NOTFS OM
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HORSE INIANAGEMENT
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IN THE FIELD.
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(ISSUED BY TEE Q.M.G.’S BRANCH.)
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NOTES ON
HORSE MANAGEMENT
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GENERAL.
Introduction.
Thcse notes :we based on t h e official publica-.
tioo, ‘‘ Aoimal Management,” prepared by t h o
Veterinary Department of t h e War Office, which
i t is recommended should be studied.
Resourcefulness Necessary when DifficultieS
Arise.
The adoption of councils ut perfection is often
impossible on Service. Resourcefulness m u s t
be exercised t o meet difficulties.
Common sensc and ingenuity mill help t o
overcome troubles, and forethought t o prevent
their development.
Need for Careful ,Supervision by Officers m d
Men.
The Officer Commanding a nnit is primarily
resnonsible for t h e condition of t h e horses in
bis’cbarge.
Constant sunervisioo bv Officers and N.C.Os.
is essenti,al, particularly as m a n y of t h e men in
direct charge of animals haveI ha?. no .,pre:war
experience of t h e work.
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Objects Aimed at by Horae-mastershlp.
Horse-mastership aims at keeping t h e largest
number of animals as fit as possible, and
reducing inefficiency to a minimum, by prevent.ion of accidcnts and illness.
WATERING.
Quality and Quantity.
E v e r y effort should be made to ensure a
clean supply of mater in sufficient quafltity.
8 bo 10 gallons per d i y p e r animal is required.
N e e d for Troughs.
Water from troughs if possible, and if regular
troughs are not forthcoming some substitute
should he found. Anything capable of holding
water will do, e.g., biscuit and tea tins, ground
sheets and tnrpaulins of all kinds, variously
supported.
Animals n o t t o be Led i n t o Water.
Unless absolutely necessary. animals should
not be taken into the water to drink. particularly
into ponds and muddy bottomed sluggish
streams.
Danger of Dirty Water.
Drinking dirty water if persisted in, mill upset
digestion and lead to sand colic, a.nd genersl
inefficiency. It is also a common source of
intestinitl worms.
Troughs-How Filled.
Pumps should be used, if availahle. Take care
n o t to stir u p mud and s m d while pumping.
Lower t h e inlet pipe quietly into the mater in’a
bucket, and keep it there while pumping.
Filling troughs by buckets is laborious a d
slow, h u t is justified if no better means are at
hand.
W a t e r Should be a s n e a r camp as Possible.
Time und energy spent in going t o and from
water is pure waste. T h e nearer the camp to
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i t s mater supply the better.
w a t e r i n g in camg.
I n standing camps mater at least three times
daily, and in summer four times.
Wetering o n the March.
While on t h e moee ullow a good drink when.
ever possible. however hot and sweaty t h e
animals may be, unless very severe or fast work
is expected.
Not Immediately a f t e r Food.
A.heavy drink soon a f t e r a meal is liable to
upset digestion and should not be allowed.
T h e usual routine is mater first, feed after.
At liberty horses drink a s they feel inclined.
Rules for Watering at Troughs.
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1. No man should take more than tmo
animals at oue time to drink.
2. An Officer should he on duty a t t h e
watering place while t h e animals are drinking.
W h e n not avaihhle, il m a r r m t officer or senior
N.C.O.should he detailed.
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* 8. Animals should be watered in batcbes, a
whole batch should be kept at the trough till all
have finished and have had their hends up for
at least one minute. Every batch mill require
from five t o six minutes actually at t h e trough..
4. Bits should always be removed and girths
slackened.
5 . W e t e r troughs should be frequently
emptied and.cleaned.
G. Kickers shonld be wetered separately.
S y s t e m of Decentralization Advisable.
Drinking m t t e r offers a re:idy m e m s of
spreading disease. It is better t o provide
separate troughs for each unit t h a n t o allow
one trough t o bo used by e number of units.
Where several uuits h s v c t o mn,ter et o n e
place, arrange a time table t o prevent overcrowding and kicking.
FEEDING.
Little and Often.
The principle O F
followed.
"
little and often
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should b e
Allotment of Forage Ration.
Feed at least three atid preferably f o u r times
a day. A late feed, say between 8 and 9 p.m.,
even of hay is beneficial.
B a k EssentiaJ and t h e Need for Chaff.
