484 



AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



we witnessed some years ago — a fine, large horse struck vio- 

 lently upon the neck, just back of the ear, and falling in- 

 stantly dead. His offense was refusing to work in a cart. 

 The spine was undoubtedly broken — a sad result which maybe 

 easily brought about by a blow upon the first joint of the neck. 



In chastising a mare with foal, hundreds of men have so 

 little sense or consideration as to kick her about the body. 

 If the foal is not killed outright by this barbarous proceed- 

 ing, it is likely to receive more or les3 injury, which will be 

 permanent. 



It would probably surprise every one, if it could be known 

 how many horses are ruined every year in the United States 

 by overworking and cruel punishments. The annual loss to 

 the country in this way would be counted by many hundreds 

 of thousands of dollars. 



CUTTINa AND SLITTING THE EARS. 



This senseless and cruel practice is happily very much on 

 the wane. The time once was 

 when nearly every small horse or 

 pony could be seen with his ears 

 cropped, or showing great slits in 

 them. Now, however, one sees 

 such an animal but seldom. 



The avowed object of this heart- 

 less custom was nothing less ab- 

 surd than the improvement of the horse's looks. What a 

 perverter of tastes capricious fashion can become! Some 

 farmers have a most outlandish fancy for cropping the ears 

 of all the domestic animals on their estates. The ears of the 

 dog must come off or be cropped close, and so must those of 

 poor old brindle, or the patient yoke of working oxen ; while 

 the pigs are predestined to the same mutilation from the mo- 

 ment of birth, so that they have nothing to keep the dirt 

 and mud from their heads when they seek to indulge in the 

 swinish luxury of a wallow in the puddle, or of sunning them- 

 selves on a dirty bank. 



