The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-08-31
until by pushing lever he could drop
all the sleepers in the hotel down into
the cellar until the cyclone passed.
HORSE SENSE.

wonder if any one can give rea-
sonable excuse for watering horses as
soon as they have finished meal or
just before going out for drive, says
a writer in Suburban Life. In the
first place, the oats are washed out of
the stomach into the intestinal canals,
where they cannot be digested and
must be an active irritant, and, in the
second, stomach full of water makes
horse dull and loggy. A little at a
time and that often is good rule in
watering stock.
Did you see that warning signal
which nature threw out the other day
as you stopped your horse for a mo-
ment? As soon as it halted one fore
foot was thrown forward because
something was wrong and there was
pain.
If you had examined the animal
you might have found some heat about
the coronet or some sensitiveness along
the muscles of the pastern or about
the ankle. Your friend says "call a
veterinary and have him nerved."
A better way is TO stop using for
few days, remove shoes and let the
horse stand on peat moss if an earth
floor is not to be had. OF course the
grain ration must be greatly reduced
and bran mashes substituted.
Then see if the heels have been ~cSt
so low as to strain the muscles of the
leg, or the toes left long to insure
more stride, or the foot is not proper
ly balanced. mo foot no horse"
is an old adage.
Why not take away those cribs and
let your horse feed from the floor?
1t will require more time for it to
consume meal, but that is surely no
objection and the animals digestion
will be improved.
How about that horse which is so
ravenous for grain? Did you ever try
one of those cribs with cups to pre-
vent boiling of the grain, or have you
experimental by scattering the oats
along one side of the stall floor so they
must be eaten slowly? Any device
which necessities twice the time usu-
ally consumed in putting away a ra-
tion of grain will materially aid the
appearance. service and condition of
a horse.
Do you stay with your horse while
he is being shod? How then do you
know that he is being kindly treated1
saw good smith strike horse over
the head the other day with his rasp
and the marks of that blow will re-
main for weeks.
Many valuable animals have been
permanently injured by such blows
given under impulse, the result of
vexatious switching of tail or strug-
Cling. No sane man will allow the
connecting hoof structure between the
wall of the foot and the frog tObe rtAu
away simply to give more pleasing
appearance.
By this one makes certain contrac-
ton of the heels, with all its attendant
permanent ills. This tissue is the
natural hoof expander, and as such
must be closely guarded.
Did you ever have your foot fitted
to shoe, or do you insist on having
shoes fitted to your feetl Why, then
allow blacksmith to fit your horses
foot to the hot shoe by burning the
hoof until there is equal bearing1
To be sure there may be no evidence
of pain, but the soaring of the hoof
structure with hot iron never will
be permitted by humane man. That
the operation Injuries the foot, makes
contraction more likely and unbalances
the adjustment of parts cannot but be
admitted.
One of the most successful staR@
drivers of the old time told me-
ago that horse would last third
longer and do better service if Its har-
ness fitted in every part-and / think
he was right. Take a look the next
time you drive out and see if the
horse is the right distance from the
carriage to insure the minimum of
force in moving same and yet not hit;
if the collar fits, the breastplate or
holdback is not too high or low or the
saddle TOO far forward. A business
man, or better still, a woman, will at
glance detect anything wrong.