The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1888-08-30
agriculture.


tai principle that feed aud work are 10 one
smother in inverse ratio is widely ignored.
Thus 10 severe weather, when 10 work
abroad Is mos, eihsusting 10 The animal
system. no change is made in the daily
ration, neither are precautionary measures
taken when forced illness occurs In the
term severe weather" the extremes 81
beat and cold. rs well as that most trying
phase, drenohipe rains are included. Few
horse owners seem TO he aware how dan I.
gcfous 10 the lives Of horses are heavy
rains A thunder shower encountered in
in the course Of hesvy work will cause
chest founder. rheumatism and lung and
| bronchial troubles With these serious
dangers ut hand horse owners would need
TO be cautious aud we'll provided against
the possible results The winter OF this
year. from January LIST. 1855, to May. 1855
was period Of sore trial TO animal life
The weak aud strong alike went down be-
fore its unwonted fury. The powerful
truck horse, well cared for in city stables,
the family horse OF the yillaeer, the rag.
picker's starving cripple. the sleek and
pampered carriage horse. the high priced
trotter. and even the costly and scien :
tiHcslly cared for thorough bred. all sui.
fered more or less from the visitation OF .
severe snd iproiracted winter. The sole
cause Of this widespread suffering and
large attendant loss was not the dreadful
weather experienced. 1t was in many ia
stances due to want OF proper care. The
dweller in city stables is exposed to foul
air, srsine from over crowdipg, until the
tmosphere is pestilenisl aud his vital
forces are depressed by breathing over
heated air, laden with disease from i'm
proper surroundings The opposite con
ditiops torment the farm drudge. whose
sad lie is FASTENED to its end by damp
stables, noisome and chill.
The care and feed OF horse whose work
is slow should differ entirely from the care
and feed OF horse required 10 put forth
his strength in rapid action. This differ
ence does not consist in neglect Of the one
nor in oversolicitude for the other. Quite
the contrary as both animals require treat
ment based ON sound Judgment. The slow
worked horse can with perfect safety be
given a more bulky ration than is possible
to expect fast working animal to thrive
upon. 1t must be borne in mind by horse
owners that IL Is not the quantity nor even
the quality OF horses ration which keeps
him in health; rather is it the quantity Of
proper food which is fully digested and
then assimilated which sustains animal
life and insures its most vigoroua tone.
The losses by death have been very heavy
this year. even in farm stables, where the
horses were not called upon to pnt forth
unusual exertion, but where a secret dan
ger lnrked in evils incident or unusually
heightened hours OF idleness, and where
no change In feed was observed.
Whena horse stands idle bis daily ration
u ust Immediately be reduced in quantity
and varied 10 substance. No grain should
be ted, except sparingly aud 10 fully
cooked state. The allowance Of hay should
be diminished, and light meshes easy OF
digestion should replace the solid food
held back. ABSOLUTELY no cold water can
be allowed, as to swallow = sufii-
cient quantity OF cold water and take no
exercise would chill the stomach and re-
duce the normal heat OF the system. thus
inducing indigestion, a frequent forerun.
ner of collie. Water which stands at blood
heat is always safer than cold water, in
that it is more readily absorbed; in hot
weather it thins and cools the blood, mix
ing rapidly with it, aud in cold weather IL
does not chill the stomach. A comforting
drink Of ost meal cruel or linseed cruel,
one pint OF meal or Of linseed to gallon |
Of water, will be OF greater value 10 the
fatigued or idle horse than would be q
bushel OF grain. Another source OF |
danger to the farm horse Is the practice oil
feeding roots IN their raw state. Roots.
such os carrots, potatoes. ETC.. gwen in
very small quantity, when chopped fine
and mi1,d with cut hay aud bruised ost,
act as mild laYstives, and with some borse'
give tone TO the stomach. These roots
mentioned should never. " hen fed raw, be
washed,as when properly boused or pitted
there will aabear to them more or less OF
the soil in which they grew. These earthly
particles ale wholesome for our domestic
animals, none OF which need this condi-
ment more than those constantly fed by |
hand. When on pasture aud grazing quite
a goodly share of earth Is taken up.
Now we are careful Ia request horte
owners and grooms to distinguish between
earth and dust; this latter is most hurtful
Thus dusty hsy is most hurtfnl causir 6
various affections Of the lungs aud respi-
rstsry organs Grain IN a dust state also
causes serious troubles, one Of tho most
deadly forms being calculus, disease 10
which miller's horses are subject.
1t Is noteworthy how slow 10 shed their
winter coats are farm horres. This delay
in the action Of the skin is generally as
cribed TO the GOODNESS Of stsbling, as con-
trasted with the warmth OF city stables
True warmth is q recognized factor in
early coating. bnt good. nourisbiDg, easily
digested aud readily sssimiated food has
far more 10 do 10 the matter. Last April
the larger number Of farm horses looked
shaggy IS bears, were low 10 condition,
having the symptoms Of i'll health. This
bad condition was the result Of improper
treatment rather than txpopurc TO the |