THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
THE HORSE: 
 ITS KEEP & MANAGEMENT 
 
 BY 
 
 oo OIK:., 
 
 A uthor of ' ' The Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder: or, How to make 
 Poultry pay ;" " The Book on Ducks, and how to make them pay ;" 
 Editor and Proprietor of " The Poultry Journal ;" Conductor of 
 Poultry Department " Farm, Field and Fireside;" Weekly Contributor 
 to "Poultry," &c., die. 
 
 PRICE 2s. 6d. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR AT 
 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY, KENT, 
 
 AND AT 
 
 QUEEN'S HEAD YARD, 105, BOROUGH, LONDON, S.E. 
 ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL. 
 
BROMLEY, KENT : 
 
 E. CLARKE & SON, 
 
 PRINTING WORKS, 53, HIGH STREET, 
 AND AT ST. MARY CRAY. 
 
CUf 
 
 OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 Even the most inexperienced in matters equine cannot fail 
 to become pretty well acquainted with the practical manage- 
 ment of the stable by perusing Mr. W. Cook's work, The Horse : 
 Its Keep and Management. The work, published by the author, 
 is written with the humane object of lessening the sufferings of 
 horses, caused as often by the ignorance of those who have 
 charge of them as by cruelty. Mr. Cook treats his subject in a 
 comprehensive manner, and writes in a clear and concise style. 
 Lloyd's, August 25th, 1891. 
 
 The author, William Cook, of The Horse : Its Keep and 
 Management, which he publishes himself from Orpington House, 
 St. Mary Cray, Kent, is a horse-breeder, and, what is more, 
 evidently a lover of the noble animal. His object in writing this 
 little book is to make the lives of these useful animals happier by 
 making those who have the control of them understand them 
 better. He treats of their feeding, watering, manipulation in the 
 stable, their ailments, breeding, breaking-in, driving, &c. ; and 
 he does it in such a simple unaffected way that he who runs may 
 read. If the kind of information here given were disseminated 
 amongst drivers and stablemen and all those who have the 
 handling of horses, it would have a more meliorating effect 
 upon the lot of the equine race than any number of police- 
 court prosecutions. Take our 'bus horses alone. How often 
 when one of them has stumbled may the driver not be observed 
 to give it a lash and begin to jerk ferociously at the reins ? 
 The time to give it a touch with the whip and to stiffen the 
 reins not jerk them is when there is a likelihood of its stum- 
 bling. To cut it after it has stumbled is, as Mr. Cook remarks, 
 to make it more frightened next time it stumbles, as it expects 
 the lash, and " in its excitement and nervousness its knees are 
 on the road before it knows where it is. " Another point touched 
 on by the author, which we consider well worth emphasising, 
 is the treatment of a horse that has fallen. To get him up the 
 driver frequently proceeds to kick him on the ribs or to apply 
 the whip. "Now," says Mr. Cook, "this is most inhuman; 
 the horse would not fall down if he could help it. That is not 
 all, however ; when he is down he is very frightened and nervous, 
 but when it comes to lashing him with the whip, and kicking 
 him, in less than three minutes the poor thing is all of a 
 lather with fright. Any man who does this kind of thing ought 
 to have six months' hard labour ; yet it is done every day. " 
 No ; the way to act is to be calm, collected, and kind ; get 
 him quietly ' disentangled from the harness and vehicle, some 
 one holding his head down the while, and then he will rise. 
 No amount of teaching, however, will, we fear, make good 
 drivers out of badly-dispositioned men ; for it is to a certain 
 extent true of the handlers of horses as it is of poets "they 
 are born, not made." Daily Chronicle, August 26th, 1891. 
 
The Horse: Its Keep and Management (By William Cook). 
 This volume has the very great merit (and it must be added 
 the corresponding defect) tnat it represents only the opinion of 
 one man. Still he is an intelligent observer of the horse in its 
 work and in its stable. There are many much more compre- 
 hensive volumes on the horse, and books in which the whole 
 subject is more exhaustively treated ; but Mr. Cook tells what 
 he believes himself to have learned by his own experience, 
 and his experience really has been considerable. We do not 
 say a man's experience let his life be ever so long and his field 
 of observation be ever so wide can tell him all that ought to 
 be known in order to discuss thoroughly any subject. Bufc no 
 amount of reading on such a question as this of how to keep a 
 horse, can compensate for the want of experience. The chapters 
 which tell of feeding and stable-management are % full of useful 
 hints to the owner of one horse. The other chapters are more 
 ambitious and less successful. But even the first chapters alone 
 are very good value for half-a-crown to those who for the first 
 time are about to start a horse and trap of their own. Mr. 
 Cook never leaves one in doubt as to what his meaning is. 
 His advice is lucid enough. Live Stock Journal, August 28th, 
 1891. 
 
 The Horse: Its Keep and Management, by Mr. William 
 Cook, is a sensible and practical little book, the result of con- 
 siderable observation and experience. It may be taken as a 
 guide by all those whose acquaintance with the subject is 
 limited, while many claiming special knowledge will find 
 numerous hints and suggestions, the adoption of which would 
 prove profitable to them and beneficial to their horses. The 
 horse is naturally intelligent and docile, though playful and 
 spirited, and responds readily to kindness, by the agency of 
 which he can generally be made to obey his master's wishes 
 without having recourse to punishments which injure his 
 temper and his nerves. The burden of the book is to be gentle 
 and patient, to treat a young horse much as you would a 
 child, and when you do punish to be influenced by reason, and 
 not by temper. Mr. Cook, of Orpington, is himself the publisher 
 of the manual. Morning Post, September 2nd, 1891. 
 
 The Horse : Its Keep and Management. The author of this 
 work (Mr. Wm. Cook) needs no introduction to Poultry keepers, 
 but perhaps some may fancy that it is a big leap from Poultry 
 keeping to the horse and its management ; nevertheless we can 
 assure readers that such is not the case here, as Mr. Cook has 
 been amongst horses all his life, and is as thoroughly acquainted 
 with them as with Poultry. The work in question does not 
 attempt to deal in any scientific manner with the question. It 
 simply deals with the practical management in such a way as 
 will enable the most inexperienced to find in it plain and 
 practical hints. The subjects, amongst others, dealt with include 
 
feeding, watering, bedding, cleaning, clipping, singeing, shoeing, 
 breeding, breaking, driving, diseases, &c., &c. It is written in 
 plain simple language, that lie who runs may read, and thousands 
 who may have been stranded with scientific works cannot fail 
 to find in this work much sound information. It is written by 
 a shrewd observer, and will be found of very great service to 
 those to whom it appeals. Poultry. 
 
 THE A. B.C. OF HORSE MANAGEMENT. Mr. W. Cook, of 
 Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, who has already achieved 
 some degree of fame as an exponent of the ,irt of poultry- 
 keeping so as to pay, has turned his attention 10 the treatment 
 of horses, and has issued a simple handbook to horse manage- 
 ment which should be of more use to the inexperienced in such 
 matters than the "highly scientific compilations on the same 
 subject, used by more advanced folk. The author confesses in 
 his preface that his object in view is not so much the examina- 
 tion of scientific theories on the subject as simply to deal with 
 the practical management of the horse in such a way as to 
 enable the most inexperienced to find in its pages the plain and 
 simple facts of matters which press for attention, and sufferings 
 which call for speedy relief. During his travels in various 
 parts of the country he has been "frequently appalled" at the 
 bad management to which horses are subjected. He is inclined 
 to think that this is not the result of a desire to be cruel on 
 the part of those who keep the animals, but the outcome often- 
 times of ignorance as to their real wants, and the treatment 
 that is necessary and effectual to the relief of their sufferings. 
 Having therefore a claim to be heard as having been among 
 horses from a very early age, he has written the book, and has 
 sent it forth to the public with a sincere desire that many will 
 find it helpful, and that the horses of this country will, as a 
 result of its appearance, be treated better and more intelligently. 
 The book itself contains chapters on feeding, watering, bedding- 
 down, and on breeding, breaking-in, horses' diseases, and subjects 
 of more general information. It is nicely turned out by Messrs. 
 E. Clarke and Sons, of St. Mary Cray, and although it contains 
 many statements open to controversy, it is likely to prove 
 useful. District Times, August 8th, 1891. 
 
 The Horse : Its Keep and Management (By William Cook) : 
 In homely style Mr. Cook has indited a book which will not be 
 without its value to those who keep nag horses for purely 
 utilitarian purposes. In justice, however, to a class of men who 
 are much maligned, we feel bound to protest against such 
 sweeping passages as this: " It is a known fact horse dealers are 
 
 looked upon as a race of men who will tell any untruth as long 
 as they are able to strike a good bargain." Again, "I . . . 
 find in many cases a horse dealer will often sell a gentleman 
 a horse, telling him he is a first-class animal and will just suit 
 him, when the man knows all the time it will be of no use to 
 the purchaser." This is tantamount to a charge of. deliberate 
 
fraud. Some dealers there are whom no one would trust, just 
 as there are tailors, bootmakers, grocers, and others of whom 
 every sensible man would beware; but given men of reputation , 
 and they are neither more nor less honest than other tradesmen ; 
 while many act in strictly honourable fashion towards their 
 customers. 
 
 Like a good many more persons, Mr. Cook has managed to 
 mixed up intelligence with instinct, and calls a horse intelligent 
 because, having once stopped at a certain place, he looked out 
 for being pulled up there when he next passed, though a twelve- 
 month had elapsed between the two journeys. This, we venture 
 to suggest, was not intelligence it was memory, the horse's 
 strong point, upon which every skilful trainer and breaker plays. 
 
 In the remarks on feeding and watering horses there is a good 
 deal of common sense ; but Mr. Cook would have done better 
 to have given more definite rules for the guidance of the 
 inexperienced. The little-and-often principle is good up to a 
 certain point : but four feeds a day we consider ample. We are 
 quite at one with Mr. Cook in his recommendation of frequent 
 watering ; and we cordially agree with him in his condemnation 
 of soft food for horses. The author is not a violent advocate 
 for the washing oi horses' legs ; but we would go further, and 
 say that under no circumstances should the legs of a hunter 
 be washed ; friction, and not water, is needed to cleanse the 
 hair and skin, and there is no greater promoter of mud fever than 
 washing the legs. Mr. Cook's work may be recommended to 
 those who are about to set up a useful pony or cob, as the 
 inexperienced horse owner will read several things that are worth 
 remembering ; and, as the book is couched in very homely 
 language, it will be the better understood. Those who keep 
 hunters will not find much dealing with that particular class of 
 horse ; nor is anything said about the superior class of carriage 
 horses. As a manual for general principles, the book may be 
 read with profit. From The Field Horse Management. 
 
 The Horse: Its Keep and Management (Mr. William Cook). 
 Author of "The Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder," &c. 
 Published by the Author, Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, Kent. 
 Price 2s. 6d. It is evident that Mr. Cook has written this book 
 can amore, he having been amongst horses from a very early 
 age. He tells in a very homely way how the animal should be 
 bred, fed, broken, and treated, and keeps entirely away from the 
 scientific side of the subject. What he recommends is the out- 
 come of experience ; and if the volume is less presumptuous than 
 many others we come across, it can be understood by those who 
 read it, and numerous useful hints may be obtained from it. 
 From Farm, Field & Fireside. 
 
 The Horse: its Keep and Management (By William 
 Cook) : Anyone who writes a Book with the avowed intention 
 of teaching the British public how to treat their horses 
 better than is, alas ! the present rule deserves the sympathy 
 
of all lovers of the noble quadruped, and their support in the 
 exact proportion of his ability to impress wholesome instruction 
 upon the more ignorant of the community, from whom 
 undeniably horses suffer many wrongs some intentionally 
 inflicted, but many the outcome of mere thoughtlessness. 
 
 The author of the above named volume has evidently, as 
 he himself states, spent much of his time in the study of his 
 subject, both from practical and theoretical points of view. 
 And we can heartily commend many of his tenets. It is, no 
 doubt, as he says, "not always well even to scold horses 
 when they do wrong ; horses are much more intelligent than 
 most people take them to be ; " and an angry word upon a 
 slight occasion may, upon the next, render the occasion one of 
 real danger, from the sudden memory of the previous rating 
 causing the horse to lose his nerve, and do something foolish to 
 avoid the recurrence of the well-remembered reproof. A shying 
 horse, for instance, will add the reproof or the cut of the whip 
 which he received upon the last offence to his, perhaps, real 
 dread of the object at which he shied, and probably, as the 
 author says, "do something desperate to escape this double 
 source of uneasiness," or a horse who has been struck for 
 stumbling will naturally start off at a gallop after the next 
 mistake of the kind, to avoid the expected punishment ; and a 
 frightened gallop means danger. At the same time Mr. Cook 
 is not wholly averse to punishments when salutary, as, for 
 example, when he most rightly advises prompt reproof, and a 
 cut with the whip " when a horse throws back its ears and 
 lifts its foot up in the stable to kick," instead of the attendant 
 running out of the way, as too often happens with half-taught 
 grooms, the surest way to convert the threat or play into a 
 real kick upon the next occasion. Any temper in adminis- 
 tering such punishments should, however, be avoided, and one 
 blow is enough. 
 
 The author's remarks upon breeding, etc., are much to the 
 point, notably two practical hints, the first being a warning 
 against backing mares in foal when in harness, as a frequent 
 cause of foal slipping ; and the second as to the advantage 
 and size derived by colts from a liberal diet of cow's milk. Land 
 and Water, August 29th, 1891. 
 
 The Horse : Its Keep and Management (By William Cook). 
 Farm and Home, after many complaints says : The recom- 
 mendations as to management are decidedly valuable, and the 
 truth is told as to the general mismanagement as regards feeding, 
 the use of cooked food, watering, bedding, and driving, in terms 
 that should make the average Englishman, with his inborn 
 conceit about all that appertains to matters equine, positively 
 "squirm." There is a ring of genuine originality about the 
 book : it is obviously founded on experience which has led the 
 author into drawing correct conclusions that accord with scientific 
 teaching as well as with practical knowledge, and there is 
 absolutely no "crib" or borrowing of other people's ideas, 
 From Farm and Home, October, 10th, 1891, 
 
The Horse : Its Keep and Management, by William Cook, 
 (Orpington, St. Mary Cray). Price 2s. 6d. It is with very great 
 pleasure that we have noticed the large number of publications 
 which have recently made their appearance in connection with 
 the horse and its management. It is a healthy sign of the times 
 when so many qualified writers contribute their valuable opinions 
 upon so interesting a subject. Amongst the large number of 
 books that have within recent months made their appearance, 
 none, we venture to say, will meet with a heartier welcome than 
 that now under notice. Mr. William Cook has already 
 established a reputation as a writer in connection with books on 
 poultry, and we know of no one who is better qualified to write 
 upon the subject of the horse than this gentleman. Mr. Cook 
 does not seek to present us with any scientific theory ; he is quite 
 content to put forward a simple and easily-understood treatise 
 upon the practical management of the horse, which "those who 
 run may read. " The author has travelled far and wide throughout 
 our own country, and he has noticed what a great many others 
 who have kept their eyes open must have equally observed 
 namely, the abominable and cruel treatment to which some 
 horses are subjected. No doubt he has often blushed, as have we, 
 at the simple barbarity displayed bv many persons who keep 
 animals ; and his sole object is to improve the conditions under 
 which the horse has to live. From his very earliest age he has 
 been much amongst horses, and has naturally made himself 
 fully acquainted with their habits, requirements, and sufferings. 
 We can cordially recommend this book to our readers, and we 
 have been so favourably impressed with it that we shall hope to 
 see other publications of a similarly useful nature from Mr. 
 William Cook's able pen before long. From The Road, 
 October 1st, 1891. 
 
 The Horse: Its Keep and Management (By W. Cook). 
 The author of this handy manual is the well-known originator 
 of the Orpington fowl, and as such, requires no introduction to 
 poultry keepers, but from poultry-keeping to horse-management 
 may seem to some people a long jump indeed ; though, in this 
 instance, we can assure our readers that it is not so. Mr. Cook 
 has been amongst horses all his life, and is as thoroughly 
 acquainted with them as with poultry. The work in question 
 does not attempt to deal in any scientific manner with the 
 question ; it simply deals with the practical management of the 
 horse in such a way as will enable the most inexperienced to 
 find in it plain and practical hints. The subjects include feed- 
 ing, watering, bedding, clipping, singeing, shoeing, breeding, 
 breaking, driving, diseases, &c. , &c. It is written by a shrewd 
 observer, and should be in the hands of all lovers and keepers 
 of the most useful of all animals. Finchley and Hendon Times, 
 August 14th, 1891. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGES. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION 112 
 
 The writer's object How horses are spoiled The 
 horse dealer beware ! The folly of using harsh 
 measures, and injurious after-effects resulting there- 
 from Shying and making shy. 
 
 CHAPTER I. FEEDING HORSES 13 38 
 
 General Feeding Nag horses Horses on a Farm 
 Waggon and Carmen's horses Judgment : when 
 and now to use it, according to circumstances 
 Various systems of Feeding Green Stuff Dry 
 Fodder Preparation of Food. 
 
 CHAPTER II. WATERING HORSES 3944 
 
 Experiences Bad watering and its results Methods 
 of giving water Let the horses drink as they like. 
 
 CHAPTER III. TYING HORSES UP IN THE STABLE ... 45 48 
 
 Horses should be tied up How to fasten them 
 properly Tricks and misdoings of horses if let loose. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. BEDDING DOWN IN THE STABLE ... 49 60 
 
 There are various ways of bedding down horses in 
 the stable : some are better than others. 
 
 CHAPTER V. CLEANING HORSES 6165 
 
 How Horses are sometimes cleaned How they 
 should be cleaned Attention in wet weather. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. CLIPPING AND SINGEING 6771 
 
 Reasons why horses should be clipped* How, when, 
 and where they should be clipped Clipping not 
 always to be followed by singeing. 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. HORSES' FEET 73-85 
 
 The foot What causes lameness in the stable ? 
 Observation and explanation Corns and mud fever 
 Goose grease and water for horses' feet Thrush 
 and its treatment Cracked heels. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. BANDAGING AND MANAGING HORSES 
 
 IN THE STABLE 8591 
 
 Bandaging when on a journey Preparation for 
 binding and application General directions for 
 cleaning and drying Ventilation. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. COLDS, DISEASES, AND SHOEING ... 93 98 
 
 Colds Care in shoeing Watch the Farrier Shape 
 of ordinary shoe Patent shoes. 
 
 CHAPTER X. BREEDING 99106 
 
 The increase in number of horse-breeders Why 
 farmers should breed horses Mares rejected for 
 work, but valuable for breeding Treatment of 
 breeding mares Selection and pairing Horse- 
 dealers and their tricks. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. REARING YOUNG COLTS 107111 
 
 Treatment of Mares when suckling Colts The Colts 
 and their treatment. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. BREAKING IN 113124 
 
 How colts are spoiled Conquer the horse or the 
 horse will conquer you- --Training to harness and in 
 the stable Treatment of jibbing horses. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. DRIVING 125136 
 
 Some people's ideas about driving The result of 
 ignorance about driving Ho w fast to drive Kindness 
 and common sense and the result of using them. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. WHAT is THE BEST MATERIAL FOR 
 
 THE STABLE FLOOR? 137139 
 
 The difference in Litter Paving : Bricks, Tiles, or 
 Cement Moss Peat Litter Straw, &c. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. FEVER IN HORSES' FEET, AND WEAK 
 
 JOINTS 141146 
 
 Fever in horse's feet The hunter : shaken The 
 cold water cure Turn horses out The beneficial 
 action of dew The horse dealer "in clover" 
 " Prevention is better than cure." 
 
INDEX. 
 
 PAGE. 
 Age of breeding mares 104 
 
 Bedding down in stable 45, 49 
 
 Bandaging horses' legs 85-91 
 
 Breeding 99, 106 
 
 Breeding profitable 100 
 
 Breaking-in 113-124 
 
 Crushed Oats 20,21 
 
 Chaff: cutting and preparation... ... ... ... 23, 24 
 
 Chilled water for horses, folly of using ... .... ... 39 
 
 Cleaning horses 61-71 
 
 Curry-combing 62 
 
 Collars, cleansing of ... ... ... ... ... ... 65 
 
 Clipping 67, 68 
 
 Clipping horses' legs ... ... ... ... ... ... 69 
 
 Corns on horses' feet ... ... ... ... ... 75, 76 
 
 Cracked heels and their treatment , 80, 82, 83 
 
 Colds 93 
 
 Colts... 107 
 
 Colts, treatment of, when growing 108-1 1 1 
 
 Colts in the stable, training of 119,120 
 
Vlll INDEX. 
 
 Driving 125-136 
 
 Driving, position of hands in ... ... ... ... ... 131 
 
 Ears the index of temperature ... ... ... ... 90 
 
 Evils of the hire system ... ... ... ... ... ... 132 
 
 Feeding horses generally ... ... ... ... ... 2 
 
 Farm horses, their treatment and feed 30-38 
 
 Feeding of cart horses in stable 31, 32, 33 
 
 Farm horses at work, special care and treatment of ... 37 
 
 Feet of horses 73-83 
 
 Foot, construction of ... ... ... ... ... 73, 74, 75 
 
 Fever in feet .. ... ... ... ... ... 74, 141 
 
 Fractious horses, cure of 114, 115 
 
 Farmers' breeding ventures 99 
 
 Feeding in small portions ... ... .. ... ... 34 
 
 Green food, best uses of ... ... ... ... ... ... 16, 17 
 
 Greasing horses' hoofs ... ... ... ... ... ... 77 
 
 Greasy heels ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 81 
 
 Gentlemen their own breeders 105 
 
 Hay, quantity, quality, and mode of giving 32 
 
 Headstalls and halters 45,46,47 
 
 Hoofs, care of ... ... ... ... ... ... . . 76, 77 
 
 Hunters' shoes 96 
 
 Horse dealers' victims ... ... ... ... ... ... 106 
 
 Horses made shy ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 130 
 
 Horses' legs shaken (Ill-m). ... ... ... ... .. 143 
 
 Inferior food, detrimental effects of feeding upon 15, 16 
 
 Jibbing horses, treatment of ... ... ... ... 123, 12 
 
INDEX. IX 
 
 Lame horses, cause of lameness ... ... ... ... 50-56 
 
 London Bridge jibbers ... ... ... ... ... ... 124 
 
 Loose boxes ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 
 
 Moss peat bedding ... ... ... ... ... ... 53 
 
 Mares, treatment of during breeding and suckling 101, 102, 109 
 
 Nag horses, special feeding of ... ... ... ... 12, 17, 28 
 
 Nosebags, value and best way of using 28, 29, 36 
 
 Nettle tea for horses 63 
 
 Oats and other corn, staying properties of 25,26,27 
 
 Ostlers' ideas of watering ... ... ... ... ... 41-43 
 
 Oatmeal for horses ... ... ... ... ... ... 134 
 
 Paving for stable floors 50 
 
 Patent shoes 98 
 
 Pair horses, training of 121 
 
 Resting horses in stable 57-60 
 
 Roughing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 97 
 
 Rugging the horse ... ... ... ... ... ... 88, 89 
 
 Sloppy food 26, 27 
 
 Straw for bedding 53 
 
 Scurf, cure of ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 63 
 
 Scraping wet horses ... ... ... ... ... ... 64 
 
 Sore shoulders, how to avoid 65, 94 
 
 Singeing ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 70 
 
 Swollen legs, treatment of ... ... ... ... ... 86 
 
 Shoeing, farriers' blundering 95, 96 
 
 Selection of breeding stock 102 
 
 Spoiling horses, how it is done ... ... ... ... 126, 129 
 
 Shy horse cured 128 
 
 Stable floors 137-139 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Table for resting nosebag on 29, 30 
 
 Tying-up horses in the stable ... ... ... ... ... 45, 48 
 
 Tricks of horses when loose in the stable ... ... ... 48 
 
 Thrush 79 
 
 Turning out, the value of 145 
 
 Training colts to harness or saddle 116-118 
 
 Ventilation of stable 91 
 
 Waggon and carriers' horses, feeding and treatment of 28-30 
 
 Watering horses ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 39-44 
 
 Water, quantity of, to give 40 
 
 Watering farm horses while at work ... ... ... ... 43, 44 
 
 Water for horses' feet ... ... ... ... ... ... 78 
 
 Wind galls 85 
 
 Washing horses' legs 87, 88 
 
 Working colts, age and way to commence ... ... 122, 123 
 
 Whips, how to use them properly ... ... ... 126, 127 
 
 Weak knees, the cure of 142, 143 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Mr. Cook's Black Cob "Rip" (Frontispiece.) 
 
 Illustration showing the correct position of hands when driving 131 
 
 Horses' legs "Over at Knee."... 143 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ERHAPS in presenting my book on 
 " The Horse " to the public I may be 
 allowed to offer a few remarks con- 
 
 *w 
 
 cerning the object I have in view ; 
 
 which is not looking so much to scientific theories, 
 as simply dealing with the practical management of the 
 horse in such a way as to enable the most inexperienced 
 to find in its pages the plain and simple facts of matters 
 which press for attention, and sufferings which call for 
 speedy relief. 
 
 During my travels in various parts of the country I 
 am frequently appalled at the bad management to which 
 some horses are subjected. This I am inclined to think 
 is not the result of a desire to be cruel on the part of 
 those who keep the animals, but is the outcome often- 
 times of ignorance as to their real wants and the 
 treatment that is necessary and effectual to the relief 
 of their sufferings. 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 Having been among horses from a very early age, 
 and being interested in them, I have naturally learned 
 all I could of their habits, needs, and sufferings ; 
 and because I like so much to see horses treated 
 so that they are happy and well, I have written 
 this book, and send it forth to the public with a sincere 
 desire that many will find it helpful, and that the horses 
 of this country will, as a result of its appearance, be 
 treated better and more intelligently ; and also that in 
 some instances means will be employed in the care and 
 management of horses, whose lives have perhaps been 
 a burden to them through weakness and low con- 
 dition, resulting from inattention and bad treatment, 
 which will bring them brighter days and a happier 
 existence. 
 
 WILLIAM COOK. 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, 
 
 ST. MARY CRAY, KENT. 
 
General Remarks and Information. 
 
 The writer's object How horses are spoiled The horse dealer- 
 beware ! The folly of using harsh measures, and injurious after- 
 effects resulting therefrom Shying and making shy. 
 
 A /T ANY horses in this country are not only abused 
 -L-V-L by those who attend to them, hut in many cases 
 by the owners themselves. It is the mismanagement of 
 these noble animals which has induced me to give a 
 little spare time to writing this little book. I am neither 
 a veterinary surgeon nor a horse dealer but a horse 
 breeder, and my intention is just to give a general out- 
 line of the management of the horse, as I am a lover 
 of the animal. To experienced persons this work may not 
 be of any very great value, but even those who have 
 had long experience and are really very fond of their 
 horses will no doubt find something useful. The book 
 is written in so simple a form that even a boy can 
 understand it. I usually find it is far better to put 
 things in such a way as though no one knew anything 
 about the subject but the writer. This enables practical 
 persons to see they are right, and those who are not 
 can just have a bird's-eye view of the most simple way 
 to manage a horse or horses. 
 
2 GENERAL KKMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 I have treated upon feeding horses so that inex- 
 perienced people will know how to feed their animals 
 when they are either hard at work or standing still in 
 the stable. In the following chapters will be seen what 
 to feed the horse upon, and how the food should be 
 given. I have also treated upon the breaking-in of 
 young horses ho\v they can be tamed down and gently 
 brought into work with but very little trouble, as well as 
 how a restless horse can be taught to stand quiet almost 
 directly it is broken-in. I have also endeavoured to 
 point out how a horse can be driven on a long journey 
 without injuring the animal in any way. 
 
 There is a chapter on breeding stating how many 
 valuable mares are practically lost when they get to a 
 certain age, or, in other words, how many good mares 
 are sold for a trifle, which, with very little trouble and 
 forethought, might be sent to some farmer in the 
 country and bred from. This can easily be done. In 
 some instances a colt can be reared for from ^35 
 to 40 up to when it is four years old, and if from 
 an extraordinarily good mare it sometimes turns out 
 worth from ^70 to ;ioo. 
 
 It is needless for me to say how tricky horse- 
 dealing is in this country, as it is a known fact horse- 
 dealers are looked upon as a race of men who will 
 tell any untruth so long as they are able to strike a 
 good bargain. But even that is not the worst of it. 
 They often sell a person a horse which will either kick 
 or jib perhaps both and so endanger the lives of 
 
GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 3 
 
 many inexperienced persons. Horse buying is generally 
 an awkward matter even to those who understand the 
 animals, but worse for those who are inexperienced as 
 to the way they can be got up for sale. 
 
 I have been very much struck during the last few 
 years with the number of accidents that happen where 
 people have met with their death, and others have been 
 injured. In many cases it has been simply through 
 having a fresh horse and not understanding it. In 
 other words, the animal was not what he was repre- 
 sented to be. I do not mean to say there are no honest 
 horse dealers, but I do say this they are few and far 
 between in comparison to the number of dishonest ones. 
 I have had a great deal to do with horses during my 
 life, and find in many cases a horse-dealer will often 
 sell a gentleman a horse, telling him he is a first-class 
 animal and will just suit him, when the man knows all 
 the time it will be of no use to the purchaser. The dealer 
 will often go so far as to send another man to buy the 
 horse back, of course, for less money, and will send 
 the gentleman a worse one in its place. No matter 
 what neighbourhood people go into, if they are thinking 
 of buying a Ahorse they scarcely dare tell anyone, or 
 they will be tormented by a lot of horse-dealers. The 
 latter are not wise in their day and generation, if they 
 were they would treat people honestly. 
 
 There is a splendid opening for honest horse-dealers 
 in our country at the present day. Suppose, for instance, 
 a gentleman buys a horse of a dealer, and the animal 
 
4 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 turns out to be well worth the money, the owner's 
 friends at once ask where it came from, and in many 
 cases a good order is the result ; by this means the 
 dealer is recommended from one to the other. This 
 is how things should be, then one need not fear to buy 
 a horse, even though he mav not know much about 
 them himself. As I travel much in almost every 
 county in England during the twelve months, I see a 
 great deal of changing hands with horses, but I prefer 
 breeding my own, unless I can get them direct from the 
 breeder or farmer. I am determined never to have 
 anything to do with horse-dealers, if I do I shall want 
 the animal a month on trial. When a horse is being 
 sold I am sure it would be much better if the person 
 selling told the intending purchaser the faults of the 
 animal. When I have one for sale, I always do this, 
 but it is very seldom I have one to spare. 
 
