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HORSES ON BOARD SHIP

Horses on Board Ship

A GUIDE TO THEIR MANAGEMENT

BY

M. HORACE HAYES, F.R.C.V.S

(late captain "the buffs")

AUTHOR OF

"Veterinary Notes for Horse-owners,"

"Points of the Horse," "Riding and Hunting,'

"Stable Management and Exercise," Etc.

WITH TWENTY-FOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON

HURST AND BLACKETT, LIMITED

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET

1902

All rights reserved

^o5

PUINTED BY KELLY'S DIRECTOllIES LIMITED,
LONDON AND KINGSTON.

PREFACE.

During voyages with horses to and from India and
to Russia, I often wished to write a book about the
management of these animals on board ship for the
benefit of men who were new to the work ; but I
felt I was not competent to do so, because my
experience had been restricted to not more than
half-a-dozen horses at a time. As my animals had
been conveyed in portable horse-boxes, I knew
nothing of the special requirements of large numbers
of horses in stalls at sea. Fortunately, at the
beginning of this year, I obtained veterinary charge
of 498 remounts proceeding from England to South
Africa, on board the hired cattle steamer Kelvingrove^
on which there were thirty-three nondescript men and
boys to look after the animals ; and after a most
instructive passage I returned to England. Wishing
to see how things were managed on board ship with
troops, I again applied to Colonel Duck, Director-
General, A.V.D., who very kindly sent me in
veterinary charge of 248 remounts going to South
Africa on H.M.T. IdaJio, which also carried a large
number of infantry and no men of the lOth Hussars.
I therefore obtained an insight into both the civil and
military methods of horse management at sea.

viii PREFACE.

The gentlemen to whom I am particuhirly indebted
for information which has been utiHsed in the following
pages are : Captain O'Neal, of the S.S. Kelvingrove,
and his chief officer, Mr. Simpson ; Captain Newman,
of H.M.T. IdaJio, and his chief officer, Mr. Norton ;
Captain Powles, of H.M.T. Tagus ; Captain Ross-
Smith, Military Landing Officer at Port Elizabeth ;
Mr. Desmond, who is Chief Government Veterinary
Surgeon of Adelaide, South Australia ; and Lieut-
Colonel Nunn, D.S.O., CLE., Deputy Director
General of the A.V.D., who has been most kind in
furnishing me with various statistics. ^

The photographs in this book were taken by me,
while I was on Government transport duty.

The existence of the South African war is my
excuse for giving as much prominence as I have
done to military horse transport and allied subjects.

As this book is the outcome of practical experience
among horses on board ship, I trust it may be of use
to readers who are interested in its important subject.

M. H. HAYES, F.R.C.V.S.

Authors' Club,

3, Whitehall Court,
London, S.W.

\ St January^ 1902.

CONTE N TS.

Ability of Horses to Bear Transit by Sea
Percentage of Equine Mortality at Sea
Horse-carrying Ships ....

Ventilation ......

Preparation of Horses Before Going on Board
Embarking and Disembarking Horses .
Portable Horse-boxes ....

Arrangement of Horses on Board Ship
Head-collars and Halters . . .
Clothing ......

Stalls .......

Tying-up .......

Stationary Slinging of Horses .

Foot-hold . . ' .

Watering Horses .....

Feeding Utensils .....

Food and Feeding. ....

Horse Attendants and Stable Duties
mucking-out ......

Changing Horses from one Stall to Another

K_7 J. ^r\.XjJ-j • • • • • • •

Grooming ......

Exercise. . . . . • .

Precautions after Disembarking.
Cost of Transport . ...

Veterinary Remarks ....

The War Office and Horse Transport
Index . .

'AGE

I

II

15

37

51
56

83

102

109

115

119

135

141

145

149

156
167
]8o

193

202

204
206

208

215

221

241
267

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

FIG.
I.

2.

3-

4.

5-
6.

7-
8.

9-
10.

II.

12.

13-

14.

15-
16.

17-

1 8.

19.

20.
21.
22.

24.

Horses in double stalls .
Bow of steamer
Side of steamer
Gangway

Disembarking sling
Raising horse out of lighter
Disembarking horses

)?

)5

J)

}}

Landing horse on pier
Removing slings
Portable horse-box .

}5 55

)5 ?>

35 J5 J? •

Main deck

Halter ....

Stalls with single breast-boards

A round turn and two half hitches

A slippery hitch

A clove hitch .

Bad type of feeding bucket

Vacant double stall, with freeing por

Horse with his tail badly rubbed

PAGE

19

41

45

59

63

65
67

69

71
73

75

85

87
89

93

105
III

121

137

137

137

^59
197

231

HORSES ON BOARD SHIP.

ABILITY OF HORSES TO BEAR
TRANSIT BY SEA.

Under favourable arrangements and In small
numbers, horses bear a sea voyage almost as
well as a sojourn in a loose box for a similar
period ; but their percentage of mortality is
generally high when the shipment is large.
In this respect, their power of resistance Is
much less than that of mules ; apparently
because they are as a rule bigger ; the weight
of their bodies, as compared to the strength
of their legs and feet, Is heavier ; and
they are not so hardy.

Ho7'ses on Board Ship.

The history of long distance pedestrianism
amply proves that small men greatly excel
tall ones in endurance ; probably because
their circulation is quicker, on account of
their heart having to send the blood through
a shorter circuit. My experience is that the
same rule holds good with horses. The
average rate of the pulse of a small pony
is about 45 beats in a minute ; and that of
a heavy cart horse, about 35 beats. Hence
the supply of material for repair and develop-
ment, and the removal of waste and deleterious
products are carried on more quickly, and
consequently more effectively in the former,
than in the latter animal.

The chief artificial habit of the domesticated
horse which militates against his well-being
at sea, is that of eating grain. Dr. Luff

Ability of Horses to Bear Transit by Sea. 3

has proved that the mineral matter (ash)
of green vegetables aids in the elimination,
from the human body, of uric acid, which
is the cause of gout, and which is one of
the waste nitrogenous products that seriously
endanger health if retained in the system ;
but. that the mineral matter of grain is
powerless to effect this good end. Besides,
the consumption of grain is productive of a
far larger- quantity of waste nitrogenous
matter than that of green vegetables.
Experience strongly supports the assumption
that the mineral matter of green vegetables
not only acts on uric acid in the manner
stated, but is also an indispensable aid to
health in the removal of other deleterious
products which are allied to uric acid.
Herein, I think, we have the explanation

*

Horses on Board Ship.

of the fact that green fodder and hay are
much less " heating " than grain. Exercise,
by quickening the circulation and increasing
the supply of oxygen to the lungs, greatly
assists in the elimination of the hurtful
products in question. Hence, although a
horse in strong work can remain healthy
while consuming a large daily ration of corn,
he will be unable to do so, when kept in
idleness, as he would be on board ship.

When horses which have been liberally fed
on corn are suddenly thrown out of work,
their systems will retain for a considerable
time an excess of unhealthy material, which
evil will be proportionately increased by
continuing to give corn. All veterinary
surgeons and the majority of experienced
horsemen are aware that the combined action

Ability of Horses to Bear Transit by Sea. 5

of corn and idleness is a fruitful cause of
lymphangitis (weed), azoturia, laminitis (fever
in the feet), and other diseases. Viewed
solely from the standpoint of health, an
idle horse should not get any corn, the
continued deprivation of which might
impair his physical powers to some extent.
Consequently, if working efficiency has to
be considered as well as health, we may
give a small amount of corn, as well as
a liberal supply of hay, and, if possible,
carrots, which contain the beneficial mineral
matter that makes grass, hay, and similar
fodder, a necessity of equine life.

Horses, like men, being the product of
their surroundings, can accommodate them-
selves more or less perfectly to new
conditions ; but the alteration has to be

Horses on Board Ship.

made gradually. Also, the greater the
change, the longer Is the time required to
attain this end.

We are all aware that horses have to be
previously fed for a considerable time on a
liberal amount of corn, in order to make
them capable of enduring severe and pro-
longed labour ; but we should not overlook
the equally important fact, that corn without
hard work is powerless to effect that object.
In fact, the more corn they get while they
are idle, the longer time will they take to
become fit for work, after their period of
rest has expired.

While giving full consideration to the short-
ness of the voyage and the fineness and cool-
ness of the weather, I cannot help thinking
that a large proportion of the comparative

Ability of Horses to Bear Transit by Sea. 7

immunity from loss enjoyed by the Argentine
shipments (p. 12) during the present war, has
been due to the fact that they got little or no
corn up to their time of landing. I am, of
course, aware that Argentine remounts have
done badly, as a rule, in South Africa ; the
chief reasons for their failure being that they
were injudiciously selected, that their food in
South Africa was entirely different to that in
South America, and that the condition of their
feet was neglected (pp. 147 and 148).

A point in these considerations which well-
to-do English horse-owners (like the majority
of our cavalry officers) are apt to neglect, is
that although horses of all breeds require corn
for severe and continued work, they can, as a
rule, do a fair amount of labour on grass alone,
and still better on hay, as all practical horse-

8 Horses on Board Ship.

- — -

keepers can testify. For Instance, It Is a
common practice among English farmers to
use horses at grass for their own trap purposes.
As I am now living In the Midlands, I fre-
quently see such animals go ten miles or more
to market and the same distance home In a
day, at a smart trot, and drawing four or five
portly individuals, without any bad effect on
the quadruped. Colonial friends tell me that
in Australia, men often ride similarly fed
animals from thirty to fifty miles In a day
without distressing either themselves or their
mount. Naturally, the drier grass of the
Australian Colonies Is better than the moisture-
laden herbage of Great Britain and Ireland,
for enabling a horse to do hard w^ork.

Stuffing horses with corn on board ship,
and then expecting them when landed to

Ability of Horses to Bear Transit by Sea. g

successfully undergo semi-starvation on a long
campaign, is a display of ignorance for which
the unfortunate animals and the public have
generally to pay the penalty.

The following are the chief favourable
conditions for the welfare of horses on board
ship :

1. Seamty of fittings. — I need hardly say
that if the fittings, whether of boxes or
stalls, give way during bad weather, death
or serious accident will be the almost in-
evitable result.

2. Absence of over -crow ding. — Horses are
extremely susceptible to the bad effects of
over-crowding, even when the ventilation
appears sufficiently good for the health of
human beings. I am inclined to think that
the emanations from the bodies of horses

lo Horses on Board Ship.

have a particularly injurious effect on them

and on their fellows.

3. Ventilation of the most ample kind.

4. Good foot-hold.

5. Suitable food and an unlimited amomit
of drinking water.

6. Facilities for exercise.

/^

7. Facilities for lying down.-^T\\\s is not
of much consequence if exercise can be
given. No provisions for allowing horses to
lie down or for giving them exercise need be
made, if the length of the voyage does not
exceed fourteen days.

8. Shortness of voyage.

II

PERCENTAGE OF EQUINE MOR-
TALITY AT SEA.

Although I can offer no details respecting
the death rate of horses carried in small
numbers, statistics most kindly furnished to
me by the A.V.D. enable me to supply my
readers with the following very interesting
table, which refers to remounts shipped to
South Africa from various countries, from
November, 1899, to July, 1901. Unfortunately,
It is only an approximation ; because, In many
cases, reports of several shipments were not
sent in to the War Office or were Imperfect.
Their omission does not materially affect the

12

Horses on Board Ship.

averages I give, considering the large number
of instances upon which they are based.

Table of Mortality of Remounts Shipped to South Africa
FROM November, 1899, to July, 1901.

Country of Embarkation.

No.
Shipped.

No. of
Deaths.

Percentage
of Loss.

Great Britain and Ireland ...
U.S. America and Canada ...
Australasia
Austria (Fiume)
Argentine Republic ...

49.095
42,501

13.360
16,984
26,561

3.054
2,481

~ 591

525
208

6.2

5.8
4.4

3
.78 -

Mules.

Various countries

46,121

1.257

2.7

In comparing these figures, we should bear
in mind the following points : —

I. Horses going to South Africa from Aus-
tralasia and the Argentine Republic have not
to pass through the tropics, which is a serious

Percentage of Equine Mortality at Sea. 1 3

danger that animals proceeding from Europe
and North America have to encounter.

2. Horses embarked at Flume escape the
perils of the Bay of Biscay and Portuguese
coast, to which those leaving Great Britain and
Ireland are subjected.

3. The length of the voyage from Buenos
Ayres to Cape Town Is only about half that
from England.

4. Usually the weather Is finer on voyages
from Buenos Ayres and Australia to South
Africa than from England and North America
(New Orleans and Montreal).

14

Horses on Board Ship.

The following instances of successful voyages
are well worthy of honourable mention : —

Name of Ship.

Country of Embarka-
tion.

No.
Shipped.

Loss.

Surrey

Hyson

lona...

Mount Royal

Cymric

Ft'cmona (Mules) ...

South America
Australia
Austria

North America
England
Italy (Naples)

938

533
760

464

441

1,000

nil
I

4

3

3
I

15

HORSE-CARRYING SHIPS.

Only steamers will be considered in the
following observations, because sailing vessels
do not travel with sufficient speed and
punctuality for modern horse requirements.

Ships vary in type according to the
purpose for which they are built. Walton,
in his instructive book, Know Your Own
Ship, points out that the greater the weight
of the cargo as compared to its bulk, the
more severe will be the bending and twisting
strains experienced at sea, and hence the
greater necessity for increased structural
strength. The three-decker is the strongest

1 6 Horses on Board Ship.

type of marine weight carrier. In a fairly
large three-decker, the deck which has
bulwarks is called the main deck; the deck
below it, the 'tween deck; the next deck,
the orlop; and the lowest deck, the lower
hold. A ship with one deck less would
have a main deck, 'tween deck, and lower
hold. The orlop is generally the. store' deck.
The space between any two adjacent decks
is called 'tween decks.

The spar - deck type of steamer is of
lighter construction than the three-decker,
because she is designed to carry cargoes of
less specific gravity. On these steamers,
the deck which has bulwarks to keep water
off it, is called the spar deck; and the deck
below it, the main deck. Large spar-deck
steamers have an upper 'tween deck below

Horse-carrying Ships. 17

the main deck, and a lower 'tween deck or
orlop below the upper 'tween deck. In the
Atlantic cattle trade, the spar deck Is often
called the cattle deck.

The foregoing names of decks are gener-
ally used In horse-carrying ships. Large
passenger steamers have several decks. The
Celtic, for Instance, has the captain's bridge,
promenade deck, boat deck, upper bridge
deck, bridge deck, main deck, upper deck,
middle deck, lower deck, orlop deck, and
lower orlop deck.

In cattle steamers, which are generally
used for the conveyance of large numbers
of horses, the spar deck or main deck (In a
three-decker) is usually protected by an
awning deck, which Is of comparatively light
construction, and is, of course, the upper-

1 8 Horses on Board Ship.

most (exposed) deck. As it is considered to
be too weak to carry cargo, it is not
included in the registered tonnage of the
ship, and is therefore not looked upon as a
regular deck. The policy of excluding the
awning deck from tonnage computation, is
explained by the fact that the lower the
registered tonnage, the lighter will be the
dues. In cattle steamers, the awning deck
is usually called a shelter deck, or a shade
deck; the only difference between these two
kinds of decks being the amount of ventila-
tion provided by openings in the sides of
the respective ships, between these decks
and the deck immediately underneath them.
A shade deck affords more ventilation to the
deck it covers than a shelter deck, and is
therefore used in cattle ships which have to

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(Si

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il

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o
o

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£

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Ho7^se-carrying Ships. 2 1

encounter tropical weather, such as that met
with by steamers trading between South
America and England. The horses shown
in Fig. I are standing on a spar deck
which is covered by a shade deck, as we
may see by the presence of openings above
the heads of the animals. Almost all the
big Atlantic lines have three-deckers fur-
nished with a shelter deck for the cattle
trade.

As a rule, cattle steamers are the best for
the conveyance of large numbers of horses,
because they generally have large ports
on the spar or main deck (Figs. 3 and 4),
according as the steamer is a spar-decker
or three-decker. The presence of these
ports will naturally promote good ventilation
(p. 37 et seq.), which is one of the most

2 2 Horses 07t Board Ship.

Important points in horse-carrying ships ; and
besides it will facilitate mucking-out (p. 193).
Freeboard is the term applied to the
height of the sides of a ship above the
waterline at the middle of her length,
measured from the top of the deck at the
side, and is a margin of safety given to a
vessel (Walton). The comparative amount
of freeboard allowed by the Board of Trade
to a ship is inversely proportionate to her
structural strength. Hence, as a rule, a
fully-laden spar-decker would have more
freeboard than a fully-laden three-decker.

Stability (righting leverage) is the power
a ship has of righting herself when inclined
out of the upright position by some external
force or forces, such as, for instance, wind
and waves ; and it depends chiefly on her

Horse-carrying Ships. 23

width of beam and on the fact of her centre
of gravity being low down. The term stiff
is applied to a ship which has a good deal
of stability, and is the opposite of tender.
A ship which rolls comparatively little is
said to be steady or easy (slow roller) in a
sea way.

Walton tells us that the stiff ship is
generally the one which rolls most, and that
a steady steamer is usually tender. The
man-o'-war. The Captain, whose great want
of stability was the cause of her loss by
upsetting, was remarkably free from rolling
under ordinary circumstances. Also, it has
been noticed in the case of a lightship that
she rolled much less at night, when her
lantern, which weighed several hundred-
weights was hoisted up on her mast, than by

24 Horses on Board Ship.

day, when it was kept on her deck. The high
masts which many steamers formerly carried,
decreased their stiffness, and also their
tendency to roll. Bilge keels check rolling
to a considerable extent, but without affect-
ing the stability of a ship. They usually
vary in depth from one to two feet and
extend for about two-thirds of the length of
a ship.

The class of ship required for the trans-
port of horses greatly depends on the
number of animals. In all cases speed is an
advantage, for it reduces the length of the
voyage, and the consequent ill-effects of a
sea journey on the equine passengers. An
average speed of 240 miles a day may be
taken as a minimum ; supposing that the
voyage is not less than 6,000 miles long.

Horse-carrying Ships. 25

If a choice of position on board be avail-
able, any ordinary steamer (a mall boat for
preference) will do for the carrying of a
few horses, especially If they be taken In
portable boxes (p. %'^. Therefore, the
observations I am going to make on horse
ships win refer chiefly to those which are
Intended for the conveyance of large numbers
of horses, In which case the animals will be
in stalls as a rule. The carrying of horses
In pens, which are generally used In place
of stalls for mules. Is so exceptional that I
need not consider It here.

In a well-deck ship^ the deck which is
provided with bulwarks Is the exposed deck,
and such a steamer Is, therefore, not so suitable
for the carrying of horses as It would be If
It were protected by a shade or shelter deck.

26 Horses on Board Skip.

In all well-deck ships and those that have
shade or shelter decks, the deck with bul-
warks has freeing-ports, which are rectangular
openings made in the bulwarks for freeing
the deck from water shipped during rough
weather. A ship with a flush deck has no
bulwarks, and consequently does not need
freelng-ports, because her exposed deck offers
no impediment to the escape of water over
the side. In Fig. 23, p. 197, a freeing-port
may be seen in the vacant double stall.

A well-deck ship which has a high stern,
bridge and bow, is sometimes called a three
island ship.

