is COM
paratively slight 1t is. however, poor
economy to feed poorly, for high and
regular feeding always pays best, espe-
ciaIly with sheep, telling very percept-