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JOHN A. SEAVERNS
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MANNING'S
HO^SE BOOK
COMPRISING
FACTS CONCERNING THE VARIOUS BREEDS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS, BREAKING,
TRAINING, SHELTERING, BUYING, SELLING, GENERAL CARE, AND ALL DISEASES
TO WHICH THEY ARE SUBJECT THE CAUSES, HOW TO KNOW, AND WHAT
TO DO ; GIVEN IN PLAIN, SIMPLE LANGUAGE, AND WITH DIRECTIONS
THAT ARE EASILY UNDERSTOOD, EASILY APPLIED, AND REME-
DIES THAT ARE WITHIN REACH OF THE PEOPLE. ALSO,
THE RECENT, APPROVED, HUMANE METHODS FOR
THE PREVENTION OF ANY DISEASE, AND
RESTORATION OF HEALTH.
CAREFULLY PREPARED, AFTER A RIPE EXPERIENCE OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN STOCK-RAISING
AND AN EXTENSIVE PRACTICE IN VETERINARY SURGERY,
J. RUSSELL MANNING, M. D., V. S.
FULLY ILLUSTRATED.
PHILADELPHIA, PA. :
HUBBARD PUBLISHING COMPANY.
Copyrisrht, by HtiBBAKD Brothebs, 1882;
iTABLE OF CONTENTS. ]X
CHAPTER IX.
BENEFITS OF KIND AND CAREFUL TREATMENT.
L Abusing a Faithful Servant. — II. What are Barbarities.— III. A Picture from Life. — TV. Tk*
Other Side. — V. A Good Farmer's Surroundings. — VI. Farmer Unthrift's Farm. — VII. Hit
Home.— VIII. The Careful Man's Theory.— IX. Using the Means We Have.— X. An Infalli
We Rule 141
CHAPTER X.
HOW TO BUY.
I. How to Get Correct Information. — II. The Buyer Must Know What He Wants. — III. Propor»
tions of the Horse.— IV. The Cleveland Bay for Profit.— V. The Light Harness Horse.— VI.
Saddle Horses of all Gaits.— VII. The High-Bred Hunting Horse.- VIII. Racing Horses.—
IX. What the Racer Should be.— X. To Avoid Vices and Defects ; How to Detect.— XI.
Other Faults and Imperfections -.. . 166
CHAPTER XI.
HOW TO BUY, CONTINUED.
L Buying Cheap Horses.— II. Color, in relation to Value.— III. Action.— IV. Fast walking
Horses.- V. What a Horse should be.— VI. What Constitutes Unsoundness.— VII. Defini-
tiou of Unsoundness.- VIII. Illustration of Form and Symmetry.— IX. The Body and
Limbs. — X. The Body as Standing Facing You. — XI. Front View of Fore-quarters. — Show-
ing Different Bad Conformations.— XII. The Hind-quarters.— XIII. The View from
Behind.— XIV. What Not to Buy.— XV. Buying for Blood ITS
CHAPTER XII.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES.
L Early History of the English Blood Horse.— II. How He was Improved.— III. The Amerimn
Blood Horse.- IV. Celebrated American Horses.— V. History of Their Performances.— VI.
Training to Trotting — 19»
DISEASES OF THE HORSE. THEIR CAUSES ; HOW TO KNOW
THEM, AND HOW TO CURE THEM.
CHAPTER I.
I. Introduction.'II. External Manifestation of Disease 3M
CHAPTER II.
DISEASES OF THE SKIN AND SUB-CUTANEOUS TISSUES.
l- Scratches.— n. Grease.— m. Thrush.— IV. Swelled Ankles.— V. Swelled Legs.— VI. Snrfttt.
VU. Mange.— VIU. Ring-worm.— IX. Hide-bound. —X. Saddle Galls, or Sitfasts.- XI. Fun-
jouBCoUar Ttunor.— XJI. Warts.- XIII. Vermin. -~XIV. Larva in the Skin.— XV. Tetter. «
XVI. Rat-tailB.— XVn. Mallenders andSallenders.-XVIH. PoU-evil.— XIX. Fistula Mf
CHAPTER III.
DISEASES OF THE GLANDS AND NASAL MEMBRANES.
I OUnders.—II. Farcy —HI. Diatemper.— IV. Nasal Gleet.— V. Na«a? Polypas 46i6
X TABLE OF CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
DROPSICAL AFFECTIONS.
I. Dropsy of the Heart.— n. Dropsy of the Brain.— Til. Dropsy of the Chest.— IV. Dropsy of the
Skis of the Chest.— y. Dropsy of the Scrotum.— VI. Dropsy of the Abdomen $ti
CHAPTER V.
DISEASES OF THE THROAT, CHEST, AND LUNGS.
I Chest Founder. — II. Bronchitis. — III. Pneumonia, or Inflammation of the Lungs.— IV. Con«
sumption.— V. Pleurisy.— VI. Colds.- VII. Enlarged Glands.- VIII. Swelled Throat. —LK.
Chronic Cough.— X. Malignant Epidemic— XI. Dilficulty of Breathing.— XII. Broken Wind,
Bellows, Heaves.— XIII. Influenza.— XIV. Pink Eye.— XV. Bleeding from the Nose.—
XVI Strangles.— XVII. Spasmodic Action of the Glottis and Epiglottis ~ 336
CHAPTER VI.
DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS.
1. iSonr Stomach. "^n. Colic— III. TheBot.— IV. Inflammation and Rupture of the Colon. —V. In-
flammation and Bleeding of the Rectum. — VI. Spontaneous Salivation. — VII. Inflanunstion of
the Stomach. — VIII. Soreness and Itching of the Anus. — ^IX. Chronic Gastritis.- X. Spasm of
the Diaphragm. — XI. Rupture of the Stomach. — XII. Gk>rged Stomach. — XIII. Inflammation of
the Peritoneum.— XIV. Strangulation of the Intestines.— XV. Functional Diseases of the Liver.
~-XVI. Parasites which Affect the Intestines. — XVII. Diarrhoea (44.
CHAPTER VII.
DISEASES OF THE LIVER, URINARY ORGANS, &C.
I. Jaundice. — II. Enlargement of the Spleen. — III. Inflammation of the Kidneys.— IV. Proftase
Staling, or Diabetes. — V. Bloody Urine, or Haematuria. — VI. Thick and Albuminous Urine. —
VU. White or Lime Urine. — VIII. Gravel, or Stone in the Bladder. — IX. Suppression of the
Urine.— X. Inflammation of the Bladder.— XI. Foul Sheath.— XII. Rupture of the Bladder.—
XUI. Spasm of the Urethra.— XIV. Inflammation of the Organs of Generation 365>
CHAPTER VIII.
DISEASES OF THE TEETH AND SIOUTH.
I. Teething, or Dentition.— II. Shedding Teeth.— Ill Blind Teeth.— IV. Decay ol the Teeth.— V.
Scurvy.— VI. Stump-sucking, or Crib-biting. — VII. Lampas. — VIII. Inflammation in and
Around the Teeth.— IX. Slavering.— X. Inflammation of the Tongue. — XI. Sharp and Project-
ing Teeth.— XII. Scald Mouth.— XIII. Aptha.— XIV. Inflammation of the Parotid Gland.— XV.
Fistula of the Parotid Duct 37*=
CHAPTER IX.
DISEASES OF THE HEART, BLOOD, Ac.
I. Thumps.- n. Scrofula. — III. Fever, or General Inflammation.— IV. Enlargement of the Heart.
—V. Fatty Degeneration of the Heart.— VI. Enlargement of the Arteries.-VII. Inflammauon
•f the Jugular Vein.— VIII. Inflammation of the Absorbents.— IX. Scarlatina aM
CHAPTER X.
DISEASES OF THE BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM.
I. Ilydrophobia, or Rabies.— 11. Mad Staggers, or Phrenitis.— III. Blind Staggers, Megrims,
»» Vertigo.— IV. Apoplexy, or Sleepy Staggers.— V. Abscess within the Brain 399^
TABLE OF CONTENTS. xi
CHAPTER XI. '^"'
DISEASES OF THE MUSCLES AND TENDONS.
I. Blood Sparin.—n. Bog Spavin.— HI. Curb.— IV. Thorough-pin.— V. Tetanus, or Lockjaw.— VI.
Cramps.— VII. Khcumatism.— VIII. String-halt ^|
CHAPTER XII.
DISEASES OP THE EYE.
I. Ktturally Weak Eyes.— II. Sore Eye-lids.— III. Moon eyes.— IV. Cataract.— V. Hooks or
Inflammation of the Haw.— VI. Dimness of Vision.— VII. Worms in the Eye.— VIII. Par.
ulent Ophthalmia. — IX. Fungoid Tumors in the Substance of the Eye. — X. Impediment ia
the Lachrymal Duct. — XI. Gutta Serena „„. 42*
CHAPTER XIII.
DISEASES OF THE BONES.
I. Big Head and Big Jaw.— H. Sweeny of the Shoulder.— HI. Sweeny of the Hip. ^TV. Bone Spar*
in.— V. EnlargedHock.— VI.— Bing-bone.— Vn. Stifle.— Vni. Splint.— IX. Sore shins, Inflam-
mation of the Metacarpal Bones. — ^X. Botten Bones. — XI. Inflanmiation of the Knee Bone.
XH. Caries of the lower jaw 43k
CHAPTER XIV.
DISEASES OF THE FEET.
X. Ulceration of the Foot (naTicnlar disease) . — H. Cracked Hoof. — ^HI. Hoof Bot.— IV. Corns. — ^V.
Contraction of the Hoof (narrow heel).— VI. Injuries of the Frog.— VH. Founder— VIII. Nail
Pricking.— IX. Canker.- X. Sand Crack.— XI. False Quarter— XH. Quitter. -XHI. Too
Crack.— XIV, Pumice Foot.— XV. Seedy Toe.— XVI. Ossified Cartilages.— XVH. Side Bones.
XVm. Incised Wounds of the Sole 451
CHAPTER XV.
WOUNDS AND INJUBIES AND TSEIR EESULT8.
I. Strains and Sprains.— II. Overreach.— III. Brushing, or Speedy Cut. — IV. Broken Knees.— V.
Capped Elbow. —VI. Frost-bite.— VII. Burns and Scalds.— VIH. Rupture.— IX. Choking.— X.
Wounds Penetrating the Abdominal Cavity. — XI. Contused Wounds. — XII. Lacerated
Wounds.— XIII. Punctured Wounds.— XIV. Broken Hock.— XV. Dislocations.— XVL
Various Fractures. — XVII. Various Distortions. — XVIII. Diseases of the Ear 46S
CHAPTER XVL
POISONS.
I. Internal Poison. — II. Poisonini; from Stings. — III. Poisoned Skin 48Z
CHAPTER XVII.
VETERINABY SUBGERT.
I Castrating.— n. St:>*ding.— HI. Tracheotomy.— IV. Periosteotomy.— V. Neurotomy. -4n. Dt-
Tlaion of tiie Tendons. Ac., Ac., &o.... «8»
Zli TABLE OF CONTENTfl.
CHAPTER XVIII.
MISCELLANEOUS MINOR DISEASES.
I. MeUnoaia, or Black Pigment Tumors.— II. Epithelial Cancer.— in . Dropey of the Lungs.
Stings aod Bites.— V. Fallingoff of the Hair.— VI. Acute Irritation of the Skin.— VII. Hard«»-
ingof the Skin. — VIII. Exotosis of the Lower Jaw.— IX. Swelling, by Pressare ef the Bridle.—
X. Sore Nose .—XI . Roaring, or High Blowing. — XII. Wind Galls. — XUI. Rupture of the Ham-
string.— XIV. Broken Wind. — XV. Internal Hemorrhage. — XVI. Partial Paralysis i^fj
CHAPTER XIX.
Medicines: What to Keep; How to Obtain ; H«w to Prepare; and How to Give Them 600
CHAPTER XX.
Implements: What to Keep; How to Use 615
ILLUSTRATIONS.
florae, skeleton of 39
** longitudinal section of 42
Horse's Lead, vertical section of 43
Horse, bones of the foot 44
" " " " sectional view of 44
" foot and lower leg, vertical section^f 45
'' external parts of 4^
Agood horse for light driving 66
A good horse for all work « £6
Light hunting horse ^ 68
Heavy " ^ 69
English roadster ^ 60
" coach horse 61
Gen. Grant's Arabian Stallions 65
English race horse, Eclipse 69
Norman Percheron stallion 76
" " mare 7?
Clydesdale stallion, " Young Wellington " 81
'♦ Satellite," the Hambletonian trotting stallion *« , 84
Shetland ponies 91
Shales 99
Dervish 100
Golddust 101
Poitou a88 109
Horse's head with bearing-rein 124
" without " ]24
Team of the cruel and improvident master 146
" " kind and careful master 147
Barn of the provident master 149
Farmer Unthrift's barn 160
" " home 150
The barn of the cruel master 151
Model halter on model colt Iftl
Team of the kind master 152
" " cruel master 152
Shiftless man's door-yard gate 152
" field gate 152
High-bred roadster 156
Finely bred roadster 1*7
Good family horse 158
Proportions of the horse 159
Cleveland Bay 161
Goldsmith Maid 25t
Movement in trotting S^
19
20 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
FAGH
Fine trotter in light harness 104
Good form for saddle horse jg5
Horse of good action jgg
Model form for speed in running jgg
Progression of blind horse m
Movement in walking 176
Side and front view of heads, good 182
" " " bad 183
Side view of fore-quarters, showing good shoulder 184
" " " bad conformation 186
Front view, showing breast and limbs, good 187
" of fore-quarters, showing bad conformations 191
Good hind-quarters 192
Side view of hind-quarters 194
Back view of hind-quarters 195
. " " bad 196
External manifestations of disease 256
First stage of confirmed grease exudation 26S
Sjecond " " " 263
Horse aflFected with surfeit 271
One of the causes of hide-bound in horses 277
Poll-evil during first stage 288
" " second stage 289
Slight enlargement, which may end in fistulous withers 292
Fistulous withers, worst stage 292
A fit subject for founder or bronchitis 321
A horse dressed for bronchitis 322
A cough of incurable bronchitis 324
Case of congestion 324
Position assumed by horse with an attack of pneumonia 325
Horse's head with cold 330
" " " lymphatic gland swollen 331
Nose-bag for steaming horse with cold 8Sl
'* ' " the throat blistered 333
SetQQ in the throat of a horse 333
A horse quidding 334
The act of coughing , „ 334
Bit bearing upon jaw 338
Confirmed influenza 339
Opening the abscess of strangles 343
The first stage of spasmodic colic 346
The second stage of " " 346
The third stage of " " 347
The first stage of flatulent " 348
Hofse dying of flatulent colic 348
Aestrus hemorrhoidalis 350
" eggs, larvae and fly 350
Nose strained upward 352
Application of an ammoniacal blister 353
Horse suffering from acute gastritis 354
Unnatural attitude indicative of abdominal injury 358
Position assumed by horse suffering from abdominal injury 35#
Test for hemorrhage of the liver . 36#
Colt picking hair (torn its leg, giving proof of worms 361
Symptoms attending disease of urinary organs 367
Test for inflammation of the kidneys •...«..«...„ 36&
ILLUSTRATIONS. 21
PAGR
Horse suffering fpom bloody urine 370
Position assumed by borse having albuminous urine 371
Horse suffering witb tootb-ache 380
Burning for lampas 381
Effects of cruel use of bit 388
Aptba 384
Countenance of a borse witb rabies 400
Destructive impulse of hydrophobia 401
Horse during the mad stage of staggers 404
Expression characteristic of megrims 409
A horse dying witb abscess within the brain 414
A horse mad from inflammation of the brain 414
Test for tetanus 419
Slings for tetanus or fractured limb 420
Mode of feeding horse with chronic tetanus 421
Showing how far a horse with tetanus is capable of motion 421
Horse having string-halt 424
Mode of blinding a borse and applying lotion to the eye 430
Extirpation of the eye 432
Obstruction of the lachrymal gland 433
Eye effected by gutta serena 434
Foot, incapable of being raised from ground by reason of spavin 439
Natural position of foot when raised from the ground during an easy trot 43S
Closing cfrack in hoof 453
Acute fever in the feet 457
The low choke 476
Manner of using seton needle 405
A horse suffering from drastic poison 482
Tumor caused by curb chain 493
How to bear the sound made in a horse's windpipe 496
Internal hemorrhage 497
Horse suffering from partial paralysis of the hind legs 49S
THE HORSE ;
5HIS:
HISTORY, BREEDS, CHARACTERISTICS
AND MANAGEMENT.
THE HOKSE.
CHAPTER I.
mS HISTORY AS A COMPANION AND SEBVANT OF MAN.
eOimSCTED WITH MAN FROM A VERY BARLY AGE. HIS IMPORTAKCE AS A HELPER IN TBM.
WORK OP THE WORLD. HIS SUPERIORITY OVER THE OTHER ANIMALS. THE HORSK
AND HIS RIDER BECOME IN SOME MEASURE ONE CREATURE. HIS NATIVITY : DOUBT
CONCERNTNG IT. HIS EXISTENCE UPON EARTH PROBABLY CONTEMPORANEOUS WITH'
THAT OF MAN. THE MOST ANCIENT AUTHORS ALLUDE TO HIM. HB PASSES INTO DIF-
FERENT PARTS OP THE GLOBE. WILD HERDS IN THE EASTERN CONTINENT. ORIGIN
OP THE WILD HERDS IN AMERICA. FOUND AS A DOMESTIC AMONG NEARLY ALL PEO-
PLE. GREATER LIABILITY TO DISEASE IN A DOMESTIC THAN IN A WILD STATE.
SUBJECT TO DETERIORATION UNDER IGNORANT MANAGEMENT. THE WISDOM OF THE.
ARABS AS BREEDERS AND KEEPERS. DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AMONG MEN AS TO SYS-
TEMS OF BREEDING : ATTENTION CALLED TO ITS TREATMENT IN THIS WORK. KNOWL-
EDGE AND SKILL NECESSARY TO HIS PROPER CARE.
" And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after
their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind :
and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let us make man in,
our image, after our likeness ; and let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth. "
Although the precise period at which the horse was subjected to th©
use of man is unknown, it is not unreasonable to conjecture that it was
at a time long anterior to his mention in history ; and it is probable that
since the day when man was made master of all other created things,
no animal has been more constantly his companion and friend ; and that
no other has contributed so much assistance in subduing wild nature and.
making everything subservient to his will and promotive of his happiness.
Other animals, particularly sheep and cattle, have shared with the horse
this usefulness to mankind, it is true : and in our present civilized state,
when mechanical ingenuity is making such rapid strides in dispensing with
33
84 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
animal labor, it may be, as i« sometimes claimed, that the wool-bearinQ
and milk-giving animals — especially considering that these same animals
furnish also a large proportion of our flesh food — are to be held as taking
the i)recedence ; but as to adaptability, becoming, as it were, a creature of
all work ; as to comeliness and quickness of motion ; as to a certain sym-
l)athy with his master that makes him at times so to partake of his spirit
and motions as to seem one with him ; as to a readiness of submission to
drudgery as well as to proud employments, he is without a rival in the
world.
It is affirmed by many that the horse is a native of Asia, but of this we
really know nothing. Others affirm with equal, or almost equal, plausi-
bility, that he is a native of central Africa. "Where all is conjecture, it
is needless in a practical work of this character to speculate. Wherever
his primal home may have been, it is at least within the bounds of proba-
bility that his existence in Asia, in his present state of development, is
contemporary with that of man upon earth. Some among the very earli.
est records of the human race contain allusions to him as a well known
animal, in the service of man. The description in the Book of Job, a
production admitted to be of the very highest antiquity, is a case in point.
He is mentioned here, in glowing terms, as a martial adjunct to his mas-
ter— and not as a newly-discovered or recently-subdued creature, but as
one with which the world was familiar. Sculptured images of horses as
beautiful of form almost as the noble Arabian of to-day have been found
among the ruins of the cities of the desert. He is mentioned by Moses
in connection with the Egyptians ; and records older than the writings of
Moses point to his having been known and used by that singular people
from the dawn of their wonderful civilization.
We find him thus in both Asia and Africa ; and during all the historic
period he has been present with man as though native to the soil of many
districts of both Continents. Whether borne thither by natural result of
migi-atory wandering, in a wild state, or whether by the ever-spreading
human family, there is little to guide us in determining. In the more
thinly populated districts of Asia, notably in Southern Siberia, great wild
herds have been long known to exist.
Though, as we have previously intimated, there must have been a
noble breed of horses in Arabia in the days of their most ancient cities,
the introduction of the present breed into that country is thought to have
been of a comparatively modern date. It seems clear that long subse-
quent to the beginning of the Christian era there were few horses in
Arabia, and those few of no striking excellence, and that the now cele-
brated Arabians have either sprung from good horses introduced into the
THE HORSfi, HIS ORIGIN, ETC. ZH
country ^thin the last thousand years, or are the result of judicious
breeding and kindly care bestowed upon a native stock.
He was brought as a domestic animal to the New World, by the early
adventurers ; — and no trace of him, (if we except a kind of cloven-footed
species), having been found upon the Continent, we can account for the
herds of wild horses, known to have long existed in different parts of
North and South America, upon no other supposition than that they are
the descendants of certain Andalusian mares and steeds brought over by
the Spaniards, and abandoned by them when they could no longer render
them service, or left free to escape to the forests on the death of their
masters in battle. There is a story current — of doubtful authenticity,
however — that all these immense herds, in both North and South America,
are sprung from one stallion and two mares that escaped from the expe-
dition of De Soto through Florida, Georgia, and elsewhere. Be this aa
it may, there are now many great herds — a single one, especially in South
America, sometimes numbering many thousands.
As a domestic animal, the horse is found among almost every people
on the globe ; and his uses vary ^ith the degree of civilization enjoyed
by his owners. It may be remarked also that this degree of usefulness
is intimately associated with the degree of his deterioration and with the
diseases to which he is subject. In a wild state, he is almost free from
disorders of every kind, — so much so that unless killed by accident or by
deprivation of necessary food and drink, as is sometimes the case, he
lives to a great age — dying in the course of nature, it is believed, at from
thirty to sixty years. Among the Arabs, whejre his condition approaches
more nearly to a natural state than among any other people, except the
[ndians, and where his laborious service to his master is limited almost
exclusively to carrying a single rider, he displays his greatest perfections
as a domestic animal, and enjoys the greatest immunity from disease.
Among the leading nations of Europe and their colonies, where he is for
the most part made literally *'a beast of burden" in the different capaci-
ties of animal for the saddle and for every species of draught, and wher«
man practices almost unrestrained not only his active cruelties but many
umvitting enormities, he is said by good authority to be constantly deter-
iorating and becoming more and more subject to diseases and to prema-
ture death.
Among the Arabs, too, the best breeds are preserved in their purity i
whereas, among more civilized nations all efforts of man to improve th«
stock, or even to preserve any desired quality, result at last in rendering
the subjects of his experiments more liable to fall into various disorder*,
and, except in rare instances, in ultimate failure.
36 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
It may not be iirelevant to state in this connection that the great excel,
lence of the Arabian of the present day, whatever may have been his
•ri'i-in, is due in part to the extraordinary affection felt for him by his
master, which manifests itself in the extreme care that is lavished upon
him, and to which he is almost as sensitive as a human creature ; in part
to his freedom from that severe labor by which the horses of other na-
tions are prematurely broken, stiffened, and deprived of spirit ; and
partly, no doubt, by the steps which are taken, not so much to improvey
but to preserve y a choice breed. While other nations, notably the Eng-
lish, French and American, are engaged in ceaseless endeavors to im-
prove, and, according to some authorities, constantly making lamentable
failures — defeating their own ends by the systems of breeding, training,
and use, which they adopt — the wild sons of the desert maintain for their
horses from age to age the superiority which they were first found to
possess.
Men differ in opinion as to the cause of all this, and the mooted ques-
tions of crossing and in-and-in breeding find their respective champions,
and the discussion is from time to time renewed ; but the fact remains
that the horses of Arabia excel all others ; while another important fact
seems to be most generally overlooked, that the Ai*abs neither cross nor
actually breed in-and-in, but, having by some means obtained a noble race
they guard equally against admitting admixture of blood and against too
close consanguinity.
The subject of breeding, however, mil be found to have been more
fully discussed under its proper head ; and in conclusion it will perhaps
be sufficient to urge upon the attention of the intelligent owner and
breeder some few facts which have been touched upon in the course of
this brief sketch, namely : That among horses in a wild state disease
is rarely known, though admixture of blood most probably does take
l)lace, and, for aught we know to the contrary, as close in-and-in
breeding as the most pronounced advocate of that system could wish.
Tims, we find exemption from destructive disorders, but ordinarily no
strongly marked characteristics of race constantly prevailing, and but
rarely among them what may be termed really fine animals.
Again, that among the horses of the Arabs and the American Indians^
disease is almost as rare as among the Avild herds. And again, among
those nations where the horse is in the highest degree useful, becoming
more the slave than the companion of man, he is the subject of a multi-
tude of infirmities scarcely equalled in number by those to which map. is
himself heir. It has been said that in becoming the companion and the ser-
vant of man, he has partaken, in some measure, of both man's spirit and
K.s physical frailties. In battle, he adds to the terrors of the conflict
THE HORSE, HIS ORIGIN, ETC. 37
by his fierceness as well as by his strength and swiftness ; in the stables
of careless opulence, he becomes the pampered victim of abundance, and
falls a prey to diseases that come by irregular exercise and surfeiting ;
with hard and driving task-masters, in the marts of trade, and subject to
the exactions of business, he is soon stiffened, spavined, and generally
broken as to both conformation and locomotion ; while among the poorer
class of tillers of the soil and other toilers, he seems to become spiritless
and dull, and subject to diseases that come rather from want of care
than from either over-work or actual deprivation of food and drink.
In his best estate, he is the noblest of the lower animals ; in his worst,
he is still a property of man, and a helper in his work. A knowledge
of his ailments, and the possession of that skill necessary to his relief, is
therefore essential to every one who owns even the commonest of the
kpecios.
3
CHAPTER n.
ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION.
iBCMsrrr for a comprehensive idea op the construction of the hobse, and thk ra
lations of his parts. scientific terms used, but explained. subsequent
portions of the work more readily understood by reference to this chapter.
knowledge of structure indispensable to surgery. skeleton; SECTION-
AL VIEW OK THORAX, ABDOMEN, AND PELVIS; VERTICAL SECTION OF HEAD; SECTION
OF FOOT ; FRONT AND BACK VIEW OF FOOT ; AND EXTERNAL PARTS.
In order that the reader may obtain a clear and comprehensive knowl-
edge of the construction of the horse in all his parts and of the propel
relations of those parts, it is thought best to introduce here, in one con*
nected view, a description of the frame-work or skeleton, as seen in Fig.
1 ; of the internal organs and their positions, as seen in Fig. 2 ; of the
head and its contents, Fig. 3 ; of the peculiar formation of the foot, Figs.
4, 5, and 6, and of the external parts of the animal. Fig. 7.
It will be observed that while we have used the ordinary scientific terms
in naming these various parts, we have annexed, wherever necessary,
such explanations as will enable the plain reader to get the full meaning
intended to be conveyed.
Some attention devoted to the subject here will of course supersede th6
necessity of constantly recurring and tedious explanations throughout
the subsequent part of the work. The clearness and fulness of the illus-
trations provided leave nothing more, we think, to be desired on that
. head ; and if the reader chance to find, in our directions as to the treat-
ment of any disease, allusions to the structure of certain parts which h©
has not Avell in mind, or terms used with which he is not entirely familiar,
his difficulties can be speedily removed by reference to this chapter.
Any attempt to perform those surgical operations, however simple,
vrhich sometimes ])ecome necessary in the treatment of domestic animals,
must of course be directed by that knowledge of form, structure, and
^ated functions which we endeavor here to impart.
38
ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION
Fig. 1. Skeleton.
Explanations. — A — Cervical vertebrae, or seven bones or joints of th»
^eck.
B, B — Dorsal vertebrse, or the eighteen larger joints of the back-bone.
C — Lumbar vertebrae : — ^the six joints of the back-bone lying between
the upper ends of the false ribs, and the upper edge of the haunch bone*
D — Sacrum, or bone which forms the back part of the pelvis.
E — Coccygeal bones, or tail bones.
F, F— Ribs.
6 — Costal cartilages, or the cartilages by which the ends of the rib«
*re joined.
H — The scapula, or shoulder blade.
I — The humerus, or large round bone between the point of the shoul-
der and the elbow, or upper part of the fore-leg.
K. K — The radiuses, the outer bones of the fore-legs, extending frodfi
humerus to knee.
40 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
L — The ulna, the larger of the two bones of the upper part of fore-
leg, Iving l)ehind the radius and extending from the knee to the lower
part of chest.
M — The carpus, or knee, composed of: 1, the scaphoid, or bone bav-
in"' a boat-like form ; 2, the semi-lunar, or bone resembling a half-moon ;
3, the cuneiform, or wedge-shaped bone ; 4, the trapezium, or bone re-
sembling the mathematical figure of that name ; 5, the trapezoid, or bone
reeembling a trapezoid; 6, the os magnum, or great bone of the knee;'
7, the unciform, or hook-shaped bone ; 8, the pisiform, or pea-shaped
bone.
^ K — The large metacarpal or cannon, the big Ijone of the fore-leg
reaching from the knee to the ankle.
0 — Small metacarpal or "splint bones," the two smaller bones of the
lower part of the fore-legs.
P p — The sessamoid bones — ^two small bones found in the substance
of the tendons at the joining of the fore-leg to the ankle.
QjQ — Phalanges, embracing: 1, the upper pastern bone ; 2, the os co-
rona, or lower pastern bone ; 3, the os pedis, or first bone in the leg,
inside the hoof — the coffin-bone ; and na^^culare, a small ship-shaped
bone, at the back of the lower pastern, not marked in the figure.
R — The pelvis, or basin, composed of : 1, the ilium, or flank bone ; 2,
the pubis, or fore-part of one of the bones of the pelvis ; 3. the ischium,
or hinder and lower part of the hip-bone.
S — The femur, or thigh bone.
T — The patella, or small bone covering the stifle joint — ^the joint of
the hind leg near the flank.
U — The tibia, or large, long bone between the hock and the stifle joint.
Y — The fibula, the small, long bone behind and attached to the tibia.
W — The hock, or that joint of the hind leg between the stifle-joint and
the fetlock, embracing the following small bones: 1, the os calcis, or
back point of the hock ; 2, the astragalus, or upper bone of the hock
that supports the tibia ; 3, the cuneiform magnum, or largest Avedge-
ahaped bone ; 4, the cuneiform medium, or middle-sized wedge-shaped
bone ; 5, the cuneiform parvum, or smallest w^edge-shaped bone ; 6, that
•mall bone of the hock having a somewhat cubical form.
X — Large metatarsal, the front bone of the hind leg, between the hock
wid tlie pastern joint, below which are 1, 2, 3, the phalanges of the hind
leg.
Y. The small metatarsal, or small bone of the hind leg in rear of large
metatarsal.
Z — The head, embracing: 1, the inferior maxilla, or lower jaw; 2,
the superior maxilla, or upper jaw; 3, anterior maxilla, or outer part' of
ILLi:8TlJATi;i) DESCUll'TlUX. 41
che jaw; 4, the nasal bone, or bone in front of the nostrils; 5, the ma^
lar, or prominent cheek-bone ; 6, the frontal or forehead bone ; 7, parie>
tal, the sides and upper part of the skull bones— (wall bones) ; 8, occi-
pital, the bone of the hinder part of the head ; 9, the lachrymal, or bone
inclosing the lachrymal gland and duct ; 10, the squamous, or scaly por-
tion of the temporal bones; 11, the petrous, or hard part of the tem-
poral bones inclosing the organs of hearing.
To summarize, the spine is divided into cervical, dorsal, and lumbar
vcrte})rffi, or joints, in all, thirty-one ; the tail contains about seventeen
joints ; the dorsal vertebrae, mth eighteen ribs attached on each side, £tad
the breast-bone (which is not shown in the figure), form the thorax, or
cavity inclosing the heart, lungs, &c., — thirty-seven bones ; the fore part
is made up of forty bones, taking both sides together ; the pelvis, or
basin, of three bones ; the remainder of the hinder part, of thirty-eight
bones ; the cranium of ten ; the face and lower jaw of eighteen ; of
teeth there are forty (in the male) ; the small bones of the interna!
ear, taking both, are eight ; and the hyoid, or tongue bone, consists of
five parts.
It is not the province of this work to enter into minute anatomical de
scriptions ;' and for all really practical purposes the foregoing will he
found ample.
It must however be borne in mind that a thorough study of the anatomy
and frame work of the animal is absolutely necessary to a perfect under-
standing of how to breed, rear, care for, break and train an animal. At;
the same time, neither the horse breeder, trainer, or driver, needs to un--
derstand them so critically as must the veterinarian. The one repuireJt
simply a general knowledge of the several parts, the other must under-
stand intimately and critically each and every part, not only in itself but
with reference to its bearing and influence on, and relation to other parts
of the body. Thus what we give in illustration, while not going into mi-
nutia such as would be necessary to make the veterinary expert, will be
fully sufficient for the instruction and every day use of the practical man,
whether he be breeder, trainer, or simply the gentleman who drirea for
pleasure.
42
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION. 43
Explanations. — 1 — The occiput, or that part of the skull whicli forms
the hind part of the head. 2 — The cerebellum, or hinder and smaller di-
rision of the brain. 3 — The cerebrum, or front and larger division of
the brain. 4 — The nasal membrane, or cartilage between the nostrils.
5 — The tongue. 6, (5 — Joints of the neck bone, 7, 7, 7, 7 — The spinal
cord, or marrow. 8 — The pharynx, or ou^dtj bounded by the membrane-
ous and muscular walls beneath the l)a.sc of the skull, into which the
nose and mouth both open, and which is continuous below the oesophagus.
9, 9, 9 — The oesophagus, or passage through which food and drink go
into the stomach. 10 — The orifice of the stomach passing through the
diaphragm. 11 — The pylorus, or the orifice of the stomach through which
the food passes into the intestines. 12, 12 — The hinder surface of the
diaphragm, or membrane which separates the stomach and bowels from
the heart and lungs. 13, 13 — The trachea, or windpipe. 14 — The lungs.
15 — The heart, a — The stomach, b — The spleen, or milt, c — The left
kidney, d — The broad ligament of the uterus or womb, with the left por-
tion, and the ovary or that part which contains the seed displayed, e — The
rectum, or terminal portion of the large intestines, f — The anus, g, h,
i, j, k, 1 — Internal muscles of the thigh.
Tig. 3. Vertical Section of Horse's Head.
TKis cut illustrates still more fully the structure of the head and it*
contents, a — The frontal bone, showing sinus or channel beneath, b— -
The parietal or wall bone, covering the brain, c — The nose bone, d —
The occipital or back head bone, e, e~-The Atlas, or first bone of the
neck, showing the spinal marrow in its center. f~The ethmoid or sieve-
like bone, through which the^lfactory or nerve of smelling passes, g —
The sphenoid or wedge-like bone, which, with the ethmoid, supports the
base of the brain, h — Part of the lower maxillary or jaw bones, with
the lower incisor teeth . 1 — The cerebrum , or large brain . 2 . — The cere-
bellum, or small brain. 3 — The medulla oblongata, or upper portion of
44
ILLUSTRATED !ST0C:K DOCTOU.
the spinal marrow. 4 — The .spinal marrow. A — The turbinated bones,
or thin, bony plates, in the form of a seroll or horn, found in the iLoH.
trils, and serving to give wider distribution to the linmg membrane of the
nose. II — The se])tuni nasi, or caitilaginous division between the two nos-
trils. C, C — The lips. D. The tongue. E — The epiglottis, or valve of
the larynx. F — The traehea, or windpipe. G — The oesophagus or gullet.
