Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-07-30
Farm and Household.
THE WALKING HORSE.

eH9~-~-
The LIRE Stock Journal is glad to
see this subject is attracting gener-
al attention. No more important
quality can be added to the horse
than that of walking of steadily at
a five OF six mile gait, which is be-
lieved to be possible. We have a
great many horses in the country
that cannot get over six miles OF
ground in an hour at any kind OF
gait that will not worry them. Yet
the walking gait is the one most
used, and a fast one is more impor-
tant even at work than on the road,
since comparatively small amount
of carriage travelling is done as
compared with work, including the
hauling of heavy loads on the road.
The managers of fairs have it in
their pewer to do considerable to
awaken an interest in this question,
by encouraging competitions for
premiums. They may be for teams
walking before carriages, and teams
walking before loads, thus includ-
ing both the carriage and the draft
horse.
The same paper asks: GLOW do
YOU water your horse' DO you
expect your horse, like a camel, to
lay in a supply OF water to last 1t
across the desert of an entire day ]
Do you even expect it to 60 half a
day without drinking, and all this
time draw the pillow or drag, in the
blaze of a burning sum- If so you
are all wrong. The stomach OF the
horse, compared with the size ofthe
animal, is no larger than that OF
man. The horse perspires, as man
does, and as a natural result 1t gets
thirsty the same. When You feel
the need of drink because OF heat
and the loss of moisture by per
SEPARATION, think of your horse, which
very likely is suffering the same as
YOU are. If not given sufficient
drink it will take in an enormous
and injurious quantity of water
when it gets chance, drinking I'M
til its sides are extended and 1t Is
almost ready to split. 1t then IS
really in no fit condition for any
thing until some of this water gets
into circulation, cooling and re-
ireshing the fevered atoms OF life,
and the balance is thrown OIL
through the appropriate organs.
Then your horse is back again to
the normal condition of health and
activity, and no longer feels loggy
and lazy, as if the whole system
we're ready to fall apart. With the
stomach and intestines full Of water,
the horse is not even in condition
10 eat. The wash of so much wa
ter must both dilute and carry
away through the inteStines the
gastric juices designed for use in
the digestive process. Then give
YOUR horse frequent opportunities
10 drink. A few swallows as you
put it up at noon or night in the
stable will do it good and help di-
eestion, but gOrging with water
should be avoided. AS with water,
so with food, the small stomach OF
the horse requiring comparatively
concentrated food and at frequent
intervals. When you are at work
orriding on the road, and feel your
own stomach calling for food, you
may know your horse feels the
same need, as he is doing more ex-
haustive work than you are, espe
cially if you are riding. Working
on an empty stomach IS drawing
on the constitutional resources OF
the body. Such a drain should D'
avoided as much as possible. he
member, the animal nature OF the
horse is very much like that OF the
man; for this reason the horse re
ouires food and drink with thu
same frequency and regularity tina
man does.