212 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



water, using a tablespoonful of salt to a quart of water. In 

 the case of serious sores or wounds the wisest policy will be 

 to secure the services of a competent veterinarian for treat- 

 ment if the expense incurred is not too great. 



The sanitation of the horse stable is of much importance. 

 In those stables where manure accumulates, and the floor 

 is moist, a strong smell of ammonia is very common. Here 

 we find an unsanitary condition, from which results a more 

 or less unhealthy condition of the feet. The stall should be 

 kept clean, the manure removed each day, and dry bedding 

 of some form supplied. Bright straw or shavings are popu- 

 lar materials for bedding, and readily absorb moisture under- 

 foot. Ventilation is especially important in the horse 

 stable. The temperature of the horse stable should be cool 

 rather than warm. Captain Hayes, a noted authority on 

 horses, writing on the subject of the temperature of the 

 stable, says:* 



"I have had many opportunities in Russia for comparing the relative 

 healthiness, during very cold weather, of hot stables and of those kept 

 at a natural temperature. In large towns in Russia the practice through- 

 out the winter is to have stables at a temperature of from 50 to 60 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, the difference between the temperature inside and outside 

 being not infrequently over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Consequently, 

 influenza, inflammation of the eyes, and diseases of the organs of breath- 

 ing, especially roaring among big horses, are common in these abodes. 

 In the Russian cavalry remount depots an entirely different course is 

 pursued; for the stables at these places are immensely roomy, very 

 lofty, and are ventilated so freely and kept so clean, that even in the 

 early mornings, before the horses are taken put, the air inside is free 

 from any suspicion of closeness. It is instructive to note that the horses 

 kept in them maintain their health during the extremely cold winter in 

 the same excellent manner they do in summer." 



The breaking and training of the colt is a most important 

 feature of management. A few rules relating to this process 

 is all that can be offered here. Colts differ widely in tem- 

 perament and disposition, and each one is a problem in it- 

 self. It is a good plan to have a friendly relationship with 

 the colt when it is very young, long before the process of 

 training begins. It should be petted and made familiar with 

 its future master, that confidence may be established. The 



*Stable Management and Exercise, 1900. 