It will be observed that the great object in the formation of the cran-
ium, that of furnishing a firm cover and a sure protector of the brain
against all ordinary accidents, is secured by the emplo^'ment of nine
bones, arranged in this manner : The two frontal bones (a), make up the
anterior or forward i)art ; the parietals (b), comprise the upper and cen-
tral parts, and cover the outer lobes of the cerebrum ; the occipital bono
(d), a single bone of great solidity, is at the back of the head; a little
lower, and back of the occipital bone, is the aperture through which
the spinal cord, together Avith some nerves and an artery, make their exit
from the brain. Here the bone is smooth and rounded for the purpost;
of jointing with the atlas, the first bone of the neck. The sphenoid bono
(g), forms the inferior and central part of the cranium. The ethmoid
(f ), through which the olfactory nerve passes, together with the sphenoid,
*s /loted above, assists in upholding the base of the brain. In proximity
to the facial bones are found sinuses bearing names derived from their
nearness to particular bones.
The temporal bones forming the sides of the cranium are composed oi'
two parts, the squamous, or scaly, and the petrous, or stone-like. The
petrou'i portion of the temporal bone -contains the organs of hearing,
having upon its inside surface the openings for the passage of the auditory
L.crvo ; and upon its outside, large passages for the conveyance of sound
Pig. 4. Front and back view ov
THr. lUlNKS OF TH FOOT.
Fig. 5. Skctional view of thb
BONES of the foot.
ILLUSTRATED DESCRIPTION.
49
Fig. 6.
Vertical Section of the Foot
AND Lower Leg.
Fiss. 4 and 5, taken in connec-
tion, will serve to give the reader still
more definite knowledge than that
conveyed by the skeleton of the rela-
tive situation of the different parts of
the horse's foot, and the terms applied
to each. The bones exhibited in the
front and back Adew, Fig. 4, are : c, c
— The coffin bone, or first bone of the
leg. d — The sessamoid bone, b, b
— The small pastern, a, a — ^The large
pastern.
The parts exhibited by Fig. 6 are :
a — The large metacarpal or cannon
bone, b — The os suffraginis, or large
pastern bone. c — One of the ses-
samoid bones, d — The os coronse, or
small pastern bone, e — The navic-
ular bone. f — The os pedis, or cof-
fin bone, g, g, g — The flexor perfor-
ans, or penetrating tendon, h, h — The flexor perforatus, or penetrated
tendon, i — The extensor tendon, j — The suspensory ligament, k, k —
The capsular ligament, or membraneous elastic bag surrounding the joint.
1 — The fetlock joint, m — The pastern joint, n — The coffin joint, o —
Tlie horny crust, p, p — The horny sole, q — The frog. r. — The sensible
laminge. t — The sensible frog, u — The cushion. v — The navicular
joint. ,.^
It will be observed that the parts exhibited by Fig. 5 are plainly named on
the engraving. Every thoughtful reader will observe further that these parts
of the horse are most wonderfully put together. The delicate and well-
adapted mechanism is not surpassed by that of any mechanical combination
ever produced. The entire structure is one that secures the utmost elasticity
and freedom of movement, with the immense strength needed in the usual work
of the horse. An understanding of this must go far toward compelling care
»nd attention in all that pertains to the foot of the animal. Shoeing, and
especially service on rough, stony places, should be subjects of constant regard.
The next cut furnishes a beautiful and comprehensive view of the terms
applied to the various parts of the animal, and it can but prove of great
use to those who would not only "talk horse" themselves, but understand
the talk of others — especially of veterinary writers when treating of dis-
orders, their location, and the proper means for their relief. As these parts
are known among all veterinary writers of any prominence, by the names ifr
46
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
epectively given to them here, it is evident that in order to intelligently COOb
prehend the directions, not only of this work, but of any other worthy author-
ity, the reader should be perfectly familiar with the " Points " of the horse ai
given in this illustration.
Fig. 7. KxiKRNAL Taris ok the Horse.
Explanation. — 1. The muzzle. 2 — The face. 3 — The forehead. 4—
The poll. 5— The crest. 6— The jowl. 7— The gullet. 8— The wind-
pipe. 9 — Point of the shoulder. 10 — The breast. 11. — The arm. 12
—The elbow. 13— The girth. 14— The flank. 15— The sheath. 16—
The stifle. 17— The ^vithers. 18— The back. 19— The loins. 20^
The hip. 21— The croup. 22— The dock. 23— The quarter. 24— The
thigh or gaskin. 25 — The hamstring. 26 — The point of hock. 27 — The
hock, (hough) 28 — ^The cannon bone of hind leg. 29 — The fetlock. 30
— The large pastern. 31 — The small pastern. 32 — The coronet. 33 —
The hoof. 34— The knee. 35— The cannon of fore leg. 36— Tliefet-
lock. 37— The heel. 38— The large pastern. 39— The smaW ^Ur^k,
40— The hoof.
CHAPTER m.
HOW TO TELL A HORSE'S AGE.,
» XlfOWLEDGE OF CHANGES IN THE TEETH THE ONLY MEANS. THIS CHAyTOa TO BB
STUDIED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACCOMPANYING CHART. BUYERS LIKELY, WITH-
OUT THIS KNOWLEDGE, TO BE DECEIVED. INCISORS CHIEFLY TO BE RELIED ON.
CONDITION OF A FOAL'S MOUTH. THE CHANGES THAT FOLLOW. HOW FOAL TEETH
ARK TO BB DISTINGUISHED FROM HORSE TEETH. WEARING AWAY OF THE GRINDER OR
ENAMELLED PORTION. NUMBER OF TEETH EN A FULL-GROWN ANIMAL. DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN HORSES AND MARES AS TO NUMBER. INCISORS, HOOKS, AND "wOLF'S TEETH."
HOW TO DETERMINE AGE TILL FOAL IS TWO YEARS OLD. HOW FROM TWO TO OLD
AGE. THE HORSE OF MEDIUM SIZE TO BE TAKEN AS A STANDARD. SHOOTING UP AND
GRINDING OFF. IRREGULAR TEETH ; HOW TO JUDGE. PECULIAR HARDNESS OP BONES
AND SLOWNESS OP CHANGE IN CERTAIN BREEDS. THE MULE; AGE HARD TO FIND OUT
WITH EXACTNESS. DECEPTIONS ; HOW TO DETECT. CRIB BITERS ; HOW TO EXAMINE.
TERMS DEFINED.
The age of a horse is to be accurately determmed only by an examina-
tion of the teeth, with a knowledge of the changes which, from time to
time, take place in them. The following directions, studied in connec-
tion with the drawings exhibited on the accompanying chart, and the ex-
planations written under them, will enable any one of ordinary acuteness
and powers of observation, to judge for himself, and thus to avoid that
most common of all the jockey's impositions, a liability to be deceived
in the age of horses held for sale.
The incisors furnish the chief indications ; and to them the attention
must be mostly directed ; but the back and hook teeth should be observed
to some extent, as their condition may occasionally serve to correct and
more frequently to corroborate the indications of the incisors.
When first foaled, the colt has no incisors. Twelve back teeth have in
most cases forced their points by this time through the gums ; but it is
not until from two to three months afterward that the four nippers ap-
pear ; in six weeks the nippers are seen ; and in about eight months the
four comer teeth. There are now, at eight or nine months old, twenty-
48 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
four teeth, (upper and lower), QAWedi foal-teeth . These are all changea
by the fifth or sixth year, and those that follow are called horse-teeth.
The back teeth appear as follows : the three front double pair are seen
At birth, and are afterward changed ; the fourth double pair appear from
the eio-hth to the ninth month ; (this fourth double pair are the first that
remain stationary, and they are found in every year-old colt) ; the fifth
double pair, or fifth four, appear in the second or third jq'av ; the sixth,
usually in the fourth or early in the fifth year. These three double pairs
of back teeth (last named), remain unchanged, as do also the four hook
teeth.
The hook teeth are uncertain as to time of appearance, coining some
times at the end of the third year, sometimes in the middle or at the end
of the fourth, sometimes in the middle or at the end of the fifth, some-
times at the beginning of the sixth.
Observ^e particularly that the incisors of the foal differ from those of
the horse : (1) By their regular, conical formation; (2) by a narrow
contraction called the neck, ^dsible almost in the center of the body of
each tooth, while nothing of the kind is seen in horse-teeth ; (3) by their
smaller size, even when full grown. The milk teeth, (or those teeth
which are cast or shed), taken from the jaws of dead foals and compared
with horse-teeth similarly obtained, are found to be only about half as
long as the latter. The breadth is not to be depended on, since the milk
teeth of large foals appear almost as broad as those of small horses.
AYhen the nippers become horse-teeth, they form a great contrast to the
middle and corner teeth. The size of these last will at once show them
to be milk teeth. (4) By the fact that the outer surface of the foal-teeth
is smooth and striped with brown, while on horse-teeth the same surface
is divided by a dirty A^ellow indentation inclining toward the center,
which is sometimes double upon the upper teeth.
One should stud}'^ the form of the incisors by carefully examining
those taken from dead horses of different ages. Each incisor vfHW. be
found to consist of a hard, enamelled part, called the grinder, which has
protruded above the gum ; of a bony substance, which has been for the
most part hidden in the gum ; and of a root, which has occupied the
cavity of the jaw-bone.
These teeth, (of the foal as well as of the horse), are slowly but coii-
tinualW worn away by biting and ch3wing, so that the length is constantly
decreasing, — sometimes evenly and regularly, — so that in old age the
tooth that was once two and a half or three inches Ions; is found to be not
exceeding half an inch in length. The breadth generally decreases in
about the same proportion ; but with this difference in foal and horse-
teeth, that the thickness and breadth of foal-teeth are constantly decreas-
THE HORSE, HIS AGE, HOW TO TELL IT. 49
Ing from the grinder or hard enamelled part to the end of the root, while
horse-teeth decrease from the root upward. The grinder, or hard, grat-
ing portion of the tooth, which has not yet been used, has somewhat the
form of an egg ; it is three times as broad as thick, and hollowed out in
the shape of a funnel, which hollow has two sharp edges inclosing it.
This socket or hollow is called the mark. In the center of this mark, a
sort of kernel may be seen — a tube commencing at the end of the root —
that contains the nerves of the tooth ; but this inner hole must always be
distinguished from the mark, which is the outer depression, lying next
to the sharp edges. The inner cavity is a funnel-shaped socket, of hard,
enamel shell, around which, and inside the outward shell, is a thick fluid,
which remains during the life of the tooth, becoming, by degrees, gray
matter. This fluid averages about four lines in depth in the lower incis-
ors and about eight in the upper ones.
The outer edge of each incisor a,lways rises a line or two above the
inner edge ; therefore, when the upper and lower are first grated together,
only the outer edges touch for some time ; and the inner edges do not
touch until the outer ones are worn down to an equal height with them.
Horse-teeth generally do this in about one year. At the age of two and
a. half, the teeth begin to change, and those which then appear are called
Horse-teeth. (See chart. Fig. 7, A).
A full grown stallion or gelding has 40, and a mare 36 teeth^the male
having four hook teeth which are lacking in the female, except that some-
times she has imperfect teeth in the corresponding part of the mouth.
Those teeth found in some young horses, next to the first double teeth, and
called "wolf's teeth," are not included in this number, as they are not
real teeth, — frequently not breaking through the gums at all, and usually,
in any case, disappearing in eight or nme years. Twenty-four of the
true teeth, in both horses and mares, are situated in the upper part of the
mouth, (that is, in both jaws, above the lips). They are divided into six
double pairs, counting upwards from below, so that those situated next to
the incisors in all the four rows are first ; those next to them, second ;
and so on to the last pair, which are called back teeth.
Twelve others are in the lower part of the mouth, surrounded by the
lips, six in the upper and six in the lower jaw, standing, each lot, m the
form of an arch, and occupying the entrance to the hollow of the mouth.
These twelve are called incisors. The four innermost, two in each jaw^-
those forming the key of each arch^are called nippers ; the other two :ji
«ach arch are called corner teeth ; and those between the nippers and the
forner teeth are called middle teeth. Each of these teeth in the lower
jaw rubs against the corresponding one in the upper jaw. The teeth of
the upper jaw are broader and thicker than those of the lower. The four
50 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
hooks are seated alone, over each corner tooth, but nearer to the cornef
teeth of the upper than those of the lower, so that they, (the hooks),
never come iu contact with each other.
The horse has always attained the age of four and a half or five years
before he has a full number of perfect teeth. Before this time, th«
younger the animal the fewer the teeth, and even these are not all perma-
nent.
The more a permanent incisor loses m length, by friction, the more it
also loses in width, so that the nearer the friction surface approaches to
the root, the narrower and thicker it must appear.
Every new hook tooth is cylindrical and somewhat hooked, with a cone^
shaped projecting grinder, and this is surrounded by a spoon-shaped edge,
turned toward the hollow of the mouth, so that the cone cannot be seen
from the outside ; and the whole grinder, or hard, enamelled part, has
the appearance of the back part of the bowl of a spoon — the edge, like a
screen, suiTounding the short cone, but so that two deep furrows remain
between. Except this grinder, the rest of the body is uniformly round,
and the surface almost even. As pre\iously said, however, these by
themselves afford no reliable indication as to age.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 show how the age of a colt may be determined
till he is two years old. The following further explanations, taken in
connection with the chart from Fig. 7 to Fig. 46, inclusive, will teach
how the age, from two to thirty, can be ascertained.
Large horses have, of course, larger teeth than small ones ; but taking
a horse of medium size as a standard, one can make allowances for either
larger or smaller, and easily arrive at just conclusions.
The incisors being our main reliance, our remarks must be understood
to refer chiefly to them. The length of the tooth of a horse of medium
size is three inches, or thirty-six lines. After the changed tooth has
arrived at its proper length, it shoots up a line regularly every year, and
if the teeth stand right, the grinder is worn off a line every year. It is
also, as has been said, worn off in both width and breadth, so that the
grinder becomes, from year to year, shorter and smaller, as shown by the
chart.
If, however, the teeth stand too far forward, (in-egular teeth, seo
ehart. Fig. 41), they do not wear down in the same proportion as they
shoot upward, and they become very long. The age in this case can be
ascertained with ease and exactness by observing directions given under
Fig. 41, and noticing with care the following points : At the age of five
years, the corner teeth of the low^er jaw have grown up five lines above
the gum ; each middle tooth, seven lines ; and each nipper, nine. At
eight years, and older, each corner tooth of the same horse projects only
THE HORSE, HIS AGE, HOW TO TELL IT. 51
four, the middle teeth, six, and the nippers, eight lines above the gums.
This is absolutely necessary to be taken into account, because it is the
only means by which one can decide with certainty as to the age of a horse
whose teeth have become longer than they would have been if set right
and wearing regularly.
The foregoing remarks and directions are based upon the assumption
that there is no peculiarity about the individual animal or the breed to
which he belongs that would materially interfere with the principles laid
do^\ai. It remains, however, to notice that to those breeds of horses
which develop very slowly, of which the Spanish horse may be cited as
an example, the rules are a little more diflScult of application. The
bones of these, and perhaps of some few other kinds, seem to be harder,
and the teeth change somewhat later and appear to wear down more
slowly ; so that it sometimes happens that such horses, after their fifth
vear, appear a year or two younger than they really are ; but the same
animals are apt to be more than ordinarily strong, hardy, and long-lived,
and to be taken at a diminished age really detracts nothing from their
worth.
The age of a mule is somewhat difficult to determine with exactness,
owing to the cause just stated.
Deceptions may be practiced with very thrifty young horses, when it is
desirable to make them appear of suitable age for work or for breeding,
by knocking out the incisors a year sooner than they would naturally
change themselves. If a purchaser suspects deception, he can determine
the matter by closely examining the remaining teeth. If the nippers
have changed, and the inner edges of the corner teeth have not yet come
into contact, the foal is but one year old — and so on.
The opposite cheat — that of trying to make a horse appear younger
than he really is by burning artificial marks in upon the teeth — can be
detected by closely examining the enamel and the effect of the mark
upon it. When a horse has reached an advanced age, say twelve to
twenty, the enamelled surface has become so minute that burning in as
large a mark as is found in horses considerably younger would disturb
the whole enamel and so leave a means of detecting the fraud.
In the case of crib-biters, that wear out their teeth prematurely, and
so appear really older than they are, examination must be directed to the
comer teeth, which are seldom injured ; or, if the corner teeth prove to
be injured, deduct from the apparent age as many lines as are wanting to
make the teeth of the natural length. To feed constantly, from weaning
time, upon hard, unshelled corn, sometimes produces the same effect as
crib-biting, and the same directions must be followed in forming an
estimate.
52 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
We close the chiiptcr with a short vocabulary, by reference to whiclb
the reader may more readily api)rehend the meaning of the terms
Employed in the ensuing chart.
Incisor. — A cutter ; a fore-tooth which cuts or bites. In the horse,
those twelve teeth, six in the upper jaw, six in the lower, which are
surrounded by the lips, are called incisors.
Grinder. — As used in the present chapter, it denotes the hard, grating,
upper portion of the front teeth.
Line. — One-twelfth of an inch.
IVIark. — As used with reference to horse teeth, it denotes that depres-
t;ion in the grinder lying inside the sharp edges and adjacent to them.
Nippers. — ^Those two teeth in each jaw that occupy the middle of the
semi-circular row.
Corner Teeth. — The two outer of the six front teeth in each jaw.
Middle Teeth. — The teeth between the nippers and the comer teeth.
Hooks. — Four teeth, two in each jaw, situated over corner teeth, or
beyond the incisors, reckoning from the front of the lips, and having a
cylindrical and somewhat hooked shape.
Milk Teeth. — The front teeth of a foal which appear at about thre9
flDonths of age and are cast within two or three years.
CHAPTER IV.
DIPPERENT BREEDS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS.
I. THE INFERIOR VARIETIES: MANY FOUND IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. SOME GOOD, BITl
LITTLE KNOWN OF THEM. II. SOME CONSIDERED AS TO WORK RATHER THAN BREED;
THE FARM HORSE; THE HUNTER; THE HACKNEY; HORSES FOR HEAVY DRAFT. lU.
THE ARABIAN. IV. THE BARB. V. THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED. VI. THE
PERSIAN. VII. THE TURK. VIII. THE TURKOMAN. IX. THE EGYPTIAN. X.
THE DONGOLA. XI. THE NORMAN PERC HERON. XII. THE THOROUGHBRED IN AMER-
ICA. XIII. THE MORGAN. XIV. THE NARRAGANSETT PACER. XV. THE CANA-
DIAN. XVI. THE CONNESTOGA. XVII. PONIES.
I. The Inferior and Little Known.
Among the great variety of horses there are many that are either of
inferior importance or so little known that it is deemed unnecessary to
notice them in detail. India, China, Japan, Siam, several of the Euro-
pean States, and North and South America, have horses that are in some
instances widely different from each other, as well as from the approved
breeds ; but they are not known to possess any remarkable excellence, or
any distinctive points that are constantly reproduced in their offspring, —
so that a mere casual reference to them, with very general statements as
to qualities and characteristics, is considered to be sufficient.
In India alone there are various stocks, known to have been so loner in
the various regions of that great country as to seem native to the soil ;
but with the exception of the Turko, recognized to be a cross between
the Turkoman or South Tartary breed and the Persian, they are regarded
as cold blooded and inferior. The Turko is said to carry himself in a
grand and stately way, and to be both beautiful and tractable.
The Tartar and Calmuck horses, with the exception of the Turkoman,
which is described elsewhere in this chapter, are for the most part small
and ill-made. They are hardy, however, being able to perform great
journeys, with burdens disproportioned to their size, and to live on tl.i.^
poorest fare.
4 53
64 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
The horses of China are small, and have no points of excellence as tm
either shape or spirit.
The horses of 1 urkestan have been described by some as having heavy
heads and ewe-necks, with long legs and a scanty? body ; while otbei-*
speak of high crests and long, bony bodies, and assert these hor»e#
crossed with those of Persia, produce magnificent animals — elegant*
active, strong, and larger than the best Arabians. In Bokhara is a breed
of small and shaggy but stout horses, called Kussaks, which has attracted
some attention. Their manes and tails are long as compared with their
general make up.
Bel2:ium, Holland, and the German states have breeds of horses noted
only, or chiefly at least, for being large, strong, and well-formed, and
admirably adapted to purposes of heav}^ draft.
In the forests of Sweden, Finland, and Norway is found a race of
horses in a half wild state, from which the inhabitants, mthout taking
upon themselves the trouble of breeding and rearing, suppW themselves
when the creatures are wanted for use. They are small, but well-formed.
active, and spirited.
The Hungarian horse, though e^'idently of the same origin as those of
Germany, is somewhat lighter than they, and possesses more spirit and
action. He shows some signs of oriental blood, to which he probably
owes his superiority to his neighbors.
The horses of Iceland run at large and pick up their own scanty fare,
wherever they can find it, until they are needed by the inhabitants, when
they are caught and subjected to use. The origin of these animals is in
doubt. Some assert that their progenitors were carried into that island
from the forests of SAveden ; others, that they were of the stock of
ponies found in the Scottish isles. They are small, but active, and gen-
erally well disposed.
The horses of Italy were formerly much better than now. Few of
them may at present be regarded as possessing any striking excellence.
There are said to ))e some, among the people of Naples, that are large,
cf fine appearance, and excellent as carriage horses.
The French people have many breeds, adapted to the saddle, the light
«arria«-e, cavalry, and light artillery, besides those that are required for
the plow and the cart. The most famous among them is the Norman,
or Norman Percheron, which is described elsewhere in this chapter.
The fact is well established that the horses of Spain, previous to tho
Moorish conquest, were possessed of many noble qualities ; but they
were much improved by a mixture of Barb blood, consequent upon th»
\xvasion and the introduction of horses from the Barbary States. The^
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, Eio. !)?>
ttill show both their original and derived excellences ; and a pure-blood
Spanish Barb is a fine and beautiful creature.
In the plains of South America, Mexico, Texas, and the Western
Territories of the United States are found great herds of wild horses, of
vrhich there are different varieties, though they must have had a common
origin, as we have stated in Chapter I. Chance mixture with horses
imported into the country subsequentl}^ to those brought from Spain,
together ^ith the influences of different climates and food to which they
have long been subject, may perhaps account for this. The most marked
types of these wild Americans are the Mustang and the Indian ponies,
which are noticed on succeeding pages. As a general thing they retain
the strildng characteristics of their old Spanish or Audalusian progenitors ;
in size, shape, and spirit they show whence they are derived. Their
heads are pretty and their limbs clean. They are capable of great
endurance ; and though not especially rapid in action, it is related of
them that they are sometimes ridden at the rate of ten or twelve miles
an hour for a stretch of eighty miles, without an3i:hing more than a
temporar}^ halt and such little food as could be hastily eaten. Seldom is
any gait knoT^^l among them except a walk and a lope ; but an occasional
pacer is discovered. Many of them do well for the saddle ; but care is
required in handling them. In the hands of the cruel or inconsiderate,
their wild nature returns to them, and they become intractable and even
dangerous.
H. Some Considered as to Work, rather than Breed.
In treating of the different stocks and specifying distinguishing points,
it is perhaps not amiss to consider some characteristics that should mark
animals chosen or set aside for special purposes. And yet in this considera-
tion it must not be forgotten, that very few horses, comparatively, are kept for
but one class of duties. Few horses are for the saddle exclusively, as compared
with those who render service in harness at times, as well as under saddle.
And so with other grades of horses. A varied work is usually required, and
■especially so among farmers, and the well-to-do residents of cities and villages.
The good farm horse cannot, of course, be confined to any particular
breed. If he combines within himself certain desirable qualities, it is
iiot pertinent to inquire particularly what blood he carries. Some pointif
that should distinguish him may be thus enumerated : He should b«
close-built and strong, but not gross and clumsy, since he is to serve as i)
sort of horse of all work — doing duty, by turns, under the saddle, and
before the plow, the farm-waojon and the carriage.
M
ILLUSTKATED STOCK DOCTOK.
- ,:•• ;:i""' ■■'■•V'
A Good Horse for Light Driving.
A Good Horse for all Work.
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 57
Fifteen to sixteen hands mark the proper stature ; and his limbs should
be sinewy without absolute heaviness, while his feet should >)e of medium
size. He should be reasonably springy under the saddle, and active,
without dash, in light harness . To these he should add a certain thrif tiness,
that mil enable him to appear well even under good, close work, if well
treated ; and in temper he should be mild. His breaking in and training
should have been such as to render him readily adaptable to any work
that he may be called upon to perform about the country home.
The hunter^ or horse for the chase, speaking mth reference to a
pastime which is still common in England, but to which little or no
importance is attached in this country, is usually the better esteemed for
having some blood, but more for the absolute feats of speed and leaping
which he may be able to perform, and for his ability to stand a hard
day's run.
The best hunters are said to be a combination of the thorough-bred
with some coarser animal — producing more strength, substance, and
hardihood, with less length of body. He is at the present time what
may be oalled three-quarters bred ; and he is lighter and more fleet than
formerly.
The engraving upon the page next following, entitled "A light hunting
horse," conveys an excellent idea of what tliis horse is now most commonly
found to be.
That is to say, a horse of good style and form, capable of long con-
tinued exertion under the weight of an ordinary sized man, and also
capable of showing as high a rate of speed as possible, combined with an
aptitude to leap successfully such obstacles as may ordinarily interpose
In all this class of horses, whether they be light or heavy weight animals,
blood — that is, the possessor of a fair amount of thorough blood as trans-
mitted by thoi ough-bred sires — is absolutely necessary. It gives style,
form, hard and fine bones, muscular tissue, lung power, and all this
means endurance to perform feats under which the cold blooded horse
would soon succumb. Such a horse as the engraving shows will not only
make a capital saddle horse, but also a most valuable horse for general
utility, if properly broken, good for the light carriage and buggy and
good also at a load if properly trained and handled ; but let it always be
remembered that in as much as you put a saddle horse, and especially a
hunting horse, to labor, you detract from his value in the field. This is to be
regretted possibly, especially by those of somewhat limited purse, but such is
the fact nevertheless. The best work in many lines cannot be had at one and
the same time from one and the same animal. Excellence in some poiati
necessitates unfitness elsewhere.
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
During the last century, lunvever, and the tirst of this, it was deemed
Wteentiafthat he should be a heavier hoi-se — an animal capable of making
prodigious leaps while carn-mg a heav\^ weight. This t^-pe is weU reprd'
Stated by the subjoined cut of "A heaA-ier hunting horse."
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
59
The Hackney, as the horse of all saddle and light harness purposes, the
eommon roadster, or general knock-about, is temied in England, may he
Considered in pretty much the same light as the good farm-hor^e pro-
▼iously noticed. Among the English people it seems to be essential tkat
an animal must at least be supposed to possess some blood before he can
be considered a good hackney. "When known, or believed, to have 9
69
ILLUSTKATEL) STOCK DOCTOR.
streak of the thorough-bred in him, and to possess the foUowmg charac-
teristics, nothing more is desirable :
He must be about fifteen hands high ; both his fore and hind parts
must be strong and well muscled ; he should be short in the back and
Well ^upled ; his chest should bo wide and deep, allowing full play for
thr) /ungs ; his head should be light and his neck carried well up ; his
limns should be clean and bony, and with somewhat oblique pasterns ; ho
should be quick and springy ; and in temper he should be kind and easily
»ontrolled.
THE JIOKSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
61
Of Heavy Draft Horses there are several breeds in both England and
the United States ; or rather, several kinds that have some of the blood and
gome of the characteristics of the old heavy draft animals. When it
became the fashion in England to seek admixture with the heavy mares
and stallions of Belgium or Flanders, the English draft stock was really
much improved, though several English breeds soon lost thereby, for th«
most part, their identity.
The Cleveland Bay, a powerful horse, though not of extraordinary
size, was found chiefly in the four Counties of Yorkshire, Durham, Lin-
colnshire, and Northumberland. He was capable of carrying a great
Weight , and of maintaining under it a rapid rate of speed . A lighter horse ,
and one better adapted to the carriage, was produced by crossing the
g2 ILLUSTR-VTED STOCK DOCTOR.
Cleveland mare with a good-sized thorough-bred stallion. The best
hunters and hackneys, having an arched crest and i)roud action, were pro-
duced bv crossinir the Cleveland mare with a horse liirhter than the tru«
thorough-breds, yet possessing real spirit and quick movement. The
Cleveland, as a distinct breed, is nearly extinct.
The Suffolk Punch is considered to be an excellent heavy draft horse.
He is believed to be the offspring of the Suffolk cart-mare and the Nor-
man stallion. When further crossed with the Yorkshu'e half-bred, (the
product of the Cleveland Bay and the thorough-bred), he is active, spir-
ited, and indomitable at a pull.
The Suffolk, now hardly known as a distinct breed, was a horse of
good size, being ordinarily from fifteen to sixteen hands high, and v^ry
stout in proportion. His distinguishing color was sorrel ; he had a large
head ; his shoulders were thick on top and low ; his chest was round and
deep ; he had round legs and short pastenis ; his back was long ; his croup
high ; his flanks full ; his quarters heavy and strong ; and he was every
way a spirited and determined animal, active and enduring.
The Clydesdale horse, found principally on the Clyde in Scotland, was
the product of certain Scottish mares with Flanders stallions. He is a
larger horse than the Suffolk, but less clumsy in appearance, as his head
is better and his baiTel lighter. He has a long neck and deep legs : and
is strong, hardy, patient, and a faithful puller. Some of the horses in
the United States said to be of this stock presei'\e most of these charac-
teristics, but their bodies are rounder and their neck^ are not pai-ticularly
noted for length. An extended description will be given farther on.
Between Lincolnshire and Staffordshire, in the midland counties of
England, is found Avhat is called the Heavy Black Horse, a large, well-
built animal, of splendid appearance, and much in demand m London and
elsewhere as a wagon-horse ; but no horses of this partloulai* kind are
kno\\'n to have been brought to America for breeding jiurpo^es.
Of American heavy draft stock, the Vennont cart-horse is desening of
special mention. He is said by one who is considered good authority to
exist in Vermont and adjacent States as a distinct breed, and to be the
very model of what a good cart-horse should be — cjuick and full of power,
yet easily managed. As a general thing, he has a well-set head, a lofty
crest, thin withers, mane and tail medium, and clean fetlocks. He has
sufficient action to insure a good rate of speed, and makes, upon tlio
whole, a fine show.
His origin seems doubtful. There is a pony appearance about him,
though often more than sixteen hands high — his peculiar shortness oi
bftck, roundness of body, and general compactness contributing to maVg
1H£ HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
ftl
? 2
< s
Q 5-
O
F
,^-v^
m THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
him seem much less in bulk than he is found to be by actual measure*
iilent.
III. The Arabian.
We come now to notice some of the most distinct, strongly marked,
»nd valuable breeds, among which the Arabian, or that species of the
Arabian best known to us, is justly celebrated.
Whether the' present pure blood Arab is native to Arabia or imported ;
whether of recent origin or of a lineage as ancient as the sculptured ruins
of Nineveh and Babylon, it is needless to inquire ; but the people of that
country claim that they have authentic pedigrees reaching back for more
than two thousand years ; while on the other hand, it is asserted by some
who have tried to discover the real origin of this famous stock that prior
to the thirteenth century the horses of Arabia were a poor race and lightly
esteemed. Be that as it ma}^, the horse of the present day, so
renowned throughout the world, undoubtedly began to attract notice some
five or six hundred years ago, since which time he has grown into his
great repute ; and now the best horses of most civilized lands are
thoufirht to derive their hiofhest claims to noble descent from the Arabic
Kochlani, and those of his congeners that have shared his excellences.
In a subsequent chapter the subject of breeding will be appropriately
treated ; but we may advert here to a singular fact in connection with the
sons of the desert and the horse that shares their name and their affec-
tions. So thoroughly are the principles of breeding understood among
them, or such is their extraordinary care, (and perhaps climatic influence
may have something to do TN-ith it), that their horses long since reached
a degree of perfection unrivalled in any country, and this perfection is
steadily maintained.
Travelers differ as to the number and names of the distinct breeds of
liorses which are found in Arabia ; but a comparatively recent Mohamme-
dan writer, who seems to have had more than ordinary opportunities for
knowing the facts in the case, has stated that there are six distinct breeds,
which he names and characterizes thus :
(1) The Dgclfe, found chiefly in Arabia Felix, seldom seen at Damas-
cus, but common in the neighborhood of Anaze. Horses of this breed
arc of lofty stature, have narrow chests, but are deep in the girth, and
their ears are long. They are remarkable for spirit and fleetness, but are
exceedingly tractable, and their abilit}^ to endure hunger and thirst is a
remarkal)le feature. A two-year-old colt, he says, will co>st in his own
country two thousand Turkish piasters.
(2) The Secaloni, a breed from the eastern part of the desert, som««
what inferior to the Dgelfe, though resembling him in most points.
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 65
(3) The Mefki, he informs us, is a handsome horse ; but he is not so
fleet as either the DgeKe or the Secaloni. In figure, he bears a resem-
blance to the Spanish or Andalusian stock.
(4) A fourth breed is called the Sabi, which is similar to the Mefki,
but seems to possess no specially useful or striking qualities.
(5) The Fridi. This breed is very common ; but they are often vicious
and untrustworthy, and lack some of the excellent qualities possessed by
file best of the others.
(6) The Nejdi, found chiefly in the region of Bussorah. These are
said to be at least the equals of the Dgelfe and the Secaloni. Some
judges assert that there is no horse to be compared with them, and they
stand very high in the market.
This wi'iter considers the Dgelfe and the Nejdi to be the most valuable.
They are known to be the favorites of the horse-fanciers of India, many
fine animals of these stocks having been carried tliither by the sportsmen
of that country.
Other writers make mention of but three distinct breeds, to which they
attribute names different from those above given ; and it is difficult to
reconcile the statements of the two, and to determine whether they have
really agreed in any way in pointing out the same animal, though by
diverse names, as possessing the striking excellences which have made a
certain breed famous and well known to us. Writers of the latter class
speak of an inferior race, little esteemed, at home or abroad, which they
call the Attechi. These are sometimes found in a wild state. Then come
the Kadischi, a sort of half-breed stock, possessing some points of resem-
blance to the true blood, and being sometimes imposed upon dealers for
the genuine. Finally, they describe a superb race, the pure descendants
of some extraordinary ancestors, and these they call the Kochlani or
Kailhan. The best of them are found among the Shammar and Aneyza
tribes. The Arabs themselves pretend to trace the Kochlani back to the
days and the stables of Solomon. While this cannot be credited, it is
known that some of them have written pedigrees for at least four hundred
years, kept with the most extreme care, and always on the side of the
mare. These animals are sometimes sold to foreigners ; but they bear
almost fabulous prices, and it is believed to be a very rare thing for a
true Kochlani to fall into the hands of a strans^er.
The striking points of the pure Arab maybe thus stated: In size,
he is considerably smaller than the modern thorough-bred, scarcely ever
exceeding in height fourteen and a half hands. His head is extraordinary
for its beauty, — the forehead being broad and square, the muzzle short
and fine, so that some of them seem as though they could really ** stick
their noses into a tumbler." The face, upon which the veins appear
«^
II.LUSTRATKD STOCK DOCTOR.