It is a great advantage for a steamer
which is carrying horses below, to be light
in the water, so that she may be as free
as possible from the danger of shipping

Horse-cai'rying Ships. 27

heavy seas ; for If she begins to do this, the
hatches (of the spar deck, for instance) will
have to be put on, and the horses which
are thus deprived of fresh air will be rapidly-
suffocated. Also, if any horses are on the
exposed deck, they will be liable to be
washed overboard.

A steamer taking a full complement of
horses, would naturally be more unsteady
than a carefully loaded cargo boat ; because
the greater part of her weight would be
below the lower deck. Thus, a ship of, say,
3,000 tons gross, taking horses for a voyage
of a month's duration, would probably have
in her hold at the time of sailing, 1,000 tons
of water and 2,000 tons of coal and fodder.

For purposes of stability and for the com-
fortable carriage of horses, a steamer should

28 Horses on Board Ship.

not as a rule be less than 44 feet in the
beam. Her accommodation in this respect
will depend to a certain extent on the size
of her hatches ; for the larger they are, the
less space will there be for the stalls which
face them.

The presence of large hatches are a necessity
for the well-being of the horses on board, both
for purposes of ventilation and for providing
spaces which can be utilised for standing horses
on, as a temporary measure, as in cases of
sickness, or when mucking out.

Considerable width of beam is of great
advantage, in the event of the extra space
not being fully taken up by mid-ship stalls ;
not only for purposes of ventilation, but also
to admit of horses being exercised, and readily
shifted.

Horse-carrying Ships. 29

A cargo of 600 horses would, as a rule, be
a full complement for a steamer of 3.000 tons
gross, in which case she would require to have
a shade or shelter deck that would be more
or less occupied by horses, as well as stalls on
two decks below. As an Increase of gross
tonnage does not give a corresponding Increase
of length to a ship, a large steamer will not
be able to take a proportionately greater
number of horses than a smaller one. For
instance, a ship of 4,000 tons gross would
probably be able to take only about 120
horses more than a ship of 3,000 tons.
As a rule, 1,000 horses would be a full
cargo for a steamer of 9,000 tons gross.
Of course a large Atlantic cattle boat of,
say, 56 or 58 feet beam, would be able
to carry on some of her decks a row of

''O Horses on Board Ship.

o

stalls more than a steamer of 44 or 45 feet
beam.

" To ascertain roughly the number of horses
that can be carried on a deck, cut off all
parts where there Is less than 12 feet clear
out from the ship's side, and the remaining
length In feet divided by three will give the
number of horses that can be taken, allow-
ing for spare stalls." {^Regulations for H.M.
Transport Service.) This estimate Is made
on the supposition that each horse Is allowed
2^ feet. Including the thickness of the divi-
sion boards.

All alley ways (bridge spaces) and other
passages over which horses may have to pass,
should be covered with boards ; for if this be
not done, a horse will be apt to slip and fall,
if his feet come In contact with the iron deck.

Horse-carrying Ships. 31

Even If matting be put down on an iron
deck, a horse may easily get off it, especially
if he be fidgetty or weak on his legs, or if
the ship is rolling.

There should be at least 7J^ feet from deck
to deck, of which space 4 inches will be
occupied, according to Government regula-
tions, by a one inch flooring laid on scantlings
3 inches by 3 inches. The overhead iron
beams will be 8 or 9 inches in depth. No
passage for a horse to go through should be
less than 6 feet in height. This minimum
will be met with as a rule onlv at bunker
hatches in alley ways.

It is an advantage for the exposed deck to
be covered with wood, which being a bad
conductor of heat, will prevent the iron deck
from becoming unduly hot, and thus raising

32 Horses on Soared Ship.

the temperature of the atmosphere under-
neath it.

Captain Ross-Smith tells me that ''concrete
should never be used on horse decks, because
it cuts up easily and forms pit-holes, into
which urine settles, and the deck then becomes
foul and difficult to be cleaned. Scuppers on
horse decks are generally much too small, and
consequently they often become blocked up.
They should be about 15 inches in diameter,
and they could then be fitted with air scoops,
so as to promote ventilation. Brows (p. 61),
if employed, should run fore and aft, and not
thwart ship. Electric lights should be pro-
vided on all horse decks, with connections and
plugs at frequent intervals, so as to avoid the
use of a small lamp attached to the end of a
long insulated wire, which almost invariably

Horse-carrying Ships. '^'^

gets caught in some object, and then becomes
more of a danger than a convenience. The
best type of steamers I have seen for carrying
large loads of horses, are the European,
Michigan, Magician, and Politician, all of
which could carry more than a thousand
horses comfortably. There is no better type
of ship for the conveyance of horses and
troops than the Victorian. A great advan-
tage which these big liners possess, is that
they are capable of steaming 13 knots an hour
with the comparatively small consumption of
from 45 to 60 tons of coal a day ; and
besides, their carrying capacity is enormous."
Captain Ross-Smith is the military landing
officer at Port Elizabeth, and has had an
immensely large experience in the inspection

of horse-carrying ships.

3

34 Horses on Board Ship.

The ordinary type of mail steamer, however
well adapted it might be for the conveyance
of horses on its exposed deck, would not have
sufficient ventilation for carrying large numbers
of them below. '

For purposes of ventilation, it is an advan-
tage to have — as in the case of some modern
built steamers — no hulk-heads on the upper
deck (the spar deck for instance). Lloyd's
rule renders it imperative to have bulk-heads
on all the lower decks.

On steamers intended for the carriage of
horses, mooring bits should be present only on
the exposed deck ; for if they be also on the
deck under It, they will more or less block up
the passage in front of the stalls near which
they are placed, and will thus cause incon-
venience when horses are led past them.

Horse-carrying Ships. 35

All decks which carry horses, and which are
below the exposed deck, should be kept per-
fectly dry, so that the hay which happens to
fall out of the hay nets or feeding troughs may
not become wet, the decks slippery, and the
dung saturated with water. With this object,
no cook houses or washing houses should be
allowed on these decks.

A ship painted white is cooler when exposed
to the rays of the sun than a similar ship of
a darker colour, because white objects reflect
light better than darker ones. The rays of
the sun consist partly of rays of heat, and
partly of rays of light, the latter being con-
verted into the former when they fall on an
object which does not reflect them.

If a ship is rolling so much as to endanger
the safety of the horses on board, she should

^b Horses on Board Ship.

J

be put head to sea and her speed reduced.
Running in the trough of the sea will of course
make her roll. When a ship is steaming
against a head sea, the faster she goes, the
more violently will she pitch. In such a case
her speed should be diminished, if the pitching
be dangerous to the horses. As a rule, a long
ship will not pitch so much as a ■ shorter one.

11

VENTILATION.

With reference to cold and temperate climates,
we may define ventilation as the process of
removing foul air and substituting pure air
for it. In very hot weather, not only is
this change of air necessary, but we must
also. If possslble, produce currents of air, the
velocity of which should be proportionate to
the atmospheric heat, so as to utilise the
cooling effect of evaporation from the skin.
Hence we find that draughts, which are
justly regarded in English stables as a
frequent cause of disease, are essential to
the health of horses, for cooling them down,

1,^ Horses on Board Ship,

on a voyage into the tropics. On board
ship, the removal of foul air has to be more
rapid as a rule than on land ; because at sea,
the injurious emanations from the excreta and
bodies of the horses are supplemented by
those from the cargo, and mucking-out is
more difficult than on land. As the sides
of a steamer are of iron, and are unprotected
by the shade of trees, etc. ; a ship as a rule
is a much hotter abode than an ordinary
stable in the same latitude, and consequently
it requires better ventilation. Also, in the
case of a large number of horses, economy
of space has to be practised far more at
sea than on land. These considerations point
to the necessity of obtaining the freest pos-
sible ventilation on board ships which have
to encounter hot weather. This of course

Ventilation. 39

cannot be done, unless the construction of
the ship Is favourable, which Is a subject
outside the scope of the present remarks.
Respecting very free ventilation, I can state
that horses I have taken to Revel, via the
North Sea and Baltic during winter, suffered
no ill consequences from a ten days' sojourn
on an exposed deck with their heads
uncovered, while the thermometer at times
went several degrees below zero Fahrenheit.
Although the principles of ventilation are
the same on board ship as on land, the
details necessary for carrying them out, vary
to some extent, especially as regards the
establishment of inlets and outlets for air.
As a rule we may assume that the atmo-
sphere inside a ship is warmer than that
outside her, and consequently the tendency

40 Horses on Board Ship.

of the Inside cufrents of air will be to
ascend. At the same time we must bear
In mind, that the comparatively high specific
gravity of carbonic acid gas will tend to
cause that gas to accumulate in positions
which are low down and ill-ventilated. When
the wind Is blowing in a direction parallel
to the sides of a ship, It will tend to draw
air out of all port-holes and freeing ports'
which are unprovided with air-scoops ; but
when It Impinges on the side, or when it
Is directed Inwards by an air-scoop, It will
naturally tend to force Its way into the ship,
and will thus convert these openings Into
inlets. Air-scoops (p. 44) can be utilised
with advantage in various ways.

Hatchways act both as Inlets and outlets.
Dividing them vertically by means of a

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V entilation. 43

canvas sheet or other suitable material will
often greatly help them in performing this
dual office.

The chief mechanical means by which ven-
tilation on board ship is facilitated, are :
Windsails, air-scoops, ordinary cowl ventila-
tors, steam ventilators, and electric ventilators.
Windsails and cowl ventilators are shown in
Fig. 2. As a rule, a windsail is only an
inlet,' and should therefore be kept trimmed
towards the wind. It is generally used to
ventilate hatchways. Its diameter should not
be less than 30 inches, and its lower end
should be kept at about a foot above the
deck it is supposed to ventilate. When a
horse which is standing on or near a hatch,
requires more fresh air than he is getting, a
windsail or two may be trimmed on him.

44 Horses on Board Ship.

Air-scoops are almost always used with
port-holes and scuttles, in which case they
are made of sheet iron, are about 20 inches
long, and look like a tube cut longitudinally
in two, blocked in at one end and fur-
nished at the other end with a rim which
fits into the port-hole. Openings in the
side (generally on the main deck ,or on the
spar deck, according to the type of ship)
may be provided with air-scoops, either by
means of the door of the opening (Fig. 3)
or by boards. Air - scoops being inlets
should of course be kept trimmed towards
the wind. In Fig. 18, p. 121, an air-scoop
may be seen out of use, below the scuttle
(small port-hole).

The usual form of a cowl ventilator is
that of a vertical iron tube provided with a

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Ventilation. 47

large cowl, which forms an effective inlet
when it is kept trimmed to the wind. If
the cowl is turned in a direction opposite to
that of the wind, it will generally act as an
outlet. We may often beneficially employ
one of two adjacent ventilators In the former
way, and the other in the latter manner.
Cowl ventilators are sometimes provided with
an arrangement which prevents water going
down them, but which offers no impediment
to the entrance of air.

Exhaust fans are worked either by steam
or electricity ; the latter being the better
form of propelling force, because its conduct-
ing wires are free from the objection possessed
by the pipes which convey steam, of raising
the temperature of the stalls near which they
pass, and of thus endangering the health of

48 Horses on Board Ship.

the horses which occupy these stalls, during

hot weather. Also, these pipes often leak.

A steam ventilator or an electric ventilator

usually consists of a vertical iron tube, inside

the upper end of which there is a fan that

can be employed for promoting either an

ascending or a descending current of air ; the

former being, as a rule, much the better,

ventilating method. The tube, which is

from 20 to 36 inches in diameter, projects

above the exposed deck, through which it

passes, and extends in a vertical direction

below. At its full length, it passes through

the lowest deck but one, and can then be

used to ventilate the lowest deck. By
shortening this tube, we can make it venti-

late any deck above the lowest deck, and

below he exposed deck. These exhaust fans

Ventilation, 49

are efficient, not only Tor removing contami-
nated air, but also for promoting draughts
which will have a cooling effect on horses
during hot weather. They are of special use
In a calm, or when there Is a light wind aft,
the velocity of which Is about equal to that
of the steamer ; or at anchor when no wind
is blowing, In which case during tropical
heat It might be advisable to keep the ship
moving, so as to promote the circulation of
air through her. It is evident that the
smaller the area of the openings In the
side of a ship, the more useful will be the
action of these fans. Of course they cannot
produce a good result unless they are kept
revolving at a high rate of speed. In a
poor class of ship, the transference of power
from the engines to the fans might diminish

so Horses on Board Ship.

the progress of the ship, when she is at full
speed. In any case, the working of the fans
will entail an increased expenditure of coal,
especially when they are kept at full speed,
and consequently this method of ventilation
is not usually regarded with favour by
masters and chief engineers who are forced
by their employers to practise rigid economy.
Dr. Edmond's system of obtaining an out-
let for ventilation by means of a " steam
jetter" placed inside a cowl ventilator, acts
well. When there is a strong breeze, the
steam can be shut off, and the cowl of the
ventilator trimmed to the wind, in which case
the ventilator will torm an efficient inlet.
The steam in the boiler should be kept at
a pressure of at least 4olbs.

51

PREPARATION OF HORSES
BEFORE GOING ON BOARD.

If broken-in horses are taken fresh off grass,

or If the duration of the Intended voyage Is
not supposed to be longer than, say, ten

days, little or no preparation will be required
as regards food and exercise. On a longer
journey and proportionately to Its duration,
corn-fed and hard-worked horses — agreeably
to the remarks made on pages 2 to 9 should
have their corn and exercise gradually
diminished, so as to prepare them as
thoroughly as possible for their new condi-
tions of life, under which, hay and roots will

52 Horses on Board Ship.

be their most healthy food. I need hardly
say that the keeping qualities of green grass
are not sufficiently good to admit of its use
at sea, and consequently dried grass (hay) is
employed. If the animals in question have a
voyage of about a month's duration in front
of them, I do not think that they should have
less than a fortnight's preparation.

I am Informed that horses which have been
brought up in a wild state and which have
never been handled, suffer far more from the
effects of their new surroundings on board ship,
than animals which are accustomed to stable
life. Hence it is well, for at least ten days or a
fortnight previous to embarkation, to stable and
handle these animals, to teach them to feed
out of mangers and to drink out of buckets,
and to accustom them to be tied up. If

Preparation of Horses. 53

stable accommodation cannot be procured, it
is advisable, if practicable, to tie them up, and
feed and water them for a similar period in
the open, or in stock yards, kraals, or pad-
docks. I am told that Australian shippers who
send horses to India act on this principle.

If the journey is likely to extend to three
weeks, or longer, the heels of the fore feet
should be lowered, supposing that they are
of the ordinary height, so as to reduce to
some ext^ent the weight on the toes, and thus
to diminish the danger of laminitis (fever in
the feet), which, on board ship, is a disease
that is almost entirely confined to the fore
feet. The fore shoes should be replaced, in
order to prevent the animals wearing down the
fore feet by pawing in their stalls or boxes,
which they are very apt to do from Im-

54 Horses on Board Ship.

patience, and particularly when anticipating
being watered and fed. Under ordinary condi-
tions it is generally advisable to remove the
hind shoes and keep them off during the
voyage, so as to lessen the risk of horses
breaking their stall fittings and injuring their
companions, especially if the animals have to
be unloaded into a lighter (p. "jZ). Besides,
if the fittings of a stall are not correctly made,
a horse, when kicking, may get hung up by
a hind leg. My experience Is that if a horse is
barefoot behind, he will be much less apt to kick
than If he was shod behind. With remounts
during warfare, the question of efficiency soon
after landing and the difficulty of shoeing a
large number of animals would naturally out-
weigh the advantage to be obtained from
decreased liability to accidents from kicking,

Pi^eparation of Horses. 55

which are seldom of a serious nature. Hence,
the hind shoes of such animals should not be
taken off as a rule, and they should have new
shoes put on their feet before being sent on
board. We have also the fact that if the floor
cannot be kept dry, the feet of unshod horses
standing on it will suffer much more from
thrush and rotting of the sole, than those of
shod horses under similar conditions.

Horses, before leaving a cold or temperate
climate, especially in winter, to be carried into
a hot one by ship, should be clipped, unless
their coats are quite short ; for, as a rule,
there would be great difficulty in using the
machine on board. xA.lso, care should be
taken that the sheaths of the animals are
clean before embarking them.

5^

EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING

HORSES.

Besides the advisability of a "cooling down"
preparation (p. 51), it is well to keep horses
without food and water, for, say, three or
four hours before taking them on board, in
which case a drink and a feed soon after they
have been shipped will help to reconcile them
to their new place of abode. Also, when
their stomach and intestines are comparatively
empty, they will not be so liable to become
injured, as they would be, if full of food,
especially if they are slung. Each horse
should be provided with a stout halter or

Einbarking and Diseinbarking Horses. 57

head-collar, to which is attached two strong-
ropes to act as leading reins. A bridle
(snaffle) Is necessary only when a horse
has to be walked on board ; but even In that
case, a halter or head-collar will almost always
be sufficient.

Mr. Desmond, G.M.V.C., draws my atten-
tion to the fact that in hot climates, horses
should be put on board last, so that the
interval between their embarkation and the
sailing of the ship may be as short as possible.
He tells me that the horses belonging to the
contingent of South Australian Imperial Bush-
men, with which he came over from Adelaide
to South Africa, were put on board first, and
had consequently to wait for twenty-four hours
without a breath of air to cool them ; the
result being that ten per cent, of the animals

5^ Horses on Board Ship.

were attacked with pneumonia during the first
three days.

Horses, when It Is practicable, are best
taken on board or disembarked by means of
a gmtgway (Fig. 4), the gradient of which
shoukl be easy ; and the floor should be
covered with cocoanut matting or other
suitable material so as to afford the animals
secure foot-hold. Colonel Nunn tells me that
" the sides of the gangway should be high
enough to prevent horses seeing over them,
and consequently getting frightened at strange
sights about the ship, In the docks, or on the
shore. Gangways should not have a roof,
because horses, as a rule, object to go Into
a tunnel. Mules will usually walk up a
gangway by themselves. If some soiled
bedding and dung are spread over it, and

Embarking and Disembarking Horses. 6 1

if they are allowed time to put down their
noses and smell the litter. I obtained this
useful hint on board a ferry boat in the
Punjab."

Gangways which are employed for the
transit of horses from one deck to another
deck are called brows.

In default of a gangway, horses may be
conveyed into or out of a ship by means of
a crane or der^'ick^ either in slings or in a
portable horse-box (p. Z-i^. For this purpose,
hydraulic cranes are the best. They work
much more smoothly and with far greater
precision than steam winches, which are the
moving agents of derricks. They have the
great advantage of being free from noise,
which in the case of winches, is often a
cause of alarm to horses that are in their

62 Horses on Board Ship,

vicinity. Hydraulic cranes are to be found
only on steamers of good class.

For slinging horses during embarkation or
disembarkation, it is essential that the boom of
the derrick or jib (projecting arm) of the
crane should be sufficiently long to prevent
the animal touching the side of the ship or
coamings of the lighter into which he may be
lowered. Also, he ought to be raised high
enough to avoid letting him touch the deck,
by doing which, he is liable to get injured.

The process of slinging is employed not
only for taking horses on board and putting
them over the side, but also for raising and
lowering them from one deck to another deck.
In lowering a horse from one deck (generally
the exposed deck), it will be necessary to
lower him on to the hatch ; but in bringing

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Embarking and Disembarking Horses, "jy

him up, he can as a rule be raised either
from the hatch, or from an intermediate
deck.

