Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1874 — Abuse of Old Horses. [ARTICLE]

Abuse of Old Horses.

A correspondent of an exchange says: I feel a deep sympathy for old horses. It is a common practice in this country to make old horses break the colts ana too often work with them for years. It is hard for an old horse to work with a colt or a young, active horse. Old horses, like old men, are often capable of performing more hard work than some young oues. who can beat them for an hour dr more. The old man wants to take a moderate jog, and can hold out all day; but a little immoderate exertion for a few minutes unstrings him perhaps all day. An old horse driven at the top of his speed for a few miles spoils the day’s journey. When once made sore or strained, the result is stiffness the next day. T'he old horse should not haul his load to town and then be forced to trot back. It does not injure him as much to do heavy work with slow motion as to do light jobs ut the, last gait. Again, the vid horse requires more time to eat his meals and rest his nerves. Of all animals the horse is the •worst abused. Although he has been cwr faithful and profitable servant, yet in his old age the lash is applied to force out his youthful vigor. The older he grows the more he feels the lash. He is often turned out doors to give place to the colts. Too often the neglect and abuse he is subject to, because he is a little old, result in a greater loss than is made up in 'he care of young horses. The last part of a horse’s life may be more profitable if rightly used than the first part. There is more comfort and less danger old horses. We. understand them and they understand us; and we should be willing to conform in some measure to their wishes. It would be more humane as well as profitable to use them as they should be and as long as it would pay, and then take them out and shoot them down. But the practice is to knock them about as much as they will bear to pay well, aqd then trade them off to some more inhuman wretch than ourselves. The old servant has gone among strangejrs, and he receives no sympathy in his last extremity, We do not blush to say that a man who has enjoyed the profits and pleasures of a good horse as long as he was profitable, and then shoves him, off among inhuman jockeys, is an inhuman, treacherous and suspicious friend. The man who does so without regard to how the horse may be cared for is, in my estimation, of a suspicious character; and I never see horses abused so as <o excite pity but my sympathies are directea to the man’s ‘ wife and children also, if he has them. Icing fob Cake. —This is easy to make, and that’s what we want to save, arm ache. Take one egg and add nine heaping teaspoons of pulverized sugar. Beat hut very little. Put this icing on when the cake is cold. —The consumption of potatoes imported into Great Britain must be very large. The declared value imported in the lut twelve months was 110,606,178. In the preceding year, $8,271,300. In Paris breakfast-caps for ladies are now made in the same shape as thepretty cape worn by Korm«dy prls.