HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.
131
IN AND ABOUT THE BARN.
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.
After Fasting........................ 136
Air, Circulation of................... 133
Bread for the Stable................. 137
Breeding and Training:
Abortion........................... 138
Bearing-Rein, the.................. 142
" Breaking” Horses................ 140
Breed for what you want........... 137
Breeding in-and-in................. 138
Check-Rein, the.................... 142
Colt, Training the.................. 140
Directions, Rarey’s................ 139
Exercise........................... 138
Foaling............................ 138
Foaling Time, Indications of....... 138
In-and-in Breeding................ 138
Indications of Foaling Time....... 138
Mare and Colt, the................. 138
Not too Early...................... 137
Proper Time, the.................. 138
Rarey’s Directions................. 139
Rein, the Check- .................. 142
Slinking the Foal.................. 138
Training the Colt.................. 140
Young Colt, the................... 139
Circulation of Air.................... 133
Corn, Indian......................... 136
Diseases and Accidents, and their
Treatment:
Abdomen, Dropsy of the........... 165
Abdominal Injuries................ 164
Abraded Wounds.................. 192
Abscess of the Brain............... 164
Acites.............................. 165
Acute Dysentery................... 165
Acute Gastritis..................... 165
Acute Laminitis.................... 165
Albuminous Urine................. 166
Angles of the Mouth, Excoriated .. 173
Aphtha............................ 166
Back Sinews, Clap of the........... 170
Back Sinews, Sprain of the......... 188
Biting, Crib....................... 172
Bladder, Inflammation of the...... 172
Bloody Urine...................... 176
Bog Spavin........................ 166
Bots............................... 166
Brain, Abscess of the.............. 164
Brain, Inflammation of the......... 166
Breaking Down.................... 166
Broken Knees...................... 167
Broken Wind...................... 167
Bronchitis.......................... 167
Bronchocele....................... 168
Bruise of the Sole.................. 168
Calculi............................. 168
Calculus........................... 164
Canker............................. 168
Capped Elbow..................... 169
Capped Hock...................... 169
Capped Knee...................... 169
Cartilages, Ossified................. 181
Gataract........................... 169
Diseases and Accidents:
Cavities, Open Synovial........... 181
Choking........................... 169
Chronic Dysentery................. 170
Chronic Gastritis................... 170
Chronic Hepatitis.................. 170
Clap of the Back Sinews........... 170
Cold............................... 171
Colic, Spasmodic................... 187
Colic, Windy...................... 191
Congestion in the Field............ 171
Congestion in the Stable........... 171
Contused Wounds.................. 192
Corns.............................. 171
Cough............................. 172
Cracked Heels...................... 172
Crib-Biting........................ 172
Curb............................... 172
Cystitis............................ 172
Diabetes........................... 173
Diagram showing seat of diseases.. 163
Diaphragm, Spasm of.............. 187
Dropsy of the Abdomen........... 165
Dysentery, Acute.................. 165
Dysentery, Chronic................ 170
Elbow, Capped.................... 169
Enteritis........................... 173
Epizoöty.......................... 173
Excoriated Angles of the Mouth... 173
Eyes, Fungoid Tumor in the....... 174
Eyelid, Lacerated.................. 177
False Quarter...................... 173
Farcy.............................. 173
Farcy, Water...................... 191
Feet, Fever in the.................. 165
Fever in the Feet.................. 165
Field, Congestion in the........... 171
Fistulous Parotid Duct............. 174
Fistulous Withers.................. 174
Flexor Tendons, Strain of the...... 189
Foot, Pumice...................... 184
Fret.............................. 187
Fungoid Tumor in the Eyes....... 174
Gastritis, Acute.................... 165
Gastritis, Chronic.......,.......... 170
Glanders........................... 175
Gleet, Nasal....................... 179
Grease............................. 175
Gripes............................. 187
Gutta Serena....................... 175
Heart-Disease...................... 176
Heels, Cracked..................... 172
Hematuria......................... 176
Hemorrhagica, Purpura........... 184
Hepatitis, Chronic.................. 170
Hide-Bound....................... 176
High-Blowing...................... 176
Hock, Capped..................... 169
Hydrophobia...................... 176
Hydrothorax...................... 176
Impediment in Lachrymal Duct.... 177
Incised Wounds.................... 192
Inflammation of the Bladder....... 172
Diseases and Accidents:
Inflammation of the Brain......... 166
Inflammation of the Kidneys....... 180
Inflammation of the Vein.......... 182
Influenza........................... 177
Injuries, Abdominal................ 164
Injuries to the Jaw................. 177
Insipidus Diabetes................. 173
Introsusception.................... 164
Invagination....................... 164
Jaw, Injuries to the................ 177
Joints, Open Synovial.............. 181
Kidneys, Inflammation of the...... 180
Knees, Broken..................... 167
Knee, Capped...................... 169
Lacerated Eyelid.................. 177
Lacerated Tongue................. 177
Lacerated Wounds................. 192
Lachrymal Duct, Impediment in... 177
Laminitis, Acute.................. 165
Laminitis, Subacute................ 177
Laryngitis......................... 177
Larva in the Skin.................. 178
Legs, Swollen...................... 190
Lice............................... 178
Luxation of the Patella............ 178
Mallenders........................ 178
Mange............................. 178
Megrims........................... 179
Melanosis......................... 179
Mouth, Excoriated Angles of...... 173
Mouth, Scald...................... 186
Nasal Gleet....................... 179
Nasal Polypus..................... 179
Navicular Disease.................. 179
Nephritis.......................... 180
Occult Spavin..................... 180
Œsophagus, Stricture of........... 185
Open Synovial Cavities............ 181
Open Synovial Joints.............. 181
Ophthalmia, Simple................ 186
Ophthalmia, Specific............... 188
Ossified Cartilages................. 181
Overreach........................ 181
Paralysis, Partial.................. 182
Parotid Duct, Fistulous............ 174
Partial Paralysis................... 182
Patella, Luxation of the............ 178
Phlebitis........................... 182
Phrenitis................ .......... 182
Pleurisy............................ 182
Pneumonia......................... 183
Poll Evil........................... 183
Polypus, Nasal..................... 179
Prick of the Sole.................. 183
Profuse Staling.................... 173
Prurigo............................ 183
Pumice Foot....................... 184
Punctured Wounds................ 193
Purpura Hemorrhagica............ 184
Quarter, False..................... 173
Quittor............................ 184
Rheumatism....................... 184
132
THE FRIEND OF ALL.
