256 Common Diseases of the Horse 



HINTS TO HORSE OWNERS 



The essential factors for the vvellbeing of a horse are suitable 

 food and suitable surroundings, coupled with a judicious amount of 

 work. Feeding has been dealt with in other parts of this volume, 

 so suffice it to mention that young horses, like young children, 

 should be fed with discretion. The amount of corn should be 

 strictly limited, and only that quantity allowed that will keep the 

 animal " fit " to perform the duties required of him. On no account 

 should overfeeding be allowed. It will either produce a too fat 

 condition, causing the body to become too heavy for the legs, or 

 the growth will be too rapid, producing a condition corresponding 

 to what is spoken of in the human subject as having " overgrown 

 their strength". A fat young horse soon becomes worn, and is 

 always looked upon with suspicion by buyers. The overgrown 

 animal is a leggy, herring-gutted brute that nobody wants to 

 purchase. Judicious feeding and management encourage an all- 

 round growth, and this should always be aimed at. 



This means that the increase in weight should be gradual, and 

 accompanied at the same time by a corresponding increase in 

 depth, i.e. the horse appears to get shorter on his legs and nearer 

 to the ground. Maturity is reached at five years of age, and when 

 this time arrives the horse should be in good condition (not fat), 

 fresh (or " new " as it is called) on his legs, and buoyant in spirits. 



Work has a great influence on the future of a horse. A cart 

 horse should be broken at two years of age, and allowed light work 

 on the land for a year, after which light chain and shaft work may 

 be performed for a time, gradually increasing, until at five years 

 old he is able to do practically anything that is required. On the 

 other hand, the animal that has not been broken until compara- 

 tively late (four or five years old), and then put to hard work, in 

 many cases sold as fit for town work, is utterly unable to do it, and 

 invariably breaks down, to the disgust of the purchaser and not to 

 the credit or satisfaction of the seller. 



A hint must be given regarding the surroundings. Until two 

 years of age the young animals should be running at grass, and 

 broken in at the commencement of their third year, when they will 

 require to be stabled for some part of their time. It is most im- 

 portant that the stabling accommodation should be in every way 

 sanitary. For this purpose the building should be well lighted, well 

 ventilated, and well drained. In many stables, unfortunately, hardly 

 any attention is given to these points, and any place which affords 

 protection is considered good enough. There should be practically 



