The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-06-01
BRoKEN.w1NDED HORSES.


-winded horses cannot be
cured, or it would not be such COM
mon thing to see a good class ofhorses
sold at ridiculously low price because
of this infrmity, declares the veteri-
mary editor of the London Fam and
Home. But at the same time it is
quite possible, by judicious manage
ment, to keep the ordinary case going
with tolerable comfort to the animal
and a fair amount of satisfaction to
the owner or driver who is not partic-
ular1y horse-proud. The first thing is
to appreciate and take into considera-
ton the nature and cause of what is
popularity called "broken wind"
1t is not respiratory disease, in the
proper acceptation of the term, but is
due, in the majority of cases, to bad
feeding. Feeding an inordinate
quantity of bulky, innutritious fod-
Ger, particularly badly-saved. moldy
or dusty seed hay, is one of the most
common causes of broken wind. The
class of horses most frequently found
to be broken -winded are farm horses
and inferior ponies. Both are greedy
feeders. Thus, the broken-w -winded
horse should be fed on the best of
food, and of a less bulky or more
concentrated character than is gener
ally supplied to horses of this class.
More oats and less hay should be
given, and all the food should be free
from dust and given slightly dam
pened, by sprinkling with salt and wa
ter. The broken-winded horse should
be fed on the little-and-often principle,
aud the daily allowance of food divi-
ded into large number of small feeds.
The hours of feeding should be adap-
ted to the hours of work, so that the
horse is not called upon to labor on
distended stomach. The largest meal
should be given at night, after the
work is over, and this is the time when
the largest part of the moderate guam
tity of hay allowed should be fed.
Linseed and bran should be given oc-
casionally in the form of mash. Car
rots and green food are good for brok
en-winded horses, because they are
digestib1e and slightly laxative, but
too much green.meat is Incompatible
with condition, and the thing to be
aimed at in the case of broken wind
ed horse is the maintenance of the an
imal in hard condition. A cool, we'll
ventilated stable is a necessity.
Water is best standing within reach
of the animal, so that it can drink at
will, or, where this is not possible wa
ter should be offered before each meal.
1t should be soft water, aud the trough
should be kept clean and the supply
frequently changed. Regular, mod
crate work. without which the mainte-
nance of condition is impracticable, is
better for broken winded horse than
irregular labor or long spells of idle
ness. At the start go slowly, until
the bowels have been emitted. The
distended stomach and bowels; BY
pressing on the diaphram, increase,
the distress in breathing, and this is
another reason for the food being more
concentrated, or why it should con-
tain the elements of nutrition in as
small bulk as possible. There is al
ways characteristic cough associa-
ted with broken wind, and on some
occasions, where there has been some
departure from the rules of feeding or
good hygiene, or in certain states OF
the weather, there is an increase in
the severity of the symptoms, which
may call for medicine to relieve them,
but drugs are not of much use in or
binary cases of broken wind, and
should not be persisted in when the
acute symptoms have yielded. When
recourse is had to medicine from
time to time, it seems more effective
than when regularly given. The
bowels of the broken -winded horse
should never be allowed to become
constipated, and when judicious feed
ing with linseed, carrots or green
stuff does not suffice to keep them
regular, a laxative should be given.