Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 8, ELE-FOR

Part IV. FARRIERY. 463
„ feet of horfes more, or more frequently produces foft- the affefted parts fhould not be rubbed, as it would Hygeio.
logy, nefs of the hoof, canker, and greafy heels, than allow- tend to increafe the pain and diftrefs arifing from the logy-
inflammation. v '
104
Jlothing.
505
"eiGng.
'ing them to ftand night and day on hot fermenting
dung. It is alfo impoflible for the horfe to lie down
in comfort in fuch a hot-bed ; and if the poor animal
is obliged to recline himfelf for a time, he is foon com¬
pelled to rife again, and repeatedly making the fame
attempt to reft, and finding it impra&icable, he is for¬
ced at length to ftand altogether, perhaps Ihifting his
legs from one part of the ftall to another, to avoid the
heat of the dung.
Lord Pembroke is of opinion that after working,
and at night of courfe, as alfo in lameneffes and fick-
neffes, it is good for horfes to ftand on litter ; it alfo
promotes ftaling, &c. At other times it is a bad cuf-
tom ; the conftant ufe of it heats and makes the feet
tender, and caufrs fwelled legs. Moreover it renders
the animal delicate. Swelled legs may frequently be
reduced to their proper natural fize by taking away
the litter only, which, in fome ftables, where ignorant
grooms and farriers govern, would be a great faving of
phyfic and bleeding, befides ftraw. “ I have feen,
(fays he), by repeated experiments, legs fwell and un-
fvvell, by leaving litter, or taking it away, like mer¬
cury in a weather-glafs.”
It is a very common practice to keep horfes, while
in the liable, covered up with warm clothing. This
is in fome cafes neceffary, efpecially when they are un¬
der a courfe of phyfic, or are otherwife fo delicate, as
that they would be liable to injury from too much ex-
pofure to the air. But its indifcriminate ufe is highly
improper, as it tends to render the horfe too delicate,
and expofes him to the danger of catching cold when¬
ever he goes out into the air. While a horfe is in com¬
plete health, and Hands idle, he requires very little, if
any covering, unlefs the liable be extremely cold, or ill
Iheltered. When indeed he comes into the liable,
much heated by violent exercife or hard labour, it may
be proper to throw over him a Angle cloth, that he may
cool gradually. Some grooms think it neceffary, be¬
fides enveloping the horfe with body clothes, to gird
them fall round the belly with tight rollers ; and this
is done with the view of taking up the horfes belly, as
they term it. The pra£tice is exceedingly abfurd, for
theife tight rollers impede the circulation in the fuper-
ficial veins, produce difficult breathing, and if they
be applied, as is often the cafe, after eating, they great¬
ly obftrufl digeftion.
To finilh the fubje£t of liable economy, we have
only to make a few remarks on currying, or dreffing
horfes.
Fridlion employed on the horfe’s Ikin is not only ne-
ceffary to keep him clean, and to promote the infenfi-
ble perfpiration, by freeing the fkin and hair from im¬
purities, but it is exceedingly ufeful when confidered
as a kind of exercife. It promotes the free circulation
of the blood, which is much impeded by the horfe
Handing long idle in the liable 5 and it much improves
the appearance of the horfe’s coat. Horfes Ihould
therefore be regularly dreffed, at lead twice a-day.
There are, however* fome cafes in which general
friction ought not to be employed fuch are cafes of
internal inflammation, efpecially of the bowels j or
when there is a difcharge of lharp ichorous matter from
any part, efpecially the legs and heels. In thefe cafes
2. Of Cow-houfes, or Byres.
106
After what we have faid on the conftruftion of Ha- Cow-houfes
bles, we need not here enlarge on that of cow-houfes or byres,
or cattle byres, as thefe buildings, fo far at leaft as re-
fpe6ls their outfides, are conftrufted on fimilar princi¬
ples. We lhall take occafion,' when treating on the
manner of feeding cattle, to defcribe a byre that ap¬
pears to us to afford a good model for buildings of this
kind.
It is of material importance in the wintering of young
Hock, to keep them more warm, and Iheltered from
wet, than is ufually done, as by this means they thrive
fafter, with a lefs confumption of food, than in the con¬
trary circumftances. This may be effected, either by
tying them up in Halls, in houfes for the purpofe, or
by keeping them in good Iheds in well inclofed yards. ^
The queftion of feeding the cattle tied up, or loofe pr0prjety
in the yards, in winter, has not been yet decided, of tying
Each method has probably advantages. In the firft,catfle*
the cattle thrive better than when left at liberty to run
about the yards. Mr Marftiall found that in York-
fliire, cattle kept tied up, and regularly fed with ftraw
in a moderate proportion, did better than in the fouthern
parts of the ifland, where left loofe in the midft of greater
plenty. Whether this effedl is to be afcribed to the
greater warmth, the refting better, or the being fed
more regularly, and eating with an appetite, he cannot
determine. Some experiments of Mr Young’s alfo
lead to the conclufion that cattle flock thrive better
when tied up. They like wife ffiow that the pra£lice
of tying up is the only one that can be had recourfe to,
where ftraw is not in great plenty, and the quantity of
the flock very inadequate to its confumption.
In the latter method there is the advantage of a
large fupply of manure, efpecially where the farmer has
the conveniency of litter. Where however the farmer
has convenience, the former method is probably in ge¬
neral the moft beneficial. In either mode of manage¬
ment much attention is neceffary to keeping the flock
conftantly fupplied in an evenly proportioned manner, * bickforis
as in this way there will be great advantage, both in^r,f“^*
the faving of food, and the condition of the animals*. 'ao’s
The neceffity of providing fhelter for cattle in bad Ox-houfes.
weather, is now we believe pretty well underftood by
every intelligent farmer $ and experience has proved
that proper buildings erefted for winter feeding are at¬
tended with confiderable advantages. The ere£lion for
this purpofe at Hafod in Wales, the refidence of Tho¬
mas Johnes, Efq. M. P. for the county of Cardigan,
and one of the moft eminent improvers of the prefent
time, feems to be calculated upon a moderate fcale*..
The whole length of the building is fifty feet, the roof
fhelving, its chief height being fourteen feet, the lower
extremities, one feven and a half, the other fix feet.
A ftone wall running up to the fummit, parts the feed-
ing-heufe from the other and fmaller apartment, which,
is a receptacle for dung. Width of the feeding-houfe,
nineteen feet within-fide. Stalls each twelve feet long
by four feet two inches wide. Gangway three feet and
a half, at the heels and tails of the cattle, leading from
the doorSj the firft door being for the cattle, the other
for