As far as my experience goes, the best
kind of sling for transferring a horse from
one place to another, is that which is used
for landing horses at Port Elizabeth, South
Africa (Fig. 5). In this sling, the gromet,
which is attached to the suspending chain or
rope, is passed through the ring of rope at
the other' end of the sling, so that the
animal is enclosed in a running loop, out of
which it is almost impossible for him to slip,
supposing that he is further secured, fore
and aft, by a breast-rope and breeching,
both of which ropes are attached at their free
ends to their respective rings by means of a
slippery hitch (half hitch on a bight). The

y^ Horses on Board Ship.

large rope of the sling is all in one piece,
and consequently it greatly strengthens the
sling, which will fit horses of all sizes.
The portions of the rope which touch each
other, when forming a loop round the horse,
are ** parcelled," so as to prevent wear.
The two cross pieces of wood over which
the canvas passes at each end of the sling,
are made particularly heavy, so that the sling
may readily fall down, clear of the horse,
when it is disconnected from the chain or rope
of the crane or derrick. Figs. 6 to 1 1 show
the manner in which horses are landed on
the Port Elizabeth pier from lighters. This
sling works so expeditiously, that with one
crane the Port Elizabeth people can land
from their lighters, lOO horses in an hour
and a quarter. The immense amount of

Embarking and Disembarking Horses. 79

practice which they have had, has made them
extremely quick at this work. The only
fault I had to find with them, is that the
Kaffirs who put on and take off the slings,
use the horses very roughly, especially in
the matter of striking them about the muzzle,
which is a particularly cruel trick. Mr.
Desmond, Chief Veterinary Surgeon to the
Government of Adelaide, South Australia,
whom I had the pleasure of meeting at
Port Elizabeth, aptly remarked to me that
if these Kaffirs were supplied with strong
boots, they would not be so inclined to
strike the horses, which have an unfortunate
tendency to tread on the toes of their
attendants.

Lighters into which horses are put, either
for embarkation or disembarkation, should

^o Horses on Board Ship.

have their floors laid down with a plentiful
supply of soft material, such as straw or coir
matting, so as to prevent them slipping, and
to save them from hurting themselves, in the
event of their falling down. Accidents are
much less liable to occur when the horses
are left loose in these lighters, than when
they are tied up. As I have already indi-
cated (p. 54), it would be well, under
ordinary conditions, to remove the hind
shoes of the animals, so that they may not
hurt each other by kicking.

When a horse is put into a portable horse-
box, previous to slinging him and the box,
the ropes on his head-collar or halter should
be firmly secured at a short length to the
rings which are fixed to the respective posts
at the entrance of the box, so as to stop

E^nbarking and Disemdarking Horses, 8 1

him from partly or wholly getting out of the
box during transit ; and it is well to cover
the box, or to blindfold the animal,
so as to prevent him seeing where he
is going, while the box is suspended in
the air. The fact of his being thus kept in
darkness will greatly help to check him from
struggling to get free. We should attach a
line to one corner of the box and get a man
to hold the line, so that the box may not
twist round.

Before putting a horse into a portable
horse-box, it is well to remember the fact,
that the animal will generally refuse to go
into it, unless the doors at both ends are
open.

Before disembarking a large number of

horses, it is advisable as a rule to mark all

6

82 Horses on Board Ship.

those which are sick, In order that their
proper care and supervision may not be
overlooked after landing them. The attach-
ment of a piece of spun-yarn to halter or
head-collar, Is a convenient means of re-
cognition.

^3

PORTABLE HORSE-BOXES.

According to H.M. transport regulations, a

portable horse-box (Figs. 12, 13, and 14)

should be " 6 feet long, 2 feet 6 inches broad

in the clear, and 6 feet 4^ inches high, made

of good wood, well framed, strongly built up

and strengthened with iron bands passing right

round on the outside. Bottoms to be battened.

Door at each end hung on strong hinges and

fitted with strong bar fastenings top and

bottom. Each door to have on the outside,

ring bolts for fastening halters to. The inside

of box and doors to be lined with liquored

leather slightly padded out with straw.

5#

84 Horses on Board Ship.

Wooden runners quite smooth on their under-
sides are to be fitted underneath each box to
facilitate hauling it about the deck. Each box
to be fitted for hoisting with a horse in it, and
when horses have to live in them on board, each
must have a painted cover fitted on a frame
in such a way as to ensure protection from the
weather." I think that 6 feet 6 inches would
be a better length than 6 feet 3 inches, and
that the width inside might be increased to
3 feet, so as to allow room for a man to get
into the box alongside the horse, in order to
arrange his clothing, pick up a foot, or perform
any other necessary detail. In making this
suggestion for increased width, I do not forget
that under ordinary circumstances it is accom-
panied by decreased stability on the part of the
animal, which obtains support during the lively

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Portable Horse-boxes. 91

movements of the ship, by the fact of the
walls of the box being close to his sides. This
advantage may be safely dispensed with, when
the floor of the box is covered with cocoanut
matting, which is a subject I shall presently
consider. For the conveyance of heavy cart
horses, an extra allowance of room may have
to be made.

Instead of having a box only just large
enough for a horse to stand up in, we might
have one sufficiently big (say, 9 feet by 6 feet)
for him to lie down in if he chooses to do so.
I have known such an arrangement to be used
when taking valuable horses from Australia to
India. It proved very beneficial to the health
of the animals thus boxed ; but the extra ex-
pense would not, as a rule, be justified in
ordinary cases.

g2 Horses on Board Ship.

A box has a door at each end, so that the
animal may be able to go in or out of it which-
ever way it is turned. Instead of straw
padding inside the box, I would recommend
the employment of large pieces of felt, to be
secured by being laced through holes bored in
the planking, so as to dispense with the use of
nails of any kind, next to the horse. Each
side of the box, at different ends, should have
a small door (Fig. 15) through which the
animal's dung may be removed. The box
shown in Fig. 14 is not provided with this
convenient door. Figs. 12 and 13 show a
rope which passes through the sides of the
box and across the horse's back, so that, when
it is drawn tightly, it will keep the animal
down, in the event of his struggling to get
out of the box.

Fig. 15. — Mucking-out door in the side of a portable horse-box.

Portable Horse-boxes, 95

The feeding trough or manger which is pro-
vided with a sea-going horse-box, is generally
much too narrow. It should be at least 13
inches deep and 13 inches broad at the top,
about 22 inches wide, and the sides should
slope towards the centre, so as to help the
animal to reach his food.

With respect to the nature of xh^ floor upon
which a horse will have to stand in a box
during a sea voyage, we should bear in mind
that loss of foothold is a very serious danger
from which he is liable to suffer during
bad weather. The famous Blue Gown,
Prince lo, Ossory, who was own brother to
Ormonde, and scores of other valuable animals
have lost their lives from stress of weather
during the short passage across the Atlantic. ]
These accidents usually occur from the horse

9 6 Horses on Board Ship.

losing his footing, in which case he will pro-
bably either get dashed from side to side,
until he Is killed, or he will struggle until he
dies, as horses will often do, when they get
down and cannot regain their feet. As a

quadruped has a far larger base of support than
i

a biped, he can keep his footing much better
i.

on a rocking surface, like the deck of a ship

which is rolling and pitching, provided that
his feet do not slip. Yet horses, as a rule, find
it far more difficult to keep standing in bad
i weather than men ; because of the small
amount of friction which exists between the
floor of their box or stall and the ground sur-
face of their feet. ' The superiority of the
four-legged form of support over the two-
legged one, Is well shown by the ease with
which a dog can stand on the deck of a ship

Portable Ho7'se-boxes. 97

that is rolling in the most desperate manner ; \
because the pads of his feet give him abund-
ance of grip. Therefore, to ensure a sea-going
horse against the danger in question, we need
only place him on a non-slippery surface, as
for instance, thick cucoanitt matting, into the
upstanding fibres of which his feet can sink,
and can thus obtain secure foot-hold. The
cocoanut matting, to which I allude, is of
the rough door-mat type./ I have frequently
proved the perfect efficiency of this material
during very bad weather on voyages with
horses between India and England, and also
in the North Sea when going to Russia.
My own practice when taking animals in
portable horse-boxes, is to employ six cocoa-
nut door-mats of the ordinary size (about
3 feet by i ^ feet) ; five to cover the floor.

98 Horses on Board Ship.

and one extra, so that the rearmost mat
can be taken out every day, cleaned and
dried, and the others pushed down in daily
succession. If one large mat is used, there
will be great difficulty in changing it from
time to time, as would be necessary for
purposes of cleanliness. The old plan of
putting battens across the floor of a box
is not good ; because, instead of using the
battens as a fixed point for his toes in the
manner intended, a horse will often place his
heels on them, apparently with the hopeless
object of digging his toes into the wood
beneath, and will thus adopt a position which
is well suited to bring on fever of the feet.
Hay is much less slippery than straw. Cinders
and sand are very inefficient substitutes for
rough cocoanut matting ; although they are

Portable Horse-boxes. 99

probably the best makeshifts that can be
usually found.

With respect to the loss of Ossory and
Prince lo, I read In The Spirit of the Times
that the man who had charge of them said that
he could not keep either straw or sawdust
under them ; because It got washed away by
the water which was shipped. It Is evident
that no amount of wave-washing could remove
properly placed cocoanut matting. When
horses get killed In this outrageous manner,
any Insurance company which had taken the
risk on them, would be right to resist all
claims for compensation ; because proper pre-
cautions had not been taken for the safety
of the animals.

I believe I was the first to advocate the use
of rough cocoanut matting as a floor for horses

\
J

loo Horses on Boai'd Ship.

on board ship, which I did as far back as the
30th March, 1889, in Hayes Sporting News,
which I owned and edited in Calcutta. Rough
cocoanut matting not only gives a horse firm
foot-hold, but also saves him to a great extent
from the danger of getting fever in the feet,
by enabling him to stand on a substance which
is a bad conductor of heat, and which causes
the pressure on the ground-surface of his feet
to be evenly distributed.

Every box should be furnished with sling
hooks, and also with slings (p. 141), which
can be used when required.

If practicable, the box should be opened
morning and evening for cleaning out pur-
poses, and when it is possible to exercise the
horse. On all other occasions, it should be
kept closed. If it is inadvisable to open the

Portable Horse-boxes. loi

box — for Instance, on account of bad weather
— the removal of the dung may be effected
through the small door (Fig. 15, p. 93) which
should be on each side of the box.

A portable horse-box ought not to cost
more than from £^ to ^10 to make, although
fancy prices are sometimes charged.

102

ARRANGEMENT OF HORSES ON

BOARD SHIP.

With a small number of horses, we may
observe the sound rule that they should be
placed as near midships as practicable, because
there Is less motion at that part of the vessel
than at either end. As the inclination of the
deck to the horizon Is greater when a ship
is rolling than when she Is pitching, horses
In all cases should be put athwart ship, and
not fore and aft.

To fulfil the requirements of ventilation with
a large number of horses, not more than two
decks, below the exposed deck, should be fully

Ar7'angement of Horses on Board Ship, 103

occupied by these animals. In a spar-deck
ship, these two decks will be the spar deck and
the main deck ; and in a three deck ship, the
main deck and the upper 'tween deck. Except
when there is a fair probability of bad weather
being encountered, as during winter in the Bay
of Biscay, horses can be carried on a shade or
shelter deck, in which case there might be
three decks occupied by stalls. It is a great
advantage to be able to utilise, either wholly
or in part, a shade or shelter deck as a hos-
pital or convalescent home for sick animals,
which can generally be brought up from below.
If the exposed deck is unprovided with stalls,
the horses should, as far as practicable, be tied
up with their heads to windward, so that an
undue proportion of weight may not be put on
their fore feet, which are much more liable to

I04 Horses on Board SJiip.

suffer from lamlnitis (fever in the feet) than
the hind ones. To avoid crowding the
exposed deck, which would be a source
of inconvenience and even of danger during
bad weather, it is well to remove off it,
from time to time, all horses which have
recovered their health, and which are unpro-
vided with stalls on the exposed deck. If^
bad weather comes on, all such animals
should be sent below, w^here they will feel the
movement of the ship much less than above.
The best position for stalls is 'thwart-ship
and close to the side of the ship, with the heads
of the stalls facing inwards. To facilitate the
opening and closing of port-holes, a space of
about 2 feet is sometimes left between the ends
of the stalls and the side of the steamer ; but
the small advantage thus obtained is generally

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Ar7'angement of Horses on Board Ship. 107

more than counterbalanced by the curtaihnent
of the space in front of the horses, especially at
the hatches and alley ways.

Although four rows of horses can usually be
arranged on some parts of the deck, as in
places away from the hatches and engine room ;
it is always advisable, if practicable, to limit
the number of rows to two, so that, as far as
possible, none of the animals may be forced to
take expired air into its lungs. In all cases,
mid-ship stalls (Fig. 16) obstruct ventilation,
especially between decks, and in the neigh-
bourhood of bulk-heads. These stalls should
on no account be closer to the stalls they face
than 3 feet 6 inches ; for if they be within that
limit, there will be great difficulty in passing
between the two rows when the feeding
troughs are in position ; and the horses whose

io8 Horses 07t Board Ship.

heads are In opposite directions will have every
chance to bite and otherwise annoy each other,
and to appropriate each other's food.

No stalls should be placed on hatches,
which are extremely useful places for the
temporary accommodation of sick animals, and
of those that are taken out of their stalls
during mucking-out time, and for .preparing
hay and corn prior to distribution.

Vacant stalls, to a number of at least five
per cent., should be provided and should be
uniformly distributed, so that, in case of Illness
or accident, a double stall may be given to a
patient (pp. 202 and 203).

ro9

HEAD-COLLARS AND HALTERS.

Leather head-collars are stronger and more
easily adjusted than halters, which are
generally made of webbing ; but are more
expensive and are more apt to abrade the skin
upon which the nose-band presses, especially
if the nose-band Is put so high up as to touch
the bony prominence (end of the superior
maxillary spine) which is about mid-way
between the horse's eye and the corner of
his lips, on each side. For the adjustment of
the nose-band it is a safe rule to place it about
two Inches below this bony prominence. A
frequent fault with halters which are put on

no Horses on Board Ship.

board for horses, Is that they are of a uniform
size, and consequently. If they fit animals with
big heads, they will be too large for those with
small ones. In which case the nose-band Is apt
to slip over the horse's muzzle, and the halter
Is then converted Into a ring which goes round
the animal's neck. I have known Instances of
horses on board ship getting killed by hanging,
owing to the nose-band slipping over the
muzzle in this way, and the animal subse-
quently losing his footing.

The webbing of halters will generally stretch
after having been In use for a short time. In
all cases the front part of the nose-band should
be about 14 inches long, and should be sewn
to the rings at each side ; and the rear por-
tion of the nose-band should consist of a
strap (Fig, 17) which can be shortened or

Fig. 17. — Halter used on Government transports.

Head-collars and Halters, 113

lengthened as occasion may demand. In some

halters, the nose-band forms a running noose

with Its rope, which arrangement Is open to

the serious objection that If the tylng-up rope

be long the animal may pass his head through

the noose, which In this case will be brought

round his neck, and he will thus run the risk

of becoming strangled In the event of his

falling down. I have had more than one

horse killed in this way. A throat-latch

Is an Indispensable adjunct to a board-ship

halter, but It should not, as Is often done, be

sewn on to the crown-piece (Fig. 17), in

which case It Is liable to become detached.

A better plan is to make it separable from

the halter, to which it can be connected by

passing It through a loop at the part of the

halter which goes over the animal's poll.

8

114 Horses on Board Ship.

• ! — « — ^

Owing to the softness of its material, I am
inclined to think that a halter made of webbing
is better for board-ship use on voyages of not
less than three weeks than a head-collar,
supposing that both kinds of gear are properly
made.

Either with a halter or head-collar, the
tying-up rope on each side can be spliced to
the ring of the nose-band. In the case
of a detachable throat-latch, the tying-up
rope can be fixed by a clove hitch (Fig. 21,
p. 137) to the ring which works on the rear
portion of the nose-band, and which is
attached to a strap that connects the nose-
band to the throat-latch.

fJ5

CLOTHING.

As horses on board ship are practically in
a state of rest, they are able to bear cold much
worse than animals which can keep themselves
more or less warm by movement. On the
other hand, they are as a rule fairly well
protected from bad weather, and are conse-
quently free from the chilling effects of
moisture ; a wet coat being about twenty
times a better conductor of heat than a dry
one. In Stable Management and Exercise y I
have mentioned that I found a rug and a
quarter sheet amply sufficient for purposes of

warmth when taking well-bred hunters to

8*

ii6 Hoi'ses on Board Ship,

Revel on the deck of a steamer through the
North Sea and Baltic during winter, on which
occasion the cold was far greater than Is ever
felt In England. Although these animals had
been clipped, they were protected from snow
and salt water. We all know that In very cold
weather the atmosphere Is comparatively dry
and that no rain can fall. The fact that very
cold snow contains a large proportion of air,
greatly reduces the cooling effect which such
snow has on a horse's skin, because air is an
extremely bad conductor of heat. Experience
leads me to conclude that a stationary horse
which Is exposed to rain when the temperature
of the atmosphere Is just above freezing point,
suffers more from cold than if the temperature
was, say, 30° F. lower. In which case the air
would be dry.

dot king. \ 117

The cooling effect of a current of air is
proportionate to its velocity, which is a fact we
should bear in mind with horses which are
placed in draughty situations.

During winter on board ship in temperate
climates, like that of England, a healthy horse
will hardly ever require more clothing than a
woollen rug or a kersey quarter sheet. In
and approaching the tropics all clothing should
as a rule be removed, except perhaps now and
then when a clipped horse is exposed to a
strong breeze at night. / With a large number ~^
of horses at sea we should be careful to keep
the amount of clothing at a minimum, because
the presence of even the lightest clothing will
more or less check excretion from the skin,
and will consequently throw increased labour
on the lungs, which are the organs most

1 1 8 Horses on Board Ship.

liable to disease under conditions of overcrowd-
ing. I am convinced that putting on too

/ much clothing is at least ten times as
dangerous to an animal's health as putting on
too little. If a horse is found to be sweating

\ even to the slightest extent under his

\ clothing, we may be perfectly certain that

1 . .

I the limit of safety has been greatly exceeded./

119

STALLS.

As a rule, there are two varieties of stalls,
namely, one with a double breast-board ; the
other, with a single one. In the former (Fig. i,
p. 19), the breast-board is 5 ft. in width and
has an upright post at its centre, at the back
of which post there is a groove to accom-
modate the front ends of the division boards.
In the latter (Fig. 18, p. 121), the breast-
board is only 2 ft. 6 in. wide, and it consists
simply of a piece of wood which is placed across
the front of the stall, and fits into iron cleats
that are bolted to the front of each front
post, and are kept from lifting up out of

I20 Horses on Boai^d Ship.

place by swinging .stops, which are fixed to
the front posts. Double breast-boards are
also retained in position by similar cleats and
stops. Although stalls with single breast-
boards require twice the number of front
posts as those with double ones, they are
much more convenient in use than stalls of
the double breast-board pattern ; because
horses can be put into or taken out of
them, merely by removing the breast-board.
A double breast-board, on the contrary,
cannot be taken out without also removing
the division-boards (parting-boards) that are at
its centre. In both cases, the division-boards
in Government transports are 3 ft. 9 in. high
above the floor of the stall.