Diseases and Accidents :
Ring-Bone......................... 185
Ringworm......................... 185
Roaring............................ 185
Rupture........................... 185
Ruptured Spleen................... 164
Ruptured Stomach................. 164
Sallenders......................... 178
Sand-Crack........................ 185
Scald Mouth....................... 186
Seedy Toe......................... 186
Simple Ophthalmia................ 186
Sinews, Sprain of the Back........ 188
Sitfast............................. 186
Skin, Larva in the................. 178
Sole, Bruise of the................. 168
Sole, Prick of the.................. 183
Sore Throat;....................... 186
Spasm of the Diaphragm.......... 187
Spasm of the Urethra.............. 187
Spasmodic Colic................... 187
Spavin............................. 187
Spavin, Bog....................... 166
Spavin, Occult..................... 180
Specific Ophthalmia................ 188
Spleen, Ruptured.................. 164
Splint.............................. 188
Sprain of the Back Sinews......... 188
Stable, Congestion in the........... 171
Staggers........................... 188
Staling, Profuse................... 173
Strain of the Flexor Tendons....... 189
Stomach, Ruptured................ 164
Strangles.......................... 189
Strangulation...................... 164
Stricture of the Œsophagus........ 185
Stringhalt.......................... 189
Surfeit............................. 189
Swollen Legs...................... 190
Synovial, Open Cavities............ 181
Synovial, Open Joints.............. 181
Teeth.............................. 190
Tendons, Flexor, Strain of......... 189
Tetanus............................ 190
Thorough-Pin..................... 190
Throat, Sore....................... 186
Thrush............................. 190
Toe, Seedy......................... 186
Tongue, Lacerated................ 177
Tread............................. 190
Tumors............................ 191
Tumors, Fungoid, in the Eye...... 174
Urine, Albuminous................ 166
Urine, Bloody...................... 176
Urethra, Spasm of................. 187
Vein, Inflammation of the...... ... 182
Warts............................ 191
Diseases and Accidents:
Water-Farcy....................... 191
Wheezing.......................... 176
Wind, Broken...................... 167
Wind-galls......................... 191
Windy Colic....................... 191
Withers, Fistulous................. 174
Worms............................. 192
Wounds............................ 192
Drainage............................ 134
Exercise............................. 135
Fasting, After....................... 136
Floors, and Paving.................. 133
Good Mashes........................ 137
Grooming............................ 134
Gruel for Horses..................... 136
Hay.................................. 135
Hay-Tea.............,............... 136
History, the Horse in................ 132
Horse in History, the................ 132
How to Feed........................ 136
Indian Corn.......................... 136
Light................................ 134
Litter................................ 134
Mashes, Good........................ 137
Oats................................. 135
Paving and Floors................... 133
Points:
Abdomen, the...................... 157
Back, the.......................... 154
Ear, the............................ 155
Eye, the........................... 156
Head, the.......................... 155
Lips, the........................... 156
Legs and Shoulders, the........... 158
Lower Leg, the.................... 158
Lumbar Region, the............... 153
Lungs and Thorax, the............ 158
Neck, the.......................... 155
Nostrils, the........................ 156
Shoulders and Legs, the............ 158
Stem and Rudder.................. 153
Tail, the........................... 154
Thorax and Lungs, the............ 157
Withers, the....................... 158
Remedies, and their Administration:
Aloes.............................. 194
Balling-Iron....................... 194
Ball passing down Gullet.......... 196
Balls............................... i94
Bleeding........................... 199
Blisters............................ 198
Cut of Swallowing Ball............ 196
Cut of Bleeding a Horse........... 199
Cuts of Giving a Draught......... 198
Draughts, Giving.................. 197
Drinks............................. 196
Remedies, and their Administration:
Fleam, Open and Shut............. 199
Giving Draughts.................. 197
Holding the Pail..................200
Horse-Balls........................ 194
Horses not all Alike................ 193
Mashes, Warm..................... 193
New Balling Iron.................. 195
New Way of Giving Ball.......... 195
Old Way of Giving Ball........... 194
Other Physics...................... 194
Process of Drinking................ 196
Quiet Method of Giving Draught.. 198
Suture, Twisted.................... 200
Third Avenue Stables.............. 201
Tongue and Mouth................ 197
Turkish Bath....................... 200
Twisted Suture.................... 200
Warm Mashes..................... 193
Roots................................ 137
Shoeing:
Arab Method, the.................. 148
Boots.............................. 152
Calks.............................. 150
Cutting............................ 152
Hoof, Structure of................. 148
Interfering........................ 152
Method, the Arab.................. 148
Method, the Usual................. 148
Mischief from Separation.......... 148
Paring too Small........,.......... 151
Rarey‘s Directions................. 146
Shoe, the Slipper.................. 150
Slipper-Shoe, the.................. 150
Slippery Weather.................. 151
Structure of the Hoof.............. 148
Usual Method, the................. 148
Weather, Slippery................. 151
Sieve, Value of a..................... 137
Stable, the........................... 133
Stalls................................ 133
Straw................................ 137
Trash................................ 137
Teeth, the............................ 142
Value of a Sieve..................... 137
“ Vices,” so called :
Balking, or Jibbing................ 160
Chink in the Back................. 161
Horses not totally Depraved....... 160
Jibbing, or Balking................ 160
“ Kidney-Dropping”.............. 161
Rolling............................ 163
Shying and Swerving.............. 162
Tearing the Clothing.............. 162
“ Toothy” and “ Temper”......... 159
When to Feed........................ 136
Far back in History.—The origin of the horse
lies far back in antiquity, and his is a familiar
figure in almost all extant literature. Homer,
Hesiod and Pindar tell us not only of horses,
but of centaurs, half man and half horse, so that
long before their time the horse must have been
sufficiently conquered to the use of man to have
originated the old legend. The usual chronology
puts the Book of Job more than fifteen hundred
years before Christ; late investigators put it
nearly nine hundred years later. But the de
scription Jahweh gives Job of the horse indicates
that he must have been the same essentially
then as now: “ Hast thou given the horse
strength ? hast thou clothed his neck with thun
der? . . . the glory of his nostrils is terrible. . . .
He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his
strength ; he goeth to meet the armed men,” etc.
The whole account is appropriate to the modern
war-horse; and it is quite doubtful whether the
naturalist, if he had the horse of Job‘s time,
Alexanders Bucephalus, and the charger Gen.
Sheridan rode to Winchester, could from any in
ternal indications determine which was which.
Undoubtedly if the best trotting-horses of each
age at intervals of five hundred years could be
speeded together, the date could be assigned to
each. When Hi. Woodruff drove at Fashion and
Union courses, the aim was a “ two-forty” gait;
now the flyers are hovering between " two-ten”
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 133
and “two-eleven,” and will soon be shading off
inside the ten. Such an animal as is now with
out any great difficulty to be had, deserves, and
will repay, careful and intelligent treatment.
The Stable.—This is a very important part of
the subject and one which is too often neglected
by people who own horses and who leave their
general management to stable-keepers or grooms
often grossly neglectful or ignorant. Many
horses die yearly from the neglect of their own
ers to enforce the ordinary laws of health in the
stable. A site should be chosen, nearly or quite
as well situated as that for the dwelling, and the
stable may be, if possible, separate and distinct
from the barn with advantage. Hide it if you
like behind trees, but do not cut off the
Circulation of Air.—A supply of pure air is as
necessary to the life and health of a horse as of
a man. In many stables air is carelessly ad
mitted and blows either on the head of the horse
or in such a way that cold and cough is the in
evitable result. The practice of feeding hay
through a hole above the head of the horse in
vites fatal results in the way of cold, not to men
tion the possibility of hayseed falling into the
eyes of the horse when it is looking up for its
food. An opposite error, however, is to exclude
every possible breath of air and have the atmos
phere of the stable hot and unwholesome. The
effect of several horses being shut up in one sta
ble is to render the air unpleasantly warm and
foul. A person coming from the open air can
not breathe it many minutes without perspiring.
In this temperature the horse stands, hour by
hour, often with a covering on; this is suddenly
stripped off, and it is led into the open air, the
temperature of which is many degrees below
that of the stable. It is true that while it is ex
ercising it has no need of protection ; but unfor
tunately it too often has to stand awaiting its
master’s convenience, and this perhaps after a
brisk trot which has opened every pore, and its
susceptibility to cold has been excited to the ut
most extent. In ventilating stables it should
never be forgotten that the health of a horse de
pends on an abundant supply of fresh dry air, in
troduced in such a manner as to prevent a pos
sible chance of a draught on any of its inmates.
Many old stables may be greatly benefited by
the introduction of a window or windows which
will require but little expenditure and save
many dollars worth of horseflesh.
Stalls.—Large stalls are to be preferred, and
each horse should have his separate stall. Each
stall should be ten feet from front to rear, and
with a width of five to five and a half feet. At
the foot of each stall should be a round partition
post set slightly inclining, so that the bottom
shall be ten feet and the top eight feet from the
head of the stall; the sides four and a half feet
high, of two-inch plank; and if unruly horses are
to be placed there, a couple of feet in height of
woven wire cloth should be added at the top.
Or, the stalls may be placed in rows each six
feet wide, nine feet long, with the height above
to the extent of fourteen feet. Three feet in
front of the manger gives room for the feed
to be brought and given, and six feet behind
the stalls gives space for proper cleaning.
