112 LIVESTOCK ON THE FARM 



iiion mistake is to feed horses a uniformly iiigh grain ration on 

 Sundays and rainy days as well as on work days. This fi-e- 

 quently results in azoturia, which very often is fatal, and in 

 other troubles. A good rule to follow, then, is to cut down 

 the ration and especially the grain part on days when the 

 horses are not at work. Of course, horses that are very much 

 worked down and are thin in flesh can stand a little extra 

 feed occasionally on days when they are idle. But they should 

 not be allowed to stand in the barn at such times and become 

 stiff. 



THE CARE OF HORSES 



With environment and feeding, two of the most important 

 matters have been provided. There are a few other points 

 that should not be overlooked. 



Fitting the Harness. — Harness for a horse should be fitted 

 well at all points, especially the collar. This should fit the 

 neck perfectly. A sweatpad is frequently used to produce 

 a fit, and, as is sometimes said, to make a softer contact with 

 the shoulders. It is a great deal better, however, to have a 

 collar fitted without a sweatpad than with one. The sweat- 

 pad is too warm and not easily enough cleaned. There is 

 nothing better than a good leather collar well fitted and kept 

 perfectly smooth and clean. 



A collar should always be cleaned at night when it is re- 

 moved from the horse. At this time dirt on its face is soft 

 and can easily be rubbed ofT. A wisp of hay or a sharpened 

 piece of soft wood, followed by a piece of cloth, to leave a 

 smooth polished surface, are good for this purpose. Great 

 care should be exercised not to roughen the face of the collar. 



Sometimes as horses become thinner during a season of 

 hard work the collars become too large. If there are several 

 horses on a farm the difficulty can be remedied by getting a 

 new collar for the smallest horse and shifting collars from the 

 smaller to the larger animals. 



Feet. — A horse's feet should always be kept clean and well 

 trimmed. Shoes are necessary only when the feet are tender 

 or worn down too much, or to prevent slipping. When shoes 

 are used they should be reset about once a month. 