Hulk is essential, particularly for draught
anininls. and whenever possible, add chriff, mnde
from hay, straw, o r freshly a u t gross, to each
feed.
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I n the absence of chaff cutters one man cn.n
soon produce a useful a m o u n t of chaff, with a
henvy kniCe or chopper, using any log of wood
RS a chopping block.
Rough grass froin banks
or hedge YOWS, or young rushes a r e useful for
t h e purpose.
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S c a l e of Ration.
This is laid down in General Roiitine Orders,
&.M.G.'s Branch, a n d unless t h e issue is restricted by the military situation t h e full
a m o u n t should be drawn.
Under war conditions it is frequently neces,sa.ry t o make use of whatever is obtainable, and
t h e following may with advantage be given:(&) A s ' a s u b s t i t u t e for hay.-Ont, &ea.t,
barley or pe;L straw, in t h e Corm of
chaff if possible.
(6) A6 a substitute for oats.-Maize,'small
quantities of barley, linseed cake,
linseed, peas a n d beans.
,(c) As a laxative diet a n d t o u d c e hiilkB r a n , tiirnips, beetroot, mangolds,
carrots, green crops, brewers and
discillere grains.
W a s t a g e : Nosebags, H a y Nets.
W a s t e of food.must be prevented et all costs.
Feeding off t h e ground should n o t be allowed.
B o t h hay a n d oats a% pal time8 may beconie
soiled, a n d in wet weather trodden i n t o t h e
ground. In windy'weather bay i s blown about
a n d wasted.
Every animal should have a nosebag a n d
har uei.
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Nosebags, a f t e r use, should be tnrned inside
out, cleaned and dried i n the sun if possiblo.
They should never be left lying a b o u t on the
groond.
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S a v e H a y Seed, Short H a y and Clover Leaves.
Biq, bales should be broken up and hay n e t s
filled at a central place.
Economy will be effeotcd if t h e hay is rubbed
over a n improvised sieve. Seeds, clover leaves,
and short bay mill fall through and only t h e
clean long hay should be p u t into t h e nets.
T h e matierial which falls tbrongb t h e sieve, a.nd
mould ordinarily be wasted should he given as
chaff.
T h e sieve c a n be made,with htly or chicken
wire, secnred t o a rough wooden Iramo 5 or 6 f e e t
long by 2 or 2& feet wide supported horizontally
2%feeti from t h e ground.
not Feed MOuldY Forage.
Monldy bay or corn does more h a r m t h a n
good, and should n o t be given.
:Bran mashes are useful, b u t bran is not
n,bsoliitely neccssa.ry for bordbs at mork. It i s
obiefly used for horses which are sick or those
a t rest.
For a bran niash take 2 to H lbs. of bran, n
tablespoonful of salt, and as much boili71,g w a t e r
as .mill well wet the bran. Cover a.nd allow t o
stand till cool enough t o cat.
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Salt.
Salt, i)artieularly rock salt, may be given w i t h
advantnge.
and O t h e r Drugs.
Epsom Salts and other drugs are unnecessarp,
-and may be harmful. Horses no more require
regular dosing t b a n do men.
O n the March.
When on t h e march t h e DosehRg should be
p n t on wbenever.liossible.
No animal should be s e n t on any d u t y or
fatigue without a filled nosebng a n d b a y net.
EgSOm Salts
' Effects
of Wrong Procedure.
T h e over-hungry horse is so impatient t h a t
be tosses food about a n d wastes i t , and will holi
his food without che\riug i t properly. Wind
sucking, dung-eating, a n d other objectionable
liebits a r e Iai.gcly .doe t o Icaving :~oimalstoo
long without food o r to.giving BO insufficiency
of bulk.
Grazing and Ctreen Food.
131uuourage griieing; it is hencficial t o health
and helps out t h e scale of forage.
Green olover, sainfoin, etc., when in season,
inay he accepted in lieu o f , bay t o a limited
extent (not exceeding 101h. per day).
GROOMING.
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Cleanliness the First Object.
Time spent in grooming is well spent.
T h e priinory object is cleaning the skin, bnt
t h o general bcalth is much improved thereby.
Do not S U P ~ O S C that a o i m d s on active service,
and iu t h e open, require no grooiniog.
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Grooming must be systematic. T t should
always be possible for every animal to be
groomed once daily.
