Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-07-24
THE HORSE.


how little the average person knows about
the qualities and characteristic points
of this most valuable servant of the
human race. The following report of a
lecture by Mr.. John f. Russell of Leices-
ter, Mass, taken from the Worcester Spy
is practical and valuable contribution to
the subject, and we trust our readers will
find it worth preserving:
The lips are as important to the horse as
are the fingers to a man. They are very
sensitive to touch, and if the muscles
were severed the animal could not feed
himself. Horses with great bottom and
powers of endurance have large
throttle. The crest on the top of the
neck has singular muscular power. Short
necks are not desirable. There is no
such thing as II knee pan in the
economy of a horse. The knee
is Il joint similar to the wrist OF man.
The hoof is very ingeniOusly made of
| horny substance to cover the foot. The
| dock is Il small, honey affair, extended
! from the end of the back bone to form the
tail The stomach of the horse is very
small and as compared to that of u man
is us one to four. With so small stom-
ach it requires only comparatively short
time to digest his food. Fed regularly
three times each day and his stomach will
be empty in two and Il half hours. 1t is
wrong to over-teed or to water too early
after eating, rs there is lack of assinila-
ton of the food, and it PASSES to the larger
mtestnes, and is lost. Water should not
be given for a half hour before or an hour
and Il half after eating.
The best bred and thinnest skinned
horses have very little name it is not
only thin and fine, but the hair is short.
n heavy, matted name means low bred,
coarse brute. | am inclined 10 think that,
in a state of nature the name divides upon
both sides of the neck, though Virgil
speaks of the dense name of the young
colt falling upon the right shoulder. Long
us the horse has been domesticated and
carefully groomed, this habit of wearing
the hair is not yet overcome, and the name
has to be carefully coaXed to the right
side, where for thousands of years man
: has resolved it should be worn, though
: the horse himself insists upon parting his
hair in the middle. Ancient writers
speak of training the name to the
right, but ali the horses represented i'll
the Elyin marbles which were described
in the opening lecture, show the mane
close cropped, or, us we say "hogged." |
think it is clear that the right side now the
I or side OF the horse, was the near
side to the aucIentS. The best horSemen
use no "oil'' side or near side, except
/ to conform to their harnesses. | think a
: man should teach mis- horse to be familiar
\ ly approached and to allow his stall to be
= entered on either side of him. Horses
5 driven in pairs should frequently change
sides, as the mouth becomes hardened on
, one side and the muscles of the neck be-
| come affected by the unequal pull of
double reinS
|, The name seems to be mere ornament
and while it is thin in II highly bred horse,
e and considered IL mark of grace and beau
t ty, the Arabans and horsemen of the
Z ages have eXtollel the beauty of the flow
ing tail. The horse of the desert and the
d African BarDS, sprung from the winds
y and like the winds in speed" have grand
J. flowing tails of wavy hair. The wavy eff
h feet may be produced by braiding. Shakes
d pere says of the horse of AdOnis that he
y had "a thin name and thick tail" The
q pictures by Gerome, Schryer and Other
g great painters who love to represent
IT scenes in the East, show the Arabs horse.
l. with a magnificent tail but the tail of the
a horse is subjected to the caprices of fash
a ion and the whims of grooms. Banging
l. is the style. 1t has always been the Gus
Is tom to bang the tails of race horses, be
% cause III very wet or muddy weather they
lie must continue their exercises and the tai
ID becomes loaded with mud. England Is
c. wet, muddy country and consequent!
they bang hunters and pillow horses On
y following of English fashions has banged
+, the tails of half the horses in the cities
IS When Il horse is properly banged the hal
20 is Squarely cut off close to the dock. Blu
II that does not satisfy the caprlces OF fashion
G. Every tinker that has a iackknte cal
h barbarous old custom of docking AM
rs "ncking." In this connection Mr.. Rus
he sell describes the process of docking ant
le nicking.
is 1t occasionally happens that nervou
d. or vicious horse has Il great deal of mi,
h chief in the tail, and forms an incorrigibl
III habit of attempting teats with 1t, fl
&c which the organ was not intended by ma
I'd ture catching the rein and holding it AM
IS then following this advantage by runnin
ne or some other form of mischief Dock
Up ing eth er the head or the tail of such
b. jade is no great loss and no one can objet
ed to the removal of Il few joints of the bone
ct the use of which has been dangerous
perverted, but cutting the dock from
caprice of fashion is not good horseman
ship.
A fine arching TAIL well carried, is yer
IT. rarely seen, but 1t may be had if breeder
e. would follow the eastern custom of shear
he ing the hair from the dock of the col
20 and keeping it carefully trimmed unit
W the period of growth is passed. Ever
ne horSeman is well aware that toals carr
lg their tails high and arched, but when tn
an yearlng has a growth of nair, often maj
~, ted with burS or heavy with rain or niue
80 the dock is pulled down by the weight
nc and the arched tail Is lost and cllhgs I
to the animal. English grooms often kee
of the tail in pulleys, which is said to haV
ne the effect OF archlng the dock.
" Coarse hair about the heels is natura
e" but | confess To prejudice against 1t an
he have it carefully clipped. Hair CROWN
er in II thick tuft inside of the ear, mus
rs never be touched. Ignorant and ollicou
- grooms will remove it with scissors, bu
- it is IA great defense against the flies tina
PIT would, in its absense, secure lodgmen
OF upon the sensitive skin inside the eaI
e Long coarse hairs upon the muzzle an
is the eye brow are often plucked away
y, No horseman should allow this to he done
e. These hairs are not supertluOus they hay
III valuable use. They are like the viii,
y kers of the feline race, having sentien
1t power and convey impressions to tn
- BRAIN
lie In regard to clipping horses, he sait
ne that as he never clipped his own he spoA
y as DISTINGUISHED witness. To clip
r. rough coated horses certainly make
Ih grooming easier, and it is well prove
II that such horses winter much better an
~ safer than ii permitted to retain the thc
r. coat of hair. High-bred thin coate
horses do not need clipping. y hors
at with thick coat of hair will, if shOrl
1I,t.. AI l..tt 4,