HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HORSES. — NO. 2. 
187 
HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HORSES.— 
No. 2. 
Feeding is one of the most important considera- 
tions connected with the management of horses. 
A good deal of judgment and experience is essen- 
tial to adapting the food to all the different objects 
required. 
When the colt is by the side of a healthy, well- 
fed dam, no other provision is necessary for it, be- 
yond what it derives from her well-filled udder. 
But care is essential to prevent over-exercise or 
heat in her, or disease of any kind ; for the inju- 
rious effects will inevitably be disastrously felt by 
the offspring. As the colt approaches the period 
for weaning, it maybe taught to nibble at oats, 
bran, and meal, which may be readily done by 
having either placed before the mare, in a low trough, 
so as to attract the notice of the foal. The 
young of all animals are imitative creatures, and 
will soon learn to eat any food suited to them. By 
fradually adapting them to artificial food, they will 
e the better fitted for weaning, when the proper 
time arrives. Whenever this takes place, the colt 
should be removed entirely beyond the reach of 
sight or hearing of the dam. Both worry and fret 
much less from their remote separation, and sooner 
become entirely reconciled to it. The dam should 
have less and coarser food, and the foal richer and 
more nutritious, till the former has ceased to secrete 
her milk, and the latter has become fully accustom- 
ed to his new regimen. The mare may be milked 
occasionally till her bag becomes entirely dry. 
The food of the colt requires to be abundant and 
nutritive, without being rich and profuse. It will 
thus attain its full size, strength, and development 
much earlier than if scantily supplied. Oats and 
bran are excellent grain for it, perhaps the best. 
Roots should occasionally be fed to it through the 
winter, and whenever deprived of its green forage ; 
and roots may even be fed generously without 
injury. But sound hay, especially of the tender, 
succulent kinds, as the rowen, or aftermath, and 
the early-cut grasses, and clover for winter, and 
good pasturage in summer, should be the main re- 
liance for the food of the growing animal. 
Oats may be fed with liberality, where the price 
will admit, and this is oftener the case than the 
farmer is aware, if he will, instead of being at the 
expense of threshing, cleaning, &c, run the un- 
threshed oats through a cutting box, and feed the 
chop as it is, after wetting, and allowing it to stand 
for a day or two. For this purpose, and indeed 
for every other, the oats should be cut before they 
are fully ripened, and when they have become so 
far matured that they will fill out after cutting. In 
this condition, the straw is not only much more 
highly relished by the colt, but both straw and grain 
are absolutely more nutritive. 
Box stalls are essential for the. young, in our 
northern climate, during the winter months. They 
should be allowed a run in the fields or open 
yards every day, and room enough to frisk about at 
their pleasure, when housed. The expense of pro- 
viding comfortable shelter is comparatively trifling, 
and the economy of food and growth thereby se- 
cured, is considerable. A colt will not only con- 
sume much less food when well sheltered, but he 
will grow faster, and be much less subject to dis- 
ease. Good summer pasturage is all that is neces- 
sary for the colt, when that is abundant. This 
treatment ought to be pursued till the animal takes 
his place in the team. 
The breaking of a colt may commence at the ear- 
liest moment that is convenient. Valuable time 
should not be consumed with him to any extent, 
before he is taken in hand to break. But he may 
be halter broken the first winter, and be subjected 
to the bit at any time. If kindly treated, he will 
thus be kept tractable, and whenever required, will 
be easily subjected to the restraints of the saddle or 
harness. Indeed, if allowed to run with the team, 
or be near it, he may easily be taught to participate 
with his associates, in whose labors he seems to 
acquire a deep sympathy. If kindly treated up to 
this time, his breaking and after management will 
be easily effected. 
The feed of the working horse may vary greatly; 
yet, in each instance, be well suited to the ob- 
ject. Nothing is better for securing health and 
labor than good, well-cured hay, oats, and carrots ; 
though many other kinds of food may, under 
certain circumstances, be advantageously substituted 
for them. Some feed no hay, and as a substitute, 
give the blades or tops of corn, cut straw, mixed 
with barley meal, Indian corn, either on the cob, 
shelled, crushed, or ground, rye, buckwheat, bran, 
peas, or the English bean or vetch. The potato 
may be substituted for the carrot for horse food, 
from which it does not differ materially in nutritive 
equivalents ; but the carrot has a much better effect 
on the health, and especially the wind of the horse, 
than any other root. In the absence of both the 
preceding, parsnips, turnips, or beets may be fed, 
but they should be relied on only as a change, and 
not as a permanent food. Each of these act as 
slight aperients and diuretics, causing a modified 
looseness of the bowels ; and this effect is one es- 
sential cause of their decided utility. Carrots may 
constitute a part of the food of the horse to the ex- 
tent of 8 to 30 quarts daily, and with decided ad- 
vantage, when they are the produce of the farm 
where used ; and they should form a small part of 
the daily rations of every working horse, not 
otherwise supplied with green food, at the enhanc- 
ed price which may have to be paid for them. 
They have a wonderful effect in sustaining health, 
and restoring it in many instances when partially 
impaired ; and many, who have studied their effects 
closely, will feed them in moderate quantities, at 
any cost, rather than be without them. But the 
stomach of the horse is small as compared with the 
ox, camel, sheep, llama, and other ruminating ani- 
mals, and it cannot be loaded with a mass of 
light, loose food, without decided disadvantage. 
Flatulent, washy, and bulky, unsubstantial food 
is the most expensive that can be given to the 
working horse. He needs, for the most part, a 
condensed, easily-digested, muscle-bracing, wind- 
sustaining, nutritive food; and this is more cheaply 
secured in well-ripened oats than in any other food 
procurable in this country. 
There are several advantages in the use of oats, 
and to appreciate them fully, we must consider 
some of the purposes to be fulfilled by food, which 
is designed to sustain the vital machine, to bring 
it to maturity, develop and perfect its various parts, 
