1881.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
243 
from the mow or bale no more at once than 
you feed at that time, and if you cut your 
hay, or straw, then cut at one time no more 
than you will feed at that time. If from 
.any cause you are compelled to feed hay that 
is dusty, it will be eaten more readily if 
moistened with clean water; this will relieve 
his cough if he has one.” 
“ Well, how about feeding him grain, what 
kind shall it be, and how much ? ” 
“ The best way to feed grain is to mix it 
with cut hay or straw, in which case it must 
be ground. There are but few horses that 
will keep fat on hay alone, perhaps none will 
do so and work. I have owned some horses 
■called “ Canadian,” small, closely built, and 
■“ round boned ” as they say, with hair on the 
back of the fore legs rather long and inclined 
to curl; these would keep fat on hay made 
wholly from White Daisies, cut before the 
seeds would shell. Again, I have owned 
horses that would require the best of hay and 
grain equal to a peck v>f oats a day, to keep in 
good condition, even when not at work ; no 
one rule will apply to all horses. If you 
work your horse, and by work I mean driv¬ 
ing him nearly every day a distance of 10 or 
15 miles, or less, and draw heavy loads, he 
will require some grain, the more according 
as his work is increased. For the work above 
named I would feed him grain equal to at 
least four quarts of oats a day, some horses 
you must remember require more than others, 
and that there is no better grain to feed a 
horse doing little or light work than clear, 
clean oats. If you require considerable work, 
then cut your hay or straw, moisten it with 
clean water and mix therewith feed made of 
corn one bushel, oats two bushels, and rye or 
wheat half a bushel, ground together, and in 
amount about two quarts in the morning, 
and at noon, and four quarts at night, in¬ 
creasing or diminishing according to the 
nature or needs of your horse and the amount 
of work performed. If his grain is ground 
and moistened, his feed-box will in time be¬ 
come sour, especially in the summer, but it 
must not remain so. Keep it sweet by 
frequent cleansing and by using hot water, 
if necessary.” 
“Well, well, Uncle Thad, there are, it 
seems, a great many things to know and re¬ 
member in the care and keeping of a horse. 
I fear you have already told me moi-e than I 
can remember.” 
“ Perhaps so, but there is a little more to 
be said respecting his care, and still more 
about his diseases. In extreme cold weather 
his comfort will be increased and health pro¬ 
tected if his drinking water is warmer than 
it would be when in contact with ice, and 
particularly so when he is warm from Woi'k 
or very thirsty. If you will accustom him, 
and you can do so, by giving him a little at a 
time, to drink three times a day in winter, it 
will be better for him than to drink only 
twice. And whenever at work, or on the 
road, see to it that he is allowed to drink 
often, and but little at a time when warm 
from exertion. He should have salt as often 
as once a week, and all he will eat.” 
“ How about his blanket, his harness, and 
the use of the comb and brush ? ” 
“ There again comes a matter in which dif¬ 
ferent horses require different treatment. 
Some horses will endure a degree of cold 
without injury or suffering that others can 
not. Some, on a cold morning, will shiver 
-even with a blanket on, while another in an 
adjoining stall, without a blanket, will not 
be uncomfortable. As a general rule, keep a 
blanket on your horse in winter. If your 
stable is warm, a thin blanket will be better 
than a heavy, thick one. Whenever, after a 
drive in winter, you stop, and leave your 
horse to stand out-of-doors, do not fail to 
cover him warmly, and so tie him that he 
will not have the wind, especially if it be 
strong, blow in his face. Some horses need 
more cleaning than others, some enjoy the 
using of the curry-comb, while to others it is 
a torment. When your horse has perspired 
freely, and when he is dusty from the road, 
or smeared with mud, clean him. In all 
things seek his comfort. My general rule is 
to use the brush and broom, and a woollen 
cloth, more than the curry-comb. Aside from 
his bridle, I will say nothing now about his 
harness. Check reins are generally an afflic¬ 
tion of great severity, and their use should 
be slight, if permitted at all. More horses 
are injured, both physically and in appear¬ 
ance, or style of movement, by an excessive 
application of the check rein than most 
people are aware of. Blinders will possibly 
be always used, but for all horses going free¬ 
ly, without the use .of the whip, they are not 
only useless, but positively injurious. Never 
fail to get the frost out of the bits before they 
touch his mouth or lips. In regard to his 
shoes, I will only say that it is a mistaken 
idea that the best smith is the one who makes 
his shoes stay on the longest. Have the 
horse’s shoes re-set as often as once a month. 
Knock the snow-balls from his feet when he 
comes in with them, and if his legs are mud¬ 
dy or wet, see that they are cleaned and dried 
as soon as possible, and remember to do all 
cleaning elsewhere than in his stable. 
“Flies are a terrible torment to a horse in 
the summer and autumn, and a net should 
be used when you drive. Darken his stable 
so as to prevent their troubling him when he 
is in his stall. 