My experience, and also that of several
capable men whom I have consulted on the

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Stalls. 123

subject, lead me to the conclusion that the
regulation height of 3 ft. 9 In. for division-
boards Is too little, especially In the case of
Northern Hemisphere mares during the early
months of the year, when they come '' in sea-
son," and are then particularly liable to kick
and to get one of their hind legs over the
boards. This accident is not only dangerous
to the Involved animal, but also causes a good
deal of trouble to the attendants, especially at
night. As a rule, it will be easier to free the
hung-up animal by removing and afterwards
replacing the boards than by lifting the hind
leg off the top board. A mechanical con-
trivance for the easy removal of these boards
In such cases of need is greatly required, but
has not been supplied up to the present. An
addition of, say, 8 inches to the height of the

124 Horses on Boai'd Sin p.

division-boards would no doubt be sufficient to
meet the requirement in question.

Mr. F. C. Golden, M.R.C.V.S., who has had
great experience in the transport of Govern-
ment horses by sea, was the first to point
out to me the great advantage of using only
one division-board (the top one). By adopt-
ing this plan, mucking out, ventilation, and the
getting-up of horses which had fallen down in
their stalls would be greatly facilitated. Mr.
Golden and other veterinary surgeons who
have tried it, and who have spoken to me
about it, have found that its adoption in no
way increases the liability to accident by the
horses kicking each other.

Stalls for horses of ordinary size should
not be less than 7 ft. in length ; although
6 ft, 6 in. would do for a 15-hand horse.

Stalls. 125

Eight feet might be taken as a maximum
length ; and 7 ft. 6 In. as the best for ordinary-
use. The length of a stall is measured from
the breast-board to the haunch-board.

The division-boards (Figs. 16, p. 105 and
18, p. 121), which are four in number, are kept
3 in. apart by pieces of wood near their ends.

Care should be taken that no spaces exist
between the haunch-boards sufficiently wide
(say, more than 3 In.) to allow a horse to
catch his foot In them, in the event of his
kicking.

Every stall which contains a horse should
have a hooked-up stanchion or other con-
trivance, on which to sling him ; for if he
requires slings, he will generally be too bad
to be moved to another stall, especially when
the ship is rolling.

126 Horses on Board Ship.

Stalls made on the Government pattern
cost about ^3 for each horse on a covered
deck, and about ^3 [Os. on the exposed deck.

One of the most important points about
stalls is that the fittings should be absolutely
secure ; because neglect of this precaution may
entail serious loss of horse-life during bad
weather. For instance, out of 415 horses
which were on board the ss. Rapidan on her
voyage from Liverpool to South Africa, 191
died, principally on account of the giving way
of the stall-fittings during a heavy gale.
This ship became disabled, got into the trough
of the sea, and consequently rolled about
terribly.

The fitting of stalls on Government trans-
port is carried out according to the following
Admiralty details : —

Stalls. 127

SPECIFICATION FOR FITTING STALLS ON

BOARD SHIP.

DIMENSIONS OF STALLS.

ft. ins.
Maximum length in the clear between breast and

haunch boards . . . . . . .80

(Not less than maximu7>i length to be given where possible.)

Minimum length in the clear between breast and

haunch boards . . . . . . .69

Passage between two rows of stalls, clear between

troughs, not less than . . . . .40

Breadth between division boards in the clear, not

less than . . . . . . . .24

Height of the division boards above floor of stall . 3 9

Height of breast board above floor of stall . -39

FITTINGS ON EXPOSED DECK.
FRONT STANCHIONS.

To be 6 ins. by 4 ins., spaced 2\ ft. apart, centre to
centre, the height of same to be 8 ft. from ship's deck. In
way of horses' heads, stanchions to be covered with zinc
9 B.W.G. as may be required. Heels to be secured by a
cant, 6 ins. by 4 ins., fastened to the deck with a f inch
nut and screw or tapped bolt, one to every 5 feet, and a
f inch nut and screw bolt through heel of stanchion and
cant. If on wood deck to be secured with f inch coach
screws.

A staple for a hay net to be fastened to each front
stanchion.

128 Horses on Board SJiip.

REAR STANCHIONS.

To be 6 ins. by 4 ins., spaced 2^ ft. apart, centre to
centre, the height to be 7 ft. 2 ins. from deck.

These stanchions to be thoroughly secured in position by
means of iron clamps, fitted to bulwark rail or rails Stop
to be arranged on back of stanchions to prevent their
rising. Heads of stanchions to be cross tied not less than
every 15 feet, and as required by Inspector. Heels to be
secured same as front stanchions.

ROOF RAFTERS.

To be 3 ins. by 3 ins., bolted to front and back stan-
chions. All roof rafters to be carried 2 ft. past front
stanchions, and 6 ins. past back stanchions.

Along upper end of front and back stanchions a 4 ins. by
2 ins. fore and after to be run. These fore and afters to be
nailed to stanchions.

ROOF.

To be I -J inch tongued and 'grooved, and carried 2 ft.
past front stanchions and 6 ins. past back stanchions, same
as rafters.

back: sheathing.

Stalls in way of open rails to have \\ inch tongued and
grooved sheathing full depth from bottom of roof i after to
deck. Sheathing to be nailed on to back of stanchions.
In way of closed bulwark to have i in, tongued and grooved
sheathing from top of bulwark to underside of roof rafter.
From top of bulwark to deck 9 ins. by 2 ins. sparring to be
fitted with 3 ins. spacing.

Stalls. 129

BREAST RAIL.

To be 10 ins. by 3 ins., with upper third covered with
zinc not less than 9 B.W.G. Breast rail to be scored
1^ ins. at each end on the lower part over the iron cleat,
so as to prevent the board from shifting fore and aft; a
swinging stop of approved pattern to be fitted above breast
rails on front of stanchions to prevent boards from lifting
up out of place. The breast rails may be fitted in lengths
to take two stalls.

CLEATS.

Iron cleats f in. thick and 4 ins. wide bolted on front of
each front stanchion to take breast rail.

PLATFORMS.

To be moveable, and to be made with i^ inch deal
boards the length of the stall with a i inch space left
between them, secured with battens the width of the stall.
Foot battens to platform to be of pitch or red pine 4 in No.,
rear batten to be 4 ins. by 2 ins., and placed 1 2 ins. from
rear end of stall (when stall is 8 ft. long), the other 3
battens to be 3 ins. by 2 ins., the front one to be placed
7^ ins. from the end of platform, and the other two to be
placed each one foot from the centre of platform. These
battens to be chamfered and secured to platform by iron
screws 2\ ins. long, \ in. diameter, well recessed below top
of batten.

PARTING BOARDS BETWEEN EACH HORSE.

Top parting board to be 9 ins. by 2 ins. The lower
three parting boards to be 8 ins. by 2 ins. with 3 ins.

9

130 Horses on Board Skip.

clearance between each, i^ in. parting pieces spiked near
each end of board to give this clearance. These parting
boards to sHde in grooves at outer and inner end. Grooves
may be machined (2 ins. slot) out of solid wood or by
attaching with screw nails 2 ins. by 2 ins. battens on a 6 ins.
by i-^ in. backboard. Front of top parting board to be
fitted with slip bolt, or an approved iron pin with ball head
secured by chain to stanchions, may be fitted into socket
hole in stanchions just above top parting board. Back of
top parting board to be fitted with wood stop, to prevent
parting boards rising.

TROUGHS.

To be of approved pattern, one to each stall, galvanized
iron, about i ft. 9 ins. by 12 ins. by 9 ins. deep (not
buckets).

HALTER RINGS.

Of approved pattern in positions as directed, and firmly
secured.

FITTINGS UNDER ERECTIONS AND IN 'TWEEN DECKS.

STANCHIONS.

Scantlings of stanchions, breast rail, platform, and parting
boards as specified for fittings on exposed deck.

To be tightly wedged between decks, and to be secured
at heads and heels as specified for exposed decks to prevent
their shifting fore and aft, or athwart ship, to Inspector's
approval.

Stalls. 1 3 1

BACK OF STALLS.

Ordinary ship's sparring in 'tween decks to be closed with
intermediate spars, so as not to allow of more than 3 in.
spacing between spars. Where no sparring exists on the
ship, four 9 ins. by 2 ins. spars are to be fitted, with not
more than 3 ins. spacing between each.

SHIPS FITTED FOR CATTLE.

Cattle ships fitted with cement decks to have portable
floor pieces laid close down on cement between outer two
and inner two footlocks, and good drainage space to
scuppers cut through footlocks under parting boards.

DRAINAGE.

Sufficient number of scuppers to be cut in all 'tween
decks and under all erections. As a general rule, a 4 ins.
scupper every 25 feet of erections will be found sufficient.
Position of all scuppers to have name " scupper " painted
on ship's side or back of stall immediately above the
scuppers in not less than 6 in. letters. Whenever prac-
ticable an endless chain is to be rove through scupper for
cleaning purposes.

WATER SERVICE.

A permanent water service pipe to be fitted to all horse
decks with hoses attached carried fore and aft on the upper
deck. A cock is also to be fitted at each side at the
following stations : — Poop front, after end of bridge, after
end of engine casing, forward end of engine casing, bridge
front bulkhead, after end of forecastle and forward. In
'tween decks of ordinary length a cock is to be fitted at each

132 Hof'ses on Board Ship.

side, at forward and after end of each compartment.
Special care to be taken that water service can be suppUed
from at least two independent pumps in the engine room in
case of breakdown.

SIDE LIGHTS.

In long deck erections to be spaced not more than 1 6 ft.
apart, and in 'tween decks spaced about 12 ft. apart.

WIND SCOOPS.

Of approved pattern to be fitted to all side lights.

ELECTRIC LIGHT OR CANDLE LAMPS.

To be fitted in erections, and in between- decks of
sufficient number to give ample light ; where candle lamps
are fitted they are to be of approved pattern and hung in
proper hooks.

VENTILATION.

All erections (not necessarily enclosed) and all between
decks are to have ventilators of sufficient size and number
with their cowls carried clear above top fittings, besides
which, all 'tween decks to have mechanical ventilation
by means of fans, or other approved method, so as to draw
all foul air from the after end and or if necessary, from the
fore end of each compartment, and exhaust same at the top
exposed deck.

WINDSAILS.

30 ins. diameter with large mouth (square head preferred)
to be supplied and fitted, at least two to each 'tween deck
compartment, and where required in erections.

Stalls, 133

GENERAL.

A Pharmacy to be built, size about 6 feet square, of 3 inch
stanchions and i inch boarding. Spaces to be left between
the boarding of top half for light and air. A door to be
fitted, provided with hanging lock.

Shelves with face battens to be fitted, as directed, around
the bulkheads. Also bottle racks and a broad shelf,
2 ft. 9 ins. from deck, for dispensing.

Five per cent, spare stalls are to be fitted in addition to
the number of horses fitted for. Two per cent, to be fitted
with slinging bars. The bars to be pitch or red pine
running fore and aft between the stanchions with dumb
sheaves worked on them, four to each front and two to each
rear bar for each stall. The centre of front bar to be 9 ins.
from front stanchion, the rear one to be three feet from the
front bar, centre to centre. These bars to be kept as high
as possible supported by and bolted to fir rails 8 feet long
by 4f ins. by 3 ins. secured to stanchions by f inch bolts
and nuts. Heads of bolts to be smoothly rounded, ends to
be cut off flush with the nuts and covered with wooden caps
carefully smoothed off.

Two belaying cleats of f inch iron are to be screwed to
front of each stanchion of the spare stalls, 18 ins. and
5 ft. 6 ins. from the heel of stanchion respectively for belaying
the falls of the hammocks. »

All timber coming in contact in any way with the animals
is to be well planed, smoothed, rounded, and neatly
chamfered off.

134 Horses on Board Ship.

Forward and after ends of rows of all stalls on exposed
decks to be close sheathed, full depth, with i^ ins. tongued
and grooved, upper portion of this to hinge down, and the
ends to be made portable when required. Canvas screens
to be fitted from fore and after at top of front stanchions to
bottom on deck cants with lashings, &:c. complete ; these
lashings also to tie screens when rolled up. Screens are to be
hung in front of all stalls on the weather decks, as also at all
ends of the centre stalls adjoining hatches on next deck
below.

Brows are to be constructed to allow of shipping all
horses ; these brows to be of easy descent to each between
deck, and are to be taken out on board the vessel. Brows
to have strong sparred sides (not more than 3 in. spaces
between spars) ; also in way of each fitting, &c. on deck,
more than 6 in. high small permanent brows to be fitted
where it is intended to walk horses.

All workmanship, material, and general arrangement of
the stalls to pass the Inspector appointed, who may make
any reasonable alterations in this specification while the
work is in progress. Workmanship to be carried out in
first-class manner.

135

TYING-UP.

The method of tying-up differs to some
extent according to the nature of the stall.
In a stall which has two front posts (a
single breast-board stall, Fig. i8, p. 121), a
ring, for the tying-up ropes, will be fixed to the
front of each front post, and about 16 inches
above the breast-board. In this case, each
tying-up rope should be about 2 ft. 6 in. long.
In stalls which have one breast-board to
two stalls, the outward tying-up rope is
attached to a ring on the front post about
18 inches above the breast-board ; and the
inward rope, to a ring in the centre of the

136 Ho7'ses on Boaj'd Ship.

breast-board (Fig. i, p. 19). The best way
for making this attachment is by means of
spring hooks fixed to the tying-up ropes,
which can thus be kept at their proper
length, even when the spring hooks are dis-
connected from their rings. If spring hooks
are not used, the ropes can be tied to the
rings by means of a round turn and two
half hitches (Fig. 19), which will not be so
liable to become undone as a slippery hitch
(Fig. 20), and will be more easy to undo
than a clove hitch (Fig. 21), in the event of
the rope being drawn tightly, as would occur
if the horse got down in his stall.

The advantage of keeping the tying-up
ropes at a fixed length by means of spring
hooks, is emphasised by the fact that these
ropes have to be disconnected from their

Fig. 19. — A round turn and two half hitches.

Fig. 20. — A slippery hitch.

•*^

Fig, 21. — A clove hitch.

Tying-up. 139

rings every time the stalls are mucked-out,
and consequently If spring hooks are not used,
the length of the respective ropes will have
to be frequently readjusted, with a needless
and a very Inconvenient expenditure of time
and trouble.

In stalls which have double breast-boards,
the length of the outward tying-up rope
should be just sufficient to allow the horse
to obtain his hay from the hay net, but not
to annoy his companion ; and the length of
the inward rope should give him full liberty
to eat out of his trough, but not to bite
his neighbour. With the double breast-board
arrangement, these lengths would respectively
be about 22 and 20 inches. Special attention
should be paid to keeping these tying-up
ropes at a proper length ; for if they are

140 Horses on Board Ship.

too short, the horse may be prevented from
eating ; and if too long, he may not only
tease and bite his neighbour or companion,
but may appropriate his food.

The application of coal tar to the tying-up
ropes and hay nets, will often prevent horses
gnawing them, which crib - biters are particu-
larly fond of doing. Coal tar Is much more
effective for this purpose than wood tar.

Chains of a fixed length can be substi-
tuted with great advantage for tying up-
ropes. Their utility is still further Increased
by the addition of spring hooks.

141

STATIONARY SLINGING OF

HORSES.

For purposes of support, horses may be
slung in their stalls ; on one of the hatches ;
in various positions on the exposed deck ; or
on one of the decks below it. In the stalls
of cattle boats, horses may be slung on cattle
stanchions (portable cattle fittings) which are
hung up to the deck over the horses. It
is a great advantage to have means for
slinging horses in all stalls. Provided there
are slings, there is no difficulty in slinging
horses in portable horse boxes. Derricks
may be used for slinging horses which are

142 Horses on Board Ship,

standing on hatches or on the exposed deck.
When a horse is standing on a hatch, one
of the beams that go across the opening of
the hatch, will probably be the best object
on which to attach the ropes of the sling.
For the same purpose, a beam may be laid
from the rigging to one of the derricks on
the exposed deck. In a sling of this kind,
care should be taken that pressure is not
put on the withers or on any other part of
the backbone of the animal, and that the
breeching and breast-piece of the sling do
not exert undue pressure on those portions
of the skin which they touch. If necessary,
these points of contact should be protected
by suitable material, such as cotton waste,
tow, etc.

The breast-piece of a sling should be of

Stationary Slinging of Horses, 143

rope or canvas, but not of leather, which Is
apt to get torn by the tongue of the buckle,
in the event of strain being put on It. I
have seen two cases of horses which were
slung on board ship, getting killed by the
breast strap giving way in this manner. One
of these animals fell out of the sling in which
he was being lowered from the exposed deck,
and was fatally injured. The other fell for-
ward in the stall In which he was slung, and
got choked by a rope which had been put
round his neck In place of a head-collar.

Slings are of use to a stationary horse
only during fine weather, when he can ease
his feet by resting a portion of his weight
on them. To permit of his doing this, the
slings should be only loose enough to allow
of the flat of the hand to be passed between

144 Horses on Board Ship.

them and the lower part of the animal's chest
and abdomen. If they be so tight as to
exert pressure on that surface, when the
horse is standing up, their presence will have
a more or less injurious effect on his organs
of breathing and digestion. In rough weather,
even when the slings are slackened out to
their full limit of efficiency, their presence
will endanger the security of his foot-hold, and
may thus lead to a serious accident.

If a stationary horse which is slung, will
not bear any weight on his feet, the slings
should be at once removed or entirely
slackened out ; for their pressure would inter-
fere so seriously with his breathing as to kill
him in a short time.

As a rule, one sling to twenty horses will
be sufficient.

f45

FOOT-HOLD IN STALLS.

On pages 95 to 100, I have emphasised the
necessity of giving horses at sea good foot-
hold. Although coir mats act admirably for
this purpose in portable horse-boxes, they are
not generally applicable to stalls, on account
of the difficulty in mucking-out which their
presence would entail. As the fore legs of a
horse bear more weight than the hind ones,
their stability is of special importance. I have
accordingly found that the requirements of
foot-hold for horses in stalls is amply fulfilled,
as a rule, by placing their fore feet on a non-
slippery surface, such as a coir mat or a thick

10

146 Horses on Board Ship.

layer of hay. A mat in this position would
run little risk of becoming soiled by urine or
dung, and consequently the duty of keeping it
clean would cause but little trouble. On board
the Idaho and Kelvingrove, I found that my
suggestion of putting soiled hay under the
horses' fore feet admirably served the purpose
of giving them secure foot-hold. Colonel Duck
tells me that in several steamers which carried
remounts from South America to South Africa,
the animals were bedded down with alfalfa
(lucerne) hay, and that no mucking-out was
practised. Consequently they had good foot-
hold both before and behind, although their
hind quarters received a gradually increas-
ing elevation which, towards the end of the
voyage, must have been somewhat Incon-
venient to the animals. * This plan of allow-

Foot-hold in Stalls. 147

Ing the dung to accumulate in stalls for a
long period has been practised from time
Immemorial in many parts of the Continent,
and Is not as productive of foul odours as
one might Imagine. Although It gave good
results with respect to the mortality of re-
mounts during their transport from South
America to South Africa, It would of course
be inapplicable to steamers which had to cross
the line, owing to the Increased activity in
the process of decomposition, due to tropical
heat. Veterinary surgeons who had charge
of Argentine remounts in South Africa, tell
me that these animals arrived unshod, with
the ground surface of their feet In a deplor-
able state of neglect, on account of their
having stood in a mass of damp decomposing

matter during their respective voyages, and

10*

148 Horses 07t Board Ship.

consequently a large proportion of them were
incapable of being worked for a consider-
able time after disembarkation. The interval
necessary for the macerated and thrush-afflicted
feet to recover their normal condition of
soundness, not being allowed by our military
authorities, it was natural that only a very
small percentage of these remounts proved
fit for service.

