Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1884-06-26
THE WEEKLY BANNER.
Care of Farm Horses.

This is a very trying season of
tho year for farmers teams. The
work is driving, is all heavy, with
no off days, except Sunday, and
all OF them do not enjoy that season
of rest. The wise farmer knows
that during springs work and
blowing time his teams will run
down rapidly unless they have ex-
1ra feed and care, and the latter is
quito as important as the former.
II costs more to restore run down
animals, than to keep them in good
condition, whilc team well fed
and cared for will do more and
better work.
The wear of work now comes
most heavily on the muscles, and
the feed should not only be suffi-
cicnt, but rich in heterogeneous or
muscle-producing elements. Corn
is very generally used as the con-
centrated feed for horses in the
west. This is a mistake, since
corn is largely a tat and heat-pro-
ducing food. Oats, peas and bar
Icy mixed with some corn should
constitute the grain feed for farm
or carriage horses, especially in
warm weather. Every one famil-
lar with tho tough, spirited
fFrcnch horses of Canada, knows
their grain feed is chiefly oats and
peas. Hence they are strong and
enduring, and are generally pre-
ferred above all others by city
street railway companies. Mr.
Stuart says good summer ration
for work horses is 16 pounds Of
oats and corn in equal quantities,
ground together, with II pounds
of cut hay. Some English and
other European authorities make 8
ration of 10 to II quarts of oats, 6
to s pounds of hay, with straw and
steamed chat. The chaff can be
fed in cities or on farms having
steaming appliances, while good
clean straw, finely cut, can be fed
on any farm, though not to work
horses. The writer's feed for farm
horses would be plenty of dry oats,
unground, if the animals teeth arc
in good condition and he did.noi
bolt his food, with a moderate
feeding of good timothy or mois'
tened cut clover. We have seer
farm teams fed for years wholly
on early gathered and carefully
cured clover fed dry, though they
ran in the pasture during the sum
mer.
The care of the team is as i'm
portant as its feed. When the
farmer comes In from his days
work all perspiration and dirt, he
feels greatly refreshed by "wash
ing up" He needs his supper al
the same, but the washing refresh
es him, opens the pores and con
tributes to his bodily health. "A
horse is benefited by like treat
ment. A wise and humane driver
will always give his team careful
grooming at the close of days
work they viii not only enjoy it
but will'eat better, be less inclined
to rub themselves in the stable,
and lie down more quietly at night
rest better, and be stronger for the
next days toll.
The ascratches" are often the
result of working in the dirt and
damp. As a rule this can be pre-
vented by washing and rubbing
the exposed parts dry. We never
yet failed of curing scratches on o
well-fed and properly cared fol
horse, with warm water and dry
cloth. By a little daily care
washing in cold water CALLED
shoulders or back can be cured OF
prevented. We have done the
work of a 200-acre farm with one
pair of horses that were always in
good condition, free from scratches
or any other disease, but they had
plenty of good feed and the best
care, anG were stabbed twelve
months IN the year.