 Horses are often abused because those who drive 
 them are accustomed to stop outside public-houses. It 
 often grieves me when I see poor horses on a very wet 
 day standing shivering outside these places. If horses 
 could tell tales what strange stories many of them could 
 relate. Though they are dumb animals they are 
 wonderfully intelligent. Many young horses are spoiled in 
 breaking-in, while others are ruined after they are broken-in. 
 If a horse is broken-in properly it seems to know almost 
 every word that is said to it. 
 
 Horse-breeding is largely on the increase in England, 
 and from the last six to ten years horses have been 
 
GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 5 
 
 wonderfully improved. This is owing, to a certain extent, to 
 
 the number of shows which have been held in different 
 
 counties in England. Hunters, nag horses, and heavy 
 
 cart horses are all of far better quality than they used 
 to be. 
 
 As in my younger days I had a good deal to do 
 with breaking-in horses, I have a good idea as to how 
 young horses should be handled. The few observations 
 I have made during my life have been very helpful to 
 me, as I not only learned the best way to break-in colts, 
 but the way to manage them after they were broken-in. 
 I have not recommended any particular bit being used for 
 horses, as I seldom use anything but a " snaffle " or a 
 Liverpool bit. It is very necessary when a person 
 is buying a horse he should know what kind of 
 bit the animal is accustomed to, as, if a horse 
 is nervous and gets to a strange place, has a 
 fresh driver, and a totally different bit to what he 
 has been accustomed to, it frightens him very much, 
 and very often the owner also. Those who rear young 
 horses should handle them a little more when they are 
 colts, if this were done they would be much less trouble 
 afterwards. Many people use both a bit and a curb for 
 young horses. This is done to make them shape the 
 neck well, which, of course, sets a horse off, and in 
 some people's estimation puts a " IQ note" on it. 
 Then again, there are others who rein them up very 
 tightly, which often really amounts to cruelty. I frequently 
 see a horse's mouth bleed through being reined up too 
 
6 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 tightly. This is a mistake which many people make. I 
 will give my reasons why I do not believe in doing this. 
 When a person is driving a horse which is treated in 
 this way the driver has not so much power over the 
 animal, as it has a certain weight on the bearing 
 rein. Not only that, but it tends to numb the horse's 
 mouth. When the animal is going along and tosses his 
 head to and fro, the driver's hands give to the bit, but 
 not so with the bearing-rein, that is a certain length and 
 does not give. 
 
 I have been noticing particularly the number of 
 horses which have fallen down not old crocks, but 
 animals which have done good service, and I find by 
 far the greater majority of these are reined up 
 tightly. 
 
 With a young horse, however, it is quite different. 
 I know some people object to using a bearing-rein, but 
 my idea is a young horse ought to have one, especially 
 an animal which is going to be used for some purposes. 
 If a bearing-rein is not used for a horse that 
 stands about, it gets accustomed to putting 
 its head down and biting the grass off the 
 side of the road, that is if the animal happens to be in 
 a country place, and if in a town it wants to smell 
 the road. When putting the head down it will often 
 get the shaft under the collar, which in many cases results 
 in an accident. Young horses will get up to many little 
 pranks of this kind unless they are very quiet indeed. 
 Now the bearing-rein teaches the horse to hold up its head 
 
GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 and will often prevent accidents, but in no case 
 should the rein be too tight. It is a different matter 
 when it is a gentleman's horse, and is either driven by 
 the owner or groom, such an animal should never be 
 left alone, and in a case of this kind I prefer not using 
 a bearing-rein, unless it is just for a few weeks when the 
 horse is first driven, then it should be very slack indeed. 
 I find in almost every case the animal has a better 
 mouth when not held up with the bearing-rein. 
 Another thing, a horse yields so much better to the 
 touch of the bit when broken-in without using the 
 former. 
 
 When a horse stumbles, harsh measures should never 
 be resorted to. This is a mistake which is often made. 
 Nineteen drivers out of every twenty, when a horse slips, 
 will give the poor thing a good lash with the whip. 
 When it stumbles the next time the animal is doubly 
 frightened, as it expects a sharp cut with the whip, and 
 in its excitement and nervousness its knees are on the 
 road before it knows where it is. If a horse is likely 
 to stumble, it should be just touched up with the whip, 
 and kept well in hand, but not just when it makes the 
 slip. 
 
 It is not always well even to scold horses when 
 they do wrong. I will give my reasons why. When a 
 horse is standing about and happens to make a mistake, 
 and commences to bite the hedge, gets hold of a little 
 bit of grass, or puts its head over a fence, which a young 
 mischievous horse will do sometimes, the owner or 
 
8 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 attendant usually gives the animal's head a good snatch 
 with the rein, and commences scolding at the same time, 
 so that the horse gets to know its driver's sharp voice. 
 What is the result ? Should the rein get caught in the 
 fence, or hung up in any way, or when the animal is 
 in close quarters, and knows it has done wrong, it 
 will run back and sometimes break the reins, or perhaps 
 get its bridle off: the end is a runaway and smash-up. 
 If it does not do this it often backs into something, 
 and the smash and rattle of the cart so startle the 
 animal that if someone is not near at hand a great deal 
 of mischief is done. I have seen people not only snatch 
 the horse's head but give it a good cut with the whip 
 when it does wrong. This is a most dangerous process. 
 When I have left my horse a little while, and the rein 
 has got caught somewhere, I find a kind word will usually 
 keep the animal as quiet as possible. I have been in 
 dangerous places before now, and perhaps a trace or 
 some part of the harness has given way, but when I have 
 just called out, "Whoa, my boy!" "Whoa, my beauty!" 
 it has stopped my horse or horses at once, and no harm 
 has come of it. Horses should be so trained that in the 
 event of any part of the harness breaking or other 
 accident occurring they will stand still 'at once. 
 
 Those which I have broken-in (though that is not 
 very many), would come to me if I called them with 
 less than three months' training. I have tried this by 
 taking them out into the middle "of a field with a saddle 
 and bridle on and calling to them 
 
GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 9 
 
 Horses are much more intelligent than most people 
 take them to be. Their instinct is wonderful. 
 I remember driving a horse on a strange road 
 some years ago, and I stopped at a cottage to ask the 
 way. To the very day twelve-months, after I went the 
 same road again, and some distance before the animal 
 got to the cottage, he pricked up his ears, and looked 
 up, as much as to say this is where I stopped when I 
 was this way before. As soon as we got to the cottage, 
 my horse stopped within a foot of the same place as he 
 did the year before. Now I have had scores of such 
 instances as this come under my notice with horses 
 under my charge. I have been accustomed to take 
 them for very long journeys 300 miles at a stretch 
 and in many cases where I have been over the same 
 road the second time the horse has pulled up again at 
 the same places as he did before. 
 
 Sometimes it has been three or four years before I 
 have gone the same road again, and even then, in some 
 instances, the horse would take the same turnings he 
 did when he went the same way before. This seems very 
 wonderful, and seems to denote an extraordinary amount of 
 intelligence. 
 
 Now take a horse, for instance, at work on the farm. 
 If he has been accustomed to being loosed from the 
 cart or plough at a certain time in the day he will know 
 almost to the minute when he is going to be set free, 
 just the same as he knows when feeding time comes 
 round. Try another plan go into a field where a pet 
 
10 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 horse is lying out with a number of others, let the 
 owner of the pet animal call it, and if its master is with 
 a dozen other people standing in a row, the animal's 
 instinct tells him immediately to whom he belongs ? When a 
 horse is trained to do certain things it knows what is 
 said to it almost the same as human beings. I believe it 
 is a pleasure for a horse to do its work when the 
 owner or attendant is kind to it. I always like to see 
 horses put their ears forward rather than throw them 
 back, because when they raise them it shows they 
 are pleased, but when they lay them back it is the 
 contrary, it shows they are displeased. This can easily 
 be seen by giving a horse a piece of bread or sugar 
 and patting him on the neck. Does he lay his ears 
 back then ? No ! up they go, and the animal trys to 
 show in every way how pleased he is. I say I believe 
 horses are delighted to go out to work when they are 
 treated properly, but when they are not they try to 
 get away from the collar if possible, and will not let you 
 put the latter on at all ; in some cases it is a difficult 
 matter to put even the bridle on. My animals, when 
 they are loosed from the manger, turn round as much as 
 to say " Harness me, I am pleased you are going to 
 take me out." I believe this is what they would say if 
 they could speak. Not only my own, but all horses 
 which are treated properly, look forward to going out 
 as much as a boy does being let loose from his studies. 
 
 One thing I have not dwelt very much upon in my 
 little work, that is separating the dust from the hay or 
 
GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. II 
 
 chaff before the horse is fed upon it. This is most 
 important. All the dust should be well sifted out before 
 giving it to the animals. Dusty chaff ruins many horses. 
 It is also injurious to give them flour of any kind in 
 their food, viz., barley meal, pea meal, wheat meal, or, 
 in fact, anything of that sort. When any of these meals 
 are given to the horses they should always be mixed with 
 damped chaff, so that the animals do not inhale the 
 dust, if not, the latter clogs the horse's inside, and 
 often is the cause of its being broken winded. 
 
 There is another thing I have not referred to, that 
 is, when a horse has an accident and slips, or falls 
 down, the driver occasionally gives the poor beast a kick 
 in the ribs, or else a good lashing with the whip, to 
 try and get him up. Now, to say the least of it, this 
 is most inhuman, the horse would not fall down if he 
 could help it. That is not all, however, when he is 
 down he is very frightened and nervous, but when it 
 comes to lashing him with the whip and kicking him, 
 in less than three minutes the poor thing is all of a 
 lather with fright. Any man who does this kind of thing 
 ought to have six months' hard labour, yet it is done 
 every day. I may say I am seldom in London but 
 I see one or two horses down, and have helped 
 to get many scores of them up on their feet again. 
 While doing this one cannot help noticing what a 
 difference there is where the driver is kind to his 
 animal. When such is the case the horse is perfectly 
 still until he is loosed. But on the other hand, when 
 
12 GENERAL REMARKS AND INFORMATION. 
 
 the animal has been used very badly, and the driver 
 has been lashing him, the poor thing appears to 
 struggle for dear life, and knocks himself about terribly. 
 When a horse falls down, the first thing is to get some- 
 one to keep its head down, as a rule it cannot hurt 
 itself much if that is kept down. I need not say the 
 harness should be loosed as much as possible, but, in 
 cases where it cannot be unbuckled, it is better to cut 
 a strap so that the whole harness can be cleared off. 
 I might just mention here, many people get a little 
 excited when trying to undo the traces, and so run a 
 risk of getting kicked. Instead of doing that, the kames 
 should be taken out of the collar, then they are already 
 loosed. Only about three months before writing this 
 chapter I saw a horse down in London, and the poor 
 thing was hustled and thrashed to make it get up. 
 This frightened it so much, it cut itself all to pieces. 
 It would be well if people who have anything to do 
 with horses would think a little before treating them 
 so cruelly, it would be much better for the poor 
 animals. Horses have feelings just the same as human 
 beings, and though they cannot speak they know almost 
 every word that is said to them. They understand 
 when they are spoken to angrily, just the same as when 
 they are spoken to kindly. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 FEEDING HORSES. 
 
 General Feeding Nag Horses Horses on a Farm Waggon and 
 Carmen's Horses Judgment : when and how to use it, according 
 to circumstances Various systems of Feeding Green Stuff Dry 
 Fodder Preparation of Food. 
 
 HIS is a subject which is very 
 important, and yet many people think 
 anyone can feed a horse. Others 
 again imagine a horse can be fed 
 anyhow and upon anything, so long as 
 it gets its food. Both these ideas are very wrong. Horses 
 which have to work should be fed properly and 
 on good food. It must be understood that whether 
 they are thorough-bred carriage horses, hunters, or 
 cart horses, it is the food which gives strength to 
 the animals. The breed no doubt has a good deal 
 to do with the spirit and pluck of a horse. At the 
 same time no matter what breed the horse is, even if he 
 is a thorough-bred, he can do but very little work unless 
 kept up well with a good supply of nourishing food. The 
 way in which a horse is fed, and what it is fed upon, is much 
 more important than most people think. 
 
14 THE HORSE I ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Perhaps I may seem a little too particular on this 
 point. I have never yet had a person in my employ that 
 pleased me in feeding my horses, though I must not 
 complain, as they usually look very well. When I used to 
 feed them myself, I adopted rather a different plan of 
 feeding them to many. Most people have their own way 
 or idea of feeding horses. If they have been accustomed 
 to a certain way it is very difficult to persuade them out 
 of it, as it was the way their forefathers managed before 
 them. 
 
 They say there is nothing new under the sun. There 
 may be a good deal in that. Feeding horses properly is 
 not new to many people. My father, thirty-four years ago, 
 gave me a lesson on feeding horses, which I have never 
 forgotten. I began to put into practice what he told me, 
 and always found it answer well. Not only did it make the 
 horses look well, but kept them in good condition. They 
 were always ready for work when required. 
 
 For the benefit of any who may like to follow my 
 method, I will mention what advice my father gave me, 
 which has proved so helpful to me, and I am pleased to say 
 many more as well. Only a few words : " Always feed 
 horses so that they will lick the manager out clean, and give 
 corn according to their work, and only give them a little at 
 the time and often." These are the rules I have always 
 carried out, and if I wanted to drive horses from thirty to 
 sixty miles in a day, I have been able to do it without 
 over-working my animals. One gentleman, who always 
 carries out these simple rules for feeding his horses, I 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 15 
 
 have known to drive 170 miles in two days, and at the end 
 of the journey the horse he drove was not at all fatigued. 
 I know this is a true statement, because I have ridden 
 behind this horse myself, and it is still living, and a 
 splendid goer at the age of 23. 
 
 Now, in treating upon the feeding of horses, it will be 
 well to give several systems besides one which I have found 
 to be the best for the animals, the most profitable to the 
 owner, the way to get the most work out of the horse at the 
 least expense, as well as keeping them in the best health, 
 and making work a pleasure to them instead of a hardship. 
 When horses are fed and treated properly, they appear to 
 look forward with great pleasure to their feeding time ; and 
 are almost as delighted to have their harness on and go to 
 work. When they are fed badly, on inferior food, and 
 treated unkindly, they seem to thoroughly understand it, 
 and move as though they did not belong to anyone. Many 
 of them show symptoms of rather not having a bridle put 
 on than otherwise, and never seem to look forward with 
 any degree of pleasure to being taken out of the 
 stable. I believe in making animals happy, to a 
 certain degree, as much as I do human beings. No 
 animal appreciates the kindness bestowed upon it more 
 than a horse, unless it is a dog. A horse which does a 
 great deal of running, whether in harness or saddle, 
 requires different treatment to a cart horse. I do not 
 make so much difference between the two as some people, 
 because any horse that works hard, though perhaps he only 
 draws and does not trot, wants treating equally as well as 
 
1 6 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 one which runs ; only the latter requires more hay in 
 proportion to the size of the animal than a horse which 
 does the running, hay being to a horse what bread is to the 
 human being. Of course, one which is required for great 
 speed, should be fed in proportion to the amount of work 
 it has to do on good nutritious food, both corn and hay of 
 the best quality that can be obtained. It should always be 
 of a dry nature, or at any rate the greater part of it, when 
 speed is required, as the animal has to eat so much more 
 green food than dry to get the nutriment required. 
 A little green stuff is alright for horses which have 
 to trot steadily. Take for instance a thorough-bred 
 horse which has to run a race. The owner would not 
 think of giving such an animal a bundle of green tares, 
 clover, or even a feed on grass, when it is in training for the 
 Derby or any other important race. 
 
 Horses which have to run very fast should have but 
 very little green stuff, they will do much better without any 
 at all before they have to run so fast. When they have so 
 much green food the stomach expands very much. If a 
 horse that is accustomed to running has been allowed to 
 lie out to grass for a time, in a fortnight or three weeks the 
 stomach will be from three to four inches larger round 
 than it was before the animal was put out. I do not say 
 this will be the case with every horse, especially where they 
 have been kept well, but it will be found so in most cases. 
 Now, it must not be supposed that I wish to rob the horses 
 of their green food. I am in favour of them having it in 
 the Spring and Summer, whenever it can be procured for 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 17 
 
 them. Even carriage horses, which are used every day, if 
 they are not driven too fast, are much better for a 
 little green food once a day, as it keeps the body in such 
 splendid condition. Properly speaking, during the summer 
 months, green stuff is the natural food for horses. Take 
 farmers' horses for instance, as soon as May comes in they 
 live almost entirely on green food, especially in some parts 
 of the country, yet they have to work very hard. 
 
 If they are allowed their corn just the same as when 
 they had hay and straw cut up especially if they have just a 
 little chaff mixed with the corn, farmers' horses become 
 very fat while being fed on the green stuff, no matter 
 whether it is tares, clover or grass. Their skin usually 
 becomes as fine as a piece of silk, and the animals require 
 no medicine at all during that time While the horses are 
 being fed in this way they should not be allowed to run 
 very fast, if so, it is liable to injure their wind. Many 
 people say they perspire very freely when they are fed upon 
 green stuff. That is quite right, because when they are fed 
 in this way the weather is usually hot, at the same time the 
 green stuff may make a difference in this respect. When 
 they do perspire it does not hurt them, it opens the pores 
 of the skin, and in almost every case farmers' horses will 
 put on flesh during the time they are fed on the greenmeat, 
 and still do their usual work. In fact very often they do 
 more. 
 
 Feeding Nag Horses. 
 
 Horses, like everything else, are very differently 
 situated. Some horses, when they are allowed green stuff 
 
1 8 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 every day, look forward with such pleasure to it that they 
 will not eat up their dry food, but wait anxiously for the 
 green stuff. When this is the case it is far better to cut the 
 green stuff in with the hay, especially where the person cuts 
 their chaff every day. 
 
 This mixture must not be kept from day to day- 
 after it is cut up, if so, it will become heated and 
 spoil the whole of it. If it is cut in the morning 
 and is to be used during the day or night it is alright. 
 I mention this because some people might be cutting 
 chaff enough to last a week, and put green stuff in it. 
 In that case it would do more harm than good. When 
 horses have not a very good appetite during the summer, 
 if they are working hard, a little green stuff cut up in the 
 way described is very helpful to them. It does occur some" 
 times that horses go off their food, but it is very seldom if 
 they are managed properly. I am often asked how much 
 food a person should give a horse per day. This is really 
 difficult to answer, for several reasons. To begin with, very 
 often small horses will eat more than big ones. Then 
 again, a great deal depends upon what work they do. Not 
 only so, but the quality of the food makes a great difference 
 in this respect. If it is good sound stuff they do not want 
 so much of it as when it is poor stuff. I know some 
 people say horses should have so many pounds of hay a day 
 and so many pounds of corn. Now it is always unwise to 
 give a stated quantity. Horses should be fed so that they 
 clean it all up nicely. A spirited horse, which does but very 
 little work, would soon go wrong if it were allowed the same 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 19 
 
 amount of corn as when he was in full work. Then again, 
 when a horse is working very hard it cannot very well 
 have too much to eat, at any rate, I never knew one that 
 was really working very hard eat too much. 
 
 As regards the quantity, I repeat, that cannot be put 
 into print for a person to go by. I once had a little pony 
 twelve hands high, which would eat a truss of hay, a bushel 
 and a half of oats, and a bushel of bran in six days. The 
 oats weigh'ed 42 Ibs. to the bushel. I also had a cob 
 fourteen hands high. A truss of hay lasted him a trifle 
 over eight days, yet he was as fat and round as a mole and 
 always ready for work, proving the old saying true, " It is 
 not what is eaten, but what is digested." The cob, fourteen 
 hands high, always used to eat his slowly and masticate it 
 well, so that he used to get all the nutriment out of it 
 but the other's food did not do him so much good, he, 
 eating his quicker, and not masticating it so well. I give 
 this as an illustration of feeding horses. The cob, fourteen 
 hands high, had always been fed properly, and the pony had 
 fallen into the hands of one or two people who were bad 
 horse keepers before I had him. 
 
 Now, there is a great deal in feeding horses, and giving 
 them as much as they will eat without wasting any. When 
 the person who attends to the horses sees any food at the 
 bottom of the manger, he should give less food the next 
 few days. Whenever the horse does not clear the manger 
 well out, give him less food each time, that is one of the 
 best tonics a horse can have. Of course there are times 
 when a tonic does a horse a great deal of good, and the 
 
20 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 feeder should always observe whether the animal is perfectly 
 well or not. If he is not, he wants nursing a little 
 with something tempting, viz., a little scalded bran mixed 
 up with some chaff and a very few oats, because sometimes 
 a horse, when it has been on a journey, becomes faint. 
 
 Some horses will never clean their manger out well, 
 they get so accustomed to the person who feeds them 
 cleaning it out for them and throwing the remains on the 
 ground, that they merely pick the best corn and chaff out 
 and leave the other. I do not say if there is any rubbish 
 at the bottom of the manager it ought not to be thrown 
 out. That should all be swept out occasionally. When 
 there is poor hay cut up among good, horses will often pick 
 out the sweet and leave the mouldy. Now it cannot be 
 expected that a horse is going to work hard on mouldy 
 hay. Unless horses are properly fed, either the owner or 
 the horses will have to suffer, most probably both will. I 
 always believe in cutting the hay up for horses into chaff 
 unless the animal occasionally gets off his feed, then he 
 may have a little hay. 
 
 A horse perhaps, after a hard day's work, or a long 
 journey, goes into the stable late at night, and the one 
 who attends to it throws a lot of food into the manger, and 
 the following morning they find a good part of it left. 
 Now in such cases as these, it is always well to give the 
 horse a nice little bit of sweet hay when leaving it at night, 
 it tempts the horse to eat, and it will often eat the hay 
 before it lies down. But as to the quantity of food that is 
 put in the manger afterwards, the attendant must use his 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 21 
 
 own judgment and give according to circumstances. When 
 horses are working very hard, at either drawing or running, 
 there is nothing like changing their corn occasionally, 
 giving them a few split peas or beans in addition to the 
 oats. Some people do not think much of oats for horses, 
 but say maize, barley and French buckwheat should all be 
 split up together with the beans and given to them. My 
 experience is that horses which have been long journeys, 
 especially if they have been running hard, do best on oats, 
 with a few split peas or beans mixed with them for a 
 change. It is a capital plan to have an oat crusher, as in 
 some instances the oats pass through undigested, because 
 some horses bolt a great many of the oats down, that is 
 to say they swallow them without masticating them ; but it 
 is not a good plan to buy them crushed, if so they 
 should always be bought by weight, as they are very often 
 inferior oats crushed for the purpose. I always like to see 
 the corn whole and sound. 
 
 I know some Veterinary Surgeons go against crushed 
 oats, but I merely speak as I find. I had a great deal to 
 do with cart horses in my younger days, being brought up 
 on a farm. Then later on, I had to do with hunters and 
 carriage horses. In fact, I may say I have been among 
 horses ever since I was six years old, so that I think I may 
 speak from experience. If ever I hear of a horse doing 
 extra work, or going on a long journey and standing it 
 without fatigue, my first enquiry is, " How is-the horse fed, 
 and what corn is used ? " In almost every case the principal 
 part of the food is oats. What do our sportsmen use for 
 
22 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 their horses which they hunt with from three to four times 
 a week ? Why, the best oats they can buy, and 'but very 
 little else. I think it is not important for me to state in 
 this little work how to feed hunters, because most of those 
 who hunt usually have a reliable man to see after them, who 
 is thoroughly up to his work. 
 
 Though there are plenty who keep horses, and may 
 either feed them themselves or have a man to do it, I do 
 not care who the man is, if he is not fond of horses he is 
 not a good horse-keeper. A person may be fond of 
 horses, and not know how to feed them, but on the other 
 hand, if he is not fond of the animals he will never know 
 how to feed them properly, because he will not take pains 
 enough. Now the London cab horses, which work very 
 hard and make long days, will often eat half-a-bushel of 
 oats in a day, and yet are not big horses, but run from 
 fourteen hands, two inches to fifteen hands, three inches. 
 It is very seldom the poorest cab master allows his horses 
 less than a peck and a half a day. Very often if carriage- 
 horses about that size were to be allowed as much corn 
 there would be no holding them. I consider a peck a day, 
 with good hay, enough to feed a horse say from fourteen to 
 fifteen and a half hands, that is of course one which only 
 does just medium work. Should a carriage horse go a long 
 journey and have extra work to do, by all means give it 
 extra corn, as much as it will eat. 
 
 Those who drive can soon tell whether the horse is 
 having too much corn in proportion to the amount of work 
 it is doing. If it is, the legs will soon begin to swell, and 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 23 
 
 unless it is very quiet in harness will show 
 symptoms of irritability. I always like a horse to have a 
 little bran, and for the last twenty years whatever 
 horses I have had under my care, I have allowed 
 at least a peck of bran a week, sometimes a bushel. No 
 stable should be without bran in it. As regards the 
 quantity of hay to be given or cut up into chaff, the 
 attendant must go according to his judgment, so that 
 they clear it up and not waste it. If a person only keeps 
 one horse he should have a small chaff cutter, and cut 
 his own hay, as the chaff supplied by corn chandlers is 
 frequently one half of it very inferior stuff, as they get a 
 little over-heated hay that smells strongly to scent the 
 whole and then cut nasty mouldy hay with it, and 
 thousands of poor horses have to suffer through this. 
 
 In no case should too much be put in the manger, if 
 so the horse does not relish his food, neither does it 
 do him so much good. He throws a great deal of it 
 out, and in many cases a good deal of it is wasted. There 
 is a difficulty when a horse comes in late at night : he must 
 have a good supper, but as I have hitherto stated, if a little 
 bit of hay is put in the rack the horse will do much better, will 
 be more lively in the morning, and quite ready for breakfast. 
 All chaff which is likely to have any dust in it should be well 
 sifted before it is put in the manger, because when there is 
 dust in chaff it is very injurious to the horses. A machine 
 is now in use which separates all dust from the hay, so as to 
 avoid this being mixed with the chaff after it is cut. The 
 feeder can always tell whether there is dust in the chaff or 
 
24 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 not, as the horse will leave it at the bottom of the manger. 
 When a horse is going on a journey, either saddle or in 
 harness, and is going to run at the rate of eight or more miles 
 an hour first thing in the morning, the animal should finish 
 its food half-an-hour at least before it starts. This makes a 
 great deal of difference to it. Many horses are driven too 
 fast, and it injures the animal's wind a good deal, in fact, 
 there are more horses have their wind broken in this way 
 than from any other cause. If a horse's stomach is full it 
 should be let go steadily for the first two miles, and allowed 
 to walk up all the hills. When care is taken in this respect 
 it does not hurt the horse's wind. But when on a long 
 journey, the horse should never be driven more than from 
 eight to twelve miles, without having a little water and a 
 mouthful of hay. My plan is to take a small nose bag 
 when on a long journey, and about every eight or ten miles 
 give the horse water with a mouthful or two of food. I do 
 not mean to say I put my horse in the stable every eight or 
 ten miles, but just put the nose-bag on and let him have a 
 little as he stands. 
 
 People injure their horses by driving from twenty to 
 thirty miles without giving the po@r beasts either a bit of 
 food or drop of water. I differ from the majority of people 
 as regards watering horses, but as this is an important 
 matter I am giving it a small chapter to itself. A horse 
 which does a great deal of fast running should always have 
 the best hay cut up into chaff, and nothing but the best 
 corn given it, as such an animal does not want blowing out 
 with a lot of hay. A horse which trots steadily should have 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 25 
 
 more ha} 7 and less corn, as I said before, be fed according to 
 the work. Corn of course has more stay in it than hay. 
 Take a horse which goes hunting three or four times a week : 
 hay by itself is scarcely any use to such an animal, because 
 it often goes so long without food before getting home. 
 Sometimes it does not get more than a mouthful of water 
 and a little hay until it gets in the stable late at night, 
 therefore it requires plenty of the best corn. Hunters 
 should really be turned out three months every Summer ; 
 then they would last as long as horses, of the same 
 stamp and stamina, thac are working in an ordinary way 
 all the year round. 
 
 Hunting is very trying work for a horse, though the 
 animals may be as fond of it as the riders themselves. 
 There is many an old hunter that is put on one side as 
 worn out, and has to go on farm work, especially those 
 which will draw. Some will not, after they have been 
 accustomed to hunting and saddle back, but when these 
 horses which will work are drawing the plough, if the fox 
 hounds happen to go past where they are, very often they 
 will break loose from the team and run after the hounds. 
 I mention this, because some people say it is so cruel for 
 horses to have to run across ploughed fields and jump 
 hedges and gates, but when they are trained to it they look 
 forward to it and enjoy it as much as they do eating their 
 food. It is well not to give hunters clover, and but very 
 few beans. They should have good oats and the best 
 meadow hay. A few dried tares cut into chaff is a good 
 thing for them. I mention this to avoid giving them clover 
 
Z6 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 and beans, because they are not so good for the wind as 
 oats and meadow hay. 
 
 If one horse is fed on clover and a large quantity of 
 beans, and another on good meadow hay and oats, it will 
 be noticed at once that the wind of the horse fed on the 
 latter stuff will be much better than the other. I draw 
 attention to this fact, because earlier in this Chapter I 
 recommend beans to be given when they are working hard, 
 and a novice might think he should give a hunter a good 
 quantity of beans, and in some cases if this were done it 
 would be fatal. I never allow more than five or six 
 pounds of beans a day to a carriage horse, but ten pounds 
 a day would not hurt a draught horse, that is if he is 
 worked hard. 
 
