The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-02
Horse Notes

Early colts should be weaned early to
give them a good run on grass before
cold weather. Colts that are foaled after
the middle Of June should not be weaned
till the middle of winter. and fall colts
should not be weaned until nearly spring.
No one should attempt to wean a colt
until it has learned to eat and drink
well with it's mother. then shut her up
till the colt gets quiet and it seldom frets.
The most reliable statistics show that
there has been a very great falling off
in the total number of horses in America
during the past year, and 1t is claimed
that, while from the time they were first
introduced in this country there had
been steady and quite rapid increase
up TO 1892, reaching at that time not only
greater total than ever before, but
that it was then greater than is likely
ever to be reached again.
As soon as the driver sees the DISPOSE
ton to run in the horse he is driving let
him begin the rapid jerking, first on one
line and then on the other, not gently,
but with such force as to bring the bri-
debit from one side to the other through
the horses mouth, This new motion so
confuseS the animal that all other fear
it taken away. From many years driv-
ing 1 have never found this method to
fail on the most refractory horse. OF
course you should never drive any horse
without the best of strong leather. that
VIII Slduu any SNtdAn gOu ANCu " put
on it.
So little care and attention has been
given of late years to individual excel
lence in trOtting and light-harness horse
breeding that a considerable proportion
of those bred within standard lines did
not have speed enough to be valuable fo-
track purposes, were not large enough
for gentlemen's drivers, and their own
ers have now found to their sorrow that
this class cannot be sold solely from their
pedigrees looking well on paper; conse-
quently, for more than a year, auction
sales have been overrun with a. class
of stock that was only salable as street.
car horses, and hardly for that purpose.
there being so many more than are
needed in the market.
The raising Of draft horses has brought
millions Of dollars to American farmers.
The grade draft horses for several years
sold for 5000 to $500 and have for years
made more money to the farmer than
any other stock, and if he has wisely
kept his grade draft mares he is now in
condition to make more money than with
any other stock. True, the prices are
down, but high grade draft horses still
sell for double the price of small horses.
The market reports quote good draft
horses from 800 to $3.50 and light harness
horses $50 to SIS, yet the great majority
Of horses marketed are of the small,
worthless kind, Just as scrub cattle fill
the markets at to 21s cents. while eX-
pert high grades sell rapidly for cents.
A car load of extra good draft horses
from Ohio recently sold at Chicago for
$135 a piece to eastern shippers Many
horses are bought young from the West
and matured in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
1t pays the farmer and breeder better
to mature and break the draft horses
ready for market. These colts can earn
their own feed from two to five years old
at farm work and il well fattened and
broke to work and heavy always sell
u-all