149

WATERING HORSES.

Captain Ross-Smith writes to me from Port
Elizabeth as follows : —

" Cattle (horse) steamers with water ballast
are far preferable to those which carry only a
comparatively small supply of that fluid, and
trust to their condensers to supplement any
shortage. This condensed water Is palatable
neither to man nor beast, and should be used
as little as possible for drinking purposes. The
importance of this water question Is shown by
the enormous quantities required for a shipload
of animals. We have the pitiful case of a
steamer which arrived here from Australia

150 Horses on Board Ship.

via East London, short of water, with her
horses dying of thirst, and their mangers filled
with untouched food. Although this steamer
was paid off in consequence of the report sent
to the Admiralty about her, the Australian
Government chartered her afresh to carry
horses to South Africa ! "

Before ballast tanks are used to carry fresh
water for horses, they should be carefully
cleaned out ; because they are often very
dirty, and frequently contain considerable
quantities of salt which has been left in them
from the salt water they had previously held.
During this war, there have been cases of
captains of steamers filling their tanks, for the
purpose of economy, with water from the river
in which their respective steamers were afloat at
the time, with the result that the in-take was

Watering Horses. 151

more or less brackish, and consequently un-
suitable for man or beast. As far as my expe-
rience goes, fresh water carried In ballast tanks
generally contains a large quantity of Iron,
and Is also greatly discoloured on account of
having been- In contact with the accumulated
rust In the tanks. Although this water makes
abominably bad tea, I have not observed that
It produces any 111 effect on the health of horses
which drink It, or that these animals dislike It ;
supposing of course that It Is not otherwise
unpalatable or noxious from the presence of
salt, etc. If this rusty water, after It has been
drawn. Is allowed to stand for an hour or two,
a large portion of the rust which Is suspended
In It win settle down, and the water will become
proportionately Improved In taste. It Is
almost needless to say that the carrylng-out

152 Horses on Board Ship.

of such a precaution would be impracticable
with a large number of horses. In any case,
it would be well to test the water before
sailing.

The principles which should guide us in the
watering of horses on board ship may be
summed up as follows : They should be
watered not less frequently than three times a
day ; they should be watered shortly before
being fed, but not for at least three hours after
being fed ; and they should be allowed to drink
as much as they like.

For the transit of large numbers of horses,
water-pipes should be laid on in every deck
which carries these animals, and the pipes
should be provided with rubber tubes and
turncocks at suitable intervals. In Fig. 18
(p. 121), a water-pipe runs along the upper

Watering Horses. 153

part of the front posts, and one of Its rubber
pipes can be seen, turned up out of the way,
at the top of the spare stall.

Probably the best way to water horses at
sea is out of an ordinary sheet iron or zinc
stable bucket held up to each animal. If a
horse is watered out of his metal or wooden
feeding trough, the probability is that the
water will become more or less tainted by par-
ticles of sour grain, and will consequently be
distasteful to the animal. In no case should
water left in a trough by one horse, be poured
into the trough of another horse for him to
drink ; for the degree of contamination of the
fluid will thereby be probably doubled. In
watering several horses out of one bucket, the
dregs at the bottom of the bucket, each time
it has been more or less completely emptied

154 Horses on Board Ship.

by one or more horses, should be thrown
away, and should not be allowed to conta-
minate the succeeding fresh supply of water.
Anything less than, say, one pint might be
fairly regarded as '' dregs." If the first or
second horse to whom a pailful of water was
offered desired to finish it, he should be
allowed to do so, in which case, the quantity
of the dregs would be at a minimum. The
hygienic importance of proper watering is so
great, and the fastidiousness of many horses
in drinking is so well marked, that each
attendant should be most careful to allow
his horses full time and opportunity to drink
their fill. Some horses drink very slowly
and with several intervals. The watering
buckets should be kept scrupulously clean ;
not only as a direct safeguard to health, but

Watering Horses. 155

also because horses will often refuse to drink
water which is even slightly tainted.

The Government allowance of 10 gallons
of water a day for each remount on board
H.M. transports Is ample, and allows a good
margin for waste, which Is often large. I
have found that an ordinary horse will not
drink dally more than 5 gallons, even on a
voyage from Bombay to Liverpool during
the summer.

156

FEEDING UTENSILS, AND GEAR.

The present galvanised sheet-Iron feeding
troughs which are used on Government horse-
carrying transports, and which are shown In Fig.
1 8 (p. i2i), serve their purpose fairly well ; their
only two faults being, as far as I can see, that
they cannot be fixed to their respective breast-
boards securely enough to prevent the horses
displacing them ; and that horses can more
or less easily throw food out of them. I
regret that I am not a good enough mechanic
to be able to devise a contrivance for the
removal of the first mentioned objection. As

Feeding Utensils and Gear. 157

soon as the generality of horses have eaten
their corn, they will try to detach the feeding
trough from the breast-board, probably as a
signal that they want some hay. If the hay is
given in nets, the prompt removal of each
trough as soon as its respective horse has eaten
his corn, will naturally entail a good deal of
trouble on the attendants, who also will have
extra work to do in replacing the troughs
which are thrown down from time to time, in
the case of the hay being given in them. I
need hardly say that the troughs are liable to
get injured by falling on the deck. If the
horses are fed with hay as well as with corn
out of the troughs, it would be advisable to
make these mangers permanent fixtures, or at
least, have them attached in such a manner
that the animals could not knock them off the

158 Horses on Board Ship.

breast-boards, although an attendant could
easily remove and replace them.

In order to prevent a horse throwing his
food out of his trough — which he is particularly
inclined to do, when it contains long hay full
of hay seeds — we may adopt Colonel Duck's
wise suggestion to continue the two flat iron
hooks which are used for attaching the trough
to the breast-board, completely round the
trough, which will then have, near its ends,
two bars running across it, that will prevent
the animal carrying out his objectionable inten-
tion. In any case, the bars should be on the
outside of the trough, and should be continued
round its three sides, so as to distribute over a
large surface any strain that may fall on the
trough. The trough would be still further
protected from injury by the adoption of

o

pq

Feeding Utensils and Gear. 1 6 1

Colonel Duck's plan. The bad effect of cur-
tailing the surface over which the strain had
to be distributed in a feeding trough, is well
shown in Fig. 22. We were supplied with
these feeding buckets on board the Kelvin-
grove when she sailed for South Africa in
February, 1901, and although great care was
taken of them, only 88 of these buckets out of
525 remained intact to the end of the voyage.
Thanks to the clever suggestion of Mr.
Simpson, the Chief Officer, we kept many of
the broken ones in working order, by placing
a piece of wood inside the damaged bucket,
and nailing the hooks to it; the hooks in this
case being placed on the outside of the
bucket.

Iron mangers (feeding troughs or feeding

buckets) are much preferable to wooden ones,

1 1

1 62 Horses on Board Ship.

- £

because they are more easily cleaned ; they do
not absorb moisture ; and horses are far less
liable to crib-blte on them.

Feeding troughs are much better than nose-
bags, which soon become wet and dirty, even
with dry food, by the saliva that escapes
from the horse's mouth. They may, however,
be useful in the event of the feeding troughs
running short. On such an emergency, three
of them can be made out of one corn sack.
When turned with the hem inwards, they will
then measure about 14^ Inches broad and
13^ inches deep. A canvas strap can be
sewn to one side of the bag and a loop of
canvas to the other side. The bag can
then be put on the animal's head by passing
the strap over his poll, and fixing It to the loop
by a slip hitch (Fig. 20, 'p. 137). Care should

Feediiig Utensils and Gear. 163

be taken to remove the bag as soon as the horse
has eaten his corn, or has stopped feeding.

The best means of giving long hay is by
means of hay -nets of about 3^ inches mesh,
made of tarred spun yarn, and capable of con-
taining about 1 2 lbs. of hay, supposing that one
net has to supply two horses. With these nets
there will be a loss of about 25 per cent.,
caused by hay falling out on the deck or floor
of the stall. The nets should be kept in good
repair, for if they get broken, an unusually
large proportion of the hay will fall out.
Fairly long hay is required for nets, which
retain short hay badly. The sergeants or
under-foremen should see that the correct
weight of hay is put into each net, and should
weigh the filled nets from time to time, for

which purpose, each sergeant or under-fore-

II*

164 Horses on Board Ship.

man should have a spring balance, capable
of weighing at least 15 lbs.

There is an empty hay-net between two
of the horses in Fig. i (p. 19).

Colonel Nunn tells me that mules are par-
ticularly fond of eating hay-nets and ropes.

One or more oat-brtnsmg 7nac /lines with
smooth rollers should be provided in proportion
to the number of horses. The crushing should
be done daily, because bruised oats soon
become musty.

If hay-nets are not supplied, one or more
chaff-cutting machines should be provided ;
because there is great waste and trouble in
feeding horses with long hay out of feeding
troughs, especially If these mangers are not
furnished with cross bars, to more or less
successfully prevent the horses throwing out

Feeding Utensils and Gear. 165

their food. Even the presence of cross bars

will not prevent a horse getting rid of long

hay in this manner.

The following list of gear is that sanctioned

by the Admiralty for remount horse ships : —

I Admiralty pattern halter, with two head ropes for each
animal (half large, half ordinary, the former with distinguish-
ing mark such as coloured brow-band) and 5 ^/o spare halters.

1 Canvas horse hammock for every 25 animals.

E Hay net for each animal shipped and 5 ^/o spare.

2 Coils 1 1 in. Manila ratline for spare halter ropes.
2 Corn crushers.

2 Chaff cutters.
50 Curry combs.
50 Dandy brushes.
50 Large sponges.

6 J-peck measures.

6 quart measures.

1 2 Windsails ; 6 for main deck and 6 for deck below.

I Windscoop for each side port where animals are
carried.
25 Coir brooms.

6 Mops.
10 Steel scrapers.

6 Spanners for bolts.

6 Axe hammers,

1 66 Horses on Board Ship.

50 Square-mouthed shovels.

1 Dung-fork for each two cattlemen carried.
24 Whitewash brushes.

2 lo-cwt. cane dung baskets for each 'tween deck where
animals are carried.

50 Small cane hand dung baskets.

2 Galvanised buckets for each attendant and 10 0/0 spare.

4 Thermometers for each 'tween deck or compartment of
shelter deck, and also sufficient to take temperatures on
deck.

I Salter's spring balance to weigh up to 200 lbs.

Hurricane candle lamps sufficient to light to approval all
decks where animals are carried.

(If vessel is fitted with electric light, 4 candle lamps are
to be carried for each 'tween deck, and sufficient to light
other horse decks in the event of the electric light failing.)

Sufficient candles for the voyage.

4 Water tubs in each 'tween deck or shelter deck or other
compartment where animals are carried, or where vessels are
fitted w4th permanent water service a tub is to be fitted
under each tap.

A sufficient supply of cocoanut matting for exercising
horses on voyage.

A sufficient supply of canvas for protecting the front of
all exposed stalls, unless where screens have been already
fitted.

167

FOOD AND FEEDING.

Hay, as we have seen on pages 3 to 8, Is
undoubtedly the best food for idle horses, like
those on board ship, and should be given In
liberal quantities, say, 15 or 16 lbs. a day with
a small amount of corn. In order to make the
feeding conditions of hay as nearly as possible
the same as those of grass — which Is the
natural food of the horse, but which cannot
be conveniently stored on board ship — we
should. If practicable, supplement the hay
ration with one of from 4 to 7 lbs. of carrots
dally. Parsnips are quite as good as carrots
for horses, but they are dearer and are not so

1 68 Horses on Bom'd Ship.

easy to get. As these roots are apt to rot,
they should be put on board fresh, and hi a
fairly dry condition.

Horses on board Government transports
are sometimes provided with mangold-wurzels,
when carrots cannot be obtained at a suffi-
ciently low price. We had them on the good
ship Idaho, but most of them were rotten.
Even the sound ones were not relished by
the horses. They were certainly a failure In
this case.

To keep up the working capabilities of
the horses, without unduly "heating" their
systems, we may give them a moderate supply
of bran or oats, or of both. As a bran mash
is regarded by many people as the sole form
of bran as a food for horses, I must point out
\ that the admixture of water In this case

Food and Feeding. 1 69

diminishes the digestibility of the bran and
makes It a laxative. If, however, the animal
Is allowed to make his own bran mash, by
giving it to him dry, he will be obliged to
thoroughly masticate it ; for If he does not do
so, his mouth will not obtain a quantity of
saliva sufficient to enable him to swallow
It. When the bran has been ground Into
a fine state by the teeth and saturated
with saliva, it will be in the best possible
condition for reception and digestion by
the stomach. Although a bran mash may
be regarded as a laxative medicine, dry bran
is a highly digestible and nutritious food, as I
have proved with hundreds of horses on sea
and land. A Muic ihaii tlttrty" years^Rgo, ColQaeL/ >
John Anderson, A.,V. D., directed my atten-

/ L

tion to t)ils fact, w|iich Muntz, -Crandeau and

/ - i

i^

1 70 Hoi'ses on Board Ship.

Drher~Continental scientific men have amply
proved.

Some people have the mistaken idea that
dry bran should always be damped by
sprinkling it with water, before giving it to a
horse ; because its floating particles, so they
say, will go up his nostrils and injuriously
affect his organs of breathing. I have never
found a single case of this to occur with the
many thousands of feeds of dry bran which I
have seen given to horses in feeding troughs
and ordinary mangers ; although the presence
j of dry bran in a nose-bag might make an
I animal sneeze.lJ' A valid objection to the
wetting of bran, as I have already indicated,
is that the damper it is, the less will the horse
chew it, and the less saliva will he secrete to
mix with it.

Food and Feeding. 171

I have often found at sea that the substitu-
tion of dry bran for oats, or for a mixture of
oats and bran, will often cure a horse of
diarrhoea apparently set up by the oats, in
which case undigested oats will generally be
seen in the dung.

Formerly, the daily grain ration for each
horse on Government transports consisted of
half bran and half oats ; but I see by
the Government " specification," printed in
July, 1 901, that it is now to consist of 60 per ^
cent, of bran, and 40 per cent of oats.
The increase in the proportion of bran pro-
bably arose from the favourable reports made
upon bran as an article of food for horses
at sea.

The only drawback to the use of bran on
board ship is its liability to ferment, in which

172 Ho7^ses on Board Ship.

case it becomes heated, '' cakes," and assumes
a musty smell. If fresh bran is obtained
shortly before sailing, and is properly stored,
it will undoubtedly keep sweet for six weeks,
if not longer ; but it is generally difficult to
be sure of its freshness at the time of purchase.
In fact, considerable quantities of bran are
imported to England from India. The only
practical way I know of testing the freshness
of bran, is finding that it smells sweet, is not
caked, and is not abnormally warm, which we
can do, by inserting our bared arm deeply into
a bag or heap of it.

For ship use, I am inclined to prefer
moderately light oats to heavy ones, as I
find that they are not so liable to upset the
digestion of idle horses. Respecting the
quality of oats in other respects, I need

Food and Feeding. 173

only say that the grain should be thoroughly
dry and free from any musty smell. We
all know that old oats are more digestible
than new oats, and that kiln-drying, in the
case of oats, Is generally employed to
Improve the condition of musty corn. Con-
sequently, kiln-dried oats should be viewed
with more or less suspicion.

When a horse eats unbrulsed oats, which
Is not one of his natural foods, he is very
liable, owing to the smoothness of their coats,
to swallow them without properly chewing
them, as we may see by an Inspection of
his dung. The process of bruising Increases
the difficulty of swallowing them without
sufficient mastication, and it also exposes
their Interior, which contains their nutritive
constituents, to the action of the digestive

1 74 Horses 07i Board Ship.

juices. Consequently, bruising Improves the
digestibility of oats.

The chief points about grass hay are : that
it should be free from any musty smell ; that
It should be green In colour ; and that It
should contain very few weeds, no dust, and
no seeds. Mustlness is shown not only by
the smell, but also by more or less large
patches of mould distributed throughout the
fodder. When hay has been quickly cured
by a liberal supply of bright sunshine and
sufficiently frequent turning over, It retains Its
colour to a great extent and the most of Its
nutritive properties. When cut grass is
exposed to the action of the weather and
especially to rain, Its colour and much of Its
nutritive material becomes dissolved out. If
an undue amount of fermentation Is set up,

Food and Feeding. 1 7 5

the hay will turn more or less brown. The
obnoxious presence of weeds and dust needs
no comment ; but I may explain to readers
who are unacquainted with the principles of
agriculture, that between the respective time
of flowering and seed, the nutritive value of
grass and consequently that of the resulting
hay, becomes considerably decreased.

Experiment has shown that chopped hay
''goes farther" than long hay, and that it
undoubtedly Improves the digestibility of
corn when mixed with It. The length of the
grass taken Into the mouth of a horse when
he Is grazing In the open. Is certainly much j
nearer that of " chop," than that of long
hay. -

Oaten hay, which is oats cut when the
grain is In a soft condition and then dried,

176 Horses on Board Ship.

IS very largely used by Australian horse
shippers, from whom I have often bought
surplus quantities of It, when I lived In Cal-
cutta. I have found it to be an admirable
food for horses.

Experience with the shipping of remounts
from the Argentine Republic to South Africa,
has proved that lucer7ie (alfalfa) hay is an
excellent food for horses at sea. The normal
colour of clover hay is more or less brown.

I would suggest the following daily ration
for horses on board ship : —

Bran, 6 lbs.

Hay, 1 7 lbs.

Or oats, 3 lbs.

Bran, 3 lbs.

Hay, 17 lbs.
And, say, 5 lbs. of carrots in either case.

Food and Feeding, 1 7 7

The Government daily forage scale for re-
mounts at sea Is : — *
Oats, 4 lbs.
Bran, 6 lbs.
Hay, 12 lbs.
And for horses proceeding from New
Orleans or Canada : —
Oats, 5 lbs.
Bran, 3 lbs.
^ Maize, 2 lbs.
Also, 4 cwt. nitre, 5 cwt. rock salt,
100 gallons vinegar, and 2 tons linseed are
allowed for each shipment.

Formerly, only 10 lbs. of hay was allowed,
which quantity I found to be far too small,
especially as there Is always a large percent-
age of loss In the hay. This loss, as I have

already shown, would be reduced to a mlnl-

12

178 Horses on Board Ship.

mum by chopping the hay, and by giving
it in troughs provided with a cross bar near
each end.

With respect to the principles of feeding,
I need say nothing further than that, as we
all know, horses should be fed frequently,
and that they should not be given hay for at
least an hour and a half after their corn.
In order to maintain the sound principle of
frequency of feeding, the first feed should be
given as early in the morning, and the
last feed as late in the evening, as is com-
patible with due regard to the convenience
of the attendants. The arrangement laid
down on pages 182 and 188 will, I think, meet
these requirements. The advisability of re-
fraining from giving hay soon after corn, is
that the latter, for purposes of digestion, re-

Food and Feeding. 179

quires to remain longer in the stomach than
the former. As a horse's stomach is compara-
tively small, more or less of the corn will
be pushed out of it in an unprepared state,
in the event of hay being given soon after
he is fed.

12*

i8o

HORSE ATTENDANTS AND
STABLE DUTIES.