 There is one other class of horse keepers I should like 
 to mention as regards feeding. It was thinking of this latter 
 class which first induced me to write a book on the horse. 
 To those who have not been accustomed to horses a few 
 hints may be useful. I have seen so many horses in my 
 travels mismanaged and badly fed ; sometimes they are, 
 what shall I say ? killed by kindness. Manypeople when they 
 have a horse think they should wet their food and give it to 
 them what they call sloppy, as they think a horse has so 
 much less trouble to eat it. This is a great mistake. If 
 the food is made wet in the morning, very often the horse 
 swallows it down much quicker and does not masticate it 
 properly, therefore a great deal of good food is spoiled in this 
 way. For instance oostermongers, greengrocers, and such 
 as these, will often get a little bran, chaff and oats, and mix 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 27 
 
 them altogether into a sloppy mess, and the horse or 
 donkey, whichever the case may be, swallows it down 
 quickly and does not masticate half of it. A certain juice 
 and saliva which should mix with the food does not do so, 
 and when a horse is fed with this sloppy food it nearly 
 always causes the bowels to become very much relaxed. 
 Nothing will upset horses quicker than giving them a lot 
 of sloppy food. 
 
 Some people may argue in this way, and say that when 
 they drink water it mixes with the food, but that is another 
 thing altogether. It is natural for a horse to masticate his 
 food well. Nature has supplied these noble animals with 
 grinders sufficient for masticating any corn or hay which is 
 grown. Of course, when a horse is old and its teeth are 
 worn out, that is a different matter, then it should have 
 its corn boiled, but not water put upon the chaff, only 
 the boiled damp corn mixed with the chaff. They are able 
 in this way to get the whole of the nutriment out of the 
 boiled corn, because it is already soft and wants but very 
 little mastication. A great deal more nutriment is got out 
 of the chaff too when it is dry, or partly so, than when it is 
 mixed with water. If the chaff and corn are both made 
 sloppy you will be almost sure to see the hair stand the 
 wrong way upon the body, and the ribs very close to the 
 skin. The latter seems to fit him tightly, like a kid glove on 
 a person's hand. When the skin is tight on a horse in this 
 way and will not move easily, it is a sign the animal is. 
 doing badly. 
 
28 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 If a horse is very weak or old, there is nothing like 
 stewing a little linseed and mixing it with a little chaff and 
 bran and giving it to the horse, but not too much at a time 
 to make it sloppy. This is very nutritious, and helps the 
 animal very much. The linseed should be stewed so that 
 it is very thick and glutinous. 
 
 Horses will always do well on this, but they ought not 
 to be worked hard or excited when they have it, if so, it is 
 likely to relax the bowels a little too much. When a horse 
 is very costive a better thing could not be given, if a little 
 bran is used with it. Some horses are naturally very 
 costive, so much so that I have seen them pass blood with 
 their motions. When this is the case the animals should 
 always have a little bran given them in every meal. A 
 nervous horse is just the opposite and is almost 
 sure to become relaxed in the bowels. 
 
 Waggon and Carmen's Horses. 
 
 I do not think it is necessary for me to treat largely 
 on feeding the heavy horses, that are used principally upon 
 the roads, no matter whether they are brewers', millers', 
 merchants' or ordinary carmen's horses, they usually fare 
 better than farmers' horses in a general way. for the simple 
 reason, as a rule they carry a nose bag with them. It does 
 not hurt the horses to work hard if they are fed often. A 
 horse has a much smaller stomach than any other animal, 
 that is according to its size. 
 
 It is said when a horse lies out to grass it usually eats 
 twenty hours out of the twenty-four, but this is exaggerating 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 29 
 
 it a little. They often eat more than twelve hours out of 
 twenty-four, and when the grass is very short they may be 
 nibbling eighteen hours out of twenty-four. Now carmen, 
 if they are only going to stop five minutes, should always 
 hang the nose bag on their horses for two reasons First, 
 because the anmials keep in much better condition, and 
 do not become faint in their work when they feed often ; 
 secondly, when they have their nose bags on it teaches 
 them to stand much quieter, and they can be trusted 
 better. Some carmen make a mistake in buckling the 
 nose bag on tightly. The nose should not be pressed into 
 the food when it is buckled on, if so, they breathe into it so 
 much. Their head should be at liberty, so that they can 
 place their nose bag on the ground, but in all cases great 
 care should be taken as regards buckling their bridles on 
 tightly, because when a horse holds his head down, if the 
 bridle does not fit well, occasionally the animal gets it 
 off. Some horses will run away if their bridle comes off. 
 It is far better to take care in this respect, and be on the 
 safe side. If I kept draught horses, and they travelled by road, 
 I should have a small table constructed to fold up like a 
 dandy chair, and carry it under the cart or waggon for the 
 nose bag to rest upon while the horse is eating. It may 
 often be noticed that when a horse has his nose bag on and 
 he cannot reach the food, he will keep tossing his head up 
 to get at it, and by this means a great deal of the corn falls 
 out upon the ground. There are hundreds of sacks of corn 
 wasted in this way throughout the country, when it might 
 easily be saved by giving the horse something to rest the 
 
30 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 nose bag on. A table to stand could easily be made as I 
 have described. The legs should have a hinge on the top 
 and a hook on the opposite side, so that when the hook is 
 undone the table legs will fold underneath, and it can be 
 hung on somewhere under the cart or waggon when it is 
 not in use. 
 
 Feeding Horses on the Farm. 
 
 Some who read this little work may think, surely 
 farmers know how to feed their horses without being 
 obliged to read books. No doubt there are many farmers 
 who do know how to feed horses, but I am sorry to say 
 there are some who do not understand them, or in other 
 words, do not take the trouble over their horses in this 
 respect that they ought. Farmers' horses ought not to be 
 fed anyhow when they are worked hard at different 
 periods of the year, especially in the autumn. 
 
 There is a great amount of good food wasted on the 
 farm through the carelessness of the horse keeper. Farmers 
 are the people who ought to use their horses well and keep 
 them in splendid condition, for two reasons. First, they 
 grow all the food the horses are fed upon, or at any rate the 
 greater part of it ; secondly, most farmers do a little 
 breeding in young horses, if not, they ought to do so, if 
 possible, then they usually have one or two for sale. The 
 better condition they are kept in, naturally the more money 
 they make. That is not all however, when a horse is kept 
 in prime condition it really eats less food. When horses 
 are poor, and what some people call half-starved, the food 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 3! 
 
 does not appear to do them half as much good. It is 
 therefore much better to keep horses in good working order 
 and their ribs well covered with fat. During the long days 
 of Summer I have been very much surprised in going 
 through farmyards to see what a great waste there is with 
 the green stuff, viz., clover and tares. It is usually carried 
 with a fork from the cart to the stable, and little pieces drop 
 on the way, which are wasted. I consider on a farm where 
 there are from seven to twelve horses kept, in almost every 
 case there is nearly a load of hay lost. That is to say, if 
 more care were taken in feeding the animals, and instead of 
 dropping so much about, it was cut and dried, it would 
 make a load of hay, which some years would be worth five 
 pounds, but at any time three pounds. 
 
 Farmers are usually careful with their money, but not 
 with their money's worth in these little things. It is just 
 the same in feeding horses in the stable. Many farmers, 
 especially those in the midland counties, will rack their 
 horses up the last thing at night with a bundle of hay, 
 giving a little piece to each horse in the rack above the 
 manger, usually throwing it in with the fork, so that the 
 horses can pull it out as they like. When it is meadow 
 hay, and the horsekeeper takes it from where the bundle 
 lies in the stable, right up between the horses, on the fork, 
 it drops all the way. Sometimes, where the hay is 
 very short, it almost covers the ground. Where the 
 attendant has been carrying it along from horse to horse, on 
 a fork, I have known from two to three pounds of hay 
 wasted out of about thirty-six pounds which has been given 
 the horses in this way. 
 
32 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGKMENT. 
 
 This is of course a great waste, and yet I have never 
 known the farmer complain to the horse keeper. He 
 usually takes it as the natural course of things that he has 
 always been accustomed to. Now, suppose this is done for 
 say seven months in the year, and from thirty-six to fifty 
 pounds of hay is used each night, two pounds out of that 
 amount is wasted every day, that means over seven trusses 
 of hay wasted in two hundred and ten days. I am 
 very much under-rating it by these rough figures, 
 as, when horses are racked up with hay, unless it is given 
 very carefully, and is of the best quality, there is much 
 wasted. The animals get it down under their feet and 
 trample on it. Many farmers do not give their cart 
 horses any hay cut up into chaff, but merely cut up wheat, 
 barley, and oat straw, not that they always mix it 
 together, but oat and wheat straw are usually what they use, 
 the latter in preference. When they have thrashed the 
 wheat they use the chaff which comes from the ear. 
 
 It is most remarkable what good condition horses will 
 keep in if fed and managed properly. You might go to 
 two farmers, and find one allows his horses more corn than 
 his neighbour, and yet they are not in anything like so good 
 condition as the other horses. This may appear very 
 strange to many readers. A good horse keeper always gives 
 his horses 4 but a very little at a time, and very seldom takes 
 them out in the morning unless he gives them two hours' 
 bait, as they call it. That is, feeding them two hours before 
 they begin to work. When they are fed in this way the 
 horses enjoy their food and masticate it well. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 33 
 
 Generally speaking, the horses should not have any 
 more food till they have cleared their manger out clean. 
 The attendant should see to it that all the dust 
 is out of the chaff, as the horses object to this being in their 
 food very much. Bran, oats, and beans are usually the 
 farmers' bill of fare in the way of corn for horses in many 
 parts of the country. A farmer who understands his 
 business well, as a rule, allows his horses a peck a day, and a 
 little bran in addition to that. It must be understood that 
 although the work a cart horse does is hard, yet it is steady. 
 A person who understands feeding his horses properly will 
 be able to get as much work out of them on straw cut up 
 and wheat chaff as another will who feeds on half hay cut 
 up and half straw, and yet both are allowed the same 
 quantity of corn. Horses always enjoy their food so much 
 more if they only have a little at a time, no matter whether 
 they are cart or carriage horses. When too much food is 
 put in the manger they often throw some out of the sides. 
 That is not the worst part of it however. When they have 
 more food given them than they can eat, especially cut stuff, 
 such as chaff or corn, they blow in it. It must be under- 
 stood that a horse does not eat in the same way as a cow. 
 When the latter is feeding on chaff or anything similar 
 to that, she pushes her mouth down and licks the food in 
 with her tongue, fills her mouth, and then holds her head 
 up until she finishes chewing it. Not so with horses, 
 they only take a little at a time in the mouth, and 
 usually keep the nose in the manger the whole of the 
 time they are eating. They keep turning the food over 
 and over, picking the sweetest out first, consequently they 
 c 
 
34 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 breathe upon it. When there is a large quantity 
 in the manger it becomes warm and moist with their 
 breath, and the horses very much object to this. I 
 suppose no animal is more particular in this respect than 
 the horse. When they are only given a little at a time 
 it prevents this, and so saves a great deal of waste. I have 
 known good horse keepers give their horses from eight to 
 twelve feeds, or in other words divide their morning 
 meal into eight or twelve portions, giving a little at the 
 time before taking them out at six o'clock in the 
 morning, and the smaller lots they have the better they 
 seem to get on. In some parts of the country they work 
 from six to two, without having a bit of food or water during 
 that time. I consider this a cruel practice, and one 
 that should be avoided by taking a nose bag of food so 
 that they can have a little at intervals as they work. Then 
 when they get home the horsekeeper commences again 
 giving a small feed at a time the whole of the afternoon, 
 usually up to six or seven o'clock, and sometimes it is nine 
 o'clock before they get their last feed. This may seem 
 ridiculous to those people who throw their food in the 
 manger and only give them one large feed before they take 
 them out to work. Notwithstanding this, it is the proper 
 way to feed them where there is a number of horses 
 kept, especially if the nose bag is not used during the day. 
 When farmers give their horses hay it is better to cut it up 
 with the straw into chaff, the horses relish it so much 
 better and seem to clear the chaff up. Whatever food 
 the horses may be fed on, it is best to divide it and give 
 a little at a time, unless it is green stuff that alters the 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 35 
 
 case, and even then too much should not be given them 
 at a time, because the horses relish it so much better if it 
 is given them fresh. 
 
 Perhaps it will be as well to remark here that 
 horses used by merchants, millers, brewers, and for other 
 waggon purposes should not be subjected to the treatment 
 described in this chapter. 
 
 A few years ago farmers were more accustomed 
 to give their horses loose hay than they are at 
 the present day. They seldom cut anything up, but 
 this idea of feeding is fast dying out. When the horse 
 had corn it used to be put in the manger without anything 
 else. When this is the case the horses eat it up greedily 
 and do not masticate it properly. Consequently, much of 
 it passes through them not digested, and the horses lose 
 the nutriment of the corn, and so get robbed of its 
 strength, and not only so, but when everything is cut it is 
 much more economical. If farmers feed their horses on 
 hay they must be at a loss to a certain extent through 
 waste, as the animals are bound to pull it under their feet 
 and trample it in the manure. 
 
 Where there are twelve horses kept on a farm, and they 
 are fed in the old fashioned way, viz., on the hay and loose 
 corn thrown in the manger, there is a sufficient quantity of 
 food wasted for two horses, so that with careful feeding, 
 fourteen horses might be fed and kept on the same amount 
 of food that twelve are. And it is not only the waste, bu 
 the horses do not look so well, nor are they able to do the 
 work they could if their fodder is cut up for them. 
 
 C2 
 
36 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 I do not think it is worth while wasting space 
 to tell the farmers what to give their horses, as most 
 of them are brought up to their business, or 'at any 
 rate should be. There are two things, however, which 
 I think it will not be out of place for me to mention. 
 These are when they sow the wheat in the autumn, 
 the horses have to work harder than any other part 
 of the season, many of the farmers do not give their 
 horses any extra corn, consequently they go down in 
 condition, and are not able to pick up again till the 
 following spring. This is a great drawback to many 
 farmers. 
 
 When the horses are working hard during the 
 autumn they should have at least half as much again 
 corn and good hay, as horses become faint during 
 the autumn, the most trying time for horses, because 
 they are changing their coats as well as working so 
 hard. I have known farmers at that time of the year 
 work their horses for nine hours, and never give them 
 food or water. This is what may be termed cruelty to 
 animals, of course it is done without a thought. I 
 know it is done perhaps more in Bedfordshire, 
 Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, and several other 
 counties. If farmers would only go to the expense 
 of a nose bag, while the men are having their lunch 
 the horses could have a feed as well. If this is done 
 they would do their work much easier. I am 
 pleased to say this is carried out in many parts of 
 the country, especially in the South and the extreme 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 37 
 
 North, and the men have their lunch while the horses 
 feed at the same time. This is how it should be. 
 
 I give this last page on the feeding of farmers' 
 horses, hoping that those who have not used the nose 
 bag may take the hint. Farmers should always take 
 care and have a few old split beans or peas by them 
 when their horses are working very hard. There is 
 more nutriment in beans, peas, and tares, than any 
 other corn, and as the farmers are able to grow all these 
 they can afford to use them for their cattle. When 
 horses are well fed by a farmer his money is not 
 spent badly, as they last longer, and do the work 
 easier, not only so, but if he wants to sell the horses 
 they will make a far longer price ; so it is better all round. 
 
 Many farmers when they begin to give their horses 
 green stuff knock off the corn. Now this is wrong. 
 When horses are put on green stuff, and have been 
 accustomed to have corn, if the latter is taken off 
 all at once the bowels become very much relaxed, and 
 in cases where the horses are worked hard they ofttn 
 have the gripes. A horse which is worked hard, even 
 if he does have green stuff, should always have a little 
 corn. This will keep them in splendid condition. It 
 is penny wise and pound foolish, when the corn is*taken 
 off altogether, as by doing this the farmer is often 
 money out of pocket. What I mean by that is, the 
 horse will often be laid up, and that is loss of time 
 with their work, which is very important during the 
 summer months when farmers are busy. If farmers 
 
38 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 cannot afford to keep their horses well, they should not 
 keep so many of them. It is a certain fact if they 
 will not pay for keeping well they will not pay for 
 keeping badly. And if a horse is not worth its food 
 it ought not to be kept. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 WATERING HORSES. 
 
 Experiences Bad watering and its results Methods of giving water- 
 Let the horses drink as they like. 
 
 T AM afraid my readers will think I am rather bigoted on 
 -*- this subject, viz., watering the horse. I will only write 
 what I have found to be right from my own practical 
 experience, and give the reason why I think my way better 
 than that of most people. Most people are very careful 
 not to let a horse have too much water to drink at a time, 
 and during the very cold weather they do not allow it to 
 drink any cold water. This practice is all very well if the 
 owner always attends to his own horses, or even if the 
 attendant has them under his own control, but when a 
 horse which has been accustomed to have chilled water in 
 cold weather is put up at a livery stable, and gets at a 
 pailful of water, he soon empties it, and the result is, colic or 
 gripes. I have known many cases where a horse has not 
 been accustomed to cold water, when it has been given a 
 pail full, it has brought on the staggers almost at once, 
 and in some cases the animal has lost its life. Then there 
 
40 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 are others who only allow their horses but a very little to 
 drink at a time and never chill the water at all. There are 
 great difficulties attending this practice also. For instance, 
 we will say here is a horse which is never allowed to drink 
 when he is hot ; he goes on a long journey, and the ostler 
 at the hotel, or the place where the animal is put up, 
 happens to turn his head for a minute, or it may be while 
 he is washing the horse's legs, it gets at the pail of water 
 he is washing the legs with, or manages to get to a trough 
 of water ; in this case the probabilities are, it either brings 
 on gripes or causes the bowels to be very much relaxed. 
 
 My system in watering horses is to let them drink what 
 they want, and never allow them to go too long between 
 the periods of drinking. Suppose a person has two horses, 
 and as a rule they drink about the same quantity of 
 water, one of them is allowed to have as much as it 
 likes, and the other has the pail taken away from it before 
 it has had sufficient, the owner will find that the one which 
 has enough and to spare will not drink anything like so 
 much in a week as the other one which has barely sufficient. 
 Some may ask, " Why is this ? " It is easily answered 
 in a few words. A horse is a very intelligent animal, and 
 when it is drinking, if it is accustomed to have the pail 
 taken away before it has had sufficient, it will drink much 
 faster and try and keep its head in the water as long as 
 possible, so as to prevent the attendant taking the pail 
 away. When I am going on a long journey with a horse, 
 no matter whether it is hot or cold, I try it with 
 water every eight or twelve miles, and always allow the 
 animal to drink as much as it wants. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 41 
 
 I have had many horses under my care ever since I was 
 fourteen years old, and have never had one with the gripes. 
 Many people have lost their horses through this affection 
 When such is the case, I often put it down to not allowing the 
 horses to drink what they like, and keeping them too long 
 between the periods of drinking. I always try my horses 
 with water the last thing at night and the first thing in the 
 morning, besides two and three times during the day, even 
 if they are only in the stable and doing no work. I 
 recommend this system because I have found it answer so 
 well. If I am driving in the country and there is a pond 
 on the side of the road I let my horses drink what they 
 want. When I am boarding at any hotel and the ostler 
 comes up to take charge of my horse, I always say, " Give 
 him some water," and the answer I get is, " When he gets 
 cool, sir, not before, as it will give him the gripes," then I 
 say, " Give it to him at once, I will take all the responsi- 
 bility." I am usually inquisitive enough to ask why they 
 do not give the horses water when they come in ; in almost 
 every case the reply is, " We never let them drink when they 
 are hot if we can help it." " But do not the horses get hold 
 of the pail sometimes when you are looking away or 
 speaking to someone ? " " They are almost sure to have the 
 gripes if they do, sir, and that makes us a bit careful." 
 These are the answers I usually get from the ostlers and 
 those who have to attend to the horses. It is quite right 
 for them to be careful, because they have a great many 
 horses come into their hands, and not two out of every 
 hundred are allowed as much water as they like, 
 especially when they are hot. With my system, the 
 
42 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 horse is safe either way, whether it has water at once 
 or waits. Many of the ostlers have told me that if their 
 employers knew they gave a horse water when it was hot 
 they would be discharged at once. 
 
 If my horses come home the coldest night in Winter, or the 
 hottest day in Summer, they are always allowed to drink as 
 much water as they like. Some people have a pail of water 
 fastened in the manger for them to drink when they like, 
 others again will have an iron manger and a place arranged 
 purposely to keep water in, with a plug at the bottom, so 
 that it can easily be washed out. I do not like this method 
 so well, and I will give my reasons why. When the mangers 
 are arranged in this way, horses get accustomed to keep 
 putting their mouth in the food and then in the water, and 
 by doing this they often make their food quite wet. When 
 the food is moistened the horse swallows it much quicker 
 than it otherwise would, and does not masticate it as it 
 ought. This is the principal reason why I say horses 
 should not have water standing by them the whole of the 
 time they are eating. There are cases where a little time 
 should be spent in allowing a horse to drink as much 
 water as it likes. Suppose, for instance, the owner or 
 attendant has been driving very quickly and the animal has 
 been on a long journey, and has not been offered any water 
 for two hours. If a horse in such a state as this were 
 allowed to drink as much as it liked it might do the animal 
 injury, so that a little care and judgment should be 
 used in this respect. I have never had a horse of mine 
 meet with this misfortune, because when I am on a journey 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 43 
 
 I always see my animals are attended to properly, both as 
 regards feeding or watering, before I have anything myself. 
 When I have driven a distance of over ten miles I never 
 leave my horses to any ostler, and when they have to be put 
 up at a strange place for the night I do not leave the stable 
 until all is made comfortable and the animals are bedded 
 down to my satisfaction. If those who travel long distances 
 with their horses would only take this precaution, and see 
 that everything is comfortable for them, and they have good 
 food and water, and a nice clean bed, they would find 
 heir horses as fresh as possible the next morning. 
 
 Farm horses want treating a little differently. When 
 they have been worked very hard for seven or eight hours I 
 do not say it would be very wise to allow them to drink as 
 much as they liked directly they come in, unless they have 
 been accustomed to it. When a horse will not drink before 
 he goes out in the morning, and works hard all day without 
 any water, naturally he becomes very thirsty, and if he were 
 allowed as much water as he liked to drink, probably the 
 result would be an attack of the gripes. In such cases as 
 this the horse keeper or attendant must be guided, to a 
 certain extent, by circumstances. I feel confident that 
 those who try the experiment of giving horses water 
 frequently, whether they are working or standing in the 
 stable will find it answer well, especially when the animal is 
 working. When working hard they need almost double 
 the quantity of water they require when lying down 
 in a straw yard or loose box. It is not my intention to give 
 the quantity of water a horse should have because they vary 
 
44 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 in this respect as much as in the food they consume, but I 
 simply advise those who have horses to let them have water 
 as they like, and as often as they will drink it. If this rule 
 were carried out better there would be less work for the 
 veterinary surgeons and far less trouble and disappointment 
 to the owners of the horses. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 TYING HORSES UP IN THE STABLE. 
 
 Horses should be tied up How to fasten them properly Tricks and 
 misdoings of Horses if let loose. 
 
 people object to horses being tied up; but this 
 cannot be very well avoided, because in a large stable, 
 or even where one has only got three or four horses, they 
 cannot always afford room to give them a loose box. It 
 is therefore wrong to say horses should not be tied up. 
 Now it is rather a difficult matter to say how horses should 
 be tied up, or what to use for the purpose. A horse which 
 is fed well, and does but little work, becomes very restless 
 in the stable, and very soon gets in the way of working its 
 head up and down so as to make a noise with the ring 
 and plug, especially where iron mangers are used. 
 
 Years ago it was very seldom one went into a stable 
 and saw anything but a rope leader, or what is called in 
 some parts of the country a halter, or chap rein. This 
 had a hole at one end, so that it could be fastened with a 
 slip knot to the head stall, then there was an ordinary 
 wooden plug to keep it weighed down. There should be 
 
46 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 a ring attached to the manger. When the halter is tied 
 to the ring without the plug, and the horse goes to scratch 
 its mane or neck, it gets the halter underneath the heel of 
 its hind foot and throws itself down. In some cases a 
 horse has been known to break its neck in this way, or 
 rupture its neck, and sometimes never recover. 
 
 It may seem ridiculous on my part to mention this, 
 as many of my readers have always been accustomed to 
 horses since their boyhood, and will say at once, "Anyone 
 knows a plug or weight must be put on the end of the 
 halter, which fastens them to the manger." Such people 
 as these must forgive me for bringing forward such a simple 
 thing as this, but it must be remembered there are so 
 many fresh people buy horses, both for work and pleasure, 
 who know nothing whatever of the habits of the animals, 
 or how they should be tied up in the stable and some of 
 those who do know about it seem never to realise the 
 importance of carefulness in these little matters or what 
 serious consequences may arise if these are neglected. 
 I have come across serious accidents on account of people 
 tying the horses up without a plug on the end of their 
 halter in the stable. A horse should not be left one hour 
 with its harness off, unless there is a plug or weight on the 
 end of the tether. Many people during the last few years 
 have used a chain in preference to the rope, as it lasts 
 much longer, but where this is used it makes a great noise, 
 and if the stable happens to be near the dwelling house it 
 is very annoying. 
 
THE HORSE : I TS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 47 
 
 A better plan than using the chain is to have a strong 
 strap, rather narrow, with a wooden plug on the end, 
 weighing at the least from ilb. to i ^Ibs., with about 
 a foot or a foot and a half of chain at the top, which can 
 be fastened to the head stall that the horse wears in the 
 stable. If managed in this way the halter does not make 
 any noise working up and down in the ring. When the 
 chain is used, and makes so much noise, the horse gets 
 accustomed to working it for pastime. It is always best to 
 have a leather head stall to tie the horse up with, so that it 
 can be buckled underneath the throat, if not, old horses 
 will sometimes slip a hemp halter. 
 
 I may mention here that I am referring more to 
 farmers and carmen, who often tie their horses up with 
 a hemp halter. Though there may not be more than from 
 two to seven horses in the stable, if one, unfortunately, 
 manages to slip its halter and get amongst the others, it 
 often brings about unpleasant results, sometimes one 
 of the horses having a kick, or meeting with an accident 
 of some kind, which means a veterinary surgeon's bill. 
 
 I have known many cases where horses have slipped 
 their halters, and got loose in the night when the farmers 
 have used the ordinary hemp halter. It is generally a 
 case of " Penny wise and pound foolish." When a leather 
 head stall is once bought it lasts for years. 
 
 Then again, when a number of horses are kept in one 
 stable, the man who has charge of them should always 
 see that the head stall and chain, or whatever they are 
 
48 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 tied up to the manger with, is not likely to be broken, 
 or worn through, so as to avoid accidents ; because when 
 horses once get loose they are almost sure to go and ask 
 their companions how they are. If they do not do this 
 they find their way to the corner of the stable where the 
 food is kept, and their neighbours seem to quite under- 
 stand what they are doing, and become restless and very 
 often commence kicking. Many accidents arise through 
 neglecting to see to these little things, so I would say to 
 all who have charge of horses, be sure and see they are tied 
 up securely. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 BEDDING DOWN IN THE STABLE. 
 
 There are various ways of bedding down horses in the stable : 
 some are better than others. 
 
 T HAVE spent much of my time in stables of all kinds, 
 *" even in the mines and coal pits ; and all kinds 
 of places where a number of horses are kept have 
 come under my notice. I was asked a few years ago 
 by one of the proprietors of the Live Stock Journal to 
 write articles for that paper on the management of the 
 horse while in the stable. Being very busy at the time 
 with several other papers, on quite a different subject to 
 the horse, I could not spare time just then to comply with 
 the request. 
 
 I always say more horses are lamed while in the 
 stable than when at work. This is my opinion. 
 Take for instance a gentleman's horse, no matter whether 
 it is a hackney carri'age horse, hunter, or pony, frequently 
 we find it gets lamed from some cause or another. I will 
 mention some things, which I believe have a great deal 
 to do with horses becoming lame. 
 
50 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Most gentlemen are very particular about having the 
 stable floor cleaned, and will even have the place washed 
 under the horses' feet. Some have this done once a day, 
 while others are content with having it done once a week. 
 Now many of these stable floors are made of hard Stafford- 
 shire blue bricks, or sometimes asphalte, and by washing 
 them down so often it makes the surface very smooth. Of 
 course the bottoms of the stables are not always made of 
 the two things I have named, occasionally cement is used, 
 and I will explain further on how much better this is for 
 the horses' feet. 
 
 In my younger days I was always very much surprised 
 to see the number of horses that were lame. They were 
 mostly carriage horses. If you took one hundred of the 
 latter, and one hundred waggon and cart horses, including 
 those belonging to farmers in the surrounding districts, you 
 would find there would be from fifteen to thirty of the 
 carriage horses laid up at certain periods of the year, and 
 you would only find from three to seven cart horses lame 
 out of the whole hundred. I could not help feeling 
 sure in my own mind (although young at the time) there 
 was some cause for this, and as my nature has always been 
 a rather inquisitive one, I made many enquiries from 
 different gentlemen, coachmen, grooms, carmen, and 
 farmers of my acquaintance, as to the reason of it. I did not 
 get a satisfactory answer to my mind from any of them. 
 
 The farmers said, " Ah, you see we do not pamper 
 our horses like gentlemen do." The carmen's answer was, 
 "Carriage horses are better bred than cart horses, and are 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 5 1 
 
 more likely to go wrong." Coachmen and grooms usually 
 said, " Horse dealers are such rogues, they take our 
 masters in with horses that have been pampered up, and 
 they go lame after we begin to work them." No doubt 
 there is a great deal in the latter, and I am sorry to say it 
 is often the case. I asked many gentlemen how they 
 accounted for the large percentage of carriage horses and 
 trotting nags going lame, so much more than draught 
 horses, (which usually go by the name of cart horses). All I 
 could get from that quarter was, "Oh, that has always been 
 a mystery, which has not been fathomed yet." 
 
 None of these answers seemed to be satisfactory, and 
 I thought I would at least try to find out why there was 
 such a difference between the carriage and cart horses in 
 this respect, and so clear the mystery up. 
 
 In my boyhood 1 have watched horses in the stables 
 for hours, with just a little glimmer of light. In the Winter 
 evenings I would rather spend two or three hours lying 
 upon a piece of straw in the stable, watching the habits of 
 the horses, than I would by the fireside. Many 
 things I learned during these times of observation 
 have been very useful to me during my life, 
 but I cannot say that I have solved the mystery yet. 
 In many instances the cause cannot be accounted for. 
 
