CHAPTER XXVII 

 FARM HORSES 



T7ARMERS who buy horses for their own use almost 

 •^ always buy in the spring, and they pay about one- 

 fifth more than they would have paid for the same 

 animal in the previous fall — a sum which usually 

 exceeds the cost of wintering him. If the farmer 

 bought in the fall he would have ready for his spring 

 work an acclimated horse, fit for labor, and on terms 

 of friendly intimacy with his owner. Whereas, buy- 

 ing in the spring, he has a fat, soft horse, almost 

 always infected with distemper and often only half- 

 broken. Many of these green farm horses die of 

 pneumonia, or are ruined by hard work, or by exposure 

 to cold rain before they are conditioned and acclimated. 

 What has been said in the previous chapters about 

 the care of horses, and also in the chapter on driving, 

 applies, of course, to farm horses; but I cannot help 

 adding a few words here. The work of the farm 

 horse is much more irregular than that of any other 

 horse, and for this reason his shoulders and back 

 should be looked after with special care. Be sure 

 that his collar fits — it is as bad to have it too big as 

 too small. Be sure also that it does not ^'ride up"; 

 and to prevent this, employ, if necessary, a martingale 

 running from collar to belly girth, or an extra girth 

 running from trace to trace back of the forelegs. In 



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