. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. TREATMENT OF FARM-HORSES. 543 Fig. 279. Fig. 880. and dexterity, with a combing of the tail and mane, should render the horse pretty clean ; but there are moi'e ways than one of grooming a horse, as may be witnessed by the skimming and careless way in which some plowmen do it. It is true that the rough coat of a farm-horse is not easily cleaned, and more especially in a work-stable where there is much dust floating about and no horse-clothes in
. The book of the farm : detailing the labors of the farmer, steward, plowman, hedger, cattle-man, shepherd, field-worker, and dairymaid. Agriculture. TREATMENT OF FARM-HORSES. 543 Fig. 279. Fig. 880. and dexterity, with a combing of the tail and mane, should render the horse pretty clean ; but there are moi'e ways than one of grooming a horse, as may be witnessed by the skimming and careless way in which some plowmen do it. It is true that the rough coat of a farm-horse is not easily cleaned, and more especially in a work-stable where there is much dust floating about and no horse-clothes in use; but rough as it is, it may be clean though not sleek ; and it is the duty of the steward to see that the grooming is done in an efficient manner. A slap of the hand upon the horse will soon let you know whether there is any loose dust in his hair. Attendance at this time will give you an insight into the manner in which farm-horses ought to be cleaned and generally treated in the stable. The straw of the bedding is then shaken up with a fork such as in fig. 279. This figure has rather longer prongs, and is too sharp for a stable fork, which is most handy- for shaking up straw when about 5 feet in length, and least dangerous of injuring the legs of the horses by puncture when blunt. The united prongs ter- minate at their upper end in a sort of spike or tine, which is diiven into a hooped ash shaft, as better seen in fig. 280, which is a steel-pronged fork of the form used in Lincolnshire, and is an excellent instrument for working among straw. This mode of mounting a fork is much better than with socket and nail, which ai"e apt to become loose and catch the straw. The horses then get their feed of oats, after which the lights are removed ond the stable-dottrs barred and locked by the stew- ard, \vho is custodier of the key. In some stables a bed is provided for a lad, that he may be present to relieve any accident or illness that may befall any of the horses ; but wher
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