We shall first consider the case of army
horses zvhich are accompanied by cavalry
men.

The best arrangement Is to divide the horses
Into sections, each of which is to be looked
after — as regards watering, feeding, grooming,
exercising (when possible), and mucking-out
— by one man, who being in frequent atten-
dance on his charges, will be able to
promptly notice and report any signs of
Indisposition in them, which work could not
as a rule be done by men who came on

Horse Attendants and Stable D titles. i8i

duty by roster. These men should be exempt
from all other duties ; and attendance during
the intervals between stable hours should
devolve on stable guards, who could come
on duty for four hours at a time. The work
of the stable guards would be to see to the
general welfare of the horses, to replace
any hay that had fallen out of the feeding
troughs or hay nets, and to feed them on
hay during the night, as might be ordered.
Other men would be required to lend a hand
during mucking-out and exercising times.
Sergeants and corporals should be told off
to supervise the work of the men, according
to the number of non-commissioned officers.

Supposing that the men's meal times were
8 a.m., I p.m., and 5 p.m., a suitable arrange-
ment for the hours of feeding would be : —

1 82 Horses on Board Ship,

5.30 a.m. Water and feed.

7.30 a.m. Hay.

12 noon. Water and feed.

2 p.m. Hay.

6 p.m. Water and feed.

8 p.m. Hay.

Hay should also be supplied during the
night ; and during very hot weather, the
horse might with advantage be watered again
at 10 p.m.

On Government transports carrying remounts
to South Africa, the following arrangement
for stable duties has been laid down : —

''MORNING STABLES.

'' Rake the stalls well out to the rear,
sweep up the passage behind the horses, and
sprinkle disinfectants, water the horses, sponge

Horse Attendants and Stable Dttties. 183

nostrils, eyes, etc. Feed with oats or bran
after watering, and then with hay as
ordered,

*' MID-DAY STABLES.

" Shift horses into spare stalls and out
on to the deck when practicable ; pick out
and wash the feet and examine shoes. Any
loose shoes to be fastened at once, and
slight injuries attended to. Thoroughly
groom the body, brush and hand-rub the
legs, brush out the mane and tail, and
sponge nostrils and face.

" Each stall to be thoroughly cleaned, and
platform to be raised and cleaned. Deck
underneath to be dried, and disinfectants to
be freely used.

'* When the horses are clean, water and
feed them as ordered.

184 Horses on Boai'd Ship.

" After dinner the horses to be fed with
hay for an hour.

"EVENING STABLES.

" Rake the stalls well out, sweep up,
sponge nostrils, etc., as In ' Morning Stables.'
Water and then feed with oats or bran as
ordered. Stable men to feed horses with
remaining portion of hay."

When 7'einounts are sent without troops,
there Is generally one helper of the ordinary
workman or street loafer type to from fifteen
to twenty animals. The superintendence of
these men, who are sometimes foreigners
Ignorant of English, Is generally entrusted
to a head-foreman and three under-foremen,
supposing that there are about 500 horses on
board. Instead of having a landsman to act

Horse Attendants and Stable Duties. 185

the part of head-foreman, it is much the better
plan, as a rule^ to get, if possible, one of the
mates of the ship (the Chief Officer for
preference) to perform this duty, because he
will be able to enforce his authority over
the men under him much more effectively
than an outsider could do. A non-official
head-foreman cannot take the law into his
own hands, and in the event of a difficulty
with his men, he will have to refer the
matter to the Chief Officer or Captain^

In the heterogeneous crowd which consists
of horse attendants or " cattle men " (I cannot
call them grooms or strappers), lads or young
men are generally better than their seniors,
because as a rule they are more amenable to
discipline, and accept rough work with
greater equanimity. Such men, whether old

1 86 Horses on Board Ship.

or young, cannot be expected to have any
experience among horses, which is not a
matter of great moment, provided that the
foremen, as they should do, possess that
knowledge.

Not counting the foremen or watchmen, one
man to every fifteen horses or twenty mules
will be a fair allowance for the mere water-
ing, feeding, mucking-out, and general care
of these animals during the day. They
should promptly report to their respective
under-foremen anything they may see amiss
with their animals. In the case of a hired
transport all such reports should be brought
without delay to the remount officer or
veterinary officer in charge.

In the case under consideration, six watch-
men will be required, three being on watch

Horse Attendants and Stable Dttties. 187

at the same time. Their time can be
divided as follows : —

6 a.m. to 12 noon.
12 noon to 3 p.m.
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
6 p.m. to midnight.
Midnight to 6 a.m.

The arrangement of two dog-watches of
three hours each, makes the above division
of time equitable. The men on night duty
should carefully look after the horses of
their respective divisions, and should call
their foreman in the event of help being
required. During the day, the watchmen
on duty should be available for odd jobs.
It Is well to make them responsible for the
halters or head-collars, as the case may be.

1 88 Horses on Board Ship.

' — ■ — -■----—-■■■■■ > * — ■

Each attendant should have a quart
measure for serving out the corn and bran
to his horses.

I have found the following division of
work to act well : —

5.30 a.m. Water and feed.

7.30 a.m. Hay.

8 a.m. Men's breakfast.

II a.m. Water and feed.
12 noon. Men's dinner.
1.30 p.m. Hay.

5 p.m. Water and feed.
5.30 p.m*. Men's tea.

8 p.m. Hay, before which water may be
given In hot weather.

As board-ship horse attendants, whether
military or civil, rarely know much

Horse Attendants and Stable Duties. 189

about the proper management of horses,
their attention should, from the first, be
called to certain details which play a large
part in the welfare of the animals under
their charge. On land, grooms almost always
approach stabled horses from behind, but at
sea the animals are turned the other way
about. When an ordinary working man or
boy who is unacquainted with equine pecu-
liarities, passes by a box or stall from which
the head of a horse protrudes, he almost
always, either from ignorant fear of being
bitten or innate cruelty, strikes more or less
severely the animal's muzzle, which is par-
ticularly sensitive to external violence. As
the upper lip of a horse is his organ of
touch, he naturally advances it towards any
passing object, which he will do without the

190 Horses on Board Ship.

slightest intention of inflicting injury, unless
he has been rendered savage by previous
bad treatment, which in this case has con-
verted curiosity into vice. Teasing a horse
by offering him objects to smell or eat, and
then pulling them away, will also teach him
to snap at passers-by. This deplorable
custom of striking and teasing horses at sea
is the cause of quickly making the large
majority of them try to bite or violently
throw their heads upwards and backwards,
so as to get out of harm's way when any
one goes past them. Hence, before horse
attendants commence their duties on board
ship, they should be seriously cautioned
never to touch or threaten a horse's muzzle ;
and that when they are obliged to come up
to an animal which is* at all nervous or

Horse Attendants and Stable Duties. 191

Inclined to snap, they should hold up their
hand at about the height of the upper part
of his head, with the open palm turned
towards him, and should gently pat his neck
or rub his forehead with it while speaking
to him in soothing tones. Everyone who
has anything to do with horses should bear
in mind that the human voice Is one of the
best and most powerful means for quieten-
ing and .controlling horses. Both with troops
and with " cattle men " I have had very
disheartening experience of the brutal manner
In which they often treat horses at sea ;
their fault In this respect being probably
due much more to ignorance and timidity
than to deliberate cruelty.

In all cases, one or two experienced
blacksmiths should be on board in order to

192 Horses on Board Ship.

look after the shoeing of the horses, and to
give special help as may be required. These
men are particularly useful in cases of acci-
dent or emergency, on account of their skill
in the handling of horses.

193

MUCKING-OUT.

We have seen (p. 146) that in a temperate
climate, such as that of the sea between Mel-
bourne or Buenos Ayres and Cape Town,
mucking-out is not always imperative. But on
a voyage across the Equator, such as that
from Europe to South Africa, or one through
such hot climes as those of the Red Sea and
Indian Ocean, we may accept the fact that its
fairly frequent enforcement, say, once every
two or three days, is essential to the health
of the horses on board. When military
horses are accompanied by their own men,

daily mucking-out can be easily performed ;

^3

194 Horses on Boaj'd Ship.

. ^

but the task is difficult in proportion to the
lack of attendants. Although a week may,
without detriment to health, be allowed to
elapse between each complete mucking -out,
when the weather is cold, such a long in-
terval ensures the accumulation of an amount
of duno- which would entail much trouble to
remove, and which might cause inconveni-
ence to the horses, especially to those on
the windward side, by raising their hind
quarters too much, and thus putting an undue
proportion of weight on the fore legs. When
each stall has a separate breast - board, and
when there is plenty of room in front of the
stalls, each horse may be taken out of his
stall, and put back into it after it has been
cleaned out. In other cases, the best general
way will be to take out two or more horses at

Mucking- Out. 195

one end, muck-out their stalls, take out the

division-boards of the nearest stall, shift the

horse in it to the first stall, replace its division

boards, clean out the stall thus vacated, and

continue on in the same way, until there are

left at the other end two vacant stalls, into

which the first two horses are placed.

In a ship with freeing-ports, the dung will

be thrown overboard through them, in which

case the dung from the stalls below will have

to be carried up to the deck that is provided

with freeing-ports. For convenience sake in

mucking-out, the stalls containing freeing-ports

should generally be kept vacant (Fig. 23,

p. 197). If the wind is on the port side or

quarter, the dung should as far as practicable

be thrown overboard through the starboard

freeing-ports ; and vice versa.

13*

.196 Horses on Board Ship.

In a flush-deck ship, which has no freeing
ports, the dung will have to be carried to the
flush deck and deposited over the side. The
dung can best be removed from the stalls by
means of shallow wicker-work baskets (skeps).

Mucking-out is necessary, not only for the
removal of dirt and bad smells, but also to
obviate the heating effect which the decom-
position of dung and urine would have.

In mucking-out, only the dung and the wet
portion of the hay which is under the horse
should be removed ; the remainder of the hay
being left to give soft and secure foot-hold to
his fore feet. No attempt should be made to
clean the stalls by flushing them with water ;
because any effort In such a direction would be
limited to one or two stalls (except when the
two lower division boards are removed, page

o
ex

-4-t

t/3
(L)

o

c3
o

c3

<
I

fcJO

Mucking- OtU. 199

124), and would cause the dung in the neigh-
bouring stalls to assume the consistence of
mud, with the result that it would be difficult
to remove, and would soil everything In reach.
Besides, It would be difficult to remove such
a filthy mess.

After all the dung and wet hay has been
taken out of a stall, any damp or dirty spots on
the floor can be disinfected by sprinkling
powdered gypsum, quick-lime, or some anti-
septic powder (McDougall's, for instance) over
them. Gypsum (plaster of Paris), which very
readily absorbs ammonia, is probably the
best. Quick-lime, which has great affinity
for water, should be used with care, on
account of its corrosive action on the feet
of horses. Chloride of lime should not be
employed, because the chlorine given off from

200 Horses on Board Ship.

*

it has a very Irritating effect on the eyes and
organs of breathing of horses and men.

The daily quantity of disinfectants, per
animal, allowed on remount horse ships is :
5 oz. McDougall's powder or chinosol, ^ pint
phenyle, and 2 oz. powdered gypsum.

The greater portion of the horses' urine
escapes through scuppers, or gets soaked up
in the dung and is removed when mucking-out.
If one side of the ship (as, for instance, the
windward side or the one on which the water
tanks are not so full as on the other side) is
unduly high, the urine on it is apt to collect
at the lowest parts of the deck or decks in
question ; because it cannot escape by gravi-
tation through the scuppers oi the side upon
which it was deposited by the horses, In which
case it should be removed a couplt^ of times

]M ticking- Oti t. 2 o I

a day by suction pipes, balled out by means
of shovels or scoops, or soaked up by putting
down hay. More or less of this urine will
gravitate down to the lower side of the
ship, unless It Is prevented from doing so
by fittings.

202

CHANGING HORSES FROM ONE
STALL TO ANOTHER STALL.

Before taking a horse out of his stall,
the route by which he has to proceed,
should be carefully laid down with matting,,
grain bags, hay, or rugs, as the case may
demand. Instead of shifting a sick or injured
animal to a vacant double stall, it will often
be more convenient to put one of the
horses which are next to him into it, or
into an empty single stall, and thus give him
a double stall without moving him. Or all
the horses between him and the nearest
vacant stall may be shifted one stall away

Changing Horses from Stall to Stall, 203

from him, by removing and replacing the
respective division - boards. If a horse Is
quiet and In no way IncHned to tease his
neighbours, he may be let loose In a double
stall, and especially In a stall which consists
of three sinp'le stalls.

204

GROOMING.

Good grooming is of great benefit to horses
which are travelling by sea during hot
weather, and when ventilation is imperfect ;
because it removes dandruff and hair, and
stimulates the action of the skin. When the
protective action of the skin against cold
has to be fully utilised, grooming should be
dispensed with, as is done with horses which
are " turned out " during winter. The more
active is the skin, the more it reduces the
bodily temperature by evaporation, and,
besides, it removes impurities from the
system. The question of grooming on board
ship is closely connected with that of oppor-

Grooming. 205

tunity, labour and risk. In a steamer in
which there is plenty of room for taking-
horses out and abundance of efficient help,
horses can be groomed during fine weather
almost as well as on land ; but the danger
of accident should not be lightly incurred.
When the attendants are unskilled in stable
work and are few in number, the grooming
had better be restricted to such small details
as : sponging out the eyes, nostrils and dock ;
going over the body with a dandy brush ;
picking out the feet ; and setting the
mane and tail straight. In all cases, the
yards of the horses should be drawn from
time to time, and the sheathes cleaned
and sponged out. If this be not done, the
sheathes will become swollen and the animals
will have difficulty in staling.

2o6

EXERCISE.

Exercise is one of the best preservatives
of the health and especially of the soundness
of horses which have to remain on board
ship for a fairly long time. I do not think
that it is necessary when the duration of the
voyage is not more than a fortnight ; provided
that the systems of the animals are in a " cool "
state. Also, the smoother the passage, the
more beneficial will exercise be, which state-
ment is proved by the fact that horses' legs
are more inclined to ''fill" during fine
weather than when it is rough ; because
prolonged rest greatly . interferes with the

Exercise. 207

circulation of their limbs. As exercising
horses at sea is almost always accompanied
with more or less risk of accident, we
should, when resorting to it, take every
precaution for safety. For this object, the
portion of the deck which forms the exercis-
ing track should be covered with coir mats,
or coir matting, which is made up in rolls,
so as to prevent the animals from slipping,
which is their chief cause of danoer in this

o

case. Twenty minutes' walking exercise a day
will generally be sufficient for the preservation
of the soundness of their feet.

Althouo'h facilities to exercise horses are a
very desirable condition on board a ship
carrying horses, they cannot often be ob-
tained, especially when the number of animals
is large.

208

PRECAUTIONS AFTER
DISEMBARKATION.

During the three years I lived in Calcutta,
I saw many instances of the bad effects of
premature work after landing, among large
numbers of horses imported from Australia
and New Zealand. In this case, the passage
takes from a month to six weeks. Experience
with many thousands of these animals showed
buyers the necessity of refraining from putting
them to hard work before giving them a
gradual preparation for it of at least three
months. Here laminitis (fever in the feet)
is the great danger. .This disease may be

Precautions after Disembarking. 209

fatal in bad cases, and even in mild ones
it more or less unfits the sufferer for severe
work for the remainder of his life. As a rule,
not even one per cent, of a shipload of horses
which had stood in stalls during a month's
passage would have laminitis before disem-
barkation, but probably 50 per cent, of them
would get it if they walked and trotted for
ten miles immediately after landing. Even
a walk of two miles from the pier to the
remount depot at Port Elizabeth has been
a fruitful means of setting up laminitis in
the horses whose feet showed no signs of
this disease on landing. I have seen scores
of similar cases at Calcutta. Here the danger
is inversely proportionate to the length of
time between landing and resumption of work.

Horses landed off a ship in which they have

14

2IO Horses on Board Ship.

had no exercise for, say, a month, ought not
to be obliged to walk more than half a mile to
a place where they can be put up in loose
boxes or small enclosures, so that they may
gradually accustom themselves to narrowly
restricted movement for some days, and their
exercise should then be increased little by
little until all danger of laminitis has past.
The limit of three months before the resump-
tion of hard work after a voyage of, say, a
month's duration, is in accordance with the
opinion of all veterinary surgeons who have
had experience in this subject. In cases of
extreme necessity, such as those of war, it
might be reduced to three weeks, but even
then the resulting percentage of loss would
be high. If horses have been exercised on
board, they will of course be able to resume

Precmttions after Diserubm'king. 2 1 1

work much quicker than If they had been

kept all the time standing still.

As horses, when under natural conditions,

spend a very large portion of their time

moving about In search of food ; their limbs

are 111 adapted to bear the bad effects of

inaction, particularly when the animals cannot

relieve the consequent congestion by lying

down. The Immediate 111 consequences of

long standing, on the feet of horses, Is far

less Injurious to them than the Inability to

bear even moderate exercise which It Induces,

supposing that the animals are put to work

soon after the completion of the voyage. The

danger to be specially feared in these cases

is the occurrence of lamlnltis (fever In the

feet), to which disease horses are specially

liable, owing to the fact that their feet are

14*

2 12 Hoi'ses on Board Ship.

enclosed in an unyielding box of horn. In
laminitis caused by premature work after a
long period of idleness, we have a case some-
what akin to frost-bite, which is produced by
the coldness of the air causing the blood to
leave the blood vessels of the part, the result
being that the longer the blood is absent, the
more irritating will be its effect on the blood
vessels when it returns ; and also the degree
of irritation will be proportionate to the
suddenness of the return. Consequently, if
the blood rushes violently back to blood
vessels which have remained comparatively
empty for a considerable time — as would
happen in the event of a frost-bitten person
or animal entering a warm room or approach-
ing a fire — more or less inflammation will
ensue, with the probable- result of mortification

Precautions after Disembarking. 213

to a greater or less extent. Hence, in an
attempt to restore the circulation of a frost-
bitten part, it is well to rub it with snow,
so as to produce a slow return of the blood,
in order that the blood vessels may gradually
resume their ordinary work which has been
kept in abeyance by cold. Neglect of this
essential precaution of obtaining gradual res-
toration of a disused function, has been the
cause of the death of thousands of army horses
during the present South African war. Instead
of giving lately-landed animals, at the very
least, three weeks, during which to gradually /
accustom their feet to normal conditions, our
Generals at the front, being badly in want f
of horses, adopted the disastrous plan of
ordering the new arrivals to be promptly sent
up country, with the result that the average

11

2 14 Horses on Bom'd Ship.

duration of life of three hundred and odd
thousand remounts has been about six weeks.
Had these Generals taken the precaution to
consult their veterinary staff, they would no
doubt have learned that moderately service-
able horses in three weeks' time, would be
more useful for military operations than dead
ones. Besides, the mounting of men on
horses which were incapable of enduring a
single day's hard work, has been the cause .
of the death of great numbers of our young
men and boys in South Africa. In such
cases, the crime of ignorance is no less
serious than that of heedless disregard of
life. Some excuse might be admissible for
this deplorable folly, if the war had been
finished in the supposed six months' time.

215

COST OF TRANSPORT.

As Instances of moderate charges by a first
class line, I give the following rates by steamers
belonging to Messrs. Thos. Wilson, Sons and
Co., from Hull to the following ports : —

Bombay ..... £2^ o o

Alexandria . . . . ;i^i2 o o

New York . . . . ;^8 o o

St. Petersburg . . . ;!^5 o o

and a guinea for ponies from Riga to Hull or

London.

