Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-19
Farm and Household.
THE CARE OF COLTS.

n. Y. Times.
A colt may be reared as easily as
calf. This ease however often
leads to neglect, and the young
animal is left to rear itself, and do
the best it can upon the refuse Of
the horse stable. This is contrary
to common sense and economy. A
young animal really needs more
care and better treatment than an
old one, inasmuch as the old AMI
anal has matured its growth and
needs merely sustenaHce, while the
young is making growth, and re-
quireS not only food enough to sup
port life, but also to furnish matter
wherewith the growing frame IS
built up. There is a good deal IN
breed, but more in the feed Of an
animal. Breed gives tue capablll-
t. and power to do what can be
done with the materials furnished.
1t cannot be a substitute for the ma
terials, otherwise something could
be made from nothing. When one
saws a thorough bred COW, for in
stance, will produce a pound OF fat
from q quantity of food which has
less than a pound Of fat in it, the
claimant may be Justly considered
to lie under a mistake, and gave to
breed more than he is warranted
in doing. md yet this mistake
has been, and is, frequently made,
and people have been led to believe
that a thoroughbred animal re-
Quires less food or care than a so
called scrub does to do as well as
this will.
On the contrary, we must be-
lieve that feeding has greatly help
ed breeding, and manage our stock
on the basis that good blood needs
more food and better care than
cold blood; and the high breeding
tends to nothing more than to this
viz, that il increases the capac-
ity of an animal for food and ITS
necessity for careful treatment,
and gives it the ability to digest
and assimilate more nutriment than
the common bred animals, turning
all this food, however, to account
and profit. This is as it should be,
and is Just and right. But should
be well understood, and the owner
of a good colt, of which he desires
10 make a valuable horse either for
use or sale, must act upon this
rule and give the Young animal all
the most nutritive food it can digest
and lodge and care for it in the
very best manner.
1T this season the yearling colts
will need liberal feeding. APP
preaching their second year, they
are taking on the form and figure
of the matured animal and this
form should be carefully encOurag-
ed by good feeding and warmth.
Coarse, bulky food tends to make
an animal spot bellied" and hollow
backed, because it exaggerates the
stomach and bowels and so fills up
tie abdomen, while it discOurages
the growth of muscles and so weak
ems the loins and rump. \ colt
should show only a slightly I'M
dulating line from the withers to
the rump, and a broad, lOin in
which the backbone is marked by
a slight depression instead of a
ridge. This form once fixed on the
colt will never be permanently lost,
and if for want of feed the flesh is
lost at any time, the roundness of
line and fullness of muscle will re-
turn on better feelings. The colt
should not be emasculated until its
third year. This gives it the full
shoulder, strong, muscular and
arched neck, and robustness Of
form which not only seems to, but
really does, make a strong and
vigorous animal.
The feeding at this period of its
life should be mainly oats. Oats
contain the material, in abundance,
of which bones and muscles are
made. 1t is an old story of the
Scotchman who retOrted to the
charge that his countrymen lived on
oatmeal, which was horses food, by
asking where else could be found
such horses OF such men. The re-
tort was just for Scotch ClydeS-
dale horses, reared upon oats, have
the precise form, exaggerated, 1t is
true by their massive build, which
every horse except the racer should
have to a greater or less degree,
consistent with its purpose in life.
TIE work horse will need greater
muscular development than the
roadster; bnt whatever of it is de-
sired, it is best secured BY food
Of oats.and but little corn or hay.
But the grooming must not be for
gotten for this helps very much
to develop the muscular growth
and give it frmness and sOlidity.