Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1903-09-24
THE HORSE COLLAR.
II II . Matter OF First Importance
That 1t Should BE Comfortable

1t II = Matter OF First Importance
That 1t Should BE Comfortable.
The thin shOuldered Eorse needs q
light collar, and the thick ont. heavy
enough collar at the point where the
name tug crosses to hold the hame tug
away from the sides of the shoulder.
Before the horse is harnessed for work
with the new collar or changed collar
OF another horse the collar should be
wrapped round and round its entire
surface with several thicknesses of
burlaps, old blanket material or any
cloth thoroughly wet and set to one
Side for several hours or long enough
ID soften the leather so that it will
readily give at any point, says National
Stockman. This covering material can
be wet again and again if necessary to
accomplish the object, as in the case Of
an old, very dry, hard collar. When
this is done and while the collar is still
very damp with a piece of smooth
wood like fork handle the face of the
collar, new or old, should be beaten all
along Just that portion which will come
In contact with the surface of the
horses shoulders to loosen up the filling
material and make it plant.
Now put the collar on the horse and
adjust the names so as to bring the
hame tug at the right point on the
shoulder to utilize as much of the
horses shoulder for draft pressure as
possible; not too high, and especially
f<vN lnty fhn oh 4 >f
horse will not only become sore near
theIr Ehints, but tie top q the neck as
well. A large majority of our horses
are working with the draft on the col
lar too low. The next very important
and never to be neglected point is to
see that the names are made to con-
form to the shape Of the horses neck
so that the collar in buckling the hame
straps can be made to fit the sides of
the horses neck snugly from top to
bottom, not even admitting the fingers
between the collar and the neck with
out pressing the flesh away. If the
haInes are not the right form try to
make them so with bits Of wood,
cloth, leather or other material tackled
upon the edges of the names at the
right places to force the collar to the
neck all around. When this is all done
well work the horse in this damp collar
iOne day at moderate work, and he will
moi 'Aa collar to the inequalities of
his shoulders far better than any collar
maker could fit him by special meas
urement.
From our almost universal inlprac-
teal method of attachment of the
halne tug to the hame we are forced to
have the collar very much larger and
fuller just where the tug crosses the
Collar than it should be to prevent the
tug from rubbing or pressing the sides
of the horses shoulders as it extends
Backward. which practically makes a
fulcrum of that portion of the collar
over which the tug rota tes, twists and
grindS the collar over the shoulder
With constant tendency to spread the
collar or pull it away from the sides of
the neck of the horse, which sooner or
later calls for the use of sweat pads to
till up and prevent the horse crawling
through his collar. Sweat pads to
horses shoulder in hot weather are just
what rubber OvcrshoeS would be to our
feet in summer time-make them ten
der, with a tendency to scald rather
than tougher them.