Give speoial attention to manes, tails and
heads. They are often neglected and prove
starting grounds of skin diseases. Tails should
n o t be iut.
Do not wash legs. When wet,.~dry them to
prevent cracked heels.
Wash shenthn occasionally.
Place a rug or blanket on a sweating horse i f
h e cannot be dricd quiakly.
C u r r y Combs.
Curry combs a r e useful for removing caked
dirt from t h e coot. Improvise from hoop-iron and
other material in t h e field, if not issued specially.
Examination of Feet.
Pick o u t feet and carefully examine for picliedup-nails nnd other foreign bodies..
Detection of Skin Disease. etc.
OIficers and N.C.Os. during stables s h o n l i
instruct men, and at t h e same time keep a close
watch on t h e a,ninials.
T h e inen should be trained t o notice, while
grooming, anything irregular eithcr in t h e
behaviour of t h e animal or in t h e appearance of
t h e skin, and t o report signs of itchiness, lice,
nits, ringworm spots, pntcbes where hair has
como out, and a u y other irregnlavities.
On service, skin diseases are likely to break
out. Early detection is most essential. Failure
to detect t h e tronble until it has spread
extensively in t h e nnit indicates inexcusable
nogligence.
9 Sand Baths.
Sand b a t h s have many advantages, and ouless
mange or other skin diseases exist, they should
be encouraged. It is good for an animal to roll,
a n d mules particularly appreciate it.
PICKET LINES.
Best Method.
Picketing may be either on breast-high airrope, secured between wagon wheels, trees or
posts, or on a ground rope secured by means of
picketing pegs. The former is the bettermethod;
Rope t o be Secure and Taut.
. The rope in both cases should be strong, well
secured and kept taut.
Single Peg Oblectlonable.
Single picketing pegs are objectionable. unlese
Lbe head ropes are kept short, and heel ropes
a r e also used. They are necessary for picketing
.kickers ancd for single horses generally.
Need for S h o r t Head RopeS.
Never allow t h e head rope t o be too long.
E e e l galls are usually caused by getting t h e
hind leg caught in a too long bead rope.
P r e v e n t i o n of Heel Galls.
For anini:tls on a ground line, t h e head rope
should be just long enoogh to allow t h e head to
be held in a natural position over t h e liue. On
a breast line t h e head rope should be of sufficient
length to admit of t h e anirunl getting its head
to t h e ground.
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Advaniages of Heel Ropes.
Eke1 ropes, whatever may be said against
them. reduce t h e chance of serious iniuries from
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T h e head a n d heel rones should be jnsL t a n t
when tho animal is sianding in a- natural
position sqnare t o the line.
Position Of Picketing Lines.
Place picketing lines at Fight n.ngles to,
rather than pnrallel with, cont,oors. This
ensures a more or loss level s h n a i n g for each
horse whatever the slopc may be.
Drainage of Lines.
Attend t o t h c draiunge of lines, particularly
i n relation to storm water, by improving existing
drzLins. or making'new ones, ns may he necessary.
Do not wait for bad weather.
Forethought in this will prove beneficial.
Stable O-uards.
Post stable guards For duty betwcen stable
hours and at night, mith instructions for &he
core of animals placcd under their charge.
Their duties should be to cbeclr gnn.rrelliog itnd
kicking, adjust rugs, tie oil loose horses, keep
lines clean, take off nosebags, etc.
standings.
Where camps have t o be occupied for a
leugthened period, standings' should be made.
They sliould be firm nod wear-resisting. P a r t
worn sleepers, wooden planks, broken brick and
masomy, chalk and cioders, fnscines or any
solid m a t e r i d s should be used. It i s harmful to
keep animals standing for any length of time in
urine soaked mud.
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Remove dung from horse lines daily, aod if
possible o u t of camp. Flies breed in fresh
horse dung.
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Overhead Cover.
Overhear1 cover bas advanta.fies, and w h k n
available should be made use of, o r should b e
improvised dnriug minter. Wind screeus are. of
great valne for ;u$mals in t h e open.
Whether corer is provided or not, firm stand:
ings and good npproriob roads to standings and
water troughs are necess~~ry.
HEBLTH, CONDITION, EXERCISE,
Etc.
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A m e a r a n c e of H e a t h .
T h e following are indications of health :Head nlert, eyes bright, ears pricked,
appetite good, body well furnished, skin
sopyle a n d bright, standing even or resting
one hiud leg, droppings fairly firm and not;
slimy, urine light yellow and rather thick i n
mppearauce.
