The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-01-21
HORSE SENSE.
The Kind Needed, Not by the Animal,
but by the Owner.

The Kind Needed, NOT by the Anim@i,
but by the Owner.
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. a stomach full Of water makes
a horse dull and logy. 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 mo-
ment? AS soon as it halted one fore
foot was thrown forward because
something was wrong and there was
pain.
II 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 veter-
mary and have him nerved."
A better way is to stop using for a
few days, remove the 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 cut
SO low as to strain the muscles Of the
leg or the toes left long to insure more
stride or the foot is not properly bal
anced. mo foot, no horse" Is an old
adage.
Why not take away those cribs and
let your horse feed from the floor? 1t
win require more time for it to con-
sumo a meal, but that is surely no OBJ
lection, and the animals digestion VIII
be improved.
How about that horse which is SO
ravenous for grain? Did you ever try
one of those cribs with cups to prevent
boiling Of the grain, or have you ex-
perimented by scattering the oats
along the side of the stall floor so they
must be eaten slowly? Any device
which necessitates twice the time
usually consumed in putting away a
ration of grain will materially aid the
appearance, service and condition OF
horse.
Do you stay with your horse while
he is being shod? How, then, do you
know that he is being kindly treated
I saw a good smith strike horse over
the head the other day with his rasp,
and the marks of that blow viii re-
main for weeks.
Many valuable animals have been
permanently injured by such blows
given under impulse, the result OF yex-
atious switching of tail or struggling.
/ No sane man will allow the connecting
hoof structure between the wall Of the
| foot and the frog to be cut away SIM
ply to give more pleasing appearance
BY this one makes certain contrac-
| don of the heels, with all its attendant
permanent Ills. This tissue Is the nat
ural hoof expander and as such must
be closely guarded.
One of the most successful stage
drivers of the old time told me years
ago that q horse would last third
longer and do better service If its har-
ness fitted in every part, and think
he was right Take 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 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, woman will at glance detect
anything wrong