' In all these cases, except In thai of ponies

from Riga, the Company furnishes portable

horse - boxes, and always drinking water.

Attendants on the horses are carried generally

2 1 6 Horses on Board Ship.

at reduced fares, which the owner of the
animal will have to pay. He may also be liable
for the return passage of the man or men. On
short trips, such as that to St. Petersburg, an
arrangement can generally be made with the
captain of the steamer to get one of the ship's
hands, for instance, the carpenter, to look
after the animal or animals.

Messrs. Sewell and Crowther, of Cockspur
Street, S.W., who are passage brokers, give
me the following quotations by tramp
steamers : —

Melbourne . . 50 gs., and logs, for horse-box.
Durban. . . 35 gs. (including box and fodder).
Buenos Ay res . 15 gs., and 10 p.c. on value of horse

(including horse-box).

The large number of horses sent over
every year from Australia to India are
usually taken by " ocean tramps " at the

Cost of Transport. 217

very moderate rate of from £\o to £12 a
head, although the passage lasts as a rule
from a month to five weeks. The cheap-
ness of freight by this route is due to the
fact that ships homeward bound from
Australia, often find difficulty In obtaining a
full cargo ; and as the exports from India
are much larger, their owners are generally
glad to take a cargo of horses to Calcutta,
Madras, or Bombay, even at a slight loss.

Captain Ross-Smith tells me that " during
the early part of this war. Government
awoke to the fact that thousands of horses
and mules were required to replace casual-
ties, and to mount more men than were
originally considered necessary. Tenders
were hastily drawn out and placed to charter
vessels at exorbitant rates for the convey-

2i8 Horses on Board Ship.

ance of these animals to South African
ports. For instance, the ss. Mohawk was
chartered to carry animals from New Orleans
at about ^25 a head. A large proportion
of these ships which were hurriedly taken
up were unfit for their purpose, and they
arrived in South Africa with horses and
mules packed like herrings in a barrel, and
stowed away in all sorts of places, even on
bridge decks and in coal bunkers, as I have
seen. The first consignments were 25 or 30
per cent, more than the respective steamers
could properly accommodate. The fittings
were often disgracefully bad, and were con-
structed from the cheapest materials. The
contracts for steamers taken up only for the
voyage to South African ports, were far
more costly to Government than ships on a

Cost of Transport. 219

time charter, say for six months at so much
per gross ton per month. For instance,
the ss. Montezuma, which was hired only for
the voyage, made two trips in Httle more
than three months, and turned over to her
agents ^16,000 or ^17,000 on the transac-
tion. Had she been a numbered transport
she would have saved the Government a
third of that sum. In view of national
emergencies, some of the best cattle boats
should be subsidised for use in time of war,
and as they get old they should be replaced
by new ships. Thus, for a nominal yearly
expenditure on subsidies, large sums of
money would be saved at some future time.
The same plan might, with advantage, be
applied to steamers intended for the con-
veyance of troops, or of troops and horses."

2 20 Horses on Board Ship.

Steamers have recently been taken by
Government for the conveyance of horses
to South Africa at ^15 to ;f i6 a head, with
£2 extra on all landed alive. These rates
include cost of fittings, forage and attendants.

221

VETERINARY REMARKS.

VETERINARY INSPECTION.

Before embarkation, every horse should be
carefully Inspected by a veterinary surgeon
to see If It Is suffering from any contagious or
Infectious disease, in which case, the affected
animal or animals should, if possible, be ex-
cluded from participation In the voyage. The
narrow limitation of space on board ship
greatly facilitates the spread of such diseases,
and renders their successful treatment and
the proper segregation of the patients far
more difficult than on land. In this respect,
the maladies which should occupy our special

222 Horses on Board Ship.

attention are glanders, Influenza (pink-eye),
strangles, and pneumonia.

GLANDERS.

The attention necessary to be paid to the
Investigation of glanders varies greatly accord-
ing to the country of export. Thus, although
the consideration of this terrible disease may
be ignored with regard to Australian horses,
we should diligently search for it among
horses about to be exported from the United
States (especially the Southern States), Canada,
and even from England, where its preven-
tion Is deplorably neglected by our legisla-
tive authorities. It was particularly rife in
Cuba, whence many infected animals were
brought to the Southern States, after the
Spanish American war. . I need not touch

Veterinary Re7narks, 223

on its symptoms and on its diagnosis by
mallein, as these subjects are discussed in
veterinary text-books. If glanders is found
among horses at sea, all those which show
clinical symptoms of the disease should be
promptly killed and put overboard. Those
which give diagnostic reactions with mallein,
without external symptoms, may be isolated
or destroyed. The danger of infection from
such isolated animals is not very great. An
observer who is guided only by symptoms,
should bear in mind that the symptoms of
ulcerative lymphangitis (Nocard's) and epi-
zootic lymphangitis (Rivolta's) closely resemble
those of farcy, and that these two forms of
lymphangitis have been sometimes mistaken,
even by veterinary surgeons, for farcy. The
distinguishing test is naturally mallein. I

2 24 Horses on Board Skip.

need hardly say that farcy and glanders are

merely different forms of the same disease.

The only case of ulcerative lymphangitis

which I have seen was In Cape Colony ;

the animal being a remount from the United
States.

STRANGLES.

In ordinary strangles, I have found It well
to rub the swelling under the jaw with
binlodlde of mercury ointment (i to 4), as
soon as It became hard. In this case, the
binlodlde seems to act as an antiseptic In
checking the formation of pus.

PINK-EYE.

This disease had best be treated by careful
nursing and attention to the state of the
bowels.

Veterinary Remarks. 225

FILLED LEGS AND LAMINITIS.

These ailments are frequent causes of trouble
among horses on board ship, especially during
fine weather ; and their best remedies are
exercise and cotton wadding bandaging.
In many cases, exercise has unfortunately to
be restricted to that which can be obtained
from the rolling and pitching of the ship.
'The object of cotton wadding bandaging Is
to supply evenly distributed pressure, which
has the effect of quickening the circulation of
the bandaged part, and thereby preventing the
escape of an excess of watery material from the
blood vessels into the tissues, and hastening
the removal of such an effusion, If it be present.
The method of applying these bandages Is as
follows : — " Take two yards of cotton wadding
(which can be obtained from any draper), and

15

2 26 Horses on Board Ship.

cut it down the centre, so as to have two pieces
of wadding a couple of yards long and about
ten Inches wide. Wrap the leg round with this
wadding, one piece over the other ; apply
round It, rather loosely, a calico bandage (which
can be got ready-made from any chemist, or
can be constructed out of a piece of unbleached
calico) about six yards long and three inches
wide, so as to keep the wadding in Its place ;
and tightly apply another and similar calico
bandage, so as to afford firm and evenly
distributed pressure on the leg, and secure it
by tapes, sewing, or by a safety pin. With the
amount of wadding which I have recommended
to be used, there Is practically no danger of
putting on the second bandage too tightly." —
Veterinary Notes for Horse- Oiuners.

]/eterinary Remarks. 227

COLIC.

Colic as a symptom of indigestion from
improper feeding and watering, is not an un-
common malady among sea-going horses. It
is often due, on board ship, to very trivial
causes, owing to the want of exercise from
which the patients suffer. With respect to its
removal, good results can generally be obtained
by a drench consisting of a bottle (i ^ pint) of
linseed oil and 2 oz. of oil (spirits) of turpentine ;
or by a 4-drachm ball of aloes, followed, if
necessary for the alleviation of pain, by a
drench composed of a pint of water and a
quarter of a pint of spirits (whisky, brandy, or
rum) or an ounce of chlorodyne. Here, as
Gamgee remarked many years ago, we require
the removal of the cause (undigested and
generally fermenting food), which we can

15^

228 Horses 07t Board Skip.

— a ■ —

usually effect by means of a laxative, such as
aloes or linseed oil. Merely treating the pain
would naturally be a false application of
medicine.

Giving a drench chiefly composed of linseed
oil Is often an uncertain and disagreeable task.
A modern remedy for ordinary colic Is eserlne
by itself or combined with pilocarpine (i or
lyi grain of the former to 2 or 3 grains of
the latter), dissolved in i or i^ drachm of
water, and Injected subcutaneously or intra-
tracheally. Eserlne, especially when combined
with pilocarpine, acts as a rapid and effec-
tive purgative (see Finlay Dun's Veterinary
Medicines). An ounce of chloral hydrate
dissolved In water may be given as a
drench If a sedative be required. Chloral
hydrate relieves Intestinal spasm ; It is an

Veterinary Remarks. 229

antiseptic, and does not check the action of
the bowels.

CUTS AND ABRASIONS.

These wounds are of frequent occurrence
among horses on board ship. The animals
sometimes rub their tails to a severe extent
(Fig. 24) by hanging back in their stalls,
especially when the upper edge of the top
haunch board has not been bevelled off. I
have found that tannoform is an excellent
antiseptic for the treatment of these injuries,
as it quickly forms a dry scab, and in this
respect is greatly superior to iodoform. It
is comparatively cheap, free from any un-
pleasant smell, very absorbent, and is soluble
in spirit (methylated spirit for instance). I can
strongly recommend its use, particularly as a

230 Horses on Board Ship.

dry dressing, dusted on or gently rubbed in
with a finger, if necessary. For the same
purpose Colonel Nunn advises the use of
iodide of starch, which is made by mixing
I part of tincture of iodine with 2j^ parts of
starch. Tincture of myrrh and aloes, and
Friar's balsam are fairly good applications to
small superficial wounds.

THRUSH.

Horses which stand for many days on a
damp surface — especially if it contains decom-
posing matter, such as urine and clung — are
almost certain to suffer from thrush in an
aggravated form, and to have the soles of
their feet more or less rotten. It is almost
needless to say that if horses are landed off
ship in such a state they, will take at least a

Fig. 24. — Horse with tail badly rubbed.

Veterinm^y Remarks. 233

month to get their feet in proper working
order. As preventive measures, the feet should
be kept dry, and should be picked out at least
once a day. As a rule, the hind feet will
require much more attention in this respect
than the fore ones. In the tixatment of such
cases, I have had good results with burnt alum,
equal parts of paraffin oil and sweet oil, and
equal parts of oil of turpentine and sweet oil.
Mr. Desmond advises a solution of i part of
formalin to 9 of water.

SEPTIC PNEUMONIA.

This disease, with or without the complica-
tion of pleurisy, is undoubtedly the most
common cause of death among horses which
are carried in large numbers at sea. It' appears
to be contagious, because it not only affects

2 34 Horses on Board Skip.

horses in badly ventilated positions, but also
those in places which have the freest possible
ventilation, such as stalls facing large open
ports on the windward side of the ship. My
own experience and that of others leads me
to conclude that this aggravated form of
pneumonia never appears except under con-
ditions of overcrowding. Therefore I am
inclined to regard it as a contagious disease
which assumes a peculiarly virulent type on
account of unsanitary surroundings. Horses
fresh from grass often suffer from a somewhat
similar, though very much milder, disease,
when placed in heated and badly ventilated
stables on land. I believe that I am cor-
rect in saying that this board-ship form of
pneumonia is generally complicated by
pleurisy. I have seen -it break out among

Veterinary Remarks. 235

horses on board ship, three days after
leaving England.

Symptoms. — The animal Is depressed, more
or less off Its feed, and hangs Its head. The
eyes are generally closed, to a greater or less
extent, and are sometimes " weeping." The
mucous membrane of the eyes Is of an intensely
red colour, which becomes darker as the disease
progresses. If pleurisy also exists. Its presence
will be indicated by the heaving of the flanks
and abdominal breathing. The nostrils are
greatly dilated, and the breathing, which is
always hurried in such cases, often attains a
rate of over 40 respirations in the minute.
The pulse is very frequent, often over 70 In
the minute. Although the appetite Is more or
less In abeyance, the patient will sometimes
continue to nibble his hay to the very end, and

236 Horses on Board Ship.

not unusually dies with some of it between his
teeth. As a rule, he drinks very little water,
apparently on account of the hurried state ol
his breathing. The disease generally runs its
^course in about six days, during the last two or
three of which there is a watery discharge from
the nostrils in varied quantities. Sometimes it
merely moistens the opening of the nostrils and
the muzzle ; but at other times it runs freely
from the nostrils, in which case the animal
often licks it off his muzzle. The discharge is
at first colourless, but later on it assumes a
rusty red tint, which indicates that putrefac-
tion is present in the lungs. It always has
a foetid smell, which increases in intensity
according to the progress of the process of
decomposition in the lungs. Occasionally
the animal dies suddenly, but death is

Veterinary Remarks. 237

usually caused by exhaustion and inability
to breathe.

The large majority, probably about go per
cent., of horses which become affected by this
disease, die.

Treatment. — The only treatment which I
have found at all beneficial is careful nursing
and change of air, for instance, to a deck
(preferably the exposed deck) above the one
on which the patient became affected, or from
the leeward to the windward side. The only
way to be successful in this attempt is to begin
the treatment at the very onset of the attack.
If constipation be present, back-raking, an
enema, and a dose of Epsom salts might be
tried. As a stimulant, spirits (a quarter of a
pint of whisky in a pint of water) or carbonate
of ammonia (2 drachms in a ball) may be useful.

238

Horses on Board Ship.

LIST OF VETERINARY DRUGS FOR BOARD-SHIP USE.

The Army Veterinary Department allow the
following list of drugs and necessaries for loo
horses for a passage on board ship of 30
days, as well as those in a Veterinary Field
Medicine Chest, which is supplied to each
horse-carrying ship.

^Chlorate of potash

Boric acid

Carbolic acid, liquid
■^Camphor compressed

Copper, sulphate of
^Gentian, powdered

Corrosive sublimate soloids

Iodoform

Liquid ammonia, strong

Acetic acid .

Opium, powdered

Epsom salts .
*McDougairs sheep dip .
*Nitre ....
^Acetate of lead

Soft paraffin

Tincture of myrrh and aloes

Spirit of nitrous ether .

Oxide of zinc

lbs.

oz

2

0

0

8

2

0

2

0

0

4

4

0

0

6

0

4

2

0

0

2

0

4

15

0

5

0

14 o

2 O
I O

6 o

Veterinary Remarks.

239

Sulphate of zinc
*Ginger, powdered

Laudanum .
^Mustard

Oil of turpentine

Chlorodyne .

Tincture of iodine

' Coated aloetic balls, 4 drachms.

5, carb. amm. balls, 2 drachms
Bandages, handloom, sets
Scales and weights, 4 oz. set
Vety. Field Case Book — Army Book
Catheter, male
Thermometers, clinical

32

lbs. oz.

1 o
4 o

2 o
10 o

2 O
I O

o 8

No.

20

50

3
I

I

I

4
Galls.

4
9

Linseed oil .
Vinegar ....
25 doses of Mallein.
One Mallein syringe.

If any special drugs are asked for by the
attendant veterinary surgeon, they are supplied
within reasonable limits.

I have marked with an asterisk certain drugs
in the above list which I think might be dis-
pensed with on ordinary occasions. I would
suggest the substitution of tannoform for

240 Hoi'ses on Board Skip.

Iodoform, and the addition to this list of
50 yards of cotton wadding and 12 yards of
calico, for making into bandages (6 yards long
and 3 inches wide), to use with the cotton
wadding (p. 222).

From the foregoing list an approximation
may be made of the amount of drugs required
under varied conditions of number of horses
and length of voyage.

241

THE WAR OFFICE AND HORSE

TRANSPORT.

The present transport arrangements which are

carried out by the Admiralty and which consist

in the selection and fitting of horse ships,

leave little to be desired ; and our country

owes a deep debt of gratitude to its naval

officers for the intelligent way in which they

have brought their professional knowledge and

practical experience to bear on this branch

of the Service.

The actual superintendence of horses on

Government transports is, however, chiefly

in the hands of the Remount Department,

t6

242 Hoi'ses on Board Ship.

which consists of officers who have no special
quaHfication for the technical work they are
called upon to supervise and execute. Even
the slight recommendation of belonging to
the Cavalry or Horse or Field Artillery is
not insisted upon ; for we find many of these
gentlemen are recruited from the Infantry,
Militia, Volunteers, and even from the Navy,
without proof being required that they possess
any acquaintance with horses. In England,
horse-owners generally leave the control of
their hunters, trappers, and polo ponies so
much to their grooms, that the large majority
of them have little or no practical experience
of stable management, and are consequently
incapable of directing its details, which need
far more intelligent supervision at sea than
on land.

The War Office and Horse Transport. 243

The War Office authorities enact that each

horse ship is to be provided with a combatant

officer (remount officer or Cavalry officer)

and a veterinary surgeon, the former being

in command of the horse department, and

the latter having no more authority with respect

to the animals than a full private. As a rule,

the working of this anomaly is not so disastrous

to the horses as might be expected ; because

the amateur, being aware of his own ignorance,

generally leaves the professional to do the

work of both. Occasionally the unqualified

gentleman commits the mistake of using all the

authority entrusted to him by a too confiding

government. For instance, when the ss.

Cervona, on one of her horse-carrying voyages

to South Africa, arrived one day in Algoa

Bay, the inspecting veterinary surgeon who

16*

2 44 Horses on Board Ship.

came on board, and who is an Irish
friend of mine, was informed by the re-
mount officer in charge that in consequence
of an outbreak of glanders, 254 horses
had been shot, and that he would have
destroyed the remainder, had not the in-
clemency of the weather prevented him from
throwing more carcasses overboard. A strict
veterinary examination was thereupon held
on the survivors, with the result that not
the slightest indication of glanders was found
among any of them. When the amateur
pathologist was asked his reasons for saying
that glanders was present among his shipment,
he stated that the animals exhibited the un-
failing diagnostic symptom of a "cheesy
discharge from their nostrils ! " And thus,
over ^10,000 of public .money was needlessly

The War Office and Horse Transport. 245

expended to feed Atlantic fishes. It is only
fair to say that the idea of glanders being
among the horses on board the Cervona
originated with the attendant American veter-
inary surgeon, who had been appointed by
the War Office without reference to the Army
Veterinary Department and without making-
inquiries as to his qualifications. After this
American gentleman had sanctioned the
slaughter of eleven of the suspected animals,
it appears that he changed his mind with
regard to the correctness of his diagnosis ;
but the remount officer, not being troubled
with doubt, took the responsibility of con-
tinuing the butchery.

The person who was most to be pitied in
this affair was the Captain of the Cervona,
who was naturally inconsolable on account

246 Horses on Board Ship.

of the unmerited obloquy which had been put
on his ship. During an interview with the
veterinary officer who had first come on board,
he bitterly complained of his bad luck. The
genial Irishman chaffingly replied In a tragic
tone of voice : " Sir ! On you lies the re-
sponsibility. You could have saved the situa-
tion by your revolver!" "You are right,'
said the Captain sadly, " I ought to have shot
them both."

The officers at Port Elizabeth were greatly
divided in opinion about this Cervona case.
Some said "court-martial," others, "lunatic
asylum."