 Some fourteen or fifteen years ago I discovered a clue 
 to it, and thought I had found out the secret at last ; 
 but although it may not always be the cause of the 
 horses going lame, I believe, at any rate, it is in many 
 
52 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 instances. I noticed that when the brick or asphalte 
 floors were washed down, it naturally made them very 
 slippery, and when the horses wanted to lie down they 
 managed that very well. The getting up part, however, 
 was quite another matter, as their feet often slipped 
 from under them. I have seen many horses try to rise 
 from the bricks, and fall right down again. 
 
 It must be understood that the horse is quite different 
 from the cow. The latter goes down upon its knees first 
 and then drops down altogether. The horse drops his 
 hind part first, and when getting up puts his fore feet out 
 first ; while the cow rises with its hind legs first, and gets up 
 very steadily on to its fore feet there is no slipping with the 
 cow. When, however, horses make a start to get up, they 
 spring upon their legs, drawing their feet up, and if the 
 floor of the stable, where they are lying, is smooth, they 
 often make a slip, even if they do not go right down. 
 
 To prove this statement, let those who may be going 
 through London streets, where there are asphalte roads, 
 notice horses which have fallen down, what a difficult 
 matter it is for them to get upon their feet again. In many- 
 cases the drivers are unable to get them up till they 
 fetch some sand, and spread round where the horse falls. 
 Now a horse standing in a stable, paved as many of 
 them are at the present day, is in just about the same 
 position. 
 
 Those who are interested in, and watch the noble 
 animals in the stable, will notice that seventeen out of 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 53 
 
 every twenty, especially carriage horses and such like, will 
 paw and rake the straw from underneath them with their 
 fore feet, and where this is the case their knees have to go 
 on the bare bricks, or hard floor. When they go to rise, 
 they spread their fore feet right out from under them, and 
 many of them jump up quickly, and cannot get foothold. 
 It is not a matter of ricking themselves in their fore feet so 
 much as in their hinder parts, especially the round bone, 
 although occasionally they do rick their shoulders. 
 
 The owners, no doubt, think they are doing the 
 animals a kindness when they have the stable floor well 
 washed down. To my mind it is a great mistake to wash 
 where the horse stands ; if it must be done, it is best to 
 cover it up with either chaff, fine sand, moss peat, or even 
 dry earth put down would be better than leaving it bare. 
 Of course where there are drains in stables, to carry the 
 urine away, they must be washed down and cleaned 
 occasionally, if not, the stable smells very badly. 
 
 Many gentlemen are very much against using short 
 straw for bedding horses down in the stable. When buying 
 they will have the long fine wheat straw. This, I think, is a 
 great mistake, the longer it is the worse it is for the horses' 
 knees. I will explain why this is so. Before horses 
 lie down, as I have said before, in seventeen cases out of 
 every twenty they paw with the front feet on the ground, 
 and pull the straw back from underneath them. It not 
 only makes them slip when they go to get up, but their 
 knees come into contact with the hard floor, so much so that 
 horses often knock the hair off the knees when in the 
 
54 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 stable. I have known horses have corns on their knees 
 through fetching their bedding from under them where 
 the stable has been washed down clean every day ; in some 
 cases the hair has grown long and coarse, and has given 
 the horse the appearance of having been down and cut its 
 knees. This, of course, would spoil the sale of the horse. 
 
 Sometimes there is a little chaff that the horse is 
 continually throwing out of the manger, this, with dust and 
 chaff from the wheat straw, together with the dampness of 
 the floor, in a very few weeks forms into quite a cake on 
 the top of the floor, when the latter is not washed down. 
 This enables the horse to get good foothold when it 
 attempts to get up, even if it has scraped the straw from 
 under its feet. Farmers' stables, as a rule, are only cleaned 
 out and swept, not washed at all, except in a very few 
 instances, and in these only at the back, where the horse's 
 hind quarters come, and, therefore, when the horse attempts 
 to get up, he has a good foothold, and so has no difficulty 
 in getting on his feet. The same thing may be said of 
 carmen's and all cart horses. 
 
 I do not think one cart horse in a thousand, where the 
 stables are only swept out and the horses are enabled to 
 get a good foothold, become lame through lying down in 
 the stable, or injure themselves in any way. The loose 
 stuff on the floor fills the crevices up, if there are any. 
 
 I find that where horses are bedded down on moss 
 peat there are very few cases of lameness, though I know 
 many people object to it, as it has a dirty appearance in 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 55 
 
 the stable. I always use it myself, though I do not keep 
 many horses, but I find they do much better on moss peat 
 than they do on straw, and it is considerably cheaper. 
 Certainly it may make the stables look a little more dirty, but 
 it has several advantages over the straw. 
 
 In the first place, if the horse scratches, or paws 
 about with his fore feet, it does not pull it all in a heap the 
 same as it does the straw, as there still remains some of it 
 on the floor, which keeps the horses' knees from the hard 
 bottom. That is a great thing in my opinion, and at the 
 same time the horse has got good foothold to get up again. 
 
 Another objection many people have to moss peat is, 
 that it stops the drains. Now may I just mention that 
 where this is in use, no drains are required, and they ought 
 to be stopped up. Moss peat is a deodorizer, and absorbs all 
 the urine, and therefore holds all the ammonia and strong 
 smell. Wherever the urine is, just that piece should be 
 taken up, and some dry stuff thrown in its place. I never 
 found any of the urine went into the drains where a proper 
 quantity of the moss peat was used. It should be laid down 
 from three to four inches thick. 
 
 And again, horses will often eat clean wheat straw, if 
 they have an opportunity, but there is no fear of them 
 eating the moss peat. Some people say the latter is likely 
 to heat in the stable. This is not the case if it is used 
 properly. Of course it will get hot if it is allowed to 
 accumulate, and the wet is not taken away frequently. 
 My idea is that it does not take anything like the time to 
 
56 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 keep the stable clean and nice when the moss peat is used, 
 as it does when the horses are bedded down with straw. I 
 will admit the former does not look so nice as the latter. 
 
 Referring to long straw again, the shorter it is the 
 longer it lasts, because when it is long, a part of it gets wet 
 and dirty, and it looks bad if left in the stable, therefore 
 it has to be thrown away, when not more than the ends of 
 it are just soiled. This is really a great waste. If gentle- 
 men, and others, who occasionally have their horses go 
 lame, without any apparent cause, would try an experiment, 
 they would find by using moss peat in the stable a number 
 of accidents would be prevented. If they do not use it 
 entirely, I should advise them to spread a little over the 
 bottom of the stable floor, and then put the straw on the 
 top of that. It is nice and soft to the horse's knees, 
 and at the same time gives the animal a good foothold 
 when getting up. 
 
 When a gentleman gives from ^50 to ^250 for a 
 horse, it is worth taking care of. Many stablemen object 
 to the moss peat being put under the horses, on account of 
 its being dusty, but I do not find it gets on the skin of the 
 animals at all, only on the surface of the hair. My horses' 
 coats look quite as well now I use the moss peat as they 
 did when they were bedded down entirely on straw. I am 
 very particular about my animals lying comfortably, I 
 could not sleep if I thought they were not alright. If the 
 owners of horses were to give this a moment's thought, I 
 tbink they would study them more in their bedding down. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 57 
 
 It not only prevents them laming themselves in a number 
 of instances, but it adds so much to their comfort. 
 
 When a horse has done a day's work, the more 
 comfortable it can be made, the better. Many horses, 
 after they have scraped away the bedding from under them, 
 dare not lie down, especially old horses, on account of 
 slipping in trying to get up. I have known some middle- 
 aged ones, where they have pulled the bedding about in 
 this way, not to lie down more than once a week. Young 
 horses do not mind much, but I have known old ones 
 myself to stand twelve months right off. One old horse in 
 particular I could name that had not laid down for four 
 years. This animal was over thirty years of age. They 
 have been known not to lie down for five or seven years, 
 except they have fallen down when standing asleep. 
 
 A horse, when in good health, does not lie down for 
 more than from two to three and a half hours at the 
 outside, as they get the cramp very often, if they lie in one 
 position for very long. Sometimes they will lie down three, 
 four, and five times in one night, so that it is well to be 
 careful, and see they are comfortable in the stable, and 
 can get proper foothold. It is usually noticed that a horse 
 rests very much better when put in a loose box than when 
 tied up, for the simple reason, the whole of the loose box is 
 well bedded down, and they get proper foothold when they 
 try to get up. When they do this they are not so timid,, 
 and rest much better. 
 
58 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 There is another mistake which I think many people 
 make. When horses stand in the stable all day, the 
 custom is to bed them down with straw at night, then in 
 the morning after the stable has been cleaned out, the 
 straw is either taken away, or put under the manger, and 
 the horses have to stand all day. Occasionally a young 
 horse will lie down on the bare bricks or floor, but it is 
 very seldom old horses will, as they know the danger of 
 getting up when once they are down. 
 
 Now my idea is always to b.ed a horse down in the 
 daytime, to induce it to lie down, rather than encourage 
 it to stand. I find that the more a horse rests his body 
 in lying down, the longer the legs last. For instance, I 
 have a cob at the present time, an engraving of 
 which forms the frontispiece, which I have driven 
 nearly seven years. Five years he did from twenty to fifty 
 miles in a day, never having a rest except on Sunday. If I 
 took the horse on a journey, whatever stable I put him in 
 I always had him bedded down in the day-time, just the 
 same as he was when at home. Between his feeds he 
 would lie down, and I found he did just the same away from 
 home. 
 
 When horses are on a journey, if they can lie down 
 an hour or two in the day, it is a very great help to them. 
 It is the same when a man goes a long walk, he rests much 
 better when he lies down than when he stands. I know it 
 is not the rule for horses to lie down in the middle of the 
 day in a strange stable, because they have never been 
 .accustomed to it. A horse will stand in the stable more 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 59 
 
 than double the time without swelling in the legs, if it is 
 accustomed to lying down in the day-time. 
 
 The horse I referred to is as perfect in his legs as he 
 was when six months old. Some readers may think he is a 
 slow jogging horse, and does not go fast. There is 
 certainly something in that. Of course, a horse which goes 
 along slowly usually lasts longer on the legs than one 
 which travels at a high speed. This cob of mine has 
 many times done a mile in less than three minutes trotting, 
 and not a day passed without his doing a mile in less 
 than four minutes, that was doing five and six miles 
 together. So we cannot call him a slow jogging horse 
 exactly. 
 
 Take cart horses for instance. On a Sunday, when 
 they are not at work, they are bedded down, and if 
 we take a peep in the stable between half-past ten 
 and half-past twelve, supposing there are ten horses, 
 we shall find from four to eight out of that number 
 lying down, sometimes every one of them Many gentle- 
 men will not have straw put under the horses in the 
 day time, and I repeat again I cannot help thinking this 
 is a great mistake. Horses have a great weight upon their 
 legs, and the more they are encouraged to lie down the 
 more fit they are for work. I have known one or two cart 
 horses which went blind and grew very restless in the 
 stable, and appeared afraid to lie down after they were six 
 years old ; they were worn out after they were from 
 twelve to fourteen years old. Those which have been in 
 the habit of lying down have been finer horses. 
 
60 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 and able to do their work better at twenty years of age than 
 those which have not been used to lying down would at 
 fourteen years old. When I say horses do not lie down at 
 all I mean after they have become old and blind. I have 
 known horses live to be twenty-five and thirty-five years 
 old ; one I have in my mind now is thirty-three next 
 foaling. 
 
 This book, as I said in the commencement, is not so 
 much for those who keep a number of horses as for 
 individuals who go in for the ones and twos. In the cold 
 frosty weather when a horse is standing in the stable doing 
 nothing, and getting very little exercise, it becomes very 
 cold and the hair stands on end, even when it has 
 a cloth on it. When a horse's legs are cold the ears 
 are usually the same, and when the latter are cold it is an 
 indication that the horse is cold all over. I have noticed 
 that when a horse is cold in the stable, after it has laid 
 down for a couple of hours, it gets up quite 
 warm. This is another reason why horses should be 
 encouraged to lie down more. 
 
 I may explain why this is. Horses have nothing upon 
 their legs, beside bone, sinew, and the skin, so the blood 
 circulating down the legs becomes cooled and flows back 
 through the heart, and gradually chills the whole body 
 If the horse lies down the circulation is easier and more 
 rapid. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 CLEANING HORSES. 
 
 How Horses are sometimes cleaned How they should be cleaned 
 Attention in wet weather. 
 
 TV /T ANY people who go in for keeping a horse, or horses, 
 LV-L, have different ideas as to how the animal's coat 
 should be cleaned, and kept in good trim. It is a well- 
 known fact that numbers of grooms spend close on an 
 hour in grooming a horse. One thing struck me in my 
 younger days, and I often wondered at it. The farmers' 
 horses frequently had better coats during the Summer 
 than gentlemen's horses which had six times the amount 
 of labour bestowed upon them. The attendant who saw 
 to the farmers' horses would have from six to ten horses all 
 cleaned and ready for work by six o'clock in the morning, 
 and yet most of the animals' coats would look like a piece 
 of silk. 
 
 I have noticed many people, when cleaning horses, 
 using a curry comb, and giving the coat a good rake all over, 
 when doing this they often work the hair the wrong way. 
 That is to say, instead of currying the way the hair lies, 
 they scratch the opposite way. If these people are 
 asked why they do it, they tell you it is because it gets the 
 
62 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 dust out quicker." When a horse comes in all covered with 
 perspiration this would answer, as naturally the dust works 
 out of the skin on to the surface of the hair, and the curry 
 comb takes it off quicker, but when the horse is cool, and 
 has no harness marks upon him with the dust, it is not 
 well to use a curry comb, at least that has been my 
 experience. 
 
 The more the horse is curry-combed, the more scurf 
 is produced on the surface of the skin, so that excessive 
 curry-combing means an excessive amount of scurf, 
 especially in some animals which seem to have a tendency 
 in that direction. If instead of using a curry comb, a 
 dandy brush, or better still, a body brush is used, it will be 
 found much better, especially if the horse has been working, 
 and there is a lot of surplus dust on the skin. Some people 
 use nothing but a wisp of hay or damp straw. The man 
 who attends to farmers' horses will not wear out as many 
 brushes and curry combs on ten animals as a gentleman's 
 groom will on one, because the farmer's man uses a damp 
 wisp of hay, or straw, and the curry comb but very little. 
 
 I have tried both methods myself, and find a good 
 hard rub with a wisp of hay, or straw, damped a little, 
 cleans the horse's coat far better, and leaves a better gloss 
 on it than anything else can do. A body brush should 
 be used more than a dandy brush. I think most of my 
 readers will know what I mean by a body brush. It is a 
 flat brush, with a strap across the back to slide the hand 
 in. It is soft, and does not work the skin so much to 
 irritate it, but thoroughly cleanses it from the surface dust. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 63 
 
 I am quite aware that some horses have a scurfy skin 
 and require a great deal more cleaning than others, but 
 even in such cases as these it would be better to use 
 a curry comb much less than many people do, as it only 
 irritates the skin of the animal. When a horse has a great 
 deal of scurf it should have a mixture given it, made up 
 of about a pint of stewed linseed, a little bran and chaff, 
 with two table spoonfuls of common sulphur. If this 
 is given the animal twice or three times a week it will 
 prove a great help to it. Of course when a horse has this 
 mixture given to him he must not be allowed to 
 stand about and get cold, as sulphur opens the pores of 
 the skin ; if this is seen to it will be alright. In the 
 Spring nothing will cool the horse's blood so much 
 as nettle tea. This is easily made by pouring 
 a gallon of boiling water on a good double handful of 
 nettles. This is not only very cooling to the blood, but 
 puts a nice gloss on the animal's coat. Some horses will 
 object to drink this, but when they get accustomed to it 
 they like it very much. If a horse is in very low condition 
 it should have a tonic, especially when it is changing its 
 coat. 
 
 Horses are sometimes allowed to run down in con- 
 dition when a little medicine or tonic would put them 
 alright, and bring them into splendid condition. Of 
 course horses living in the country that go out to grass do 
 not require anything of this, but those which cannot get 
 such a luxury sometimes require a little pulling together. 
 There are many different opinions as to whether horses 
 
64 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 should be washed when they come in all of a lather on 
 a hot summer's day. My experience has been it is a good 
 thing to wash them directly they come in, while they are 
 hot, with just chilled water, and scrape them down with an 
 iron hoop, so that all the water is scraped out of the coat 
 afterwards. A little brass scraper is sold by saddlers, which 
 would be better than the hoop for the purpose. This 
 scraper can also be used for all kinds of horses, when they 
 come in wet on a rainy day, to get the water out of their 
 coats, then they dry very quickly, as if left the evaporation 
 of the water takes very much longer, and some horses 
 occasionally take cold if left in this way. Then if they 
 are well rinsed, and rubbed over with a sponge and wash 
 leather, they dry much quicker than if they had never been 
 wetted at all. As a rule, the perspiration from a horse is 
 of a greasy nature, the water washes all that out, they 
 dry much quicker, and are more comfortable afterwards. 
 
 Bandages should next be put on the legs at once, and 
 if they are accustomed to have a cloth put on them whilst 
 standing, one should be thrown over them directly they are 
 dry. If the weather is at all chilly when a horse is washed 
 it should always have a rug put on at once, at the same 
 time taking care to put a good piece of straw on the horse's 
 back under the cloth. This prevents the animal taking 
 a chill, as the straw absorbs the evaporation. In some 
 instances the rug gets wet and is not dried when it is 
 taken off. If this is put upon the horse again damp, it is 
 liable to give it a chill. 
 
 Some horses have such long coats during the winter, 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 65 
 
 it is almost an impossibility to keep them nice, as when 
 they get so hot and perspire the hair becomes rough and 
 wrinkled. I deal more fully with this matter in the chapter 
 on clipping horses. Sometimes when a horse is neglected 
 in the way of cleaning, it causes sore shoulders through 
 dust and perspiration being left unheeded on the animal. 
 This is often the case with many costermongers' horses and 
 others, which have no care taken of them. Then again, 
 there is another thing which often happens when people 
 take no notice of the horse's collar. That is the dust 
 becomes matted very hard inside the collar, making it 
 very rough, which often causes the animal to have sore 
 shoulders. This is especially seen in the case of cart or 
 other draught horses, also in those used by butchers, bakers, 
 and costermongers, who are oftentimes so busy that they take 
 little or no heed whatever until they find the horse's shoulder 
 is sore. This is not only cruel, but expensive to the owner, 
 as the animals are often laid by for a week, or perhaps 
 a month, whereas if a little forethought were used all 
 this might be avoided. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 
 
 Reasons why horses should be clipped How, when, and where 
 they should be clipped Clipping not always to be followed 
 by singeing. 
 
 r T" 1 HERE are various opinions expressed on clipping 
 -^ horses. Some people say it is not natural to take 
 off the horse's coat. This may be true - there are many 
 things not natural, but still beneficial. This is my idea 
 with regard to clipping horses. I have tried the experiment 
 in many ways, both with those which run, and cart and 
 waggon or draught horses. As a rule I find animals 
 which are clipped do their work with much more ease than 
 those which have their long coat on. Of course many 
 thorough-bred horses have an exceedingly fine coat, are 
 well groomed, and always rugged up in the stable. 
 
 In such cases they may do without the clipping, but I 
 am speaking now of the general run of horses. Those 
 which have to work and sometimes run twenty miles right 
 off with a long coat on often become very faint and 
 tired, especially if the roads are heavy. When the animals 
 get in this state the long hair is so wet that it will take 
 from three to six hours to dry after it gets in the stable 
 
 D2 
 
68 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Now I cannot see how any one can say this is good 
 for a horse. Take human beings for example, when we 
 have to walk or run. do we not like to be as lightly clad as 
 possible, then when we have finished our journey we put 
 on a big coat. If we run in a heavy coat we soon 
 perspire freely, so it is with horses. I maintain, those 
 which run do better if they are clipped: and these, after 
 they come in, should have a rug thrown over them. If 
 they are allowed to stand while out of doors they should 
 always have a rug thrown over their loins. 
 
 I know I differ from many people as regards clipping 
 their legs. I do not believe in doing them below the 
 knee joints, unless the horse can have good attention. 
 For instance, when it comes in wet and dirty and is 
 washed or rubbed partly dry, then bandaged up, I do 
 not object to the legs being clipped. In the ordinary- 
 way, however, when they cannot have this care and 
 attention, the legs should not be clipped below the 
 knees. I find they are so much more subject to mud 
 fever when this is done than when the hair is left on 
 them. Veterinary surgeons tell us mud fever is brought 
 on through a chill in the blood. When horses get the 
 hair clipped close to the legs in cold weather they feel it 
 very much. No doubt this is owing in a great measure 
 to the animal's legs being so void of flesh, and nothing 
 but sinews, skin, and bone. The blood circulates down 
 the legs, therefore, if the latter are cold, the blood is 
 carried back through the body chilled. Gentlemen who 
 do a great deal of hunting, especially of late years, 
 seldom have their horses' legs clipped. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 69 
 
 Horses which are restless in the stable, and pull 
 the bedding-down back with their fore-feet before lying 
 down, are far more liable to scratch their knees, or rub 
 them when they are lying down. I recommend that horses 
 which run should be clipped all over except the legs, but 
 tradesmen's animals, such as butchers, bakers, and grocers 
 use should be clipped trace-high, because of their having to 
 stand about, as there is not always time to put a rug on the 
 animals. It is very bad for them to be standing after they 
 are clipped, especially when it is raining, or is a very 
 cold day. If the hair is left on the back and legs the 
 animals do not feel the cold. Many people have their 
 draught horses clipped just in the same way, as they do 
 so much better and get through their w r ork easier. Of 
 course this is only done when draught horses have on a 
 heavy coat ; some of the hair is much finer than on 
 others. 
 
 Various opinions are expressed as to when a horse 
 ought to be clipped. This depends a great deal on when 
 the animal sheds its coat. Some horses shed their coat 
 much earlier than usual in the Autumn. Many horses get 
 quite a winter coat by the first week in October. When 
 the summer coat is shed, and the other is fairly long in 
 the Autumn, and the horse is working very hard, it 
 becomes very faint. This is the time to clip the hair off. 
 I always like to give the animals a little tonic while 
 changing their summer coat for the winter, as at that 
 time they go down in condition more than at any other 
 period. 
 
70 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 When they are changing the winter coat for the 
 summer it does not matter so much, they do that with 
 comparative ease, but it is just as well even then to give 
 them a little tonic. Those who understand horses usually 
 give them something when they are shedding their coat, 
 whether the owner gives instructions for them to have any 
 or not, and in many cases these men know what the animals 
 require better than the owner. Some horses require clipping 
 twice during the Winter I often have mine clipped four 
 times during that time, but, as a rule, twice is sufficient. 
 
 It is very seldom a horse's coat grows after the middle 
 of December, only just a few rough hairs underneath the 
 stomach and round their quarters. Those who wish to 
 keep a horse nice should just singe these off. Years ago 
 it was thought a horse which was clipped should always 
 be singed, that is to say, the end of each hair ought to 
 be singed, and unless this was done it was considered the 
 animal would take cold, but this is only a delusion. I 
 have never known a horse to take cold after it has 
 been clipped, if it was managed and clipped properly. 
 
 Some people do not like clipping their horses because 
 it changes the colour of their coat. For instance, there 
 is very little difference between the colour of a bay and 
 a black horse when they are clipped. When they change 
 their coat in the Spring it makes the horses look rather 
 stubby, but that very soon wears off, especially when 
 they have a little tonic to help them. This not only 
 enables them to shed their coat quicker, but makes the 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 71 
 
 new hair shine like a piece of silk in a very short time. 
 Care should be taken before a horse is clipped not to 
 rug it up for a time, or it should only have a 
 thin rug thrown over it, and after it is clipped 
 it must have a very warm covering on in the stable. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 HORSES' FEET. 
 
 The foot What causes lameness in the stable Observation and 
 explanation Corns and mud fever Goose grease and water for 
 horses' feet Thrush and its treatment Cracked heels. 
 
 Perhaps there is no part of a horse neglected so much 
 as the feet, and as it is so very important that these should 
 be well attended to, I will give a chapter on this subject for 
 the benefit of those who do not understand horses and very 
 seldom give the feet a moment's thought. Many hundreds 
 of horses are ruined every year simply for want of a little 
 care being taken of their feet. I will endeavour to make 
 myself as plain as possible in this respect. Now it must be 
 remembered a horse's foot is wonderfully constructed. 
 Nature has provided it with a thick horn for a covering 
 round the outside, the middle part is covered with a 
 substance more elastic, which is called the frog, and the foot 
 itself is enclosed between the two, while the sole of the foot 
 is different from these two, being formed of a soft horny 
 substance. 
 
 A great many people think that a horse's foot is simply 
 a foot, and only made for work. They not only think so 
 but act accordingly. They merely feed and work the 
 animal, and when its shoes are worn out send it to the 
 
74 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 farrier to have some more put on, not thinking whether the 
 foot is in a healthy state or not. I will not say they do not 
 care whether this is the case, because they really do not give 
 it a thought. As long as the horse does not go lame and 
 does its work alright, not more than five out of every 
 twenty persons who keep horses ever examine the hoof or 
 foot. Of course, as soon as the animal begins to limp and 
 show symptoms of lameness, or tenderness in stepping, then 
 the owner at once examines the horse in the legs, shoulders 
 and feet, to see what is wrong. I always say, " prevention 
 is better than cure," though it is not always thought so. 
 Horses costing from 40 to ^150 go wrong for want of a 
 little care and attention to their feet. I do not say one here 
 and there is spoiled, but hundreds every year, besides many 
 others of smaller value, viz., those belonging to butchers, 
 greengrocers, costermongers, &c. If only these little things 
 were seen in time how many valuable animals might be 
 saved. 
 
 As soon as a horse begins to go wrong in the feet, 
 or have what is called fever in the feet, the veterinary 
 surgeon advises the owner to sell it as soon as possible. 
 This may be all very well in some cases, but in others it is 
 very unwise. I saw one splendid carriage horse sold for 
 ^9, and another hunter sold for ^15, only during the last 
 eighteen months. With care both of these animals have 
 got round, and are now splendid goers and show no signs of 
 any tenderness in their feet either when running or at work. 
 Neither of the owners would part with them now under a 
 long figure. I happen to know both the gentlemen who 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 75 
 
 bought the horses, and saw the animals at the time they 
 were sold, though they were both disposed of in different 
 parts of the country. I asked the owners why they bought 
 them in the condition they were in, as they walked like a 
 cat on hot bricks. The answer I got from them both was, 
 " Oh, the horses will be alright in a very short time, they 
 only want a little care and attention." Of course, it must 
 be borne in mind both these gentlemen understood horses 
 thoroughly, and had bought many such animals, then after 
 they had come round they fetched very long figures. I just 
 mention this circumstance as an illustration to show how 
 people are mis-led by horses becoming lame in their feet. 
 In some cases the horn which goes round the top of the foot 
 becomes very brittle and hard, which of course binds the 
 foot, and I have every reason to believe that corns often 
 appear on the horse's foot simply through this. Then when 
 the horses are running on hard roads, the jarring causes 
 these to form quicker, and makes them grow faster, as the 
 horn presses on the foot so much and the animal has to 
 work hard at the same time. If a person wears a very hard 
 pair of boots which press tightly to the feet, it brings corns, 
 and so it is with the horse. That is usually what a blacksmith 
 looks for when an animal goes lame in the fore feet. He cuts 
 the sole or bottom of the foot away to find the corns, and digs 
 in close to the hoof, making the foot more tender than 
 before, and after the sole has been cut away so closely and 
 then a hot shoe put on, this causes inflammation to set in 
 at once and makes the horse a great deal worse than it was 
 before. When the horse goes to be shod these corns have 
 
7 6 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 to be cut out every month so that there is no pressure from 
 the shoe. 
 
 A corn is a thing which grows very fast, and in three 
 weeks or a month's time, very often before the shoe is worn 
 out, the corn is so far developed that it often hurts the 
 horse before the shoe is removed. The owner of a horse 
 which has corns should always see that they are cut well 
 back. Those who have animals which have no corns 
 should endeavour to keep them free from them. This can 
 be done in most cases by keeping the hoof in good order. 
 When the horn is neglected or becomes hard, the foot gets 
 hot and dry, then if it is not seen to for a few days it 
 brings on fever, and the horn or hoof becomes very much 
 contracted, so much so that it will often show ridges on the 
 surface of the hoof. This means unsoundness in the foot at 
 once. If a horse's foot is not taken care of, the horn gets 
 so dry and brittle that it breaks all to pieces, and when the 
 farrier nails the shoe on, it often splinters like putting a nail 
 into brittle wood. When however the foot is seen to properly, 
 it is very seldom this occurs, as it keeps tough and elastic. 
 A horse's hoof should always be kept fairly clean, and it 
 does it good to soak it in water, especially in hot 
 weather when the horse is running on hard roads. 
 
 Horses used by gentlemen usually have greater care 
 bestowed upon their hoofs than ordinary horses which are 
 only used for business purposes, as they generally have a 
 little lamp black and oil rubbed over them. Goose grease 
 is a fine thing, and a little goes a long way. The hoofs 
 should be washed perfectly clean, then the grease is rubbed in 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 77 
 
 with a small brush. It answers two purposes. First, the feet 
 always look nice; secondly, the horn is preserved and kept 
 in splendid condition, so much so that it rarely gets 
 broken, as it is tough and pliable. The mixture has the 
 same effect as moliscorum on hard leather. I have met 
 with several grooms who use lamp black mixed with fat 
 skimmed from a dead horse which has been boiled. I have 
 never used this myself, but know several who do use it, and it 
 appears to answer very well. I have seen the hoofs of 
 horses which this has been used upon and they have been 
 in splendid condition. Now the frog of the foot is found to be 
 of quite a different material from the outer horn. Years ago 
 farriers always used to cut the frog down very close, also the 
 crust or sole of the foot. This is very wrong, as they should 
 be cut down a very little, just trimmed so as they are not 
 shaggy. 
 
