The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-12-15
Humane Treatment OF Horses.

Humane Treatment or Horses.
The following, floating about among
our exchanges without "trade mark"
upon it, contains so many useful points
on matters connected with mans most
faithful servant, that We reproduce il in
our columns:
Don't build the manger 80 high as to
make ii unnatural, and therefore pain
full, for the horse 10 eat from it. Re-
member, horse is q grazing animal,
constructed to take food from the
ground. When the head is down near
to the surface of the earth, the swallow
ing muscles are in position to do their
work; but when the head is raised fonr
or five feet high the muscles are restrict
ed in their action. What is supposed
o be gained by managers in the develop
ment of high neck and shoulders is
more than lost in the depressed back or
"saddlc back"of the horse in conse-
quence of tle unnatural elevation of the
head. The bottom OF the feed box and
mangcr should not be above the horses
knees, or, what is better, never more
than one foot from the floor. The man.
ger should be two feet doep-measuring
from the top-and about two feet four
inches wide at the top. Make the feed
box at the bottom of the mangcr.
Make the floor of the stall level in.
stead of descending from the manger
toward the rear, and use more and bet
ter absorbents. In so doing You not
only save the most valuable part of the
fertilizing product of tho horse, but you
remove the strain of standing with his
hind feet lower than the forward ones.
When at rest in the pasture the horse
chooses to stand with his forward feet
lower than his hind feet; this he does
to throw the center of gravity nearer
the fore legs aud shoulders, by which
the projecting head and neck are bal
anced by the rear portioif of the body.
Don't groom your horse while eating,
especially while eating his grain. II
you doubt the wisdom of this sugges.
ton. try something similar on yourself
While You are taking your break fast let
some one shampoo your hair. You
will either stop eating or stop the sham
pooling. 1t is an unwise practice to use
eitaer currycomb or brush while the
horse is eating. Let him have his food
without being disturbed. Men do this
foolish thing with the idea that it saves
time. 1t might save time to drive the
horse to his daily task without taking
food at all. The horse wants clear
food and drink. Nothing is clean where
a hen goes. Hens should be kep,
away from the horses, not only from
fouling their food, but from commune
eating lice. These parasites are difficult
TO remove from horses when once upon
them.
Don't work horse all day upon the
farm and at night turn him out to pick
up scanty supper when he should be
resting i'll the stable after eating. All
that horse demands for his services il
rest, food and drink, and he is cruel who
denies these. There is economy in
keeping a working team in the stable
at night, where it can be regularly fed
and is always ready for use. Don't
scrimp the allowance of suitable food.
All horie needs of hay and grain to
keep in good condition, it is for the
profit of his owner to supply. One
dollar saved in grain is 81 lost in work
Don't stuff horse with hay and with.
hold corn or oats. Less TO lder and
more feed will be better for horse and
owner. Don't allow your horse to suf-
fer with cold when little repairing OF
the stable or blanketing will make him
comfortable. The "hardening process
of making horses stand in cold stable:
without blankets is hard-hearted. A
stable so cold that the manure freeze.
into solid balls is too cold for the good
of the horse. If these suggestions are
needed by persons owning and using
horses the writer will have the thank.
of thousands of misuscd horses, if only
they could say: awe thank YOU"