HOR 



HOR 



207 



cy food for horses in winter, wri- 

 ters on hiisbaiidry seem to give car- 

 rots the preference. They have 

 been found by experience to an- 

 swer well instead of oats for la- 

 bouring horses ; and to fatten those 

 which are lean. 



He that would be sure to keep 

 his horse in good order, must be- 

 ware whom he suffers to ride him, 

 and must see that he is never 

 abused. Profuse sweating should 

 always be avoided. And when a 

 horse is much warmed by exercise, 

 he should not be exposed to cold 

 air, or night dew, and much less 

 to rain and snow. If he cannot 

 be instantly rubbed down and 

 housed when warm, he should be 

 covered with a blanket ; and he 

 should always have a dry stable, 

 and be well littered. The neglect 

 of these precautions may bring on 

 incurable disorders. 



Horses should not be too much 

 deprived of the liberty of motion, 

 as they too often are. Close con- 

 finement after hard labour, will be 

 apt to abate their circulations too 

 suddenly, make them chilly, and 

 stiffen their joints. To be depriv- 

 ed of motion, is bad for man and 

 beast. H -rses therefore should 

 not be straitened for room in their 

 stables. Stables should not be so 

 low as to prevent their tossing up 

 their heads as high as they please. 

 Some stahles have so little room 

 over head as to bring horses into 

 a habit of carrying their heads too 

 low. They become afraid to lift 

 Ihem up. They should also have 

 room in their stables to turn their 

 heads to any part of their bodies, 

 that they may defend themselves 



from the biting of insects, allay 

 itching, &ic. And their halters 

 should always be so long, and their 

 stable so wide, that they ma) lie 

 down conveniently. Nor should 

 horses be so placed as to be able 

 to deprive each other of his fod- 

 der. 



When horses are kept in sta- 

 bles, as they generally are in the 

 coldest half of the year, they should 

 be daily dressed, as it is called. 

 The curry comb, and the brush, 

 should be well used on all parts of 

 their skin, which are covered with 

 hair. This increases perspiration 

 through the pores of the skin, 

 which is necessary to health ; and 

 causes the blood to move faster in 

 the veins. This treatment will 

 not only cause them to look bet- 

 ter, but they will have better 

 health, and more activity and cour- 

 age. They will digest their food 

 better, and be better for service. 

 But if rubbing and friction be 

 wholly neglected, or slightly per- 

 formed, the hair will appear dry 

 and rough; the perspirable matter 

 hardens in the pores of the skin, 

 or remains lodged at the roots of 

 the hair, and has the appearance 

 ofa duty white dust: Atid some- 

 times like small scales attended 

 with itching. More especially is 

 rubbing necessary for horses, when 

 they are growing cold after being 

 svveated by labour. In such cases 

 it should never be omitted. 



Columella observes " that the 

 bodies of cattle ought to be rub- 

 bed down daily, as well as the 

 bodies of men ; and says it often 

 does thern more good to have 

 their backs well rubbed down. 



