150 
HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HORSES.-NO. 1. 
absolutely necessary that this undergo a series of 
rotations, although for many reasons this is better ; 
yet a rotation may be secured exclusively with the 
forage plants, the clovers, and numerous varieties 
of the grasses. The meadow may, if it be pre¬ 
ferred, be thorougly manured with unfermented 
dung, then turned over flat, and after applying a top¬ 
dressing of compost, may be harrowed lengthwise 
of the furrows, and sown with grass seed liberally; 
and if all has been properly managed, the mosses 
will not, for years again, infest your meadows. 
HINTS ON THE MANAGEMENT OF HORSES— 
No. 1. 
.The horse is the noblest of our domesticated 
quadrupeds. He is also one of the most useful in 
augmenting the power and diminishing the labor 
of mankind. He touches the extremes of beauty 
and deformity, and is associated with every degree 
of pride and degradation, of utility and injury to 
the human race. He may be refined by breeding, 
or debased by inhumanity and neglect. He is ap¬ 
plied to the economical purposes of the farmer or 
citizen, or made the shuttlecock of gamblers and 
the fancy , by being thrown between the winning 
osts of the race course within the shortest possi- 
le time; or he becomes the terrible engine of de¬ 
struction as he sweeps over the plain in a terrific 
charge of cavalry. 
With us, however, in this portion of America, 
the horse is generally either the useful drudge and 
co-laborer of our citizens, or he is made to contri¬ 
bute to the ease, the pleasure, and the luxury of 
those who can afford it. Reasonable common-sense 
purposes among an intelligent common-sense peo- 
le have produced such results as were to have 
een anticipated. The northeastern states can 
safely challenge the world to produce an equal 
proportion of horses every way adapted to the ob¬ 
jects sought, as may now be found among them. 
This great excellence of our horses, has been main¬ 
ly achieved within yhe last fifty years, by judi¬ 
ciously crossing the best made and stoutest bloods 
upon a substantial, but originally not over meritori¬ 
ous stock of brood mares. We have, besides, import¬ 
ed s©me of the best of other well-established breeds. 
Such are the Norman, the English cart horse, and 
Cleveland bay. We have occasionally brought 
choice animals from different quarters of the world; 
and where they have been found possessing supe¬ 
rior merit, they have been made to contribute their 
quota in raising the character of American horses. 
We have within the last few days seen a Barb stal¬ 
lion, recently sent to this country, by our late con¬ 
sul at Morocco, standing nearly 16 hands high, 
with compact form, well-knit sinews, flat, clean, 
wiry, but strong legs, a shoulder approximating so 
closely to the hip as to be almost coupled by a 
double hand’s breadth, yet with a steep Norman 
rump ; and though probably incapable of ever get¬ 
ting a race of winners on the course, yet possessing 
qualities of intrinsic value for the horse of all 
work. But it is not our purpose to dwell upon the 
merits of our horses, but to suggest some of the 
most obvious hints for their management. 
One great cause of injury to horses is, over¬ 
working at too early an age, before the frame is 
expanded and muscles and cords have become 
fully developed and perfected. A horse does not 
reach a full maturity till eight, nor a man till eigh¬ 
teen to twenty-four; and while the boy is gene¬ 
rally exonerated from hard, constant labor till he 
reaches hi? majority, how often do we see the colt 
of three or lour, delving daily at a load that would 
tax the powers of the thoroughly-developed horse. 
Whoever thus overtaxes the youth of the animal, 
may be sure that he is paying dearly for it in his 
maturer age. He may waste one end of life, but 
he cannot both ; and for every year thus inhuman¬ 
ly filched from one extremity of horse existence, 
he is exhausting two if not three, and often times 
four of what should be his prime. But this folly 
is getting out of vogue, and is practised only by 
such as combine the double traits of idiocy and 
inhumanity. 
Another cause of frequent injury to horses is 
from improper breaking or training, by which the 
animal is left ignorant of the best and easiest me¬ 
thod of doing his work. A horse should be well 
taught his paces ; to walk fast, which is his easi¬ 
est and least expensive gait; to trot square and 
light, yet firmly; to gallop easily, if destined for 
the saddle, and to back well, if used for the wheel. 
Most of the character and ability for a desirable 
gait is inbred, and is controlled by the form; yet 
a great deal depends upon the skill and habit of 
the animal. We see this in every department of 
human labor, sometimes carried to an almost incre¬ 
dible extent, as shown by the porters in the Medi¬ 
terranean and East Indies, who will habitually 
carry burdens of 300 to 400 lbs., and sometimes it 
is alleged, as much as 600 to 700. The well- 
broken New-England oxen, will, with apparent 
ease, back a loaded cart up a steep hill, which 
many indifferently trained would hardly draw in 
the same position. 
Long-continued labor is injurious to the horse, 
though it may be indulged in, occasionally, with 
impunity. A horse should not be kept dragging 
from morning till night, with an incessant jog, 
however slow that may be. He should be put to 
his work, early or late as you please, and when 
there, let him move briskly, with an interval of 
rest now and then, to relieve the muscles and take 
breath, till his work is accomplished preparatory 
to lunch ; or if his day’s work is for four or five 
hours only, he may do it all with more comfort and 
advantage to himself without, than with food. A 
tolerably quick step and activity while out, is bet¬ 
ter for the animal than delving all day at a snail’s 
pace. 
When put up for the night, the horse should be 
thoroughly rubbed down, the dirt brushed from his 
legs, and his hoofs cleaned out. Many are in the 
habit of -washing the legs with cold water while 
the animal is warm, and afterwards allowing him 
to stand exposed to the cold air. Nothing could 
be more injurious. If the weather or stable be 
warm, and the water not too cold, this may De 
done with impunity, or it may be done at any time, 
if the limbs exposed to the water are constantly 
rubbed till dry. Let grooms use common sense in 
this, and a small amount of it will convince them 
of what is proper. Whatever would injure a man, 
will injure a horse under similar circumstances, 
though in a less degree. It is certainly very grate 
