10 . ELEMENTARY AGRICULTUEE 



he would SO much like some barley, beans, peas, 

 corn, or turnips for a change. In the United States 

 Army a horse is allowed ten^ quarts of oats a day. 

 It is better to feed corn on the cob, as this makes the 

 animal eat more slowly and it also improves his 

 teeth. When carrots are given, they should be 

 sliced to prevent the horse from choking. It is 

 important to keep a little salt in his trough. 



Cleaning the Horse. When a horse comes to the 

 barn with muddy legs, they should be rubbed down 

 or washed, especially in cold weather, to prevent 

 rheumatism. Time spent in cleaning and rubbing 

 the horse in the evening after the day's work is 

 done, is much better for the animal than the same 

 time spent in the morning, because the horse will 

 rest so much better. 



His Care. When a horse is warm upon stopping 

 work in cold weather, he should be blanketed to 

 keep him from catching cold. On very cold morn- 

 ings the bits should be warmed by dipping them in 

 water before bridling the horse. Even cold water 

 will keep a frosty bit from freezing to the tongue 

 and tearing the skin. Have you ever tried touching 

 your tongue to frosty iron? 



Healthy Shoulders. Many farm horses suffer 

 from sore shoulders. This need not be so. The 

 collar should fit and be kept clean. If there is 

 danger of sore shoulders, they should be washed in 

 salt water at noon and in the evening. Salt water 

 is healing, and it makes the shoulders tough. When 