 Farmers' horses which work on the land seldom have 
 anything wrong with their feet, first, because the ground is 
 moist, which keeps the foot cool, and secondly, when they 
 go to water they often soak their feet in a pond, which helps 
 them very much. Waggon horses which are on the road do 
 not go lame in their feet so quickly as horses which run, 
 because the jar of the feet in running makes all the 
 difference. Of course cart horses which are often working 
 on the hard road go lame much quicker than farmers' 
 horses which work on the land, in fact it is very rarely the 
 latter ever have anything the matter with the feet. If I had 
 heavy horses working upon the hard roads during the hot 
 weather I should let their feet stand in water for at least 
 
78 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 five minutes before they went out in the morning, and 
 again when they came home at night. It would be well, 
 where a person has a number of horses, to have a place 
 made where they can go and stand in for a time when the 
 weather is hot: it would pay the owner 100 per cent, for the 
 trouble. Such a place could easily be made with cement, 
 nice and shallow, so that the horses could walk into it 
 easily. If the water is laid on, have a tap for supplying it, 
 and a little plug at the bottom with a drain to empty 
 it. In country places there is usually a pond where 
 horses can stand in. Water has a great effect, not only 
 upon the feet, but on the legs also. 
 
 I have known a great many horses bought in London 
 where they have been running on stones, and their legs and 
 feet have been so bad the animals could scarcely stand 
 upon them. When they are like that, farmers often buy 
 them at the sales in London, take them down in the 
 country, turn them out in some damp meadow, and let 
 them stand in a pond from one to four hours a day. In many 
 cases the legs and feet get quite cured, and as perfect as they 
 were before. Some people, instead of sending them on to the 
 sales, kill the animals off at once. Horses which run should 
 always have their feet washed before they go out of the 
 stable. It is always better to serve the heavy horses in this 
 way as well, if time will permit, but it is very seldom these 
 get washed at all, as it is not usual. This is only done on a 
 few particular farms. Soft soap, nice clean water, and a 
 good stiff brush, are the finest things to wash horses' feet 
 with, the soap is very cleansing. 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 79 
 
 Another thing which people have to guard against is 
 what is commonly called " the thrush." This is a running 
 or discharge of a thick matter from the centre of the foot 
 out of the frog. It cannot always be said what brings it on. 
 Sometimes overfeeding with corn and too little exercise 
 will do it. The discharge is very offensive, and if not 
 attended to spreads over the foot, the centre of the frog 
 always appears as though it were rotten, and it naturally 
 affects the foot very much if it is allowed to grow. Now I 
 always look upon the thrush in a horse's foot as an outlet 
 of Nature, and if it is stopped all at once it will break out 
 somewhere else, or the animal will be ill. I have known 
 cases where horses have become quite blind through the 
 thrush being stopped quickly. It is the same as a sore 
 upon a person's finger or body, there is a certain amount of 
 matter comes from the wound, and so it is with the thrush 
 in horses' feet. A person can always tell when it is coming 
 on, as the foot begins to smell. Both the foot and centre 
 of the frog should be cleaned out once a day with a hook, 
 and sometimes it will be noticed there is moisture on the 
 hook which smells badly : that is the thrush just com- 
 mencing. Now this should not be stopped at once by 
 any means. The dressing should be of that nature so that 
 it does not close up the wound, but has the power to draw 
 the moisture out, and prevent its spreading over the frog 
 when it does come out. When a horse begins to show 
 symptoms of thrush it is well to use simple remedies. I 
 will give one which 1 have found very useful. Put two table- 
 spoonfuls of chloride of lime with a pint-and-half of water, 
 and if it smells very badly, and the moisture begins to 
 
80 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 run, use a pint of water instead of a pint-and-half with the 
 chloride of lime in. 
 
 Some people prefer a little salt put in, no doubt 
 that is a good thing, but I never use it myself. While the 
 horse is standing in the stable, soak a little piece of tow 
 in this lime and water and put it in the frog with a blunt 
 knife, or a piece of wood cut in the shape of a knife. 
 Before taking the horse out of the stable remove the piece 
 of tow, and wash the wound with a little brush dipped in 
 the water and lime, then get a small piece of wood, just cut 
 so that it will go nicely into the frog, and dip it in 
 Stockholm tar and place it in the wound. The tar draws 
 it and prevents any smell coming from the horses' feet. 
 Some people use nothing for the thrush except the 
 Stockholm tar, while others use bluestone, but this usually 
 dries it up too quickly. 
 
 Many horses have the misfortune to get cracked heels. 
 This, however, seldom occurs when they are washed down 
 and well attended to. This is usually brought on through 
 neglect. Very often when a horse has long hair on its legs 
 the heels are not noticed, I have seen them with a crack 
 half an inch deep, before the owner or attendant knew 
 there was anything the matter with the heel at all. This is 
 caused by the legs not being rubbed dry, the water 
 naturally runs down to the bottom of the leg and round the 
 heel. Should there be a little dirt there, as there often is 
 in neglected horses, the cold water mixes with it, and that,, 
 with the friction caused by the animal moving its foot,, 
 causes the skin to get hard and brittle, and it very often 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 8 1 
 
 cracks. When this is the case, if not properly attended to, 
 the crack soon becomes very deep, so much so that the 
 animal is often laid up with it. Almost in every case where 
 the heel cracks there is a discharge from it, and if that is 
 neglected the hair gets matted every time the heel becomes 
 wet. This of course makes the heel a great deal worse, 
 and the smell grows very offensive if it is neglected for long. 
 When it breaks out in the heels upon the hind legs it 
 sometimes turns into quite a humoury mass. 
 
 I have known this complaint to break out in a cart 
 horse and grow into a greasy heel. That is to say, the leg 
 has swollen very much and the heel has become full of 
 humour. When a horse once gets a greasy heel very badly, 
 it is seldom cured. I have seen them swell to three times 
 the size they should be. If a horse has no humour in it, 
 greasy heels will never follow a cracked heel, although they 
 may be very sore and troublesome. Some horses are 
 naturally full of humour in the legs. I have known mares 
 which have a greasy heel which some people call a 
 swollen leg throw some colts with legs equally as bad. In 
 such cases as these it is in the blood, and is hereditary. 
 This very seldom happens with nag mares, it is more often 
 with cart mares. The way to prevent cracked heels in 
 horses is to dry the legs well after they have been wetted, 
 and if they show tenderness in the feet a little fat out of a 
 fowl is one of the finest things which can be used. It is 
 of a healing nature, and makes the skin soft and pliable. 
 
 When a horse has a deep crack in the heel, which 
 begins to run with matter, it should have very little corn, 
 
82 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 but should be fed principally on stewed linseed, bran, and 
 hay. Stewed linseed and bran mixed with two tablespoon- 
 fuls of sulphur cools the blood, and if the fat from 
 a fowl is rubbed into the wound it soon draws the matter 
 out and heals it up at the same time. Some people put 
 alum on a cracked heel, which is very wrong, because it has 
 a tendency to dry and harden, and although it dries the 
 place for a time it makes it hard and brittle and very often 
 it will crack again directly. A little dry fullers' earth put 
 into the wound is an excellent thing, as it is of such a 
 healing nature, and dries it at the same time. If a little 
 fat from a fowl is used it makes the skin pliable. This will 
 generally cure a cracked heel in a horse, no matter how bad 
 it is, and often without the animal lying up at all. 
 
 Whenever a horse has cracked heels the legs should 
 never be washed more than is really necessary. Cracks 
 are not like ordinary sores, because there is a kind of friction, 
 and every time the foot moves it opens the wound, which at 
 once begins to bleed or discharge matter. Sometimes too 
 much corn and too little work will make the horse 
 humoury, and this is likely to cause a break out in the heel. 
 The remedies I have mentioned are simple but very 
 safe ones. A greasy heel, properly speaking, is not what 
 is called a cracked heel, though the former may arise 
 from the cracked heel. I have said the latter contains a 
 great deal of humour, and when a horse has this 
 complaint it should be kept very low and have but little 
 corn and only do light work. If the leg and heel are 
 well rubbed with the fat of fowls, and a little fullers' 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 83 
 
 earth is put in, it will draw a great deal of the humour 
 out of it, and in many instances will quite cure it. It 
 is far better to prevent this from occurring by exercising 
 a little care. 
 
 E2 
 
\ 
 
 \ 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BANDAGING AND MANAGING HORSES 
 IN THE STABLE. 
 
 Bandaging when on a journey Preparation for binding and 
 application General directions for cleaning and drying Ventilation. 
 
 Many people believe in bandaging horses in the 
 stable, while others have a great objection to it. My 
 experience teaches me that after a horse has done a hard 
 day's work there is nothing like it. This refers more 
 particularly to horses which run ; we do not think of 
 bandaging a cart horse unless it has a bad leg. When 
 a horse works hard, it shows a little puffiness in 
 the leg, which some people call wind galls. I often 
 find the sinews of the leg swell through hard pressure 
 and the jarring on the hard roads. They often become 
 extended, especially in the fore-leg, which causes the 
 horse to stand weak upon the legs. This is what is 
 commonly called " over at knee." Veterinary surgeons 
 may differ from me in this respect, but, nevertheless, I 
 believe it to be true. I find if a horse is bandaged 
 when it comes in from a hard day's work the legs do 
 not swell, but go down ; neither do they look so puffy 
 the next morning. It is the same with a man who has 
 
86 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 been working hard all day with his hands, the sinews 
 of the wrist are swollen and sore the next morning, and 
 when he goes to work again they hurt him so much 
 he has to bandage them. So it is with the horse 
 when it has been working very hard ; the next morning 
 there will often be noticed a puffiness about the 
 legs. Now if the latter were washed down and well 
 soaked with water, and at the same time some flannel 
 bandages were put on carefully, it would prove of great 
 benefit to the legs, in fact, it is only those who have 
 tried these bandages who really know the value of 
 them. 
 
 A gentleman who has a splendid hunter, which can 
 run and jump well, will take care to have it bandaged 
 directly it comes in from a journey. When I am driving 
 on a long journey I always take bandages with me, and 
 if the horse is going to stand in the stable more than 
 an hour I have them put on his legs. To test the value 
 of them a person should bandage one fore-leg of his 
 horse and one hind-leg, leaving the other two just as 
 they are. If the horse is in frequent work the difference 
 will soon be noticed, those which are not bandaged will 
 become very puffy and look altogether different from the 
 other two. I have tried the experiment myself, and if 
 any of my readers do the same I feel certain they will 
 never allow their horses to stand in the stable after they 
 have been hard at work without bandaging the legs. 
 The legs of a horse at twelve or fifteen years old are 
 as clean and as nice as a young colt four years old if 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 87 
 
 they are kept bandaged and are looked after as they 
 ought to be. 
 
 I have seen horses from five to seven years old 
 puffy in the legs and moving very stiffly when going out 
 in the morning, looking as though they were worn out. 
 After careful treatment in bandaging their legs and 
 soaking their feet in water, in twelve months' time their 
 legs have been perfectly right again. When a horse 
 shows weakness or puffiness about the legs it is well to 
 use a little embrocation and rub it well in. If the 
 attendant has none by him, a little vinegar and water 
 helps the horse very much if it is rubbed well in the 
 leg and then bandaged at once. The legs always 
 look nice and smooth if treated in this way. In the 
 Summer I believe in using plenty of water for the horses 
 legs, in fact, if they are really weak, I often use wet 
 bandages. In cold weather, if the legs are very dirty, 
 wash them down and dry them as much as possible with 
 a sponge and wash leather, then rub them down well 
 with a wisp of hay or straw and put dry bandages on at 
 once. A horse's legs become dry quicker while he is 
 warm, and they should never be washed in the Winter 
 when he comes in, either day or night, unless he is 
 bandaged at once, if so, it is liable to cause a chill, 
 which at times brings on mud fever. I do not say it 
 will always do this, but it does very often. 
 
 As the legs of a horse are very little but skin, 
 sinew and bone, and the blood circulates through the 
 legs and feet, they soon become cold if they are washed 
 
88 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 down with cold water in the winter months, and the 
 blood is carried back to the heart slightly chilled. This 
 causes " the shivers " in a horse. No matter how dirty 
 a horse is it is not always wise to wash it. It should 
 just have the dirt rubbed off with an old brush 
 or wisp of hay, then the legs soon become dry and the 
 animal is warm and comfortable. Of course it makes 
 a difference where there is a groom kept specially to 
 look after the horses, so that when they come in they can be 
 washed down and made dry and comfortable. I am 
 referring here more particularly to those who are in the 
 habit of bringing the horses in the stable on a cold 
 winter night and just washing the legs down, never 
 thinking or troubling about drying them after. Many 
 horses are ruined in this way, and those which are not 
 usually- get mud fever. I have seen horses with lumps 
 on their body the size of a small nut, which have 
 been caused simply through the animals being wet and 
 getting a sudden chill. A difficulty may crop up here in 
 some people's minds as to what should be done when 
 a horse comes into the stable on a very wet night in the 
 Autumn or Winter. In this case the animal should be 
 scraped down with what is called a scraper, which can 
 be obtained at the saddler's. Those who do not possess one 
 can make a small iron hoop off a cask answer the purpose. 
 The water should be all scraped off the horse clean, and 
 the animal well rubbed down with a wash leather. Some 
 people may not have a wash leather at hand, but some nice 
 dry pieces of straw will answer the same purpose. If the 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 89 
 
 horse has been accustomed to being clothed up, before the 
 cloth is put on, little pieces of straw should be laid 
 right along trje back, from the tail to the neck, then the 
 cloth should be put on the top of that. When this is done 
 the steam from the horse's body goes into the straw, 
 which keeps the back very warm, and naturally 
 causes the animal to dry much quicker. If the straw is 
 not put on first, but only the cloth, the steam from the 
 horse's back goes into the cloth, and while the body is 
 drying, the former is getting damp, which often gives the 
 animal cold when the rug is put on again after being taken 
 off damp. 
 
 If only a little care is taken in this respect it saves 
 a deal of trouble in the long run. Where a man thoroughly 
 understands his work it is very seldom a horse takes cold 
 while standing in the stable, as the animals are looked after 
 as they ought to be, and clothed up with straw on the back 
 in the way I have described. It is very seldom waggon and 
 cart horses are clothed up when in the stable, at the same 
 time they get wet just the same as nag horses. They 
 should be well scraped down, and rubbed with some straw, 
 and, as a rule, they very soon dry as they stand. Many 
 heavy horses catch cold through coming into the stable cold 
 and wet, and never being attended to properly. It must 
 be remembered a horse which has a long coat, and is not 
 scraped down, holds a great deal more water than one 
 which is kept clipped short. The horsekeeper should 
 always bear this in mind, and see that the water is well 
 scraped off the horse. If the animal's ears are cold they 
 
90 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 should never be left in that state, because it is an indica- 
 tion the horse is cold all over. They should be rubbed 
 through the hand until they become quite dry. If they 
 are warmed in this way it usually circulates the warm 
 blood right through the body. There is nothing a horse 
 enjoys more than having its ears rubbed when it gets 
 accustomed to it. When the owner, or attendant, goes 
 into the stable to see whether the animal is comfortable 
 or not, he should first go and feel its ears. If they are 
 cold and wet it is a sign the horse is not left comfortable. 
 No matter how hungry the animal is, if the attendant 
 commences to rub its ears through his hand, so as to 
 bring circulation into them, the horse will hold its head 
 right down to the ground in order that the ears can be 
 reached nicely. The horns of a cow should be felt to 
 see whether the animal is cold or not, and the ears of 
 a horse. 
 
 I mention rubbing heavy horses, because they are as 
 capable of taking cold as nag horses, though not quite 
 so readily. Some people may argue that when horses 
 are lying out in the field they are never rubbed down 
 after it has been raining, yet there is not one in a hundred 
 takes cold, even if they are lying out in the winter months' 
 and are not brought in at all. That is quite true. It is 
 natural for a horse to lie out of doors. But suppose a 
 horse was working and was then turned out in the field, it 
 would have quite a different effect on the animal if it were 
 to rain hard, that is if it were not attended to. When 
 horses are doing no work, and are lying out in the wet, 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 9! 
 
 no matter whether it is in the Winter or Summer, they very 
 rarely take cold. This is accounted for by the fact that 
 the blood keeps about one heat. But when horses 
 are working their blood gets much hotter, and if they are 
 not taken care of when they come in wet, their blood gets 
 chilled. I do not believe in pampering a horse up, shutting 
 him up in a warm stable and giving him no ventilation. 
 Horses want plenty of air, and if a little care is bestowed 
 upon them they will well repay the owner for the trouble. 
 
 All stables should be well ventilated if made and 
 kept warm, to allow the hot air and fumes from the urine 
 to escape. I cannot say just how the ventilators should 
 be arranged, because designs and situations differ. The 
 ventilator should always be put in at the highest point 
 possible, so that no draught is allowed to come on the 
 horses. More horses catch cold owing to the badly 
 ventilated stables they are kept in than from any other 
 cause. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 COLDS, DISEASES, AND SHOEING. 
 
 Colds Care in Shoeing Watch the Farrier Shape of ordinary 
 Shoe Patent Shoes. 
 
 HORSES, like other animals, are not exempt from 
 diseases and accidents, but it is not my intention to 
 treat upon the various complaints they are subject to 
 because when a horse is really ill it is far better to call in 
 a veterinary surgeon at once. I do not give advice I 
 would not take myself. If my own horses are ill, although 
 I understand a little about diseases, I make it a rule, 
 because I think it wise, to call in a veterinary surgeon at 
 once, as delay is often dangerous. Of course, I do not 
 mean to say when a horse takes a little cold it is necessary 
 to send for a veterinary. If it only happens to be a cold I 
 never use anything but stewed linseed, worked up in a bran 
 mash, and let the animal have it as hot as it can take it. 
 If the horse has a sore throat the steam from the mash 
 does it a great deal of good, and at the same time the 
 throat should be well rubbed with a little strong oils 
 between the two jaw bones and round the gullet. A 
 person who does not understand horses should always 
 use simple remedies, if they do not get proper advice 
 
94 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 at once. For instance a horse sometimes ricks itself in 
 getting up in the stable or sprains its leg or foot while at 
 work. When this occurs, do not work the animals, but 
 give them a little exercise each day. Let them have but 
 very little corn, as their blood wants keeping cool when 
 they meet with an accident in the way I have described. 
 Sometimes a horse will get mud fever. This usually 
 comes on through a sudden chilling of the blood, and 
 little spots rise up in the skin. If the horse is not kept 
 cool for a week or two, these little spots or lumps usually 
 break out into sores. There is no danger with these, only 
 the animal should have but very little corn and no beans, 
 peas or maize : at such times as these it should have 
 nothing but bran and oats. Corn, beans, peas, and 
 maize are all more or less heating to the body. If a 
 horse has poll evil, fistula, or any complaint of that 
 kind, it is far better to call in a veterinary surgeon at 
 once. Some horses are very subject to sore shoulders, 
 and it is well for the attendant to always notice the 
 shoulders when a horse is working hard. It is possible 
 for one to be working all its life and never have a sore 
 shoulder, at the same time many horses are subject to 
 this, especially when wearing a new collar, or when the 
 animal has not been working for a week or two. For 
 instance, in bad weather, if a horse has not been doing 
 anything for say two or three weeks, when it is put in 
 harness it is rather fresh, and the shoulders are a little 
 tender, sometimes they become very sore ; should this 
 escape the eye of the attendant, the next time the 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 95 
 
 animal is worked the skin comes off and leaves a raw 
 place. When a horse has been standing in the stable 
 for a fortnight or three weeks, no matter what sort of 
 animal it is, the safest way is to rub its shoulders with 
 salt water, which hardens the skin very much. Where 
 the hair and skin have come off nothing will do it more 
 good than washing the place with a little water and 
 fullers' earth. Wipe the wound dry before putting this 
 on. A small piece of goose grease put on the place is a 
 very good remedy, then if a little fullers' earth is 
 sprinkled over the top of that, it causes the skin to 
 harden almost at once. This treatment is good for the 
 cure of almost any sores which may come on horses. 
 
 Many of the animals are lamed through careless 
 shoeing. Farriers often get so accustomed to nailing on 
 the shoes that they occasionally prick the animals. 
 Particular care should be bestowed in shoeing horses 
 which run, even more than on farmers' horses and those 
 which draw heavy loads and only walk. When a horse 
 is being shod it is well not to have too much of the sole 
 of the foot cut away. Some blacksmiths pare it off 
 almost close, but this is wrong. Owners of horses should 
 always take particular care of their animals in this respect, 
 and see that the farrier or blacksmith does not pare its 
 foot down too close. I have seen them cut down so that 
 the blood veins could be seen, and in some instances the 
 feet have bled. Now this is very wrong, because the shoe 
 only covers part of the foot, and although it keeps the 
 latter from the ordinary road or ground, when the 
 
96 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 animal comes to any rough or sharp stones it will often 
 become lame through stepping upon one, as well 
 as getting fever in the feet from a bruise by so doing, 
 and in some cases where the feet are tender they 
 go down. As regards what sort of shoe should be 
 used for certain horses that is difficult to tell, as most 
 people should know what work they are going to put the 
 animal to, and be able to judge what kind of shoe is 
 required according to the amount of work to be done. 
 For instance, a horse which runs a good deal should 
 not have the shoes too short in the front, if so, it causes 
 weakness in the fore leg. 
 
 With a horse which goes hunting, it is a different 
 matter : the fore shoes must be rather short, if not the 
 animal pulls them off with its hind feet when it goes to 
 jump, but most gentlemen who use horses for this purpose 
 are well aware of this fact, and have their animals seen 
 to properly in this respect. I might mention, when it is 
 sharp frosty weather it is a wise plan to have the horses 
 shoes made so that screws can be put in by the owners 
 themselves, as it saves a great deal of the animal's time. 
 Sometimes when it is very slippery I have known horses 
 have to wait at the farrier's from two to six hours : this is 
 a great waste of time. Then again, it is very convenient 
 to be able to put the screws in oneself, as they are no 
 trouble at all ; they can be put in with a little screw 
 hammer or pair of pincers, and taken out when the 
 horse comes home. No matter whether they are cart or 
 nag horses they can be served just the same This 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 97 
 
 treatment is much safer than the ordinary roughing, 
 whether it consists of frost nails or the shoes turned up. 
 If the latter, they are more dangerous than the frost nails, 
 as when in the stable the animal will often cut itself 
 by putting one foot on the other. Horses will often 
 lame themselves in this way. It is much safer and 
 cheaper in the long run to have the shoes made so that 
 the owner can put the screws in himself. Some people 
 may say, " Suppose the frost does not last long ? " Well, 
 that is so much the better. It is not very expensive 
 to have the shoes made so that the little screws can be 
 put in. If there come two or three frosty mornings it pays, 
 but when it comes a long frosty winter these shoes are a 
 great boon. When a horse keeps having his shoes taken 
 off, to be turned up or roughed, it soon weakens the 
 foot and breaks the hoof about a great deal. In fact 
 a horse with a tender foot often gets lamed and for the 
 time being is unfitted for work in consequence. Any 
 farrier can get these screws, they can be had in all sizes, 
 both for nag and cart horses. The shoes can be made 
 so that the screws will fit in properly, and there is no 
 difficulty with them whatever. In the long run it is much 
 safer and more economical to use them. 
 
 Some people prefer shoes turned up at the heel, 
 saying it gives the horse extra power going up and down 
 hill. This may be alright for draught horses that do 
 no trotting, but these high heels jar the feet very much 
 when they trot. 
 
98 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Many kinds of patent shoes have been brought out 
 during the last fifteen years some very good ones. One 
 lately introduced by Mr. F. J. L. Clark, consisting of 
 a steel shoe with pieces of india rubber let in the centre 
 of the rim which covers the sole, which he calls the non- 
 slipping horse-shoe, and I think ic will be a great boon 
 to horses : as in addition to its preventing them slipping 
 it will save a great deal of the jarring which is caused by 
 running over hard roads. I intend giving these a trial, 
 and my experience of them shall be given later on 
 in " Farm, Field and Fireside," after this book is 
 published. 
 

 CHAPTER X. 
 BREEDING. 
 
 The Increase in number of horse-breeders Why farmers should 
 breed horses -Mares rejected for work, but valuable for breeding 
 Treatment of breeding mares Selection and pairing Horse- 
 dealers and their tricks. 
 
 NGLISH farmers breed more horses now than 
 they used to years ago. When railways were firsi 
 made people said that horses would become so cheap that 
 it would not pay to breed them as there would be so few 
 required. Those who prophesied this, however, made a 
 great mistake : I am told there is more than double the 
 number of horses in England as compared with the time 
 when the first railway was made. I cannot, of course, 
 vouch for the truth of this statement, as I do not remember 
 how things were going on at that time, but I know there 
 has been a large increase in the number of horses in this 
 country during the last thirty years. Many of them come 
 from Ireland and Russia. 
 
 I believe in some parts of the country there are three 
 colts bred at the present time to every one that was reared 
 years ago. At that time many farmers would not think of 
 breeding, no matter what mares they had by them, but it: 
 
 F2 
 
100 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 is not so now. Those farmers who have a good team of 
 horses can make more money out of them than any other 
 class of people, because they begin to use their young 
 horses at an early age, so that they more than earn their 
 own living. It is a different matter with those who have 
 only a limited space of ground at their command and 
 have no use for young horses. Then again, no animal 
 has been more improved upon during the last ten years 
 than the horse. I put this down to a great extent to 
 the various horse shows which have been held in different 
 parts of the country for the last few years ; and in 
 another ten years time we shall have better bred horses 
 than we have at present. 
 
 There is a great deal of land lying waste in England, 
 even now, which might easily be used for breeding horses, 
 in fact, a good deal of it has been used for this purpose. 
 Many farmers and gentlemen who understand this kind of 
 business thoroughly go to the auction sales in London and 
 buy splendid mares very cheap, that is mares which have 
 been worked on the stones very much, or have met with a 
 slight accident. Such animals as these can be bought up 
 at very low prices ; I have known them to be got at from 
 5 to ,25 each really good mares, which have bred 
 from four to nine colts after they were what the London 
 people call worn out mares. When they are put to work 
 in London while young they usually go wrong in the legs 
 or feet. 
 
 Such mares as I have described often come in very 
 useful to the farmers, as they usually work them a bit on 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. IOI 
 
 land, and they do splendidly for breeding from at the same 
 time. I might, however, mention one thing : after a mare 
 has been fed on a great deal of corn, and has been worked 
 hard, she will often not breed the first year unless she is 
 turned out to grass, and has an entire rest ; but when she is 
 kept quiet there is little difficulty in this respect. One 
 advantage of horse-breeding is the mares can be worked 
 very well up to the last three weeks or a month before 
 foaling if carefully used, and no heavy loads are put 
 behind them. Care should also be taken not to back them 
 when in a cart, as it sometimes causes them to slip their 
 foals. 
 
 If a breeder has a lot of rough land the mares can go 
 out all the winter to eat up the grass ; no matter whether 
 they are thorough-bred mares or not they will stand it 
 equally as well as the half-bred and cart mares. It is best 
 to turn them out in the day-time, and bring them in a 
 straw yard so that they have got an open shed to go under 
 if they choose. Many breeders let them lie out altogether 
 and never bring them in at all unless the ground is covered 
 with snow. I think that is a little unreasonable, though, at 
 the same time, they often seem to do well if they have a 
 little bit of rough hay. I like to feel the horses are 
 made comfortable, and it is anything but pleasant when a 
 horse has to be out all night in an open field with the 
 wind blowing and the rain pouring down fast. If they are 
 treated in the way I have described not one in twenty 
 will have a cold all through the Winter. 
 
10? THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 As regards what horses should be used to put with the 
 mare, of course, that must be left to those who intend 
 breeding. No matter what kind of mare a person may be 
 going to breed from it is always best to obtain the best 
 horse which can possibly be had. People who really 
 understand this business well do not always go in for a 
 certain horse because it has a good name, but they look 
 out for one to match the mare as much as possible. I will 
 endeavour to make myself more plain in this respect. 
 Suppose a person has a breeding mare with a good body 
 and legs, but low in the withers, he should look out for a 
 horse very high in the withers. If it is a nag mare with a 
 short, chubby neck, select a sire with a long neck. Always 
 endeavour to obtain a horse which is fully developed in 
 the points lacking in the mare. It is only by careful 
 selection in this way that good animals are produced, and 
 when a person takes care in choosing a horse the owner 
 will often realise from ^5 to 20 more for the colt when 
 ii is sold, or, at any rate, it will be that much more 
 valuable. 
 
 I will mention one or two instances which have come 
 under my notice. I have known nag mares rather short 
 in bone and with a very heavy shoulder put with a sire 
 heavy in the neck and shoulder also, which has resulted 
 in the colts being far heavier than the mother, simply 
 through using a horse which was fully developed in the 
 same way as the mare. If a horse which has to work 
 hard is too heavy in the shoulder and neck, no matter 
 whether it is a hunter or a nag horse, it is almost sure to 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 103 
 
 go over at knee. I have seen small cart mares fairly 
 free from hair upon the legs trot like a pony, and when 
 such animals as these are put with thorough-bred horses it is 
 wonderful what colts they throw. Some of the best nags 
 and hackneys are bred from a light cart mare and a 
 thorough-bred horse. The only difficulty is they are 
 sometimes a little wide in the jaw bone. Occasionally too, 
 they are rather wide across the hips and hind quarters, 
 showing a little too much of the mother, but this is not 
 always the case. If they are bred from again with a good 
 hackney they will throw some splendid stock. 
 
 I find many small farmers who have only two or three 
 horses make a great mistake. If they want to breed from a 
 mare, and they can get a horse lent them to put with her 
 for about 3o/- or 2 they will at once say that is the 
 horse for their mare. But if they are asked $ 55. for 
 a good animal they say it is too much. This is a great 
 mistake. In nine cases out of ten, when bred from 
 thorough-bred horses, if the colts were sold at six years 
 old they would make from ^10 to 20 more than when 
 an ordinary horse is used. At the same time it would 
 not cost i/- more to keep them. I am pleased to say 
 farmers appear to be waking up to this fact more than 
 they did a few years ago, and do not seem to mind paying 
 a little more money as long as they can get a horse to suit 
 their mare. 
 
