14 June , 1962
College Courses In Light Horses Urged
BY DR . M . E . ENSM1NGER , Chairman , Department of Animal Science , Washington State University , Pullman , Wash .
It is easier lo move a graveyard than to change a college curriculum ! And when the shift comes , the pendulum usually swings too far . At the close of World War II , colleges vied with each other in requiring more humanities ; the guiding philosophy was that it mattered little how much subject knowledge the students acquired so long as they knew how to work with people . Then came Sputnik , and the race was on for more courses in the sciences !
Urgent Need For Courses
I contend that the time has come when colleges should provide more light horse courses . After all , most institutions of higher learning support huge physical educational departments that offer a great array of courses — everything from fly fishing to football . Then , why noL have courses that will train students for participation in , and employment by , the greatest of all American sports ? Greatest by actual statistics — in 1960 , racing outdrew professional baseball ( the number 2 sport ) by more than 27 million and college and pro-football ( the number 3 sport ) by nearly 33 million . Also , each year , several million more enjoy nearly 500 major horse shows throughout the land , bridle paths are being lengthened , the game of polo is expanding , and riding to hounds shares its glamor with greater numbers .
There is urgent need , therefore , for the following minimum light horse courses :
( 1 ) Horses and Horsemanship ( 2 ) Advanced Horse Science ( 3 ) Farrier Science ( 4 ) Equitation
It is noteworthy , too , that once the physical plant is provided , such light horse courses would be self-supporting through the laboratory ' fees charged . Of how many college courses can the latter be said ?
Frankly , I ’ m not optimistic that many institutions of higher learning are going lo offer these needed light horse courses ( remember the analogy of moving a graveyard and changing a college curriculum ). A few will ; provided there is sufficient pressure , or if perchance the Head of Animal
Husbandry , the Director of P . E ., the Dean , the President , and / or some of the Regents are horsemen . The colleges that are there first will reap handsome rewards in increased enrollments , prestige , and service . ( Do you agree or disagree ? Let me hear from you .) Sail Poisoning And Water Treatment The Indians and the pioneers of this country handed down many legendary stories about huge numbers of wild animals that killed themselves simply by gorging at a newly found salt lick after having been salt starved for long periods of time . However , such salt-starved conditions seldom prevail among domestic animals ; and , some opinions to the contrary , salt poisoning is relatively rare .
If animals have not previously been fed salt for a very long time , they should first be hand-fed salt , and the daily allowance should be increased gradually until they start leaving a little in the mineral box . When the latter point is reached , self-feeding may be followed .
Animals will not normally eat sufficient salt to be harmful . Exceptions have been reported where brine ( as from cured meats ) and wet salt have killed hogs , and where large amounts of salt or brine have been mixed in a slop .
The first and foremost consideration in the treatment of salt poisoning is to provide large volumes of fresh water to affected animals . Those who can and do drink seldom need additional treatment . Those that are unable to drink should be given water via stomach tube , by the veterinarian . The veterinarian may also administer ( I . V . or intraperitoneally ) calcium gluconate to all severely affected animals .
Feeds Fats Important To Animals
Feeding of fats was prompted in an effort to find a profitable outlet for surplus packing house fats totaling over I billion pounds annually . For the most part fats were formerly used for soap making , but they are not used extensively in detergents . Thus , with the rise in the use of detergents in recent years , they became a “ drug on the market .”
Animal and vegetable fats seem to be equally effective additions to feeds ; thus selection should be determined solely by comparative price . Ordinarily , animal fats are much cheaper than such vegetable fats as soybean or cottonseed oil .
Some opinions to the contrary , animals can , and do , utilize considerable fat in the diet . For example , sucklings are able to handle relatively large amounts of fat , since milk contains 25 to 40 per cent of this nutrient on a dry matter basis . Although more experimental work is need , it appears that up to 6 per cent fat can be added successfully to the rations of farm animals and poultry , provided the fat is first stabilized with an approved antioxidant to prevent rancidity . Also , in compounding such rations , consideration must be given to the fact that fats do not provide proteins , vitamins or minerals , and that high fatcontaining rations are more difficult to pellet .
Generally , carbohydrates furnis h energy for farm animals more cheaply than do fats . But , within limits , the addition of fats to the ration of growing pigs and fattening steers increases the feed efficiency beyond that which can be accounted for by the additional energy thus provided . Also , there are several advantages to adding fats to rations from the standpoint of feed mixing . Among the latter are : ( 1 ) control of dustiness , ( 2 ) decreased wear on mixing machinery , ( 3 ) improved appearance and " feel ” of the ration , and ( 4 ) greater ease in pelleting .
My Next Reincarnation
He was one of the most unforgettable characters I ’ ve ever known . In love , he could outdo Mark Anthony ; in climbing , he could put “ Jack and the Beanstalk ” to shame ; and in pirating , he could make Long John Silver look like a rank amateur .
His love affairs were frequent " and ardent — but all quite proper for him . To be near the one being wooed , he would forego sleep and food for days at a time ; once he was gone so long that the local police listed him as a “ missing person .” As an escape artist , he used a high fence for his ladder . He borrowed carrots ( he didn ’ t sLeal them ; he just wasn ’ t particular about whose garden they came from ); he dug them himself , and then dined on them in a spot to his liking .
" When old age crept upon him and infirmity struck , he met it with the dignity and courage befitting his
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