HOKSE SENSE. 4< 



FOOD THROUGH THE WINTER. 



The food of the stallion through the winter should be in keeping with 

 the amount of exercise taken; some stallions will, of their own accord, 

 take ten times the work that others will, and if he is driven, the feed 

 must correspond to his work. Don't get him fat, nor let him run down 

 in flesh. Oats and bran, with some corn, if he suffers with the cold, will 

 be found excellent; corn is a good heater. 



Roots may also be given to advantage in small quantities, twice or 

 three times per week, but good, nourishing foods, given often, and at 

 regular intervals, in small quantities at a time, will be found to be the 

 best for the great drain on the system during service season, of which 

 the wintering of the stallion is the preparatory stage. 



KEEP THE STALLION STRONG AND VIGOROUS. 

 If the stallion is allowed to run dowm in flesh and lead a life of abso- 

 lute idleness through the winter and then the preparation for the sea- 

 son's work, when it is almost upon us, is attempted, we will make a 

 great mistake. There is no tax upon the animal economy that calls into 

 play all the energies and activity of the whole system like that of each 

 service during the whole season, and unless the stallion is well prepared 

 for this work, how can we reasonably expect him to be sure in service 

 or improve the character of his offspring? We might as well expect to 

 start in a racing campaign with a few days or weeks preparation, or to 

 catch up the green, unbroken draft colt, put him into hard work at once 

 and expect him to do as well as the old seasoned, well broken stand-by. 

 It is frequently observed that the stallions that are in the harness every 

 day at work, are the surest foal getters, and further, that the young 

 foals are stronger and more vigorous than those of stallions that have 

 had a life of what is termed good care and feed (shut in a stall with 

 all they will eat). This, alone, should be a lesson to the observing and 

 they should make exercise a very important matter with the service 

 stallion in winter as well as summer. We want to impress the importance 

 of exercise as one of the most essential requisites in the wintering of the 

 stallion. To exercise we must add the feed required to keep up his 

 vigor and then we will have a stallion in the spring, that can go on the 

 stand and do good service to his patrons, make a reputation, and bring 

 "ducats" to his owner. The work of the stallion should not be of the 

 extremely exhausting character, but enough to encourage a good appetite 

 and make strong muscles, send vitalizing blood through his arteries 

 with renewed energy and render his disposition happy and cheerful. 



WE PAY DEARLY FOR NEGLECT OF THE STALLION IN 

 WINTER. 



The horse being an animal of utility, and his value being largely esti- 

 mated by his activity and strength, how important it is that we preserve 

 the strength and action of our service stallions during their period of 

 vacation for renewed service in the coming season. This is a matter we 

 cannot ignore with impunity, without paying dearly for our negligence, 



