The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-03-28
THAT HORSE DISEASE.
A Gallatin Valley Horseman give an
Opinion on the UD-Named Horse
Disease.

written by Mr.. Win, Flannery of this
valley and published in the Husband
man. Several horsemen have followed
out Mr.. Flannery's advice in this matter
and have saved their animals by so do
ing, notably Mr.. Colburn of Salesville.
The article for this reason especially
comments itself to the horseman and
ought to be generally circulated through
out the territory.
The continued violence of the "un
known horse disease" which has decin-
minated the herds of some of our horse
breeders and alarms many others, has
caused me to give that subject some at
tention and think it may benefit the
public to know the result of the investl-
cations haye made.
All of the facts in connection with it
show that without doubt that it is not
contagious. Malaria, that produces such
fatal diseases as chabron, cerenl menin.
gifts has been suggested, but The con-
ditions that produce malaria do not
seem to exist in all, if in any, of the
places in which the disease has been
fatal.
My observations show the remarkable
fact that except in isolated cases the
disease exist only among hoses that
range in the summer on that species of
our bunch. grasses that grow on the black I,
loamy soil ofour foot hills and low noun
tains, where those lands are usually
covered with snow during winter. In
every instance in which this disease was
apparently epidemic it was in a herd
that had ranged in summer on this
species of grass. This is so in this
county, where the disease has oeen for
several years. 1t has apparently origi-
mated in the foot hills and there it has
stayed, not only in this county, but in
Meaaher, Lewis Il Clarke and Deer
Lodge. Having ascertained this TO be a
fact we must then see why this is 50.
1t is well known to stock men in our
territory that stock will not range on this
species of grass during the summer
months if they eau get any other kind.
Why is this SO? 1t is not because it is
| more bitter than other kinds ;ou the con-
trarv IT ia sweet. Then it must be uu-
wholesome during the stages of its
orowtb ,,;or IN it's beiny dried or frosted
| and this unvbo,esomeness ia demon.
strated IN them in n very forcible man.
nor ,brouqb their stomacbs and not nv
e;tber their taste mr. smell for they have
an onnort,n;tv to eom,sre the eff.cts Of
this and otber orassos hence tbev avoid
II whom tbev can Formerlv stock coul]
choose what thew desired in This resnect
h,t rov tho settIemept of our valIevs
ord artificial restraint in many n,aces
loova tben M cb,ice-;t ia either tbis
lind or po,hino
Tho next th;no f,r ps tn investi pate is
how does IL affect them? It is eyilen
IN mo that II first nroduces A sour stom
acb then severe aeiaitv. which finall,
causes hloed poison. This ia produce,
a,so in n limited wav bv s,ich othe
canses as por~inp the stonach with grain
followed bv severe esertion, and an oyel
loaded stomach with lack of proper ex
ercise,
AS carbonate of lime is one of the mos
efficient remedies for acidity of the stom
ach. and as lime deposits are adjacen
to. or on all of the ranges where thi
grass grows, it enables the horse to hun
up and .use this, the true preyentiv,
No doubt, MANY have had their horse
fed an abundance of salt to keep then
from eating this "clay," and have see
them as have, leave the salt anu di
| into a lime deposit; or have seen then
in the winter fed an abundance of sa
, and then 60 and lick the mortar on tai
walls of their houses. In this wa
horses find and use this antidote of nc
, ture, and thus preserve their health
| While horses generally are able to tn,
: protect Themselves, artificial metho,
, | create exceptions, some of these bein
!, where horses are driven from differel
range to one of this kind and there het
when they are strangers to that sectio
: of the country and may not know viii
to get, and if they did, where to find
when held on such range during II
summer where they did not find Il lin
deposit. When horses are enclosed
pastures of this kind or from many
the other ways, artificial or otherwis
horses NAV be Obliged to range on IL
grass in summer; when they are Il
given preventative, or do not get
naturally, And also the vigor OF cons
tuition. intelligence and energy max
A one animal resist the disease by hunt
I'D and using the antidote, when the Ia
of any of those qualities may cause d
aster. have no doubt but that mi
of our grasses, to a limited extent, to
N to produce the same results. Fortuna
ly. in nature they find the remedy q
when man confines them or deprl,
them of natural preventives, artif,
ones should be substituted or disas
will occur.
an One of the most fruitful sources
:.