Iron County register., 1892-05-12
aLiEONEss AMONG HORSES
Its Causes and Something About Preven
tion and Proper Treatment

fion and Proper Treatment.
This IS a subject of ve-y general i'm
portance. Ii has been stated that bind
ness is more prevalent among horses III
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. II
is the fact that blindness Is more prcva-
sent 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 notoriously fat 1t Is a
common practice in that state to force
the fat upon horses intended for sale by
stuiIlu@ them principally with Indian
corn. and keeping thsm. without much
service. in warm. close stables. This
method Of feeding, soon fattcns horse
but AT the same time its digestive fuac-
tiOus are injured by the treatment. It
Is now believed that the blindness can
be traced TO 4 sympathetic relation be
tween disorder OF the digestive orranS
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 m evil first Crigi-
mating in disease, almost becomes q
natural defect by hereditary descent
Errors in feeding horses, a. is well
known, also proiuce blind-staggers.
st1mach-stagIcrs and organic disease
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 tina:
whenever the animal shows the least
symptoms of the disease it should bs
kept on light diet of hay and oats. y
horse may be maintained III good condi
tiOn on twelve pounds of hay and five
pounds of oats fOr caily 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 t.
bl'nincss-which any person may read
lily notice. the disposition Of tho mi
NAL To raise his fOrcicgs unnecessarily
high. while. at the same time. the ears
are drawn back and forth ia quick sue
cessiou, and thus giving sure evidence
that the sagacioIs animal IS soduiin.
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 a mode of arrcsting
the spread of the evil. There are some
other causes OF this disease which ap-
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
~ caused by bad stables. Many of
them are under ground cellars. and,
with few exceptions. all stables are too
small. They do not admit n sufficient
quantity of fresh air ventilation and
respiration. and this always tends to in
jurc the health of the animals. Ligh,
il as essential to the health OF horses as
that of men. and yet most sta nlcs are
nearly as dark rs dungeons. 1t would
be far better for most of the horses il
our cities TO be kept in open sheds than
in the stables commonly provided for
them.
am also positive that eye-bIinds on
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 it
should be universal Tlgnt. close col
lars, which squeeze the eyes OF horses
in putting them on. are also very in jur-
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