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. Q^
beautifully coursed, is bony; the nostrils are wide; the, well-set ears
are small, while the eyes are large, promment and brilliant. The necu:,
vising beautifully from the shoulders, and well arched, is xery fine ; the
withers arc high and moderately thin ; the shoulder, inclining backward,
is perfect in form and position — muscular as well as finely shaped. Tho
body is light and narrow before ; but behind the arms the chest io
expanded and affords sufficient capacity for the lungs ; the hips, though
somcAvhat narrow, are well united to the back, and the quai*ters are
strong, muscular, and well set. The legs are small, flat, sinewy ; the
pasterns are oblique in their position ; the croup is high, while the tail is
set on mth considerable arch. The muscles of the arm, like those of
the ham, are full and strong. The bones of the leg are large in propor-
tion to the size, there being no superfluous fatty matter, but full, free,
strong, and clean tendons and suspensory ligaments. The hocks are
large, ])ut free from both curbs and spavins ; while the feet are small and
sound. The elbow joint is prominent but fine, and generally plays clear
of the body.
Especially does the Arab differ from other breeds in the superior
fineness of his muzzle ; the somewhat hollowed but graceful face ; the
fully developed jaws that yet give no impression of heaviness ; the beau-
tifulh^ pricked and exquisite shape of the ear ; the conspicuous neatness
of the leg beloAV the knee ; and the beautiful make of the hind quarters.
The fleetest among them are also noted for a straight-dropped hind leg,
which is always regarded as a good point. A true Arabian has been
described as "looking the gentleman all over, with a bearing as statel;^
as that of an autocrat."
In spirit he is as noble as in his physical formation. Though kind and
docile when mth his native master, he is sensitive and full of spirit, and
when excited is so indomitable that he would run or pull to the death
rather than yield. With a cruel master he is apt to become in a measuro
ungovernable ; but his intelligence is such that proper treatment will soou
win his confidence and remove a vicious habit.
His sagacity is as remarkable as his susceptibility to kind treatment.
Instances are not wanting in which his master, overcome by the heat of
the desert, and lost in a lethargic sleep, has been watched over by hu
faithful animal, and guarded from the approach of man and beast.
The colors mostly prevalent among them are bay, gray, and chestnut.
Occasionally a black is found.
He is not so swift as the best English, French, and American courser*
nor is it here that his great excellence must be sought. That arises from
a combination of qualities, to some of which the best of other breeds am
wholly strangers.
68 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
He IS peculiarly adapted to that waste and barren country, and to th©
uses for which he is prized by the a\ andering tribes. The food and drink
upon which he can live and perform great journeys Avould be wholly inad-
equate to the keeping of one of ours which we are pleased to call thrifty.
As has ])ccn said, this remarkaljle stock has long maintained its essen-
tial purity ; nor docs it show, in recent times, any tendency to degenerate.
Those good Arabians that are offered for sale to British residents and
other horse dealers in the markets of Bengal and Bombay command prices
ranging from seven hundred and fifty to one thousand dollars ; and it is
said by travelers that their best mares are seldom if ever sold.
IV. The English Thorough-bred.
We have already referred to different varieties of English horses, some
of which have had more or less influence upon those of our own country :
but the most excellent and famous of all is the thorough-bred, or race-
horse, descended chiefly from imported Arabians, Barbs, and Turks.
The animal known to-day as the real English thorough-bred is perhaps of
almost purely eastern origin. His excellences are derived, it is thought,
from an admixture of various pure breeds, native to those regions to
which the noblest of the race are indigenous, so far as either history or
tradition determines. Ai-abia, Sjni-ia, Persia, Turkestan, Nubia, Abys-
sinia, and the Barbary States, all have breeds closely connected with each
other, and yet possessing different characteristics ; but the English race-
horse is a superior animal to any of them ; and his blood cannot now be
improved by crossing with any known stock.
There seems to be in him a larger mixture of the Barb than of any
other breed ; but the earliest and most celebrated importations into Eng-
land were Arabians. Much attention has long been paid there to the
improvement of racing stock. The minds of Englishmen were most
probably turned to this by the accession of the Norman Conquerors ; at
any rate, soon after the Normans were established in the island, the firs
Arabian of which any record has been preserved was imported. Thr
was in 1121, during the reign of Henry I. Then, an authenticated case
of importation from Arabia took place in the reign of James I. This
horse was condemned, not having met the popular expectation ; but the
true value of eastern blood began now to be appreciated, and the White
Turk was soon brought over ; then a horse known as the Helmesley Turk ;
Boon afterward, Fairfax's Morocco Barb. The interest in the improve-
ment of racing stock then so actively manifested has never suffered more
than a temporary abatement, and in no other country than in England
has such success been attained. During the troublous times consequent
upon the overthrow of Charles I. and the accession of the Puritans to
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
69
Dover, there seems to have been a declme ; but a love of racing, and a
wjrresponding desire to produce tlie best horses for this purpose, wat
reyived upon the restoration of Charles II. to the throne. This pn»(»
himself sent to the east to purchase brood mares and stallions, but hf
7C ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
affected chiefly Barbs and Turks. !Maiiy of his wealthier subjects engaged
in like enterprise on their own private account.
But the most marked improvement of English stock followed the
introduction into that country of the Darley Arabian, a fine and vigorous
rtall'iou imported during the latter jiart of Queen Anne's reign by one
Mr. Darley. Several horses of great repute descended from him, of
ivhich the most noted were Almanzer, Fljdng Childers, and Bartlett's
Childers ; and from the Childers, besides numerous others, of more or*
less celebrity, Childers, Blaze, Samson, Snap, and Eclipse deserve special
mention. Of the last named, it is recorded that though he was thick-
winded or what is termed a "roarer," he never lost a race and never
paid a forfeit ; and that three hundred and thirty-four of his descendants
proved to be winning horses.
During the reign of Louis XIV., of France, and when the Ai-abian
stock, the descendants of the Darley, were already in high repute, a horse
called the Godolphin Arabian, but which was really a beautiful Barb, of
excellent spirit and action, was rescued by one Mr. Coke from the igno'
ble employment of drawing a cart in the streets of Paris, (where his
striking characteristics seem to have been wholly overlooked), and carried
to England. He is said to have been about fifteen hands high, of abro^vn
color, and to have been distinguished by the height of his crest and for
round and drooping quarters. From him is descended much of the finest
racing blood in England.
We have spoken of the thorough-bred as a pure-blooded horse ;
and though this ought doubtless to be understood with some limitations,
as even in the best of the stock there is probably some tinge of old Eng-
lish and Spanish blood ; yet, such has been the great care bestowed upou
him that he is regarded as ' ' the eastern horse brought to the very highest
state of perfection." It is certain that, as previously remarked, he is in
some respects superior to the best of the original breeds. This has been
brought about by long continued careful attention to breeding, to feed-
ing, to all those points, in fact, necessary to the elimination of vicious
strains and the preservation and improvement of those qualities that tend
to the one great end in view — fleetness, with a corresponding power of
endurance. The climate of England is said to be peculiarly favorable to
the horse ; and this influence has perhaps contributed something to the
making of the English racer a pre-eminently fine and much admired
animal. The following may be regarded as his distinguishing points :
His chest is his one and only mark of superior strength ; this is wide
and deep. His body is round, his flanks and belly light. His ears ar«
fine ; his eyes prominent ; his nostrils are wide ; his lips are small and
thic, while he is remarkably wide between the jaws. He has a long and
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 7 1
fine neck, to which a thm mane lies close. His withers are uncommonly
thin and high ; his back is low at the withers, then straight to the haunches.
Measured from the haunches to the turn of the rump, he is long ; from
the turn of the rump to the tip of the hock he is long and thin. He has
great power of springing, to force himself forward, by reason of his leg*
standing rather under the body than erect. His buttocks rarely touch
each other ; his legs below the knee and hock are small, and the cords
stand out conspicuously. His tail is slight and thin-haired, sometime*
Blightly waved ; the hair of his legs is very fine ; he has no fetlock tufts,
and his hoof is small and cupped. His color is generally bay, brown, or
chestnut ; his height varies from fifteen to seventeen hands. His coat is
tliinner and the hair more silky than in common breeds.
The soundness of feet and legs, and the poAvers of endurance, which
characterize the Arab, have been transmitted to the thorough-bred ; and
while the latter is not himself well suited to heavy harness work, or indeed
to any of vbe general purposes of the farmer, animals are often obtained
by judicious crosses with him which are admirably adapted to various
uses. He is valued solely for the turf, and for light single draft,
except, as we have before remarked, for the improvement of the general
stock of horses by admixture ; and for this latter purpose we are largely
dependent upon him in America as well as in Great Britain.
V. The Barb.
The horse of the Barbary States has long been known for his excellent
qualities ; and he is especially remarkable for fine and graceful action.
His powers of transmission are great, so that his marked traits are found
in his descendants at remote periods and after commixture of various and
inferior breeds.
He has impressed himself particularly upon the Spanish horse and the
English racing stock. It is thought that the horses of Spain owe all
their excellences to Barb blood, which was brought into that country by
the Moors, at the time of the conquest.
The Barb is found chiefly in Morocco, Fez, and Tripoli, and with the
exception of an excellent species found in the kingdom of BournoU; he
U the only African horse deserving of special mention. The horse of
Boumon is represented by some as being superior to both the Arabian
and the Barb.
In addition to what has been said in those sections in which we have
treated of the Arabian and the thorough-bred, the following description,
of the Barb will be sufficient to convey to the mind of the reader wh.i.
a true horse of this breed really is :
72 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
In height, he is from fourteen to fifteen hands ; his chest is round ; hU
•houlders arc broad, but light, and somewhat obliquely sloping ; Yna
>vnthers are thin and rather higli ; his loins are straight and short ; lun
flanks and ribs are round and well developed ; his haunehes are strong ;
his croup is somewhat too long for nice corresiDondence with the rest of
the body ; his quarters are muscular and full ; his legs are clean, and
the tendons are clearly marked ; his pasterns, like his croup, are some-
what too long and slanting, but not so much so as to amount to real
defect ; and his feet are sound and of good shape. But his head is
especially beautiful. It is small and lean, while the ears are of medium
size and admirably placed. The mane is rather meager ; but the neck
rises boldly from the mthers, and gives an impression of ease and grace
in carriage.
In spirit and fleetness he is not regarded as the equal of the Arab
much less of the real thorough-bred; but in a certain native vigor and in
form he is superior.
VI. The Persian.
No traveler to whose writings we have access in this country has
sufficiently described the horses of Persia to enable us to point out with
exactness the diiference between the inferior and the better breeds tha""
are known to exist in that country. The term the Persian horse i.
ordinarily applied to the most excellent of all, which has been celebrated
for hundreds of years longer than the Arabian. At the present day, he
ha3 a large proportion of Arab blood in his veins. As a general thing,
he is somewhat taller than the Arabians ; and in beauty and speed he is
their equal ; but his powers of endurance are not so great.
VII. The Turkish.
This horse is believed to be descended from the best stock of Arabs,—.
crossed, however, with some breed that has given him greater proportions
than his ancestors ; at any rate, the Turldsh horse of to-day is full
uixteen hands high, often more ; and he is more muscular than the Ai-al),
though still of elegant appearance, cleanlimbed and active. It is asserted
by some that he is descended from Arabs and Persians ; and it is known
that he possesses many of the best qualities of these stocks. Though
strong and of sufficient spirit, he is docile, and well adapted to domestic
uses.
An arched neck, with a high crest, is a striking characteristic of the
'»reed.
VIII. The Tiirkoman.
k& we have said elsewhere, none of the Tartar breeds except the Turko*
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 73
(nan or South Tartary horse are worthy to be rated among the better class
of animals. He is famous for purity of blood, for good speed, and for
wonderful powers of endurance. It is related that one of them has been
known to travel nine hundred miles, bearing a rider, in eleven successive
days. He is not really a graceful animal, however, as his head is rather
large, and his legs are long in proportion to liis height, which is from
fifteen to sixteen hands.
Other domesticated horses among Tlic T rtai-s are evidently of the
same breed as the wild horses which are found in various parts of the
coulitry and in immense numbers, as the characteristics of the wild are
exhibited in a marked manner in the domesticated. Indeed, it is known
that these wild herds are often drawn upon for recruits when necessity
drives the inhabitants to add to their stock of serviceable animals.
All these inferior creatures are small and narrow ; they have long necks,
apparently weak legs, large heads, and light barrels. The prevailing
color is a reddish sorrel, with a black stripe along the back. Their
manes and tails are black, except at the roots, where th,e hairs preserve
this reddish cast. Their general appearance is rough and inelegant : but
they are of the most hardy nature ; and, contrary to appearance, they
are rapid travelers. They live and even perform long and arduous
journeys upon the sparsest and poorest food.
IX. The Egyptian.
It is represented by some who have devoted more than ordinary cai'e
to the study of the origin of breeds, and to the horse in his relations to
various peoples and countries, that the horse of the ancient Egyptians
was identical with an inferior race that afterward existed among the
Assyrians. Some sculptures, found among the ruins of Nineveh, care-
fvilly executed and well preserved, portray a horse wholly different from
that nobler animal carved in other bas-reliefs found in the same ruins.
He is said to have been the Egyptian horse ; and as thus conveyed to us,
he was a large and heavy animal, having a coarse and ill-proportioned
head, but a high crest.
The modern Egyptian is also of unpleasing aspect. From wheresoever
derived, he is rough and ugly. Frequently his legs, knees and neck
become positive defects ; but a good head is occasionally found. Hd
would scarcely be deserving of mention were it not that he is spirited
and impetuous ; and this, together with his weight, renders him valuable
for heavy cavalry, in which capacity he has won some celebrity. His
powers of endurance are not gi-eat.
X. The Dongola.
This horse is also entitled to consideration chiefly upon the ground of
74 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
his being greatly prized ajs a war horse. Unlike the Egjqitian, howevei,
he has not only speed but powers of endurance ; and some have described
him as both beautiful and tractal)lc. Yet, even those who have had
opportunities for personal observation do not agree in their descriptions
and their estimates. One speaks of him as being deficient in substance
and wanting in stout nesss ; while another thinks him to possess the
highest type of symmetry, size, and strength. From another we get
this more particular description : In height, he is full sixteen hands 5
his body is short ; his neck is long and slim ; he has a fine crest ; and his
withers are high and sharp ; but his breast is narrow, his qiiaiters and
flanks are flat, and he has a rather ugly back.
He is found in the kingdom of Dongola and in adjacent regions.
XI. Wild Horse of America.
That the horse existed in America at some far distant epoch is undeni-
able since the fossil remains found prove this conclusively, and progress-
ing naturally from age to age into more and more perfectly developed
types. Yet at the discovery of America at the several points by the
early navigators, no mention is made of native horses, as would surely
have been done if such had been known to the Indians.
America is undoubtedly indebted for her wild or feral horses which
have roamed the great valleys of the Pacific slope, the immense plains of
the West and South-west, and the grassy portions of Mexico, to the early
Spanish adventurers on the Pacific slope, as were the wild horses of the
great plains and of Texas to the horses abandoned by De Soto when he
turned his face eastward towards the Mississippi, after having abandoned
his search for the fountain of youth and the new Eldorado. So Mexico
and the Isthmus were stocked with horses in like manner, for it is futile
to suppose that the increase of horses escaping from the Spanish conquer-
ors ef South America would have made their way northward through
interminable and tangled forests, and mountain fastnesses, but that rather
they would have betaken them to the pampas, which in reality they did.
Thus in a comparatively short time they covered most areas of country
w^ith immense droves, in reality as wild and as free as though they had
always existed there.
That the facts arc as we have stated, is patent from the fact that the
produce resembles in many close characteristics the Spanish and Andalu-
sian horses of the early Spanish adventurers, as did those found wild in
I\GW Foundland resemble the French horse of that period ; as does the
Canadian pony of the present day, although diminished in size from insuf-
ficient food and the inclemencies of the climate through the long
generations which have passed since their introduction into Acadia in
X604, and into Canada four years later.
THE HOESE, I^IEEEEEIST BREEDS, ETC
XII. The Norman Percheron.
v;>
Among the striking and useful breeds, no horse has attracted more
attention during the hist half -century than the Norman Percheron, other-
wise known simply as the Percheron, — a stock peculiar to La Perche, »
76 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
district in France. Volumes have been written respecting this horse, anti
Various theories as to his origin and development have been advanced, by inter-
ested partizans at times, and again by pure lovers of horses who pursued truth
for truth's sake alone.
One ^vritor insists that he is descended from what eomc call the i^rimi-
tive or natural horse, the pure blood Arabian, crossed with a stock of
heavy draft horses existing in that section, but w'ithout historic mention,
prior to the Crusades. He thinks that aftc^r the defeat of the Saracen
^hief, Abderame, by Charles Martel, in Vouille, in which battle a host of
3araceiis peiished, the cavalry of the enemy, Oriental horses of marked
haracter, true Arabs, fell into the hands of the French, — thence many of
•hese horses were brought by their victorious masters to the districts of
Normandy and La Perche. Here commixture of blood wdth a heavier
horse of excellent quality followed, and the cross resulted in producing
the now celebrated Percheron.
The native race referred to is thought by some to have been the old
war horse of the Normans — heavy, bony and slow — good for cavalry use
during the days of chivalry, when the carrying of a knight and his armor
required an animal of great strength and powers of endurance.
Others think that it was a stock of horses then peculiar to Brittany and
used for draft rather than for war.
One author asserts that the Percheron is descended from a remote cross
between the Andalusians (after their commixture with the Morocco Barbs)
and the Normans ; and this somewhat fanciful reason is given for the
active agency of man in l)ringing it about : that the Norman, though pow-
erful, was too slow for a fully caparisoned knight — ^the Andaljsian or
Spanish Barb Avas too light — and a cross wuis effected for the purpose
of securing a horse that combined speed with pow'er.
But it is not within the scope of the present work to enter into minute
pai-ticulars of this kind, nor to indulge in the discussion of mooted points
that have a merely curious interest.
Whatever may have been the origin of the Percheron, it is evidentl}'^ a
pure race, one capable of producing and reproducing itself unchanged
thi'ough a long succession of 3'ears, and without deterioration of qualities
when like sires are bred to like dams. Even wiien the Percheron stallion
is put to the ser\nce of inferior mares, he impresses himself in a remark-
able manner upon his offspring, transmitting to them his own striking
characteristics. Percheron mares bred to inferior stallions affect in like
manner, and in almost equal intensity, their progeny — though the rule is
that the stallion exerts the greater influence in determining the character
3f the foal.
THE HORSE, P.VFFPENT BREEDS, ETC.
7.
The old Norman stock is said to have transmitted to this race their ex-
traordinary bone and muscle, while the Arab or Andalusian or whatevet
may have been the cross, give the spirit and action. The Norman hai
78 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
been described as being capable of carrying great burdens at a reasonabI«
rate of spe^d ; to have been large, compact, muscular, and possessing the
greatest endurance.
The points of the Percheron may be stated as follows :
The head is short ; the brow is broad, and has that hollow of profile
between the eyes and nostrils sometimes known as the dish-face — (in
this greatly resembling the Arab) ; but the head in general is not heavier
than seems in keeping with the general massiveness of the frame ; the
neck is long, well-arched and heavy, but, like the head, not dispropor-
tioned to the general bulk. The back is short ; they are well ribbed up
and round barrelled ; their legs are particularly short from the knees and
hocks downward ; they are heavily haired, but have not such shaggy
fetlocks and feet as this would seem to indicate ; their sinews are iron~
like ; and their feet are hard, sound, apparently insensible to disease. In
height, they are from fourteen and a half to fifteen and a half hands, the
latter being rather more than the average. Gray is the characteristic,
almost the only, color.
For hard work on ordinary fare the Percheron is unequalled ; and his
energy and endurance are wonderful. He will keep his condition where
another horse would die of hard labor and neglect. Though full of
spirit, unflinching under even painful effort, he is yet docile.
In mere speed he is by no means the equal of the thorough-bred ; but
for quickness of movement at heavj^ draft he has no rival. Hitched to a
light carriage or wagon he is capable of maintaining a good rate of speed
for a long time together, or of making comparatively short journeys with
a rapidity that is astonishing. One, carrying a light vehicle and the
driver, is known to have made 55 3-5 miles over a hilly and difficult road,
in four hours and twenty-four minutes ; and another, harnessed in like
manner, is said to have traveled 58 miles and back in two consecutive
days, without being touched with the whip, occupying four hours and less
than two minutes going, and four hours, one and a half minutes returning.
The Percheron of to-day makes an excellent cross with either the Arab
or the English thorough-bred. For the improvement of our draft stock
in the United States, no other horse is to be compared to him. Bred to
good mares, this half-breed would partake more of the qualities of the
sire than of the dam, and the progeny would be almost the equals of th*
pure French horses. Another step, bringing a pure imported stallion to
the service of these half-breeds, would give us a race of horses for all
Work that would so far excel the ordinary race of scrubs as to seem
almost like a different species of animal.
At Oaklawn, Du Page Co., 111., is one of the largest stud farms of the world,
and it is devoted exclusively to the Percheron stock.
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC, 7^
XIII. The Clydesdale Horse.
The west of Scotland has been long famous for its draught horses. Away
in the upper ward of Lanarkshire, the progenitors of that noble race of horsea
60 called Clydesdale, from the Vale in which they were originally reared, were
first brought to the front and made famous throughout the whole of Scotland ;
so much so that the common work horse of that country is now, to all intents
and purposes, a Clyde ; and many of the Shire Horses of England are deep in
their blood also.
Where the originals came from, and how they were bred, are questions that
have often been discussed in the public press. Tradition, without any founda*
tion in facts, points to the importation of Flemish Stallions into the above
ward nearly two centuries ago, by one of the Dukes of Hamilton, who sought
improvement in his stock.
Whether such is the case or not, certain it is that by some means or other,
the farmers in that country possessed a grand lot of brood mares, from which
the Clydesdales of the present day owe their activity and hardiness. Our own
opinion is, that they grew up into the state of perfection in which they were
found about the beginning of the last century, through the judicious mating
of the home stock, and that up to that time, little or no fresh blood was intro-
duced.
The upper ward of Lanarkshire is a wild and somewhat bare country, with
a thin soil, which, however, is admirably adapted for grazing purposes ; the
farms are small, and the husbandmen who made their livelihood from the
profits of the soil, were a shrewd and saving race, with a love for their stock
born in them. Proud of their cattle and horses, and considerably skilled in their
care, they developed for the district in which they lived, a class specially suited
to their wants.
In kine they modelled, as it were, the Ayrshire Cow, and in horses, more
esjjecially in this particular district, they produced and kept continually im-
proving the Clyde. Just as on the banks of the Tees, long years ago, there
existed a grand race of cattle, so on the hills that rise gently away from the
waters of the Clyde, a class of horses belonged to it, which were associated
with no other shire or county in Great Britain, till a more enlightened day
with the aid of the printing press spread their fame abroad, and created for
them an immense demand.
Thus we find the horses about the year 1720, when Mr. John Paterson, of
Lochlyoch, introduced a Flemish Stallion.
Whether through the introduction of this horse or otherwise, the Lochlyoch
mares became very famous, and from them, directly or indirectly, most of the
noted stock of the present day trace their origin.
From the Lampits mare, a descendant of the above stock, came Glancer
(335), the horse that may be called the father of the present race of Clydes*
dales.
80 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
In a table compiled for the " Clydesdale Horse Society " it is astonishing »m
fee the influence that this horse has wielded. Without any system, most of
the breeders were ignorant that such a horse ever existed, till the herculeaa
labors of Mr. Dykes, secretary to the above society, ferreted out all these facts.
It is most interesting to study the relationships of the various crack horses
of the present day.
Wherever you begin, the pedigree by some means runs into Glancer (335).
Gradually, but surely, from those wild uplands, Clydesdales have spread, as
it were, over the whole world.
They found, early in this century, a congenial home amid the richer soils of
Galloway, and while thriving there, they obtained even a greater notoriety on
the bare hillsides of Kintyre.
Branching out thus, they spread over all Scotland, reaching some favored
Bpots in England, and within later years they have found their way to America
and Australia, where they are as much prized as upon their native heath.
In the Antipodes, they have no rival, but in the United States they come
into competition with the " Pereherons."
The inherent value of the Clydesdale lies in his reproducing powers. Bred
for generations among themselves, ofttimes bred in and in, they are most im-
pressive, and put upon the common mares of this continent, the produce is a
splendid farmer's horse, while those animals which have two or three crosse*
of this blood, are becoming exceedingly valuable for draying in towns, and,
owing to their special fitness for heavy work, at the present moment the demand
far exceeds the supply.
The indications are, that the Clydesdales and Pereherons will gradually
become the work horses of America.
Farmers who in olden times (and, we are sorry to say, even in these days),
mijrely scratch their land, have no use for either of those breeds, but as
agriculture advances, as science surely overcomes brute force, when the days
of deep ploughing and thorough cultivation become a necessity, then will the-
husbandman know the value of heavy, well-built horses.
To attain this end, horses of the above breeds must be used. Each will
serve their end, but for wear and tear it is likely the Clydes will eventually
take the lead.
It is true, the Clydesdales of the present day are not so hardy as they w^ere.
The system of feeding for show, carried to great excess by the Scotch breeders,
has given rise to diseases among pure-bred animals, which they do not happily
reproduce, and which has tended to make some of the best horses that ever
were bred, but indiifercnt stock -getters.
Then little attention was paid to systematic breeding. The old way and
style which, no doubt, was conducted with great success as far as it went, did
not tend to produce so many good horses as we may expect under the skilful
mating of both well-bred and good-looking animals.
91
g2 ILLUSTRATED tSTOCK rxXJTOR.
Just as we have seen grade bulls vie in excellency with the thoroughbred, sa
it was with the Clydesdale horse. Five years ago, through the efforts of
various parties, all lovers of the Clyde, a society was established for registering
pedigrees, and their operations have met with signal success.
They have laid the foundation of a system by which breeders can attain grand
results from a careful and judicious selection of good blood. And so in America
they have a Stud Book, drawn up on the same basis as the Scotch publication,
and here breeding is being carried on, more especially by Western breeders,
with a zest second only to that of the farmers in Scotland.
This American and Colonial demand for good horses with pedigrees, has
given a great impetus to breeding at home, and it is likely we shall see some
grand results from the efforts that are being made. Blessed with perseverance,
and holding their own judgment at a premium, no men are better suited for this
work than the small dairy farmers from the regions of Ayrshire, Galloway and
Lanarkshire.
It is to them and some larger farmers and proprietors we need to look for the
grand colossal horses which have made, and are destined to make, the name of
the Clydesdale more famous than ever.
The main feature of the Clydesdale is its size, combined with activity and
hardiness. Bred upon a bare, and not very prolific soil, they thrive well upon
being transplanted to a more generous and richer location. It is the universal
practice among the west of Scotland breeders to keep their young stock in a semi-
wild state, giving them only as much food as is necessary for health and develop-
ment until they are between two and three years old. Great capacity for
endurance is thus secured.
A fat colt is never seen, scarce even among those reserved for the stud.
Treated thus when they are young, they grow up hardy, with clean bones and
well-developed muscles, and almost entirely free from hereditary disease. And^
perchance, no horse of the present day, excepting those existing on the Arabian
deserts, can compare for genuine and valuable intelligence with those we are
now writing about.
Treated for generations by their masters as companions, that is, after they
had received their primary education, a sense almost human in some cases is
found engraved in their nature.
Just as the Scottish Collie and the noble Newfoundland have developed almost
supernatural instincts, so the Clydesdale horses, being the companions as well
as slaves of a class of men who took pride in their sagacity, have come to be
looked on as possessing a rarely and widely defined instinct. Thus they
combine strength, soundness and sense, the three attributes necessary to make
a horse successful in the wagon or plough.
THE POINTS OF THE CLYDESDALE.
The writer had much to do with the formation of the Clydesdale Stud Book,
THE HORSE. DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETa 8S
and for a full description 'and history of the breed of horses we refer our
readers to this volume.
In the meantime we cannot do better than abridge as shortly as possible the
beau ideal of the horse as given there :
The kead, a broad jaw, ending, as a rule, in a not very fine or well-developed
muzzle, but with large, open nostrils.
The eye full and vigorous, yet mild.
The forehead broad and full, especially between the eyes.
The ears long and active.
The neck should be strong and massive, supporting the head gaily, and
•bowing on its top a good development of muscle.
The shoulder should be oblique, like a thoroughbred, so that the horse can
Btep out boldly.
The legs should be short from the fetlock to the knee, and comparatively
long from the knee upwards.
The forearm should be well developed, showing lots of muscle.
The bones must be hard and flinty, flat-shaped, with no fleshiness; both
muscle and bone seeming entirely separate. Lots of hair is essential. Of
little use itself, it shows forth quality and strength of bone, and is typical of
the pure-bred horse.
The knees should be big and bony.
The feet of the Clydesdale are nearly invariably good ; great, big, widely
developed hoofs of the best quality, and connected with the leg with sloping
pasterns, which help every horse to go up and down hill. Nothing, in our
idea, is so essential to a draught horse as good pasterns.
The chest should be broad and full.
The back and barrel should be straight and round, with the ribs going well
back towards the quarters. In this particular we find the weak part of the
Clydesdale. He is not altogether so symmetrical as he should be, as a rule, in
this respect.
Broad, low-set quarters, with muscular thighs descending into broad and
proportionately-developed hocks, sum up the good points of the hind end of
the Clydesdale. Avoid fleshy hocks ; let them be clean cut and devoid of fat
or puffing.
The hind leg should be short, broad, flat, clean and slightly inclined for-
ward, while the pastern should also incline forwards ere it joins the hoof.
The height of the Clydesdale averages about sixteen hands two inches ; over
that height they become clumsy, except when very well developed.
The best color undoubtedly is brown, with white marks, and, so far as
possible, this color is being adopted among breeders.
Good action is sure to be possessed by a horse modeled on the above type.
Both walking and trotting, there will be a style and majesty that attracts
the eye and is useful when at work.
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THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 85
XIV. The Thorough-bred in America.
The Flemish and Danish horses, large, strong, hea\y draft breeds, have
had more or less influence upon the horses of the United States, particu-
larly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the northwestern States ; but no other
blood is so widely disseminated among our various stocks as that of the
English thorough-bred. We have been dependent chiefly upon this
animal for the improvement of the horses among us ; and from a time
long prior to the Revolution, it has been the custom of our most ambitious
Dreeders to import from England both stallions and mares, but more
especially the former, for this purpose.
Leonard Calvert, Lord Baltimore, sometime between 1740 and 1750,
presented to a Mr. Ogle an English thorough-bred stallion, by which the
colonial horse of that portion of the country was much improved ; and
this same gentleman. Ogle, imported Queen Mab, shortly after he came
in possession of "Spark," the Baltimore horse. Selima, a mare sired by
the Godolphin Arabian, w^as brought over by one Col. Trasker ; Miss
Cohalle, or Wilkes' Old Hautboy Mare, was imported by Col. Colville ;
Jennie Cameron, Crab, and others, by different persons, at various times.
It was not until within about fifty years ago that any reliable stud book
or turf register began to be kept in the United States ; so that it is often
diflicult to establish a claim to good pedigree extending beyond that time ;
but many valuable importations are known to have taken place previous
to 1829 ; and the register since kept shows that there is a very large ad-
mixture of English blood in many parts of the country.
The work stock of the southern States before the war, as now, was, of
course, drawn mostly from States farther north and east, and was of in-
different character ; but much attention was paid in that part of the
country to raising stock ; and all horses raised there have more or less of
the thorough-bred in them. Many really fine animals were found there,
— the race-horse preserved in his purity, — but the true thorough-bred has
rarely been found at any time in the northern States. In New England,
the good driving horse, the horse of all work, medium sized and stoutly-
built, is mostly found ; in New York, they have animals representing
almost every variety of breed known in the United States, and among
them the descendants of many famous racers.
In Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Northwest generally, they have a great
Tariety of heavy draft horses — some of them of gi*eat size — not. much
attention having been paid, as yet, to saddle, light carriage, and race
horseg in the West however, consideraMe improvement has been madf
by the introduction of fine stallions from Kentucky and Tennessee, r 1
both the thorough-bred and the Morgan strain. In Kentucky and Teu-
aessee, the breeds are various, but there is a very laro^e admixture of th«i
6
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86 « ILLUSTKATED STOCK DOCTOR.
thorough-bred. Their saddle, light carriage, trotting and racing stock
are justly renowned. Scarcely any country in the world is better adapted
to the production of fine horses than the blue-grass region of Kentucky ;
and it constitutes a sort of Arabia of the West, to whose breeders and
trainers the buyers of the United States, sometimes even foreign gentl©'
men, come to purchase mares, stallions, and trained coursers.
The American thorough-bred retains man}^ of the striking character-
istics of the Arabian and his best old world representatiA'^e, the Englisfi
racer ; and in speed he compares Avell with the best horses of England.
He is more stoutly built, however, and capable of more endurance than
the English horse.
XV. The Morgan Horse.
A story is current to the effect that during the war of the Revolution,
one of the British officers. Gen. DeLancy, rode a very beautiful stallion,
of great value — said to have been a true thorough-bred. This horse was
stolen by one Smith, an American, and retained within the American
lines. He was the sire of a colt from a Wild Air mare ; and the colt,
being foaled or having become by purchase the property of one Justin
Morgan, of Randolph, Vermont, received the name of his master, and
his descendants xiave ever since been known as the Morgan horse.
The stolen stallion, called "The True Briton" or "Beautiful Bay,"
has been described as not only beautiful, but as having possessed great
action, and being capable of leaping fences, hedges, and ditches, bearing
a rider, from which it has been argued that he was not a thorough-bred,
since that stock cannot jump ; but he was in any event a remarkable
horse, and his valuable qualities have been transmitted to his descendants.
Of so pure blood and marked character was he that his powers of repro-
ducing himself equalled those of the most unmistakable Arabian ; and
the Morgan blood is perceptible after various crosses, and that too, with
many inferior breeds.
So rriarkcd are the characteristics of these horses, and so different are
they, in some particulars, from other races, that they seem fully entitled
to be considered a distinct breed. They are in great repute, also, in
many portions of the country ; and some efforts have been made with
much success, to bring the stock back to its former and better condition,
by breeding from the best and most strongly marked stallions and mares.
They are stout and hardy, while at the same time of good form-^
capable of performing tlie greatest amount of labor, and that, too, with
quickness of movement. They are always in demand, and command the
highest market prices.
The following are the distinguishing points of a true Morgan :
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC- 87
in height he is from fourteen to sixteen hands ; in weight sufficiently
hi-dvy for this height, with no appearance whatever of coarse bulkiness.
Ij", is compactly built, and of great strength ; his action is fine, his
endurance unsurpassed, and in spirit he is indomitable — never failing at
a pull, if rightly handled — yet patient and trustworthy. As roadsters
and horses of all work they are excellent — having no equals, perhaps, in
this country. He walks fast, and many horses of this breed have been
extraordinary trotters. In harness he is quiet, but nimble, and of eager
movement. Bay, chestnut, and black are the prevaihng colors. The
mane and tail are rather heavy and coarse, and in general wavy.
The head is not extremely small, but there is no superfluous muscle or
fatty matter about it ; the face is straight, the forehead broad, the ears
are small, fine, and set far apart, the nostrils are wide, the lips are close
and firm, the muzzle is small, the eyes are not large, but very dark,
prominent, set wide apart, and full of animation. The back is short ; tie
shoulder-blades and hip-bones are large and oblique, the loins broad and
muscular ; the body is long, round, deep, and closely ribbed up ; the chest-
bone is prominent, the chest mde and deep, the legs seem rather short
for the height, but they are close-jointed, and though thin, they are vciy
wide, hard, clean, and yet with powerful muscles ; the feet are small and
round ; the hair is short and flossy at almost all seasons ; the fetlocks are
moderately long, and there is some long hair up the backs of the legs.