 Now it sometimes happens that a gentleman gets 
 hold of an extraordinarily good mare, which has plenty of 
 pluck and durability, and the owner feels no money would 
 
104 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 purchase such an animal from him. In such a case as 
 this I maintain it is foolishness on the part of the owner 
 not to breed from such an animal. Even if he is living 
 in a town the mare can be used up to the last six weeks 
 or two months before she foals ; then if there is no 
 accommodation at home, arrangements can easily be made 
 with some farmer to foal the mare down and rear the colt. 
 Most farmers are glad to rear a young colt for from 
 ^7 to ^10 a year, according to the part of the country 
 they may be living in. Some will do it for less than 
 that. I have known colts to be reared in this way 
 which have cost the owner from ^35 to ^45 up to 
 when they have been from four and a half to five 
 years of age, and the colts were worth from ^70 to 
 .100. Of course, I do not say they always turn out as 
 well as this, there is always a certain amount of speculation 
 in rearing young colts especially nag colts. No one 
 knows how they are going to turn out, they may show 
 splints, side bones, or meet with an accident. A person 
 must look on the bright side of things. If everyone 
 were to say they did not like to breed, in case the colt 
 should turn out badly, horses would soon become very 
 scarce. 
 
 The question may arise here in the minds of some 
 people " At what age can a mare be bred from ? " 
 Plenty of mares are put to the horse for the first time 
 when they are from thirteen to fifteen years old, but at any 
 age from three to fifteen will do. When I was a boy I 
 remember a thorough-bred mare being put to a sire when 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 105 
 
 she was twenty-nine years of age, which had never had a 
 foal, and she threw a splendid colt in her 3oth year. This 
 statement is perfectly true, for I knew the animal well and 
 rode on her back, and the colt's as well. The owner had 
 possessed the mare from when she was two years of age so 
 there was no mistake made in her age. The same year 
 a mare twenty-five years of age threw a colt on the same 
 farm, but it was not her first, it was the fifteenth she had 
 had. 
 
 It is perfectly safe to begin breeding from a mare 
 when she is from twelve to fifteen years of age that is 
 to say, after the owner has had a good amount of work 
 out of her. I merely mention the fact of the old mares 
 breeding to show it is possible to get colts from them 
 even at the ages I have mentioned. I would strongly 
 recommend a gentleman who has got hold of a good 
 mare or two, noted for pluck and endurance, when he 
 has finished with them for carriage work, to breed from 
 them. If the owner would only do this he might get 
 some good horses. There is usually a difficulty in buying 
 them from horse dealers, as I suppose there is no class 
 of men who have such a bad reputation. I do 
 not mean to say there are no honest horse dealers, 
 because I know there are a few, but there are also many 
 dishonest ones. An inexperienced person can seldom 
 get taken in with anything more than in buying a horse, 
 as a man who understands his business well can get up a 
 horse so well for a time when it is for sale. This is one 
 reason why I decided to write a chapter on breeding. 
 
106 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 If those who want to buy horses would be wise they 
 would never get them from horse dealers unless they 
 have them for a time on trial. I know it is rather hard 
 on those who deal in horses to advise this, but I have 
 seen so many poor fellows, quite ignorant as to what a 
 good animal should be, buy one for their own use, with 
 money perhaps they have been saving up for years, and 
 when they get the horse home it is fit for nothing 
 but cats' meat. I have come across many such cases 
 as this, but will only just mention one which occurred 
 as I am writing this chapter. A poor man who had 
 been saving up for years trusted a fellow who knew a 
 good deal about horses to buy him one which would do 
 him good service, and a very short time after he was 
 ordered to have the poor thing killed. The animal had 
 never earned him a sovereign, and, though at the time 
 the horse was bought it was nice enough to look at, yet 
 the poor man did not have it more than four months, 
 and it never worked more than about twice altogether. 
 The money with which this man bought his horse took 
 him eight years to save. This is what I call hard lines, 
 and just shows us how people can be taken in with 
 horses. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 REARING YOUNG COLTS. 
 
 Treatment of Mares when suckling colts The Colts and their 
 treatment. 
 
 ' I ^HERE are various opinions expressed with regard to 
 '** rearing young colts Some people will put a mare in 
 constant work about a fortnight or three weeks after she has 
 foaled, and of course she is nursing the foal at the 
 same time. Now it does not injure or keep back the colt 
 much if the mare only works steadily. For instance, if 
 she is a cart mare it will do her no harm to let her do a 
 few odd jobs on the farm. In such a case as this I do not 
 think it makes the slighest difference to the colt in any 
 way. Some farmers however, when they have a young colt, 
 let the mare go to plough and work hard, this is both bad 
 for the mare and very injurious to the colt ; as a rule the 
 young ones do not get along nearly so well. 
 
 Then again, people who have never been accustomed 
 to bring up a colt work the mare. It may perhaps be a 
 hackney or nag mare, and when she comes home she 
 naturally wants to get to the foal, and the latter is in just 
 the same mind. Now the foal should never be allowed to 
 suck when the mare is hot, not until she has cooled down. 
 
108 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Sometimes a good drop of her milk is wasted as it often 
 runs to the ground. If it is really necessary to use her more 
 after the foal is three or four months old I do not think it 
 does much harm, but it is much better if the mare can be 
 turned out to grass altogether, she naturally gives more 
 milk than she does when she is working. It is just the 
 same with young colts as it is with other young animals, 
 the better they are nursed in the first instance the finer 
 animals they turn out in the end, as there is a good founda- 
 tion laid. 
 
 Foals usually get on better while they are with their 
 mother than after they are weaned. I am often asked the 
 question, " how long ought foals to be nursed by the mare ? " 
 or in other words, " at what age should they be weaned ? " 
 My answer is, " as long as the mare gives milk," which is 
 usually from six to seven months, that is the time breeders 
 usually allow the foals to suck. ,If they are allowed to 
 remain with the mother six months they will take no hurt 
 whatever. After the colt is taken from the mare many 
 people turn it out in a grass field, or let it lie in a 
 straw yard, and give it a little rough or mouldy hay 
 to eat. In this case the colt makes a great deal of 
 stomach, the hair grows very long on the body, and 
 the animal becomes poor. How can anyone expect 
 a young growing colt to get on well if it is fed on 
 nothing but rough hay and a little grass all the Winter. If 
 a person takes two colts of equal value from the mares in 
 the Autumn, and feeds one in the way I have mentioned, 
 and the other with a little corn, chaff, good hay, turnips 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 109 
 
 mangolds, carrots, or anything of that kind cut up and 
 mixed with its food, the latter animal will grow very fast all 
 through the Winter, and if both colts were sold the following 
 Spring, the one which had been fed well and looked after 
 properly would be worth from ^5 to ^7 more than the 
 other. 
 
 It is very bad policy to attempt to rear young colts on 
 poor inferior food during the winter months. I have seen 
 it done in many instances, but always find the better food 
 they are fed upon through the Winter the more satisfaction 
 they give their owner in the end. Of course young colts 
 pick up during the Summer and get quite fat when they 
 have plenty of grass, and sometimes they may not have 
 gone down much in condition if they are fed on rough food 
 the second year, but if the same experiment were tried again 
 the second Winter, even then, the colt which had been well 
 fed would be worth much more than the one which had been 
 brought up on rough diet. The former will pay the owner 
 far more in comparison than the amount the extra food has 
 cost, especially if it is an entire colt. This is not the only 
 benefit however which is derived from feeding the young 
 animals on good food, they grow so much better in shape, 
 and have more life and vigour in them when they are well 
 seen to. 
 
 Some young colts lie out the whole of the Winter and 
 have nothing but a little dry grass which they pick up in 
 the field, unless the snow covers the ground. This is what 
 I call dragging out an existence. I have no objection to 
 them lying out altogether the second year if it is a mild 
 
IIO THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 Winter, but they should not do so the first year, they should 
 be housed in a nice open shed. I do not believe in 
 keeping young colts shut up in a warm place, because 
 there is nothing like letting them have plenty of fresh air 
 and keeping them in a nice even temperature. Young 
 colts will do better if they are let run out, but they ought 
 to have a little corn and good hay. Many breeders give 
 them crushed oats and corn as soon as they can eat, right 
 up to the time they are sold, or put to work, and the young 
 horses pay for it afterwards, especially when they are well- 
 bred animals. Some of my readers may say, " It does not 
 pay to rear colts, as you can buy what you want," not 
 always, it is sometimes rather difficult to do this. When 
 you breed them yourself you can rear them to suit the 
 purpose you require them for. But, says someone, 
 " Occasionally they throw a splint, or are not perfect in 
 some way, then it is a loss." Yes, that is quite right, there 
 is always a little risk in breeding horses, just the same as 
 there is in everything else. We must not expect every colt 
 to be perfect. Even when you buy a horse which you 
 think will suit you in every way, the animal does not 
 always turn out equal to your expectations. There is a 
 certain amount of risk whether you breed or buy a horse 
 
 During the winter months there is nothing like a little 
 crushed linseed and oats for young colts. I do not say the 
 quantity which should be given, because some people 
 cannot afford to give much corn, another thing the colts do 
 not require a great deal, it is a little they want. They are 
 also very fond of bran, and will clear their chaff up nicely 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. Ill 
 
 if a little is given them. Those who have valuable colts 
 should keep them in a large shed or box all through the 
 Winter and feed them well. When a breeder is saving a 
 colt for an entire, before the mare has ceased to give milk, 
 he commences giving the young entire cows' milk to drink, 
 when it is warm, straight from the cow ; this of course 
 keeps the animal growing fast all through the Winter. 
 
 People often wonder how it is that the colts are got to 
 such a size for their age as many of them are at the shows. 
 Giving them cows' milk is the secret. Of course a little 
 tonic, in the way of horse powder, put in their food 
 is a good thing, as it gives them a keen appetite and 
 they relish their food, though they do not always 
 require this treatment. If they have the tonic too 
 often it does not have the desired effect. My theory 
 is, if young horses will not pay for being well cared 
 for and fed properly, they will not pay for being reared 
 badly. My advice is, keep them as well as your means will 
 allow. I know there are poor farmers and others who 
 cannot afford to keep their colts well, but I say if you 
 can manage it, do so, as they will pay a good percentage in 
 the end on the money laid out on them. As I am a 
 horse-breeder I speak from experience. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 BREAKING IN. 
 
 How Colts are spoiled conquer the horse or the horse will 
 conquer you Training to harness and in the Stable Treatment 
 of Jibbing Horses. 
 
 ' I ^HERE are very few people who will go to the trouble 
 -*- of breaking in horses. Many of my readers, however, 
 may during their lives have occasion to buy a horse 
 which has not been broken in. Others again may go 
 in for breeding a few young colts, so I thought a 
 chapter on this subject would not be out of place. I 
 have often said I would never breed horses, as I 
 could buy them cheaper ; but when one gets hold of 
 an extra good mare they are tempted to breed from 
 her, and this is how it was with me. This is really 
 one of the most important periods in a horse's life. 
 Thousands of splendid animals are spoiled through not 
 being broken in properly. Many people may say * Properly ! 
 Yes, there comes the difficulty : what is being broken in 
 properly? " Different horse breakers have various methods 
 of breaking in, and quite right too. One cannot 
 go by certain rules in horse breaking, and put each 
 colt under the same training. Horses vary so much 
 
 in their temperaments, especially those which have 
 G 
 
114 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 not been broken in. Some have very bad tempers 
 when they are first handled, and others with a little 
 coaxing can be made to do almost anything. When 
 harsh measures are used the tempers of many colts 
 are completely spoiled. On the other hand many horse 
 breakers allow them to have their own way entirely, and 
 when this is the case their tempers are never conquered. 
 
 I have known horses which have been broken in for 
 two or three years, and to all appearance no one could 
 do anything with them, they would only go where and 
 when they liked, and stop when and where they liked. 
 As I was brought up to horse breaking in my younger 
 days I was able to judge the different dispositions of the 
 animals, and have taken horses in hand, even these last 
 few years, which the owners could do nothing with. These 
 I have tamed down so that they would go splendidly. In 
 other cases, I have seen horses that would not go, as well 
 as those which required harsh treatment. No matter how 
 bad tempered a horse is, it can usually be conquered if the 
 person who has the management of it has the pluck to 
 do it. I remember seeing a horse only lately which was 
 bought in London at a very high figure. It was a very 
 handsome animal and the gentleman's groom could do 
 nothing with it. It had not been cleaned down for weeks, 
 as both master and groom were too timid to do this. 
 The horse would kick and bite as well, so they were both 
 completely frightened of it. Another groom I knew went 
 to see this horse, and when he went up to the 
 animal the owner said he would be dashed to pieces. 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 115 
 
 He was a middle aged man, and when the horse came 
 for him he hit him between the ears with a whip 
 stock and knocked him down. When he was down 
 he punished him severely. I believe it was the very 
 next day the same man clipped him, and he stood 
 as still as possible. After clipping him he attempted to 
 ride him, but as soon as he got on his back he began 
 to play his pranks. Then the man fetched him to the 
 ground again and gave him another severe flogging, 
 showing the horse plainly he was his master. The groom 
 who conquered him bought him for a trifle for his master, 
 and now both in riding and driving he can be done 
 anything with. He is as quiet as a lamb, both in the 
 stable and out. I mention this circumstance because it 
 came so recently under my notice. 
 
 A horse is a very intelligent animal, and knows 
 directly whether a person is frightened of it or not. 
 Some require as much keeping in their place as an 
 elephant. In breaking a horse it does not do to show 
 the least fear. If the horse keeper once shows signs 
 of nervousness the animal will very soon get the upper 
 hand of him. I have seen many animals conquered in 
 a similar way to the one I have referred to, and it is a most 
 remarkable thing in almost every case where a horse shows 
 such a fiery spirit, it turns out to be a splendid animal and 
 a good trotter. It very often happens when such an animal 
 as I have mentioned is broken in, it falls into the hands of 
 people who soon become afraid of it. When this is the 
 case the horse soon gets the upper hand of the attendant. 
 
 G2 
 
n6 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT 
 
 It is quite right for a man to be kind to a horse, but at 
 the same time he should be very firm. When a horse 
 throws its ears back and lifts its foot up in the stable to 
 kick, it should be spoken to very sharply and given a cut 
 with the whip. Instead of doing this the attendant often 
 runs out of the way, and the next time the horse lifts its 
 foot up he will probably kick if not corrected. It is always 
 better to use light measures than harsh, in breaking a horse 
 in. The horse breaker should always carefully notice the 
 disposition of the animal before using harsh means. For 
 instance, the first time a young horse has its bridle on it is 
 frightened, and some harsh trainers think it requires a lash 
 round with the whip at once. This is a great mistake. 
 When such strong measures are taken it often spoils the 
 animal's temper. When the bridle is put on for the first 
 time it is well to let an old horse go before the young one 
 a few times, and the bridle of the latter should not have 
 blinkers on, so that the animal may see what is going on. 
 First the two should be walked across a grass field, then 
 trotted, then run round a very big ring with the old horse 
 in front. Just lay the whip across them if they are idle 
 and will not run, but do not under any circumstances hit 
 them hard at first, if so the younger horse becomes 
 stubborn and will not move. Take them out next day 
 and give them a good run again. 
 
 It is well when a young horse is being broken 
 in, to stroke it and give it a little corn. After the bridle 
 is put on the attendant should again speak kindly to the 
 colt and give it a handful of corn at the same time. If this 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT . 1 17 
 
 is done the animal soon begins to look upon you as its 
 friend, instead of its enemy. This should be done every 
 day while the colt is being broken in. The unfortunate 
 part of the business is, people expect too much from young 
 horses all at once. We call it breaking colts in, but I 
 think it should be called educating them to do their duty. 
 A young horse wants teaching one thing at a time. First, 
 it should learn to walk nicely, and then to trot. After it 
 can trot properly, a collar should be put on with hames 
 in, so that the traces dangle down a little way and 
 keep touching him, at the same time he should be 
 spoken to kindly. The next thing to do is to tie some 
 ropes on the traces, and some one should run behind, 
 about six or seven yards away, to hold the ends. By doing 
 this the traces touch the sides of the horse, and when it 
 goes round the ring the traces should be pulled well on 
 one side, so that they will rub against the horse. The next 
 thing is to put a saddle on him, and a crupper to hang 
 down. If the horse is quiet with that he can be cruppered, 
 that is to say, the tail may be put through the crupper. 
 The fore foot should be held up, so that he cannot kick, 
 while a second man cruppers him. If the pupil runs well 
 in harness, it can then be put in the cart, but of course 
 great care should be taken. Before he is put in the 
 cart he should have a bridle with blinkers on, otherwise 
 when the wheels begin to go round it often startles the 
 horse. When this is done, while the colt is standing 
 quite still, the cart should be gently drawn up to him, 
 and at the same time give him a little corn, and speak 
 kindly to him, diverting his attention as much as possible. 
 
1 1 8. THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 When he is made secure do not attempt to get in the 
 cart at once, only just lead him. I need hardly say that 
 the tackle used for fastening him to the cart should be 
 strong, in case he tries to get away. In this way he 
 should be made to walk, or trot gently, round a grass 
 field, because there is not so much noise from the wheels 
 of the cart. 
 
 If the colt is intended principally for saddle work, 
 after it has had a little exercise the saddle should be put 
 on and the girth buckled very gently, not too tight, but 
 just so that the saddle will not turn round. It is as well 
 when a horse is broken in to break it in for harness 
 as well as saddle work, then the animal is much more 
 valuable if required for sale. Plenty of people like a good 
 saddle horse, but cannot afford to keep two. If they are 
 broken to harness when young they usually take to it 
 years afterwards, when they are put to it, quietly. In all 
 cases if a young horse is being taken out of the cart great 
 care should be bestowed upon having every strap loose, 
 so that there is nothing hanging to the cart, if so, the 
 animal will most probably be spoiled. Carelessness on this 
 point will get the colt in the way of rushing out of the 
 trap before being properly released. In this case they are 
 almost sure to break some part of the harness, and it will 
 be a long time before they can be trusted again. When 
 the colt will go along quietly by leading, the trainer should 
 get into the cart, or trap, take the reins and teach the 
 young horse how to be guided, by slightly pulling them. 
 As a rule it takes from a month to six weeks to break 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 119 
 
 a colt in properly, and the training should be carried out 
 every day. 
 
 While these lessons are going on outside, the pupil 
 should have a certain drill to go through inside the stable, 
 until he has learned to go out properly, and move on one 
 side when the attendant goes to feed and clean him out, 
 at the same time he should be taught to stand with his 
 fore feet well out from his hind ones. This can be done 
 by gently tapping the heels of the fore feet. It is well 
 to do this also while they are in harness, from the very 
 first, as a horse looks so much better when he is taught to 
 stand out properly. If the owner is fond of his horse 
 he can train it to do almost anything while young. With 
 pains and perseverance I have seen a horse trained so 
 that it would put its fore feet out so far from his hind ones 
 that its stomach almost touched the ground. The owner 
 could just put his leg over the horse's back without any 
 trouble. It would be a fine thing if horses were trained 
 in this way for ladies and old gentlemen to mount. When 
 training a horse to put his feet out well, it is a good thing 
 to walk them round a straw yard, with plenty of loose 
 straw about, then each time the young horse steps he is 
 obliged to lift his feet up high, which gives him a graceful 
 appearance. 
 
 There would not be half the trouble in breaking 
 young colts in, if the owner would go the trouble of 
 putting a halter on them as soon as they were 
 foaled, and leading them about till they were perfectly 
 tame and docile. All the colts I have had to do with 
 
120 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 I have always brought up so that I could lead them 
 anywhere in a hemp halter before they were broken in, 
 and in not one single instance have I had any difficuly 
 in training them. It is only a matter of teaching them 
 to do their duty. I have gone to colts at two years old 
 when they were out in the field, jumped on their back 
 and galloped them about without any difficulty, and I have 
 seen them put in a cart the first day they were handled. 
 If young horses were brought up in this way from the very 
 first, I do not think we should have many kickers, or 
 horses which jib. Now, although I speak of kindness 
 I wish to make myself plain in this respect. Occasionally 
 it is necessary to be very strict with a young horse. 
 When it shows a bad temper it does not want playing 
 with, but correcting at once. This can only be 
 done by those who have a good nerve ; a timid person 
 should never attempt to break in a horse. In fact such 
 people should have very little to do with them after they 
 are broken in. If so they will very likely undo the good 
 which has been done. 
 
 After a young nag horse has been broken in, there is 
 often a difficulty in getting it to stand still, but such is not 
 the case with young cart horses. As a rule they soon 
 become calmed down as they are working with the old 
 ones. Very often young horses which run in a trap will 
 not stand while the owner gets up. They want training 
 in this matter, as many of them which are sent to 
 gentlemen on approval are returned because they will 
 not stand long enough to allow anyone to get into the 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 121 
 
 trap, or carriage. Then again, a spirited horse will scrape 
 with its fore feet, and often rear, frightening the owner, 
 who thinks it is going to throw him out. This kind of 
 thing can easily be cured by putting a nose bag on the 
 horse, with a little chaff and corn in it, and letting him 
 stand for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, just 
 long enough to eat half the feed of corn. If this is done 
 from four to seven times, the horse gets to expect it, and 
 usually there is no more trouble in this respect afterwards. 
 It is a simple remedy, but I have never known it fail. I 
 have trained horses in this way and have left them standing 
 for two hours, covered up with a rug, of course. I do 
 not say a young horse would do this, but an old one, which 
 has been well trained, will stand for hours A little corn 
 and a few kind words go a long way with horses, they 
 appear to look for it. 
 
 I have not treated upon breaking horses in to run 
 with a pair. This should never be attempted, unless the 
 colt is fairly well broken in first, then he should be put 
 side by side with a very steady old horse. I do 
 not say one which will not trot, but one which can be 
 trusted. When the colt has had a few runs with a well 
 trained old horse, it can soon be trusted. I am often 
 asked at what age a horse should be broken in. That 
 depends on what it is required for. I have always found 
 it best to break a young nag horse in at two or three 
 years old, the latter age is usually the best. After they 
 are well trained to harness, or saddle, they should be 
 turned out another year and do no work, or, at any rate 
 
122 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 very little. If they are allowed to run on a hard road they 
 are almost sure to throw splints, or side bones. Even after 
 they are four years old they should be worked very steadily 
 indeed. In fact if they are really valuable horses they 
 should be lightly worked for about a month, or six weeks, 
 then turned out for another year, till they are five years 
 old. Even then they should not be allowed to do much 
 running on the hard road till they are about six years old. 
 
 No doubt many of my readers will think this is a very 
 ridiculous statement to make, but if a horse only does 
 a little work before he reaches the age of six, he will be 
 sounder on the legs when he is fifteen than many are 
 at seven when they are worked at so early an age. I know 
 it seems a waste of time for a horse to do so little work by 
 the time he is five years old, but if a person wants really 
 good horses, the rules I have laid down shew the proper 
 steps to take. Seventeen out of every twenty horses, which 
 have to run on the roads in large towns and cities, such 
 as London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and other 
 large places, at four years old have quite done their work 
 when they are from seven to ten years of age. They are 
 over at knee, and the sinews of their legs are drawn up 
 like worn out old horses, through constantly being on the 
 hard road before the bones of their legs are thoroughly 
 set, and the sinews hardened. Horses should never be used 
 for that purpose until they are six years of age. After they 
 reach that age five years hard work on the stones will not 
 hurt them half as much as two before they reach that age. 
 Tramway companies, cab proprietors, and 'bus proprietors 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 123 
 
 do not think of buying horses until they are six years of 
 age, and their horses last as long again. 
 
 Now the question may be raised here by many of 
 my readers " How can it pay to breed horses and keep 
 them so many years without working them?" There is 
 certainly a great deal in that, but a horse at six years old 
 is worth more than a horse at four. A farmer can often 
 utilize a horse a little on a farm, by putting a saddle on 
 him and riding him round the farm, or taking him to 
 market once a week. Such light work as this does not 
 hurt the young horse, it does it good, but it should not be 
 kept at hard regular work. As a rule, breeding cart horses 
 pays much better than breeding nag horses, because cart 
 colts can be broken in at two years old, and do a little 
 light work if required. At three years of age they can go 
 to constant work on the farm, as long as they are not put 
 to draw any very heavy loads. Cart colts want but very 
 little breaking in. The halter should be put round their 
 neck and the colts led for a few times ; their harness can 
 then be put on. If they are led round for a few times 
 it will be sufficient. When there are three chain horses 
 the young horse can be put in the middle and taken to 
 plough. The colt will want leading by a man, and should 
 not be trusted with a boy for the first month, as many 
 farmers do, and after that, if a little care is bestowed upon 
 them, they are but very little more trouble, and will work 
 as quietly as old horses. Of course care should be taken 
 when they are put in a cart. They should be allowed to 
 draw it about once or twice without putting any load 
 
124 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 behind it. Where a great mistake is often made, is in putting 
 a load in the cart too soon after the young horse is broken 
 in, as when the colt comes to find the load does not move, 
 which is often the case, the animal begins to jib, and can 
 never be trusted again. When this is the case, at six years 
 old they are not worth so much by from ;io to 30 as 
 they would have been had they been treated properly. 
 
 Perhaps there is no other place in England where so 
 many horses are noticed to jib, as at the foot of London 
 Bridge, though it is not steep, there are seldom two hours 
 in the day but what some horse turns his work up and 
 has to be helped over the bridge by other horses. This 
 jibbing is usually caused through proper care not being 
 taken in breaking in. Carelessness on the part of the 
 groom or driver sometimes will cause horses to jib, but it 
 is usually through the breaking in ; although injudicious 
 treatment afterwards will sometimes spoil the temper, even 
 if they are seven years old. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 DRIVING. 
 
 Some people's ideas about driving The result of ignorance about 
 driving How fast to drive Kindness and Common sense and th& 
 result of using them. 
 
 T \RIVE a horse? Anyone can do that, one only has 
 * ^ to hold the reins and steer straight. This is the 
 opinion of many people. I suppose nothing will offend a 
 person more than telling him he does not drive or manage 
 his horse properly. 
 
 There is far more in driving than most people fancy,, 
 and many good horses are spoiled through careless 
 driving. Some horses take a great deal more driving 
 than others, inasmuch as their tempers vary so much. 
 Some are very quiet in harness, good tempered, intelligent,, 
 and will go almost without any driving, but it is not so 
 with all horses. Of course it is more difficult to drive a- 
 horse which runs than one which only walks, viz., a 
 waggon or cart horse. My remarks in this chapter will 
 therefore be principally confined to those which are 
 driven in carriages and traps and have to trot. It may 
 happen that a horse may be well broken in and sold 
 
126 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 for a good round figure, recommended as quiet in 
 harness and a splendid goer. Very often on the agree- 
 ment a horse will be entered as free from shying, quiet 
 in harness, and sound in every respect, and before the 
 new owner has had it a week it will shy and jump about 
 the road at the sight of a bicycle or a piece of paper. 
 Now this is very often the fault of the driver. Numbers 
 of horses are completely spoiled simply for want of a 
 little thought on the part of the person who is driving. 
 I will endeavour to make it quite plain what I mean in 
 this respect. A horse may be going comfortably along 
 the road and suddenly sees something in his way which 
 frightens him a little and causes him to cock his ears, 
 or turn a little upon one side. The driver notices this 
 and at once gives the animal a lash with the whip on 
 the opposite side from which he shies. If you ask that 
 person why he lashed the horse, he will probably tell 
 you it was to prevent the animal shying. This is very 
 wrong, as it adds fuel to the fire. Next time the animal 
 sees anything he will not only be frightened of the object 
 or sound but will be expecting a lash from the whip, 
 which will probably cause him to do something desperate 
 to escape this double source of uneasiness. Should it 
 be a nervous horse and frisky as well, the consequences 
 will probably be serious, as it will do almost anything to 
 get out of the way if thoroughly frightened. If it be on 
 a country road you may find yourself in a hedge or a 
 ditch, if in a street on the pavement or through some shop 
 window. 
 
THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 127 
 
 It is in this simple way that many valuable horses 
 are spoiled after they are broken in. I am referring more 
 particularly to carriage horses and hackneys. Never touch 
 a horse with the whip when its shies. It must be borne 
 in mind that a young horse is usually more or less nervous, 
 and when it shies, or is a little frightened at anything, if 
 the driver gives it a lash with the whip it naturally 
 becomes very frightened. The person who drives says 
 to himself, "Yes, I'll soon teach you to shy, my boy." 
 But when anything on the road startles him again he 
 is worse than he was the first time, because he is expecting 
 every second to have the whip drawn across him. If 
 this is done a few times the driver will have a great deal 
 of trouble with it. If the horse belongs to a gentleman, 
 his wife very soon tells him she dare not ride behind the 
 animal, and he will have to get another horse. In 
 this way many good horses are passed on from one to 
 another. It cannot be wondered at that ladies are 
 frightened to ride behind such horses, for the simple 
 reason they are liable to turn the trap over. It is not 
 always the animal's fault nor the person who sold it, it is 
 merely through want of thought on the part of the driver. 
 I am not saying this without experience, I have noticed 
 horses treated in the way I have described over and 
 over again. When a young horse shies he should never be 
 punished under any consideration, but just held tightly by 
 the reins and spoken kindly to. I always find it the 
 safest plan to coax a horse which is nervous, and when 
 he starts at anything pat him gently, saying " Whoa, 
 boy, Whoa, my beauty," two or three times, and at the 
 
128 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 same time give him a handful of oats or bran. This 
 should be repeated two or three times on the journey, 
 especially when he shies at anything on the road. Many 
 horses can be completely cured of this habit by speaking 
 kindly. The animals get to look upon the person who 
 treats them properly as their friend. I once bought a 
 horse which would jump right round at the sight of a leaf 
 or piece of paper blowing about, especially a bicycle. It 
 was a very valuable horse were it not for that one fault, but 
 it was sold on that account to run in a butcher's cart. I 
 very soon cured him of the shying, certainly not in a week, 
 nor a month, but in less than six weeks after I had him he 
 was a different animal altogether in this respect. I found 
 when he shied he would jump round, and then go as fast as 
 he could, expecting a lash with the whip, but in less than 
 three months I would have sat in the trap behind him 
 without holding the reins. The horse would do anything I 
 told him. He had been beaten till he was frightened 
 at his own shadow, and I refused 100 guineas for him 
 before he had been in my possession six months. When I 
 had him he was between five and six, and he was valued 
 then on account of his bad habits at about ^15, but being 
 cured of these tricks his value rose to 100 guineas in less 
 than six months. I still have him at my place and have 
 done for some years. This shews what kind and judicious 
 treatment will do. 
 