If the size of the stable will admit of it, loose
boxes are of great benefit; and at all events there
should be one loose box for cases of sickness,
and this should be situated at some distance
from the other stalls, to prevent the spread of
any contagious disease.
Floors, and their Paving.—One good plan is to
make the floor double, the upper one in three
parts; the first three feet in front, of two-inch
hardwood plank, should be laid close and nailed
solid; the other two sections of narrow hardwood
 The Hind Feet are Eased in the Gutter.
plank, to be nailed on strong end-pieces, with half-
inch spaces between. These are to be hinged to
other plank nine inches wide, next the sides of the
stall, so as to shut together at the middle, to
within half an inch of each other. Thus, all the
liquid matter passes directly through to the solid
and water-tight floor beneath, made of planed
and grooved plank, and ending, just inside the
posts, in a narrow gutter, whence it may be con
veyed away to a tank.
Where there are irregularities, cleanliness is
almost impossible. A good material is stone
when well jointed. Cement, however, is the
best when properly laid, as its elasticity is a great
relief to the feet of a horse.
A slanting of the floor of the stalls should
never be allowed, as it is frequently the cause of
lameness and contraction of the heels. To keep
the feet on a level, horses will sometimes stand
out of their stalls with the hind feet over the
gutter, as in the cut above.
134 THE FRIEND OF ALL.
Drainage.—The stable snould be so contrived
that the urine shall quickly run off, and the of
fensive and injurious vapor from the decompos
ing urine and the litter will thus be materially
lessened : if, however, the urine be carried away
by means of a gutter running along the stable, it
must be so done as not to raise the level of the
horse’s hind feet above that of his forefeet. The
farmer should not lose any of the urine. It is
from the dung of the horse that he derives a
principal and the most valuable part of his ma
nure. It is that which earliest takes on the pro
cess of decomposition, and forms one of the
strongest and most durable dressings. That
which is most of all concerned with the rapidity
and perfection of the process is the urine.
Litter.—Some intelligent persons have com
plained much of the influence of litter. If the
horse stand many hours in the day with his foot
embedded in straw, it is supposed that the hoof
must be unnaturally heated ; and it is said that
the horn will contract under the influence of
heat. It is seldom, however, that the foot is so
surrounded by the litter that its heat will be
sufficiently increased to produce this effect on
the thick horn. The foot is not sufficiently long
or deeply covered by the litter to produce a tem
perature high enough to warp the hoof. We are
not the disciples of those who would, during the
day, remove all litter from under the horse; we
do not like the naked and uncomfortable appear
ance of the stable. Humanity and a proper care
of the foot of the horse should induce us to keep
some litter under him during the day; but his
feet need not sink so deeply in it that their tem
perature should be much affected.
Great care should be taken that every portion
of litter be removed that has been wet by urine,
as decay commences very quickly and the gases
given off in that state are highly injurious. In
some stables piles of litter are allowed to accu
mulate and serve as a cloak for great unclean-
liness; this should never be permitted.
Light.-This neglected branch of stable-manage
ment is of far more consequence than is generally
imagined. The stable is frequently destitute of
any glazed window; and has only a shutter,
which is raised in warm, and shut down in cold
weather. When the horse is in the stable only
during a few hours of the day, this is not of so
much consequence ; nor of so much, probably, to
horses of slow work ; but to carriage and road
horses, so far at least as the eyes are concerned, a
dark stable is little less injurious than a foul and
heated one. To illustrate this, reference may be
made to the unpleasant feeling and the utter im
possibility of seeing distinctly, when a man sud
denly emerges from a dark place into the full
blaze of day. The sensation of mingled pain and
giddiness is not soon forgotten; and some time
passes before the eye can accommodate itself to
the increased light. If this were to happen every
day, or several times in the day, the sight would
be irreparably injured; or, possibly, blindness
would ensue. Can we wonder, then, that the
horse taken from a dark stable into a glare of
light, and feeling, probably, as we should under
similar circumstances, and unable, for a consider
able time, to see anything around him distinctly,
should become a starter, or that the frequently
repeated violent effect of sudden light should in
duce inflammation of the eye, so intense as to
terminate in blindness? There is, indeed, no
doubt, in the mind of any one familiar with the
subject, that horses kept in a dark stable are fre
quently notorious starters, and that starting has
been evidently traced to this cause.
If plenty of light be admitted, the walls of the
stable, and especially that portion of them which
is before the horse’s head, must not be of too
glaring a color. The constant reflection from a
white wall, and especially if the sun shines into
the stable, will be as injurious to the eye as the
sudden changes from darkness to light. The
perpetual slight excess of stimulus will do as
much mischief as the occasional but more violent
one, when the animal is taken from a kind of
twilight to the blaze of day. The color of the
stable, therefore, should depend on the quantity
of light. Where much can be admitted, the walls
should be of a gray hue. Where darkness would
otherwise prevail, frequent whitewashing may in
some degree dissipate the gloom.
Grooming.—Of this much need not be said.
The animal that is worked in all weathers needs
little more than a good brushing of his legs. It
is to the stabled horse, highly fed, and irregularly
worked, that grooming is of so much consequence.
Good rubbing with the brush opens the pores of
the skin, circulates the blood and therefore pro
duces a healthy perspiration, and stands in the
room of exercise. No horse will carry a fine
coat without either heat or dressing. They both
effect the same purpose ; they both increase the
insensible perspiration ; but the first does it at
the expense of health and strength, while the
second, at the same time that it produces a glow
on the skin, and a determination of blood to it,
rouses all the energies of the frame. It would
be well for the proprietor of the horse if he were
to insist upon it, and to see that his orders are
really obeyed, that the fine coat he delights in, is
produced by honest rubbing, and not by a heated
stable and thick clothing. When the weather
will permit the horse to be taken out, he should
never be groomed in the stable. Experience
teaches that if the cold is not too great, the ani
mal is invigorated from being dressed in the
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 135
open air. inere is no necessity, however, for
half the punishment which many a groom inflicts
upon the horse in the act of dressing; and par
ticularly on one whose skin is thin and sensible.
The currycomb should at all times be lightly ap
plied. With many horses its use may be almost
dispensed with ; and even the brush need not be
so hard, nor the points of the bristles so irregular
as they often are. A soft brush, with a little
more weight of the hand, will be equally effec
tual and a great deal more pleasant to the horse.
A haircloth, while it will seldom irritate and
tease, will be almost sufficient with horses that
have thin hair, and that have not been neglected.
Whoever would be convinced of the benefit of
friction to the horse‘s skin, and to the horse
generally, need only observe the effect produced
by well hand-rubbing the legs of a tired horse.
Every enlargement subsides, the painful stiffness
disappears, the legs attain their natural warmth
and become fine, and the animal is evidently and
rapidly reviving ; he attacks his food with ap
petite, and then quietly lies down to rest.
Exercise.—The work of a farm-horse is usually
regular and not exhausting. He is neither pre
disposed to disease by idleness, nor worn out by
excessive exertion. He has enough to do to
keep him in health, and not enough to distress
or injure him : on the contrary, the regularity of
his work prolongs life. For those who keep a
horse for business or pleasure, the first rule we
would lay down is, that every horse should have
daily exercise. The horse that, with the usual
stable feeding, stands idle for three or four days,
as is the case in many establishments, must suffer.
He is disposed to fever, or to grease, or, most of
all, to diseases of the foot; and if, after these
three or four days of inactivity, he is ridden fast
and far, is almost sure to have inflammation of
the lungs or of the feet.
A road-horse is apt to suffer a great deal more
from idleness than he does from work. A stable-
fed horse should have two hours’ exercise every
day, if he is to be kept free from disease. And
this should be moderate at the beginning and
at the end. Nothing of extraordinary or even
of ordinary labor can be effected on the road
or in the field without sufficient and regular
exercise. It is this alone which can give energy
to the system, or develop the powers of any ani
mal. How then is this exercise to be given ? As
much as possible by, or under the superintendence
of, the owner. The exercise given by any em
ployee is rarely to be depended upon. It is in
efficient, or it is extreme. It is in many cases
both irregular and injurious. It is dependent on
the caprice of him who is performing a task, and
who will render that task subservient to his own
pleasure or purposes.
