How to Do Things

Box Stalls and Slatted Mangers for Horses

No Animal Likes to Be Tied Up

     One of the blessings of modern barn architecture is that more and more box stalls for tired horses are being erected.  Light, airy, slatted box stalls are a joy and comfort both to owner and animal.

     When we bring our animals in tired and sweated, instead of almost criminally tying them up in a close, dark, partition stall, we turn them loose in knee-deep bedding, remove head-stall, collar and harness, and then they eat their noonday meal or rest at night in cool comfort.  A stuffy tie-up stall never was intended for anything but punishment to the hard-working brute creation.  Out with it!

     We have the bottom of our horse hay-mangers slatted, so that all dust, dirt and waste filters through and works into manure with the bedding.  A few days ago we found in a newly-built barn tight-bottom mangers with a trap door which lifts up in order to sweep all dust and dirt out.  This is a pretty good idea when we know what disagreeable tasks we get into trying to plow and harrow with heaveing, short-winded animals fed in dusty, dirt-ridden mangers.

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How to Do Things

General Care     |     Horses

The Stable Floor and Other Matters

     How is that stable floor?  Has it been pawed out in front and is there a space under the manger?  A horse, the most ambitious animal when up, is the most helpless when down.  Many a fine animal has lain down naturally enough, and in some manner, when trying to rise, has forced himself forward under the manger and been found dead or badly injured in the morning.

     All our folks know about this danger, but in the multiplicity of things to be looked after it is sometimes forgotten.  Let us consider the manger.  To begin with, every horse ought to eat off the ground.  If the bottom of the manger is on, or within two inches of the earth or floor, no horse can get under it, and where the knee touches the manger when the animal paws it will rarely be continued.  Standing upon an earth floor is good for the feet and necessary for some horses, but such a floor must be leveled often.

Watch the Coat

     A horse's coat is a good indication of his condition at this season of the year.  If it "stares," or looks rough and unkempt regardless of the daily brushing, he is not fully nourished and needs a change of feed.  A molasses addition to the ration, of say a gill or half-pint twice daily, or a small handful of oil-meal gradually increased to a pint twice a day, or two quarts of potatoes or apples twice daily, will presently work wonders in his appearance and spirits.  A warm bran mash once a week is also good.

Beware of Icy Spots

     Do not run risks on icy spots.  If the road is mostly bare with perhaps but one or two places of ice, it is better to carry half a peck of sand and make a gritty path for the horse rather than force him forward with dull shoes.

Dentist Work

     I have seen two horses of late that plainly said they had ground their teeth to a sharp edge and now were suffering with sore cheeks due to laceration.  It is easy to smooth down the sharp and rough outer edges of the molars when they get in this condition.  Gently draw out the tongue, hold it first on one side and look carefully at the teeth next the cheek and then next the tongue.  Then hold the tongue on the other side and repeat the inspection.  Let the sun shine into the mouth so you can see plainly.  Next, after giving the horse a little rest, take a sharp file by the handle and rasp off the troublesome sharpness.  If you doubt your ability to do this, employ a veterinarian.

Systems in Harnessing

     Harnessing and unharnessing necessarily take up much time on every farm.  But, on some, time is

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How to Do Things

Horses     |     Spring Care

wasted thus that might be saved.  To stop this extra labor let a carefully planned system be followed by all who handle the teams, in both harnessing and unharnessing, that every man shall know exactly where to find each strap and snap.  Speaking of snaps, these useful little things need looking after once in a while, to see that they have not gotten out of order and so are ready to fail and perhaps make trouble and expense.

The Horse in Spring

     In March we find thousands of farm work horses in poorer condition than usual.  Much poor corn was fed to the horses, for oats have been high in price, and such feed has not balanced the ration with timothy hay.  Lucky is the man that has had good clover, mixed clover or bright alfalfa hay to feed his idle horses.  That kind of hay is rich in protein, so that less grain is needed with it, and it makes a blanced ration with corn of good quality.

     With roots and sound oat straw as a "side dish," the clover and alfalfa hay-fed horses have wintered well and will go into spring work in fit condition; but the "hay belly" horse that has been distended with marsh or slough hay, which should have been used for packing iron castings or crockery instead of bluffing the belly of the beast, is in sorry shape for work.  At once he should be put upon a ration of whole oats and one-ninth part of wheat bran, fed wet, but not in the form of a mash.  If a few ears of sound, old corn can be added at noon, so much the better, and the hay should be the best obtainable.  Prairie hay is suitable, or fine timothy hay will do well for spring feeding.

Special Menu for Thin Horses

     To the very thin, hide-bound, weak horse that shows a tendency to collar and saddle sores, we should feed blackstrap molasses, along with corn-meal and wheat bran in the way set forth in "Horse Secrets."  The horse may have to be starved to the molasses feed at first, but soon will take to it with relish.

     In getting the horse into shape for April and May work feed small quantities of feed often.  If molasses can not be had, and coarse brown sugar can be had cheap, gradually add some of it to the ration.  The horse likes it, and it not only is digestible but helps to drive worms out of the body.  Raw potatoes have the same effect if fed to young colts, but we do not believe in feeding them to the horse that has to work hard.