Our military rulers seem to be always ready
to accept the counsel of any amateur, provided
that their adviser holds an official position.
For instance, a remount* officer persuaded the

The War Office and Horse Transport, 247

Cape authorities to cable home the suggestion
that all remounts should be sent out to South
Africa without shoes, because there had been
a few cases of horses getting hurt by kicks
during disembarkation. This gentleman and
his trustful superiors appeared to be totally
unaware of the fact that unshod horses In
stalls on board ship would knock their fore
feet about a good deal during a voyage to
South Africa, and that it would be impossible,
under the present conditions of this war, to
have large numbers properly shod on landing.
On a steamer In which I went to South
Africa with remounts, my commanding officer
was a Militia subaltern who, by his own
showing, had had no practical experience with
horses. He was, however, very keen to take
veterinary charge, and decided to do so, on the

248 Horses on Board Ship.

favourable opportunity which he obtained by
my breaking a rib and otherwise hurting
myself In a fall I had down a bunker
hatch which had been negligently left
open In an alley way, In front of the
horses on the port side, one evening w^hen
we were coaling at Las Palmas. As we
were in port at that time, the Militia officer
Immediately wrote off to the Remount Depart-
ment In London, saying that the accident
would keep me on the sick list for the re-
mainder of the voyage, and that he would
look after the horses. Next morning he came
into my cabin and asked me in what part
of the veterinary stores he could find the
mustard, which had been apparently concealed
from him under the word sinapis. I inquired
what he wanted with • that condiment, and

The War Office and Horse Transport. 249

he replied that as several of the horses
were breathing rather heavily, he intended
to blister their sides. I told him that that
was my affair, and not wanting amateur experi-
ments to be tried on my equine friends, I
called the steward, got him to raise me up
(for I was unable even to turn in my bunk
without help) and put me on my legs, and
I then informed my commanding officer that
I was no longer on the sick list and that 1
would remain off it for the remainder of the
voyage. The pain which the carrying out
of this resolution caused me was amply repaid
by the satisfaction I felt in saving my dumb
shipmates from amateur doctoring. As I was
under no agreement to obey anyone on that
voyage, I committed no breach of duty by
refusing to give up veterinary charge of the

250 Horses on Board Ship.

horses. Although, previous to my next
voyage, I signed an agreement to implicitly
obey my commanding officer, who was a
lieutenant in the loth Hussars ; I had no
interference, for he was a hunting man and a
lover of horses.

An amusing feature in this second fiddle
game is the observance of the principle that
les extremes se touckent, in the appointment
of remount officers and veterinary surgeons
on board transports ; old veterinary surgeons
being sent with young remount officers, and
■vice versa. In one case, the remount officer in
command was a Militia lieutenant of 9 months,
and 22 years of age. The appointment of a
veterinary surgeon on board a government
ship is an inconsistency under present con-
ditions ; because the remount or cavalry officer

The War Office and Horse Transport. 251

has entire charge of the horses, and is In no
way bound to consult his quaHfied assistant.
Therefore we need not wonder that many
veterinary surgeons are not anxious to occupy
this false position.

Few remount officers would disregard the
welfare of their own pockets sufficiently to
be their own stud grooms, or to buy horses
for themselves without consulting a veterinary
surgeon ; but when public money can be played
with, they consider themselves, and are re-
garded by the War Office, to be thoroughly
competent to superintend the management
and to undertake the selection of horses for
Government. When sent to purchase re-
mounts they are supplied with veterinary
surgeons to help them In deciding questions
of soundness, but these qualified men are

252 Horses on Board Ship.

In an entirely subordinate position, and
have no executive authority whatsoever.
For this duty, the remount officer, who
usually does nothing more than write
descriptions of the horses, is paid £2 a
day ; and the veterinary surgeon, who does
practically all the work, £1 a day. On one
occasion, in a West of England town, when
a Cavalry officer who was assisted by a well
known Army veterinary surgeon, was pur-
chasing remounts, a horsey bystander wisely
remarked: "The Vet. could get on jolly well
without the Captin ; but I'm blessed if the
Captin could get on without the Vet." In
such cases, the veterinary surgeon and a clerk
could do all that is required.

To emphasise the advantage which horsemen
would derive from veterinary training, I do

The War Office and Horse Transport. 253

not think that I can do better than give my
own experience in this matter. I was brought
up among horses in Ireland, did a fair amount
of riding school w^ork during three years at
the Royal Military Academy and during six
years as a subaltern in a field battery, and
spent several years training, racing, and
steeplechasing in India, through the entire
course of which time I became more and more
impressed with the consciousness of my
ignorance about horses. Being anxious to
remedy this deficiency, and being then in
the Bengal Staff Corps, I utilised my furlough
on different occasions to go home and study
at a veterinary college, with the result that I
took my diploma not long after I left the
Army. I am glad to say that my time was
well spent, because I learned at the college

2 54 Horses on Board Ship.

at least ten times more about horses than
I had done before entering it. I can now
confidently state that If I had been appointed
to the Remount Department, previous to
going through this course of study* I would
have been Incapable of efficiently performing
remount duties, owing to lack of knowledge
about horses. Consequently I consider that
the large majority of remount officers, who
certainly have not more experience with
horses than I had in my unqualified days,
do not possess the knowledge requisite for
their work. In fact, they are amateurs who
do their best to carry out highly technical
duties. I would therefore urge the advisa-
bility of the Remount Department being
officered by members of the A.V. D. As
I have never belonged to the A.V.D. or

The War Office and Horse Transport. 255

O"

to the Remount Department, and am Ion
past the age at which I could again enter
the Army, I venture to hope that my opinion
In this matter may be considered to be free
from any personal bias.

Officers of the Royal Artillery, Royal
Engineers, Royal Army Medical Corps, and
Army Veterinary Department are required
to go through long courses of training before
respectively engaging in their technical work.
Even hospital nurses are specially educated
for their duties ; but Government demands
from remount officers no preparation, no
qualification, beyond the possession of a
commission in the Navy, Army, Militia or
Volunteers and of course the necessary
interest, before putting them In charge
of work which needs years of study

256 Horses 07i Board Ship.

and practical experience for Its Intelligent
performance. Trained ability of this kind
is a valuable asset In the commercial
world.

At the beginning of this war, the utility
of veterinary surgeons In looking after horses
on board ship was repeatedly Ignored, as we
may see by the large number of .horses and
mule carrying steamers which went to South
Africa without veterinary surgeons In them.
For instance, the ss. Isrnore left Liverpool
for South Africa with a detachment of the
loth Hussars and 201 remounts, but no
veterinary surgeon. Shortly after sailing,
"pink-eye" broke out among the animals,
and the Officer Commanding and the Captain
of the ship agreed to put Into Milford Haven
for veterlnarv advice. Havino- touched at

The War Office and Horse Transport. 257

that port, the Ismore again sailed without
a veterinary surgeon, whose services on this
occasion would not have been of much avail,
because the ship was lost in St. Helena
Bay.

Inability to obtain the aid of veterinary
surgeons was not the cause of the Minister
of War's failure to engage them, if I may
judge by the enquiries I have made among
my professional brethren, and by the fact
that as soon as this war broke out, I wrote
to the War Office offering my services in
taking charge of horses proceeding to South
Africa ; but my application was refused.
Later on, I had the honour of meeting the
Director General of the A.V.D., and he most
courteously informed me that he was only too
glad to give me the employment I desired,

17

258 Horses on Board Ship.

because he was greatly in need of experienced
veterinary surgeons to send out to the Cape
with horses. In fact, so short-handed was
the A.V.D., owing to the mismanagement
of the War Office, that there were only six
military veterinary surgeons in the United
Kingdom at that time. The D.G. of the
A.V.D. has tried his utmost to impress on our
Government the value of veterinary help
throughout this war, and his patriotic efforts
would have obtained the success and recogni-
tion they deserved, but for the fact that our
Army Is managed more on social than pro-
fessional lines. The Yeomanry authorities
Ignored the A.V.D. so completely that they
appointed an unqualified man to be the
Veterinary Lieutenant of the Yeomanry con-
tlngfent which went to South Africa in the

The War Office and Horse Transport. 259

ss. Kent with 236 horses, out of which
34 died, the mortality being 14 per cent.
Also, our military authorities, without con-
sulting the A.V. D., gave veterinary appoint-
ments to Colonial and American men who
did not possess a veterinary diploma of any
kind. By this remark, I make no adverse
reflection on Colonial veterinary graduates
who received veterinary commissions from
their respective governments, and who are
on war service and under the orders of the
A.V.D. in South Africa. The Imperial
Government, by accepting the services of
Colonial troops, are bound to recognise the
Colonial veterinary graduates who came with
these troops. The graduates of the Melbourne
Veterinary College are specially worthy of
recognition, because the four years* course

17*

26o Ho7'ses on Board Ship.

at that College is Identical with that laid
down by the R.C.V.S. of England. The
Government recognition of Colonial quacks,
who assume veterinary standing, is not only
an insult to English veterinary surgeons, but
is also a cruel wrong to Colonial veterinary
colleges.

From extended enquiries among Army and
Civilian veterinary surgeons, I am convinced
that the dearth of qualified candidates was
solely due to the poor pay and inferior
status offered to them. In this, I think our
profession is somewhat to blame for not
pushing their claims more strongly. There
is no doubt that one of the best means for
the removal of a grievance is to appeal in
a straightforward manner to the governing
authority. As a case in point, I can cite

The War Office and Horse Transport. 261

the fact that the first time I went to South
Africa with remounts I was kept nearly a
fortnight at Cape Town waiting for a troop
ship to take me back. I might have returned
at once in a mail steamer, but the mlHtary
authorities would not sanction the extra
expense. During my detention, I received
I2S. 6d. a day for the first week, and after
that 7s. 6d. a day ; although five half crowns
was the smallest daily sum for which board
and lodging (to say nothing of Incidental
expenses) could be procured at any of the
hotels Fortunately this apparent loss of
time and money did not injuriously affect
me, because it was more than made up by
the valuable opportunities I got for photo-
graphing types of horses I could not have
otherwise obtained. On my return to Eng-

262 Horses on Board Ship.

»

land, I wrote a letter to the D.G. of the
A.V.D. pointing out that the Inadequacy
of the detention allowance was a hard-
ship on veterinary surgeons which ought
to be rectified, and that I had no per-
sonal grievance In the matter. I am happy
to say that this letter, which was for-
warded to superior authority, helped to
obtain the welcome concession of a pound
a day detention allowance for veterinary
surgeons.

In ancient times, doctors occupied a position
somewhat similar to cow-leaches, and the
barbers and surgeons of London belonged
to the same corporation until the year 1745.
Even fifty years ago the village medical
man was rarely admitted Into county society.
Since then, the medical profession has, by

The War Office and Horse Transport. 263

improved education, obtained full public and
private recognition, as we may learn from
the fact that the surgical attainments of
Lord Lister have procured him entrance into
the peerage. The officers of the R.A.M.C.
have combatant rank, which many of them
value much more highly than their pro-
fessional status, on account of social con-
siderations. The veterinary profession is
following fast in the footsteps of the medical.
In the year 1844 the R.C.V.S. was formed,
and the veterinary art was recognised as a
profession by Royal command. For several
years after that time a veterinary diploma
could be obtained by a short and elementary
course of study. Subsequently, a three years'
college course was instituted, although a
smattering of the three r's was sufficient for

264 Horses on Board Ship.

matriculation at some of the teaching schools.
Up to the 27th of August, 1881, any quack
could with impunity call himself a veterinary
surgeon. In 1896, the veterinary matricula-
tion examination was made equal to that
required from medical candidates, and the
veterinary course of study has been extended
to four years. With respect to the social
advance of veterinary surgeons, I may point
out that a few C.B.'s and D.S.O.'s have
been distributed, and since June, 1883, veteri-
nary officers are allowed to be presented at
Court.

The high officials at the War Office ignore

the great progress In education and efficiency

v^ made by the veterinary profession, and try

their utmost to keep the Army Veterinary

Department In a degraded position, despite

The War Office and Horse Transport. 265

the brilliant services rendered by its officers
during peace and war. Their pay and pensions
are practically the same as what they were
thirty years ago. An Army veterinary officer
is the only Army officer who has no authority
over his subordinates. For instance, if an
Army farrier commits a breach of discipline,
his Veterinary Colonel has no power to punish
him, although a last joined subaltern would
be able to do so. The authority which
veterinary officers should have over their
men has often been asked for, but always
refused, on account of the military caste /
prejudice which rules our unfortunate Army.
Hence, many capable young veterinary
surgeons prefer private practice to the
poor position which the War Office offers
them. And yet our military authorities

266 Horses on Board Skip.

wonder that they are unable to obtain an
efficient veterinary machine, which is essential
to the welfare of the country, especially in
campaigns that demand the employment of
large numbers of horses.

GENERAL INDEX.

Ability to bear transit by sea, i.

Abrasions, 229.

Admiralty, The, 241.

Air-scoops, 40, 44.
Alfalfa, 176.

Aloes, 227.

America, 12, 13, 14, 222.

Anderson, Col. John, 169.

Argentine remounts, 7, 146, 147.

Army Veterinary Department, 245,

252, 254, 257-262, 265.

Australia, 8, 12, 13, 14.

Australian shippers, 53.

Austria, 12, 14.

Azoturia, 5.

Baltic, 39, 116.

Bandaging, cotton wadding, 225.

Bay of Biscay, 13.

Beam, 28, 29.

Bilge keels, 24.

Blacksmith, 191.

Blue Gown, 95.

Bran, 168-172.
Breast-boards, 119.
Brows, 32, 61.
Buenos Ayres, 13, 14.
Bulk -heads, 34.

Calcutta, 208.
Canada, 12, 13, 222.
Captain, The, 23,
Cart horses, 2.
Cattle men, 184-186.

,, steamers, 16, 21.
Celtic, The, 17.
Cervona, The, 243.
Chloral hydrate, 228.
Chloride of lime, 199.
Chlorodyne, 227.
Chop, 175.
Clipping, 55, 116.
Clothing, 115.
Clove hitch, 136.
Cocoanut matting, 97, 98, 100,
Colic, 226.

268

Horses on Board Skip.

Concrete on decks, 32.

Corn, 2-8.

Cost of transport, 215.

Cotton wadding bandages, 225.

Cranes, 61.

Cruelty to horses, 189-191.

Cuba, 222.

Cuts, 229.

Cymric, The, 14.

Deck covered with boards, 30, 31.

,, covered with concrete, 32.
Decks, 16-21.

,, kept dry, 35.
Derricks, 61.

Desmond, Mr., 57, 79, 233.
Disinfectants, 199, 200.
Division-boards, 123, 125.
Disembarkation, after, 208.
Disembarking horses, 56-
Doctors, 262.
Draughts, 37.
Drugs, 238.
Duck, Colonel, 146, 158.

Edmond's steam jetter, 50.
Electric lights, 32.
Embarking horses, 56.
England, 12, 14.
Eserine, 228.
Etiropean, The, 33.

Exercise, 4, 10, 206.

Fans, exhaust, 47.

Farmers, 8.

Feeding and watering, 182, 188.

,, , principles of, 178.

,, troughs, 95, 156.

,, utensils, 156.
Feet, horses', 53-55, 230.
,, , fever in the, 5, 53, 104, 208-
214.
Filled legs, 224.
Fittings, security of, 9.
Fiume, 12.

Floor of box, 95, 97, 98.
Flush deck ship, 26.
Food, 167.
Foot-hold, 10, 145.
Foremen, 184, 185.
Freeboard, 22.
Freeing-ports, 26.
Fremona, The, 14.
Frost-bite, 212, 213.

Gangways, 58.
Gear, Government, 165,
Glanders, 222, 244.
Golden, Mr. 124.
Gout, 3.
Grain, 2-8.
Grandeau, 169.

General Index.

269

Grass, 7, 8.
Green vegetables, 3.
Grooming, 204.
Gypsum, 199.

Halters, 109.
Hatches, 28, 108.
Hatchways, 40.
Hay, 4, 5, 52, 167, 174.

,, nets, 163,
Head-collars, 109.
Horse-attendants, 180.

,, box, portable, 80, 81, 83.

,, ,, , cost of, 1 01.

,, carrying ships, 15, 29, 30.
Horses, management of, 102.

,, into stalls, changing, 202.

,, , cruelty to, 189- 191.

,, , mortality of, 12.

,, , preparation of, 51.

,, , welfare of, 9.

,, , wild, 52.
Hyson, The, 14.

Idaho, The, 146, 168.
Inspection, Veterinary, 221.
Iodoform, 229.
lona. The, 14.
Ireland, 12.
Isfnore, The, 256.

Kelvingrove, The, 146, 161.

Kent, The, 259.

" Know your own ship," 15.

Las Palmas, 248.

Laminitis, 5, 53, 104, 208-214, 224.

Legs, filled, 224.

Light in the water, 26.

Lighters, 78, 79.

Light-ship, 23.

Lime, chloride of, 199.

,, , quick, 199.
Linseed oil, 227, 228.
Lucerne, 176.
Luff, Dr. 2.
Lying down, 10.
Lymphangitis, 5, 223.

Magician, The, 33.
Mail steamers, 34.
Mallein, 223.
Mangers, 95, 156.
Mangolds, 168.
Medicines, 238.
Michigan, The, 33.
Midship stalls, 107,
Mooring bits, 34.
Mortality at sea, 1 1, 213, 214,
Mount Royal, 14.
Mucking-out, 193.
Mules, I, 12. 14, 164.
Muntz, 169.

270

Horses on Board Ship.

North Sea, 39, 97, 116.

Nose-bags, 162.

Nunn, Colonel, 58, 164, 230.

Oaten hay, 175.
Oat-bruising machine, 164.
Oats, 172-174.

,, bruised, 175.
Ossory, 95, 99.
Overcrowding, 9.

Pedestrianism, 2.
Pens, 25.
Pilocarpine, 228.
Pink-eye, 224.
Pitching, 36.
Pneumonia, septic, 233.
Politician, 33.
Ponies, 2.
Prince lo, 95, 99.

Quick lime, 199.

Rations, board-ship, 176, 177.

Remount Department, 241-256.

Revel, 39, 116.

Rolling, 35, 96, 97.

Ross-smith, Captain, 32, 33, 149,

217.
Round turn and two half hitches,

136.

Scuppers, 32.

Scuttles, 44.

Sea, ability to bear transit by, i.

Ship, colour of, 35.

Ships, horse-carrying, 15,

Shoeing, 53-55, 247.

Simpson, Mr. 161.

Slippery hitch, 136.

Sling,'disembarking, 77.

Slinging horses, 62, 141.

Slings, 142-144.

Spar-decker, 16.

Speed, 24. ,

Stable duties, 180.

Stability, 22,

Stalls, 119.

,, , cost of, 126.

,, , Government, 127.

,, , position of, 104.
Starch, iodide of, 230.
Steady, 23.
Stiff, 23.
Strangles, 224.
Surrey, The, 14.

Tail, rubbing the, 229.
Tanks, water, 150.
Tannoform, 229.
Tender, 23.
Three-decker, 15, 21.
,, island ship, 26.

General Index.

271

Thrush, 230.
Transport, cost of, 215.
Tropics, 12.
Tying-up, 135.

Uric acid, 3.
Urine, 200.

Vegetables, green, 3.
Ventilation, 10, 37.
Ventilator, cowl, 44.

,, , electric, 48.

,, , steam, 48.
Victorimi, The, 33.

Veterinary remarks, 221-240.
,, surgeons, 263-266.

Voyages, successful, 14.

Walton, 15.
War office, 241-266.
Watering horses, 149.
Weed, 5,

Well-deck ship, 25.
Windsails, 43.
Work without corn, 7.

Yeomanry authorities, 258

THE END.

AUTUMN SEASON, 1901

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