Condition. Condition is n o t merely a question of looking
well. It means ability t o do some special work
satisfactorily with 1% minimum of strain.
It must not be confounded with fatness. I t '
can only be secured by o, gradual process of
preparation, and attention t o detail.
Each class of animal should be, &a far as
possihle, brought on gradually at i t s own work.
p d i c o l a r l y dranght horses aud remounts.
recently received.
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When work is insufficient, exercise .for from
21 t o 3 hours a day. Heavy draught horses at
a walk and others part walk and p a r t t r o t .
An Officer should attend exercise parties, e n d
an N.C.O. sliould be detailed to front and rear
of ench party to regulate pece a n d prevent
straggling.
Caro should be taken to bring animals back
ti0 t h e i r lines cool.
An animal in soft conditionLsweatseasily and
, v e r y soon becomes tired and ,distressed. If
work under these cjrcumstances be forced,
oompleto exhaustion and even death will follow.
SHOEING
, s u p e r v i s i o n of Shoeing.
The Officer commanding n unit sliould carePiilly wntch his animals feet. Much ineKiciency
arises from faulty shoeing and preventeble foot
injuries ?nil ailments.
Daily inspections should be made by a fnrrier
or shoeing smith.
T h e rate of wenx of shoes varies, b u t they
should be replaced HLS morn out.
No nnimal should be allowed to go over one
-month w i t h o J t attention t o feet and re-shoeing,
t h e feet being lowercd, a n d either a new set of
shoes p u t on or t h e old shoes re.applied (termed
il " remove ").
M u l e s F e e t often Neglected.
It is very common to And t h e f e e t of mules
m u c h neglcctcd a n d allowed t o grow too long.
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Cold Shoeing.
' Though " cold shoeing ''' i s t h e recognised,
method on active service, all opportuoitics f o r
shoeing b o t should be taken advantage of.
Picked.uR Nail.
Animals worl;ing on ground long in occupation
oE troops arc 1iable.to very serious injury from
'' picked-uli nail." Travelling kitchens and camp
fires where box mobd is burnt cause free
scattering of nails. Every supply or refilling
dump or building being constructed adds t o t h e '
dsnger.
Control in t h i s respect is urgently called for.
A11 should he encouraged to iiick up nails and
p u t them in specidly provided recepttecles.
HARNESS
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Fitting.
Much inefficiency can be prevented by.sttentiowto fitting of harness and saddlery.
Very common faults are ;( a ) Breast collar too low :
( b ) Breeching too loose and too long;
(c) Loin strap too short.
Pcriodical inspections should be adopted, and
th8 sick st.atc watched carefully.
If galls are rcported or observed, their causa
should be discovered and removed.
Hathess should be kept clean, soft.and pliable.'
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Saddle FlttW.
T h e backs of riding horses should be inspected
after every march, and causes of rubs or galls
should he marked down for remedy. All galls
have their particular cause, which m u s t be
trmeil.
I n determining t h e cause of injuries, t h e man
who has ridden t h e animal should saddle up, as
there may be some peculiarity in his.procedure
t o account for the trouble.
lustrootion in folding t h e saddle blanket is
necessary, as the intelligent cmployment of this
article of equipment. will permit of safely working
animals which have begun to lose fiesb.
Clothing.
A t least one rug per animal is necessary in the
open during winter. If rugs cannot be carried,
t h e saddle blanket must be depended upon.
A rug during rain, even it wet through, is a n
advantage.
It is advisable t h a t rugs should be numbered.
t o ensure t h e same one being constantly used
for t h e same animal.
CLIPPIN&.
Unless t h e troop horse can be clipped before
t h e end of November, there is B risk of h i s
feeling t h e effect of loss of the protection
afforded by t h e coat during the winter se&son.
If left unclipped, there is danger of widespread
mange and certainty of extensive loiisines’s.
To obtain t h e best results, it is advisbble t o
clip t h e whole body before the end of November,
a n d shbsequently t o clip trace high only.
The legs should not be touched under any
circumstances.
When mange or bad lice infection b a s takeu
place, olipping is necessary as part of the
treatment.
T h c only practical way of dealing w i t h
clipping is by means of power clippers. I n struotions for t h e care of these can be obtained
from Ordnance Servioe.