In some parts of the country the Morgans are the premium horses, and
their peculiar adaptability to all the ordinary purposes of the farmer is
such that they enjoy a high degree of favor.
As a breed, they are unusually long-lived, and this constitutes one of
their great points of excellence.
XVI. The Narragansett Pacer.
This breed, now almost unknown as a distinct one, was remarkable
chiefly as being natural pacers, and of such peculiar action as to render
them peculiarly easy under the saddle. Though small, they were hardy
and full of power, and their docility was such as to render them very
pleasant to handle. The stock are said to have been imported into Ncm^
England, from Andalusia, by one Gov. Robinson, and to have been bred
chiefly in Rhode Island, where they were long held in great repute.
Good saddle horses were in much demand in Cuba, and prior to the time
when the Narragansett Pacer began to attract attention, the Cubans had
been dependent for their horses upon the mother country. But the voyage
was long, the risk considerable, and the cost great, and when it was
once ascertained that a superior saddle animal, (according to the taste of
gg ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the times), could ])e had in Rhode I.shmd, much nearer home, a trade was
at once opened, which continued, with much protit to the Khode J-iland
Dreeders, till the roadways of the West Indies became so much improved
as to render the introduction of light carriages a natural consequence. A
iomewhat different horse was then required, and the trade in America r.
•tock began to decline. As the Cuban market became less and less prof-
itable, the interest of the stock-owiiers experienced a corresponding de-
crease, till at last the effort to preserve the pacer as a distinct breed '
ceased altogether.
At the present day, though the influence of the Narragansett Pacer
upon New England horses is in many instances perceptible, he is no
longer known in his former purity.
XVII. The Vermont Draft Horse.
Vermont has given the United States one of the two celebrated families of
draft horses, than which few of the breeds have combined greater excellence.
Animals with lofty crests, thin withers, short backed, round barrelled, close
ribbed, clean and sinewy limbed, that would at first be taken for ponies.
Standing next to them they would be found to be sixteen hands high
and over, and on the scales they would tilt the lever at from 1150 to 1250
pounds.
Of the origin of the Vermont draft horse but little is known, but it is more
than probable that the old Suffolk cart horse, imported into Massachusetts in
1821, the Cleveland bay, brought there in 1825, and the thorough-bred horses
introduced in 1828, bred upon the best common mares of the country, have
produced a class of horses, the lighter ones of which were driven to the stage
coaches of thirty to fifty years ago, as they have seldom been driven in any
other hill country.
And this class was grand for heavy work. The heavier specimens of which
furnished the best heavy team horses in the country, not excepting the Cones-
toga, a horse fully a hand higher, and admirable in every respect for heavy
draft, as we used to see them, in the great six and seven horse teams coming
from the mountains of Pennsylvania through to New York. It is to be re-
gretted that the furor over the Morgans since that time has caused the Ver-
mont draft horse to become quite rare, so that now it is rather difficult to find
a good specimen of the breed as it once existed.
The disappearance of these fine old horses, however, is of a piece with the
disappearance of many other relics of the good old times. We think fondly
of what once prevailed, and it seems as though nothing ever could be so good
again, but those who never knew our favorites seem quite content, and get on
full as well as though our pet things never had existence. Thus the essential
things of one age sink from sight in another.
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. -89
XVIII. The Canadian.
This horse, when pure, is entitled to be considered distinct. He can
l»y no claim, of course, to being regarded as the natural horse, no more
than the Norman, Percheron or the English thorough-bred ; but his char,
acteristics are so marked as to render him worthy of being classed sep«>
rately and noticed mth some minuteness.
He is supposed to be descended from the Norman-French horse,J
brought over by the pioneers of Canada ; but how crossed, (though he is
evidently the result of a cross), it is impossible to say. In some partic-
ulars, he so much resembles the old horse of Normand^'^ as to seem the
unmistakable descendant of that stock ; whereas in others he is so unlike
him as to indicate that the cross must have been with a very strongly
marked animal, of great powers of transmission.
The distinguishing characteristics may be stated as follows : The
average height is about fourteen hands ; the body is solid, compactly put
together, but somewhat inclined to flatness of side ; the head is rather
large for a horse of the height stated, but it is well formed and lean, so
that it does not appear out of proportion and cumbersome ; the forehead
is broad ; the ears are wide apart, and carried well up ; the eye is small
and clear, and has a bold expression ; the chest is broad and full ; the
shoulder is strong, but inclining to be straight and rather lo w and heavy
at the withers ; the loins are fine ; the croup round and fleshy ; the thighs
muscular ; the legs comparatively heavy and joints pretty large, but the
bones are flat, and no race of horses has sounder and more powerful
limbs ; and none can equal the Canadian as to feet — these being tough,
hard, iron-like, and free from disease, even under the most unfavorable
circumstances. This seems to be one of his most valuable chai^cteristica
of body. Bad handling, awkward shoeing, hard travel — nothing In the
bounds of reason seems to affect his feet. Diseases of this part are
almost absolutely unknown.
The mane and tail are peculiar, being very heavy, and in almost all
cases, wavy. The back sinews are shaggy-coated, nearly to the knee,
and the fetlocks are long.
The prevailing color is black ; but browns and chestnuts are frequently
found ; sometimes sorrels and duns, having manes and tails lighter than
the body. Occasionally there may be found a dark iron-gray, with'
black legs.
Canadians are long-lived, easily-kept, and capable of the greatest
endurance. They are heavy enough for the purposes of the farmer ; and
as roadsters, while they are not to be regarded as rapid travelers, they
maintain a reasonable rate of speed, say six miles an hour, for long jour-
90 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
ne3's and continuously, and this Avhile carrying a heavy weight. It ii
nothing iniconimon for them to do tifty miles a day for many days in
succession ; and some have been known to do seventy, eighty, even
ninety miles, at a single stretch of one day.
The breed is widely spread, but chie€y in a mixed state, (inferior to
the true Canadian in almost every instance), in the Northern and Eastern
States. Few horses are entitled to more O'Onsideration at the hands of
those who would obtain the best medium-sized and easily-kept animals
for the farm , and for mefdium heavy and moderaty^ly rapid draft.
XIX. The Connestoga.
A somewhat peculiar horse of all-work, said to hav-<« originated as a
distinct stock in the valley of Connestoga. They are believed to be
descended from Flemish and Danish cart-horses brought c^er by the
early German settlers of this part of the country, with a probable admix-
ture of the ordinary draft horse in common use in the German Stat^^s at
that day. There is, however, no record of the origin of the breed, and
all speculation may be at fault. They resemble for the most part the
Flemish horse, especially in color, all the prevailing Flemish colors except
black being found among them in like proportion.
The Connestoga is a tall horse, often seventeen hands high ; but his
limbs are light for his height, and he is not inclined to be full of flesh,
having a muscular rather than a fatty heaviness, so that he is very power-
ful in proportion to his weight. He is used chiefly for wagons, canal
boats, and heavy carriages, for which purposes he is both strong and
quick enough.
He is less distinct than formerly, and no pains are taken to preserve
the bre"*^ as such.
XX« Ponies.
The small, or pony breeds, are numerous ; but the only ones deserving
special mention are the Shetlands, the Indian, and the Mexican Musfcmg.
The former is the most distinct and best type of the ponies of the Old
World, while the Indian and the Mustang are the chief, if not the only
joative kinds, kno^vn among us.
There are ponies somewhat similar to the Shetlands in th^ northern
parts of Sweden and of Iceland, in Wales, and on the southAvestern
coast of England. All these little animals seem to have originated m
latitudes to which the horse is not native, and to be dwarfed des3endants
of large and powerful progenitors.
Noticing first the Shetlands ^ those of most perfect form, though of
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC.
n
small size, are found in the extreme northern isles of Yell and Unst.
In height, they do not average more than nine or ten hands ; and man/
are found that do no exceed seven and a half. It is held that no trua
Shetland can be so tall as eleven hands. In form they are round and
92 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
closely ribbed up ; the head is well shaped — lean and bony, wide in th«
brow, sometimes slightly basin-faced, like the Arab ; the ears are very
small, well placed, are carried erect; the eyes are large and bright, with
a fine look of intelligence ; the neck is short and thick, and covered with
a great mass of coarse mane ; the shoulder is sloping, thick, and having
little elevation at the withers ; the loins are broad but finely formed ; the
quarters are well made, but not large in proportion to other parts ; th«
back is gently curving, with never an}^ tendency towards what is called
sway-back ; the legs and feet are of excellent shape, and of the most
powerful texture, so that the Shetlander is a stranger to all those diseases
of the feet and legs to which many horses are subject, and a lame
Shetland is almost unknown ; the tail, like the mane, is of great volume.
When roaming wild they live on the poorest fare, and are exposed to
all the inclemencies of the seasons. When they cannot pick up their
scanty subsistence upon the uplands, by reason of the snows of winter,
they betake themselves to the sea shore and live upon kelp and sea weed.
When taken by the peasants of those localities which they most inhabit,
and reduced to subjection, they still require but little food and little
care.
Their endurance is very great ; and though they are of course incapable
of great speed, they ^vill carry weights largely disproportioned to their
size, and keep up a uniform pace of from four to five miles an hour
throughout the day, accomplishing forty, even fifty miles between
morning and evening Avith apparent ease.
They are gentle, affectionate, easily trained, and as children's horses,
and for all other purposes for which a pony can be at all serviceable, they
are the best of all found in either hemisphere.
The prevailing colors are black, brown, and a dark sorrel.
The Mexican Mustang, one of the most widely known and distinct of
American ponies, is found chiefly on the prairies of Texas and Mexico.
His origin is doubtful ; though it is affirmed that notwithstanding his
di'minutive size, and some striking points of degeneracy, there is clear
indication of Spanish origin. It is difficult, however, to account for the
difference between him and other wild horses, that discover in size aa
well as in general formation that they are the descendants of animals
left or lost upon the American continent by the early Spanish discoverer*
»nd conquerors.
These ponies are undersized ; of very slight limbs ; often ugly and dis-
proportionately made ; with long neck, long back, and long, slender and
weak posteriors. Their hoofs are often badly formed, tending to flatness
and irregularity. Their heads, however, though long, are lean, w«41
shaped, and wellset ; and their nostrils are wide. Their manes and
THE HORSE, DIFFERENT BREEDS, ETC. 93
tails are fine. They have some activity and spirit, and are sometimes
vicious, but not difficult to subdue. In a wild state, they are easily out-
winded by well-tranied horses of the larger breeds ; but domestication
seems to have the effect of improving their powers of endurance, as thej
do good service for the Comanche Indians as a cavalry horse — carrying
those warriors, and enabling them successfully to evade the pursuit of
well-trained United States cavalry.
Almost every color is found among them.
The Indian Pony, another American, is thought to be a degenerated
Korman^ — ha\ang sprung from horses of that stock brought to Canada by
the first French emigrants, and allowed by some means to escape into
the forests, as was the case with certain Andalusians farther south.
Wandering, from generation to generation, in those cold regions, and
under circumstances altogether unfavorable to the production of generous
growth, they have become dwarfed and in other particulars modified as
to form. They seem in their present state to be a perfectly distinct
animal ; and they possess many points of excellence. They are found
in the upper Mississippi country, on the borders of Canada, and west of
the great lakes, and are used chiefly by the different tribes of northern
Indians. Great herds of them are found in a wild state on the north-
western prairies.
They are a larger animal than the Mustang, and in most respects far
superior to him. Though he is to be considered a true pony, he is often
thirteen, sometimes even fourteen, hands high. The body is very
strongly built, being round-ribbed, short-barreled, and with powerful
limbs. The neck is thick and short ; the legs are covered with thick
hair, and seem somewhat heavy and clumsy, but they are as firm, mus-
cular, iron-like and sound, as those of the Shetlands. The mane is very
heavy, often falling on both sides of the neck, while the forelocks cover
the eyes, and give a sort of shaggy appearance about the upper portion
of the head ; the tail is also heavy and generally inclined to be wavy.
They have a high crest, and quite a proud carriage of the head. They
are docile, intelligent, sure-footed, capable of enduring all the rigors ot
a northern Winter, and able to perform long-continued journeys, at a
moderate pace, while carrying or drawing disproportionate burdens.
Their courage is so high that they do not readily succumb to any hard*
snip, however trying its nature, and though coupled with poorness and
acantiness of fare.
CHAPTER V.
BBEEDING AND RAISING
I. IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT. II. THE BEST STOCK THE CHEAPEST. HI. H»»
REDITARY TENDENCIES AND IMMATURITY TO BE GUARDED AGAINST. IV. PRINCI-
PLES OP TRANSMISSION. V. THE TWO METHODS, " IN-AND-IN " AND ''CROSS" BREBIH
ING CONSIDERED. VI. TREATMENT OP THE MARE AFTER BEING SERVED, DURtNO
PREGNANCY, ETC. VII. HOW TO KNOW WHETHER A MARE IS IN FOAL.— — VIII. HOW
TO KNOW TIME OP FOALING. IX. ABORTION, OR SLINKING THE FOAL. X. HOW
TO RAISE COLTS. XI. MULES.
I. Importance of the Subject.
No subject connected with the rearing and use of stock can be of more
importance to the farmer and stock-grower, the intelligent, practical bus-
iness man, than that of breeding. That it is every way more profitable
to any one who rears and trains a single colt to have that colt of the very
best rather than of any indifferent quality is almost too palpable to need
a moment's consideration. That it is possible for every man of observa-
tion and good judgment to improve his stock is equally obvious. There
is no line of work which horses are called upon to perform that has not
its peculiar requirements, that can be better met by some specific kind of
animal than by one chosen at haphazard. It is a matter, then, of the
plainest common sense that every one who means to rear a horse for his
own use should consider beforehand to what purposes he will most prob-
ably devote it. If it is designed for market, he needs no less to consult
his interests by determining what markets are accessable to him, and what
description of animal will be apt to find most ready sale therein, at most
remunerative prices.
For the farmer who wants to bre«d and rear horses of all work, it
would be manifestly foolish to seek a high-priced pure-blooded race, for hii
94
THE HOUSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 95
mares, unless the mares themselves were of such type as to render it
necessary to breed to high and elegant stallions in order to obtain those
medium-sized, but compact, and moderately quick-paced animals that are
«o well adapted to all the wants of the farmer.
On the other hand, one wanting a light and fleet animal would set his
inconsiderateness in a striking manner who should so disregard all the dic-
tates of sound sense as to hope to succeed by any chance selection of
either mares or stallions. ,
n. The Best Stock the Cheapest.
It may be laid down as the lirst rule — a foundation principle — ^that the
very best and purest stock that is really adapted to the end in view should
he sought after.
It costs even less to feed a horse of good blood and lineage than it does
to maintain a scrub ; it costs no more to shelter him ; it costs less to groom
him and keep him in condition than it does to keep the scrub from looking
like a scare-crow ; his movement is almost invariably smoother and
steadier for the same rates of speed ; his temper is generally better ; his
pluck and energy not less so ; and if it is found necessary to put him upon
the market, he brings a better price. The service of a stallion known to
be of good, generous blood, and possessing adequate powers of transmis-
sion, must of course cost more ; there must be a dam adapted to the
obtaining of a foal of the best t3rpe possible from such a sire ; but the
penny-wise, pound-foolish policy of refusing to avail one's self of these
advantages, when in the bounds of possibility, is too apparent.
Taking it for granted, then, that the best, in this case, is always the
cheapest — that the finer and purer the horse can be, other things being
equal, the more useful, more easily maintained, and more marketable he is
bound to be, it remains to consider some points that must always be re-^
gtrded by the intelligent breeder, who seeks wisely to adapt means to
ends rather than to trust to chance.
m. Hereditary Tendencies and Immaturity to be Guarded Against.
A caution most needful to be insisted upon at the outset is that
relating to the transmission of tendencies to disease and of actual disease
itself. It seems that no man in his right senses, knowing the results to
the human family when this consideration is disregarded, would think for
a moment of utterly ignoring the possibilities of evil consequences ; but
ordinary observation leads to the disclosure of the fact that among
horses diseases and impaired constitutional powers are often transmitted
tQ this way. Mares at an advanced age, too stiff, too weak, too slow to
go ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
be of any further active use, are turned to account for breeding purposes
— and the result is, a weak foal, lacking thrift and lacking spirit.
Mares hacked about until they are ring-boned, spavined, and splinted, or
perhaps dropsical or ^\'ith a glanderous tendency, — no longer useful on
the farm or on the road, are relieved from the work which they can no
longer do with any chance of profit, and sent to the stallion. Result: a
foal ^\^th a rickety or knotty osseous system, or with a tendency to some
form of dropsy, or ready, in the presence of any exciting cause, to
develop a case of glanders. And so of other disorders, more especially
of roaring, thick-wind, blindness, contracted feet, grease, and affections
of the brain and nervous system. Some mares have a peculiar predispo-
sition to surfeit, some to swelled legs, some to vertigo, some tt) a sort of
unaccountable viciousness. No wise breeder can afford to disregard these
things. If he wishes to rear a horse^'for service, he wants a sound foal ;
for he knows he can get from such a one more work for less cost
than from one unsound in bone, muscle, secretions or integument.
If he designs to breed for market he is aware that neither a puny nor a
diseased creature can be palmed off there either to his profit or his credit.
To insure healthy, active, thrifty progeny, then, the dam must be
sound and vigorous; and this is no less true of the sire. We dwell less
upon the latter because it is of far less frequent occurrence for a broken
down and diseased stallion to be kept for the service of mares than for
mares of this description to be put to breeding because they are known
to be fit for nothing else, but are erroneously deemed useful for this.
The condition of the stallion, however, must not be overlooked. Every
breeder must have a care to choose a vigorous stallion, and one free from
blemishes, mal-formation and hereditary taints.
Nor should mares be put to breeding too young. They should be full
grown and vigorous, and when their powers begin to fail they should no
longer be subjected to this service. It is the practice of some to begin
to breed at two years of age. This is injurious to the mare, and
otherwise unprofitable to the owner. The growth of the mare is
hindered ; her form is modified both by the weight of the stallion and by
carrying the foal. And the foal itself is apt to lack fullness and power,
yet, it takes from the young mother that sustenance which she needs for
her own development, so that she is dwarfed, while it grows up a mora
or less puny creature — of insufBeicnt vafue to compensate for the injury
done to the dam. No mare should be so used till she is at least three
years old — four would be the better and more profitable age. It is said
that mares which are allowed to mature, and are well treated afterwards,
will not lose enough of their natural vigor to disqualify them for bringing
forth good foals till after they are twenty years old ; but it is idle to
THE HORSE, BREEDIXG AND RAISING. 0^
expect good, strong, well-formed, thrifty, and spirited o:ffspring from a
mare that is either too young or too old ; or that is subjected, even in
maturity, to hard work, poor and insufficient food, and cruel handling.
rv. Principles of Transmission.
Let us next notice this principle, that ivhen the dam a7id the sire both
JI)Ossess a due amount of vigor, the foal will combine in itself the most
marked characteristics of both ; while any quality that is peculiar to either
of them is api to be prominent in the offspring. This applies to both dis-
position and physical conformation.
It will be seen from this statement that no matter what the general line
of policy to be pursued by the breeder, that of in-and-in, or that of
crossing, he must select his stallions and mares mth the view to having
one supplement the other. If the mare is deficient in any point, the
horse should be full or predominant there, and vice versa ; and if any pe-
culiar trait is desired, that should be very strongly developed in either
sire or dam, while merely nominal in the other.
Another special point to be considered is this : that for the production
of a full-formed, symmetrical, vigorous, and thrifty foal, the mare should
be proportionately larger than the horse. An overgrown stallion, of great
power, serving a mare of diminutive size, or of size somewhat less in pro-
portion than his oavu, will beget her a strong embryo that will require
more room and more nourishment than the mare can afford ; and the result
must be weakness, and, probably, deformity — almost inevitably diminutive
size. Men's mmds were particularly called to this fact in Great Britain
when, during a course of years, the farmers of Yorkshire thought that by
breeding their mares to the very largest stallions they could find, and
without regard to the size of the mare, ihey could meet the demand in
LondC/^ for great overgrown horses, which it was then the fashion to drive
in coaches and other heavy carriages. The result was a race of almost
worthless creatures.
In other points than mere size, more depends upon the selection of the
mare than that of the horse. The great majority are mares bred after
their own stock unless the stallion is so powerful as to neutralize or over-
come this physiological peculiarity ; so that it is necessary for her to be of
good lineage if the best results are wanted. If she has come from dis-=
eased, vicious, or in any way evil ancestry, though she may be free from
perceptible taint, the bad pomts of her stock will very probably appear
in her offspring. This principle makes it necessary to have a regard for
her color and for the color that is known to have been prevalent in her
line, since any dirty, vari-tinted, and other^\^se disagi-eeable colors may
appear in a foal of hers if her progenitors have had such a hue.
§g ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
V. The tveo Methods, "In-and-in" and "Cross" Breeding Considered.
As for the two leading methods of breeding, circumstances generally
determine which the farmer or other breeder on a moderate scale is to
adopt. He is now almost always under the absolute necessity of cross-
ino- ; and the main point with him is, Itoic to cross, in order to secure the
best results. The main directions are already laid down, with sufficient
minuteness to enable anyone of ordinary intelligence to judge as to the
best means. One point must not be overlooked, that really to improve
the stock of horses as to blood — to obtain a strain that has the power of
transmitting itself, and of so continuing in a steady line of improvement,
recourse must be had to pure blooded horses. The English racer or
thoroughbred is almost our sole reliance in this respect ; although an
Arab may occasionally be found. The true Norman Percheron is
endowed with this characteristic of pure-blooded horses — he has great,
power? of impressing himself upon his offspring, and perpetuating the
strain ; but he is too heavy for the ordinary run of mares in this country j
and if heavy draft stock rather than the lighter horse of all w^ork is
wanted, the Percheron mare should also be used — -or some other of equal
lenolli and weight. Good mares of the common mixed breeds in the
United States, bred to the light Arab, Barb, or thorough-bred stallions,
will almost invariably produce foals partaking of their own size and
strength, and of the finer forms, activity, and wind of the stalhon. It is
difficult to lay down any specific rule for crossing. The whole matter
must be left to the good sense of the breeder, after the general state-
ment of principles previously set forth- If the breeder has in view a
mere racer, and is unable to obtain both thorough-bred mare and stallion,
let hinx seek the racing stallion, at least, and one that will, as previously
directed, supplement his mare — supply the points in which she i'- want-
ino- for that specific purpose. If he -wishes a trotter, the same ca»e must
be observed. As trotting horses are of late days in great demand in the
United States, we insert here a cut of one of the most celebrated of the
Old World trotters, the "Marshland Shales," a horse foaled m 1802,
and which was known to old age as the very best m the British Isles.
A careful study of his conformation, will be of advantage to those who
seek to learn the peculiar points of a horse of knoAvn excellence. H©
was a half-bred ; and the impression long prevailed among the sporting
men of England, (if it is even yet extinct), that no pure thorough-bred
nor Arabian could excel as a trotter.
Now, let the reader compare him with "Dervish," and note the point*
of difference. *'Der\nsh" was a little bay Arab, exceedingly fine, and
remarkable for a darting or straight trot — throwing out his fore-leg and
THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING.
99
rtraighteiiing the knee before tiie foot touched the ground. He waa
sound, hard}^ and a powerful foal-getter ; and ii cross with such a horso,
C4»oQ any well-formed, large and reasonably long-bodied mare, would be
•pt to produce the beau ideal of a trotter — moderately large, long, yet
compact, and with light and clean yet powerful limbs.
Notice particularly the cut representing ''Gold Dust," a Kentucky
uorse, foaled near Lexington, the property of L. L. Dorsey, a few years
pnor to the civil war. He was mixed blooded, haWng been sired by
100
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Vermont Morgan, a great trotter, while his dam had in her both Arabian
and thorough-bred blood.
It is worthy of consideration on the part of the breeder that the cclta
of *'Gold Dust" showed stronger marks of their Arabian and Eugiisii
ancestry, which came by his dam's side, and remotely, than of the
Moriran, his sire, so superior is the pure blooded horse as a transmitter
•f his own qualities, and an improver of breed. " Gold Dust" h Avoith^f
THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING.
101
3f study. He was not only beautiful, but a horse of the finest action — .
a fast Avalker and famous as a trotter. When native American stallions
such as he can be found, the owner of good mares need not repine if he
finds it impossible to come at the much-to-be-desired pure blooded
foreigner. He may rest assured of getting improved colts, and of mich
character as will, if judiciously handled, perpetuate, to some extent at
least, their own grood qualities.
If it is heavy draft stock that is to be sought, the Norman Percheron
102 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
stallion, as we have previously intimated, ought to be had, provided the
breeder has mares of such size as to render it judicious to put them to so
large a horse ; otherwise, the Norman Percheron mare may be most
advantageously bred to some nati^'e stallion, say a Morgan, a good
Canadian, or some other compactly built and quicV-paced horse.
But it is unnecessary to extend these suggestions. If the breeder will
•onsider with care what he really wants, and observe the points upon
which wc have touched, he will be at no loss to judge intelligently what
course to pursue when cross-breeding is his only resource. He may
often, of course, find it difficult to obtain just the stallion which his
judgment tells him he should have for his class of mares ; but this is a
pointed argument in favor of that care which our farmers should long
;ago have exercised in this matter. Intelligent attention to the improve-
ment of our stock throughout the Union vdW soon make it possible for
them to select their stallions^ rather than to be forced to take up ^ith
every hack that comes along with a flourish of red surcingles and a
wonderful pedigree, manufactured to order.
As to in-and-in breeding, but little need be said. All the long-winded,
voluminous, and learned discussions of the subject have resulted iji
adding but little more to our stock of knowledge than this : that too
close in-and-in breeding is likely to bring about weakness, malformation,
and general deterioration ; but that to fix and preserve and intensify a
certain strain, the Jew, (to speak in a figure), must not intermarry with
the heathens round about him. In other words, to have true Morgans,
both sire and dam must be of that stock, though of different families :
to keep up the real Norman Percheron horse, we must have Norman
Percherons, both male and female, to breed from ; and so on.
The objection to close in-and-in breeding seems to be here : that
nearness of kin is apt to be associated ^vith likeness of qualities, both
physical and mental, (if we may so speak of the horse) ; and thus the great
requirement that one parent must supplement the other is not complied
with. If there is a weak point in both, the weakness is perpetuated and
made worse, whereas a weak point in one should be counteracted b}' a
correspondingly strong point in the other. If it could be known with
absolute certainty that two animals, close of kin, had strongly marked
opposite traits of character, constitution and conformation, they might
be bred to each other, and with the best of results. Such is sometimeg
the case ; but it is not likely to be, and the rule should be as we hav«
gaid — let the strain be the same, but the kinship as far removed as
possible. This is believed by the most candid obsen^ers to be the secret of
Arab success. The individual breeder knows not alone his own animals,
but those of his tribe, and of other tribes as well Moreover, the Arab*
THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 103
are close observers and astute judges of horse flesh, and an intelhgent
son of the Desert could by no reasonable means be induced to breed his
mare to a stallion m which his eye had marked some weakness or evil
tendency which he knew the mare likewise to possess, however slight the
indications might ])e in either.
Then, to recapitulate briefly ; if the breeder has it in his power to keep
up a certain stock, let him guard against the slightest admixture of heathen
blood ; and to be as sure as possible of no evil results, let him look to se-
curing sires and dams as ^videly removed from kinship as possible ; but ho
can never afford to disregard the point previously so much insisted upon,
as a principle to be observed in crossing, that if either parent has a fault,
the other must be correspondingly strong there.
VI. Treatment of the Mare After Being Served, During Pregnancy, etc.
It is proper next to notice some little matters of detail in connection
with the management of brood mares.
Forty-four weeks is regarded as the time which a mare goes with foal ;
but this must be taken as mean time, since one occasionally brings forth
a perfect colt four or five weeks sooner, and others will go equally as long
beyond this period. When once the time of a mare is known, the breeder
can generally regulate her going to the horse so as to have the colt appear
at whatever season he consideres most desirable, but without this knowl-
edge he cannot.
After- having been served by a horse, the mare should be allowed to
stand idle awhile, as conception will be far more apt to take place if she
IS left to herself. If put to brisk motion, or to any strain immediately
after copulation, she is apt to fail of conception. She should also be kept
away from strmg-proud or badly castrated geldings, not only at this
period, but during her entire pregnancy, as they are apt to worry her to
the casting of the conception, or, at a later period, to slinking the foal.
After she has been allowed a reasonable season of quiet, moderate work
will be rather beneficial than injurious ; and this may be kept up until
about the time of foaling. Special care should always be exercised to
guard her against being kicked, heavily thrown, or inordinately strained
in any way.
It sometimes occurs that at the time of foaling, a false presentation is
made, producing difliculty of delivery ; but no reUable instructions can be
here given as to what course to pursue in these cases ; and it is best to
seek the aid of some skillful veterinary surgeon.
The mare which has had a colt will be found in season sometime withitt
the next thirty days, and she ought to go to the horse at this time if she
is to be bred at all. The ninth day after foaling will generally be found
rM ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
to Iv the right time. Whenever indications of heat are discovered, th»
matter should not be dehiyed, as the season may pass off and not return.
After putting, the days of trial are the ninth, then, if she refuses, the
•eventh after this, and upon a second refusal, the fifth after this, which
is sutficient to prove her.
vn. How to Know Whether a Mare is in PoaL
It is often important for both breeders and traders to know whether x
mtire is really in foal : and one wTiter has published the following direc-
tions for determining this point, which he says may be implicitly relied on :
'•After the first service of the horse, and before the next trial, on ex-
suuininjx the vagina, or bearing, if conception has not taken place it will
be of a fresh, bright, or florid and moist appearance, with a clear drop
appearing: at the lower part, and which, if touched, will mcline to extend :
but if conception is present, a different appearance of the surface of the
vaeina will be presented. It ^\t11 be found dry. and of a dirty broAvn or
rust color : and a dark, brown looking drop will replace the former clear
di-op. "NMien these latter appearances are present, pregnancy may be re-
garded as certain."
Vm. How to Know Time of Foaling.
Two days, (in some mares only one), before foaling, a sort of sticky
«ibstance will be found protruding from each teat, somewhat resembling
drops of milk. Care should now be taken to provide a suitable place for
her, as this is a certain indication of near delivery. She should be
removed from other animals, and a careful person should see to her often
enough to guard against accidents.
Before the signs referred to, as shown by the teats, however, there is
cfci each side of the spinal column, from the tail to the haunch, a furrow-
like fold ; and the bag will generally be found considerably increased in
size. These signs show that deliver^' is not very remote, but cannot be
relied on to denote the day.
rX. Abortion, or Slinking the Foal.
When about half the time of pregnancy is passed, more than ordinary
pains should be taken with the mare, as it is at this time, if at all, that
•he is apt to slink. She ought now to have better feeding, and even
gentler handling than she had pre\-iously ; though at all times the o\vner
but consults his own interests when he carefully guards her against ill
wsasre. She has more need of food, and is less able, at this time, to
«(idure hunger, as the rapid growth of the foetus makes a constant and
THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 105
severe draft upon her system.. Want of care may cause abortion ; and
if a mare once casts her foal, she is apt to do so at a corresponding period
of pregnancy afterwards, — more especially if like provocation occurs.
Various other causes of abortion, some of which may be briefly adverted
to, for the purpose of pointing out certain preventive measures and sug-
gesting others. Blows, strains, and any violent excitement may have
this effect ; and it is said that to allow a mare to see and smell food to
which she has been accustomed, and of which she is fond, without suffer-
ing her to eat of it, will cause slinking. Feeding hogs or other stock
upon corn, in sight of a mare that is not also thus fed, is, for this reason
dangerous. Sympathy is a known cause : a pregnant mare, seeing an-
other cast her foal, is apt to be affected in like manner. Nervous spasms,
or a sort of animal hysteria, resulting from sympathy of the womb with
a diseased stomach or other organ, occasionally results in causing the
foal to be cast. Some affirm that a smell of blood, or of freshly slaugii-
tered meat, will do it.
If a mare slinks because of a hurt, a strain, or some acute attack of
disease, she is not apt to fall into the habit of abortion, pro\aded proper
care is taken to guard against exciting causes at a corresponding period
of her next pregnancy.
When once this tendency is established, however, it is difficult to coun-
teract it, as the slinking is more than likely to take place at times when
the mare is not under observ^ation. If symptoms of casting chance to be
discovered in time, it may be prevented by promptly burning pigeon
feathers, (or those of other birds, if these cannot be obtained), on a hot
pan, or a psm of coals, and holding them so that she will be obliged to
inhale the smoke.
X. How to Raise Colts.
If the colt is healthy and thriving, he should be weaned at from five to
six months old. If allowed to run with the dam after this period, he is
an unnecessary burden to her, since he has already learned to pick up
and devote to his own use other sustenance, and he may most judiciously
be taken away. If at this time the dam is still inclined to furnish milk
80 copiously as to render the udder painful to her, she should be looked
after for a few days, to see that the over fullness does not result in inflam-
mation and swelling. If necessary, draw away the milk by hand once
a day for three days. It is a good plan to keep her at this time on dryer
food than usual, and at more than ordinarily steady work. This course
.vill tend to prevent the secretion of the usual quantity of milk, and the
»dder will soon be dry.
log ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No matter how well born a colt may be he can never amount to
anything if raised a starvelhig. If the dam is what she should be, he
will have been furnished with abundant sustenance from the time of
conception to that of delivery, which is one of the secrets of full-formed,
finely-proportioned, vigorous foals. From foal-time to weaning he will
have been kept vigorous and growing by the quantity and character of
the milk fuiTiished him, together with such little food as he has early
learned to partake of at the manger and in the pasture of the dam . And
now, upon being weaned, it is of the utmost importance that he have
liberal food and suflGicient protection from the inclemencies of the
weather. This must be carefully attended to during the whole period of
growth if he is expected to make any adequate return to the owner.
Bruised oats and bran have been recommended as the very best food to
be given for a considerable time after weaning. In any event let his
food be supplied with regularity ; and it must be nutritious, yet of such
kind and so disposed as to be easily partaken.
He should not be stabled too much, nor in any otner way too closely
confined — being allowed all that range and exposure to out-door weather
common to older stock in the more clement seasons ; but he should never
be left out in cool rains nor in the storms and biting cold of Winter. If
& place is provided in which he may always shelter himself when the
condition of the weather inclines him to seek cover, it will save trouble
and yet insure a natural growth and that hardihood which comes of
sufficient contact with cold and heat. For this purpose a straw rick is
sometimes recommended — so constructed as to furnish shelter on the
leeward side. This will give at the same time both bedding and a light
species of food.
Provision must of course be made for his obtaining readily, and at
such times as the wants of nature ma}^ dictate, plenty of pure water —
the purer the bette/.
Thus much as to food, drink, and shelter. Another point of impor-
tance must not be omitted in his raising, that is, familiarizing him with
his master or with whomsoever has charge of him. He should be
handled sufficiently and in such a way as thoroughly to overcome all
shyness, and to lead him to feel that man is his frietid. This confidence
once established, his training — when the proper time comes for that — will
be easily and successfully accomplished ; his subsequent relations Avith his
master will be always pleasant, and his value thereby much enhanced.
And this, indeed, touches a fundamental principle in the care of all dumb
beasts. Lead them to recognize that man is their friend ; that they can depend
on him to advance their comforts, and to secure their welfare.
