Veterinary Notes for the Farmer

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 64, Issue 2, 16 February 1942, Page 119

Veterinary Notes for the Farmer

The Horse Returns

He Will Repay Being Well Looked After

Contributed by the LIVESTOCK DIVISION

NO doubt the restriction on the use of petrol . will encourage many people in country districts to look about to see what use < can .be made of ponies and horses to overcome transport and _ haulage difficulties. Where grazing is available, the horse will prove very useful for' many jobs formerly carried out' by motor-power. In the rural districts the feeding and stabling should not present the same difficulties as in the larger centres, but the problem of obtaining suitable saddlery and harness will be a real one unless the horse is to be used for saddle purposes only. .The selection of the horse will depend upon the nature of the work it is intended to carry out. ; The horse may/ be required for draught purposes, for riding purposes, or for , driving. Many horses - acquired' for any of the above' purposes will be found to be big and soft, having been running on good pasture at this season'of the year. Many will be in a fat bodily condition, and ' generally look pleasing to the eye. However, fatness is not ■ fitness, and consequently a good deal of preparatory exercise, training, and correct feeding' will be required to , get the animal into good working condition. The first tendency will be to remove all soft, flabby fat, and through exercise .and work the animal will gradually be built up into a fit and muscular condition ’ suitable for the type of work required.

Grooming and Feeding

During- the early stages the soft, grass-fed animal will perspire freely at all exercise and light work, and this will consequently entail the necessity for regular grooming to keep the skin in a clean and healthy condition. Grooming is much neglected by owners, and its cleansing and stimulating effect on the skin of the animal is not fully appreciated. It, has been . stated that a good grooming, daily is as valuable as a feed of oats, and everyone knows the value of oats in the feeding of horses. Because of the difficulty of getting grass-fed horses on to dry feeding, such as chaff, hay, or oats, a certain restriction on the amount of grazing may be required. It may be necessary to put the horse in the barest

paddock available, where the enclosure .may be used more for shelter, exercise, and freedom than for actual grazing purposes. A good, clean, wholesome water supply should always be provided, especially if the horse is on dry feed. A period of several weeks will 'be necessary to get the grass-fed horse into a fit and working condition. Extra time spent in this preliminary preparation of the animal will prevent many disappointments later on, as an unfit animal is subject, to many ailments which may be avoided if a suitable preparation is carried out. .It is not expected that each owner will go'into the detail necessary by. the trainer of the thoroughbred, where a very high degree of physical fitness is called for. On the other hand,, one frequently sees good horses being used for. work for

which they are not fit, and consequently many breakdowns, many lamenesses, and much impaired usefulness is seen.

Subject to Disease

The overfat horse put into the mowing machine for several days’ heavy work may the subject of many ailments and' diseases. A common sequel is laminitis, or more'commonly spoken of as founder. As the name implies, this is an.'inflammation of the sensitive laminae inside the hoof. The condition is most painful, the horse being frequenly unable to walk in the acute stage of the disease. Attempt is made by the horse to take the weight off the ' inflamed sensitive laminae by standing on the heels of all four feet. Consequently, the forefeet are well, out in front, and the hind feet are pushed forward well under the body. When the . acute stage has passed there is a tendency . for the soles of the feet to drop, and the horse remains permanently impaired because of flat feet and ringing of the hooves. The small ponv

is also liable to ■ this condition because of its tendency to become excessively fat. even on comparatively bare pastures. ■ t The unfit horse : is very, susceptible to sprains and strains of ligaments and muscles. It has been stated that the heart muscles ; are frequently strained when grass-fed horses are used periodically for a 1 spell of severe sustained heavy work, such.as mowing. Shoulder and saddle sores are also liable : to be troublesome in the soft animal as against the fit horse. Just as training is necessary for the athlete to enable him to give of his best, so is training necessary for the horse. . The wellgroomed, well-fed team in a fit condition can do a tremendous amount of work day .after day ' under reasonable care and management. Although the tendency of late years to ; replace the horse by the motor has to a great extent prevented the opportunity for young men to acquire and develop the knowledge necessary in the sound management of horses, there

is no reason to despair if commonsense methods are followed. The. term “horse-sense” is frequently used to describe the ease with which the average horse becomes accustomed to his surroundings and work,, and it remains for man to . carry out his duty , to a useful, faithful, and intelligent animal.