In training the horse, regular exercise is the
most important of all considerations, however it
may be forgotten in the usual management of
the stable. The exercised horse will discharge
his task, sometimes a severe one, with ease and
pleasure, while the idle and neglected one will
be fatigued ere half his labor be accomplished,
and if he be pushed a little too far, dangerous in
flammation will ensue. How often, nevertheless,
does it happen, that the horse that has stood in
active in the stable three or four days, is ridden
or driven thirty or forty miles in the course of
a single day ? This rest is often purposely given
to prepare for extra exertion ; to lay in a stock
of strength for the performance of the task re
quired of him : and then the owner is surprised
and dissatisfied, if the animal is fairly knocked
up, or possibly becomes seriously ill.
Hay.—The best kinds of hay for horses are the
Timothy, sometimes called Herdsgrass; Orchard
grass; Red-top; and Fowl-meadow. A sweet-
scented vernal grass is common in Northern and
Eastern meadows, and gives the peculiar odor to
new-mown hay so universally admired. A great
part of the hay sold has been pressed and baled,
and in that condition cannot be easily examined;
and if it could, it would even then be hard for
the purchaser exactly to suit himself, supposing
him to know just what is best. For very few
people know how to tell a good from a bad
sample of hay. And yet the characteristics of
good hay are very marked, and such only should
be purchased by the careful horse-owner. Clover
is apt to be dusty, and not properly cured, and
ought not to be fed to horses.
The report of the United States Department
of Agriculture for 1911 estimates that there
were devoted to hay in the United States in
1910, 45,691,000 acres producing 60,978,000
tons valued at $747,769,000; an average to the
acre of 1.33 tons worth $12.26 per ton or
$16.31 per acre. The average farm price of
hay per ton of 2,000 pounds on December 1st,
1904, was $8.72; in 1905, $8.52; in 1906, $10.37;
in 1907, $11.68; in 1908, $8.98; in 1909, $10.62,
and in 1910, $12.26.
Oats.—These with hay constitute what may be
called the standard food of the horse. They
should not be bought by measurement, but by
weight. In Great Britain, a “ prime” sample will
weigh nearly or quite 50 pounds; in the United
States, good oats weigh, say, 35 pounds to the
bushel. A first-rate oat will give three quarters
of its weight in pure grain after the chaff is re
moved ; while a poorer oat gives a less percentage
of solid nutriment. The buyer should be as
careful as to the quality of the oats he buys as to
the quality of his hay. A sound oat should be
I dry and hard ; it should almost chip asunder, and
136
THE FRIEND OF ALL.
not be torn or broken into pieces by compres
sion.
It is estimated that there were devoted to
oats in the United States in 1910, 35,288,000
acres producing 1,126,765,000 bushels valued at
$384,716,000; an average to each acre of 31.9
worth 34.1 cents per bushel or $10.88 per acre.
The great damage done to oats and other cer
eal crops by rusts has been the incentive to
give these diseases further attention. Breed
ing grains for rust resistance is being im
proved by the Department of Agriculture.
Indian Corn.—Next to hay and oats, the most
important food of the horse is corn, or maize.
Corn in the ear should weigh about 70 pounds to
the bushel, and shelled corn about 56. If a pair
of horses require half a bushel of oats a day, they
will require as an equivalent in Indian corn,
half a bushel in the ear, or 28 pounds shelled.
Corn in its natural state is too hard for the teeth
and stomach of many horses, and is a great deal
better for bruising and steaming or softening.
It is estimated that there were devoted to
Indian corn in the United States in 1910, 114,-
002,000 acres, producing 3,125,713,000 bushels,
valued at $1,523,968,000; an average to each
acre of 27.4 bushels, worth 48.8 cents per
bushel, or $13.37 Per acre. The value of the
corn crop in 1910 is more than enough to
cancel the interest bearing debt of the United
States and buy all the gold and silver mined
in all the countries of the earth in 1910.
How, and How Much, to Feed.—What work has the
horse to do ? One kept at slow and exhausting
labor should have three times a day as much
clean, sound grain as he will eat, and as much
clean sweet hay at night as he will consume. In
hot weather the grain should be oats; in winter,
half oats, half corn, with intermediate propor
tions in intermediate weather. For cut feed,
mix with half corn and half oats, ground to
gether, one third the bulk of bran. When the
horses are fed whole grain, this mess is good two
or three times a week, as a change. Farm-horses
should be fed in this way: Give grass at night
when you can instead of hay, but cut the grass
and carry it to the manger; do not turn him out
at night to pasture and make him work to get
his food during the time he ought to be at rest.
Road and pleasure horses should have, in ad
dition to the oats and hay they will eat, a sweet
mash of bran once or twice a week. Don‘t turn
them out to grass. Still, grass in May and early
June, giving a few oats daily with it, is not un-
advisable. Musty or dusty grain ought never to
be fed to horses. It invites heaves and other
disorders. Even washing and kiln-drying will
not cure it.
In the stables of the Third Avenue Railroad
Company, New York, are kept about two thou
sand horses; and according to a very interesting
paper in the St. Nicholas, well worth the reading
of any man or boy, the daily allowance for each
horse is given at twenty-seven pounds of hay,
oats and corn, ground and mixed, equally di
vided into three meals.
When to Feed Horses.—Regularity is as essential
to equine as to human animals. The stomach of
a civilized horse is small, even smaller than that
of his wilder ancestor. Horses that do fast and
exhausting work should be fed grain four times
a day; when at work late in the afternoon or
evening, the last feed should be later than other
wise. Horses are as a rule more apt to undereat
than to overeat; and only when an animal is
gluttonous, should he be restricted in food.
There ought to be an interval of an hour or
more after a meal before a horse is put at work.
After Fasting.—When a horse returns home,
after a long fast, it is most unwise to place the
famished beast before a heaped manger. First
attend to its immediate requirements. These
satisfied, and the harness removed, a pail of gruel
should be offered to the animal. The writer
knows it is said by many grooms that their
horses will not drink gruel; the author likewise
is aware that most servants dislike the bother
attendant on its preparation, while few under
stand the manner in which it should be prepared,
The general plan is to stir a little oatmeal into
any pail containing hot water, and to offer the
mess, under the name of gruel, to the palate which
long abstinence may have rendered fastidious.
The horse only displays its intelligence when it
rejects the potion thus rudely concocted.
Gruel for Horses.—One quart of oatmeal should
be put into a two-gallon pot, which is to be
gradually filled with boiling water, a little cold
being first used, merely to divide the grains. The
saucepan is then placed on the fire, and its con
tents are to be briskly stirred until the liquid has
boiled for ten minutes. After this, it may be put
where it will only just simmer; and in one hour
the gruel will be ready or in shorter time,
should the fire be fierce. The liquid is then
poured through a sieve. The solid part is mingled,
while hot, with an equal quantity of bran, and
this mixture, having been closely covered, is
placed in the manger half an hour after the gruel
has been imbibed.
Hay Tea. —This also is refreshing for a tired
horse. Fill a pail with the best of clean bright
hay, and pour in as much boiling water as the
pail will hold. Keep it covered and hot fifteen
minutes, turn off the water into another pail, and
add a little cold water, enough to make a gallon
and a half or so, and when cold, feed it to the
horse.
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 137
Good Mashes.—Boil a couple of quarts of ground
oats, a pint of flax-seed and a little salt, three
hours. Add bran to bring it to a proper con
sistency, and a little molasses. Cover in, and
feed cold.—Another. Moisten four quarts of bran
gradually with hot water, add enough boiling
water to get the proper consistency, add a sprinkle
of salt, cover with a cloth, and feed cold.
Value of a Sieve.—The sieve is not, but ought to
be, in every stable, and to be used freely and
regularly. How much trash gets into baled hay
and grain, useless and even injurious to the
horse! And while the grain remains in the sieve,
after the refuse has been sifted out, it is well to
wash it, either by dipping, or by pouring water
over and through it.
