CARE OF FARM HORSES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 8, 13 November 1883, Page 3

CARE OF FARM HORSES.

Successful farming is next to impossible with the use of inferior horses. Even when the best animals are secured, skill and care are require! to maintain them in proper working condition. In the care of the horses, if the grooming be faithfully performed, it goes far towards resting the tired muscles after a hard day’s work. We V have in mind a most careful horse owner, who is accustomed every night to thoroughly rub aud brush the wearied muscles of his team of horses.

From the fresh aud lively appearance of his horses, and their disposition to work, we fancy this grooming la quite as important a factor in the well being of his team as the grain which is fed t to them. These horses have not been , fed heavily, yet, from spring until fall, working every day, excepting Sun--1 days, the team continues to improve, 1 The mistake commonly made by farmI ers is in giving their horses too little grain in winter, or when not working, and then overloading the animals’ stomachs when heavy work has to be accomplished. Grain thus fed, not only tails to strengthen, but also absolutely weakens, It is really a the digestive organs, to which they are not accustomed, and are, therefore, not able to bear. Every person know*, or lucky indeed is he who does not, the sudden weakness which almost invariably accompanies any derangement Of the digestive organs. The same is true in case of a horse, and such a derangement generally follows any sudden increase In food just as hard work begins. In fact, sudden changes of food in kind as well as in amount should, as far as possible, be avoided. A certain, but moderate, proportion of green feed should form part of the daily ration for horses in winter as well as in summer. At no time, however, should a working team be allowed to fill itself with grass to the exclusion of more substantial food. One feed of carrots daily through the winter is better with two feeds of grain than

the feeding exclusively of grain rations morning, noon, and night, without the roots. In a limited extent, as an auxiliary feed carrots are worth as much for horses as oats, and more than corn. This latter grain, so well adapted for nearly every other purpose, is not well adopted for horse feeding, Some horses can consume corn without bad results, and it is a good sign for a horse that can, since it shows his digestive apparatus is in excellent order. But, as a rule, a horse, com fed will not be able to do as much work as if given oats. Keeping a team on grain is expensive, especially if the home supply runs out, as is often the case after a hard spring's work. The feed, however, need not be so heavy during the summer, yet a few oats or little mill feed should be given daily. If hay runs short, cut clover, or the richer grasses by the wayside, let it cure in the sun and be drawn to the barn. The feeding of this cured clover and grass will be a change that the horses will appreciate, and such a feed will not work the injury sure to be ocea» sioned through turning them out to fresh green grass. Occasionally a city horse is sent to the country to spend the summer. Wnen he arrives his flesh is firm, And his muscles are strong, yet after a few weeks on grass he becomes, unless judiciously fed, weak and flabby, and it requires seve-al months of careful feeding and grooming to restore him to good working condition. Yet this is the same experience to which many thoutand farmers unwittingly subject their farm horses after working them steadily through the spring, and getting them in just the trim to continue hard work daily without injury, so long as well fed and cared for. It is with horses as with most other specimens of animate nature, it is better and cheaper to maintain them in good condition rather than to attempt restoration after derangement has been caused through bad management. TAa Barmer.