Individual Needs

Horse management covers such a wide .field that it is not possible to deal with ' the subject . - fully, so that general lines must be followed. The needs and requirements of animals differ, however, and the study of each animal’s peculiarities in regard to feeding and' management is well recognised by .all good horsemen. Thus, it has been found that a horse may be subject to repeated attacks of colic under one manager or on one. farm. When the same animal is removed to another farm where the system of feeding .and management is .different, the attacks of i colic disappear completely. The knowledge of how to deal with such

propositions .is acquired, through a study of the individual habits and requirements of the animals under care. It is advisable to endeavour to find out the cause of any individual weakness,' "when steps should be . taken to prevent it. This individual treatment rather, than. mass treatment is more likely to give the best results in horse management, as in the latter case attention to detail may be lacking. Thus, in feeding, guesswork may be used instead of actual weighing of feeds and rations. Too much is frequently'as harmful as too little. Regularity in watering and feeding is desirable. Clean, wholesome feed should always be provided.. The horse is sensitive to musty and dusty feeds or food contaminated with vermin. If horses are on hard feed all week, a laxative green diet will be relished at the weekend. All changes in feeding, however, should be carried out very gradually so as not to cause indigestion and bring about cases, of colic. If the feed is dry and dusty the addition of molasses in water sprayed on the feed may make it more palatable and more digestible. The addition of linseed jelly, prepared by steeping linseed overnight in water, will assist in bringing up the coat in the horse being prepared for show purposes. ' / If a . horse' is . losing condition an examination should be made to find out the cause. If 'young, the animal may be infested with worms, and may require suitable worm treatment. In an older animal, faulty teeth and faulty mastication .of the food may 'result in loss of flesh. Here, again, dental irregularities need to be attended to, and possibly a change in the diet may be necessary. The use of crushed oats may give good results where whole oats are not being properly masticated and digested. ■ln the . general study of horse management there is quite a big field of useful and exacting detail to be acquired by those interested in the subject. / Moreover, the. care and management of all classes of animals v is interesting, and applies in greater force to any person who has anything to do with horses.

Answers to Correspondents

Blood in Milk

READER (CROMWELL) As there is no veterinarian near, I am writing to you to inquire what is the trouble, with my cow. She is a

Jersey— calver,, came in in October, and is milking very well, only she seems to have trouble in one' of the back teats. It is an effort to get the milk, although it is in full supply.

The milk appears quite normal, but I noticed a little blood around. the separator bowl which contains the discs. The cow appears healthy, although not in ; great condition. She

has never, been - an easy cow .to milk, but it is only . this last, fortnight .that the back teat has gone back. The udder is not hard or inflamed. z "- ! ... • LIVESTOCK DIVISION:— ■ The presence of blood in the milk is not an uncommon condition, and is due to the rupture of small blood vessels in the udder. Recovery ’is sometimes delayed a week or two, but in most cases the condition clears up without any permanent injury to the udder. The hardness in milking is probably due to a certain amount of stricture in the teat canal. Handle the udder gently when milking and watch the quarter for any inflammation or change in the milk, as these quarters are . liable to develop mastitis.

Swelling in Rectum. of Pig R. 3 (SOUTHLAND): !, >? ' I would be very grateful if in your next .issue, through your veterinary notes, you could explain the cause of an enlarged swelling coming out of the rectum of a pig, as though the back passage has slipped. Do you

think, overfeeding is the cause? They have been fed on plenty of skim-milk, the froth being drained off. : LIVESTOCK, DIVISION: The pig is suffering from prolapse of the anus and probably some portion of the rectum. The primary cause of —Jill——|l|l—nu—MU—MU—llU——•till— MH—-UH—HU——tm—«U—mi

Advisory Service on Veterinary Matters. Farmers are invited to submit inquiries connected with the health of their stock, and the replies will be published under this heading.

Mgt ihWUhbNiii I Ml HM— MB——M. Mi—M —M—the trouble is i straining, which may be induced by diarrhoea, constipation, increased abdominal pressure, possibly due to overfeeding , with certain types of food, or anything causing inflammation of the rectum. From the above you. will readily understand the cause of the trouble, and you should have no difficulty in preventing it in future. Overfeeding, which you mention, is a cause, especi-

ally with voluminous food such as skim-milk or whey. ■' The successful retention of the pro-' truded mass will depend upon the length, of time it has been out. and whether, it has. suffered any damage. Raise the hindquarters of the pig, clean the prolapsed mass, smear it with vaseline or liquid paraffin, and then by gradual and careful manipulation replace it in the normal position. Complete reduction is necessary, otherwise the prolapse will recur. If it will not remain in position you may be able to carry out the following direction: —Reduce the mass as above, and then, using a light bagging needle, insert a purse string - stitch through the skin all round the anus (the stitch goes in and out all round) at about I inch from its border, leaving- an orifice sufficiently large for the passage of' faeces. The stitch may be tightened or loosened at will. This method is very effective unless violent straining ensues, when the stitch material may - cut through the skin.