CHAPTER X 

 THE HORSE 



Horses and automobiles. Though the automobile and gas 

 engine may seem to be displacing the horse in some in- 

 stances, the high prices and great demand for good horses 

 lead us to believe that mechanical power is not a successful 

 substitute for the horse in all its work, nor that it is ever 

 likely to be. We can not imagine a farm without horses. 

 Probably most of our present enjoyment of comforts and 

 conveniences is traceable to our friend and servant, the 

 horse. 



There are about one-fourth as many horses in our country 

 as there are people, and about three-fourths of these horses 

 are on the farm. We are indebted to the horses that do the 

 work on the farms for the production of most of our food. 

 Horses are increasing in esteem and numbers, and more atten- 

 tion is being paid to their health and comfort. The great 

 question on the farm today is how to plan the farming opera- 

 tions so that the horse labor will be used more effectively, 

 thus reducing the number of horses and getting more efficient 

 use of those that remain. 



The work of horses. Different kinds of horses are adapted 

 to different kinds of work. One horse may draw a buggy 

 along the road at the rate of ten miles an hour, and thus be 



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