Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-07-20
The Horse in Summer.

The treatment of the horse in sum-
mer should be very different from that
usually accorded the animal. Prob
ably from no one thing does the horse
suffer SO much as from lack of water.
We go into the field on hot day, and
take with us jug of water to quench
our thirst. Without this provision,
language could hardly describe the
suferings we should endure. But the
horse, which is compelled to go with
out water for half a day, needs it as
often as man does: The animal
should be watered frequently, and it
would last longer if some means could
be provided for watering at least once
to night. 1t would not be much
trouble to provide the means, especial
ly when wagon is taken to the field.
A can should hold enough water to
furnish ''sup'' for four horses. All
that is needed therefore, is can of
this kind and pail. !,
The head of the horse should always
be protected from the hot sun. 1t is
simply wonder that more horses are
not sun struck. The top of the head
is exposed to rays of the sun that heat
even brick walls through and through.
The harness makers now have a shade
that is easily attached to the top of
the head, and it furnishes the most
convenient means of protection to the
horses brain. A green, broad leaf Of
some kind, or bunch of weeds, how
ever, will answer. So will a wet
sponge. In our experience. we have
found that if the work in the field is
abandoned in the middle of the day,
on very hot days s-beginning early in
the morning and working as long as
you can see at night--the same
amount of work can be dor and done,
of course, with much more comfort to
both man and beast If the horse is
given an occasional sponge bath in
summer, the animal will not only en-
joy it but will be benefited by it.
Precipitation and the dust fills up the
pores of the skin.
1t is common to condemn the feed
ing of corn in large quantities to stock
of any kind, except it is undergoing
the fattening process. 1t is barely
possible that we go too far in this
condemnation. 1t is barely possible
that chemical analysis does not always
tell the true value of food. That is
to say. food whose chemical compo.
sition indicates that it is not what
either the animal or human system re-
quires, may prove to be, in actual
practice, a very excellent food. Re.
Gently two distinguished London ply.
sicians, after careful investigation,
demonstrated, to their own satisfac-
ton, that white bread was more nour-
ishing than brown bread" This is
such a radical antagonism to the gem
eral view, that some will laugh at it,
but when the advantages and disad.
vantages of the two breads were com.
pared by these physicians, they made
out pretty good case. So corn has
proved in actual practice good grain
for work horses. But it is fat form
ing, heating food, and in summer
should not constitute more than half
the ration at most Nor should the
horse have too much hay. Grass is
always in order. 1t is possible that
we feed too much As rule human
beings eat too much. They could get
along with much less and be better off,
Some years ago New England man
declared that a horse could live, keep
in good order and have more spirit on
one-half of what he was usually fed.
1t is q matter which experiment can
readily d,termine. The Epitomist