The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1899-08-04
The Care of tho wording Team.


! In our management OF teams in the
hard work of spring, l have always
had more trouble to keep the shoulders
sound than in any other respect. writes
a contributor to Country Gentleman.
Much Of this no doubt due to the fact
that | have never followed the pillow
very closely, but have left this to the
employed help. For few years have
aimed to tighten the harness as much
as possible, for every unnecessary
pound a horse carries takes that much
off his strength against the collar. At
wagon work, where only one team Is
used. l use hip-straps, as they assist
in keeping the traces in place. But
in blowing or other work, where the
center OF draft is low. l discard them,
for the reason that they add to the
weight of the harness. Besides, IL an
outfit of harness is kept with hip
straps for all teams used at the busiest
seasons, they are hanging up most OF
tho year, and when wanted. are found
to Le injured by rats and mice. When
hlp-strap5 with cruppers are used In
hot weather. the straps are objection
able, on account of keeping the harness
too much in the same place on the
horses. Particularly is this true as re-
| CARDS the collars on top OF the neck;
/ this constant bearing of the weight OF
coilsr, names and traces on the top
OF the neck causes gals and sores, that
ara the hardest to manage when the
| farmer is in hurry. Sometimes | am
compelled to use the hlp-straps to en-
able me to keep heads up. At present
| ono Of my best work horses has head
down when anything to eat Is In
reach.
Some years ago l tried pads as a
preventive of shoulder sores, and TO
lenEthen the use OF old collars. Event
ually l discarded the pads entirely, and
bought a better class of collars. The
great objection to the pads is extra
weight and heat. A collar that VIII
Mt a horse right at the beginning OF
! the blowing season too often gets too
large before the season Is out, on &C
| count of the reduced flesh of the horse.
This can be remedied to a great ex-
tent by the use OF link pad under the
top of the collar This pad should be
largo enough to prevent the edges
chatting the neck. l find It advisable
to use them most of the year. and make
it a point to put them on where there
is any weight to be carried on the
necks. There is more or less OF this
in using wagon, or any other imple-
ment with n tongue.
Another practice that l have found
satisfactory is to take water to the
fields for the horses whep the weather
is excessively warm, and the work
heavy, especially at harvest time. This
Is but little trouble. and is a wonder
| full help to the teams. A barrel Is
! put on low one-horse sled. driven
10 the well, and filed. and as the team
| goes out to work in the morning, or
after dinner, is drawn to a convenient
| point in tSc field. Once or twice dur
ing tho halt day the horses are watered
with bucket. By wrapping the barrel
/ with gunny sacking, and keeping 1t
wet, the water can be kept from getting
too warm to be rehshed. Whether there
is much in the practice or not, there
! is the feeling that an effort in the way
of kindness has been made to help the
horses endure more easily the heat and
| heavy work.