THE HORSE, BREEDING AND RAISING. 107
XI. Mides.
The breeding and rearing of mules, so common in many portions of
the United States, requires more than a passing consideration. To obtain
the best results in crossing with the ass demands as much intelliorent care
as in the case of the horse : and the mule-breeder will find it much to his
advantage thoroughly to inform himself as to how these results are to
be obtained.
Many mistaken impressions prevail as to the relative usefulness of the
mule, as compared with the cost of breeding and maintenance.
It is thought by the inexperienced that he is almost equally adapted to
every kind of draft work to which the horse may be put ; that his power
as a pack-animal is much greater than that of the horse ; that his endur-
ance is greater ; that he can subsist on less food ; and that he demands
every way less care. All these things are set down to his advantage ; but
in most instances the impressions are wholly erroneous. As a general
thing, he is not well adapted to road or to city purposes at all. Especially
are hard roads and pavements destructive to him if he is large of body
and disproportionately small of leg. He is not so stout as a horse of
proportionate size ; he is utterly incapable of carrying so great burdens
as some have represented, even if loaded and attended by experienced
packers, — particularly if the journey is to be continuous and the roads
are at all heavy ; his powers of endurance are not greater than those of
the hardier kinds of horses ; he will consume as much food as a horse of
proportionate size, if required to do like work and to maintain a like con-
dition ; and as to care, he can do without it — so can a horse — but both
fail thereby of that eminent thriftiness, sprightliness and longevity which
is to be expected of animals to 'which it is extended.
On the other hand, and to his- discredit, it is commonly thought that
he is naturally vicious, and wholly incapable of appreciating kindly treat-
ment— that the only way to control him is by violence. Hence, those
who handle him generally feel as though they are justifiable in whipping,
beating, kicking and whatsoever other cruelties they may choose to inflict.
This is a grievous, foolish and wicked mistake. The mule has one means
of defense, and his heels are dangerous to those who wantonly provoke
or startle him and place themselves in his way. His long ears are sensi-
live, and by roughly handling them his combativeness is easily aroused,
and distrust is awakened to that degree that renders him almost unman-
ageable. Yet, the mule may be so raised and trained as to make him
gentle, obedient, even affectionate and ready to follow his master like a
dog — so trusty that only the one always necessary precaution need be
observed in dealing with him — to keep out of the way of his heels, which
]08 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
he throws out as instinctively when startled, irritated or approached by *
stransrer, as a cat thrusts out her claws. It has been remarked that
"when a mule gets perfectly gentle, he is unfit for service;" and that,
taken in connection with the prevailing method of training him, is doubt-
less true ; but there is a better way, and, if followed, it would result m
we have stated above.
Now, while the mule is not adapted to everything, and endowed with
powers that are adequate to endure starvation and brutal treatment while
in the performance of hard and faithful service, he is admirably calcu-
lated to meet many of the wants of individuals and corporations ; and his
breeding, rearing and training are matters for intelligent consideration.
For supplying the army he cannot be replaced ; for towing canal boats
he answers admirably ; for hauling cars inside of coal mines, he is indis-
pensable ; for the general knock-about work of a farm he is good in all
temperate climates ; and in a cotton and sugar country, where it is warm
and sandy, he is most especially valuable. Though he cannot endure
everything and still meet every requirement of a heartless task-master, he
is yet gifted with a hardihood that is admirable, and recuperative powers
that are astonishing. Seemingly half dead, utterly broken down and
worthless, he Avill, with a little rest and care, soon be again ready for
service.
In breeding for mules no less attention should be paid to the selection
of suitable mares and a suitable jack than in the case of horses. It is
folly to use old, worn-out, diseased, ill-formed, ill-conditioned mares, and
yet hope to obtain a good foal. As a general thing a great, overgrown,
long-legged mule is next to worthless. He is expensive to keep and
unreliable as a worker — lacking wind, strength and nimbleness. The
medium-sized, clean, compact mule is by all odds the best, unless a team
can be found to combine more than the ordinary height with round bodies,
not disclosed to fleshiness, and larger, stronger legs than usual, with feet
above the common size — which is seldom the case. The Spanish or
Mexican mule — the offspring of stout, close-built, active Mustang or
Mexican mares is superior in endurance to any known in the United
States. He requires less food, takes it quicker, and is always in bettei
fix for travel. If it is more profitable to raise good animals than poor
ones, (and no man of ordinary intelligence can doubt this proposition),
select mares for mule bearing that are sound, compactly built, and yet
without any contractedness of body — active, strong, every way service-
able. Then, the choice of a suitable jack is important — doubly so from
the fact that the great majority of mares breed after the jack in the
matter of legs and feet, and, if it is a good and powerful jack, the foal
will generally bear his marks, which is a matter of some imnortauce.
TIIE HOUSE, BREEDING AND RAISING.
109
since mules so marked are always regarded by experienced stock men as
being most hardy and valuable. The jack should be large — the larger
the better, other things being equal, since it is impossible to find one so
much surpassing in size the mares we have described as to render him
pbjectionable on account of disproportion, as may easily be the case with
110 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
a horse. Most especially must the breeder have an eye to his legs and
feet ; for here, if at all, the mule is apt to be a failure — having a horse's
body, ready to take on flesh beyond his requirements, mounted on legs
that are too slight of bone and too small of muscle, with feet below the
standard size for highest usefulness.
The cut on preceding page is a portrait of a large and powerful Poitou
ass, an animal much valued in that district of France for breeding heavy
draft mules from cart mares. The one here represented has been de-
scribed as being fourteen and one-fourth hands high ; greatest girth,
seventy-seven inches ; girth behind the shoulders, sixty-six inches ; length
of ear, fifteen inches ; ears, tip to tip across, thirty-two inches ; with
hoofs much larger than those of the common ass. Compare him with
the small, light ass, now in too common use among us. The differ-
ence seems to be almost one of kind ; and with these representations in
his mind, no observant stock-grower can be persuaded to put up with a
poor pretense of a jack for the ser\ice of his mares.
As for the treatment of mares that are to be thus bred, no farther
directions need be laid down, since it must be substantially the same as
that prescribed for the breeding of horse foals. The like instructions
relative to weaning, feeding, and sheltering the colt must also be carried
out ; and too much importance cannot be attached to beginning early the
work of familiarizing him with man. He should be taught to regard his
keepers without fear, to allow himself to be haltered, and readily to
submit to direction aiUd guidance. If this is done, he will be easily
trained, when the proper time shall have arrived ; and if properly handled
and judiciously taught then, he will be not only a useful, but a trusty
and agreeable animal.
CHAPTER VI.
HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN A HOBSE.
L AXBRICAN VS. ENGLISH FOALS. U. AT WEANING TIME. III. THE FIRgT LBgSON.^»
rV. TRAININQ. V. TRAINING TO WORK. VI. TRAINING TO BACK. VII. TRAINING
TO SADDLE AND HARNESS. VIH. TO HANDLE A HORSE. IX. HOW TO HANDLE A.
VICIOUS COLT. X. SADDLING AND HARNESSING. XI. HOW TO SUBDUE A VICIOUS
HORSE. Xn. HOW TO TRAIN TO THE SADDLE, XIII. TRAINING TO TROT IN HA*.
NESS. XIV. HOW TO TRAIN TO TROT IN LIGHT HARNESS. XV. HOW TO TRAIN FOR
THE PLOW. XVI. TRAINING TO THE WAGON. XVII. HOW TO TRAIN A RACER. ,
ICnn. TRAINING A STALLION
I. American vs. English Foals.
It is a common remark among Englishmen visiting America that ouv
horses are more easily controlled and managed in the breaking in and
training than English horses, and hence they have been led into the error
of supposing that they were deficient in courage and spirit. Nothing
could be farther from the fact. The true reason is, the growing foals in
the United States are more the companions of the children of the farmer
than in England. They are not as a rule, beaten and abused, and thus
do not find their real powers of resistance as they do in England under
the handling of hirelinsfs of little intellio^ence, and almost no education.
In the United States the fondling of the colts and fillies commences
almost with birth. They are special pets of the boys of the family. On
the farm, and even on the road, the mares are often regularly worked
with the colts running at the feet, a very bad plan for the colts, acd
111
1 1 2 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
especially so for the mares, but which, nevertheless, early accustoms the
youDg animals to strange sights, while it renders them tame and confiding.
n. At Weaning Time.
The true education of the colt or filly should begin early ; at weaning
time. They should then be haltered and taught to lead, to stand quietly
in the stall when tied. After this is thoroughly understood the colts may
then have their liberty, for there is nothing more healthful, or better
calculated to develop those powers necessary to the exhibition of speed,
endurance, or great muscular exertion, than constant, every-day exercise,
which all young animals naturally take in their play, and this often of
the most violent character.
III. The First Lesson.
The first lesson the young foal should be taught is to come readily at
call. This is easily accomplished by pf'oviding one's self with delicacies,
such as sugar and salt, of which horses are especially fond. If there are
a number of them they will all take the lessons together, and easier, for
the most intelligent will assist the others. At the same time they must
be taught to be quiet by a light tap of the whip to unruly ones.
In haltering, the colt or filly should be approached from the near side,
the halter in both hands. Let the colt smell it until it no longer fears it,
when, holding it properly in the left hand the right hand may be passed
over the colt's neck and taking the strap of the halter it may be drawn
on and buckled almost before the colt knows it. In case the colt should
be wild, shy, or vicious, it must be confined in some place where the
halter may be put on, but no haste must be manifested, until at the
moment when it is to be buckled. Then do it quietly and quickly. If
very strong, two ends of rope, each ten feet long, should be attached to
the ring of the halter, and a free passage out of the stable allowed, one
man holding each rope. In the case of a colt three or more years old,
and strong, these ends should be twenty feet long, and the halter should
have a cavcsson so the muzzle will be pinched during violent struggles.
The men holding the ropes — there may be one or more, according to the
struggles of the animal — are not to seek to throw the colt or horse, but
simply to restrain him in his struggles to escape. The A^ard should be
soft so that if the colt falls it will not ))e injured. But if the animal
does fall, when down it should be firmly held so for five minutes, or until
resistance entirely ceases. As a rule, before the expiration of fifteen
minutes, the colt will take a lick of salt from the hand and thereafter
follow quietly. As soon as the colt gives up he should be led to the stable,
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 113
tied, given a little water and fed, and then be left to himself, being
certain he can neither break the halter or injure himself. As before
stated, the foal once haltered, taught to stand quietly, and to lead kindly
it may then be given its liberty until of the proper age for training. The
animal three years old and over once in hand should be thoroughly
broken and made way wise without delay.
IV. Training. ,
The regular training of a colt or filly should begin at the age of two
years past. There are many urgent reasons for this ; first, the animal has
neither the full strength, nor the disposition to resist, that it will have at
a more mature age ; second, it is more tractable, and will acquire its les-
sons more easily ; third, it will not have contracted habits of self-will
difficult to be broken off ; and fourth, lessons in flexions of the body may
be taught that will naturally increase its usefulness in whatever direction
it may be wanted.
In the whole manner of breaking and training the trainer must not only
understand himself, but the young horse as well and also as of special
importance, the particular use for which the animal is intended. If the
colt is of cold blood, that is of no particular breeding, it will not pay to
spend much time on its education. It is simply to be taught to lead qui-
etly, to stand still to be harnessed and unharnessed, to be accustomed to
the ordinary sights and objects he will encounter, to work quietly at the
plow, or other farm implements, and to the w^agon on the road, and to
stand quietly when tied on the public streets. If to be trained as a road
horse, or as a saddle horse, or both, or as a hunting horse, a trotting
horse, or a racer, all these will require special, and sometimes, long con-
tinued lessons according as the animal is intelligent and tractable or
otherwise. It should always be remembered, however, that there is
nothing gained by cruelty and abuse. A contrary animal may be punished,
but it should always be done calmly and with judgment.
V. Training to Work.
The first lesson for any use is implicit and perfect obedience to the will
of the master. This thoroughly accomplished the rest of the task is com-
paratively easy, it is only a question of time. It is supposed the animal
is entirely free from acquired vice, that it has been halter broken, and
taught to stand quietly at the end of tbe halter, to follow quietly, to lead
by the side of the master, and to stand quietly in the stable.
The next step is to procure a bitting bridle, a strong bridle with a heavy
•mooth snaffle bit with a tongue piece and keys depending from the center
114 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
of the ^it, it must also have a check rein that may be lengthened or
shorte^-tjd, and two side straps one on each side. The harness is simply
a very wide strong surcingle, with padded back piece, having at the top a
strap i /id buckle to form a loop for the check rein and also a buckle on
each Sude of the surcingle in which to buckle to side straps. To the rear
of the pad of the circingle is attached a back strap and round crupper
strap, zhe latter to buckle and unbuckle.
Take the harness, and approaching the colt in the stall, let him smell
"t until satisfied, then put it on without undue haste or fuss. If the colt
ii.. nervous or skittish, talk to him and take time. The harness on, put
on the bridle, giving plenty of length to the check rein and side straps,
so the colt will not be unduly hampered, and let it out in a smooth, tight
yard, following it about ^vith thcAvhip under the arm. Sometimes a strong
colt will struggle and sweat violentljs but if he has been properly handled
heretofore, he will take the subjection pretty much as a matter of course.
Let him exercise an hour a day for a few days, tightening the check rein
and side straps gradually, until his head is brought into proper position,
but not a constrained position. When he ceases to fret at the harness,
pass the snap of a leading rope through the near ring of the bit and snap
it into the oif one. This rope should be about fifteen feet long. Taking
the end in the hand, exercise the colt in a circle, allo^ving him to walk if
he will. When somewhat tired let him stop and standing in front of
him, say come, tapping him lightly on the fore-legs with the whip. If he
pulls, hold him firmly, but without undue violence while he resists, tap-
ping him on the fore-legs at intervals, using the word come. He will
soon find the way to escape the whip to be to get near to you. Then
fondle him and give him a trifle of sugar or salt and let him follow to the
stable. So proceed from day to day, exercising him in a circle both to
the right and left, (lunging it is called), gradually increasing his pace to
a fair trot, until he will trork as you want him, turning at the word to the
right or left circle, or to stand and come to his master at the word of
command.
VX. Learning to Back.
This is one of the most difficult thimgs to teach a colt properly, and
one most commonly slurred over. No horse is properly trained for the
most simple use, until he will back as readily and as perfectly as he wiU
go forward. It should be taught him while in the bitting harness, so
that at the command to back he will do so to the extent of one or more
steps. This is done first by stps \ing in fuont of the colt and taking a
Tcin in each hand ; or take hold ^ >. \he rings of the bits themselves. At
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. Il5
the word bach, use pressure enough to curb the neck somewhat, but not
enough to force the body in such a position as to cause the center of
gravity of the animal to be strongly displaced. In backing, a hind leg
should be lifted first, then a fo7e leg, and so on in rotation, the reverse as
in walking. When the animal will back promptly and in line for ten or
fifteen steps consecutively, the fur-ther lessons may be safely left until
the time when the rider is in the sttddle or in the vehicle behind the
horses. Sometimes the motion may bb made by standing at the side of
the animal. However it is accomplished, if strong resistance is made
the lesson must begin again and again until it is entirely comprehended
and well executed. When so, a slice of sweet apple, carrot, a little
sugar, or something the animal likes may be given it.
vn. Training to Saddle and Harness.
We have stated that the colt should be broken at two years old. At
this age, however, it should never be put to hard labor. The work at
two years old should be more in the nature of exercise than anything
else, and this exercise should be to insure proper flexions of the body and
limbs than for the amount of work the animal will accomplish, bearing
in mind always, as before stated, what the animal is designed for. If as
a saddle horse solely, or in connection with light driving, it is absolutely
essential that the flexions should be thorough. The word flexion is but
another name for rendering the head, neck, body and limbs perfectly
supple. The animal must first have been rendered so quiet and obedient
that he will not strongly resist the will and action of the trainer.
Put a bridle with a curb-bit on the colt, being careful to know that it
tits and that there is space between the chain and jaw, so the finger can
be easily slipped between. Standing in front of the horse, seize the right
curb-rein with the right hand, about six inches from the branch of the
bit, and the left rein with the left hand at about half the distance from
the branch. Draw the right hand towards the body, pushing at the
same time with the left, so as to turn the bit in the horse's mouth. If
the horse backs, continue the operation until he yields. When the horse
flexes his jaw and lowers his head, let the left hand slip along the rein to
the same distance as the right, then drawing the two reins equally bring
the head near the breast, and hold it there oblique and perpendicular,
until it is sustained of itself. The horse will give notice by champing
the bits.
The jaw is flexed to the left by a contrary move as given above. So
the horse may be made to hold his head up, and perpendicular, to lower
it, so the trainer can make the horse flex his neck to the right and left.
116 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Standing at his shoulder, the trainer may make him move the hind-legs
to one side or the other, the fore-leirs remaining stationary, or to move
the fore parts in a circle the hind-legs remaining intact, and this by meana
that will naturally suggest themselves.
But in all this there must be no ill temper displayed by the trainer no
matter how bad the horse may act. Even if it be necessary to punish
him the operator must be perfectly cool, never speaking in a loud voice
or doing anj^hing to cause undue resistance in the animal. The object
is to teach the animal subjection to the will of man, and this can never
be done by intemperate violence. Our practice has always been to break
at two years old so the animal may become way-wise, flexible to the bit,
to draw light loads, and under the saddle to walk, trot, or gallop, at com-
mand. Then at the age of three to four years, we let it again have its
liberty The reason of this is, at this age the colt is shedding some prin-
cipal teeth, and therefore not fit for work. If the lessons have been
carefully given they will never be forgotten. If however he be properly
fed, in the stable, he may continue to do light work through his third and
xourth year. In no case, however, should he be put to heavy draft until
he is five years past. As a carriage horse, the animal should not have
hard work until he is the same age. Then he will get better and better
until eight years old, and often do good service at the age of fifteen to
eighteen and sometimes when past twenty years of age. There are more
horses ruined between the ages of four and five years than at any other
age.
vni. To Handle a Horse.
As we have stated, the foal should be handled as early as possible, and
by different persons, to early accustom it to different sights and sounds,
but always gently. It should be carefully brushed so as not to irritate
it ; its feet should be lifted and lightly tapped with a hammer ; a head
stall should be put on the foal having a ring but no strap, but so the
strap may be attached at any time to lead and exercise it. Thus, the
trainer beside it, the colt may be taught to walk, to trot, or stand still,
allowing it to do pretty much as it likes, within bounds. Never beat it
under any circumstances at this age. Reward it with a trifle of sugar,
or a little bread, or a slice of carrot, and fondle it when it has done well.
Remember the future horse is to be the servant of man for ten or fifteen
years of his life, and that it will pay to take pains ^vtth the education of
so noble an animal, if well bred. In this day and generation it is money
thrown away to breed or handle any other, whatever the breed may be.
When the foal is six months old strap a pad to its back and attach stirrup
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 117
leathers so they may flap about. In the Spring following its birth put a
colt's bit in his mouth, with keys attached. Rein him comfortably to the
surcingle, tn which a crupper must be attached. In this, however,
everything must be easy to the animal. Don't try to get his head up. He
may be flexed from time to time, that is taught to open his jaw to the
left and right ; to turn his head to the right and left shoulder ; to raise
and lower his head ; to turn with his hind or his fore-feet in a circle,
those not used being the pivot ; to come to his traiiier at the word ; ta
back, to guide right or left by the rein ; in fact at the age of two years
he may be made pretty well way wise, so that when actually ridden, or
hitched beside a steady horse, there -will be little fear or resistance to
combat. To get him used to the rattling of a wagon, tie him by a lead-
ing strap to the trace buckle of the back band to the off and also to the
near horse in the team. This will instruct him and get him used to the
word, and to walking and trotting quietly. All this may seem like
taking a great deal of trouble, but remember that much of it may b«
done while doing the ordinary labor of the farm.
IX. How to Handle a Vicious Colt.
Suppose you come into possession of a wild colt at three or foar years
old, or one that has never been handled. Put him in a close place like a
narrow stall, where he cannot turn round or by any means escape. Put
on a cavesson halter (a cavesson is a nose-band) and It may end under
the jaw in a running noose, so as to press with force when drawn tight.
Have lunging straps attached to the halter ring and securely fastened.
Allow the young horse free access out of the stable, being careful not to
throw him down before he gets out. Let the yard be rather small, but
quite tight, and with none near except his trainer and assistant, who holds
the ropes. Thus with a strong man to each rope acting in concert tb<i
wildest colt may be handled without danger. Let him struggle and reai
and plunge, the ropes being well spread to each side. If he rear, ease.
on the ropes so as not to throw him, checking him as he comes down
again.
Only one person should speak, the trainer, using only the necessary
words and those spoken in a firm but rather low tone of voice.
Have a good and reliable whip, a long, straight, flexible one, but not
for use except in cases of an emergency ; as in case the horse should
get his liberty by slipping the halter and turn to fight. Then it must
be used determinedly, but without exhibition of temper. If he rushP!»
on you, a sharp, strong cut across the muzzle, avoiding the eyes, to ■ »
followed by others, as necessary. This will subdue him. If he kicks, ;i
determined sharp cut over the hind legs next the body, will tame him.
118 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTTOK.
A self-possessed man, understanding the use of the whip, is in but little
danger from a young horse. But there is no need that the animal es-
cape. The straps and leading ropes must be secure.
When the colt gives up, let the assistant hold the rope, while the
trainer, with the whip under his arm, the butt forward, gently and grad-
ually shortens his rope, advancing to the horse. Take plenty of time,
speaking firmly but soothingly to the horse, watching for any indications
of vice. If the ears are held naturally or thrown forward, all is right.
When mischief is intended they will l)e thrown back. When the horse
allows you to approach him and will smell the whip or your hand, give
him a trifle of salt or sugar, rub his nose gently, and induce him to fol-
low you. Then lead him into the stable and tie him in the stall securely.
From this time on he should have a daily lesson until broken.
One thing must be remembered ; in first tying up in the stable, the
lialter must be so strong that the animal cannot hy any possible means
break it, and so perfectly fitting and secure that he cannot slip or rub it
off. Thus you will never again have to break him of pulling at the halter.
X. Saddling and Harnessing.
The trammg of the horse fairly commenced, it should proceed day by
day. Get him used to the harness and saddle by putting them on every
day. Do not throw them on. Buckle every strap as carefully as though
the animal was to be taken to work. The saddle being allowed to be put
on without restiveness, and kindly taken, gradually draw the girth tighter
from day to day until sufficiently tight so it will not turn. Begin by
bearing some weight upon it, first with the hand and then by pulling on
the stirrup. If the colt cringes at first and leans over to the side pulled
upon, it will soon get over it, and will at length allow the full weight of
the man sitting upright upon the saddle in the stall.
Then accustom the colt to being touched in different parts of the body
with the legs, to be squeezed somewhat with the thighs and knees, mount-
ing and dismounting repeatedly. This being permitted, lead him out of
the stable, and while an assistant holds him by the bridle above the bits
—not by the reins — the trainer mounts, the assistant lets go, and in nine
cases out of ten the horse will move off at the word of command. If he
doe? not, use no haste ; give him time. If he rears and plunges, the
rider must have full command and confidence in himself, or else quietly
dismount and use the previous course until the animal understands what
is wanted. If the rider is master of the saddle, and the horse plunges or
throws himself about, get him into motion in a field of not less than ten
acres, and if rather soft, so much the better ; circle him about the field
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. Ill
until he wishes to stop, and then force him forward until he is thoroughly
tired and subdued. Ride him to the stable, gentle him, wash his mouth,
let him take two or three swallows of water, add a taste of some food
that be likes, and the real work of breaking is done. Thereafter it 'jl
aimply a question of training.
When the horse is to be put to the wagon, know that the harnees it
strong, and that it fits perfectly and easily. If the colt has been tied be-
side another horse on the road, until he is not afraid of the wagon, so
much the better. Hitch him beside an old, thoroughly broken horse,
tying the doubletree back so the steady horse may pull all the load if
necessary. Get quickly into the wagon while an assistant is attracting
the attention of the colt by talking to him and stroking his nose ; pick up
the reins and bid them go. Keep the broken horse in a walk or slow
trot, as the case may be, and the colt will generally take kindly to the
work in less than five minutes. Drive for about half an hour, at a walk-
ing pace if possible, letting the colt have his own way if not too awkward
and ugly, turning from right to left in rather long curves. When the
colt shows signs of fatigue, and certainly before he is tired, but not until
he has ceased resistance, drive to the stable and unharness carefully Aiid
quietly as before described.
XI. How to Subdue a Vicious Horse.
If he be a colt that has never been handled, the directions we haw
given for bitting and training will succeed. If he has been made trickjr
by a previous owner, who was timid, go into the stable when he is tied,
watch him closely, but keep cool and show no signs of fear. Take him
by the head, and speak to him in a firm voice, put on a strong bridle and
curb, and order him to back. If he does not comply, give him a sharp
cut on the fore-legs with the whip, and hold him firmly with the left hand,
standing facing partly towards his rear, but with the head turned so yoo
can see every movement of his eyes and ears. If the stall is not roomy
and high do not attempt it. The struggle is better in a small close yard«
If he rear cut him sharply again over the fore-legs while up, and if h«
kick cut him on the hind-legs near the body, but never more than of ^
stroke at a time. When he ceases to resist, gentle him, and so proceed
until the animal is entirely submissive to your will. If a horse has ac-
quired vicious habits from having- beaten a timid, or worse, brutal master^
the case is more serious. Have nothing to do with him unless fully
assured of your powers to subdue him.
To succeed he must be made to lie down ; to do this confine him in a
■tall so close that h*» cannot turn round in it, and with the near side 90
120 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
arranged that you can approach him sufficiently near to operate in smy
direction. If the hor^e will submit to fondling so much the better.
Under no circumstances use a whip. The work must be done by showing
»He horse that his struggles are always against himself.
Have the side of the stall so arranged that it may be taken down an(*
allow free egress to a yard thirty feet square, with a high board fence,
or, better still, a large square barn floor covered a foot deep with straw
tramped solid. Procure the following articles : a simple single-rein bri- '
die, strong, and kaving a gag bit with large rings and long guards, the
reins to be only sufficiently long so they will lie on the withers ; have also
a strong, padded surcingle, made with a two inch ring at the belly ; also,
one strap an inch and a quarter wide, and three feet or more in length,
with a strong loop to form a slip noose, and a strong buckle on the end ;
and another strap five feet long with the end turned into a loop and firn»ly
sewed ; also two strong knee pads, to protect the knees in falling.
Put on the bridle, buckle on the knee pads, loop the short strap aroui>d
tJbe near fetlock of the fore-foot, raise the foot and buckle the end tightly
around the arm of the fore-leg next the body, thus you have one foot
firmly held up. Put the loop of the second or long strap about the fet-
lock of the off fore-leg, and pass the end of the strap through the ring of
the surcingle under the horse. Do not be in a hurry, and in no case lose
your temper. If it takes two hours, well and good, you have the horse
then perfectly under command however vicious he may be.
See that there is entirely free egress out of the stable and let him go.
Approach him slowly, but without hesitation, steadying him by the voice.
If he show fight do not hesitate, he is on three legs and nearly powerless,
except to bite, or to strike you in the act of rearing. Seize him by the
near bridle rein about twelve inches from the bit, and placing yourself
immediately at his near quarter, or just behind his shoulder, gather the
long strap in the right hand and when the horse rears draw up the other
leg.
If the horse struggles let him do so. It will not be necessary to exert
much strength, simply tact and coolness in steering him. When he
oomes down it must necessarily be on his knees. If he continue tc
struggle let him exhaust himself. It will rarely take over five minutes,
and never ten by the watch. Having him on his knees always seek la
draw the head from you by pulling on the rein that comes over the neck.
Once you have the head turned keep pulling on him until he gives up
completely and lies down. Use no violence on the rein. It is only to be
used to steer or guide the horse. It is the strap that does the work.
However many attempts he may make to regain his liberty it will only
•nd in the more complete discomfiture of the hors^o Once down unlaM
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 121
A lies still hold his head still by sitting on it. When completely sub-
dued, stroke his head, rub him on various parts of the body, soothe and
caress him, and especially handle him wherever he is disposed to b«
touchy, being careful always to be on your guard, that if he resist he
may be immediately checked.
Show him a buffalo robe, an umbrella, or anything he would be likely
to frighten at, and always let him smell it until satisfied. Sit on his side,
handle his feet, tap them, and at last remove the straps from his feet,
and continue to fondle him. If he attempt to rise hold down his head
firmly, and bend up one fore-leg. If he get the advantage do not struggle
with him but let him rise to his feet again. Lay him down until he
gives completely up. He will soon come to lie down quietly at the
word, simply by tving up one foot, and at last will do so at your
bidding without tying. When down and quiet pass your hand repeatedly
over his body, breathe in his nostrils, gently open his mouth, give
him soothing words, and when on his feet give him a taste of some-
thing he likes.
This is substantially Rarey's plan, and it may be practiced successfully
on very vicious horses, as we have done. As a rule, however, the direc-
tions previously given will be found to be fully effectual in bredking
«olt
XII. How to Train to the Saddle.
No person should attempt to break a horse to the saddle unless he be a
thorough horseman himself. It is not sufficient that he be able to stick
on a horse's back with or without a saddle. He must be able to do so,
ftnd without aid from the bridle, when the horse is undergoing any of the
movements likely to occur when on his feet. The bridle is used simply
to steady a horse under certain circumstances, and as a signal to guide
him. If the trainer be not able to ride thus, and with ease to himself aad
the horse,. he has no business as a trainer.
Walking. — A fast walk is the most valuable of all the gaits of the
horse. To walk rapidly is the first and most persistent of the lessons to
be given. To teach a horse to walk fast the head must be kept moder-
ately well up, and yet but little real weight should be borne on the bridle
—only just enough to assist the swaying motion and nodding head always
exhibited in fast walking. During the acquirement of this gait, no other
should be aliowed, and when the horse shows signs of fatigue, the lesson
should end. In this, the seat of the rider is important, it should be easy
and with sufficient grip of the limbs to steady the rider, and with play of
the lowar part of the legs to keep the horse well up to his work, and assist
\22 \LLU8TRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
in increasing the gait. Thus by care and practice almost any horse can
be gotten up to four miles an hour and a really active cue to five.
In breaking to walk fast to the wagon, there should be just sufficient
bearing on the reins to steady the horse. The check-rein should be quite
loose, for no horse can walk fast and easily with his head gagged back in
an viiiiatural position. The horse, however, should be first trained to
walk fast under the saddle, and by the means we have indicated. Then,
when harnessed, he will not forget the lessons given, and may even be
improved in his walk, if not already brought up to his maximum speed.
A naturally slow walking horse may be made to walk much faster ; a
fast walking horse may be greatly improved in his gait, but a lazy, slow
dolt will never pay for any education beyond that of honestly pulling
such a load as he may be able to comfortably move. For the saddle he
is a nuisance, and no attempts whatever, should be made to bring him
out as a riding horse. If a good one, however, bring out his walking
powers. Like the trotter, he will improve until he is eight or ten
years old.
How TO Train to Trot. — ^Every farmer's boy thinks he knows how to
drive a trotting horse to a wagon. Very few really do. iStill fewer un-
derstand-how to trot a horse under the saddle. If properly performed it
is the least exhausting to the horse within the limit of his natural speed,
and need not be unpleasant to the rider. That it is among the best and
most pleasant exercise the horseman can take is without doubt.
Certain drivers have denied that the trot and the pace were natural to
the horse. Every person who has been among the wild horses of the
plains knows the contrary. It is a fact, however, that the trot is but a
modification of the walk. There are two styles of motion for the rider ;
one the rising motion, by which the rider eases himself in the stirrups-
Hot ungraceful when properly performed — the other where the rider
keeps a close seat, supporting himself by the knees and stirrups. The
elbows should be kept rather close to the side, and with only just enough
bearing on the curb and snaflle to keep the horse's head correct and the
animal under perfect command. In fact, under no circumstances is the
rein and bit for any other use but to guide and steady the horse. The
rider maintains his equilibrium, keeps his seat, and renders himself en-
tirely at home in the saddle, through the science of equitation and the
proper pressure of the limbs against the saddle. Until this is thoroughly
accomplished, no i)erson has any business trying to train a horse to sad-
dle gaits. The rider must train himself first.
In the trot, when the rider rises in the stirrups, the snaffle-rein only
•hould be used, a rein in each hand, and once grasped and properly ar-
ranged, the arms must be held rather close to the body, but without
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. IHZ
clinging tliereto. The feet should rest in the stirrup so the heel is well
down, the leg from the knee down fully straight, and moving but little.
The rise and fall of the body must be as slight as possible, only suf-
ficient to escape thumping, and to ease the horse. The head of the
horse should be kept pretty well up, the limbs of the horse well under
control-. The rider will appear to supjiort the horse with the bit. lu
fact, he does not. He simply holds the lioi.sc to his pace.
There is this difference between road i\aiiu and race riding: in riding
for pleasure, the animal is never severely pu^^hed, whatever the gait may
be. In riding a trotting or running race, the animal must put forth ali
his powers, the only object being that he extend himself as much as pos-
sible, and without reference especially to the style of going. As a rule,
race riders are disqualified for riding or trotting a horse gracefully on
the road.
In trotting, always train the horse to slacken his pace and stop if de-
sired, by slacking the rein, and at the word. In square trotting, the
hoofs move in exact time, 1, 2, 3, 4. Some horses acquire a pace denoted
by the time 1,2. With this motion it is difficult to rise easily in the sad-
dle, and it should not be allowed. To ease the horse's wind let him walk
or canter slowly ; or better, give him a jog trot. The jog trot, however,
is under no circumstances to be allowed when traveling on the road in
company. After a hard ride at any gait, it eases the tired horse immensely,
Xni. Training to Trot in Harness-
In trotting in harness the horse is more firmly held than when undej
the saddle, and for obvious reasons. Yet here a dead strong pall is to
be avoided. The horse is simply to be supported and steadied by the
bit. The driver must learn by his own study, and by observing others,
how to do this. The bit must be adapted to the horse. A boring, hard
mouthed brute could not be driven with comfort in a bit that would suit
a sensitive mouth. Very many trotting drivers spoil their horses' mouth*
and make them pullers. The pull of a trotting horse should never be
such as to tire the well trained muscles of the driver, even thousrh it be a
lady. Indeed, one of the best drivers we ever knew was a lady, and she
was superior by the delicacy and yet firmness with which she handled
the reins.
In training to trot in harness, the object should be to keep the horse
squarely to his work, and at the top of his speed, without forcing him
beyond it. In fact, no horse comes to his best trotting speed until he is
at least eight years old.
Do not force him beyond his power, and above all do not rein him m
1C4 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
hard as to make him a borer. One of the best pair of road trotters w»
ever broke, were trained with curb bits, and when under smooth motion
were apparently driven with a loose rein ; such, however, was only ap-
parent ; they had been given such delicate mouths by careful driving
that the least indication kept them in proper form. Below we give two
illustrations : one showing a horse unduly checked and gagged back, the
other with the head in an easy-going position. The use of the bearing
rein is sinipl}'^ to keep the horse from getting his head too low, not to
draw it back in an unnatural position. Under the saddle this is precisely
the use of the curb.
Borse's head wna bearing-rein. horse's head without bearing-reiit.
The Pacing Gait. — This is a gait natural to many horses, and exceed-
ingly difficult to teach a horse that it is not natural to. On the other
hand it is not difficult to make a trotter of a pacer. In pacing, a horse
lifts both feet on a side simultaneously, and on perfectly smooth ground
it may be made an exceedingly fast gait. It is easy to the rider but
Ungraceful in the extreme, from the fact that, as in sculling a boat, the
body is swayed from side to side. If the horse has the pace naturally
he should be trained to increase the pace by precisely the same general
rules for increasing the trotting pace ; by keeping him well in hand and
inducing him by every possible means to increase his stride.