Straw and Trash.—Hay, which the animal re
fuses to touch when placed in the rack, is often
salted and cut into chaff. Thus seasoned, and
in such a shape being mixed with corn, it may
be eaten. The horse is imposed upon by the
salt and the oats which were mingled with the
trash; but has an unwholesome substance been
changed into a wholesome nutriment? It is like
wise a prevailing custom to cut straw of differ
ent kinds and to throw the rubbish into the chaff-
bin. The quadruped may consume this species
of refuse, but such trash distends the stomach
and does not nourish the body. People who ad
vocate cheapness may be favorable to the use
of straw; but these persons should not deceive
themselves, far less ought they to impose upon
others, by asserting that so exhausted a material
can possibly prove a supporting constituent of
diet.
Bread for the Stable.—The action of heat is well
known to change the nature of corn, while fermen
tation converts the starch of the raw seed into
sugar. Might not a coarse kind of bread be made
for the stable ? Such a plan is common through
out Germany, where it is not unusual to see a
carter feeding himself and steed off the same
loaf. The groom might possibly resist such an-
innovation upon his rights and leisure; but a
better order of dependents could be found, to
whom the extra labor would merely prove a pas
time.
Roots.—There are various roots which might
prove very acceptable in the stable. The diges
tion of all such articles is promoted by the
substances being cooked before they are pre
sented. The fire extracts much of the water
with which they all abound ; heat also, in some
measure, arrests the tendency to ferment. Why
should such simple and natural food be denied
to the creature which nature has sent upon this
earth with an appetite fitted to consume it?
There is ample room for choice ; so far as ex-
periment has hitherto tested the value of such
articles of food for horses, results have been ob
tained which seem to say the change should be
generally adopted. A sameness of diet is
known to derange the human stomach. Under
such a system, the palate loses its relish, while a
loathing is excited which destroys appetite.
How often do grooms complain of certain ani
mals being bad feeders! May not such disincli
nation for sustenance be no more than the
disgust engendered by a constant absence of
variety ? Is there any large stable where one or
more quadrupeds are not equally notorious for
being ravenous feeders? The disinclination for
the necessary sustenance and the morbid desire
for an excess of nutriment are alike symptoms of
deranged digestion.
BREEDING AND TRAINING.
Breed for what you Want.—If you propose to
breed a colt or colts, and wish to do it as intelli
gently as your opportunities will allow, settle at
the beginning what you want, whether a runner,
a trotter, a roadster, or whatever it is, and act
accordingly. Progeny will inherit the qualities,
or the mingled qualities, of the parents, using the
word parents to include ancestry. Diseases, or
a predisposition to them, are inherited among
horses as certainly as among humans. So are
peculiarities of form and of constitution ; and it
is necessary, if any definite and clear result be
hoped for with reason, that sire and dam be se
lected with a definite aim definitely carried out.
If you only wish to take your chances for a com
mon everyday horse, breed from the best sires
you can find, and try to select such characteris
tics as will promise the highest results when
combined with those of your mare.
Don‘t begin at too early an age. A mare is
capable of breeding at three or four years old.
Do not commence, as some have done, at two
years, before her form or her strength is suffi
ciently developed, and with the development of
which this early breeding will materially inter
fere. To get excellence in the offspring, you
must have the highest development in the par
ents; and degeneration will certainly result if im
mature animals are bred from. And don’t keep
the mare breeding when she has become too old,
or has broken down. If she does little more
than farm work, and is reasonably treated at
that, she may continue to be bred from until she
is nearly twenty; but if she has been hardly
worked, and bears the marks of it, let her have
I been what she will in her youth, she will be
likely to deceive the expectations of the breeder
in her old age. People do not seem to conceive
that there can be any outrage committed by
breeding from the body which, through a life of
service, has earned a right to rest, But many
138 THE FRIEND OF ALL.
proprietors only “ throw up” the animal they in
tend should perpetuate its race, after strains and
pains have rendered longer life a misery.
Exercise.—In the case of both the sire and the
mare, the extremes of idleness and of overwork
should be alike avoided. The stallion should be
in the best condition for his office: should not
be confined in a warm dark stable, with insuffi
cient work, allowed to get too fat, and then be ex
pected to impress on his progeny the good qua
lities he ought to transmit. And the dam, for the
whole period of gestation, ought to be kept at
moderate work. Idleness, high living, and too
much flesh work mischief to her and her off
spring, as certainly as they do to her fellow-
mammais, highest in the scale of being. Per
haps the more common danger may lie in the
direction of too much, not too little, exercise and
insufficient food ; but if the best results are to be
obtained, the judicious middle course must be
taken. In horses, as in the human family, per
fect health involves the constant and judicious
use of the muscles, and the consequent uniform
and thorough vitalization of the blood, by which
only can the best results be obtained from
mother or offspring.
Breeding in and in.—On this subject, that is,
persevering in the same breed, and selecting the
best on either side, much has been said. The
system of crossing requires much judgment and
experience; a great deal more indeed than
breeders usually possess. The bad qualities of
the cross are too soon engrafted on the original
stock, and once engrafted there, are not, for
many generations, eradicated. The good ones of
both are occasionally neutralized to a most mor
tifying degree. On the other hand, it is the fact,
however some may deny it, that strict confine
ment to one breed, however valuable or perfect,
produces gradual deterioration. The truth here,
as in many other cases, lies in the middle ; cross
ing should be attempted with great caution, and
the most perfect of the same breed should be
selected, but varied, by being frequently taken
from different stocks.
Proper Time.—The mare comes into heat in the
early part of the spring. She is said to go with
foal eleven months, but there is sometimes a
strange irregularity about this. Some have been
known to foal five weeks earlier, while the time
of others has been extended six weeks beyond
the eleven months. We may, however, take
eleven months as the average time. In running-
horses, that are brought so early to the starting-
post, and whether they are foaled early in Janu
ary or late in April, rank as of the same age, it is
of importance that the mare should go to cover as
early as possible : in a two or three-year-old, four
months would make considerable difference in
the growth and strength; yet many of these
early foals are almost worthless, because they
have been deprived of that additional nutriment
which nature designed for them. For other
breeds, the beginning of May is the most con
venient period. The mare would then foal in
the early part of April, when there would begin
to be sufficient food for her and her colt, withou\
confining them to the stable.
Abortion.—From the fourth month, the mare
should have a little better food. This is about
the period when there is danger of abortion, or,
as it is technically called, “slinking the foal;”
at this time, therefore, the eye of the owner
should be frequently upon her. Good feeding
and moderate exercise will be the best preven
tives against this. The mare that has once
slinked her foal is ever liable to the same acci
dent, and therefore should never be suffered to
be with other mares near the time of danger.
She should be kept away from bad smells, should
not be allowed to see blood or dying animals, and
she should never be frightened. Keep her quiet
and as contented as may be, and see that she
has plenty of food and of fresh air, and due exer
cise.
Indications of Foaling Time.—From one to three
months before the expected event, the udder be
gins to fill and swell, and continues increasing.
Some three weeks before, a hollow begins to ap
pear on each side the spinal extension, reaching
from the haunch to the tail, and becomes more
apparent as the time approaches. The udder
two days before, or even less, will exude a gum
my substance from the end of each teat.
Foaling.—When the time comes, the mare will
not be long in labor. She should be led into a
thickly littered loose box, with plenty of straw,
and without interstices through which she can
get her legs. As a general thing, she needs no
assistance. Where a false presentation is made,
or the size of the coming foal demands it, mechan
ical services may be needed. The foal requires
nothing beyond a sheltered abode and its mo
thers attention. If it does not get milk enough
within twenty-four hours, a little skimmed cows’
milk, first boiled and then slightly sweetened,
being afterward diluted with its amount of warm
water, may, when sufficiently cool, be presented.