Treatment for Worms

     If it is known that worms are present, and they are seen to be doing harm, do not trust to feed for their removal.  Mix together equal parts of salt, sulphur and dried sulphate of iron (copperas), and of this give the

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How to Do Things

Buying Horses     |     Horses

adult horse a tablespoonful night and morning in his feed for a week; then skip ten days and repeat.  Omit iron for a pregnant mare and increase salt and sulphur.  Have the teeth put in order by a veterinarian, if that was not done last fall.

Things to Watch in Buying Horses

     In buying horses for spring work look at the shoulders closely.  If no sore spots or lumps or scars are seen, handle the muscles thoroughly.  Reject the horse at once if a hard mass (fibroid tumor) is found where the collar will bear.  Such a tumor swells when the collar irritates it in spring and the only remedy is to have it cut out.  That means expense and retiring the horse from work when his help is most required.

     Also reject a horse that has soft baggy swellings on the shoulder, under the collar.  These lumps are infected by the organism known as botryomyces (a fungus) and the only cure is to have them cut out.  A small red sore forms in the center of such growths when the collar irritates, and the horse consequently is unable to work well.  Avoid, too, the horse that will not let you handle his neck, where the collar rides, without rearing and biting or kicking.  It is certain he will have a sore neck and have to be laid up when he is most needed in summer.

Give the Colt's Hoofs a Chance

     "No foot no horse."  This is an old proverb, but not less true because of its age.  It is not very hard to put the middle on a horse after he is grown, but it is difficult to put good feet on him if htey have been neglected until that time.

[Illustration: hoofs]

  If left alone, the feet of colts will not always develop as they should.  The toes or heels may need to be lowered in order to straighten the axis of each foot.  Note that in the illustrations there is a break in the axes of the first two feet shown, while in the third foot the line is straight from the fetlock joint to the base.

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How to Do Things

Horses     |     Hot Weather Care

Hot Weather Care of Horses

     A horse sweats profusely.  His skin is far more richly supplied with sweat-glands than is that of man.  The flow of sweat calls for much water in the system.  If it is not provided the sweating tends to stop suddenly.  The horse "peters out," says the driver, or the "sweat stops on him," he adds; and when that occurs the horse is in great danger of his life.  The skin becomes dry and hot, the horse lags or stops, pants, shows red injection of the membranes of the eyelids, nostrils and mouth, staggers, has extremely high fever, often bloats high up in the right flank, and soon falls in a stupor or becomes delirious and dies.

     In such cases indigestion practically always is present.  That should have been noticed by an observant driver, and the manure would have given the hint, if looked at carefully, as always should be done morning, noon and night, more particularly in hot weather.

Watch the Manure

     The state of the manure indicates with absolute fidelity the condition of the digestive apparatus.  The manure should come in bright golden-yellow balls, if the horse is fed on oats, and should have a clean, earthy and not unpleasant smell.  If the manure is clay-colored, slimy and foul-smelling, that indicates derangement of the liver and digestive organs; so does scouring or constipation and dark color of the manure, or foul odor, or failure of the manure to form into balls, or if it is very hot, steaming and mucus-covered.  The slightest change from the normal condition of the manure should put the feeder on his guard, and usually it is necessary to reduce the rich feed or to withhold it for a time.

What to Feed

     Do not feed heavily on corn during hot weather.  Allow sound old oats and feed them whole with the addition of a ninth to a sixth part of wheat bran, by weight, according to the state of the bowels.  Dampen the feed.  Remove all that is not eaten up clean.  Give the horse a pound or so of hay when cooling off at noon.  Then allow drinking water and then the grain feed.  Give only a sip or two of water as the horse comes into the stable from hard work in hot weather, and do not allow him to go to the trough on his way to work when his stomach is distended with feed.  Take drinking water to the field and allow a little of it often during working hours.  Many humane farmers are doing this.  They put a barrel of cold water on a low wagon or stone boat, put in a floating top, cover up with a thick blanket, and water the horse at frequent intervals.

In Case of Heat Exhaustion

     If a horse shows any symptom of heat exhaustion, stop work, take off the harness, stand the horse where there is shade and a breeze, sprinkle his body with cold water from a

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How to Do Things

Care of Colts     |     Horses

sprinkling can held a foot or two from the skin, put cold wet swabs (not ice packs) on the poll of the head; or, if gravitation water can be used, tie the hose to the brow-band of the bridle and let a stream of cold water trickle over the head.  Give stimulants internally.  Coffee will do, but two or three ounces of a mixture of two parts alcohol and one part each of aromatic spirits of ammonia and nitrous sweet ether (sweet spirits of nitre), in a quart of cold water, will be better.  Repeat the stimulant in half dose, once an hour until the horse revives.

Care of New-Born Colts

     Many colts are arriving at this season of the year, and we wish to remind our readers of the necessity of proper care for both mare and foal.  Thousands of foals die during the first two weeks from infection of the navel, causing formation of pus abscesses at that point, internally and in the joints.  The infection is usually derived from dirty bedding and floors, or from a string tied around the navel.

