The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 1 1
loads to draw and as steep hills to climb. They study
their horse's comfort much more than is done by the
farmers and carters of this boasted Christian land.
How much straining, fear, torture, and misery, would be
taken away from the poor horse if brains were more
plentiful in men !
By
the very simple contrivance of
brake-power to every cart, the horse could go as easily
down a steep hill as on the level road. I have seen
such a contrivance in Scotland upon the carts drawing
stone from quarries. It is simply a piece of wood
attached to the after-part of the cart with two short
pieces of chain ; in the centre of the wood a small rod
of iron passes through to the axletree to which it is
attached, on the end which projects through the wood
a screw-handle is attached, with which the carter can
screw the block of wood so that it has a bearing upon
both wheels. The contrivance is very simple and the
cost trifling, as any country smith could make it and
put it on, and the saving in wear and tear of horse
flesh must be enormous. This simple break would be
far superior to the skid pan and chain upon our
waggons, as the power is upon both wheels at once,
and the pressure can be put on without the horses
being stopped and can be taken off without backing
the load. If owners of waggons and carts would have
them put on, their carters would soon appreciate
them ; for as a rule they are very fond of their horses,
especially if the farmer does not half-starve them.
The late Mr Mechi used to jocularly say that "the
ploughmen were more fond of their horses than their
wives ; they love to see them fat, with skins as glossy as
H