The human hand is inserted in the fluid, and two
fingers only allowed to protrude above the sur
face; these are generally seized upon, the nour
ishment being easily imbibed by the hungry foal.
More than a single feed is seldom needed.
The Mare and Colt—The colt should run with
its mother for five or six months, when it should
be weaned. The mare should from the start
have plenty of grass, and enough else to keep
her in condition, On weaning the colt, the mare
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.
139
should be put on dry food to reduce the flow,
and if necessary the milk be drawn off by hand.
The mare will usually be found in heat at or
within a month from the time of foaling, when,
if further immediate breeding is an object, she
may be put again to horse.
The Young Colt.—He should be liberally fed
during the whole of his growth. Bruised oats
and bran should form a considerable part of his
daily provender. Money expended on the proper
nourishment of the growing colt is well laid
out, but he should not be rendered delicate by
excess of care. He should be daily handled,
partially dressed, accustomed to the halter, led
about, and even tied up.
TRAINING HORSES.
Rarey’s Directions.—Remember that there are
certain natural laws that govern the horse. It
is natural for him to kick whenever he gets badly
frightened ; it is natural for him to escape from
whatever he thinks will do him harm. His fac
ulties of seeing, hearing and smelling have been
given him to examine everything new that he is
brought into contact with. And as long as you
present him with nothing that offends his eye,
nose or ears, you can then handle him at will,
notwithstanding he may be frightened at first,
so that in a short time he will not be afraid of
anything he is brought in contact with. All of
the whipping and spurring of horses for shying,
stumbling, etc., is useless and cruel. If he shies,
and you whip him for it, it only adds terror, and
makes the object larger than it would otherwise
be; give him time to examine it without punish
ing him. He should never be hit with the whip,
under any circumstances, or for anything that he
does. As to smelling oil, there is nothing that
assists the trainer to tame his horse better. It
is better to approach a colt with the scent of
honey or cinnamon upon your hand, than the
scent of hogs, for horses naturally fear the scent
of hogs, and will attempt to escape from it,
while they like the scent of honey, cinnamon or
salt. To affect a horse with drugs, you must
give him some preparation of opium, and while
he is under the influence of it, you cannot teach
him anything more than a man when he is in
toxicated with liquor. Another thing, you must
remember to treat him kindly, for where you re
quire obedience, it is better to have it rendered
from a sense of love than fear.
“ You should be careful not to chafe the lips
of your colt or hurt his mouth in any way; if
you do, he will dislike to have the bridle on.
After he is taught to follow you, then put on the
harness, putting your lines through the shaft-
straps along the side, and teach him to yield to
the reins, turn short to the right and left, teach
him to stand still before he is ever hitched up ;
you then have control over him. If he gets
frightened, the lines should be used as a tele
graph, to let him know what you want him to
do. No horse is naturally vicious, but always
obeys his trainer as soon as he comprehends
what he would have him do ; you must be firm
with him at the same time, and give him to
understand that you are the trainer, and that he
is the horse.
“The best bits to be used to hold a horse, to
keep his mouth from getting sore, is a straight
bar-bit, 4½ inches long between the rings; this
operates on both sides of the jaw, while the
ordinary snaffle forms a clamp and presses the
side of the jaw. The curb or bridoon hurts his
under jaw so that he will stop before he will give
to the rein.
 To Throw a Horse.
“To throw a horse, put a rope 12 feet long
around his body in a running noose, pass it down
to the right forefoot through a ring in a spancil,
then buckle up the left or near forefoot, take a
firm hold of your rope, lead him around until he
is tired, give him a shove with your shoulder, at
the same time drawing up the right foot, which
brings him on his knees, hold him steady, and
in a few moments he will lie down. Never at
tempt to hold him still, for the more he scuffles
the better.
“Take your colt into a tight room or pen,
and with a long whip commence snapping at his
hind leg, taking care not to hit above the hocks,
stopping immediately when he turns his head
towards you; while his head is towards you, ap
proach him with the left hand extended toward
him, holding your whip in the right, ready to
snap him as soon as he turns his head from you.
In this way you can soon get your hands upon
140 THE FRIEND OF ALL.
him. As soon as you have done this, be careful
to caress him for his obedience, and snap him
for his disobedience. In this way he will soon
learn that he is safest in your presence with his
head towards you, and in a very short time you
cannot keep him away from you. Speak kindly
and firmly to him, all the time caressing him,
calling by name, and saying, ‘ Ho, boy,’ or ‘ Ho,
Dan,’ or some familiar word that he will soon
learn.
“ If a colt is awkward and careless at first,
you must bear with him, remembering that we,
too, were awkward when young; allowing him
his own way, until by degrees he will come in. If
he is willful, you must then change your course
of treatment, by confining him in such a way
that he is powerless for harm until he submits.
If he is disposed to run, use my pole-check on
him ; if to kick, fasten a rope around his under
jaw, pass it through the collar and attach it to
his hind feet. In this way one kick will cure
him, as the force of the blow falls on his jaw. If
he should be stubborn, lay him down and con-
fine him until you subdue him, without punish
ing him with the whip.
“ Colts should be broken without blinds; after
they are well broken, then you may put them
on. Bridles without blinds are the best, unless
you want to speed your horse: then it will be
necessary to keep him from seeing the whip.
Colts should be well handled and taught to give
readily to the rein before they are hitched up.
If you hitch them up the first thing and they be
come frightened, then you have no control over
them ; but if you teach them to start, stop and
stand at the word before they are hitched, then
you can govern them.”
“Breaking” Horses.—The notion of “breaking”
a horse is disappearing. A few years ago, the
general feeling was, that a horse must be sub
dued, have his “will broken,” and be made to
understand, once for all if possible, that he must
implicitly obey. Under this system, resting im
mediately and undisguisedly on brute force,
the animal, its spirit broken, perhaps be
came an automaton, performing through fear
what resistance could not save him from. If he
tried to avoid a strange object that frightened
him, the whip, the spur and equally torturing
shouts were applied, and perhaps he succumbed,
and perhaps he didn’t. Sometimes the superior
force of the animal won, he became or was re
garded as vicious and tricky, and was sold from
hand to hand, till a horse fit for Gen. Grant to
ride or drive, sank to an omnibus or the towpath
of the canal. Mr. Rarey‘s success in training
horses brought into immediate notice a much
better way, and the increasing spirit of humanity
has carried forward what he was so prominent
in introducing. With horses as with men, the
great majority may be trained from higher im
pulses than mere fear, and may be brought to a
stage of cooperative confidence and helpfulness
impossible where mere brute force is the sole
appeal.
TRAINING THE COLT.
This process should commence from the very
period of weaning. The foal should be daily
handled, partially dressed, accustomed to the
halter, led about, and even tied up. The tracta-
bility, good temper and value of the horse de
pend greatly upon this. These offices should be
performed as much as possible by the man by
whom the colt is fed, and whose management
should be always kind and gentle. There is no
fault for which a servant should be discharged
so invariably or so promptly as cruelty, or even
harshness, toward young stock ; for the principle
on which their later usefulness is founded, is
early attachment to and confidence in man, and
the implicit obedience resulting principally from
these.
After the second winter, the work of training
may begin in earnest. He may first be bitted,
and with a bit smaller than usual, and that will
not hurt his mouth ; with this he maybe allowed
to amuse himself and to play, and to champ for
an hour on a few successive days.
If he is destined for farm or wagon work, por
tions of the harness may, after he has become a
little tractable, be put on him, and last of all the
blinds. Let his first trial be by the side of an
other horse, and before an empty wagon. Give
him an occasional pat or kind word; and in a
little while he will learn to pull, when a load may
be given him, and gradually increased.
When he begins a little to understand his busi
ness, backing, the most difficult part of his work,
may be taught him ; first to back well without
anything behind him, then with a light cart, and
afterwards with some definite load ; and taking
the greatest care not to seriously hurt the mouth.
If the first lesson causes much soreness of the
gums, the colt will not readily submit to a
second. If he has been rendered tractable be
fore by kind usage, time and patience will do all
that can be wished here. Blinding him may be
necessary with a restive and obstinate colt, but
should be used only as a last resort.