The rack, amble, and single foot, as it is sometimes called, are all but
modifications of the pacing stride and the gallop, just as the jog-trot and
the walk are modifications of the trot.
The amble is a slow, smooth gallop, or rather canter, and must be
taught to the horse under the curb.
The rack is a modification of the pace, the feet instead of being lifted
up simultaneously side by side, represented by the figures 1-2, may be
represented by the figures 1-2, 3-4, that is, the feet are not lifted regularly
as in the walk.
Single foot is a trained rack. It requires patience and time to teach,
«tcept in a horse having a natural adaptation thereto. Once the animal
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 125
catches the idea be sure to let him know that you appreciate it, and wish
him to preserve it.
It is difficult to give written instrucitons, for rules which would accom-
plish the matter with one horse and rider, with another would totally
fail. There is only this fixed rule : The horse must be in complete
subjection to the will of the rider before anything but the natural gait
is attempted. All these gaits, and the canter as well, are taught by using
patience, keeping the feet of the animal well under him, and keeping him
sufficiently well curbed so he cannot extend his stride until he fully
understands what you want of him.
Changing the Leading Foot. — In developing any gait the horse
should be made to start with either foot as desired. It should be one of
the first lessons, taught. To do this turn the horse's head somewhat by
pulling the rein and pressing the heel slightly on the side opposite to the
leg which it is desired to move. This will turn his head and croup
slightly out of the proper line of progression, something that the horse
naturally does when he starts. To change the leading leg, if, for instance,
he is leading with the off fore-leg, rouse the horse, turn his head to the
right, while the left heel reminds him to throw his croup out of line,
upon which, by a peculiar motion the change is effected.
GrALLOPiNG. — The gallop is often stated to be the fastest gait (vf the
horse. This is however not strictly true. When a horse is going at the
top of his speed under whip and spur, the whole animal is extended to
the utmost, the head and tail straight out, and the animal going close to
the ground. The slower he goes the more upright he holds himself, un-
til when in the fashionable canter — the most distressing gait for the
horse — he is almost on his haunches. All that is necessary to get the
horse into the gait is to rouse him, give him a check for the leading foot,
and restrain the gallop to the requirements of the case.
The hand gallop is an easy going pace, both for the horse and the
rider, and may be said to be half speed. The gallop proper is such a
gait as will exhaust the horse in going ten or twelve .miles. Running 19
that gait which cannot be continued longer than from one to three miles
without seriously distressing the horse. Being one of the natural gart«
of the horse it is only necessary to rouse the lazy horse to the prop^
Bpeed, or to check the ambitious one to the pace desired.
XTV. How to Train to Trot in Light Harness.
Trotting in light harness is generally considered to mean, being hitched
to a light vehicle, either single or double and being driven for pleasure.
Used in this manner horses may be driven either with the curb, tha
126 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
cnafflc, or other trotting bit according to the delicacy of the hand of the
driver, or mouth of the horse. We prefer, after they are way wise and
used to the curb, to drive them thus, until they have acquired the proper
carriage, and this entirely without the bearing rein. The object accom-
plished in this is, the horse becomes entirely subservient to the driver but
at the same time learns to rely on himself so far as sure-footedness is
concerned. When he will go in proper form he may be driven with a
trotting bit, until he has learned to extend himself fully, when he may
again be placed in the curb, and if delicately handled w^ill give satisfaction
any where on the road. Thus trained under the curb, when used with a
trotting bit, they may be made to exhibit all the style they are capable of
at an ordinary gait, and niay be shaken up instantly for a brush and ex-
tend themselves to the utmost.
In trotting at any speed the horse must be trained to take hold of the
bit, so he may be steadied by the rein. He must never be allowed to
suppose that this hold of the bit is for the purpose of pulling on. It is
to be used simply to steady himself, and as a means of quick comprehen-
sion of the driver's wishes.
XV. How to Train for the Plow.
In training a team for plowing, they must be made to walk at such a
pace as will lay the best furrow, to walk evenly and straight ahead, with-
out pulling apart or crowding each other, to obey the slightest check of
the driver in laying out lands, and at the end of the furrow to come im-
mediately and quickly about. To this end the reins should be carefully
adjusted, the whiffle trees should be as light as will suffice to do the
work, and the team must never be over driven. In stony or grubby land
they must be kept so completely under control, as never to spring for-
ward when the plow strikes an obstruction.
In turning quartering about at the end, on square lands, in plowing
right handed furrows, the near horse should back slightly, that the off
horse may not step on his feet, and the traces should be kept slack
enough so the plowman may easily enter the point of the plow in the
next furrow.
In back furrowing, the section of the circle described must be that
which will bring the plow, with the aid of the plowman, most easily to
the next furrow, the off horse in this case, keeping slightly behind.
In plowing there is nothing gained by hurrying a team, and then
ftopping to rest. Plowing is hard work because it is a constant strain on
^^rticular sets of muscles. The team, however, may be very much eased
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIN. 127
by the tact of the plowman in holding his team up in plowing through
hard or tough places, by knowing that the harness fits perfectly, and by
always having his plow clean and in a condition to scour.
In laying out land the team should be rather wider apart than when
plowing furrow after furrow, or so the plowman may see the line stakes
between the horses. In laying out lands always have the reins of such
length that they may be carried over the left hand plow handle. Thus
by taking the right hand rein a little beyond the center the hand may
easily grasp the handle. A pull directly back will carry the horses ge&
and carrying the hand forward will tighten the near rein and carry the
horses haw^ while a steady bearing will keep the team in a direct line
ahead.
The only position for the reins if carried otherwise than on the handle
is to carry them just above the hips, and of such a length that when the
team is going at ease they will be loose, and yet may be easily tightened
by the plowman walking a little farther in the rear than usual. With a
hard-mouthed team "feeling their oats" this will do. By the means we
have indicated, if the lines are nicely adjusted, the team may be made to
pulJ on the plow, and once used to this way of driving we have never
known of its being abandoned, except for a time as a change. The
practice of carrying a rein in each hand adopted by some good plowmen
is not to be commended, except with a kind team. In this case to carry
them over the left handle is easier, whether the team be wild or gentle.
In any case the reins should never be carried over the neck It is
awkward, and the team is never under control. Carried over one shouU
der and under one arm is an improvement upon this awkward plan,
XVI. Training to the Wagon.
But little need be said on this score if attention has been paid to >fhav
has been said previously. Upon good roads and with an ordinary load
the team should be kept up to their maximum gait in walking. When
the road is good in some places and bad in others, as country roads
usually are, the load must be such as the team can move by hard pulling
in the worst places. After a heavy pull always give the team a breathing
spell, and in the middle of a pull if the team can start the load once
stopped- This any honest team will do unless the bottom is miry, that
is, unless from standing the team and wheels sink deeper and deeper.
In this case, the only way is to keep going until firm ground is reached.
The average driver is sure to hurry his team in the mud. They should
be taught to pull steadily and slowly, and when started again, after rest*
128 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
ing, to take hold of the load steadily and with a growing impulse until
it moves.
XVn. How to Train a Racer.
The training of racing stock, whether for running or trotting, is a fine
art, and one which it would take a volume to properly describe in print.
There a.re certain essentials, however, which are easily understood, and
which every one who breeds stock for speed should know. The colt
having been taught to gallop easily and naturally, should be put upon
good sound oats and the cleanest hay. He should be carefully blanketed
and groomed and his legs hand rubbed until fine. The exercise should
be daily, upon a good course, and ridden under the direction of a horse-
man who is thoroughly up in his business. When this cannot be, tha
work must be done under the instruction of the master.
In race riding, the jockey throws about all his weight in the stirrups,
steadying himself with the knees and thighs. The seat of the body is
carried well back, the loin slightly arched, so the weight will not; be
brousfht too far forward, as the breech would be if the rider should stand
straight in the stirrups. A jockey of ordinary weight will be found to
carry his leg, from the knee, slightly thrown back ; thus by stiffening his
knee he can change his center of gravity without ceasing to stand in the
stirrups.
Very light jockeys ride with longer stirrups, throwing their weight
principally on their thighs, and with their breech raised entirely from the
saddle, thus giving them a strong hold on the horse. Standing in the
stirrup, however, cannot be long endured, and is only used for fast racing
or galloping over bad ground, rough or deep, or in the case of a hill that
must be passed quickly over.
Training to racing speed on the farm may be summed up as follows :
a smooth track, regular feeding four times a day with the soundest of
oats and hay, with a bran mash often enough to keep the bowels in regu-
lar condition ; the most careful grooming, with plenty of hand rubbing of
the legs ; sweating exercise every day, and thorough cleaning afterwards ;
a trial gallop to extend the limbs, with an occasional spurt to note the in-
crease of speed, and occasionally a fair trial at the distance which the
horse is trained, to test his speed, powers of endurance, improvement,
•nd capabilities.
XVili. Training a Stallion.
The training of a stallion should commence from the time that it is in-
Unded to keep him as such, and certainly from the age of one year.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BREAK AND TRAIlf. 12S
when colts are usually gelded. He should be exercised in a close yard,
first at the end of the halter, and at length without bridle or halter rein,
and made to advance, to back, to circle, to describe a figure eight, to rear
and come down at the word of command, to kneel, to sit on his haunches,
to lie down, and especially to come instantly to Ms keeper at the word
of command.
All this takes time, but is labor well spent, for henceforth his usefulness
as a sire, and escapes from accidents by being kicked, may depend upon
his thorough training. Any observing person will have noted that in
fully half the cases a stallion will be found dragging his keeper about
like a puppet. All this may be avoided by proper care and training, 8o
the horse will retain his full exhuberance of spirit, and yet be entirely
under control.
His care and keeping should be of the best possible, and his daily exer-
cise enough to keep his muscles firm, certainly not less than eight mile*
a day during the season of service. However well trained the stallion,
when it comes to actual service, there is always a time when he may
refuse to obey. Then he must be made to do so at whatever cost, and U>
accomplish the object, the whip must be used to any extent suflicient to
conquer him. Cut sharp and strong, but with temperate judgment. Do
not rain a succession of blows. This will only make him fight. A few
well-directed blows will generally suflice, if they are sharp and cutting.
Do not be afraid oi drawing blood. If it can be done at the first stroke,
so much the better. Give him time to think before you strike the second
time. Give him the order you wish him to execute. If there is the
least hesitation, strike again, and so on until he is conquered. If he has
been properly trained previously, he will handle nearly as easy as a geld-
ing. If not, he may become a brute, dangerous for any man to handle.
Above all, a stallion once trained, never intrust him to an incompetent
keeper, and never allow a valuable one to be ridden during the season of
hard service. If he travels from one station to another, or is otherwise
exercised, it should be with a leading rein, the rider being on anoth^
horse.
CHAPTER Vn
HOW TO SHELTEB.
>lirORTABLE SHELTER ECONOMICAL. 11. CONSIDERATION IN C0N8TRTTCTIN0 STABUHb
' in. MANGERS AND RACKS. IV. HOW TO INSURE A GOOD TEMFERATUKK. V. CLKAM*
INO THE STABLES. VI. THE LOFT. —— VII. THE HARNESS ROOM. — VHI. THB OOT
«HXD. IX. WATER.
I. Comfortable Shelter Economical.
Although the horse is found wherever civilized man has made his home,
aivd has been subjected by barbarian tribes wherever subsistence may be
found Summer and Winter, yet in a wild state he is only found where the
Winter and the Summer climate is mild enough to furnish herbage the
year round. While it is true that the horse will stand weather as inclem-
ent as cattle, yet the owner who subjects either horses or cattle to the
storms of Winter, not only makes no money from them, but deserves to
lose them entirely. Thus the humane man always consults his best
iuterests when he keeps his horse stock not only well fed but comfortably
k^used.
n. Considerations in Constructing Stables.
The first consideration in the construction of a stable is the number of
horses to be kept. After this comes in economy of space in connection
with convenience, ventilation in connection with the health of the horses,
130
THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. 131
4tfid lastly the cost. In the construction of stables the question of
warmth, convenience and ventilation are the prime integers, and whatever
the character of the structure it must combine these three essentials, else
it is a failure.
In the construction of stables the horse and carriage floor, including
harness and tool room, and the loft, in which should be situated the bins
for oats, shelled corn, corn in the ear, meal and bran, with suitable
spouts and slides for delivering the feed on the lower floor, are all that is
necessary. Every stable, however, should be supplied with a ventilating
pipe placed about midway over one of the centre stalls. If there ar«
more than four horses kept there should be two, and one in addition for
each other four, but all connecting with the principal air shaft at the peak
of the roof.
Where the horses are near the ground, and especially if the first story,
or the walls of the whole building be of brick, there should be at least
two courses above the ground laid in water-lime, to prevent the dampness
from the gi'ound ascending up the walls by capillary attraction. How-
ever the foundation be laid there must be perfect drainage, either natural
or artifical. under the stable. Many valuable horses have been lost
through iiiactention to this simple matter.
The size of the stable must of course correspond to the number of
horses to be kept, and the number of vehicles to be sheltered. The
width of the stalls should not be less than five feet each — six is better —
and there should be at least one loose box in every stable, however small.
If there are a number of breeding mares there should be one loose box
to each four horses. These boxes should not be less than ten by twelve
feet. Fourteen feet in depth for the stall is little enough. The travis
or partition between stalls should not be less than six feet six inches long.
If the stable is fourteen feet deep seven feet is better. It should b«
seven feet high at the head and five feet at the rear part.
m. Mangers and Backs.
The mangers and racks should be of the most substantial character,
and, if expense is no object, of enameled iron, as to the mangers, and of
iron as to the racks. If made of wood, oak or elm is a good materiaL
However made there should be no rough edges to annoy the horses, nor
splinters to wound. The top of the cap should not be less than three
feet three inches from the floor, nor more than three feet six inches.
The manger to be about thirteen inches wide at the top, nine inches at
the bottoir and eleven inches deep. The caps may be four inches deep
tnd three inches wide, securely placed. The sides and bottom of tim
132 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
manger may be of inch oak, or other hard wood. If made of pine thty
should be of inch and a half thickness,
IV. How to Insure a Good Temperature.
If the stable be of brick or stone, it may or may not be lined with wood
with an air space between. If of wood, there should always be a lining,
and the sheathing upon which the weather boarding is nailed should be
covered with tarred paper. Ventilation must be attended to ; this is best
secured by orifices at proper distances next the ceiling, that may be
opened or closed at pleasure, and provided with lattice work to throw the
air up when opened. This with the doors and windows in Summer ^vill
give plenty of ventilation and in Winter the ventilators alone will suflSce.
It is one of the most essential points in building a stable in our American
climate, with torrid Summers and Arctic Winters, that no expense be
spared to make the buildings comfortable. We are decidedly in favor of
a vestibule, large enough to hold a harnessed team, or if preferred, if the
carriage room be large enough and separated by a close partition from the
stable, as it should be, this may be made to do. From this the entrance
to the stable may be a sliding door, through which to lead the horses ; the
object being to prevent the rush of cold air into the stable chilling every
horse in it.
Whore more than five horses are kept in a stable we advise a close par.
tition between each four stalls and their accompanying loose box. The
reason is, that in each compartment an equal temperature is retained. It
is not so much the degree of cold that affects horses, as sudden changes
of temperature. Thus each may have its separate ventilation and air
shaft, and conduce very much to the comfort of the animals kept therein.
V. Cleaning the Stable.
Cleanliness in the stable is of the utmost importance. There should b»
sufficient bedding under the horses at all times to insure cleanliness ; all
damp portions together with the droppings should be removed twice a
day. We have never found a better nor more economical way than to
use a wheel barrow, with sides sufficiently wide and flaring to hold the
load a man may handle, in which the manure and damp bedding could be
thrown and wheeled on planks immediately to the pile. Where it ia
thrown out of windows it often heats so as to be offensive in Summer,
«nd in Winter these windows, besides often allowing the wind and storm
to beat in, are objectionable in many ways.
THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTEK. 133
VI. The Loft.
We have already advised that the granary be in the loft, the shoots,
however, should not enter the stable ; first, because they create more or
lesB dust, and second, they are liable to contract more or less effluvia
from the stable. They should communicate with a room by itself, suf-
ficiently large for sifting oats and mixing feed. The granary must also
be made rat proof, which is best done by covering the bottom and two
feet of the sides, and the top with sheet iron. The floor of the whole
loft should also be covered with a tight floor of planks, plowed and
grooved, so that by no possibility dust or trash can drop through ; the
loft should also be high enough to hold straw for bedding, and hay
enough for at least two months' feed. In fact, if it be a farm barn, it
were better to hold enough, if possible, for the Winter. This might de-
tract somewhat from the architectural appearance of the building, unless
the storage and stable room be large below. In any event we should not
build any stable, however small, less than eight feet high, with a loft
above of the same height, and in the case of a large building we should
extend the loft to ten, twelve or fourteen feet as the size of the ground
floor might allow.
Vn. The Harness Boom.
The harness room should be as complete as possible with suitable pegs
for harness and seats or frames for saddles. It should also be provided
with a saddler's horse for sewing .raps, awls, needles, wax, thread, etc. ;
also a table for oiling harness, and if it have a boiler set in a stove foi
heating water, it will often be called in requisition in Winter, not only
for its hot water facilities, but for drying harness and saddles as weU
Vm. The Out Shed.
If the stable is provided with an out-shed for cleaning horses when th*
weather is not inclement, it will be found to save much dust and dirt in-
side. If this shed be a vestibule to the stable, with sliding windows, so
much the better. It may even be used, in case of need, for temporary
•tables or for baiting a double team when it is not considered necessary
to unharness. In fact there are many uses to which it may be put aside
from the protection it would give the stable, in opening the doors in oold
and inclement weather.
IX. The Surroundings.
Every stable should have a smooth, close yard, with a tight high fenot
134 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
•urrounding it, and if one side can be covered with a shed roof, fourteen
feet wide, so much the better. This yard should be about 30 or 40 feet
wide, and if it contains a place in the center of strong posts for a man to
take shelter in from a vicious brute, it is not amiss. We once saw a lifn
saved in this way, from an ugly bull, which broke from his fastening*
and would have killed his keeper but for this safeguard. There should
also be a grass lot near for cutting forage in Summer for soiling, and for
turning in a sick horse occasionally.
X. Water.
The water supply is important. If taken from a well and pump it L»
absolutely essential that there be no contamination from the drainage of
the stables and yards. If a tank can be so arranged that it will not
freeze, build one by all means, and connect by pipes, pumping the water
by means of a windmill. Or the tank may be situated where it will sup-
ply the house, and a pipe laid to the stable underground, ending in a
penstock. In this case, the windmill and tank may be entirely isolated
from the bam or house, and the water carried for any distance, provided
Ui« bead is higher thaa the outflow.
CHAPTER Vm.
HOW TO FEED, WATEB A1ST> GBOOM.
%. LATINO THK FOUNDATION. II. WHAT TO FEED. in. WHEN TO FEED. IV. Win
TBRTNG. V. KIND3 AND QUANTITIES OP FOOD TO BE GIVEN. VI. HOW TO PRR-
PARKTHE FOOD. VU. HOW TO MAKE MASHES, GRUELS AND HAY-TEA. VIU. THB
VALUE OP HAY AND STRAW. IX. FEEDING GRAIN. X. STABLE CARE AND GR001IS<
ING. XI. THE TIME TO CLEAN. XII. CARE OF THE FEET. ^— XIU. BLANEETBOa
WHSN NECESSARY. PROPER TOOLS FOR THE STABML
I. Laying the Foundation.
The feeding of horses must be either simple or complex according to
the circumstances under which they are placed and the nature of the
work required of them. It would, for instance, be as foolish with the
farm or ordinary work horse to pamper with fire- warmed stables, highly
stimulating food, and exquisite grooming, together with all the parapher-
nalia of blankets, hoods, bandages for the legs, and necessities of tht
trotting or racing stable, as it would be to allow this latter class to re-
ceive only the same care and attention usually bestowed upon the team kept
solely for the plow and other drudgery of the farm. At the same tim«
the extremes to which horses are subject, either on the farm or in racing
•tables, might well be modified in very many cases to the health and w«Jk
185
136 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
being either of the farm horse or the pampered and high-bred racei.
That is to say, racers are often "drawn down" too fine, and the ordinary
work horse too often suffers from neglect. Thus in the first class we see
a number of diseases seldom shown in the stables of horses with suf-
ficient care, w^hile the stables of horses carefully kept seldom suffer with
the class of diseases found when horses are allowed to go dirty from day
to day, and often from week to week.
To commence at the beginning, the breeder who would succeed with
any class of horses, should see that the mare, while carrjdng the foal,
has sufficient food and shelter, and that the foal itself is sufficiently nour-
lAed during the period of growth. Nothing is gained by insufficient
shelter and food, whatever the use for which the animal is intended, and
this brings us to the question of the food itself.
n. What to Feed.
In the West the feed of all horses of whatever class is oats, Indian
•«rn, bran and hay. Whatever the work to be done, bran should always
be kept, since a horse being off his feed, or slightly ailing from any
cause not indicative of violent disease, bran mashes with good nursing
wjftl bring him out all right in nine cases out of ten. So, in the Winter
"when horses are confined to hard food, a bran-mash once a week should
be given, and this generally on Sunday morning. On the farm there is
Hothing better than an occasional feed of roots — carrots, Swedish turnips,
or mangel wurtzel — being valuable in the order named. If a peck of
these could be given daily as an evening or noonday meal, the good
effects of this feeding w^ould be quickly shown. For the mares before
foaling time, for the farm or draft horse, for the carriage horses of the
citizen, and even for the fast driven roadster, or racer, when not being
driven to exhaustive work, these will be found valuable.
The foal itself should be learned to eat roots as quickly as possible,
auo.d if the mare takes kindly to them it will not be a difficult matter for
the foal to learn to eat them. As to the other food of the young colt or
filly, oats alone with grass or hay, according to the season, should be
allowed. In the Winter, half oats and half corn may be given with ben-
efit, unless the young things are intended for racing or trotting, and are
kept in warm stables ; then Indian corn would not be desirable, as being
too heating under the circumstances.
For the ordinary farm team, or other horses of slow work, Indian corn
may be the main dependence in Winter, in connection with good hay ;
especially so if a few roots can be allowed as a portion of the daily
Wroveoder. For fast working horses, sound oats and hay will be tb*
THE HORSE, HOW TO FEED, WATER AND GROOM. • ISf
principal dependence, but in the Winter we have always giren ome-thiri
of the weight of the daily grain ration in Indian Corn, and we have aiwajv
thought, with decided benefit.
ni. When to Feed.
The importance of strict regularity in feeding is underestimated by
nine-tenths of the ordinary feeders, and by fully one-half of the stable-
men having the care of well bred horses. The horse, for whatever pur-
pose he is used, if actively employed, should not get less than three feeds
a day, besides the hay he eats during the night. All fast working horses
should have four feeds a day. The hours of feeding are of prime im-
portance. These should be, as closely as possible, at six in the morning,
at noon, and at six at night, except at those pressing seasons of extra
labor, when the morning feed may be an hour earlier and the evening
feed an hour later. In this case, however, nose-bags should be carried
to the field, or they should be turned to the wagon at 10 A. M. and at 4
P. M. to take one-third their usual allowance, as given morning and
evening, which meals, as a rule, should be rather more than the noonday
feed. When corn is the main dependence as feed these lunches should
be of oats, and if bruised so much the better.
Fast working horses should receive their food four times a day, at six
in the morning, at ten, at two, and at nine at night. Carriage horse«
should be fed the same number of times, the first feed being at six, and
the last after their real work for the day is done, say at nine at night,
since simply going to some place of amusement at eleven o'clock oi
later can hardly be called work. The mid-morning and afternoon meala
will depend upon the hours at which they are generally used, nine A. M
and 1 P. M. being the usual times for feeding.
IV. "Watering.
Watering and the water used is of fully as much importance as t%&
feeding. A horse is particular as to the water he drinks, but yet may be
accustomed to any water without detriment if it be fit for human use.
The water of large lakes, rivers and running brooks is best and in the
order named. That of ponds without outlet or inlet the worst ; in fact
pond water should never be used ; well water is altogether better and may
be given without fear, when used constantly, but as with man, the hors»
accustomed to lake or river water, which is always partially soft, should
be given well water, when necessity requires, with care and only in small
quantities, the change being gradually made. Water should always Im
138 ILLUSTIJiriSD STOCK DOCTOR.
effered before feeding, and never given in large drafts immediately after
feeding ; two to four quarts may be given with benefit immediately aftei
dry feed, to properly moisten the stomach, and it may be freel}^ given in
two or three hours after feeding. When driving, water should be offered,
especially in hot weather, at every stop, but only a few quarts should be
taken at a time, for a heated horse, like a heated man, will take more
than is good for him. Upon stopping, wash the horse's mouth with a
tponge soaked in water, and let him swallow each time two or three light
fiips, just enough to moisten the throat, and upon starting give him four
to six quarts each as the occasion seems to demand. Under no circum-.
stances allow a heated horse to drink heartily. Farm teams and slow
draft horses, at ordinary labor, may be allowed what they will naturally
drink, but when heated the same rule must be observed as with hard
driven horses. With these simple rules kept in view any intelligent owner
or driver may keep his team fresh and without danger.
V. Kinds and Quantities of Food to be Given.
We have already spoken of the proper food to be given under ordinary
circumstances ; they are sound, whole grain, and bright, clean hay. Cer'
tain classes of horses, as omnibus horses, stage horses, car horses, and
the draft horses of large mercantile firms in cities, are generally feci
ground feed and cut hay. When the hours of feeding and rest may be
estimated with accuracy, this is on the whole as conducive to the health
of the animal as may be, when the economy of such feeding is considered,
especially when we remember that in large cities a regular veterinary sur-
geon is employed, who visits the stables regularly to look after the well-
being of the horses, and also where the superintendents and foremen are
supposed to be experts.
On the farm, and in the stables of road-driving horsemen, and where
carriage horses are kept, cut feed may very properly and economically
form from one-third to one-half of the daily food given. When only one
feed is given it should be in the morning ; when two are given, they
Bhould be the morning and evening feeds.
As to the quantity to be given, no definite rule can be laid down. The
'horse must have a quantity fully sufficient to keep him well up to his
work. Hard working horses may, if regularly fed, have what grain and
bay they will eat clean, and in this case there is no better. judge than the
animal itself, except in the case of ravenous gluttons, sometimes found
among horses as in the human family. Ela])orate rules have been laid
down by theorists, including a per cent, of grain according to the weight
«f the animal. In practice they will not work, since the labor, conditiou
THE HORSE, HOW TO FEED, WATER AND GROOM. 139
of the animal, temperature of the season, and of stables must be xjonsid-
ered. In the large omnibus stables where all the work is to be got out
of horses that they can endure, from ten to fourteen pounds of cut hay
per day are given, with from eighteen to twenty pounds of corn meal.
Mix into provender, and on it they vnW go from eighteen to twenty miles
each day. With this about three pounds of salt may be allowed each
i month. Some stable men do not feed nioic than one pound, arguing that
a large quantity produces profuse staliu.r ; others feed up to four. In
times of extra severe labor the cornmeal is increased by about thr^e
pounds. It would be better if the three pounds of meal where omitted
and one extra feed of six quarts of whole oats be substituted, and given
daily. The average hvery horse may be kept in good condition on twelve
pounds of hay and eight pounds of cornmeal daily, to be given at two
feeds with the addition of six quarts of oats at noon, eight pounds of hay
to be fed cut, with the meal, and four pounds from the manger. This
same feed would do for ordinary farm horses at usual work, or if the
grain is fed whole, five quarts of shelled corn, or its equivalent in ears,
and six quarts of oats, with what hay will be eaten should keep the ani-
mal in working condition.
VI. How to Prepare the Food.
In preparing chopped feed, half the hay to be used, or clean, bright,
long straw cut into about three-quarters to one inch lengths, should be
put into the mixing trough half an hour before it is to be mixed, and
thoroughly moistened. On this throw the meal, mill-feed, or whatever
article is to be used, and moisten it. Then cover with sufficient hay to
make the mess for the desired number of horses, weighing both hay and
meal. Let it stand until feeding time, when the whole should be worked
over and over until thoroughly mixed. If salt is given with the mess,
put in the required quantity for each horse, from one-quarter to half an
ounce per horse each feed. Many stablemen mix the mess half a day in
advance, but this we do not like. Horses, like men, like their food
fresh. An iron box is best for mixing, and it should be thoroughly
cleaned after each meal.
Vn. How to Make Mashes, Gruel and Hay-tea.
The ordinary sweet mash, as usually made, is to take four quarts ot
good bran, moisten it gradually with hot water, and then mix with what
boiling water will bring it up to the proper consistency for eating, cover-
ing it with a cloth and feeding either warm if the animal will eat it * «
t^O ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
or else cold. What salt will lie on a quarter dollar may or may not ba
mixed with it.
A better mash, especially for dry fed horses, is to boil two quarts of
oats and a pint of linseed, for each horse, for about throe hours, and tnen
mix with it sufficient bran to bring it to a proper consistency. Cover with
a cloth and feed cold. Such a mash given once a week, if the horses are
OR average feed, will keep their bowels in condition. If off their feed,
add a little salt and a half jiint of molasses.
Gruel is one of the best possible things for a beaten out horse. Stir
gradually in a gallon of water, a pint or a quart of oat-meal, or half flour
and half corn-meal, according as the horse likes it thick or thin, and fill
up the pail with cold water. If the horse hesitates about drinking it,
give him first a mouthful of water. If he be very tired a quart of sound
ale will do him good, but under no circumstances, when exhausted, should
he be given a feed either of grain or hay. If the horse will take nothing
else, turn down a bottle of sound ale, rub him until dry and refreshed,
and then feed.
Hay TEA is also a good stimulant. To make it — fill a bucket three-
quarters full of bright, clean hay, pour over it enough boiling water to
fill the pail, and cover tight, to keep in the steam. Press the hay down
occasionally, let it stand fifteen minutes, turn off, and add water enough
to make a bucket three-quarters full. Give to the horse when the liquid
is cool enough to drink.
Vni. The Value of Hay and Straw.
In the feeding of horses the principal use of hay is to distend the
stomach. For this reason lean horses, and those just off the pasture on
coarse feed, require more than those which are regularly stabled and
groomed. The change to grain must not be too sudden, else indigestion
is apt to set in. Once a horse is used to full rations of grain, if oats are
used, or corn meal and bran, he may get along daily with from six to
eight pounds of hay a day. The hay, however, must be of the very
best, bright, clean and free from dust. There is no economy in feeding
bad hay. It is the cause of heaves, broken wind and other diseases
produced by indigestion. Good clean straw is altogether better than
poor hay. Straw is altogether the best material for bedding, and should
always be used when it can be had. In the West it is plenty, and yet
not one farmer in ten uses it for bedding in sufficient quantity or renews
i*oft«^ '^n'Tigh.
THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. Hi
IX. Feeding Grain.
The most economical way of feeding grain on the farm is in its wholo
state. Oats and corn should be shaken in a sieve with a mesh so small
that it will not go through, all dust and light matter blown away, and all
stones, bits of iron or wire, carefully picked out. It will pay the farm-
er to do this as well as any other stable man. In feeding corn allow
one-half the measure ©f shelled corn that would be deemed sufficient of
oats, since corn weighs about double that of oats. If corn in the ear
is fed, one-third more by measure heaped should be allowed than when
shelled grain is used. In other words the stable must use seventy pounds
of ear corn when fifty-six of shelled corn would be given, or 112 pounds
of oats.
Some horses eat their grain better for being moistened. If so, moisten
it, but as a rule we like to feed whole grain dry, since the horse is obliged
to grind it better to get it in condition for swallowing. Horses with bad
teeth always bolt their food whole. All such horses, and also aged ones,
should be fed cut hay and ground feed.
X. Stable Care and Training.
The importance of steadiness and care in the management of the stable
and in the cleaning of horses cannot be over-estimated. A brutal stable-
man, or one which a horse fears, should be immediately discharged.
There is indeed now and then a horse that requires to be kept in terror.
These of course are exceptions. The competent stable-man should use
neither fear nor brutality. Not half the so-called strappers (cleaners)
are fit to be about a horse.
Many stable-men imagine the curry comb is an instniment for cleaning
the legs and body of the horse. It is an instrument for cleaning the
brush and for loosening the scurf on the fleshy — not bony parts of
the body. In using the curry comb, do so lightly, carrying it in circlea
rather than in straight lines. Use a wisp of hay for rubbing the dust
from the legs, and a corn cob for the fetlocks, finishing with the brush.
In brushing, do so thoroughly, with firm, long strokes, where possible,
being careful in working about the head and bony parts. Clean the
brush often by passing it over the teeth of the curry comb. When the
scurf and dust are thoroughly cleaned out, go over the horse with a damp
wisp of hay, and finish with dry cloths, being particular to get any
particles of dirt out of the fetlocks, the ears, about the head, next the
tail, below the thighs, under the jaws, and between the fore-legs. A horae
142 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
thus cleaned, whether he belongs to the farm or the city stable will not
occasion ehame on the part of the owner.
It is a question among horsemen, whether when a team comes in wet
and muddy at night, it is proper to wash them. We have never fouild
advantage in so doing. Clothe them warmly, bandage the legs loosely,
and when dry, clean them, at least so far as removing the dirt, and getting
up a glow at the surface is concerned. Thus handled, horses will seldom
be found liable to surfeit, scratches, grease, and other diseases induced
by checking the natural perspiration.
XI. The Time to Clean.
Clean when the horse is. dirty. Always once a day when the horse is
kept in the stable. Horses that run in the fields in Summer, or in the
shed yard in Winter require no cleaning. Nature provides a natural
scurf that defends them from the changes of the weather. Before work
horses are littered down for the night they should be again thoroughly
cleaned if necessary. As, for instance, if the animal has been on the
road or in the field ; it is important and will lighten the morning cleaning,
apart from real necessity of the case.
Whenever the horse comes into the stable from the plow or wagon, for
the day, he should be thoroughly cleaned when dry enough ^ and if sweat-
ing or otherwise wet should be thoroughly scraped at once. The scraper
is a thin, flexible piece of wood ; a section of barrel hoop makes a good
one. In any event a horse once in the stable, clean him thoroughly, un-
less he be taken out again after being "baited." If he remain in the stable
long enough for the operation, clean him especially as to the limbs, and
if there is time, as to the body. It may seem like a good deal of work,
but it will pay.
Xn. Care of the Feet.
The feet are half the horse, in fact a horse with bad feet, is as near a
worthless animal as possible. Attention to the feet is therefore of the
first importance. In this connection shoeing is to be attended to. Know
that the blacksmith understands his business. There are as many igno^
rant botch-workmen in cities as in the country. The horse's foot should
be a study, and every horseman should understand the anatomy of the
foot ; this will be given in its proper place. How to care for the feet is
in place here. When the horse is brought in from work, each foot should
be lifted, cleaned, and examined with the picker to see that no gravel or
•ther hard substance has found lodgment between the shoe and hoof, or
THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. 143
about the frog. Examine the frog to see that no substance is wedged
therein, and that no nail or other sharp object has pierced the sole. If
the hoofs are inclined to be hard and dry, fill them with a mixture of
cow-dung and clay, or with oakum saturated with tar and petroleum.
