432 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



become stiff, and swellings puff out the joints. Exercise 

 improves condition and spirits, and is often a preventive of 

 disease. It should be moderate ;" for the class of horses which 

 we have described are not capable of undergoing such fatigue 

 as would seem quite easy to the farm or wagon horse, not 

 having the same hardness of muscle nor equal powers of en- 

 durance. 



Great care should be taken not to put horses that have 



been idle for some time 

 to severe exercise too 

 suddenly. Great evils 

 have followed this in- 

 judicious course, and, in 

 many instances, the loss 

 of the horse too late has 

 opened the eyes of the owner to its folly. The remarkable 

 case of lock-jaw, described on page 203-205 of this work, oc- 

 curred while the author was engaged in preparing the first 

 draft of the present chapter, and fully illustrates what we 

 wish to say in this connection. 



Many farmers pursue a course similar to the one described 

 in that narrative, in overworking horses unaccustomed to 

 hard service; and though lock-jaw may rarely follow, they 

 are lucky, indeed, if no other disease fastens itself upon their 

 abused and jaded animals. In consequence of such misman- 

 agement, not a few of the best horses ever bred have failed; 

 while, if they had been the subjects of a little consideration 

 and judgment, such as would have put them to work gard- 

 ually, and have increased the amount of labor exacted fron^ 

 them as they were able to bear it, they might have contin- 

 ued to do excellent service for a whole lifetime without any 

 suffering in becoming inured to protracted and severe toil. 



In the case of lock-jaw referred to above, it was a great 

 mistake to put the young mare to such hard work in the 

 hottest days of August. More favorable results ought not 

 to have been anticipated. The best time for accustoming 

 the young draft-horse to the labor which is to be demanded 