     Have the colt born on grass by preference.  If that cannot be arranged, prepare a special box stall by cleansing , disinfecting with four ounces of formaldehyde to each gallon of water, and then applying fresh whitewash to floor, walls and ceiling.  Have the stall well lighted and ventilated.  Bed it with fresh, clean straw or planing-mill shavings.

     When the foal is dropped, cleanse the navel, squeeze out any fluid present and at once immerse in tincture of iodine contained in a wide-mouthed bottle.  Now dust with finely powdered screened slaked lime, repeating the application twice daily.  Use iodine again if the navel cord is slow in drying.

Do Not Use String

         If possible, do not tie a string around the navel cord.  Sever it with an emasculator or ecraseur.  If a cord must be used, soak it in a five per cent. solution of coal-tar disinfectant or a 1-1000 solution of bichloride of mercury.  Tie it an inch or so from the body of the foal and place a second streing an inch lower.  Scrape through the cord between the strings, immerse the stump in tincture of iodine, and remove the string just as soon as it is seen that the blood will not flow.  To that end it is well to tie the string with a bow-knot, which may be loosened to see if the blood will flow, and removed if it does not.  Saturate the stump of the navel with tincture of iodine after squeezing out the fluid, and dust with slaked lime as already advised.

Disinfection is Essential

     Leaking of urine form the navel commonly follows application of a string and failure to remove it promptly.  If leakage starts apply a 1-500 solution of bichloride of mercury

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How to Do Things

Horses     |     Harnessing

once daily and then dust with starch powder.  If this does not suffice, the leaking orifice should be cauterized with a lunar caustic pencil, or a red-hot knitting-needle.  Some veterinarians prefer to inject a few drops of turpentine.  Infection generally follows leaking of urine, so this should be promptly stopped and the disinfectant used.

     The foal's bowels should move promptly after birth.  The first milk of the mare has a purgative effect for the purposes of removing the first feces (meconium) from the bowels.  If the movement does not take place promptly, inject warm sweet-oil, warm cream, molasses and water, or a few ounces of warm water containing one tablespoonful of glycerine.  The latter mixture is particularly effective.  If injections do not bring away the feces, the latter may be found blocking the rectum in a firm mass.  This must be broken down with the fingers after injecting warm sweet-oil, or forceps may have to be used to bring it away.  Afterward give one to three tablespoonfuls of castor-oil shaken up in milk, if the bowels do not move naturally.  This must not be delayed.

Harnessing 3-Horse and 4-Horse Teams

     One of the best ways to make mroe money and get around the shortage of labor, is to use more horses per man in seeding and plowing.  Instead of using two two-horse teams, use one four-horse team and one driver.  In every case where this plan is followed and colts are used, take every precaution that the lines are properly strung and all the tie-straps securely fastened.

     A three-horse team works to good advantage on a fourteen-inch plow in heavy stubble or sod; the extra horse lessens the pull and the horses stand up better under the work.  Three-horse teams are much used in harrowing, too, so some young drivers may want to know how to string the lines.  There are two ways of doing it.  In Fig. 1 two lines are used and the outside horses are tied to the middle horse's hame by use of the hitch strap.  If three lines are used, string the lines on two horses just the same as if that team were to be used alone.  Then tie the third horse to the otuside hame on left horse.  Snap the outer check of the third horse's line, but allow the inside check to hang

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How to Do Things

Harnessing     |     Horses

loose.  Take this line in the left hand, making two lines for the left hand and one for the right.

[Illustration: Fig. 1, tie strap, hame, back band; drive three horses with two lines.  Fig. 2, four horses with four lines.  Fig. 3, four horses with two lines.]

     For a four-horse team either two or four lines may be used.  Fig. 2 shows how to arrange four lines, two lines for each hand.  The four-horse team is used most on the disk and harrow.  It may be advisable to use spreaders for the lines at the hames.  The outer horses are tied to the inner ones with tie-straps.

     In using two lines for four horses a jockey-stick, J, is necessary between the middle horses.  This can be made of a broomstick about three feet long, with a snap on each end to snap into the bits.   Spreaders, S, are used on the hames and back-bands, as in Fig. 3.  Three-horse and four-horse eveners will be necessary for these hitches, and can be bought at most implement stores.

     The length of the tie-straps may have to be changed after they are tried.  The only way to get them right is to use judgment, and then shorten or lengthen the tie, whichever is necessary.  If a horse is nervous and tries to go ahead of the others, tie him shorter.  Put him where the lines will give the best control of him, so he will not forge ahead and wear himself out.  With a four-horse team control with two lines is never quite so good as with four, and if colts are used four lines are advisable.  The disk or harrow is a poor place to use an unbroken team; always have two steady, well-broken horses if the others must be colts.

     The use of more horses per man not only solves one part of the labor problem, but it helps to cheapen the cost of horse labor by putting all the horses to work.  The horse that works 1000 hours a year and costs $100 to keep is cheaper than one which costs $75 to keep and works but 500 hours.  The former costs ten cents an hour worked, and the latter fifteen cents an hour.