BULLETIN No. 2. ISSUED IN MAY, J9t0. 

 THE DISPOSAL OF OLD HORSES. 



The world owes a duty to the old, worn- 

 out horse, and many events of recent oc- 

 currence show that the community is hc- 

 i^innins;' to realize this fact. It is as cruel 

 as it is irrational to treat him like an old 

 machine, to he disposed of in any manner 

 whatever, when he has ceased to be useful 

 to his master. He is a creature equally 

 capable with man of suffering- pain. In 

 fact, the horse, owing to the painful dis- 

 eases to which he is subject in the bones of 

 the feet and legs, may truly be described as 

 the most unfortunate animal in the world. 



It is known to everybody familiar with 

 the subject that certain forms of lameness, 

 especially spavin, produce a peculiar emaci- 

 ation and shrinking of the loins of the 

 horse, simply from pain. It is impossible 

 to keep such a horse fat even if he does no 

 work whatever. What then must be his 

 sufferings when he is compelled to work 

 every day, and, as is often the case, to haul 

 heavy loads ! 



If the horse could cry out when he was 

 in pain the world would not endure his suf- 

 ferings for a (lav. 



Moreover, the nervous system of the 

 horse greatly tends to increase his suffer- 

 ings. In nine cases out of ten the horse is 

 a more nervous animal than the man who 

 drives him, and more likely to be annoyed 

 and worried Ijy little things. 



For these reasons and many others that 

 might be mentioned, it is the duty of every 

 horse-owner to refrain from selling his old 

 horse as he would sell a thing without life 

 or feeling. It is true that some men still 

 take the opposite view. For example, a 

 member of a well-known lumber concern in 



Boston recently said : ''We buy horses for j 

 what there is in them and dispose of them i 

 when they are no longer suitable for us; ^ 

 we have no sentiment in the matter at all." 

 Such men, we are thankful to say, are be- 

 coming fewer in numljer, and the time is 

 net very far distant when they will be re- 

 garded with abhorrence l:)y the community 

 in general. 



The State of Xew York passed a law in 

 1907 providing that worn-out horses in the 

 fire department and other departments of 

 the city of New York shall not be sold at 

 auction as was formerly the case, but shall 

 be handed over to the Humane Society in 

 that cit\-, which agrees to take care of them. 

 A similar law was passed in Massachusetts 

 in the year 1908. The Massachusetts law 

 provides that any cit}- or town in the Com- 

 monwealth may turn over old or disabled 

 horses that have been used in the fire de- 

 partment, or in any other department of the 

 city or town, to Red Acre Farm,*or to any 

 other incorporated charitable society for the 

 care and protection of horses. The law 

 l)rovides that such horses shall never be 

 sold or given away, but shall remain in the 

 custody of the society taking charge of 

 them. 



Several years ago a horse that had long 

 done service in Maine for the United 

 States government was pensioned for life 



*Red Acre Farm is about 25 miles frcm Bostcn 

 in the town of Stow. The raih-oad station and post 

 office are South Acton on the Fitchburg branch of 

 the Boston and Maine R. R. The tek phone is 

 West Acton No. 8. Any horse, sent by anybody 

 from any place, will be received at the Farm and 

 cared for. If the owner is unable to pay anything, 

 nothintr will be charcred. 



