The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-01
HORSES ON PASTURE
Experiments at Middlebury Show That
This Is Practicable.

lHlS is fIdClNdDies
The custom Of running horses out on
pasture during the winter is the com
mon one on the range in most sections
Of the South, and to q certain extent
in the corn belt. IL is rare, however, in
localities such as New England, where
the winters are cold. The greatest OBJ
stacle to profitable animal husbandry
in New England is the necessity to feed
aud shelter live stock during the long
winter period. The department of ag-
riculture has found this constantly in
creasing bill of expense at the Morgan
horse farm near Middlebury, VT, and is
deyising means 10 reduce it TO mini.
mum. In 1910, cheap barns costing $500
each were built in three pastures, each
barn having door in ore side, facing
either south or east. Hay storage IS
overhead, and grain storage at one end.
A hay manger runs along the inside Of
the back wall and grain trough is
outside. One or all of the doors are open
all the time and plenty of bedding is
provided
The yearling FLIES and the brood
mares were given these accommodations
during the winter of 1910 the brood
mares being brought up TO the main
stables about three weeks before they
were due TO foal. The Gyst winters
trial was completely satisfactory The
horses had bed which was roomy, al
ways dry, and free from drafts, and
were free TO come and 60 as they wished
No colds or coughs were observed. The
horses were undoubtedly better for their
winters outing, The cost of stabling
was cut from $2 70 81 per head per
month, and the cost attendance from So
TO 81 per head II is possible still fur
Their to reduce the latter charge by in.
creasing the number Of animals on the
pastures. The horses ate practically the
same amount Of grain that they would
have consumed in stable and somewhat
more hay.
During the coming winter, the foals
Of 1917 will run cat, having an open
shed in an especially well sheltered To-
cation. The barn for the bfpod mares
has been enlarged and changed into an
open L-shaped she'd facing south and
east A 100 ton concrete silo has been
Nulll IN conjunction WIN TINS Shtd,
and silage and timothy hay will make
the ration Of the brood mares during
the winter. The leading stallion at the
farm, General Gates, has for a year
been given the run of tightly fenced
paddock Of about three-fourths acre. to
which he has access every day in win
ter and day and night during the spring,
summer and, fall. In this time, he has
never worn a blanket and has never
been In better health or spirits, or more
easily handled.
The departments experience thus far
seems to indicate that horses may run
out during the winter provided they have
a dry bed, sheltered from storms, and
are given enough TO eat, and that the
practice win result in a considerable saw
ing in cost Of stabling and attendance.
Secretary Wilson says that for 20 years
a herd OF horses has wintered outdoors
on his Iowa farm. He puts the horses
in at one year old coming TO two. He
built shed for them when he put them
out at first, but found they would not
90 into it no matter how severe the
weather wasi they preferred to go into
a heavily timbered ravine where they
got all the shelter they seemed to want.