Middletown transcript., 1901-07-13
HATS FOR HORSES

The Washington Humane Society has
been advocating the bonneting of draught
horses, and has been so far successful that
most of the horses used by large business
firms in that city are now going about
with bonnets on their heads. The head
gear l. question is of straw, shaped like
farLler'S hat, with two holes for the
ears of the horse, and a brim wide
enough to shade the eyes. 1t is tied
neatly under the throat and may or may
not have damp sponge in the crown to
keep the head of the animal cool.
The old-fashioned farmer may be in,
clined to laugh at this innovation, and
declare that when he has any old hats to
throw away he will put them on his
scarecrows, but, after all, it is cheaper to
buy ten cent hat (actual cost than to
convey the horse to the stable when it
has sunstroke, and such an occurrence
is by no means uncommon in any city
during the hottest part of summer day.
The hat will last for a considerable time,
not being likely to GO out of fashion or
blow into the river, and it may save SER
ious injury to valuable animal
However, conditions in the city to-day
are widely different from those of an old
fashioned farm Large cities are compara-
lively modern affairs. Asphalt, and stone
paving, ten-story, not to say twenty-story
buildings, and the multifarious exactions
OF modern commerce, were undreamed of
not so very long ago. In old Edinburg and
London, there were no ice carts, no de-
livery wagons, no wagons Of any kind
worth mentioning. When people bought
anything they or their servants carried it
home; refuse was left to accumulate in
definitely in front of the door, there to
remain until there was fire; the intri-
cate network of business enterprise
which invests the modern city was abso-
lutely non-existant. The horse has only
yesterday, as the history of the world
goes, been introduced TO conditions for
eign and trying to HIM in the extreme.
In his new environment he must trot all
day over hard pavement, in the sun, be-
tween rows of tall buildings, or stand in
the street for hours at time with the
sun beating down on him and the racket
of wheels, street cars, street cries, and
Gathering hoofs all about him. Other an
imals are apt to die when transplanted
to this environment; the horse lives, but
his nervous system, almost human in its
delicacy and complezity, is put under
severe strain. He can no more adapt
himself to these conditions unaided by
desired by man, than he can
go unshod over the pavements as the
does on the prairie.
From a purely economic point of view
it may be argued, therefore, that if the
nervous strain on the horse in city can
be lessened, he will last longer and do
more work. 1t is not necessary to dwell
upon his sufferings if no steps are taken
to make him comfortable, for the subject
is rather a painful one, and the economic
alone is enough. A horse is
very much like man in his inclinations |
and capabilities. If he is contented and |
free from nervous worry he will work |
hard and not feel it half as much as if he |
is continually harassed by petty torments.
Horsemen know how quickly the temper |
of horse is spoiled by teasing; and of all |
the things that irritate, worry, torment |
and madden anything that has nerves,
intense heat is perhaps the most effective. |
1t was once said that the temperature of
the Internal regions would alone account |
for the character of their ruler if he had |
TO live there all the year round. Heat in
the crowded and noisy streets of city,
beating down upon the unprotected head |
Of horse or man, causes, in a limited |
number of cases, fatal prostration, and in
numerous instances, induces exhaustion,
nervousness, irritability, bad temper, and
loss of vitality. When the horse wears
3 hat those evils are to some extent aver
ted. The hat is good investment.