Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-06-28

Plainly speaking, the horse is about
best helper, and for this reason he should
be given the best of care. Think of
him as you would of yourself. You
know your own habits and needs, then
if you have horse you should have a
thorough knowledge of his habits and
needs writes VIM. Somerville, V. S., in
the Live Stock Journal.
The first thing to learn is proper
feeding and watering, and in the first
rules are regularity, common sense and
a Judgment of the kind and amount of
food to give. The horse is the best
Judge of the amount of water.
After watering feed the bulky food
such as hay, leaving the grain or mass
foods until the last, remembering that
the amount of work horse does makes
a difference in his appetite. He should
be fed with the object of supplying heat
and muscle or strength in view and
not to put on abundance of fat. The
horse that is stabbed or confined and
has to work at all times cannot of course
get natural food, that is grasses. There
fore he requires nourishing food.
There are mixed feeds on the market
and one or two of them are excellent tn
use in your feeding and they are safe.
Hay, grass, oats, corn, barley, beans, rye,
peas, bran, linseed, carrots, turnips,
apples and potatoes are the general
foods. Oats is the best grain food, next
is corn and they are improved to great
extent if fed crushed. OF the latter,
however, too much is not good, as it
produces little hard muscle and supplies
heat and fat. The season makes diff
ference when feeding corn. As stated
it produces heat; therefore more should
be fed in winter than in summer.
Your horse should have pure water,
given from a clean bucket or trough.
Ice water should never be given, and in
winter water should be heated to take
the chill off. Before starting on a jour
ney horse must have a good drink,
but during the journey he should be
given water only in small quantities, as
he is liable to sickness if allowed to
drink too much or while in heated
condition. Oatmeal water is very beue-
fetal to a tired or exhausted horse.
A horse is like ourselves. We have
our likes. The first thing in the morn
inc we want a drink. So with the
horse. Know his wants. He should be
watered early in the morning, then again
about twenty minutes before each meal,
You like good wholesome food. Don't
give your horse any old sort OF grain.
Feed good hay; in quantity according to
the size of the horse and the amount OF
L l. -. 90 do Nru
thirteen To eighteen or nineteen pounds
and see how he likes it. Note results.
Bran mixed with cut feed daily is good.
The time for feeding is between five
aud six in the morning, then at noon,
and again between six and seven in the
evening, making the evening meal the
heaviest. Cooked feed is not good and
will cause trouble, as will the feeding of
a tired or heated horse, like ourselves.
Would you like to come from your
labors and sit down to your meal in a
tired or a heated state? No. You would
take rest first. The same is true with
your horse. Allow him to cool off first
and then collie and indigestion will be
prevented.
The food should always be served low,
especially hay. Green feed should be
fed with the greatest kind of care.
We like luxuries, and change-well,
apples, carrots and so forth are luxu-
ries for the horse and they will not hurt
him; he likes them for change, while
a piece of rock salt always in reach will
work wonders for him. III possible let
him have a ten-minute run in pasture
every evening.
All in all your horse to be good and
well must be treated well, and at this
season especially, when he is so liable
to colds, chills and like diseases, caused
by weather changes; so it would be well
to watch your surroundings closely and
do for him what you would do for your
self. Give him good care.--New Eng
land Farmer.