The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-09-11
BLINDNESS AMONG HORSES.
Its Causes and Something About Proven
ton and Proper Treatment.

Its Causes and Something About Proven
tion and Proper Treatment.
This is a subject of very general i'm
portance. 1t has been stated that blind
ness is more prevalent among horses in
America than among those of other
countries. If this is the case the causes
Of the evil should be investigated and
removed if possible without delay. 1t
is the fact that blindness is more preva-
lent among horses in Ohio than those of
any other section of the country. The
cases of blindness are attributed in a
great measure to over-feeding, the Ohio
horses being VIGOROUSLY fat. 1t is
common practice in that state to force
the fat upon horses intended for sale by
stuffng them principally with Indian
corn, and keeping them, without much
service, in warm, close stables. This
method of feeding soon fattens horse
but at the same time its digestive func-
tious are injured by the treatment. 1t
is now believed that the blindness can
be traced to sympathetic relation be-
tween disorder of the digestive organs
and the brain, and that through the
latter the optic nerve becomes diseased
and ends in destroying the vision.
Blindness is also frequently transmitted
to offspring and thus an evil, first origi-
mating in disease, almost becomes a
natural defect by hereditary descent.
Errors in feeding horses, as is well
known, also produce bliud-staggers,
stomach-staggers and organic diseases
of the brain; therefore, the greatest care
should be exercised in feeding them.
In order to prevent the spread of
horse blindness it is recommended that
whenever the animal shows the least
symptoms of the disease it should be
kept on light diet of hay and oats. A
horse may be maintained in good conGi-
ton on twelve pounds of hay and five
pounds of oats for daily feed In breed
ing horses it is also recommended that
all animals showing the least symptoms
of organic disease be rejected.
One of the first symptoms incident to
blindness-which any person may read
lily NOTICES the disposition of the ami
NAL to raise his forelegs unnecessarily
high while. at the same time, the ears
are drawn back and forth in quick sue.
cession, and thus giving sure evidence
that the sagacious animal is sounding
the ground over which he travels.
These are the principal ideas advanced
by most veterinarians respecting the
cause of prevalent horse blindness in
our country and mode of arresting
| the spread of the evil. There are some
I'll, E Il
pear more evident, any of which are
perfectly capable of removal. Blind
horses are more common in cities than
in the rural districts. This is principal
! ly caused by bad stables. Many OF
them are under ground cellars, and
with few exceptions. all stables are toe
small. They do not admit sufficient
quantity of fresh air ventilation anG
respiration and this always tends to in
jure the health of the animals. Light
is as essential to the health of horses a:
that of men, and yet most sta bles are
nearly as dark as dungeons. 1t would
be far better for most of the horses il
our cities to be kept in open sheds thar
in the stables commonly provided fol
them.
am also positive that eye-blinds or
the harness tend to injure the eyes Of
horses, and as they are totally useless
and unsightly appendages they should
be abandoned entirely. The open bri
die has become more common. but il
should be universal. Tight, close col
lars, which squeeze the eyes of horses
in putting them on, are also very iniur
ious to the eyes of the animals. | have
known one case of permanent injury
to the eyes of an excellent horse from
this cause. Carriage and draught
horses should be provided with divided
collars, secured either at the top or bot
tom, so that they are not required to be
forced over the heads of the animals
n. Y. World.