784 THE AMERICAN FARMER 



him from recovering himself well when he does stumble. But the latter is a steady support 

 to the head given by the hand of the driver. Avoid a constant hard pull on the bit, for it 

 hardens the horse s mouth and pains and irritates him. 



Never pull up suddenly and sharply unless it is necessary, because this is not only painful 

 to the horse, but tries his chest, neck, and fore-legs. Do not acquire the foolish habit of con. 

 tinually jerking on the reins, or using the whip. The first injures and hardens the horse s 

 mouth; besides, he will not know what is really meant when both reins and whip are used in 

 earnest. Be careful to see that the horse s collar fits well and causes him no irritation. Ill- 

 fitting collars or those that are too tight are the cause of much injury to horses. The follow 

 ing, from the &quot;London Horse Book,&quot; contains much truth and may serve to call the attention 

 of those who have been indifferent and careless in this respect: 



&quot; A horse-collar is frequently looked upon as merely a ring for the neck, to which the 

 traces are to be affixed; whereas, there is no part of the harness which is so important and 

 which ought to fit so accurately. How often is a little collar only fit for a pony jammed on 

 the neck of a much larger animal, so that every pull he makes must give the feeling of stran 

 gulation, and that will in all probability cause some kind of fit if long continued, besides its 

 liability to gall and wring the poor animal s shoulders. When this has taken place, the work 

 cannot be fairly performed; and to do it at all, the anguish of the poor horse must be 

 indescribable.&quot; 



A badly-fitting collar will also frequently cause horses to balk that are otherwise per 

 fectly docile and easily managed. 



In using the saddle, the same care should be exercised to see that it is sufficiently large 

 and bears evenly on the horse s back. A saddle that is too small or does not fit well will 

 chafe and gall the horse most painfully. 



The wheels of the vehicle should be kept well greased. This not only saves much of 

 the wear occasioned by constant friction, but renders the draft much easier. It is estimated 

 that well-oiled wheels save one-half the work of draft. In taking a long journey drive 

 slowly at the beginning and near the end, increasing the rate of speed between the two 

 extremes; this permits him to get warm and cool by degrees, which is always the best 

 method. Never stop long in cold, wet, or windy weather, and never in any weather when 

 the horse is warm and sweaty without putting a blanket over him as a protection against 

 taking cold. 



When stopping on going up a hill, always block the wheel with a stone, otherwise the 

 whole weight of the wagon and load are drawing on the collar, straining his limbs and back 

 and preventing him from breathing well. Always let a horse have water often when being 

 driven, and in moderate quantities. Never allow him to suffer thirst. Never throw water 

 on his limbs when he is warm. Never overload an animal at any time. This is not only 

 cruel and unjust to the horse, but equally unprofitable to yourself. Always so harness the 

 horse and arrange his load that he may be able to use his strength to the best advantage. 

 Give him the free use of his head, discarding check-reins and blinders, and see that his collar 

 and harness fit well, are properly adjusted, and will neither cramp, chafe, nor irritate him. 



There should always be a suitable proportion between the horse and the vehicle. The 

 shafts should be neither too high nor too low, but nearly on a level in draught, though sloping 

 slightly upwards. The horse draws in a level line, and the shafts and traces should therefore 

 be nearly level. 



Horses should not be long used without being fed. Nose-bags are very convenient to 

 put the feed in during the intervals of rest when out in the field at work. There should be 

 leather or other durable material at the bottom, in order to retain the food well, while above 

 they should be of open texture or porous, to permit the animal to breathe freely. Something 

 should be given the horse to rest it upon in order to eat at the bottom, otherwise he will be 



