The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-05-08
CARE OF THE Hoass.
How He Should be Treated and Fed
on the Farm.

Farmers are often criticised for not
taking proper care of expensive ma
chinery, and too frequently the crlti-
cism is lust; but 1t is question
whether more is not lost every year
on the average farm by the ignor-
ant or careless treatment of horses,
than by leaving binders and mowers
and other implements exposed to the
weather in a corner OF the field or in
the back yard says the Country
Gentleman. The profit OF farming de-
pends just as the profit OF other in
dustries, on the value OF the product
over and above the cost of it's pro-
duction. In farming, manufacturing
and indeed in practically all forms Of
human activity, one item that must
be reckoned in with the cost OF pro-
duction is waste. In most things
some waste is unavoidable but tho
intelligent man is always striving TO
minimize it as much as possible.
The waste in the improper care Of
horses is not so apparent as in some
other things-a rat-hole in a grain
bin, for instance-but it is none the
less real. II you give a horse quart
OF oats a day more than is best for
him, you waste the oats just as much
as II you had fed them to the rats
Unintelligent care of horses produces
waste in at least three ways. In the
first place a horse which is not prop
erly taken care of requires more feed
than otherwise. In the second place
a horse not properly taken care Of
will do less work in a given time,
even though consuming more feed.
In the third place the value of a
horse improperly taken care Of will
decline more rapidly even though it
actually does less work and con-
sumes more feed. This decline in
value may, and in fact very often
does, go to the extent OF total de-
struction of value-the horse dies or
becomes useless
II may be said here, that horse is
seldom or never killed by overwork
or overdriving. When this accident
is supposed to happen, the truth is
that the horse had been improperly
cared for either before the work or
after 1t. What a horse can stand in
the way Of work depends upon his
general condition, his special con-
dition at the time he is put to work
and the care given him after the
work is over. And II is safe TO say
that no ordinary farm task, even at
the busiest season and under the
most trying conditions of weather, is
enough TO kill or ruin a sound horse
II he is properly cared for.
In the proper care of the horse the
first essential is a comfortable stable.
The absolute warmth of the stable is
not so important as its freedom from
drafts. Next to these. damp is the
worst stable enemy of the horse.
Next to these two enemies come i'm
proper floor and managers. A wooden
floor that drains properly but that
has no uncomfortable slant or in
equalities, is the best, and though 1t
costs more for repairs than a cement
floor II is most economical in the end.
Plenty OF good dry bedding, a man
ger that can be eaten out of easily
and that can be kept perfectly clean,
and halter strap long enough to let
the horse lie down in comfort are es-
sential. Stables should be as light
as possible. All disease germs pre-
fer the dark, and flies do not object
to II as much as is commonly sup
posed. Flies should be combated by
keeping the stable very clean, by
screening the windows, and by the
use OF good "hy-dope" when neces-
sary. II horse is not being used
every day, 1t should be allowed a
short run in the yard whatever the
weather, and to horses that are not
in constant use, the box stall is a
very desirable luxury.
After the stable comes the feed.
Most farmers give their horses too
much hay. The proper quantity de-
pends OF course on the size of the
horse, the work he is doing, and the
quality of the hay itself. There is
one good rule. however, which is
applicable to all conditions. Give
just what the horse will eat up clean.
Hay left in the bottom of the manger
day after day, and breathed on and
slobbered over becomes unpleasant
to the horses. and makes them relish
their food less. The managers should
be cleaned out perfectly, at least
once day, and preferably before
every feed. Bright, well-cured timo-
thy, free from dust, is probably the
best hay for horses, but any bright,
well-cured, dustless hay, does very
we'll. Sometimes 1t is hard to tell
why a horse relishes one hay better
than another. but 1t is safe TO say
that the relish with which he eats is
pretty safe guide as to the value of
the hay. Dust in hay is more injur-
ious to horses than to any other do
nestle animals. and for this reason
clover and straw are not usually
good for them. The chan OF straw
and the must OF the clover are both
likely to produce diseases OF the res
piratory organs. When cows fed on