Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-09
Little Attentions required BY the Horse.

Little Attentions Required by the Horse.
lit is right to call the horse saga
eious animal. then It Is right. II we take
no other than a purely selfish view OF
che case, TO give him such kindly and
necessary attentions as he viii be thank
full for. Tho interest cur Is thankful for
attentions, hence why should not the
horse be equally thoughtful and ready
TO serve the hand that gives him his oats
in place of the one that gives him the
lash. II a horse, naturally vicious, at
tacks the groom, it is because he Is hrst
attacked, or otherwise thrown into q
frenzied state from injury or fright.
1t is entirely natural that horse should
know the difference. and, il allowed.
would choose the comfortable instead Of
the uncomfortable stable. The shelter
lgiven TO horses in the winter is too often
so out of repair that currents OF colo air
pass under the floor or around the horse,
Thisi is a source of no little discomfort to
the animal while not at work. and may
cause illness TO the heated animal just
in from his work. To throw blanket
over n horses back in such a case affords
but Slight protection. as the hair and
skin of the lower portion of the body arc
thinner than on the upper; and it may be
added TO this, that chilling of the limbs,
these being in no wise protected by q
! blanket, is an active source of congestion
TO the vital organs of horse that has
been hard pushed at his work.
Especially is il true that n horse so
driven that the lungs are wrought up to
an excited state, is liable, IL placed in a
Er.w
Bronchitis That condition of tempera-
ture which is known to aggravate lung
disease when present, is also well calcu-
lated To cause slight irritability in the
delicate tissues Of the lungs TO grow
into a formidable inilammatory attack.
Hence, one of the little details which
goes TO make up prudent care of the
| horse Just in from exciting or fatiguing
work, is TO place him where he can
| breathe the warmest air in the stable, If
! there is any one place warmer than an
other. Especially should he have his
head turned away from cold current,
the body and limbs being rubbed dry in
the meantime. aud the latter bandaged
with flannel If the fatigue is great and
there seems To be any constitutional dis
turbauce. Independent Of the hazard
from liability to lung trouble or rheuma-
hsm, these attentions are required on
fhe score of comfort merely. In addition
20 these attentions. the horse should be
walked about until the circulation and
surface are in good state.
The horse is required to show life and
willingness To travel when out of the
/ stall, hence there are certain attentions
/ - h.. e. bot vel pl m
DC supple and his spirits lively. The horse
led freely on corn will not be in fit con.
dition for active driving. In populaI
language. corn is said TO be heating, and
&c has a tendency to produce indigestion.
As the horse with confined bowels is
necessarily spiritless, the stable should
be at all times provided with bran and
oil cake, that by judicious use of these
he bowels may be kept in Just the right
state-nOt loose, for this is facilitating.
II the horse is expected to go fast for {
short distance, to pull heavy load, OF
make n days drive with comfort anC
safety to himself, no large amount o.
hay should be given. The same rule Of
Keeping down the size of the abdomen
always practiced with the speed-horse-
should be the rule for service of any kind
whether the animal be kept for ligh
driving, or equally If he weigh ton anC
works upon n four-ton truck.
The giving of salt to- the horse is one
of those little attentions that takes but
little time, and if only because he likes
the taste of salt, he should have it rs 3
luxury. Confined IS he.is upon two OF
three kinds of food during the entire
year, he should certainly be INDUCED in
his taste for salt, even though merely
for the pleasure enjoyed in the eating,
but salt has its uses, and these are real
not imaginary. 1t stimulates the flow
from the follicles, excites action in the
muscular coat Of the stomach and bow.
els, and in this way tones up digestion,
Horses chat suffer from Indigestion are
/ quite likely 10 have worms, and salt i:
destructive to these. The young worm
Just forming in the bowels is readily de.
ate use not only removes these from the
bowels, bat is antagonistic to theil
further formation. --....--. d \,
The position occupied by the food be.
fore the horse may be made one OF dis
comfort, through the use of the managers
and feed-boSe placed higher than the
natural formation of the animal render:
comfortable. The natural position il
feeding is with the head down. Will
the head elevated. mastication, as wei
as the act or swallowing, is made diff.
cult. Some object to high feed-rack.
because of the liability of dust and hay
seed falling into the horses eyes. Wher
the rack is so high as to cause this re.
suit, then, vf course, this is an added
objection. - National LiUe Stock Journal