Domestic Animals Part 20

From nine to eleven days after foaling, when she should be put to the horse, if it be desirable to have a colt the following season. She comes round at intervals of about nine days.

Management of the Colt.

The colt may be weaned when five to seven months old; and preparatory to this, while with the mare, may be taught to feed on fine hay, meal, or oats. When taken away, he should be confined beyond a hearing distance of the dam, and plentifully supplied with rowen or aftermath hay, crushed oats, or wheat shorts. It is economy to provide a warm shelter through the inclement season for all animals, and especially for colts, which, with all other young, should have an abundance of nutritious food. They will thus grow evenly and rapidly, and attain a size and stamina at two years old, they would not otherwise have acquired at three.

Castrating.

The colt should be altered at about one year, but if thin in the neck and light before, the operation may be deferred to such time as the requisite development is secured. Few of the French diligence and farm horses, and scarcely any of the Oriental, are ever castrated. They are thought to be more hardy and enduring; but the slight advantage they may possibly possess in this respect, would hardly compensate for the trouble and inconvenience too frequently arising from their management.

The operation should be performed late in the spring or early in autumn, while the weather is mild. If in high condition, the animal must first be bled and physicked. If large and fractious, he must be cast. Some back him into the angle of a worm fence, where he is firmly held by the head with a bridle, and the operator accomplishes the object without any trouble or material restiveness from the animal while standing. The s.c.r.o.t.u.m should be opened on both sides, and the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es cut, or rather the cord sc.r.a.ped off, which prevents much bleeding. The wound may be dressed with a little lard; then turn him loose in a pasture which has a shelter from sun, wind, or rain. Another method of castrating is by _torsion_, or twisting.

Docking

Is practised by many, but merely to gratify an absurd and cruel caprice, without a single advantage, and the animal is better in every respect with the tail unmutilated. If done at all, it should be when young, and with a single stroke of the knife, or chisel and mallet; and if the weather be favorable, no further attention is necessary.

Nicking.

This inhuman custom is now getting unfashionable, and we omit any description of it.

Breaking.

While feeding in the stable, the colt should be gently treated, and accustomed to the halter and bit, which prepares him for breaking. If permitted to run with the others while at work, he becomes familiarized to it, and when harnessed by the side of some of his well-trained mates, he seems to consider his discipline rather a privilege than a task. The colt may be taken in hand for breaking at three years of age, and thoroughly broken to light work at four, but should not be put to hard service till six or eight. A due regard to humanity and sound judgment, in thus limiting the burden in his early years, would save much disease and suffering to the animal, and profit to the owner, by his unimpaired strength and prolonged life. The annual loss from neglecting this precaution is enormous, which might be entirely avoided by less eagerness to grasp the substance, while as yet the shadow only is within reach. Many animals are thus broken down at twelve, and are in their dotage at fifteen, while others of good const.i.tution, if well treated, perform hard service till thirty.

Longevity of the Horse.

Mr. Percival mentions one that died at 62. Mr. Mauran, of New York, has a fine gig and saddle horse, now in his 45th year, sound, spirited, and playful as a kitten. He is of a dark brown, with a tanned nose. We never yet saw a horse with a buff or bear muzzle, that had not great endurance.

American Eclipse was successfully covering mares in Kentucky at the age of 32, the result of late and light service till his sinews became fully matured. We have frequently seen a large, compact, flea-bitten horse at work, dragging a heavy load in a single cart, which was formerly used as one of Governor Maitland's coach-horses, and though upwards of 30, he was apparently as sound and vigorous as an overtasked colt of seven or eight.

Feeding.

The vigor and duration of the horse depend much on proper feeding. Like the cow and sheep, he may be made to subsist on animal food, fish, and almost every species of nutritious vegetable. But his natural and proper aliment is the gra.s.ses, grain, and roots. In the middle and northern sections of this country, his dry forage is almost invariably good meadow-hay, generally timothy, which is the richest of the cultivated gra.s.ses. At the South, this is often supplied by the blades of Indian corn. But in all the states, a great variety of the gra.s.ses and clover are used.

When put to hard labor, grain ought always to accompany hay in some form. Of the different kinds of grain, oats are peculiarly the horse's food, and they are always safe, digestible, and nutritive. Barley is the best subst.i.tute for it. Wheat and Indian corn are sometimes given, but both are unsuitable; the first is too concentrated, and the last too heating. They ought to be sparingly used, and only when ground and mixed with chaff. The offal of wheat is never objectionable.

Grain is always more advantageously fed when ground or crushed, and wet some time previous to eating; and it is still better when cooked. On both sides of the Mediterranean, in the Barbary States, in Spain, France, and Italy, much of the food is given in small baked cakes, and the saving in this way is much greater than the expense of preparing it.

When confined to dry food, roots or apples fed once a day are always beneficial. They keep the bowels open, the appet.i.te and general health good, and contribute largely to the nutriment of the animal. Carrots are the best of the roots, as besides giving muscle and working power, they, more than any other, improve the wind and prevent all tendency to heaves. They have even been found effectual in removing an obstinate cough. By many of the keepers of livery stables, they are always used, for which purpose they command the same price as oats. Potatoes, parsnips, beets, and Swedes turnips, in the order mentioned, are next to be preferred. Potatoes are improved by cooking.

Mixtures of food are best, as of cut hay, meal, and roots. Old horses, or such as are put to hard labor, will do much better if their food be given in the form easiest of digestion. No inconsiderable part of the vital power is exhausted by the digestion of dry, raw food.

Horses ought to be fed, and if possible, exercised or worked regularly, but never on a full stomach. This is a frequent cause of disease, and especially of broken wind. If their food is given at the proper time, and the horse be allowed to finish it at once, without expecting more, he will lie down quietly and digest it. This will be much more refreshing to him, than to stand at the rack or trough, nibbling continually at his hay or oats. What remains after he has done feeding, should be at once withdrawn.

