If
the body is over-heated it is always well to wait before drinking a
great quantity of cold water, but while exercising, horses as well as
men need to drink often.
Every time a horse has been out, his feet should be carefully lifted and
brushed out. If a small stone gets fixed in the hollow part of the foot,
it will soon make a horse lame. It is so simple and easy to take out the
stones which a horse picks up in this way, that all boys and girls
should learn how to do it, as soon as they are old enough.
The horse is very sensitive to the sound of the human voice. If the tone
is loud and harsh he is frightened and irritated, while he is easily
encouraged if it is quiet and friendly. Teamsters have a careless habit
of shouting at their horses, which is unnecessary and unkind.
When a horse is balky see that the harness does not hurt him, and that
the load is not too heavy for him to draw. Then try some simple
encouragement, such as a friendly pat or a lump of sugar.
Lastly, the over-check rein is the cause of intense pain. The use of
this rein is so common that it is well to know how painful and dangerous
it is. A horse needs to put his head and neck down in order to draw a
load well. The over-check is the direct cause of several diseases, and a
horse often becomes knee-sprung from its use.
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