Watch them for contraction of the hoof, caused by allowing the shoe to
remain on too long, or from bad shoeing. If the frog gets torn and rag-
ged, cut the ragged edges but leave the frog intact. If the hoof be found
pierced with a nail, and you are not perfectly sure you have pulled out'
every bit, cut it out at whatever labor it may be to you, or pain to the
animal. Then dress the wound with a pledget of tow saturated with tar.
If the hoofs are inclined to be hard and brittle, oil them occasionally, or
let the horse stand, say for an hour or two, or for a half day on Sunday,
in a box of soft clay and cow-manure, coming prettywell up the hoofs.
Thus by the exercise of care and judgment you may keep the feet, what
they ought to be, the better part of the horse.
Xiil. Blanketing— When Necessary.
A blanket is always necessary when the horse is standing in the stable
in Winter. A light sheet is about as necessary in Summer, during fly
time. A blanket should always be thrown over the horse in cold weathev,
or even in the cool weather of Spring and Autumn, when standing after
being driven. A horse should always be blanketed when standing in a
draft, or in the rain, using a cloth or rubber blanket as the case may be.
In blanketing a horse, see that the blanket is sufficiently large to cove^
the animal from the neck to the tail, see also that the breast flaps are
sufficient to protect this sensitive part, and that the blanket is Urge
enough to cover the sides and flank fully. If nov^ do not buy it at any
price. Buy a blanket for each horse, and having them use them when
necessary, buckling them on so they will stay. Very many stable-men
have a number of blankets for each horse ; this is well enough if they can
afford it, but one blanket to each horse, with enough in reserve so a dry
blanket may be had as occasion requires, and with a good surciMgle to
•ach blanket, is all that is really necessary.
Xrv. Proper Tools for the Stable.
The tools necessary for cleaning a horse properly may be very few or
many. As a rule any horse may be properly cleaned with a scraper, a
curry comb, a brush, a sponge, a comb, a wisp of straw, and a rubbing
cloth. Horse pails both for washing the horse and for watering are in.
dispensable to any stable but never use one for the other. These shoulcj
144 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
be of oak, half an inch thick, and with strong iron bails, and to hold
fourteen quarts. The set of cleaning tools should be provided for every
two horses. Every stable should have two manure forks, one of steel and
one of wood, splint broom, a scoop shovel, and a wheel-barrow. With
these any stable may be kept clean, and if the eye of the master is kept
on the help, the horses will not suffer for want of care. And these essen-
tials to a stable, and the treatment suggested, are urged on the score of
economy. They^ay. We also urge them from humane considerations,
and those of neatness and system . In all respects kindness and attention
to a horse axe both satisfactory and remunerative.
CHAPTER IX.
BEICEFITS OF KHTD AND CABEFCTL TBEATUEHT.
k. .ABO00O A FAITHFXJI, SBRVAKT.—^n. WHAT ARE BARBARrmS. ni. A FICTCTai >WM|
U7B. IV. THE OTHSR SIDE. V. A GOOD FARMER'S SURROUNDINGS. VI. FAJUC^
unthrbpt's barn. — — vn. his home. — — vin. the carefui. man's theort.— — cp
osiNa the josans ws have. z. AN 1NFAI4LIB1.B rule.
L Abusing a Faithful Servant
The horse is the most useful servant of man, as he is one of the moefe
noble of animals. He is fortunate if he falls into the hands of a kind
and considerate master. Fully one-half of the horses used in civilized
countries are driven by persons brutal in ♦^heir temper and instincts, who,
coming into possession of a horse suffering from disability, inflicted by
some former owner, or perhaps reduced in value by age, are sold for »
3ong, and thereafter the poor tortured brutea wear out a most miserable
existence, until at length they drop in their tracks, literally driven to
death. This picture is not overdrawn. Go into any of our cities, and
on to many of the farms of the land, and see animals in every stage of
incurable disorders. On farms horses disabled for city use m the posse*
•ion of some renter, whose only aim seems to be to see how soon and on
how little food he can wear out the miserable animal. Contrast thcM
With the horses that are carefully fed and cared for, and by actual count
the result will be surprising even to a veterinarian.
As a rule, the horses of the better class of farmers fare the best. They
•re not pampered, it is true, neither are they overdriven or overworked.
If they remain on the farm, they are capable of full work until they aM
146
146
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
twenty years old. How many arrive at this age? Not one in fifty. TWi
most of them die under seven years of age.
n. What A.re BarbEirities.
Their name is legion. It is barbarous to overload or overdrive aii>
^^\9 ' U) or'nQ them insufficient food and water ; to allow them to stAud
TllK TBAM OF THK CKUBL AND IMPROVIDENT MASTER, AND THE USUAL SURROUNuINGfl
day after day uneleaned and in filth, denying them even the poor boon of
rleaning themselves ; to work them during the progress of spavin or rin^
hone, navicular disease, with corns, gravel, or other painful ailments of
THE HORSE, KIND TREATMENT.
14Y
the foot ; to let them stand shivering in the cold, or in apologies for sta-
bles, in inclement weather without blankets ; to drive them in the mud
and Tnire and neglect to clean them ; to ride them under torturing sad-
dle*, or to drive them in galling collars and harness ; to use badly fitting
*HE TEAM OF THE KIND AND CAREFUL MASTER, AND THE NATURAL SURROUNDINCB.
or torturing bits, and then jerk their tender mouths because their agon,^
will not allow them to carry their heads directly in line or go straight
ahead ; to ride or drive through deep mud at a pace which quickly ex-
hausts the animal, and then beat with a loaded whip, because they flag,
or spur them until their sides are a gore of blood ; to keep the poor
148 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
•Features in terror, from fear of the whip, and then beat with renewed
vigor because the innocent brute does not comprehend what the master
reallv does not know himself ; to give the faithful servant over to th*
tender mercies of some man who calls himself a blacksmith, who either
pricks him with a nail, pares down the hoof and the frog to the quick.
and then because the poor animal cringes, holds back or perhaps stum-
bles, beats him for it. Such are a few of the more common of the
cruelties inflicted, and which may be seen day by day by any who will
notice. A man cannot pass along the streets in any large city, on any
day, without seeing some of these things.
The observing man need not travel far in the country to see some such
picture as we present of the farmer who believes in letting his stock shift
for themselves when not at work, and is careful not to over-feed when
they struggle with the plow or wagon.
m. A Picture from Life.
But, sav some readers, the picture on page 146 is a fancy sketch. Not at
all. It is drawn from life. The superannuated, rat-tailed horse, with
one ear gone, blind, spavined, ill kept and ill fed ; the mule, still more
rat-tailed than the horse, intact only as to his ears, the broKea-down
fence, the edge of the marshy pond, serving as a wallowing place for
hogs, and as a watering place for the family and stock ; the dilapidated
stable ; the log cabin — all are true to life. There is but one redeeming
feature in the whole scene : the wife begging that a little land may be
left in front of the house unplowed. "Will it be granted? Not so.
The ragsred edged plow will cut as close to the corner of the cabin as
possible, and then bear off in a circle in the near distance beyond. Land
is too valuable to spare any next the house, but the weeds and dilapidated
fence tell a tale of plenty of land bcA^ond. If the traveler chose he
might learn the cause of all this. A history made in the comer grocery
of the village, over the broken bridge.
Contrast this with the companion picture we give on page 147, and
which tells a very different tale.
IV. The Other Side.
It is of the farmer who is well-to-do by his own tact and energy. His
team is trained to almost human intelligence. Strong, able horses, whose
dams were kindly worked and carefully fed. When foals they were early
teu^ht to take their oats. In Winter they were carefully housed, their
training commencing within a few days of their birth ; broken in at two
THE HORSE, KIND TREATMEN1 , 149
y«ars old, worked gently, and at three past given full Iibeil> again until
four. They are now six years old, trained to go without £nes, a grnr
and a bay; well bred; weighing 1250 each; capable of going a nJie in
four minutes to the farm wagon. How much think 3'ou they are worth?
Let us whisper it ; $800 has been refused. A foolish farmer is he noi,
to keep so much money in 2^ farm team? Perhaps not. He aska $1200^
and he will get it. He has fulfilled the conditions we have given as to
breeding, feeding, watering, care, shelter, breaking and training. The}?
have lacked for nothing he could give them, and in turn refuse nothing
they maj be able to do for him .
V. A Good Parmer's Surroundings.
The surroundings of a man in any condition in life, whether he be rich
or poor, are an index to his character The animus of all men is to make
money, but some possess in connection, a love of the beautiful. Without
method in labor no man can be successful. The farmer who has method,
and an eye for the beautiful, and onl}^ comfortably well off, perhaps, will
show his bam yards and surroundings something like the following iU*»«
tration ;
THE BARN OF THE PROVIDENT MASTER.
His oams are tight and ample, and filled to the ridge-pole with foddei
His yrrds are protected with shelter-belts and wind-break?. hi<j pasture*
and meadows ample and luxuriant, and his crops well tilleil and hearjr.
Inside his bams will be found a place for everjlhing and everything ^
Hs place.
VI. Farmer XTnthrift's Bam.
On the other hand we give a view of the bam of the improvident masteT
His well, simply a hole in the ground where the drainage of the 3'ard n^.t>
enter, the roof of the hovel rent and torn, the delapidated doors propped
10
150
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
op with rails, the weather-boards fallen or falling off, and the whole thing
shaky, like the master's mind. Fine stock, fat, and well groomed, have
come out of hovels of barns ; they
were made warm and comfortable. It
is not the most expensive structures
that always contain the best stock,
but in the end the better barn will b«
built. ^Ve have never seen good
stock issue from such a bam as we
have shown, and it only needs to show
the house the farmer lives in, with
its brush heap, its line of ragged
clothes, the ragged, dirty children,
«nd generally dilapidated appearance, to complete the pictorial story of
neneral unthrift
Vn. Farmer TTnthrift's Home.
FARMER VXIHRIFTS BARN.
FARMER UNTHRIFT'S HOME.
Suob a man will raise his colts from spavined and broker down mares ,
mey will shift for themselves upon scanty pasture in SumUi r, ai d in the
brush in Winter. He believes in hardening his stock, and he (V^s it j
hardens them into "runts," not worth a month's keeping. They are
literally broken to work, broken in body and temper with cruel blows j
they are halter-broken too, the halter is a rope knotted a!)0ut the neck,
like the poor old horse shown on next page, tied outside the bani for th«
benefit of the fresh air it may get ; a starved out skeleton horse, contein-
platin"" the skeleton of a barn. Even in such a barn there are cajjabilitir
that may be utilized for comfort. It may be reshingled, and r^ew ch.]
hoarded, and the doors hung on their hinges. It may even bf) patched
^p 80 as not to leak, and be banked up to keep out the cold. But will ft
i
THE HORSE, HOW TO SHELTER. 151
»e? Hardly ! The picture of the old house, the wreck of a horse, the
old rope around the neck, the rotten barn, all tell of more money spent
at the dram-shop than for the maintenance and comfort of the family oi
the well-being of the stock.
THK BARN OF THE CRUBL MASTER. A MODEL HALTER ON A MODEL COLT.
Vin. The Carefiil Man's Theory.
As an accompaniment to this we give an illustration of a well-kept
colt in a model halter for unbroken horses. By slipping both ends of
the chin strap through the ring of the tying rope, it is a halter for a well
broken horse. The man who possesses such stock and fixtures may not
be rich ; probably is not, but he is a careful, thinking, reading, method-
ical man, who believes in doing everything well. He uses no cruel
bridles, gives his colts no excuse for getting cast in their halters. Hia
harness seldom galls the team, and when it does, it is remedied at the
first indication. However dirty his team goes into the stable, it always
comes out clean and blooming ; not only this, such a master never finally
leaves his team for the night, after a hard day's labor, until it is dry, well
groomed, well littered down, and in every way comfortable for the night.
In the morning his team are always ready for the field or road ; and
however eager or spirited they may be, will travel along together, eithef
ahead of or behind the master, and looking like the picture that we hem
give on following page — a lordly team, that only could belong to a kind
and considerate master.
They are not too many. The cruel, or shiftless, or drunken master*
are plenty enough. The farm stock of many get barely enough to eat»
and that in an irregular and improvident kind of way. They never paB
rery heavy loads, the master has not many to haul, and he believ* s Ml
152
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
skim plowing. When he comes home, he "runs them into the barn/'
Buch as it is ; or they take the yard for it, and in the morning very closely
xeuemble the picture on the left •
TBAM OP THE KIND MASTBR.
TEAM OF THE CRUEL MASTER.
A "humped up," hungry, thirsty pair of servants to a cruel, because
improvident master.
Such a man may not be cruel in the sense of beating. He may be
really a kind-hearted man, a good neighbor, "thoroughly honest, as the
world goes," he may even be a good Christian man, or think so at
least. He is cruel nevertheless. More cruel perhaps than the brute who
belabors his beasts and then repents. Cruel in his improvidence, in his
neglect of his farm and his stock.
HIS DOOR-TARD GATE.
UlS FIELD-GATE
Is it any wonder that in the morning the team should be found in tho
yard, waiting for their breakfast. The wonder is that there should b«
anyth.ng, either in the house or out for either man or beast to breakfast on.
If to neglect we add a cruel or brutal disposition, the animals of the
firm are to be pitied, and the household likewise pitied, and pra^^ed for.
This chapter is pictorial, and not particularly given to practical infor-
mation on the care of horses. It is a chapter of contrasts, and given
deliberately, as indicating far more eloquently than mere words can, the
^fference between careful and kind treatment of stock, and cruel of
THE HORSE, KIND TREATMENT. 153
neglectful treatment. It is, in fact, the story of thrift and unthrift.
We expect few whom it might benefit will see it. The unthrifty man
whom we have depicted, seldom sees books, and we might almost say,
never buys one. Those however who do, may perform good missionary
work among the class we have represented, by showing them how quickly
thrift will follow good intentions, religiously kept, backed up by honest
hidustry, guided by careful judgment, and accompanied by a will to
perform. It will repair houses and barns, build gates and fences, culti-^
vate smiling fields, rear and train good stock, lift the mortgage off the
farm , educate the growing family, and bring comfort and happiness to a
once cheerless and suffering family.
IX. Using the Means We Have.
In the foregoing;, it is not to be understood that expensive appearances
are necessary for training a horse, neither is it to be understood that
costly buildings are necessary. We have stated more than once that any
farm animal may be kept in the most comfortable manner, in a structure
made of poles and hay, and we will add, kept in as good health as in ex-
pensive stables. The reason is that the master who uses care in making
a simple structure warm and comfortable has humanity to start with, and
generally gives his own personal care and supervision, while in costly
stables the animals are usually left to the care of men hired for the pur-
pose. The owner, often, from the pressure of other business pursuits,
being unable to do more than to drive a favorite animal or team. In
perhaps a majority of cases he knows little or nothing of how a horse
should be cared for, and of course nothing as to the fitness of those
whom he pays for doing the work.
The object of this work is to present in a condensed form the best prac-
tices, founded upon common sense, and the experience of superior
stockmen in the care of animals. A study of these pages will enable any
person to acquire a good idea of the simplest and best means for arriving
at a correct knowledge of how animals should be bred, raised, fed, trained,
and cared for. He may thus understand how to do the work himself, or,
in case he be a man of business, or wealth and leisure, he may quickly
know whether the help he relies on are doing their duty, not only in feed-
ing and cleaning, in exercising and the general care of the animals under
them, but also know at a glance, whether the animals are treated with
the kindness and consideration that dumb brutes, but faithful servants,
deserve from man. The closest and most constant attention to these points
will abundantly pay every farmer, and every wise farmer will be certain to
J»estow such care.
I^ n-LUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
X An Irfellible Bule.
We hare known a bmtal 5t.i'""c-r^. r. :■> f ?g a horse in the most terrible
maimer, simply to get rid of id* own ugline^, as he expressed it, while
at <H^£nanr times he petted and made much of the animal. Sach an ani.
mal will be frantic at the sght of a whip held in a threatening manner.
Animals that are in the halHt of being strack with the pitchfork, or being
kicked and cuffed, wHl watch carefoIlT the stable-man, and show by their
DerroQsness in the stable what ther are expecting, while of the master
: Dgj win show no sign of fear. Stable-men are often cunning creamres ;
laey will have soothing words to qoi^ the animal in the presence of the
masto*. We have always held that the horse dionld be spoken to firmly
but qmethr, and always hare an inherent suspicion that a team exhibiting
signs of fear at times, where we always hear the keeper speaking to them
in soothing tones, are abosed in secret.
No sme man would practice sadli treatment to his own stock, and no
num who is oUiged to leare valuable animal > in the care of servants
ehiMld fail to know that they are doing their duty. It is not enough that
the Etable-men feed the regular rations, that they clean and exExcise pro|>-
»lj. It should be made impcHtant that in all their interoourse with the
animaU under tfafir care, thej be not vndiilj punished, nor in any otbev
CHAPTER IL.
HOW TO BUY.
C HOW TO GET CtXKKECT IKFOBMATIOX. II. THE BUYEB MrST KNOW WHAT HE WAST*
III. PEOPORTIOKS OF THE HOKSE. n*. THE CLEVELAND BAY FOR PROFIT. Y.
THE LIGHT HARNESS HOBSE. VI. SADDLE HOESES OF ALL GAITS. VII. THE HIGH.
BRED HUNTING HORSE. VIII. RACING HORSES. IX. WHAT THE RACER SHOULD BE.
X. TO AVOID VICES AND DEFECTS — HOW TO DETECT, XI. OTHER FAULTS ANI»
IMPERFECTIONS.
I. How to Get Correct Information.
Every horse owner sooner or later becomes a judge of what he is buy-
ing. If he depends entirely upon the lessons learned through cheats that
are practiced upon him by sharp jockeys, life is too short for him ever to
become an adept in distinguishing vice, unsoundness, ''dosed up" and
used up horses as among the various tricks and swindles practiced upon
the ignorant and unwary. Generally after being cheated, or absolut«»ly
swindled a few times, the breeder goes to the only correct source of
information, concisely written and carefully illustrated books. He is
thus enabled not onl}^ to study, but subsequently to carry in his mind
what he has read and seen ; he comes to compare critically the living
animal with the illustrations and descriptions, and thus becomes an expert
himself, and in a hundredth part of the time by which he could acquire
correct information in any other way. This is precisely the means used
by any professional man in the acquisition of true knowledge in the
pursuit of his profession, whether it be in a learned profession or in th«
education to practical art. Thereafter practice makes perfect.
n. The Buyer Must Know What he Wants.
Suppose he is looking for stock from which to breed trotting horses.
He must then consider the t^^ie of horse he wishes to breed : whether fol
155
156
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
speaj alone, or for style and speed. That is, first class road horses, or
larg.'^, strong, able horses, combining in as great a degree as may be large
Bize^ strength, endurance and such style as may be conformable with this
oias>«. of horses.
As showing what may be done in colts got by breeding up out of
roomy mares of fair style, bred to high class trotting stallions, we give
three cuts of stallions, certainly good enough for sires, and as models of
what such horses should be. The first showing eminent breeding, with
i
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY
157
style enough ; nitlier straight on his fetlocks, according to the idea of
nilmy i;ood horsemen, but with length enough, from our standpoint, to
o-ire flexibility. A horse compact and smooth, with excellent flat and
Bincwy limbs, good feet, ample chest, good lungs, fine eye, broad for©.
head, and strong jaws. The head not the ideal of modern '* blood
horsemen," but nevertheless showing docility and intelligence in a high
degree.
Shelving also high breeding in every part.
158
ILLLSTIiATED STOCK DOCTOK.
The cut on page 157 is of a horse of great style and endurance, line all
over. A horse that will go with iiis head well uo : Urn's exceedingly
tine, mane rather light, but with plenty of tail, as a hor: should have;
evidently showing Morgan blood, dashed with Bell F( .ndcr and othei
thorough blood.
Between the two, for real and intrinsic- merit, the first should be taken
There is plenty of style about him, and strength. There is also a body
of tine character on limbs of great power. Such will be found accept-
able and sought after a' ways by gentlemen wanting a single horse, or a
pair for driving on the road, or for driving in the city park-ways in th«
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY.
159
afternoon. Either of the two will make capital and stylish saddle horses,
if well trained, such as no gentleman of ordinary weight or any lady
need be ashamed of when taking the afternoon trot or canter on the
fashionable boulevards or park-drives of our large cities, or on the streets
or roadings of cities having no parks. The first the best horse, the sec-
ond the most stylish.
The third cut we give is that of a horse of large size and strong build, j
adapted for drawing as a single horse for the coupe, or one of a team to
the family carriage ; as one of a pair for a coach or barouche ; one that
will give satisfaction almost anywhere, if not driven over eight miles an
hour, and capable as well of hauling loads on good roads, at a fast
walking pace.
A horse of this stamp, sixteen to sixteen and a half hands high, not
particularly heavy set, rather long-limbed, with rangy neck and good
head, with plenty of spirit, and weighing about 1200 pounds, may be
called a general utility horse. Such will command ready sale at any
time, if well broken and trained, say at from $200 to $300 each, and if
particularly nice and well matched, often at $800 or $900 the pair, as
carriage horses when five or six years old.
m. Proportions of the Hdrse.
PBOPOETION8 OF THK VARIOUS PARTS.
To arrive at a clear understanding of the proportions of the horse, we
give an outline that will be a good study, not only for the beginner, but
160 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
will be valuable for reference for any horseman, however expert he ma;y
be. This illustration combines the average measurements of six horses,
accepted for perfect s^'mmetry, and taken, says Mr. J. H. "Walsh (Stone-
benge)- —one of the most graphic and lucid of English writers on the
horse — two of them from celebrated stallions, two from thorough-bred
hunters, and two from chargers of great value. This, therefore, will not
apply to draft horses, but it will be found that the nearer the general
utility horse comes to these measurements, the better he will be.
I^XH£S.
Height 68
Length from shoulder-point to quarter 66
From the lowest part of the chest to the ground 36
From the elbow-poiot to the ground 39
From the withers to the pole, jusc behind the ears, in a straight line 30
The same measured along the crest 32
Length of head 22
Width across the forehead 9 1-2
From the withers to the hip 22
From the stifle to the point of the hock, in the attitude shown in the plan 29
From the root of the tail to the stifle-joint 26
From the point of the hock to the ground 22 1-2
Length of arm from the elbow to the pisiform bone (the rear bone of those
forming the upper articulation of the knee) 191-2
From the pisiform bone to the ground 19 1-2
rfxirlh varies from 78 to 79
Circumference of fore-cannon bone (large metacarpei or shank bone, extend-
ing from the knee to the fetlock) 7 1-2, 8, 8, 8, 8 1-2 and 9
Circumference of arm just below the elbow 16 1-2 to 18
The foregoing is not to be taken as a fixed rule in comparing ordinary
horses, nor even those well-bred. Eclipse, for instance, may be given as
a most wonderful horse, differing in many material respects from these
measurements. He was three inches taller at the withers, and yet higher
in the croup than at the withers. His head was of the same length as
the average given, but it is said to have been twelve inches across at the
forehead. He was a big horse in every respect ; tall, lengthy, capacious
Ib bodv, higher behind than before, his neck and back long, the loin
roached, his limbs would by some be called long, but they were strong
with large joints, but fine ; his quarters straight, square and extended ;
thighs long and muscular ; shoulders only moderately oblique, and of
fair depth ; his knees and hocks broad and well formed ; head small, and
as will be observed from its great breadth of forehead, Arab-like. On
the whole it would probably be difficult to improve the proportions of
Eclipse, simply as a weight-carrving racer. For the hunting field, the
fine saddle horse, or any of the uses to which practical men put their
W«rse&, aside from flat racing, select as many of the superior points of
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUT.
Jol
Eclipse as you can find, but leave out the low withers and high croup.
The horse that will come to the standard that we have given in the dijk
gram, is as a rule the horse to buy.
IV. The Cleveland Bay for Pro6t
Of hite Y«,'iirs this admirable aud styliiih horse as improved froir f**
162 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
old farm horse of fifty years ago, has attractea attention in the United
States, and especially in the West, where many fair specimens have been
Imported. As showing the characteristics when standing extended and at
rest, we give a portrait of a pure bay, in color, with a star in the fore-
head, and one white hind fetlock. These dashes of white not detracting
from the ptyle of any horse, and showing breeding. It is a horse show-
ing blood and breeding, with lofty crest, magnificent withers, round bar*
veiled, and clean limbed, a coat like satin, and a head of excellent pro-
portions. Colts from such a horse out of large, roomy mares of good
«tyle, will always sell for high prices. When you find such a stallion do
not be afraid to buy, he will pay, and his foals will pa}'^ for their feed and
traming.
The old fashioned horse of this race, the Cleveland bay, is extinct and
gone. The present form is the result of crosses with staunch thorough-
breds, giving better form throughout, greater speed and eminent style.
We consider them as among the very best from which to breed stylish
animals from proper mares. Horses that may do the ordinary farm work
until six years past, and then be sold at good prices for stylish omnibus,
express, light draft, and carriage horses in our cities. Farmers who have
large, well built mares, wishing to breed colts that shall have size enough
for any farm or road work ; that will breed to uniform color, so that they
may be easily matched ; that will have style — not that of the blood horse,
or light driving, or trotting horse — will do well to investigate the char-
acteristics of the Cleveland hays. Canada has acquired a high reputation
for stylish, well matched coach horses. It is founded in a gi'eat measure
upon crosses produced by breeding the modern Cleveland bays upon large,
handsome mares of more or less breeding.
Such 'horses if properly cared for will do eight or nine miles an hour,
in harness, and under the saddle may be pushed up to twelve miles an
hour ; are active in all their gaits, tractable, easily managed, intelligent,
fast walkers, always ready for their feed, and as eager at labor, as they
are kind and intelligent every M'here. The late Henry William Herbert,
(Frank Forester), a thorough horseman, an accurate judge of horse flesh,
and a finished writer, in his voluminous work, "The Horse of America,'*
thus describes the original Cleveland bay, and also the improved horse of
his time : "The Cleveland bay, in its natural and unmixed form, is a tall,
powerfully built, bony animal, averaging, I should say, fifteen hand*
three inches in height, rarelj' falling short of fifteen and a half or ex-
ceeding sixteen and a half hands.
The crest and withers are almost invariably good, the head bony, lean,
and well set on. Ewe-necks are, probably, rarer in this family than in
•oy other, unless it be the dray-horse, in which it is never seen.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 163
The faults of shape to which the Cleveland Bay is most liable are
narrowness of body, and flatness of the cannon and shank bones. Their
color is universally bay, rather on the yellow bay than on the blood bay
color, with black mane, tail, and legs.
They are sound, hardy, active, powerful horses, with excellent capabili-
ties for draft, and good endurance, so long as they are not pushed beyond
their speed, which may be estimated at from six to eight miles an hour,
on a trot, or from ten to twelve — the latter quite the maximum — on a
gallop, under almost any weight."
The large and more show}'^ of these animals, of the tallest and heaviest
type, were the favorite coach horses of their day ; the more springy and
lightly built, of equal height, were the hunters, in the days when the fox
was hunted by his drag, unkennelled, and run half a dozen hours or
more, before he was either earthed or worn out and worried to death.
Then the shorter, lower, and more closely ribbed up were the road
hackneys, a style of horse unhappily now almost extinct, and having
unequally substituted in its place a wretched, weedy, half-bred or three-
quarters-bred beast, fit neither to go the pace with a weight on its back,
nor to last the time.
From these Cleveland Bays, however, though in their pure state nearly
extinct, a very superior animal has descended, which, after several steps
and gradations, has settled down into a family common throughout all*
Yorkshire and more or less all the mid-land counties, as the farm horse,
and riding or driving horse of the farmers, having about two crosses,
more or less, of blood on the original Cleveland stock.
The first gradation, when pace became a desideratum with hounds, waa
the stinting of the best Cleveland Bay mares to good thorough-bred
horses, with a view to the progeny turning out hunters, troop horses, or,
in the last resort, stage-coach horses, or, as they were termed, machines.
The most promising of these well bred colts were kept as stallions ; and
mares of the same type, with their dams, stinted to them produced the
improved carriage horse of fifty years ago.
The next step was putting the half-bred fillies, by thorough-breds out
af Cleveland Bay mares, a second time to thorough-bred stallions ; their
progeny to become the hunters, while themselves and their brothers wer«
lowered into the carriage horses ; and the half-bred stallions which had
been the getters of carriage horses were degraded into the sires of the
new, improved cart horse.
v. The Light Harness Horse.
In many cases, where the roads are superior, and the animal is used in
» vehicle of the lightest construction, to carry only one person, size 19
164
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
not always necessary. Very many horses of fourteen and a half handa.
are exquisitely handsome and cai);il)lc of very fast work. One of th«
best we ever knew was a St. Lawrence mare fourteen hands hi^h, that
v*ry few large horses could get by on a smooth roaa — the *'Baby," uk
>ji« was called — when driven on a track, always going as a pacer.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY.
165
The illustration on opposite page is of an English light harness, two-
wheeled turn-out, a vehicle now occasionally patronized by fast living
young gentlemen. For style of going, the horse is as perfect as he is
handsome in his make-up, but not showing the high knee action consid-
ered stylish with all two-wheeled turn-outs.
o
o
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O
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VI. Saddle Horses of all Gaits.
It has always seemed a pity that farmers sons have not taken morb
kindly to the saddle than American youths do. It is well enough for
166
ILLUSTRATED STQCK DOCTOR.
men of mature age to favor the buggy or light wagon, but every young
nrin and woman raised in the country should be taught to sit a horse per-
fectly, and to manage him at all gaits. In the South this is the case, but
in the North the perfect saddle-seated rider is rarely found. Lately,
;!iorou-hly trained saddle horses are much sought after in our cities, and
..rtainly there is no place where they may be so perfectly trained as m
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 167
the West. Every respectable farmer should have at least one well
trained saddle horse to sell when called for. Twelve months training
will put them in form. For good wear-and-tear, compact, able as a
good leaper, of fine form, and undoubted bottom for any distance, the
illustration, page 165, will give an idea of what such a saddle horse
should be.
VII. The High-bred Hunting Horse.
When a long stride, great leaping powers, and ability to go long
distances at high speed is required, the horse should be not less than
one-half to three-quarters bred. A greater proportion even is favored in
the South, where the passion for hunting is only second to that in
England. The illustration of a horse of extra good action as given on
page 166, will be seen to combine size, indicating capacity for carrying
great weight ; high breeding, as shown in the crest ani head ; wonderful
lungs ; great length of hip and limbs, and being near perfection as possi"
ble ; a high caste horse that will not fail his rider in time of need.
VIII. Racing Horses.
There is one more class of saddle horses woitny of special notice : the
thorough-bred racing horse, the foundation upon which has been built all
that is valuable in every horse where speed, bottom, elegance, and great
bone, sinew and muscle in every respect are required. It is the fact that
on the race course there have been schemes and tricks practiced, probably
there always will be those scandalous in the extreme, but frowned upon
by all breeders of respectability. Among the more respectable associa-
tions rules of the most stringent character have been drawn, and fairly
lived up to. If dishonest jockeying can be still further eliminated the true
animus of the turf may have a bright future before it in still farther
improving the breed of staunch thorough-breds, capable of carrying
weight, and with bottom to get the rider two, three and four miles af
high speed. These are what are really wanted, and not those that at the
end of a quarter or a half mile are entirely blown and jaded, or as aa
Englishman would express it, quite *' pumped out."
IX. What the Racer Should Be;
The model racing horse should be from fifteen and a half to sixteen
hands high, full and muscular in his build, with clean, sound limbs, short
backed, round in the barrel, w.ith long hips, deep and oblique shoulders,
168
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
a rangy and not too muscular neck ; a head fine, bony and with rathet
large muzzle and prominent nostrils, broad in the forehead, with a full,
,Wigiit, but mild eye, denoting a high nervous temperament, uniting
great courage with docility. The iiccompan3dng illustration will give a
correct idea of a horse of great speed, high courage and lasting power*
•f endurance.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 169
X. To Avoid Vices and Defects— How to Detect.
They are legion, and he who at present buys any horse, whether for
•peed or work, must be on his guard against them. Among the prin-^
cipal disabilities to be guarded against are :
I.--B0NE SPAVIN, CURB, RING-BONE AND SPLINTS. — To detect the«e
look at the horse from before and behind, for spavin and curb at the
hocks ; for ring-bone, at the fetlocks ; and for splints, below the knee.
Feel the bones at all these parts for tenderness or enlargement. If they
appear, reject the horse instantly. He will be worthless as a sire, or for
riding or driving.
2. — Stumbling. — Examine the knees to find if they are scarred, or
show the marks of previous injuries, or that have been operated upon for
callosities. Then walk him over somewhat rough ground, and at a slow
pace, with an entirely loose rein, to see if he trips or goes weaker on one
leg than on the other. If he is a stumbler, he is the most dangerous
animal a man can own, unless it be a kicker ; in fact, more so than
the latter, since kicking may be guarded against, when knomng the vice.
3. — Kicking. — If this is suspected, the animal will lay back hia ears
if approached in an apparently careless manner, though horses do this
sometimes from mere playfulness. If they are vicious, they will lay
their ears more completely back, and the eyes will also denote theii- in-
tention. Examine the stall where it is known they have stood for
marks of their hoofs, and above all, give the animal a chance to show his
propensity when the groom is not near.
4. — Pulling at the halter or bridle when tied. — Tie him up in a
close yard, with a halter he can easily break, leaving him quite alone for
about half an hour, to exhibit his propensity if he will.
5. — Crib-biting. — If the horse is a confirmed crib-biter, his teeth—
the central incisors — will show wear where he has grasped objects to en^
able him to get leverage to perform the operation. Tie him out to a
stump, or at a post about three feet high, and watch him, no person
beino^ in his sisrht.
6. — Balking and backing.- Horses seldom balk under the saddle <
when they do, they are dangerous in the extreme, often stopping sud-
denly when under motion, or backing into dangerous places. It is dif-
ficult to detect, for they will sometimes go days, weeks and eren
months all right, and then suddenly show the vice. As a rule, it ia
exhibited by bad tempered, badly trained horses. A warrant from a
respectable owner is the best guarantee. It may sometimes be detected*
if a person strange to the horse mounts and attempts to start him sud»
170 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
denly. In harness it may often be detected by the manner in which the
animal starts and travels.
7. — The Rogue. — The rogue is the horse of vices ; he may take the bit
in his mouth and run away, he will rear, back, kick, strike, bite, and do
twenty other unpleasant tricks, not always from pure vice, but often from
exhuberance of spirits, or from being crossed in some way. They gen-
erally perform well enough after they have found out that their rider is
their master. They are difficult to detect in their vices, except by the
thorough horseman, who is well versed in every expression and act of the
horse.
8. — BiSHOPED Teeth. — So named from the scoundrel who invented
filing an old horse's teeth to make him look young, even to burning and
blackening the cups formed. A careful study of the chart of the horse's
teeth, given in this book, will enable any person to detect this, since it is
impossible to cover the shrinking of the gums, by which the teeth show
narrow, and are peculiar in shape.
d. — ^Weak Eyes. — Whatever the occasion, have nothing to do with a
horse with bad eyes. Bring the animal from a rather dark stable just in-
side the door where the full light may strike the eyes. Examine the lids
and pupils carefully, to see if there is any considerable shrinking ; the
eye should be able to bear the full light. Horses are sometimes near-
sighted, and also far sighted. Nearly all shying horses become so either
from defect in vision or from cowardice.
10. — Moon Eyes. — This is a specific ophthalmy, from which one or
both eyes periodically change color, and during the paroxysm it may be-
come entirely blind. During the interval the eyes look natural. It is
better, if the buyer suspects this, to take a warranty against it.