They should have water in summer three times, and in winter twice a day.

Soft or running water is much the best. While working, and they are not too warm, they may have it as often as they desire. Neither should they be fed when heated, as the stomach is then fatigued and slightly inflamed, and is not prepared for digestion till the animal is again cool. Salt should always be within reach, and we have found an occasional handful of clean wood-ashes, a preventive of disease and an a.s.sistance to the bowels and appet.i.te.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 29.

Skeleton of a Horse.

A The Head.--_a_ The posterior maxillary or under jaw.--_b_ The superior maxillary or upper jaw. A little lower down than the letter is a foramen, through which pa.s.s the nerves and blood-vessels which chiefly supply the lower part of the face.--_c_ The orbit, or cavity containing the eye.--_d_ The nasal bones, or bones of the nose.--_e_ The suture dividing the parietal bones below from the occipital bones above.--_f_ The inferior maxillary bone, containing the upper incisor teeth.--B The Seven Cervical Vertebrae, or bones of the neck.--C The Eighteen Dorsal Vertebrae, or bones of the back.--D The Six Lumbar Vertebrae, or bones of the loins.--E The Five Sacral Vertebrae, or bones of the haunch.--F The Caudal Vertebrae, or bones of the tail, generally about fifteen.--G The Scapula, or shoulder-blade.--H The Sternum, or fore-part of the chest.--I The Costae or ribs, seven or eight articulating with the sternum, and called the _true ribs_; and ten or eleven united together by cartilage, called the _false ribs_.--J The Humerus, or upper bone of the arm.--K The Radius, or upper bone of the arm.--L The Ulna, or elbow.

The point of the elbow is called the Olecranon.--M The Carpus, or knee, consisting of seven bones.--N The metacarpal bones. The larger metacarpal or cannon or shank in front, and the smaller metacarpal or splint bone behind.--_g_ The fore pastern and foot, consisting of the Os Suffraginis, or the upper and larger pastern bone, with the sesamoid bones behind, articulating with the cannon and greater pastern; the Os Coronae, or lesser pastern; the Os Pedis, or coffin-bone; and the Os Naviculare, or navicular, or shuttle-bone, not seen, and articulating with the smaller pastern and coffin-bones.--_h_ The corresponding bones of the hind-feet.--O The Haunch, consisting of three portions: the Ilium, the Ischium, and the Pubis.--P The Femur, or thigh.--Q The stifle joint with the Patella.--R The Tibia, or proper leg bone; behind is a small bone called the fibula--S The Tarsus, or hock, composed of six bones. The prominent part is the Os Calcis, or point of the Hock.--T The Metatarsals of the hind leg.]

DISEASES.

The list is long and fearful, and even the brief one subjoined, will be found sufficiently great to inculcate the utmost caution in their management. The horse in his natural condition is subject to few ailments. It is only in his intensely artificial state, and when made the slave of man, that he becomes a prey to disease in almost every shape. A careful and judicious attention to his diet, water, exercise, stable, and general management, will prevent many of those to which he is subject.

Glanders.

This is one of the most alarming. The first and most marked symptom is a discharge from the nostrils of a peculiar character. The disease produces inflammation there and in the windpipe, and in aggravated cases pa.s.ses down to the lungs, which are soon destroyed.

_It is propagated_ by contagion, by exposure in humid stables, and is induced by hereditary indisposition and great exhaustion. Youatt says, there is not a disease which may not lay the foundation for glanders.

The poison resides in the nasal discharge, not in the breath. When exposed to it, the mangers should be thoroughly sc.r.a.ped, washed with soap and water, and afterwards with chloride of lime. All the clothing and harness, which may have received any of the contagious matter, must be thoroughly cleansed and baked.

_The best preventives_ are dry, clean, and well-ventilated stables, proper exercise, green food in summer, and roots in winter.

_The disease may be arrested_ in its early stages, by turning the animal on a dry pasture, but it is liable to return on subsequent confinement.

Iodine has lately been announced as a remedy, but of the certainty of its effects, we are not aware.

It is generally considered incurable, and when thoroughly seated, it may be deemed an act both of humanity and economy to terminate the existence of its victim at once. This course becomes a duty, from the fact that many grooms, by their attendance on glandered horses, have been affected, and though the disease is, in their case, more manageable, yet it is frequently fatal.

Farcy.

This is intimately connected with glanders, and the diseases frequently run into each other.

Lampas.

This consists in the swelling of the bars of the mouth to a level or even above the teeth. It may occur from inflammation of the gums; shedding of the teeth; a febrile tendency, and from over-feeding or want of exercise. It will generally subside by low dieting and proper exercise; or it may be at once relieved by lancing the bars with a sharp penknife.

Poll-evil.

This arises from some contusion or injury to the head, which produces a swelling that eventually suppurates. The inflammation may be abated, in its earliest stages, by a blister; and in its later, by bleeding, physic, and cold lotions applied to the part. If these are ineffectual, and the swelling continues, it should be hastened by poultices, and warm, stimulating lotions; and when fully formed, the tumor must be opened, so as to permit all the matter to run out. Repeated applications of salt will sometimes cure it.

Heaves.

All those affections, distinguished in the English veterinary works as _pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs_, _chronic cough_, _thick and broken wind_, _consumption_, _&c._, are popularly designated as _heaves_. To some or all of these the horse may have an hereditary or const.i.tutional tendency. Their incipient stages are also induced by a sudden transition from heat to cold, and sometimes from cold to close and hot stables; and by a chilly wind or damp stables, especially after severe exercise. Feeding on musty, dry hay, or on straw, will produce an irritation which may lead to heaves.