The same principles will apply to the training
of the horse for the road or the track. The
handling, and some portion of instruction, should
commence from the time of weaning. The
future tractability of the horse will much de
pend on this. At two and a half or three years
the regular proccss of training should come on.
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.
141
If it be delayed until the animal is four years
old, his strength and obstinacy will be more
difficult to overcome. There should be much
more kindness and patience, and far less harsh
ness and cruelty, than are often exhibited, and a
great deal more attention to the form and natural
action of the horse. A headstall is put on the
colt, and a cavesson (or apparatus to confine and
pinch the nose) affixed to it, with long reins. He
is first accustomed to the rein, then led round a
ring on soft ground, and at length mounted and
taught his paces. Next to preserving the temper
and docility of the horse, there is nothing of so
much importance as to teach him every pace,
and every part of his duty, distinctly and tho
roughly. Each must constitute a separate and
sometimes long-continued lesson, and that taught
by a man who will never suffer his passion to
get the better of his discretion.
After the cavesson has been attached to the
headstall, and the long rein put on, the first
lesson is, to be quietly led about by the trainer,
a steady boy following behind, by occasional
threatening with the whip, but never by an
actual blow, to keep the colt up. When the
animal follows readily and quietly, he may be
taken to the ring, and walked round, right and
left, in a very small circle. Care should be taken
to teach him this pace thoroughly, never suffer
ing him to break into a trot. The boy with his
whip may here again be necessary, but not a single
blow should actually fall.
Becoming tolerably perfect in the walk, he
should be quickened to a trot, and kept steadily
at it; the whip of the boy, if needful, urging him
on, and the cavesson restraining him. These
lessons should be short. The pace should be
kept perfect and distinct in each ; and docility
and improvement rewarded with frequent ca
resses, and handfuls of corn. The length of the
rein may now be gradually increased, the pace
quickened, and the time extended, until the ani
mal becomes tractable in these his first lessons,
towards the conclusion of which, crupper-straps,
or something similar, may be attached to the
clothing. These, playing about the sides and
flanks, accustom him to the flapping of the coat
of the rider. The annoyance which they occa
sion will pass over in a day or two; for when the
animal finds that no harm comes to him on
account of these straps. he will cease to regard
them.
Next comes the bitting. The bit should be
large and smooth, and the reins should be
buckled to a ring on either side of the pad. The
reins should at first be slack, and very gradually
tightened. This will prepare for the more per
fect manner in which the head will be afterward
got into a proper position, when the colt is
accustomed to the saddle. Occasionally the
trainer should stand in front of the colt, take
hold of each side-rein near the mouth, and press
upon it, and thus begin to teach him to stop and
to back at the pressure of the rein, rewarding
every act of docility, and not being too eager to
punish occasional carelessness or waywardness.
The colt may now be taken into the road or
street to be gradually accustomed to objects
among which his services will be required.
Here, from fear or playfulness, a considerable
degree of starting and shying may be exhibited.
As little notice as possible should be taken of it.
The same or similar objects should be soon
passed again, but at a greater distance. If the
colt still shies, let the distance be farther in
creased, until he takes no notice of the object ;
then he may gradually be brought nearer to it,
and this will be usually effected without the
slightest difficulty; whereas, had there been an
attempt to force the animal close to it in the
first instance, the remembrance of the contest
would have been associated with the object,
and the habit of shying would have been es
tablished.
Hitherto, with a cool and patient trainer, the
whip may have been shown, but will scarcely
have been used ; the colt must now, however, be
accustomed to this necessary instrument of
authority. Let the trainer walk by the side of
the animal, and throw his right arm over his
back, holding the reins in his left, and occasion
ally quicken his pace, and, at the moment of
doing this, tap the horse with the whip in his
right hand, and at first very gently. The tap of
the whip and the quickening of the pace will
soon become associated together in the mind of
the animal. If necessary, the taps may gradu
ally fall a little heavier, and the feeling of pain
be the monitor of the necessity of increased
exertion. The lessons of reining-in and stop
ping, and backing on the pressure of the bit,
may continue to be practiced at the same time.
He may now be taught to bear the saddle.
Some little caution will be necessary at first
putting it on. The trainer should stand at the
head of the colt, patting him and engaging his
attention, while an assistant on the off-side
gently places the saddle on the animal‘s back,
and another on the other side slowly tightens
the girths. If he submits quietly to this, as he
generally will when the previous training has
been properly conducted, the operation of mount
ing may be attempted. The trainer will need
two assistants. He will remain at the colt‘s head,
patting and fondling him, while the rider will
put his foot into the stirrup and bear a little
weight on it, while the man on the off side
| presses equally on the other stirrup-leather; and
142
THE FRIEND OF ALL.
according to the docility of the animal, he will
gradually increase the weight until he balances
himself on the stirrup. If the colt be uneasy or
afraid, he should be spoken kindly to and patted,
or a mouthful of corn be given him ; but if he
offer serious resistance, the training must ter
minate for that day ; he may be in better humor
on the morrow.
When the rider has balanced himself for a
minute or two, he may gently throw his leg over,
and quietly seat himself in the saddle. The trainer
will then lead the animal round the ring, the
rider sitting perfectly still. After a few minutes
he will take the reins and handle them as gently
as possible, and guide the horse by the pressure
of them; patting him frequently, and especially
when he thinks of dismounting, and after hav
ing dismounted offering him a little corn. The
use of the rein in checking him, and of the
pressure of the leg and the touch of the heel
in quickening his pace, will soon be taught, and
the education will be nearly completed.
The horse having thus far submitted himself
to the trainer, these pattings and rewards must
be gradually diminished, and implicit obedience
mildly but firmly enforced. Severity will not
often be necessary; in the great majority of
cases it will be altogether uncalled for; but
should the animal waywardly dispute the order
of the trainer, he must at once be taught that
he is the servant, and must obey. The educa
tion of the horse is much like that of the child.
Pleasure is, as much as possible, associated with
the early lessons; but firmness or, if needed,
coercion must confirm the habit of obedience.
Tyranny and cruelty will, more speedily in the
horse than in the child, provoke the wish to dis
obey, and the resistance to command. The
restive and vicious horse is, in ninety-nine cases
out of a hundred, made so by ill-usage. None
but those who will take the trouble to try the
experiment are aware how absolute a command
a due admixture of firmness and kindness will
soon give over any horse.
The Check-Rein.—There has been great outcry
made against the use of this rein, here and also
in England, where it is called the bearing-rein.
Mr. Bergh has denounced its use vehemently,
and as President of the “ Society for the Preven
tion of Cruelty to Animals” has tried to force
its banishment. To check-rein a horse is said
to be equivalent to trussing a man’s head back
ward toward his back or heels, and compelling
him, while in this position, to do duty with a
loaded wheelbarrow. Mayhew says: “ For the
rapid motion of the head being impossible, it
cannot be used to restore the disturbed balance.
The nimbleness which could avoid sudden dan
ger is destroyed by the fashionable want of feel
ing. It is a matter for surprise that the presence
of the bearing-rein is never alluded to when gen
tlemen seek redress because their vehicles have
been damaged. Most horsemen, however, es
teem the neck for its appearance, and few com
prehend its utility.”
And Youatt: " The angles of the lips are fre
quently made sore or wounded by the smallness
or shortness of the snaffle, and by the unneces
sary and cruel tightness of the bearing-rein.
This rein not only gives the horse a grander ap
pearance in harness, and places the head in that
position in which the bit most powerfully presses
upon the jaw, but there is no possibility of driv
ing without it, unless the arm of the driver is as
strong as that of Hercules; and most certainly
there is no safety if it be not used. There are
few horses who will not bear, or bore upon some
thing, and it is better to let them bore upon
themselves than upon the arm of the driver.
