130 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



the like. Old straw is preferred to new, as it is dryer and more 

 elastic. The more broken and bruised the straw the less its 

 bulk and elasticity and the more of it needed. 



BLANKETS 



In cold climates the use of blankets is indispensable. The 

 horse will prove more efficient and will endure much longer if 

 reasonably protected against sudden changes in temperature, the 

 cold rains, and heavy winds. 



Stable blanket. — The proper use of the stable blanket is of 

 first importance. It is a common practice after the day's work 

 to hurry the horses into their stalls, unharness, blanket them at 

 once, feed and leave them for the night ; in the morning it is 

 desired .to get to work early, the horses are fed, the blankets re- 

 moved, the animal's body curried a very little, the harness is put 

 on, and in a few minutes the horses are at work. Animals thus 

 treated stiffen in the joints, develop leg and foot diseases, and soon 

 become useless, and may be sold or traded as part payment on 

 others to undergo the same treatment. 



The usefulness of a horse can be prolonged and his efficiency in- 

 creased by proper blanketing and grooming. . On arriving at the 

 stable very warm and sweating, the horse should not be blank- 

 eted until he has ceased to steam, nor should he be left in a draft 

 If blanketed at once, little opportunity is given for him to dry 

 off, the blanket will become damp, and the hair remain so all 

 night. In case the blanket is not used until the animal has 

 ceased to steam and is somewhat cooled, which will be in a 

 quarter of an hour, the hair will be dry and smooth the following 

 morning. Stable blankets may be dispensed with in the hot 

 summer months if the flies are excluded by screens or by some 

 other means. If blankets are used at this time, they should be 

 of light material and kept clean. As soon as the nights begin to 

 get cool, the blankets should be resumed, as an early use will 

 arrest to a marked degree the growth of hair. This may obviate 



