Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 239, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 October 1915 — The Horse is an Animal of Habit [ARTICLE]

The Horse is an Animal of Habit

Uaqueationably the horse is an animal of habit If a horse is given his grain feed at five-thirty in the morning, at twelve o’clock his noon meal, and at six o’etock his evening feed, he expects the grain buckets to put in their appearance exactly at these stated times. If a horse has been regularly watered before the noon and even feeds and say at nine p. m., just before his night’s rest begins, his body will require water at those times and the system may be thrown into disorder if the water is omitted. If a horse is accustomed to a certain grain br roughage in definite amounts, acute Indigestion may develop if the feed is suddenly changed.

The question now comes —does it pay to cater to the habits of the horse with reference to feeding, watering, stabling, working and grooming? It unquestionably does, not only from a dollar point of view but also in the appearance of the horse. A majority of the so-called cases of colic in the horse can be prevented by feeding regularly, using nothing but sound grain, avoiding sudden changes of feed, and catering regularly. And in regard to the appearance of a horse, every man should have enough pride and be enough of a horseman to always keep his horses looking well. Regular grooming, Intelligent handling and knowing what a horse needs and giving it at the right time all assist in keeping up the horse’s appearance. A once said that he did not consider it necessary to look up a farmart reference if the fanner wished to negotiate a loan. He said he would judge the farmer’s financial rating by the kind of a team he drove to town. And so it is; a man is judged by the class of livestock he keeps. There should be a regular feeding hour in every stable. The time can bo arranged to suit the kind of work the horse is doing, but this time should vary but little either way. A sudden change of the grain feed or roughage should be avoided. At the season of the year when new oats are first offered or when the new hay replaces old hay, cases of acute indigestion are very common. A change of any feed for horses must be made gradually, and especially is this the case in changing from old hay and grain to new. Furthermore, it is important to restrict the amount of hay for a horse. Under most conditions hay can be fed at the rate of a pound per one hundred pounds of liveweight dally. Sufficient grain should be fed to keep the horse in satisfactory order. The amount of grain fed will vary from a pound to a pound and one-half per hundred pounds live weight daily, when horses are at work. Care taken in avoiding overfeeding not only prevents digestive troubles but also cases of founder. Cut down the grain feed one-half on the days the horse is not working. This precaution will prevent the occurrence of azoturia. The method of watering is the second factor which can figure promlnntly in digestive troubles of the horse. Most horsemen prefer to water before the noon and evening feeds and after the morning feed. It must be admitted that from a point of convenience ♦his is about the best. It does not make so much difference if a horse is offered water before or after feeding or at both times just so regularity in either method is followed. It goes without saying that judgment should be used in the amount of water offered when the horse is very warm. When the horse is not hot he should of course be allowed as much as he wants. The factor of stabling and stable management is neglected too much in handling horses. Even men who are good feeders sometimes become careless with their stables. The good stable will be well lighten and ventilated, as comfortable as possible and free from dirt and filth ana disease germp. Too many stables do not have enough sunlight. A stable without sunlight will be damp, and If disease germs are introduced they will have every opportunity to thrive. It requires lots of sunlight and fresh air to keep a stable pure and free from offensive odors. A horse certainly appreciates a level stall floor made comfortable by bedding. He cannot rest well If forced to He or stand on an inclined plane. The horse stalls should be cleaned daily or twice daily if necessary. A dirty, filthy stable and barnyard simply offer a favorable breeding pbtpe for flies. By all means keep the stable clean.