Without this control, many of them would hang
their heads low and be disposed every moment
to stumble, and would defy all pulling, if they
tried to run away. There is, and can be, no ne
cessity, however, for using a bearing-rein so tight
as to cramp the muscles of the head, which is
indicated by the animal’s continually tossing up
his head : they may indeed be cramped to such
a degree, that the horse is scarcely able to bring
his head to the ground when turned to grass.
The tight rein injures and excoriates the angles
of the lips, and frequently brings on poll-evil.
Except it be a restive or determined horse,
there should be little more bearing upon the
mouth than is generally used in riding. This
the horse likes to feel, and it is necessary for
him in the swift gallop. We must have the bear
ing-rein, whatever some men of humanity may
say against it; but we need not use it cruelly.”
This seems to be the conclusion of common-
sense. Sentimentalists may condemn and de
nounce the check-rein. Now and then a horse gets
along without it. So “ reformers” occasionally
condemn and denounce the use by women of cor
sets or stays, and now and then a woman gets
along without them. In Greece and Rome per
haps neither device was used. But here and now,
in the great majority of instances, it is safer and
pleasanter to use a check-rein in driving.
THE TEETH.
A foal at birth has three molars, or grinding-
teeth, just through the gums, upon both sides
of the upper and of the lower jaws. It generally
has no incisors or front teeth; but the gums are
inflamed and evidently upon the eve of bursting.
The molars or grinders are, as yet, unflattened
or have not been rendered smooth by attrition.
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 143
The lower jaw, when the inferior margin is felt,
appears to be very thick, blunt and round.
A fortnight has rarely elapsed before the
membrane ruptures, and two pairs of front, very
white teeth begin to appear in the mouth. At
 The Foal’s Jaw at Birth.
first, these new members look disproportionately
large to their tiny abiding-place ; and when con
trasted with the reddened gums at their base,
they have that pretty, pearly aspect which is the
common characteristic of the milk teeth in most
animals.
 The Incisors at Two Weeks Old.
In another month, when the foal is six weeks
old, more teeth appear. Much of the swelling
at first present has softened down. The mem
brane, as time progresses, will lose much of its
scarlet hue. In the period which has elapsed
 The Incisors at Six Weeks Old.
since the former teeth were looked at, the sense
of disproportionate size has gone. The two
front teeth are now fully up, and these are al
most of suitable proportions. When the two
pairs of lateral incisors first make their appear
ance, it is in such a shape as can imply no assur
ance of their future form. They resemble the
corner nippers, and do not suggest the smallest
likeness to the lateral incisors which they will
ultimately become.
There is now a long pause before more teeth
appear. The little one lives chiefly upon suction,
and runs by its mother‘s side. Upon the com
pletion of the first month, seldom earlier, it may
be observed to lower its head and nip the young
grass. From the third month, however, the
habit grows, until, by the sixth month, the grind
ers will be worn quite flat, and have been re
duced to the state suited to their function.
 The Front Teeth at Nine Months Old.
The corner incisors come into the mouth about
the ninth month, the four pair of nippers, which
have been already traced, being at this time fully
developed. The corner incisors, which are de
picted as through the gums, do not yet meet,
though these organs point toward each other;
neither has the membrane of the mouth at this
time entirely lost the deepened hue of infancy.
From this date, however, the gums gradually
become pale, till, by the end of the first year, the
membrane has nearly assumed its normal com
plexion during the earlier period of existence.
All the incisors are, by the first birthday, well up.
The grinding teeth which are in the mouth
when the foal first sees the light are of a tempo
rary character. The jaw, therefore, has to hold
and to mature the long permanent grinders
which, within the substance of the bone, are
 The Jaw of a One-year-old.
growing beneath the temporary molars. To
contain and to develop the large uncut teeth, be
fore appearing above the gums, causes the small
jaw of a diminutive foal to be disproportionately
thick, especially as compared with the same
structure in an adult horse.
At one year old, the first permanent tooth ap-
144 THE FRIEND OF ALL.
pears. This is the fourth molar, or the most
backward grinder in the engraving. The jaw
bone at one year old has become longer and
wider. This increase of size was necessary to
cover the increasing size of the new molar, and
to afford room for the partial development of
two other grinders, which will appear behind
what is now the last tooth. Often little nodules
of bone, without fangs, merely attached to the
 Jaw at Two Years Old.
gums, appear in front of each row of grinders.
These are vulgarly denominated “ Wolves’
Teeth.” They generally disappear with the
shedding of those members facing which they
are located.
The changes in the teeth, after the first year,
are characterized by the longer periods which
divide them. Months have, heretofore, separated
the advent of single pairs; but, from this date,
these appearances are to be reckoned by numbers
and by years. The foal has teeth sufficient to
support and to maintain its growth. Prepara
tion is being made for the advent of the sixth
grinder, and for changes in those milk molars
which were in the mouth when the animal was
born. At the same time, additional width is
needed to allow the permanent incisors to appear
when their time comes.
 The Incisor Teeth at Two Years Old.
In the front teeth of a two-year-old, there is a
want of that fixedness which, one year before,
was characteristic of these organs. The central
nippers have done their duty, or, at all events,
something approaching to maturity has been at
tained.
Three years old is the period when the greater
number of colts are brought to market. The
bit then is put into its mouth, and it is driven
from the field. At a period of change and of
debility it is expected to display the greatest ani
mation, and to learn strange things. When its
gums are inflamed ; when the system is excited ;
when the strength is absorbed by an almost si
multaneous appearance of twelve teeth, it is led
from the pasture and made, with its bleeding
jaws, to masticate sharp oats and fibrous hay.
 The Incisors denote no more than Three Years Old.
It has been said that a three-year-old colt cuts
twelve teeth. The engraving represents half the
lower jaw of an animal of that age. Those or
gans which are of recent appearance will be
recognized by their darker color, by their larger
size, or by their differing in shape from the other
members. These new teeth are a central inci
sor and the first two grinders. The horse has
two jaws and two sides to each jaw; therefore
the same number being present within each side
of both jaws, the teeth already alluded to appear
during the third year. However, even this quan
tity rather understates than overrates the fact, for
 Jaw of a Three-year-old.
frequently the tushes are cut during this period;
in such a case, the colt acquires no less than six
teen teeth in twelve months.
The four year-old has to perfect as many teeth
as are known to protrude into the mouth of the
three-year-old. But the precise time of the ap
pearance of the tushes is uncertain. They may
come up at the third or the fourth year; some
HORSES AND THEIR MANAGEMENT.
140
times they never pierce the gums, it being very
far from uncommon to see horses’ mouths of
seven years without the tushes.
 One Lower Lateral Incisor being through the Gum
declares a four-vear-old.
 These Teeth equally declare only Four Years Old.
 FIVE-YEAR OLD.
One upper corner permanent incisor has been cut. The lower
corner milk incisor is still retained.
By the end of the fourth year, the colt has
certainly gained twelve teeth ; by this time there
should exist, on each side of both jaws, one new
lateral incisor and two fresh molars, being the
third and the sixth in position. The appearance
2o
of the mouth now indicates the approach of ma
turity ; but the inferior margin of the lower bone
still feels more full and rounded than is consis-
 SIX YEARS OLD.
tent with the consolidation of an osseous struc
ture.
The process of dentition is not finished by the
termination of the fourth year. There are more
SEVEN YEARS OLD.
teeth to be cut, as well as the fangs of those al
ready in the mouth to be made perfect.
The colt with four pairs of permanent incisors
has still the corner milk nippers to shed; yet,
 EIGHT YEARS OLD.
while the provision necessary for that labor is
taking place within the body, or while nature is
preparing for the coming struggle, man considers
the poor quadruped as fully developed and as
enjoying the prime of its existence.
146
THE FRIEND OF ALL.
The teeth may be scarcely visible in the
mouth, nevertheless such a sign announces the
fifth year to be attained. There are, at five, no
 TWELVE YEARS OLD.
more bothering teeth to cut. All are through
the bone, and the mouth will soon be sound.
The indications of extreme age are always
present, and though during a period of senility
| 