 I have known many horses, which would jib and turn 
 right round and back into a hedge or bank at the sight of 
 almost anything on the road, sold at a nominal price, and 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 1 29 
 
 when they have been treated properly, in a few weeks' time, 
 they have been worth six times as much as they were sold 
 for. This is simply owing to the new owner knowing how 
 to drive and treat them properly. I am aware many young 
 horses are spoiled in breaking in, I have dealt with this in 
 the chapter on that subject. I am assuming now that the 
 animals have been properly broken in. Many persons who 
 are not accustomed to drive go along with too loose a rein 
 and hold their hands too near their body, so that if the 
 horse makes a stumble they have no power over it. A good 
 horse driver, who understands his business well, 
 keeps his hands out from the body, and if the horse shies 
 or stumbles he has it well in hand. I do not mean to say 
 a horse should always be held in very tightly, because some 
 have a very tender mouth, while others have a very hard one 
 In all cases they should be driven so that the driver can 
 just feel the horse's mouth, and the reins should not be 
 allowed to dangle on its back. 
 
 It is often a mystery to me why more people do not 
 get their neck broken in driving, because some people let 
 the horse have its own way entirely, and just jog along with 
 the reins on the horse's back. The driver should not only 
 hold the reins fairly tight, so as to have his horse well in 
 hand, but should have one rein between the thumb and 
 first finger, and the other between the large finger and 
 third finger. Some people hold the reins between the 
 thumb and first finger and the large and second finger, but 
 those who do this should practise holding the reins in the 
 way I have described, as it gives the driver more power over 
 
 the horse. 
 H 
 
130 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGLMENT. 
 
 I give an illustration, showing the position of the 
 hand and the reins between the fingers, so as to make this 
 plain. I should also like to draw attention to another 
 mistake which is often made in driving, and which should 
 especially be guarded against. Sometimes a horse will 
 stumble slightly through treading on a stone, or knocking 
 one leg against the other when trotting, at the same time it 
 may not fall. When such is the case five people out of 
 every six will give the horse a sharp lash with the whip to 
 keep him upon his legs. Now this is quite wrong. When 
 a horse stumbles, if he is accustomed to being hit with the 
 whip, he gets very frightened in trying to save himself, and 
 will often go down, because he knows what he will get. 
 Instead of hitting the animal the driver should let him go 
 on twenty or thirty yards, then give him a touch up. All 
 horses should be kept well in hand ; unless they are very 
 free indeed the driver should always let them know the 
 whip is behind them. Some horses will not stand the 
 whip, these should have it gently drawn across them, it 
 keeps them up to their work. Never on any account hit a 
 horse when it stumbles, it only makes matters worse. 
 Another thing too I notice where people go wrong in driving, 
 especially careless drivers, that is when the horse is going 
 very fast, sometimes they nearly run into another vehicle, 
 and instead of blaming themselves they beat the horse 
 unmercifully. Now when this is the case, if the horse is at 
 all nervous, the next time he comes in close quarters he 
 will probably take the wheel off the passing trap or cart. 
 
H2 
 
132 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 It is a great pity that horses should have to be punished 
 for what they cannot help, but so it is in many cases. Not 
 only is it cruelty to the animal, but when a good driver 
 comes to take him in hand he finds the poor thing is simply 
 spoiled. Horses which are let out by job masters often have 
 to suffer very much in this respect, especially when they are 
 let out to a person to drive himself. Many people who 
 hire vehicles are not accustomed to horses and the animals 
 are driven unmercifully up hill and down, it is a matter of 
 small consequence to the driver so long as the poor things 
 keep going at a good pace. Anyone living near London 
 can see a great deal of this, especially on Sundays. On 
 one main road hired traps can be numbered from one 
 hundred to three hundred if it is a fine Sunday, and 
 taking into consideration the many roads there are, it just 
 gives one some idea of the thousands of poor horses 
 which are being driven to and fro in the way I 
 have described every week. Greengrocers, grocers, 
 costermongers, and all who are anxious to make money, 
 will often let their horses out on a Sunday, but if they 
 only knew how the poor things were used, I feel certain 
 they would be more careful about letting them out. I 
 do not say they are always treated badly, but when the 
 party is going home, frequently the driver cannot see to 
 drive straight, and the whole lot are lively with what 
 they have had to drink, so the poor horse has to go as 
 fast as it can, up hill and down, no matter whether he 
 is tired out or not, and as for feeding it, many of them 
 forget the animal eats anything at all. This is what I 
 call cruelty to animals. One journey of this kind in a 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 133 
 
 week does more harm to the horse than six days' proper 
 work. I hope this little book may fall into the hands 
 of some of those who let their horses out to hire for a 
 day's excursion, then perhaps it may induce some of 
 them to keep their animals at home, unless the owner 
 or someone who knows how to drive goes out with the 
 party himself. It does not hurt a horse to do a long 
 journey if it is driven properly. When a horse is going 
 a long distance, the driver should see it has a little 
 food every eight or twelve miles, and it should not be 
 driven as fast as if it were only going a short distance. 
 I have a weakness to drive fast myself if I am not 
 going far, but when I am going a long distance, I 
 never, under any consideration, drive more than eight 
 miles an hour. 
 
 When a person is on a long journey he should always 
 take some good corn, oats, a few split beans, peas, and 
 a little very good chaff, because when on the road there 
 are many little hotels and public houses which keep nothing 
 but a little bit of hay, and very often not even that. But 
 if a person takes a little with him he can stop under a 
 green tree during the spring and summer months, and even 
 if only stopping for about five or ten minutes the nose bag 
 can be put on, and a rug thrown over the horse, which 
 helps the horse wonderfully. Let him walk up the hills, 
 and trot steadily down, and he will take you along on the 
 level at a pretty good rate. If a horse is hurried up the 
 hills when on a long journey he soon gets exhausted, unless 
 it happens to be a very hardy horse indeed, and even 
 
134 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 then it is bound to tell on the animal. When a horse is 
 driven properly and fed well he will do fifty miles in a day 
 better than he would twenty-five if he were hurried along 
 anyhow. It is a good plan always to carry a little oatmeal 
 when on a long journey, to put in the water. This is -a 
 great stay to a horse. I mention this fact because many 
 gentlemen now take their holidays by road with a horse 
 and trap, because the seaside places are so full, and it is 
 much nicer to go by road than by rail. There is 
 something fresh to see every day, and, better still, change 
 of air at the same time. I have taken my holidays for the 
 last six years in this way, and can therefore speak from 
 experience. 
 
 If a horse is driven properly and treated right it will 
 do 500 miles easily in three weeks, this is only an average 
 of about 20 miles a day, giving the horse a rest on 
 Sundays. Sometimes, of course, the owner may have to 
 drive forty or fifty miles in a day on account of there 
 being no proper accommodation to put up at night. 
 When a horse goes on a long journey like this it should 
 always have its legs bandaged every night with flannel 
 bandages. I prefer flannel bandages to linen, as they are not 
 so likely to make the hair on the horse's legs ruck up. 
 If the flannel is put on properly, and the legs are rubbed 
 down nicely afterwards, it cannot be noticed. When 
 linen bandages are used, unless they are kept very clean, 
 they become hard and hurt the horse's legs. When the 
 weather is hot, and the animal is on a long journey, it 
 refreshes it very much if its legs are sponged down with 
 
TPIE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 135 
 
 cold water, and the fore feet put in a pail of water 
 for a few minutes. This is not only refreshing to the 
 horse or horses, but it softens their hoofs a great deal. 
 When the roads are hot and dry their feet become very 
 brittle, but if they are put in water it makes the horn of 
 the hoof more elastic. I believe when the hoof of a 
 horse's foot is allowed to get so hard and brittle it is 
 the same as a person wearing a hard pair of boots, which 
 are not pliable to one's feet. 
 
 When anyone has a very stiff pair of boots on it 
 is difficult for that person to walk, but when they are 
 nice and easy how different ; what a pleasure such an 
 one finds in running or walking. Now this is just the 
 case with the horse the foot is inside the hoof, and 
 if the hoof is hard and brittle it often becomes con- 
 tracted, and when this is the case it is very painful to 
 the horse. The hind feet do not suffer anything like 
 so much as the fore feet in this respect. It is well to 
 use a dressing for the hoof, which will be found in the 
 chapter on horses' feet, where I have dealt fully with 
 this subject. After a horse has been running it should 
 never be allowed to stand without having something 
 thrown across its loins, that is to say, it should not stand 
 for any length of time. A few minutes does not hurt 
 it. Some people make a great mistake in this respect 
 by throwing a cloth over a horse as soon as he stops, 
 after having been running fast for a good distance. 
 When the animal is all in a lather and a cloth is thrown 
 over him, it makes him perspire a great deal more. 
 
136 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 The best way is to let him stand a few minutes till the 
 steam goes off, then throw the rug on. Of course if the 
 weather is not very hot and the wind is cold, that is another 
 thing j throw the rug on as soon as the horse stops then, so 
 as to prevent the animal taking a chill. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 WHAT IS THE BEST MATERIAL FOB 
 THE STABLE FLOOR? 
 
 The difference in Litter Paving : Bricks, Tiles, or Cement Moss 
 Peat Litter Straw, &c. 
 
 r T n HIS is a question often asked, but it is rather difficult 
 -*- to answer at all times. Much depends on what is 
 going to be used upon the stable floor. If the latter 
 is going to be kept covered with short material, especially 
 moss peat, it makes but very little difference what 
 the floor is made of. I often find farmers' stables, 
 especially in Kent, paved with large flint stones. This 
 is most absurd, because if a horse were restless and 
 pulled all the bedding from under it, it would be 
 liable to cuts its knees when lying down. 
 
 Bricks, too, are often used for the same purpose, 
 especially in gentlemen's stables, so that they can easily be 
 washed down, and at the same time they dry quickly. I do 
 not like blue bricks myself for stables where there is 
 nothing but wheat straw to litter the horses down with, as 
 their feet slip too much. Some people use hard white 
 
138 THE HORSE: ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 bricks laid edgeways, which are very much better for the 
 horses to get a good foothold. They are of a much softer 
 nature than the blue bricks. 
 
 During my travels the last few years I have found 
 many stable floors, especially new ones, made of Portland 
 cement. This makes a fine hard bottom, and at the 
 same time the horses can get a good hold with their feet 
 when they want to get up. Horses require a good firm, 
 solid bottom under their feet, on account of their so 
 often stamping, especially with their hind feet. I would 
 advise those who are building a stable to make a concrete 
 floor, mixing in ground flint and cement, then put a facing 
 of the best Portland cement and flint dust on that before 
 it is dry. If the floor is made in this way it will last a 
 century as a rule without even cracking. It not only has 
 an advantage in being very durable, but there is nothing in 
 it to hurt the horses' knees, and it gives them a good foot- 
 hold as well. 
 
 In an ordinary stable, where a poor man only just 
 keeps one horse and cannot spare much money to make a 
 floor, if ordinary bricks are obtained and laid edgeways, and 
 moss peat is put on the top of that, it will last a lifetime. 
 Where bricks are used with nothing to cover them but 
 straw, it is well to have a drain for the urine to pass away, 
 with a large cup in it that fits easily, so that all the thick 
 sediment can be taken out at least once a week. If this is 
 not seen to the drain soon becomes stopped up, as a good 
 deal of the short manure gets washed down and sets very 
 hard, unless there is a good flush of water used to keep the 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 139 
 
 the pipe clear. When the latter becomes stopped up, the 
 drain soon begins to smell very badly, so much so that if you 
 hold your head over the drain the ammonia is strong enough 
 to cause you to shut your eyes. 
 
 I do not think it is necessary in this small work to 
 dwell upon what farmers should have for their horses, as 
 most of them have already got their stable floors in, and 
 fresh farms are not cropping up as they used to a few years 
 ago. One word, however, I may say to the farmers, that is, 
 where they have so many rough stones for the stable they 
 should lay either bricks down edgeways in the place of 
 them in the way I have mentioned or concrete. The latter 
 may perhaps come a little too expensive in some cases, but 
 where one does not mind this it will last for centuries. 
 
 I am quite aware cart horses kick up the stable more 
 than carriage horses. In the first place they are much 
 heavier, and in the second place they itch a deal more in 
 their heels and legs, especially where there is a greasy heel, 
 or a rupture in the skin. They stamp with their feet very 
 hard for ten or fifteen minutes together, and unless there is 
 a very solid floor they knock it to pieces. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 FEVER IN HORSES' FEET, AND WEAK 
 JOINTS. 
 
 Fever in Horses' Feet The Hunter : Shaken The cold water cure- 
 Turn Horses out The beneficial action of Dew The Horse Dealer 
 "in Clover ""Prevention is better than cure." 
 
 T HAVE made mention of fever in horses' feet in one or 
 -^ two places in this little work. This complaint is found 
 frequently amongst horses, especially those which do a 
 great deal of running on the hard roads. Hunters are 
 rery subject to it, sometimes jumping on hard ground 
 brings it on, especially if the animal has corns. I do 
 not say fever in the feet is always brought on through 
 jarring a horse's foot or bruising the feet, but it is in 
 many instances. A great many gentlemen will give a 
 long figure for a good hunter, and after two or three 
 seasons when the animal has been shaken about a great 
 deal, of course it strains the horses' legs and joints : in 
 some animals more than in others. 
 
 My intention is therefore to throw out a few hints 
 so that when a horse does go wrong in this way the 
 owner need not go to the expense of buying a fresh 
 
142 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 one, as many of them do. I know one farmer in Kent 
 who makes a practice of taking in these used-up hunters 
 year after year to grass. He has had some for as 
 many as nine seasons. Sometimes when the animals 
 are brought to the farm they can scarcely put one 
 foot before the other, they are so used up, but when 
 they go out in the Autumn their step is as elastic as that 
 of a young horse. 
 
 For the benefit of those who may have horses in the 
 condition I have mentioned, I will just state how this 
 farmer treats them. Now it is a well known fact cold 
 water is wonderfully strengthening for weak joints, and 
 as soon as the horses are brought to the farm they are 
 taken out and allowed to stand in a brook or stream 
 for hours. The animal gets so accustomed to this 
 kind of treatment, it looks forward to it with a great 
 amount of pleasure and enjoys it very much. During the 
 Summer very few of them want tying up in the water, 
 they will stand in of their own accord for from three to 
 six hours. There is no need to tie them up at all after 
 they have been in about three times. If a horse that 
 has weak joints, or is over at knees, as shown in illustra- 
 tion, is allowed to stand in water for from three to six 
 hours a day, in almost every instance the legs become 
 quite sound again and in many cases perfectly 
 straight. Any kind of stream or pond will do to 
 stand the animals in as long as the water comes 
 over the horses' knees. When they are first put in the 
 stream they ought not to remain there for more than an 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 143 
 
 hour or two, especially in the early Spring, if so it is 
 liable to bring on cramp in the legs, but after the animal 
 gets accustomed to it, the time may gradually be 
 increased to six hours out of the twenty-four. When a 
 horse is undergoing this treatment it ought not to be 
 worked, but turned out to grass. It is wonderful how 
 Nature recovers itself when horses are turned out. 
 
 Some people say they do not like to turn horses out 
 unless it is on damp ground. Naturally when the ground 
 is damp it is better for the animal's feet, but it must be 
 remembered the dew begins to come upon the grass even 
 in the longest days of June, between seven and eight 
 
144 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 o'clock in the evening, and by nine o'clock the grass 
 is quite wet. This can be tested by a person walking 
 through the fields, he will soon find his boots wet through. 
 Now dew is more penetrating than ordinary water, and 
 when the horse is walking about all night, if the grass is 
 fairly long, not only the feet but the lower joints of the 
 legs also get wet. Very often the dew is not off the 
 grass till nine in the morning unless the sun happens to 
 be very warm indeed. The hotter the weather is the 
 more dew we get. The grass is usually wet fourteen 
 hours out of the twenty-four. It is not always wise to 
 sell horses when they go wrong in the legs or have fever 
 in the feet. If they are put under the treatment I have 
 described, many of them become as sound in the legs as 
 a young horse at four years old. Only within a few days 
 of my penning these lines, I heard of a horse dealer 
 who bought a horse for ^19, and after he had put the 
 animal in water in the way mentioned here for three 
 months he sold him for one hundred guineas. 
 
 Of course those who live near the sea can stand the 
 animals in the salt water, as that is a fine thing for horses, 
 only it is rather difficult to tie them up, and another thing 
 they cannot be left there for any length of time, because 
 of the tide ebbing and flowing. I find ordinary water 
 answers almost the same purpose, as it is more convenient. 
 When they can stand in a pond or stream which is in a 
 meadow, it is not only a question of the animal being 
 benefited by standing in the water, but the dew from the 
 grass is also very helpful to them, and the beautiful 
 
THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 145 
 
 herbage which is found growing among the grass is really 
 medicine for all cattle. 
 
 Before concluding this chapter there is one other 
 thing I must not forget to mention. It often happens 
 that those who have a good horse will work it hard, in 
 some cases for years, without ever turning it out. Now 
 this is a great mistake : if a good carriage horse or even 
 a cab or 'bus horse were turned out as I have described in 
 a good meadow and went under the water treatment for 
 a month or six weeks every year, it would pay the 
 owner fifty per cent., as it would last almost as long again, 
 and what a delightful change for the poor horse. I have 
 noticed carriage horses particularly, belonging to gentlemen, 
 when the owner has been working them fairly hard and 
 arranges so that they are turned out for a month or six 
 weeks in the year, the animals always appear young and 
 their legs keep perfect. This is only a reasonable request 
 I am making for the horses. While it is a good thing 
 for the animals it is a good investment for the owner. 
 Horse dealers and men who are experienced in these 
 things know perfectly well that many horses are bought 
 from London and other large towns, turned out and put 
 under similar treatment to that I have described here, 
 and are sold for from six to ten times as much as they were 
 bought for in the first instance. All I have said in this 
 chapter may appear ridiculous to many people, but I 
 have just given a simple and practical method of curing 
 horses which go wrong in the joints or weak in the legs, 
 and if gentlemen and owners of horses will act upon the 
 
146 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 
 
 lines I have laid down, they will find they will have far 
 less expense in buying fresh horses, but it will be conferring 
 a great boon on the poor animals. Do not wait till the 
 horse goes wrong in the legs before adopting the water 
 plan " prevention is better than cure." 
 
 I have given an illustration of a horse's front legs 
 on a previous page, shewing how they appear after a long 
 spell of work without relaxation, such as I am advocating. 
 These legs would never have been in such a weak and 
 strained condition had proper care been taken before they 
 had gone so far. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 FIFTH EDITION, 
 
 Re-written and Revised to date. 
 
 THE PRACTICAL 
 
 Poultry Breeder and Feeder; 
 
 OR, 
 
 HOW TO MAKE POULTRY PAY. 
 
 BY W. COOK 
 
 Prine 2s. 6d., Post free 2s. 
 
 This Book, which is practical in every detail, and based on the 
 experience of the writer, has had the largest circulation of any book 
 of the kind ever published. 
 
 It deals practically with all subjects, and the chapter on diseases 
 is so plain that children ten years old can tell what is the matter 
 with their birds, and it also gives the secret of producing eggs during 
 the winter months, when they are scarce. Refer to Press Reviews. 
 
 OOOIK:., 
 
 Queen's Head Yard, 105, Borough, S.E., 
 
 AND 
 
 Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, Kent. 
 
 12 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 OPINIONS OF THE PRESS, 
 
 Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder ; or, How to make Poultry Pay 
 (by William Cook). The idea of likening poultry into machines for 
 converting waste and worthless matter into very good and profitable 
 delicacies, is a happy one, and the author explains it very thoroughly. 
 With little labour and attention, fowls may be kept so as to yield 
 a good return ; but there are conditions which must be observed, and 
 these are simply and plainly laid down by the author, who is the 
 most careful instructor we have met with for a very long time. 
 Daily Chronicle, October 10, 1882. 
 
 Mr. Cook in his useful little book How to make Poultry Pay, 
 remarks that the number of eggs annually imported by the country 
 is about 750 millions, worth say 2,400,000. As is generally known, 
 the majority of these eggs come over from France, where they are 
 produced by cottagers and farmers, nearly all of whom keep fowls 
 and make them pay well. Mr. Cook thinks if our cottagers and 
 farmers would only devote themselves to a little practical study of 
 fowls and their rearing, at least half this sum of money could be 
 kept in this country. A friend who followed Mr. Cook's sensible 
 advice, was able to increase his store of eggs from four hundred to 
 nearly eight hundred, without, at the same, adding to the number of 
 his fowls. Society, February 3, 1883. 
 
 How to make Poultry Pay (by William Cook). Mr. Cook points 
 out so many facts concerning the numerous errors universally made, 
 either through ignorance or prejudice about poultry, its rearing and 
 breeding, that the little manual deserves to be widely dispersed. It 
 has often been said that the English working classes might be much 
 better off than they are if they only knew how to take advantage of 
 things, as do the French, who in reality are exceedingly poor; but at 
 the same time very frugal, and admirable in their perfect knowledge 
 of domestic economy, often knowing how to live comfortably on what 
 their English fellow labourers throw away. Mr. Cook's book, 
 however, has a wider scope than that of teaching poor people how to 
 keep poultry. It addresses itself equally to the rich, and so practical 
 are the contents, that one gentleman by following them, managed to 
 increase his store of eggs in one year from 1,800 to 2,300, and yet he 
 did not add to the number of his birds. He simply punctually 
 obeyed Mr. Cook's rules for dieting his poultry, and the result was 
 such as to greatly surprise and delight him. The Mornimj Post. 
 
 Poultry breeders should welcome the appearance of a new 
 edition of Mr. William Cook's Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder 
 (E. W. Allen, Ave Maria Lane), as the many valuable directions on 
 management, feeding, &c., contained in the work, cannot fail to 
 prove serviceable to all who keep fowls, whether for pleasure or 
 profit. Graphic. 
 
 Poultry Breeder and Feeder. Published by the author, William 
 Cook, at the Queen's Head Yard, 105, Borough, London, S.E. Those 
 who had the pleasure of perusing Mr. Cook's valuable work when it 
 made its appearance a few years ago, will not be surprised to learn 
 that it has run into the fifth edition. But though the present issue 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 is styled a fifth edition, it is to all intents and purposes a new book. 
 It has been re-written and brought fully up to date. Everything of 
 special value that appeared in the former editions has been retained, 
 and a variety of new matter, rendered necessary by the altered state 
 of things under which we live, has been added. The book, in its 
 new form, should therefore be of exceptional interest to breeders and 
 rearers of poultry, whether for fancy or for the market. The growing 
 importance of the latter point has not been overlooked by Mr. Cook. 
 For the guidance of those who would give attention to this matter, 
 the author imparts a deal of useful practical information which should 
 assist the poultry raiser in making it a profitable pursuit. The most 
 suitable class of houses, the best system of breeding, feeding, and 
 rearing, are all dealt with in detail ; while several valuable hints are 
 given as to the selection of the best pure breeds for crossing. The 
 best poultry for egg producing and table purposes are indicated, and 
 altogether the work should commend itself to all who are interested 
 in the question of poultry-raising, which is receiving increased 
 attention every year. Mr. Cook's book comes up to its title in a 
 much fuller degree than any other work on the same subject with 
 which Ave are acquainted. North British Agriculturist, August 14th, 
 1889. 
 
 Cook's Poultry Breeder and Feeder ; or, How to make Poultry Pay. 
 Mr. Cook's success, not only as a writer about the history of 
 poultry and the points of the various breeds, but as an instructor 
 and example how to manage breeds to make them pay, is generally 
 acknowledged. As this is a fifth edition it is plain that the public 
 only require to be told that the book is "in print" once more. Live 
 Stock Journal. 
 
 Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder; or, How to Make Fowls 
 Pay (by William Cook). Fifth edition, revised to date. London : 
 Published by the author. The writer of this handbook makes hens 
 and eggs his business, farming them himself at " Orpington House," 
 St. Mary Cray, and going up and down the country to help others in 
 doing the same by lectures and advice. So far as we can judge the 
 book seems sensible and useful. Liverpool Mercury. 
 
 Poultry Breeder and Feeder. There is no work better known and 
 appreciated than this work of Mr. Cook's, the fifth edition of which, 
 re- written and revised to date, we now welcome. Bell's Weekly 
 Messenger. 
 
 The Practical Poultry Breeder and Feeder; or, How to Make 
 Poultry Pay (by W. Cook). Unlike many writers on poultry and 
 their management, Mr. Cook is a large breeder himself, and has 
 spent many years in making experiments with most kinds of poultry. 
 His writings, therefore, should be the more valuable on that account. 
 The opening chapters of his work have the most interest for ordinary 
 poultry-keepers, as they contain general directions for breeding and 
 feeding. Farm and Home. 
 
 W. COOK, Queen's Head Yard, 105, Boro', London, S.E., 
 
 And Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, Kent 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 POULTRY JOURNAL: 
 
 How to make Poultry Pay. 
 
 EDITED BY WILLIAM COOK. 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 
 E. W. ALLEN, 4, Ave Maria Lane, E.G. 
 
 r T~'HIS is the only monthly journal in England which is devoted 
 entirely to the interests of Poultry. It has heen said that a 
 paper which did not include other pets (such as Kabbits, Pigeons and 
 Cage Birds) would not pay. The first number appeared in June, 1886. 
 In each issue there is a chapter of hints for the current month, accord- 
 ing to the season of the year, showing how to manage both the old and 
 young stock, &c. There are short chapters on Ducks, Turkeys, and Geese, 
 and their management, &c., when kept in small runs. Questions are 
 answered through the columns of this paper, and also free by post if 
 a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed Post mortem Examinations 
 are made on all kinds of Poultry, for the nominal sum of Is. each. All 
 specimens for examination to be sent, carriage paid, to 105, Borough, 
 London, S.E. The reports appear in the Monthly Journal, and in cases 
 of urgency, if a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed, they are 
 answered by post. In cases of contagious diseases, a letter of instruction 
 is sent free of any other charge. Specimen copy of the journal sent post 
 free upon application. 
 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY. 
 
 PRICE, TWOPENCE MONTHLY. 
 
 Postal Subscription : Three Months, 7d. ; Six Months, Is. 3d. ; 
 Twelve Months, 2s. 6d. ; payable in advance. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS'. 
 
 W. COOK'S 
 
 PRICE LIST OF EGGS FOR SITTING, 
 
 Eggs of the breeds supplied from strong healthy birds, carefully mated. 
 Birds can be inspected any week day. Broody hens supplied at reason- 
 able prices. 
 
 PRICES PER SITTING OF 13 EGGS (PACKING INCLUDED.) S. d. 
 
 Plymouth Rock 10 6 
 
 Black Minorca 10 6 
 
 White Minorca 10 6 
 
 Partridge Cochin 10 6 
 
 Buff Cochin 10 6 
 
 White Leghorn 10 6 
 
 Brown Leghorn ... ".'.. ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 Q 
 
 Langshan... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Wyandotte ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Black Breasted Red Game ... ... ... ./. ... ... 10 6 
 
 Indian Game ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Silver Grey Dorking /.. ... ... ... .'.. /.. ... 10 6 
 
 Light Brahma . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . 106 
 
 Dark Brahma ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Silver Spangled Hamburgh ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Golden Spangled Hamburgh ... ... :.."' '..""* ... " " 10*, 6 
 
 Black Hamburgh 10 6 
 
 Houdan ..: r.7 .:. T" 77 :.7~ ... ~ 10" 6 
 
 Andalusian ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Redcap ' ... 10 6 
 
 Coloured Dorking ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 Black Rose-combed Bantam ... ... ... ... ... ... 106 
 
 Silver Sebright Bantam ... 10 6 
 
 Black Breasted Red Game Bantam... ... ... ... ... 10 6 
 
 These are all prize birds, with laying qualities combined. Hundreds 
 of birds have been successfully exhibited, bred from Eggs supplied by 
 W. Cook. 
 
 Orpington 10s. 6d. and 21s. Od. per sitting. 
 
 Rose-Combed Black ditto 10s. 6d. and 21s. Od. 
 Rose-Combed White ditto 10s. 6d. and 15s. 6d. 
 
 The White is the last new variety W. Cook has brought out. They 
 have white plumage, also white legs and skin, and are extraordinary 
 layers ; but the eggs are almost white. At present they beat the 
 Leghorns for laying qualities, especially during winter. 
 
 This breed, which W. Cook has brought out, combines a handsome 
 appearance with good winter and summer laying, and excellent table 
 qualities. The birds have fine white flesh, and lay brown eggs. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 The following are Pure Birds, but bred especially for 
 laying qualities. 
 
 PRICES PER SITTING OF 13 EGGS (PACKING INCLUDED.) 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 Plymouth Rock ... 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Black Minorca 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Partridge Cochin... 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Buff ditto 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Andalusian 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Langshan ... 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Dark Brahma 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Light Brahma 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Wyandotte 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Black Hamburgh 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Golden-spangled ditto ... 
 Brown Leghorn ... 
 
 6 
 6 
 
 a 
 
 6 
 
 White Leghorn ... 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Redcap 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Coloured Dorking 
 Black-Breasted Red Game 
 
 6 
 6 
 
 6 
 6 
 
 Silver-Grey Dorking 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Houdan 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Indian Game 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Silver Sebright Bantam 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Black Rose-Comb Bantam 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Black-breasted Red Game Bantam 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 FIRST CROSSES. 
 
 PRICES PER SITTING OF 13 EGGS (PACKING INCLUDED.) 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Langshan-Minorca 5 
 
 Houdan-Minorca ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Plymouth Rock-Minorca ... ... ... ... - . 50 
 
 Houdan-Dorking... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Golden-spangled Hamburgh-Cochin ... ... ... ... ... 60 
 
 Houdan-Cochin ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Minorca-Brahma ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Houdan-Brahma ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Leghorn-Brahma ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Indian Game Dorking 50 
 
 Houdan-Plymouth Rock ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Leghorn-Plymouth Rock 5 
 
 Brahma-Dorking ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Black Hamburgh- Plymouth Rock 50 
 
 Indian Game-Plymouth Rock ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Cochin-Dorking 50 
 
 Plymouth Rock -Dorking ... ... ... ... ... ... 50 
 
 Plymouth Rock-Brahma .. .. 5 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 FIRST CROSSES Continued. 
 
