Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-06-07
HORSES FOR SALE OR SHOW.
How to Feed and Prepare Them to Stand
the Test.

A friend came into the writer's office
few days ago and said: 81 have Just
had sent me gelding that is badly run
down, all 'bunged up, in fact, and
the sender wants me to fix him up. He
has taken the horse ON debt and his
former owner says he has plenty of
speed. The horse looks as though he
had not had mouthful of grain all
winter and very little hay. He is as thin
as any horse ever saw, is badly consti-
pated, and from the starving process to
which he has been subjected his intes-
tines and stomach are i'll very bad shape.
His legs seem to be all right but what
! want to know is what | am to do
with him so as to get him into shape to
sell or drive at the earliest possible
date.
The first thing to be done with horse
in this state is to give him copious in
jections of warm water and soapsuds,
and with about three ounces of glyc-
erin to the pailful of warm water.
This will remove the mucous discharge
which accompanies the f;eces. Then give
the starveling a small bran mash-very
small-for his contracted stomach will
not stand large one. Give him this with
boiled root or two twice the first day
and fairly liberal allowance Of hay.
He may eat more hay than is good for
him if allowed it at first, so his ration
must be restricted. The second day give
him three small mashes, and the third
day give him e pints of raw linseed
oil. Continue the mashes, increasing
their size if no signs of collie appear,
and the fourth day give him another
quart of linseed oil, as before. This will
most likely purge him severely, but that
is what is wanted. Continue the injec-
tions till he third day, operating three
times the first day and twice on each of
the succeeding days If the first oleate
operates well, give final injection at
night and lay the syringe by.
After the oil has done all that it will
the end of the first week little crushed
oats should be added to the bran, which
should always be fed warm, but not
sloppy. If the weather is not too cold,
and the box in which the patient is kept
is a. warm one, the clippers should be
run over his bony frame. The loss of
the heavy coat will be relief If the
box is a cold one or the weather severe,
the coat should remain till circum-
stances warrant it's removal. 1t should
be taken off as soon as possible.
At the end Of the tenth day or there
abouts, according to the severity of the
case, grain may be added, the fattening
process may be begun. The most impor-
tant agent that may be employed is
milk, in conjunction with faxseed.
Take ground flaxseed-the pure article,
not the refuse of the Oil mills commonly
known as oilmeal-add boiling water
to it and let it stand till the whole mass
has assumed the form of jelly. Then
give three times day, lightly at first,
and increase it till the animal S full ca
pacity is reached, a ration compounded
in the following proportions: The jelly
formed by a pound of linseed, pounds
crushed oats, quarts bran, a quart
measure full of hay cut into three-quar-
ter inch lengths and wet the whole with
quarts of new milk-skimmilk will
do if new milk cannot be had.
This will be rather too heavy ration
at first, but it can be decreased, observ
ing the proportions. Let this be given
three times a day at first, and after
week add the following: Give the first
feed at a. m. At 12 m. give this drink:
The jelly from a pound of faxseed, 8
quarts of milk, 2 quarts of warm water
and the meal of pound of crushed oats.
Mix the whole together and gather the
husks off the drink as they rise. At 2
p m. give the regular feed, again at 7
p M, and at 8 p. m. give drink. In 4
month the horse may be made to put on
not less than 100 pounds Of meat. Of
course this will not be very serviceable
meat, but by dry feeding and tapering
off the milk and mash it can be utilized
very well.
This system of feeding will make flesh
quicker than any other and may be
adopted with perfect safety if the attend
ant will take the trouble to notice how
the amounts given are affecting the pa
tient. The whole secret consists in first
mechanically removing the effects Of
starvation on the intestines and then
gradually working the digestive appara-
tus up to its fullest capacity. Until the
stomach is able to take care of the full
ration the effects of each feed must be
observed SO as to prevent the animal be-
ing "stalled." The horse may not like
the milk at first, but he can soon be got
to take it and crave for it.-Horseman.
Live Stock Points.
Isaac P. Tillinghast, writing in The
Fanciers' Review, says that the Plym-
outh Rock comes nearest being the plain
solid, all around business fowl desired
on farms He would, however, give it
.,,f, e L. =.