“ Be sure that gentleness and kindness 
temper your every act and word in presence 
of your horse. He will love you if you are 
loveable, and will do more and better for 
you when impelled by love than by fear. 
Never clean, handle, or be near him when he 
is eating his grain. Never curse or swear in 
his presence. Never whip him for shying at 
an object at which he is frightened. Never 
kick him for stepping on a thill that his 
blinders prevented him from seeing, or on 
your own foot, which he had no idea was so 
much larger than his own. 
“ In regard to diseases of your horse, their 
cause, prevention, and cure, the first thing to 
be said is, keep your horse in good condition 
and you will prevent nearly all the diseases 
to which he is subject; still, some horses 
will at times, and under apparently the best 
of care, be ‘ out of condition,’ as they say; 
their eyes will be dull, their hair rough ; they 
will look and feel badly. Give them then 
a change of food, and in their feed a table¬ 
spoonful of sulphur, and a warm mess of 
bran. When these conditions are accom¬ 
panied with ‘ hide-bound,’ make a strong tea 
of Tamarack Bark, in which soak his oats, 
and a few feedings of this will work out the 
desired improvement. 
“Any form of medicine may be easily 
given a horse, by grasping his tongue in 
your hand and pulling it a little out and to 
one side of his mouth, and then inserting a 
bottle, if the medicine is liquid, or the pill or 
ball, if the medicine is in that form, then let 
go of his tongue, and he will be compelled to 
swallow the dose. 
“ Your horse may receive an injury to his 
eye, and a white film form thereon ; here the 
mildest and most efficient remedy will be 
ordinary Molasses. You can pour it in his 
eye by elevating his head. One application 
will generally be sufficient. 
“ For an external injury, such as a cut or 
a bruise, or a sprain even, Arnica liniment is 
good, but a liniment made of one part 
Lobelia, two parts Smart-Weed, and three erf 
Mullein Leaves, is better to relieve pain and 
allay inflammation than any other applica¬ 
tion known to me. 
“ Colic is common to all horses, being pro¬ 
duced by over-feeding green grass, sudden 
exposure to cold when heated, and by drink¬ 
ing, when warm, large doses of cold water. 
Colic is distinguished from inflammation of 
the bowels by its attack being sudden, by 
warm ears and legs, which, in inflammation 
of bowels, will be cold. In colic the horse 
will turn his head from side to side, as if to 
look at his flanks, lie down quickly, get up 
soon, and manifest constant uneasiness. Then 
the pain will abate and he will be easy, but 
will soon have another attack. When caused 
by green feed, which will generally be ac¬ 
companied with bloating, give a tablespoon¬ 
ful of Spirits of Hartshorn or Ammonia, di¬ 
luted with water. In other cases, a table¬ 
spoonful of Salt will sometimes relieve, but if 
it does not in ten minutes, then give a table¬ 
spoonful of Cooking Soda, dissolved in water. 
“ Worms are common to all horses, and 
their presence is indicated by the roughness 
of the coat, and by his rubbing his tail, and 
also by a yellowish colored substance under 
his tail around the part. Liberal doses of 
Salt will often remove them ; raw Potatoes, 
fed half a peck at a time, are often very effec¬ 
tive. If not relieved by these, give strong 
Wormwood tea, followed by a dose of Aloes, 
about 7 drams. 
“ Cough is caused by worms, by dusty hay 
or musty grain, and by diseased lungs. The 
remedies should be first the simplest, such 
as green grass when it can be had, or at 
other times carrots and potatoes. A tea¬ 
spoonful of Oil of Tar placed on his tongue 
will often give speedy relief. If these do not 
relieve him, then give Spirits of Turpentine, 
Balsam of Copaiba, Tincture of Capsicum, 
and Oil of Tar, equal parts, ten to twelve 
drops at a time. 
“Scratches are common in horses, and are 
caused by standing in manure, by overwork, 
by travelling long in the mud, and not being 
properly cleaned at night, with the feet and 
legs dried and warmed. First thoroughly 
clean the feet with soap and warm water, 
and then wash with Copperas Water, or, 
after his feet are wiped dry, apply a salve 
made by mixing 2 oz. of Gunpowder with 
Lard, or of Sulphur and Lard, or a warm 
poultice of Bran, and give him also tea of 
Tamarack Bark, or soak his oats in such tea. 
‘ ‘ An excellent remedy, and frequently a 
permanent cure for horses, is one pint of 
Alcohol, into which put as much Pine Tar as 
it will dissolve, and give a tablespoonful of 
this every morning for ten days. 
“A tablespoonful of Tartar Emetic will 
stop all appearance of heaves for several days, 
and often for several weeks, by giving at the 
same time moistened cut feed,or green grass.” 
C. F. Burnham, Mt. Holly Springs, Pa- 