 Houdan-Leghorn . . . 
 Andalusian-Dorking 
 Andalusian- Brahma 
 
 s. d. 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 DUCK EGGS. 
 
 PER SITTING OF 11 EGGS. j 
 
 Prize Aylesbury ] 
 
 Up to 
 \Iarch 1st. 
 
 e s. d. 
 
 1 
 
 After that 
 date. 
 s. d. 
 15 
 
 Aylesbury 
 Muscovy ... 
 Rouen 
 
 7 6 
 7 6 
 
 6 6 
 6 6 
 6 6 
 
 Pekin 
 Cayuga 
 Black East Indian 
 Rouen-Aylesbury 
 Muscovy- Aylesbury 
 Pekin- Aylesbury..! 
 
 7 6 
 7 6 
 
 6 
 6 
 6 
 
 6 6 
 6 6 
 6 6 
 5 
 5 
 5 
 
 GEESE EGGS. 
 
 Italian 
 Italian and Toulouse Cross 
 Embden and Toulouse ... 
 
 Each. 
 1 6 
 1 3 
 1 3 
 
 Per 
 Sitting of 
 ii Eggs. 
 14 
 11 
 11 
 
 TURKEY EGGS. 
 
 Black Norfolk 
 Cambridge Bronze 
 Norfolk and Cambridge Cross 
 
 Each. 
 1 4 
 1 6 
 
 Per 
 Sitting of 
 n Eggs. 
 15 
 15 
 11 
 
 Eight Eggs guaranteed fertile up to the 21st March, after that 
 date 10 guaranteed. Those unfertile under the number specified 
 replaced, if the unproductive eggs are returned, per Parcel Post, 
 to Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, Kent. 
 
 Broody Hens can be supplied, with sittings of 
 from 5s. 6d. to 7s. (according to quality). 
 
 Prices 
 
 c o o IK: , 
 
 Queen's Head Yard, Borough, London ; and Orpington House, 
 St. Mary Cray, Kent. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 DUCK MEAL 
 
 I HAVE brought out a Meal especially for Ducks, but have 
 only lately offered it to tlie public. I have used it myself 
 for many years, and have every reason to believe that it is the 
 best meal that has been manufactured for Ducks. I do not know 
 anyone who has got his Ducks up to the weight at the age of 
 mine. Perhaps there may be some, but I have not heard of any. 
 I am sure those who feel inclined to give this Duck Meal a trial 
 will be more than satisfied with the result. It mixes without 
 sticking ; there is no waste whatever, and the Ducks are very fond 
 of it. It does either for rearing the young Ducklings or for stock 
 Ducks, but I like to use biscuit meal the first fortnight the young 
 ones are hatched. 
 
 THE PRICES OF THE DUCK MEAL AREAS FOLLOWS: 
 143. per cwt. ; 7s. 6d. J-cwt. ; 43. J-cwt. 
 
 CARRIAGE PAID TO ANY COUNTY IN ENGLAND. 
 
 I may say it is made up of the most nutritious ingredients, 
 including a great deal of meat, bonemeal, and oatmeal. I do 
 not wish to imply that other Duck Meals are not good, but this 
 I am offering is certainly the best I know of. 
 
 OOOIK:, 
 
 Queen's Head Yard, 105, Borough, London, 
 
 AND 
 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 W. COOK'S ROUP POWDERS. 
 
 PRESCRIPTION FOR MIXING UP THE PILLS. 
 
 FOR THREE HENS. One heaped up tea-spoonful of the powder, 
 two ditto of flour, two ditto of oatmeal, two ditto of middlings, or any 
 kind of meal, with a small piece of fat of some kind, about the size of 
 a walnut ; mix with a little warm water into a paste, so that it does not 
 stick to the fingers. The Pills should be made about the size of the 
 little finger to the second joint. Give two Pills night and morning. If 
 the fowls have the disease very badly, a little extra powder can be used 
 without doing any injury to the fowls in any way. Though very strong 
 it is not poisonous. If the invalids cannot eat they should have some- 
 thing nourishing, such as bread and milk or stewed linseed given warm. 
 Always let them have as much food as they can digest. When the fowls 
 first show symptoms of Roup they ought to have a tea-spoonsful of castor 
 oil given them, and half-a-teaspoonful of glycerine, even when they 
 show signs of a cold they can have this given them. Isolate affected 
 birds, and add camphor to all drinking water. Give the unaffected 
 birds the Roup Powders in the morning meal one heaped up tea- 
 spoonful to ten fowls. This will often stop the malady from going 
 further. On a cold damp day a little of it is most valuable. When fowls 
 are going on a journey a Pill or two will often prevent them from 
 catching cold. Many exhibitors use it and find it most beneficial. A 
 preventive is better than a cure. It has saved the lives of thousands 
 of fowls all over the world. In many cases it has cured them when all 
 other advertised remedies have failed. If fowls are suffering from 
 lowness, or their liver is out of order, it soon puts them right and brings 
 a bright lustre on their plumage, which improves them very much for 
 the show pen. When a fowl has a rattling in her throat and 'a difficulty 
 in drawing her breath, give a teaspoonful of glycerine, and when 
 convenient stew some linseed and give from six to eight teaspoonfuls 
 warm. Keep the affected birds on straw or moss peat. The latter is 
 much better. When the birds have swollen eyes, bathe them in milk 
 and water with a little camphor in it. Always wipe the face and eyes 
 dry, if not, they catch fresh cold. When a fowl has a thick discharge 
 called mucus, which corrodes round the tongue and throat; write me for 
 lotion, 9d. per bottle, post free, lOgd. Directions for the use of same 
 Take a feather, which dip in lotion, <apply to the bird's mouth and throat, 
 and turn the feather well round the mouth. In this way it will bring 
 much of the thick slime away. In bad cases it requires a second feather 
 to repeat ; then it is well to take a feather and dip in glycerine, and 
 also mop out mouth with that. This heals the wound, if this treat- 
 ment is continued night and morning the reward will be the bird's 
 recovery. Price, 2s. tin, post free, 2s. 4d. ; Is. tin, post free, Is. 3d. ; 
 6d. tin, post free, 8^d ; or 5s. worth, post free ; 12s. worth for 10s., 
 carriage paid. 
 
 inr. COOK: 
 
 QUEEN'S HEAD YARD, 105, BOROUGH, LONDON, S.E., 
 
 And ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 W. COOK'S POULTRY POWDERS. 
 
 These powders are an invaluable composition for poultry under all 
 circumstances. They are prepared especially to act upon every organ of 
 the body, being stimulating, strengthening and warmth giving in fact, 
 they counteract many diseases poultry are subject to, improve their 
 appearance by importing a gloss and beauty to the plumage, and keep 
 the fowls in good health by preventing colds and hardening the birds 
 against the severe and constant changes they are subject to in this 
 climate. 
 
 They are especially useful to birds while moulting, when there is a 
 great strain upon the system in the growth of the young feathers and 
 they are down in condition and require something to help them. They 
 are also useful in cases where fowls mope about and do not care for their 
 food, being a little out of sorts. The powders will be found most 
 beneficial by acting upon the liver and bringing the birds on to full lay. 
 Those who use them are seldom without eggs all through the winter 
 months. They are used very largely and have proved a great boon to 
 poultry keepers. They do not over stimulate the birds and leave them 
 weak, as most other tonics do, but strengthen every organ of the body 
 and can be discontinued at any time without injury to the fowls. I 
 have used them for more than sixteen years, from August to April, 
 about four or five times a week ; if the weather is very severe I use them 
 every day. Many people have used these powders all through the 
 Summer of the past few years with excellent results ; they do not injure 
 the birds in the least, or wear them out sooner, as my customers can 
 testify. I have not been without eggs for more than sixteen years, even 
 in the most severe weather. The same powders are used for bringing up 
 young chickens, turkeys, and pheasants, and this year they have been 
 used with great advantage for young ducks ; they have a good effect 
 on all young poultry, assisting them in their growth, getting their 
 feathers, and giving them health and vigour. 
 
 The quantity to be used is a full teaspoonful for eight full grown 
 fowls and chickens proportionate to age, given from three to five times a 
 week with the morning meal of soft food ; it is best to mix the powder 
 in the dry meal previous to adding the water, or it can be mixed in any- 
 kind of soft food. AVhen the fowls are in full lay, or the weather mild, 
 the powders may be omitted for a week or so. A change does them 
 good. I cannot state exactly the time to give it to young chickens, but 
 early hatched ones require it oftener than those later hatched, as the 
 former suffer much from cramp, cold, &c., according to the weather. 
 The use of it must depend upon the feeder's judgement. 
 
 These powders are sent to all parts of the world. They help the fowls 
 to produce eggs in the coldest weather, and also when kept in close 
 confinement eggs are produced in abundance. Where many did not get 
 an egg for three months together, since using the powders they are never 
 without them. 
 
 Sold in 6d., Is., and 2s. tins, post free, 8d., Is. 3d., and 2s. 4d., or 
 5s. tins (carriage paid for that amount), 12s. worth for 10s. (carriage 
 paid. ) Also supplied to large breeders in linen bags at a reduced rate. 
 
 Cash to accompany all Orders. 
 
 W. COOK, Queen's Head Yard, Borough, London, S.E., 
 
 AND ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 INSECT I>OWr>EFr 
 
 W. COOK'S Improved Insect Powder will destroy all insects on poultry, 
 
 Eigeons, cage birds, dogs, and cats ; also destroys black beetles, and is used 
 irgely for household purposes ; it is indispensable in keeping the nest 
 and sitting hen free from insects, and is perfectly harmless. Should be 
 freely used before hatching, both on the hen and in the nest, as it is im- 
 possible for chickens to thrive when covered with vermin. Sold in tins, 
 6d. and Is. ; by post, 8d. and Is. 3d. ; or 5s. tins, carriage paid. 
 
 Ointment for Destroying Nits on Fowls. 
 
 This is prepared for destroying nits on poultry, which are usually 
 found round the head and under the throat. I have given the recipe in 
 many of my writings for making the ointment, but there are numbers of 
 people who will not go to the trouble of preparing it. I have therefore 
 improved upon the recipe, and produced a preparation which will destroy 
 every nit. It should be rubbed in carefully as far as the nits extend, and 
 at the same time it does not injure the birds in any way. No matter 
 whether the fowls are old or young, they should be well dusted all over 
 with insect powder. DIEECTIONS : Lay the bird on a large sheet of 
 paper, which should be placed on a table, so that the powder, which rests 
 on the outside feathers, can be shaken off with the hand on the paper, 
 and put back in the box. When chickens, or hens, are very full of 
 vermin twice dressing will do, but if not, once doing will be quite 
 sufficient. This ointment will be found a great boon to poultry keepers, 
 as it not only destroys the little vermin, but also the larger ones, called 
 by some people "ticks," which collect round the head, and destroy 
 thousands of chickens. 
 
 SOLD IN 6d. AND i/- TINS. POST FREE, 8d. AND 1/3. 
 
 W. COOK'S FATTENING POWDERS. 
 
 These powders are very useful in assisting poultry to put on fat and to 
 keep them in health at the same time ; they give them a keen appetite, 
 and assist digestion. 
 
 For 12 Fowls, one dessert-spoonful three times a week 
 10 Ducks 
 ,, 6 Turkeys ,, ,, 
 
 Sold in Tins, Is., 8s., and lOs. ; by post, Is. 3d. ; 
 carriage paid on the Ss. and lOs. tins. 
 
 SPECIAL QUOTATIONS FOR LARGER ORDERS 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 BIRDS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION SUPPLIED. 
 
 Pure and Cross-Breeds for Laying and Stock purposes, also Prize Birds 
 for Exhibition and Export, at reasonable prices. Send for Price List. 
 
 Poultry Houses, Sitting Coops, Drinking 
 Fountains, Corn Bins, &c., supplied at Low 
 
 Prices. 
 
 PRICE LIST FREE ON APPLICATION. 
 
 GERMAN MOSS PEAT LITTER, 
 
 Moss Peat instead of dust, ashes, or lime in the house is the greatest 
 boon to poultry keepers of anything that I know. It saves time, keeps 
 the houses clean, and is in every way a comfort to the fowls themselves. 
 If the houses are cleaned out four or five times a year it is quite often 
 enough, as the peat does away with all smells, an occasional stir-up 
 being all that is required. When once used a poultry-keeper would not 
 be without it for anything. 
 
 Sold in half -hundred -weight bags ... 3/3 ) Bag and free delivery per 
 Three bags ... ... ... ... 9/- / Carter Paterson included. 
 
 Bales, weighing from 2 to 3 cwt. ... 97- 1 Purchasers must a car . 
 y half -ton " 23/- j ria e on these 
 
 New Edition. Now Ready. 
 
 THE POULTRY KEEPERS' ACCOUNT BOOK, 
 
 rw. 
 
 THE MOST COMPLETE METHOD PUBLISHED, PRICE I/- ; POST FREE 1/1 J. 
 
 WILLIAM COOK, 
 
 Queen's Head Yard, 105, Borough, London, 8.E., 
 
 AND ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY, KENT. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 TftT. COOK'S 
 
 PRICE LIST OF MEALS AND CORN, 
 
 
 I c 
 
 wt. 
 
 i-cwt. 
 
 i-cwt. 
 
 Improved Meal 
 
 IP 
 
 
 
 ^9 9 
 
 5 
 
 Biscuit , 
 
 17 
 
 
 
 8 10 
 
 4 8 
 
 Special , 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 7 9 
 
 4 
 
 General , 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 6 6 
 
 3 6 
 
 Bone , 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 3 9 
 
 Duck , 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 7 6 
 
 4 
 
 Fattening Meal for Ducks 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 7 6 
 
 4 
 
 Granulated Meat 
 
 21 
 
 
 
 10 6 
 
 5 6 
 
 Meat Dog Biscuits 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 6 6 
 
 3 6 
 
 Ground Oyster Shells 
 Flint Grit 
 
 8 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 4 6 
 
 7 6 
 
 2 6 
 4 
 
 ,, Dust 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 4 6 
 
 2 6 
 
 Delivered free to any Railway Station in England. Half carriage paid 
 on 1 cwt. bags to customers in Ireland and Scotland. 
 
 Wheat (best) 
 Buck Wheat (best French) 
 Barley 
 
 Sack. 
 19 
 18 
 18 
 
 |-sack. 
 9 6 
 9 
 9 
 
 Bush. 
 5 
 4 6 
 4 6 
 
 Maize (small round) 
 Dari .. 
 
 18 
 18 
 
 9 
 9 
 
 4 6 
 4 6 
 
 Groats (whole) extra quality, 19/6 per 112 Ibs. ; 10/- per 56 Ibs. ; 
 5/3 per 28 Ibs. 
 
 Carriage Paid ONLY within the delivery of Carter, Paterson & Co. 
 
 Orders for CORN cannot be executed unless a remittance for Sacks or 
 Bags accompany the Order. 
 
 Sacks charged 1/4, i -bushel bags, 6d., and allowed for when returned 
 to London Warehouse, 105, Borough, S. E. 
 
 These Prices are subject to Market Fluctuations. 
 IFLXUSTT GKR-IT. 
 
 Sharp grit is most essential to all birds, as it is their only means for digesting their food, 
 and they cannot thrive properly without it. FLINT GRIT is the best material that can be 
 used. W. Cook supplies FLINT GRIT broken in proper sizes for Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, 
 Pigeons, Chickens, and Cage .Birds, and it is all broken by hand, as Grit broken by a machine 
 loses the sharp edges it is so necessary to retain, and 28 Ibs. of hand-broken Flint will last 
 Fowls longer than 112 Ibs. of Flint broken by machinery. FLINT DUST is also invaluable 
 forjjaying Fowls and Ducks, it being strengthening to the egg-organs. 
 
 W. Cook recommends both the FLINT GRIT and the DUST to be mixed in the Fowls' 
 soft food, waste being thus prevented. Fowls require about half a teaspocnful each weekly 
 of the Grit, and when in full lay 3 teaspconfuls of the Dust daily to about 10 hens will be 
 sufficient. 
 
 W. COOK, Queen's Head Yard, 105, Borough, London ; 
 
 AND ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST.- MARY CRAY, KENT. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 OOOIEC'S 
 
 EMBROCATION FOR HORSES. 
 
 A Safe and Simple Remedy for Sprains and Rheumatism. 
 
 There are several good embrocations for horses manufactured. I 
 have tried most of them, and some I have found to answer the purpose 
 very well. The embrocation I am offering to the Public I find is a great 
 boon and shouid be kept in every stable. It is spendid for sprains and 
 bruises, both in the legs and shoulders of horses. When they have been 
 on a long journey, or running on the hard road, the sinews are often 
 strained, but when this occurs, if they are rubbed with this embrocation 
 it prevents them from getting puffy and stiff in the legs. It will also be 
 found a great boon when a horse goes lame, or stiff anywhere in the joints 
 or round the gullet. Many horses suffer a great deal with rheumatism 
 and by rubbing a little of the embrocation well in, it will ease the pain 
 and in many cases entirely relieve them. I do not say in every case, 
 because what will cure one horse will not always relieve another ; it is a 
 matter of impossibility to bring about a complete cure in every case but 
 I have found it to be the very best embrocation I have ever used for 
 horses suffering from any of the complaints I have mentioned. It will be 
 found also a spendid thing for rheumatism : the horsekeepers, themselves 
 might use it and find it very efficacious in case of aching legs or shoulders 
 as if it is well rubbed in, it alleviates the pain in less than ten minutes. 
 When using it for horses, rub it in very hard against the hair, then it 
 works into the skin better. It is well to bandage the animal afterwards. 
 The horses' legs may smart a little and the animal may get a little fidgety, 
 but it does not take the hair off the horses' legs unless it is used very 
 often, especially if the animal is bandaged after. Those who want to 
 blister their horses should get something more powerful, but this is a 
 simple and safe remedy. It is also very good for a horse with a sore 
 throat. They will often swell round the gullet and between the jaws, 
 the glands becoming enlarged. When a horse coughs or runs a little at the 
 nostrils it is well to rub a little of this round the throat, as they are 
 almost sure to have a sore throat. Sometimes when a horse comes m hot 
 it may be a little tender on the shoulders, but if it is sponged down first 
 with water, and then a little of the embrocation rubbed in, it will prevent 
 the shoulders from becoming sore. 
 
 Price, 2/6 and 5/- per bottle. Post free, 3/- and 5/-. 
 
 W. COOK, Queen's Head Yard, 105, Boro', London, S.E., 
 
 AND 
 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY, KENT. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS 
 
 W. COOK'S EMBROCATION 
 
 Sold in fid. and Is. bottles. Free by post for 8d. and Is. 3d. 
 
 OINTMENT FOR SCALY LEGS. 
 
 Sold in Gd. and Is. Boxes. Post Free, 7d. and Is. 8d. 
 
 W. COOK'S HORSE POWDERS. 
 
 This Powder is a good thing to give a horse when in low condition. 
 It acts as a tonic when the animal has been on a long journey. The 
 animal can he worked the following day. It makes the coat look like a 
 piece of silk. This tonic is a good thing to give a horse when it is 
 changing its coat in the Spring and Autumn. The powder will he found 
 all I have represented it to he by those who use it. It should be given in 
 hran and a little chaff mixed with it, just moistened with water, not 
 quite so soft as a hran mash. If the horse is only a little out of sorts he 
 will not require it more than two or three times. Two dessert spoonfuls 
 at a time is sufficient for a horse from 14 to 15 hands high. A cart horse 
 should have two table spoonfuls. It is sold in tins, I/-, 2/-, and 5/-. 
 Special quotations for larger quantities. Post free 1/3, 2/4i, and 5/- 
 carriage paid. 
 
 W. COOK'S OINTMENT 
 
 FOR 
 
 OHIPPED KJJEES OR JJ.NY FUND OF SOR.ES. 
 
 Horses are very subject to accidents, perhaps more so than any other 
 animal. The greatest misfortune which hefalls them is falling down and 
 cutting their knees, which of course lessens the value of an animal greatly, 
 especially when the knees are cut deeply. It is said hy experienced 
 people when the hair is once cut oft' it does not grow smooth again 
 like that which is remaining on the leg. I have tried many experiments 
 for this, and have at last found an ointment which causes the hair to grow 
 smooth, so that it is not noticed. The hair does not grow very strong 
 and long when the knees are cut deeply and pieces taken out of them. 
 In that case nothing will cause the hair to grow properly. I have dressed 
 horse's knees which have been cut very much, and the hair has 
 grown again. The ointment can be used for any sores on horses, which 
 may he caused by friction of the harness. It can also be used for cuts 
 or bruises in any other animal. Full directions sent with the ointment. 
 Sold in 2/- and 5/- pots, post free 2/4J, or 5/- worth carriage paid. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 DUCK REARING & BREEDING WJADE SIMPLE 
 
 THE BOOK ON DUCKS, 
 
 AND 
 
 HOW TO MAKE THEM PAY, 
 
 By W. COOK. 
 
 PRICE 2s., POST FREE 2s. 3d. 
 
 Duck rearing being an industry largely on the increase, W. COOK 
 felt that those engaging in it would do better if they treated their birds 
 more intelligently in many instances. 
 
 The book goes into detail concerning all the most important 
 branches of duck breeding and rearing, shewing the characteristic 
 features of the breeds, and giving directions for crossing so as to produce 
 birds suited to the varied requirements of the Markets, and circumstances 
 of small rearers. 
 
 As its title would suggest, the book is intended to help towards 
 making duck rearing pay. Its pages abound with useful hints and plain 
 and practical information, all intended to help cottagers and others to 
 add to both comfort and income by keeping ducks and thereby combining 
 pleasure with profit 
 
 The information, which is based upon knowledge gained during an 
 extensive experience will be found practical in every detail, and most 
 useful to all who have anything to do with duck rearing either on a large 
 or small scale. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 
 
 OOCXK:., 
 
 QUEEN'S HEAD YARD, 105, BOROUGH, LONDON ; 
 
 AND 
 
 ORPINGTON HOUSE, ST. MARY CRAY, KENT, 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 SINGLE COMB BLACK ORPINGTON PULLET. 
 
 There are several varieties of Orpingtons, but the t\vo most 
 popular kinds are the Rose-comb ami Single-comb Black Orpingtons. 
 The hens are wonderful layers of brown eggs, and this in Winter 
 when eggs are scarce, and consequently valuable. 
 
 For prices of eggs and particulars, apply to the originator, 
 W. COOK, Orpington House, St. Mary Cray, and Queen's Head Yard, 
 105, Borough, London, S. E., who has the finest strains and a large 
 number of the very best birds of all the varieties for sale. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 SINGLE COMB BLACK ORPINGTON COCK. 
 
 This breed has been introduced by W. COOK to meet the demand for 
 a good table bird with white skin, combined with good winter laying 
 and coloured eggs. Their value in these particulars is acknowledged by 
 people all over the World who have tried them. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 SPRATT'S PATENT 
 
 PREPARED 
 
 FOAL FOOD. 
 
 This Food is specially prepared to meet a want long felt by breeders 
 of horses. The principle of its preparation consists in a thorough 
 imitation of the milk of the mare, so that, when mixed in the proportions 
 indicated in the directions, its nutrient constituents and digestive 
 qualities are fully equal to the milk of the mother. 
 
 The use of this Food will overcome the difficulty of a. mother having 
 a deficient supply of milk, or even in the entire absence of the mother 
 the foal can be successfully reared on it from the birth. 
 
 As a restorative drink for hunters (especially those that are bad 
 feeders), when they return exhausted, from a long day's work and fast, 
 it is invaluable. Being thoroughly cooked it is light, easily digested, 
 and exceedingly soothing to the stomach and intestines, bringing the 
 stomach sooner back to a tit state to receive food than anything else 
 could possibly do. 
 
 " The Cobham Stud, Limited, Cobham, May 25th, 1880. 
 
 "To ' Spratt's Patent ': I used your Patent Food for foals with 
 very great success. Latterly one foal has been entirely fed upon it, and 
 it seems to have brought it on as well as if it had been sucking its 
 mother. I have also given it to foals whose dams were short of milk, and 
 I found that it in no way disagreed with the foals by taking it with the 
 dam's milk at the same time ; on the contrary, the foals made a very 
 satisfactory improvement. I can strongly recommend the food to all 
 breeders of blood stock. 
 
 " Yours very truly, R. D. BELL, Manager." 
 
 SOLD ONLY IN TINS, PRICE 3/- PER TIN. 
 
 YOUR J3OG AILS 
 
 Send for our Pamphlet on u Canine Diseases" 
 Pod Free, to 
 
 SPRATT'S PATENT, Limited, 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 The success of this Journal, which has so wide a circulation, enables us to 
 offer Advertisers a medium for placing their yoods before agriculturists and 
 rural residents second to none. Unanimous testimony to this effect from 
 those who have used its columns will be forwarded on application to intending 
 Advertisers. 
 
 armfield&fireside 
 
 An Agricultural, Rural, and Domestic Journal, 
 
 G-^IRIDIEIISIV, IHIOIMIIE, 
 
 A Journal for Everybody^ 
 
 QUERIES & ANSWERS. 
 
 Especial attention is called to this feature of the paper, as the columns 
 of every department of " FARM, FIELD, AND FIRESIDE " are freely 
 open to all, and offer a means of exchanging opinions and obtaining 
 information such as can be met with in no other way. 
 
 N.B. "FARM, FIELD, & FIRESIDE" is the only paper offering 
 
 24 pages of well-printed useful information in a handy, compact form, 
 
 Illustrated, stitched and cut, for the sum of 
 
 ^ onsriE zpiBisriisr"Y". ^ 
 
 Specimen Copies can be obtained from Newsagents, Booksellers, and 
 Bookstalls, or direct from the Publisher, W. A. MAY, 
 
 1, ESSEX STREET, STRAND, LONDON, W.C. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 CUPISS'S CONSTITUTION BALLS 
 
 FOR For Grease, Swelled Legs, Cracked Heels, 
 
 Coughs, Colds, Hove or Blown, Hide Bound, 
 
 HORSES, Loss of Appetite, Staring- Coat, Distemper, 
 
 Epidemic or Influenza, & for preserving Good 
 
 NEAT Health & getting into Prime Condition, &e. 
 
 r< A TTT T? TESTzn^consri^-i,. 
 
 LAllLHi, The Cannock Agricultural Company, Limited. 
 
 CANNOCK, STAFFS., April W.h, 1890. 
 
 Oil bill , DEAR SIRS, I have much pleasure in testifying 
 
 to the superiority of your HORSE CONSTITUTION 
 
 AND BALLS. We have used them for the last 10 years, 
 
 QpArTpT'M'p and find nothing that can equal them. You can 
 
 OL/U U 111 IN \J m ake what use you like of this testimonial. 
 
 Yours faithfully, 
 
 MESSRS. CUPISS, HENRY R. HART, 
 
 P A T VJJS Diss, Norfolk. Managing Director. 
 
 1 $3L Two noted prize winners belonging to this Company 
 
 they are almost - n f g^ anc j f ^ SO M f or 7,000 guineas each at t/te London Shire 
 
 infallible. Horse Show. 
 
 Prepared upwards of 50 years by the Late FRANCIS CUPISS, M.R.C.V.S., Diss, Norfolk. 
 Are sold by all Chemists and Medicine Vendors in Packets at Is. 9d. and 3s. 6d. each, or 
 7 small 10S. 6d., or 7 large 21s., or direct from Proprietor The Wilderness, Diss, Norfolk, 
 on receipt of Order to amount. 
 
 THOKW. 
 
 8, 1ION STREET, BOUGH, LONDON, S.E., 
 
 MANUFACTURERS OF 
 
 Sacks, Bags, Tarpaulins, Patent Waterproof 
 
 Cloths, Rick Cloths, 
 
 Tents, Marquees, Ropes, Lines Twines, 
 Cocoa Matting, Mats, Horse Cloths, &c. 
 
 TWINE SPECIALLY SOFT FOR POULTRY FANCIERS. 
 
ADVERTISEMENTS. 
 
 ESTABLISHED I860. 
 
 E. CLARKE & SON, 
 
 Letterpress, Lithographic and Copperplate 
 
 JPRINTERS, 
 
 publishers, oHhoUsale nub Slctail <tati oners, jjookbinfoers, 
 anb Booksellers, 
 
 53, HIGH STREET, BROMLEY, KENT, 
 
 And the Printing Works, St. Mary Cray, 
 
 Offer the resources of their large and ; most completely appointed 
 
 Works to all who are desirous of obtaining First Class Printing 
 
 either Plain or in Colour, at Moderate Prices. 
 
 Their Works at Bromley and St. Mary Cray are among the best equipped 
 in the County Spacious Premises, Powerful and most approved 
 Machinery driven by (Jas Power, a very extensive assortment of the 
 Newest Types and Ornaments, a complete Stereotyping Foundry, and 
 Bookbinding Plant and Machinery, together with a Large Staff of 
 Competent Workmen, enable them to undertake Printing and Book- 
 ie, .!:,, (; on tracts of any magnitude. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 Quernmore, Bromley, Kent, 
 
 Marc It i '4th, 1890. 
 
 I have much pleasure in bearing testimony to the excellent work turned out for me by 
 Mr. Clarke, who has printed several of my books, not only in English, but also in classical and 
 modern languages. The work is characterised by care, neatness, precision, and good style. 
 
 JOHN GIBSON, M.A. 
 
 REV. J. G. GARDNER, B.A., St. Paul's Cray, Kent. 
 
 It would be ungracious concluding this little book without returning my best thanks 
 to Mr. E. Clarke, Printer, of Bromley, and St. Mary Cray, for the taste and care bestowed in its 
 publication. From his very moderate charges, I should imagine would-be-publishers of their 
 own works could not do better than consult him before doing so. 
 
 Printers of "The Poultry Journal," edited by W. Cook, 
 and other publications. 
 
 Estimates promptly furnished for all kinds of Printing, including Music 
 Printing, and Works in Classical, Oriental, and Modern Languages. 
 
YB 16541