11. — Blindness. — This is sometimes diflicult to detect by the ordinary
observer by looking at the eyes. In rare cases the eyes may seem natural.
A blind horse, however, may be detected by his mode of progression.
As an example we give an illustration showing the mode of progression
oi a totally blind horse.
XI. Other Faults and Imperfections.
The disabilities noticed in the previous sections are those of positive
■usoundness, or else of determined vice. Some others that should not
be overlooked, are easily discovered by careful examination and test.
These are :
1. Glass Eye. — This, if not complicated with specific disease, does
not interfere with sight in any respect. It is a serious defect, simply so
fw as looks are concerned. Usually only one eye has this peculiar white
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 171
glassy appearance, the pupil perfect, and the iris quite natural. It should
affect the price of the animal, only as detracting from elegance.
THE MODE IN WHICH A HORSE PROGRESSES WHEN BLIND.
2. White Spot. — Sometimes a small white spot will appear on tibw*
eye of a young horse, generally after three years of age, and usually
near the outer comer. It has a peculiar cloudy appearance, sometimes
increasing to the size of a hemp seed, and occasionally larger. The du-
ration is variable, sometimes lasting for years, and again disappearing in
a short time. It really impairs the vision but little, if any. Unless its
history is known a veterinary surgeon should decide whether it is incipient
cataract or not. Some veterinarians have termed it spurious cataract, but
this is entirely a misnomer. The name white spot describes it perfectly,
3. KoARiNG. — This is the result of obstruction in some part of th«
larynx or trachea, impeding the breath, and causing a peculiar roaring
sound when the animal is in motion. It is rarely found in the United
States, being chiefly confined to draft horses. It is often the result of
chronic cough. In England it is quite common, and when present in a
horse of fast work, will render him worthless for the road. It may b«
discovered by urging the horse to a fast gait.
4. Oblique Tail, or Wry Tail. — This is caused by contraction of
the muscles of the tail on one side. It may sometimes be improved by
a surgical operation, and should be considered a serious defect in any
horse, and especially so in a driving horse.
172 illustrated stock doctor.
5. Turning the Toe of the Hoof out or in Unduly, Sand Cracks,
Quarter Cracks, Dish Hoofs, Over-reaching, Interfering, etc., are
all to be looked for before finally buying a horse. They are all disabili-
ties that should not be present where the purchaser pays full price for
the animal. They are, however, all so apparent that the purchaser is to
blame if he fails to see them.
6. Wolf Teeth. — These rudimentary teeth, which are found in some
horses but not in mares, and which have been supposed by ignorant
persons to produce blindness, and other diseases, are entirely harmless,
except for the abrasion they sometimes occasion to the tongue and cheeks.
If they do so they are easily taken out by any sensible blacksmith. In
fact it is quite well to extract them, not that they will produce serious
disease, but simply because they are not of any value, are useless to the
animal, and may occasion slight inconvenience.
7. Shying. — This is one of the most dangerous habits a horse can
have, whether it be occasioned by cowardice — seldom the case ; injudi-
cious punishment — more common ; or from defective eyesight, or from
all these combined. If you are so unfortunate as to have a shying horse
endeavor to break him of the vice by allowing him to examine objects of
which he is afraid, by speaking soothingly to him, but never by whipping
or spurring him. When he shows a disposition to shy turn his head to
rather than from the object. Stop him ; let him approach the object and
touch it with his nose, for soon he will approach =it himself. If simply
caused by nervousness, he may thus be cured. If caused by being short
sighted there is no means of relief. Before you buy a horse be certain
that he has not this infirmity, as dangerous a one as it is disagreeable.
Such an animal is only fit to be driven by the side of another horse who
ivill keep him to his work, and upon which he at length will come to
depend, or of being driven as a wheeler in a team of four horses.
CHAPTER XI.
HOW TO BUY, CONTINUED.
BUTING CHEAP HORSES. II. <!OLOR, IN RELATION TO VAIitTE. HI. ACTION. > IT.
FAST-WALKING HORSES. V. WHAT A HORSE SHOULD BE, VI. WHAT CON8TIT0TES
UNSOUNDNESS. VII. ILLUSTRATION OF FORM AND SYMMETRY. ^VUI. THE BODY AND
LIMBS. IX. THE BODY AS STANDING FACING YOU. X. FRONT VIEW OF FORE-QUAR-
TERS, SHOWING DIFFERENT BAD CONFORMATIONS. XI. THE HIND-QUARTERS. XH.
THE VIEW FROM BEHIND. XIII. WHAT NOT TO BUY. ^XIV. BUYINGf K)R BLOOD.
I. Buying Cheap Horses.
In the preceding chapter on this important subject we have endeavored
to show some of the principal points to be considered in buying a horse,
especially those relating to the use for which they are intended. There
is one rule that will always apply in buying any horse. Never buy him
because he is offered at a price evidently far below his worth, that is,
except it be from a friend that you can trust, who does not want the
horse himself, and wishes to do you a favor. These cases will be found
very rare. In every other case rest assured the horse has some danger-
ous ^ace, or is permanently unsound. In this\pountry never buy a horse
at any price which has any appearance of broken knees by falling.
Hunting horses are too rare here for one to have gotten th€ hurt in th«
field, and, accidentally, by being put at a barrier beyond his power.
Reject a horse with any weakness in his eyesight, unless you have use
for a blind horse, then buy him at a blind horse's price. A one-eyed
horse may do useful, but not elegant work. Never buy a lame horse at
ixiy price, until you are assured that the disabiUty is not permanent.
Foot lameness, except it may be from a slight corn, and consequently
173
174 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
curable, should be an insuperable bar to purchase. You can never patci>
up a bad foot. Therefore be sure you always try the intended purchase
aa a hard road. Many game horses, dead lame on hard roads, will get
along without much flinching on soft roads, or the turf. If you are
certain as to the cause of the lameness and know you can cure it, the
purchase, as a speculation, may do; but never rely on "the assurance of
the horse dealer. It is his business to sell.
Never buy a narrow chested horse for hard service. It shows weak
lungs and those liable to inflammation. If for saddle, avoid a very broad
chested horse, though as trotters they are sometimes fast. The best and
most perfect chest is a medium between the narrow and broad chest.
A tucked up washy looking horse should be avoided. They may indeed
do for light work or short drives, but arc totally unfit for real work.
In buying avoid all defects in the wind ; be sure the disability has not
been temporarily covered up, by special means known to horse dealers.
A whistler or roarer may show no indication of his infirmity at a slow
pace, or up to a certain speed. Beyond that it is apparent. Broken
wind is an incurable infirmity and probably as distressing to the horse as
the asthma is to man. A horse may make more or less noise and yet not
have broken wind. Any indication of this, however, is to be looked on
with suspicion.
In buying a horse his points of excellence and infirmity are better
ishown if only in fair working condition than when very fat. A horse
very fat is pretty nearly a useless creature until his condition has been
brought down to that of bone, sinew and muscle, with just sufficient fat
to lubricate, so to speak, the working parts. Yet a horse for slow draft
may be serviceable and carry far more flesh and fat than one used for
fast work. Many superior horses have been ruined by hard driving when
fat, or soft,
n. Color in Helation to Value.
It is a saying as trite as it is old that any color is good in a good horse.
Yet a horse, however good otherwise, should be invariably rejected if his
color is bad. For instance, it would essentially mark both an ignorant
and vulgar person who would select a piebald, spotted, or otherwise
extraordinary color for a carriage horse. It would savor of the rircui*
or show ring.
As saddle horses for gentlemen, self-colors are the best, and those dis-
tinct. A star in the forehead and two white feet behind give character.
A snip in the face, if large, is objectionable. Four white stockings more
M>. Bay, brown and dark chestnut are the preferable colors. If th»
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 175
horse is exceptionably stylish, black and dapple gray are good colors.
Gray horses are often bad tempered, and black horses are not as a rule,
docile. For ladies' use a dark cream color with white mane and tail, or
that rare combination, a dark chestnut with darker tail and mane are ele-
gant if of good form. So a strawberry roan, if unexceptionable in style
and form, is elegant.
For single or double light driving, all distinct colors are good. Uneven
or curiously marked horses are allowable in a fancy team — as a mismatch I
in distinct colors — as it is called. The colors should be distinct and in
strong contrast, or else harmonious. A chestnut and a dark bay would
he harmonious, and yet distinct colors. So would be a chestnut and a
brown : a cream with white mane and tail, and a chestnut with dark mane
and tail would show a marked contrast, and yet be elegant ; so would be
cream-colored horses so marked. A pure white and a jet black would be
the most marked contrast possible, and not for a moment admissible,
except both were faultless in form and style of going. Here in fact is
where the line art lies in teams of two distinct colors : WTiatever the
mismatch in color ^ the team should he as near alike in form and car-
*'iage as possible.
m. Action.
There are really but two styles of action : low, smooth, safe action, and
high-stepping, showy action. The latter of little account except for
parade and showing off on the road in connection with fine style. A
high-stepping dolt is as unsafe as he is ungainly. The action that is
slow and safe, and fast and safe, if combined in an animal is invaluable.
A horse with really good action moves all his limbs evenly, and brings
his hind legs well under him at every movement. Some horses with
round action in front — paddlers they are called — are often staunch and
8ure-footed, but this is in spite of this action, not in consequence of it.
Horses that straddle behind are often exceedingly fast trotters. Yel
neither of these movements are what would be sought, either in a fin*
saddle horse or in a good harness horse.
IV. Pas^walking Horses.
We have before stated that a perfect and fast walking gait was . not
only indispensable to every horse, but the most valuable gait a horse
could have for every day use. Yet we seldom see a horse that will walk
four and a half or five miles an hour, even when urged and in regular 1-
2-3-4 time, nodding his head harmoniously in cadence. If a purchaser
gets such a horse, or one that will do four miles under the saddle with*
176
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
out stumbling, shuffling, dropping the step or breaking, be sure you hav«
a good one at speed, if he has speed, for many great walkers are so
broad chested that they cannot trot fast, and in galloping they will roll.
Yet occasionally a horse will be found good at all gaits. When so, it is th%
result of exceptionably good form and careful training. He who can so train
» borse, may get a long price for his trouble and skill.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 177
V. What a Horse Should Be.
We have been very minute in stating the points of perfection in a
horse, and have been particular in urging that the lungs, limbs and feet
should be super-excellent. In addition, and as from one of the best
authorities, we quote from the late H. W. Herbert, upon the physical
structure of the horse, before illustrating physical perfection and perfect
conformation. Mr. Herbert says :
*'The points of the physical structure of a horse on which the most,
indeed the whole of his utility depends, are his legs. Without his loco-
motors all the rest, however beautiful it may be, is nothing worth.
Therefore, to these we look first. The fore-shoulder should be long,
obliquely set, with a considerable slope, high in the withers and thin
above. The upper arm should be very long and muscular, the knee
broad, flat and bony, the shank, or cannon bone, as short as may be, flat,
not round, with clean, firm sinews ; the pastern joints moderately long
and oblique, but not too much so, as the excess produces springiness and
weakness ; the hoofs firm, erect or deep, as opposed to flat, and the feet
generally large and round. In the hind-legs the quarters should be
large, powerful, broad when looked at in profile, and square and solid
from behind. The hams should be sickle-shaped, not straight, and well
'et down, so as to bring the hocks well toward the ground. The hocks
should be large and bony, straight, not angular and convexly curved in
.heir posterior outlines ; the shanks, corresponding to the cannon bones,
short and flat, and the hind feet similar in form to the front. The back
should be short above, from the point of the withers and shoulder-blade,
which ought to run well back to the croup. The barrel should he round,
and for a horse in which strength and quickness are looked to more than
great speed and stride, closely ribbed up. A horse can scarcely be too
deep from the tip of his shoulder to the intersection of his fore-leg —
which is called the heart-place — or too wide in the chest, as room in
these parts gives free play to the most important vitals. The form of the
neck and setting on of the head are essential not only to the beauty of
the animal, but to the facility and pleasure of riding or driving him ;
\ience, with an ill-shaped, short, stubborn neck, or ill set on head, the
animal cannot by any possibility be a pleasant-mouthed horse, or an easy
one to manage. The neck should be moderately long, convexly arched
above from the shoulders to the crest, thin where it joins the head, and
so set on that when }d elding to the bit it forms a semi-circle, like a bended
bow, and brings the chin downward and inward until it nearly touches
the chest. Horses so made are always manageable to the hand. The
converse of this neck, which is concave above and stuck out at the
178 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
windpipe like a cock's wattle, is the worst possible form ; and horses so
made almost invariably throw up their heads at a pull, and the most excep-.
tionable of brutes, regular star-gazers. The head should be rather small,
bon}-^, not beefy, in the jowl ; broad between the eyes, and rather concave,
or what is called basin-faced, than Roman-nosed, between the eyes and
nostrils. The ears should be tine, small and pointed ; the eyes large,
clear and prominent, and the nostrils wide and well opened. A horse so
framed cannot fail, if free from physical defects, constitutional disease
and vice, to be a good one for any purpose — degree of strength, light-
ness and speed being weighed in accordance with the purpose for which
he is desired."
VI. What Constitutes TJnsoimdness.
1. — Spavin, whether it be bog spavin, blood spavin or bone spavin,
when sufficiently developed to be known.
2. — Ossification of any of the structures adjacent to any of the joints
and also without doubt ossification of the lateral cartilages.
3. — Corns are considered as constituting unsoundness, but they must
be discovered Avithin a short time, say a few days of the purchase.
4. — Curbs constitute unsoundness, but they must be shown to exist
at the time of the sale.
5. — Founder or Laminitis, is unsoundness whether it produces lame-
ness or not, for if it has existed the laminae will have been injured and
the horse will be lame when worked.
6. — Pumiced Foot is unsoundness as evidence of laminitis.
7. — Quittor may render the horse permanently unsound.
8. — Ring-bones and side-bones constitute unsoundness.
9. — A Nerved Horso, is unsound as showing the existence of disease
for which the operation was performed, and also from the division of
the nerves.
10. — String-Halt is unsoundness.
11. — Thrush is so when severe.
12. — Breaking down, even though the horse has recovered so as not
to go lame.
13. — Thickening of the Back Sinews, or suspensory ligament, if known
to exist, is unsoundness.
14. — Broken Wind, Thick Wind, Whistling and Roaring are all con-
si Jered as constituting unsoundness, as forming impediments in breatb-
^ Y,-, injuring the animal for drawing or other active service.
15. — Farcy and Glanders.
16. — Grease and Mange.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 17$
17. — Cough ^ if it lasts. A horse with a chronic cough is cfearly
Viisound.
18. — Megriems, if it can be shown that the horse has had an attack
before the sale.
19. — Ophthalmia, if it occurs soon after t\ie purchase. The evidence
of a veterinary surgeon may be necessary to show the previous presence
of the disease.
20. — Cataract, however slight, constitutes a horse unsound.
21. — Broken knees, when the joint is injurea.
There arc also vices for which a horse may be returned. These are :
1. — Biting, when clearly vicious.
2. — Bolting, or running away.
3 . — Crih-biting.
4. — Kit-king, when shown to be viciouo.
h .-—Balkiyig .
Q.-^ Rearing.
7 — Shying, when habitual.
8. — Weaving i7i the stable; that is, the horse throwing his head and
body from side to side with a peculiar motion.
VII. Definition of Unsoundness and Vice.
Unsoundness may be considered to be the existence of diseaare or alter-
Ation of structure sufficient to impair the natural usefulness of the horse.
Vice may be defined as the prevalence of a habit which interferes with
the natural usefulness of the horse. In unsoundness or vice, however,
either must be marked, as for instance the following diseases or accidents
would not constitute unsoundness :
1 — Slight bog spavin; 2 — broken knee, when the joint is not injured j
3 — capped hocks, or elbows ; 4 — contractions of the fooJ, unless the re-
sult of disease, laming the horse ; 5 — curby hocks; 6 — splints; 7 — thor^'
ough pin, and 8 — thrush, are not unsoundness in their incipient stage, or
in a mild way. But the buyer should refuse all such except, perhaps, in
the case of thrush. 9 — Cutting is not unsoundness, except the horse
be lame at the time of sale, neither 10 — soreness of the joints from labor^
or 11, loindgalls.
They are found often upon colts, but if the animal be lame reject him.
When a horse is bought on warrantee, it must be written and concisely
so. Do not allow verbiage to cause litigation. The following form will
cover the whole jrround :
RueiveA (insert place and date) of Mr ^insert name) DoUats, •
|gn IliCSTEATED STOCK DOCTOR-
•U. JUate ^e)..
When filled out this might read »s f oUow^s :
Reearrd, 5:. L-y^-ii, M:.. Msrdi Ik. ISSj. of Mr. JoJkM, Doe, jix« kioLdrfd. ■zc:.<s-t far «
Acy wktr: ^« La^efT. dsn L*d%. V'Sr'SJtzed "ir* *ean uid «W mmier tir jpecrs, »aad, frt»
from riit. fftj:" :.\jr. :: -vf^ -T iriri. ' SlCHAKD Bos.
This with such carefnl exanmaticm as we have advised, ought to insure
anT huTO' against dai^ar in case the seD^ is solvent.
VTTT. Uluatxatirans of "Foan. and Symmetry.
The head of the horse is the seat of inteDigence, and to the confornui.
Mao. of the head we must look not only for intelligence but docility and
coorase. or the opposite character, as we must look to the teeth for indi.
cations of his age, to the nostrils as indicating his capacity for breathing,
to the muzzle and jaw for indications of capacity and feeding, and to the
eye and ear as showing lire, coox^e, and good temper. Xo man's head and
&oe are more expnaatdve than are these elements of a hocse.
Speed and bottom, which means the bone and mnsde of good bleeding
whatever the £unily c^ the hofse may be^ is the mme qma non desired in a
hmse. Hi$ missioa is labor, wxwk of some kind, whether it be carrying
a man on his back, or trottiii^ to a wa^om, or banlmg a load throogh the
mod. The head of the h«se is, tfaerefote, one of die first things to be
looked at. The extract we have given a few pe^es back, fiom ooe ^ the
^Miet eminent wriieg* oi diis oooncry od the horse, will convey an idea o€
what a riding or driving horse should be. The neartf the hocse, for
genoal ntOil^, comes to the illostratioDS we have given, the better be
willbc.
The horse for heavy draft, while coarso-, more stocky and heavier ::.
his firame, should eoaSorm to the g^Kial characteristics except that he
should be more upv^ht as <o his shoulders, and not so flexible as to his
limbs ; then the better wiU he be. In fact one of the best draft horses
we ever owned was a three parts bred M<»moiEUi Eclipse, seventeen hands
high, weishinff 1?5(» lbs., pretty well up on legs, and those of exceeding
flexibilitT. Bat when he got down to work he appeared to go close to
the <nx>und. This setting down to work — this gettinsr close to the ground
with the bodv, so every bone and sinew may exert the greatest posable
lereiage, is one of the fine arts of training. It really brings the oblique
Aoulda' of the blood horse straight in the collar a possibility few horse*
bars the knack of attaining natuxallj.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 181'
Explanation. — The illustrations we give on page 182 show a side
and front view of heads of blooded horses, that may be taken as a type of
what should constitute as near perfection as may be. Those on page 183,
side and front views of heads are bad. By comparing them with the text
the reader may form a good idea of characteristics. Observe in the side
view, page 182, a fine head, tapering to muzzle, the chin, the prominent
and yet bright, clear and soft eye, with a rather prominent brow ; the
shape and setting on of the ears ; the strength of jaw, and at the same
time its fineness ; how the head is set on to the neck, and the fine, clean,
muscular neck as well. In the front view observe especially the width
between the eyes, the eyes being in fact apparently at the side of the
head, and yet looking straight forward. Observe the cheek bones,
widening and strengthening the lower part of the head ; the temporal
bones at the side of the eye ; and the occipital bone at the top of the
head between the ears. Especially observe the nostrils and lips as to
flexibility and size. Turn back the folds at the end of the nostril, and it
jviV be found you can look clear into the passage, showing a moist and
healthy surface, or the reverse.
Let us now examine the side and front views of head on page 183.
The side view at the top shows a head somewhat heavy in character, the
nose %nd lower jaw thick to excess. Observe the peculiar formation of
the nose. It is not the dish face of the first illustration, giving temper,
accompanied with intelligent obedience. The eyebrows are prominent,
the head broad, but th*^ expression indicates not only fire but malice.
The muzzle is that of a cruel horse, the intelligence that of self-will.
The ears, although of good shape and breeding, are thrown back, and
the head is set on at too great an angle with the neck.
The figure to the left shows the front view of a badl}^ formed head. It
wih. be noticed that it is of nearly the same width throughout. The eyete
are placed very different from those of the front view of good head on
page 182 ; too close together, and too much in front. The expression
of the eye shows a stubborn disposition ,• the ears are good enough, but
not held in that position of intelligent action as shown in the lower figure
on page 182. They are pointed too close together.
The figure of the front part of a head to the right, on page 183.
shows a head not badly formed, but the general expression of the face
•hows doltishness, and the drooping ears, and the expression of the eyes
show not only a cruel but a stupid disposition.
The lower side view of head and neck on same page shows a head indi
eating a horse that will not only be wild sometimes, but sulky ; a soU
willed, obstmate brute, deficient in intelligence. The j:iofile is curved^
giving a Roman nose ; the eyebrows are raised, giving the eye a wild
12
182
ILLUSTRATKD STOCK DOCTOR.
jjn> ntONT yiEW of heads— good. (See SapUmaMtniU
THE TfORSE, HOW TO BUT.
1S3
SIDK AND FRONT VIEW OF HUADS — BAD. (See Explanation).
184
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
e3q)ression, and with the firm jaw, a stubborn character. Following tk^*
subject still farther, we may find all the gradations of character, including
the exhibition of nervous timidity, fear, idiocy, and even insanity ; for
that there are horses subject to aberration, from mere liallucination ta
actual insanity, there is no doubt. The latter the most dangerous trait
in a horse, since neither caresses nor punishment can cure.
flIDK VIBW OF FORK-QUARTERS, SHOWING A GOOD SHOULDER. {See Explanation.')
IX. The Body and Limbs.
Explanation. — Following up the subject on pages 184, 186, and
X87, we present side views, showing good and bad fore-quarters. The
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 185
first illustration shows as near perfection as may be in the shoulder foi-
staunch qualities, good action and a fast walk. The neck muscular, but
without superfluous flesh, but with plenty of substance where it joins th*
shoulder ; the shoulder oblique and deep ; the shoulder-blade high, help*
ing to give stability to the withers ; the breast prominent, but tapering
down to where the legs come out of the body ; the arm long, muscular,
and yet tapering ; the joints large, but yet firm and compact ; the fet*
locks of fair length and yet flexible ; and the hoofs of good size, round,
of good depth, tough and sound. An animal possessing the conformation
as shown, will indicate a horse good for any purpose where speed and
long continued powers of endurance are required. While the illus-
trations we give are perfect of their kind, and more valuable than any
written description alone can be, yet the living animal must be studied,
not only at rest, but in motion. The harness horse, however, need not
have so oblique a shoulder as we have shown. In fact, few horses, even
of the best class, do.
So the trotting gait, combining speed with high action and grand style
miffht be considered vile in a saddle horse. In fact, the saddle horse
should have a springy yet smooth motion, and except for show on the
road, this will be found to be best for fast and easy work in harness. In
practice much of this is often sacrificed, in pleasure horses, for the sake
of mere style. The breeding of such horses is a fine art, often a costly
one ; yet those which fail in the style and action necessary to command
the highest price as road and saddle horses, will be found to amply repay
the breeding for the general purposes of the farm and for the road.
Explanation. — On page 186 are illustrations showing, the upper one,
to the left, a straight shoulder, a heavy chest, and legs placed too far
under. The arm seems longer than it is because it lacks muscularity ;
the shanks, while not positively weak, do not show due strength near th«
knee and pasterns, and are not as strong as they should be.
The upper figure, to the right, shows a shoulder as bad as the prece-
ding one, and also weak legs and pasterns, the length from hoof to joint
above being too oreat.
The left hand figure at bottom of same page, shows a shoulder fairly
well placed, but with the legs set too much under, and the pasterns too
straight. Such a conformation will give the horse the appearance of
standing on the toes.
The lower figure to the right, shows what old age, hard work, abuse,
or all combined, may bring any animal to, that originally may have been
not only well bred, but of fair quality throughout. Watch for such
limbs in buying, and avoid them.
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
•IDE VIEW OF
FORK-QUARTERS, SHOWINO BAD CONFORMATION. (See Explanatiom).
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUT.
187
MtOKT VIEW, SHOWING BRBAST ^ND LIMBS— GOOD. {See ExpUmtttim^
!§?? ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
X. The Body as Standing Facing You.
The body of the horse viewed in front should present an oval shape,
squared off from the arm or elbow joint in front to the point of the
shoulder as on page 187. The perfect contour of breast, and especially the
magnificent muscularity of the arm is near perfection. The neck rising
grandly from the chest shows the perfect proportion of the parts each to
the other ; the knee and fetlock joints are strong and compact, gradually
rounded to meet the shank or leg and bones of the pastern joint. The
hoofs are staunch, tough, strong, with nothing about them to denote a flat foot,
yet rather open behind, showing a perfect hoof.
Let us now examine the Ijlood horse of the present day as quoted
from Herbert, and also that of the ancient Greeks as written upon by
Xenophon. It will show that in those days the breeding of horses was a
fine art, as was also equestrianism as exhibited in the exquisite sculptures
that have come down to us. Yet the quotation we make will show that the
horse of the Greeks, useful and admirable as he was, was what the English
would call a cab or Galloway, with a dash of thorough blood, and what
we would call pony built with a dash of thorough blood — something in
fact like a chunky Morgan horse. The quotation nevertheless will make
a good study for the young horseman, and is as follows :
* ' We will write how one may be the least deceived in the purchase
id horses. It is evident then that of the unbroken colt one must judge
))y the construction, since, if he have never been backed he will afford no
very clear evidences of his spirit. Of his body then, we say it is
necessary first to examine the feet, for as in a house it matters not how
fine may be the superstructure if there be not sufficien.t foundations, so
m a war horse there is no utility, no, not if he have all other points perfect
but be badly footed. But in examining the feet, it is befitting first to
iook to the horny portion of the hoofs, for those horses which have the
horn thick are far superior in their feet to those which have it thin. Nor
will it be well if one fail next to observe whether the hoofs be upright,
both before and behind, or low and flat to the ground ; for high hoofs
keep the frog at a distance from the earth, while the flat tread with equal
pressure on the soft and hard parts of the foot, as is the case with bandy-
legged men. And Simon justly observes that well footed horses can bo
known by their tramp, for the hollow hoof rings like a cymbal when it
strikes the solid earth. But having begun from below, let us ascend to
the other parts of the body. It is needful, then, that the parts above
the hoofs and below the fetlocks (pasterns) be not too erect, like those of
the goat ; for legs of this kind being stiff and inflexible, are apt to jar
the rider, and are more liable to inflammation. The bones must not.
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 189
however, be too low and springy, for in that case the fetlocks are liable
to be abraded and wounded if the horse be galloped over clods or stones.
The bones of the shank (cannon bones) should be thick, for these are
the columns which support the body ; but they should not have the veins
and flesh thick likewise. For if they have when the horse shall be
galloped over difficult ground they will necessarily be filled with blood,
and will become varicose, so that the shanks will be thickened, and the
ekin be distended and relaxed from the bone ; and, when this is the case
it often follows that the back sinew gives way and renders the horse
lame. But if the horse when in action bends his knees flexibly at a walk
you may judge that he will have his legs flexible when in full career ; for
all horses as the}'^ increase in years increase in the flexibility of the kneo.
And flexible goers are esteemed highly, and with justice, for such horses
are much less liable to blunder or stumble than those which have rigid,
unbending joints. But if the arms, below the shoulder-blades, be thick
and muscular they appear stronger and handsomer, as is the case also
with a man. The breast also should be broad, as well for beauty as
strength, and because it causes a handsomer action of the fore-legs,
which do not then interfere but are carried well apart.
"Again, the neck ought not to be set on like that of a boar, horizontally'
from the chest ; but, like that of a game cock, should be upright toward
the chest, and slack toward the flexure ; and the head being long should
have a small and narrow jaw bone, so that the neck shall be in front of
the rider, and that the eye shall look down at what is before the feet. A
horse thus made will be the least likely to run violently away, even if he
be very high spirited, for horses do no't attempt to run away by bringing
in but by throwing out their heads and necks. It is also very necessary
to observe whether the mouth be fine and hard on both sides, or on one
or the other. For horses which have not both jaws equally sensitive, are
likely to be too hard mouthed on one side or the other. And it is bette^
that a horse should have prominent than hollow eyes, for such an one
will see to a greater distance. And widely opened nostrils are far better
for respiration than narrow, and they give the horse a fiercer aspect ; for
when one stallion is enraged against another, or if he become angry while
being ridden, he expands his nostrfls to their full width. And the loftier
the crest, and the smaller the ears the more horse-like and handsome is
the head rendered ; while lofty withers give the rider a surer seat, and
produce a firmer adhesion between the body and shoulders.
'A double loin is also softer to sit upon and pleasanter to look upon
than if it be single ; and a deep side, rounded toward the- belly, renders
the horse easier to sit, and stronger and more easy to keep in condition ;
and the shorter and broader the loin, the more easily will the horse raLw
19U ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
his fore-quarters and collect his hind-quarters under him in going. These
points, moreover, cause the belly to appear the smaller ; which if it be
large at once injures the appearance of the animal and renders him
weaker and less manageable. The quarters should be broad and fleshy in
order to correspond with the sides and chest, and, should they be entirely
firm and solid they would be the lighter in the gallop, and the horse would
be the speedier. But if he should have his buttocks separated under the
tail by a broad line, with a wider space between them, and so doing he
will have a prouder and stronger gait and action, and will in all respects
be the better on them. A proof of which is to be had in men, who,
when they desire to raise any thing from the ground attempt it hy
straddling their legs not by bringing them close together."
XI. Front View of Pore-quarters, Showing Different Bad Conformations.
Explanation. — On page 191 the upper left hand figure shows the legs
fair to the knee, but from thence down, bad, and with toes turned very
much out.
The next figure on the right, is very bad, the knees turned out and th*
toes turned in ; a dangerous horse, and unfit for driving or riding.
The lower figure to the left is as unsightly as possible ; the legs spreadj,
weak, straddling, and with the toes turned out. Such a horse may be
tolerably sure-footed, if carefully managed, and not hard-driven, but one
never lo be depended upon.
The next figure at right of bottom, is bad all over, weak-limbed, knock-
kneed and splay-footed. A horse never to be depended upon and un-
serviceable in the extreme.
Between these there are many gradations, which those who study these
pages may profit by examining and comparing with the front view of a
perfect shape given on page 187, and which carried fully in mind will
go a great way in enabling one to form a pretty accurate opinion in buy-
ing a horse.
XTI. The Hind-quarters.
It has been said that the fore-quarters of a horse are simply to hold him
up, while the hind-quarters propel the machine. This in a sense is true,
but a horse, however good his hind-quarters be, must not only have the
fore limbs good enough to hold him up, but to keep him out of the way
of the hind feet, and at the same time assist in propelling the body. In
fact, the whole animal should be composed of parts working harmoni-
ously together, each assisting the other while doing its own work;
HE HbRSE, HOW TO BUY.
191
iBONT VIEW OF F0RB-QUARTER8, SHOWING DIFFERENT BAD CONFORMATIONS.
192
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
nevertheless the hind-quarters are the propelling power, especially when
under the gallop. For then the motion is communicated by a succession
of Irtaps, acting more in the nature of a balance than in walking or in
GOOD HIND-QUARTERS. (See Explanation.)
Krotting. In order that the hind-quarters may do their work effectirely,
there must be a strong loin, ample and muscular quarters, great length
THE HORSE, HOAV TO BUY. 19S
of hip, strong, dense bones, sinews like whip-cord, strong joints and flat
and wide legs.
In order to determine this the purchaser should observe first, looking
at him from the side, whether he stands resting perpendicularly on every
leg alike. The legs should not be straddled outside of their true position,
neither should they be gathered together, or in horse-men's phrase, a»
though he were trying to stand in a half bushel. He should stand straight,
■quare, and distinctly on every leg. If he stands with the hind legs be^
hind their true position, induce him to move his fore legs forward, to
find if such a position gives him ease. Examine him as before stated for
splints, damaged back sinews, ring-bones or side-bones in the fore limbs ;
and in the hinder ones for bone blood or bog spavins, curbs or thorough
pin, as previously described. If he stands as in the figure given on page
192, and if he is free from blemish, one may go a long way to finril
a better.
Examine especially whether the pasterns, outline of the hock joints,
are nearly perpendicular or angular, or whether they present a conve:/,'
curvilinear protuberance just above the union of the shank bone. If no»i
there will be little danger of curb, or a tendency to throw them out. H
the hocks are drawn in the horse will appear cow -hocked, a malformatiorv
as serious as it is ungainly, for thus the animal will be weak. If th»
hind-legs are wide apart and the horse straddles in going forward, while
it may not weaken his stride it is not elegant. However true it be that
some fast and strong trotters straddle — as going wide is termed — this
should be avoided. The illustration on page 192 will show accurately
good hind-quarters, as those on page 194 will show bad ones.
On page 194 the figure at the upper left side would be called fine and
in every way good to the inexperienced buyer. The buttocks are round
but lack character, and the legs are too straight and far behind.
The figure to the right is bad in every respect — goose-rumped, cat-
hammed, with the legs thrown far back to equalize the strain ; the ankle*
also weak.
The figure to the lower left on same page shows a fair quarter, but the
legs are thrown too far forward, and the animal stands too straight on th«
pasterns.
The figure to the right is really not badly formed as to the quarter, but
the position is cramped and bent, and the limbs badly placed.
XIII. The View from Behind.
The view of the horse as seen from behind should show good squar«
quarters, full and perfectly shaped gracilis, as those muscles are called
194
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
•IDS rimw OF HiK» QVAMUs— sij). (See Explanation).
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUT.
which give the peculiar swelling shape to the inside of thigh. These should
be egg-shaped, or rather should swell from nearly a point below and them
gradually decrease in size till lost to view near the rump bone.
BACK viBW OP HIND QUARTKR3— GOOD. (See Explanation).
The outside muscle of the tibia, or great bone of the leg above th*
knee, cannot well be too large. The tendons connecting with the hock*
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
BACK viKW OF HiKi>-<)UABTKBS— BAD. (See Explanation).
THE HORSE, HOW TO BUY. 197
dhould be strong and well presented to view. The hocks large, firmj
strong and well knit, but smooth and free from blemish, as should be th«
fetlock joints. If the horse is flat-footed he has a weak hoof, which
should never go with a strong muscular horse.
When the animal moves forward, observe that the feet are lifted
squarely, carried straight forward, without turning or straddling. If so,
and the conformation is as presented in the rear view of the horse on page
195, then if you have attended minutely to the other directions, and the
movement is satisfactory, you need not fear to buy the horse. He will
not fail you in time of need.
As show^ing defects, in various gradations and malformation in the
hind-quarters, we refer the reader to the figures on page 196, a study of
which will enable the observer to steer clear of splay-footed, pigeon-toed .
bow-legged or cow-hocked brutes.
XIV. What Not to Buy.
Never buy a horse unbroken or half broken, unless you are thoroughly
competent to train him, or else have some one to do so on whom you
can depend. Never buy a horse overloaded with fat, expecting him to
remain so under work. The first thing to be done with such a horse is
to get him rid of the superfluous fat and water. This takes time and
takes money. Besides you never can know the real defects of a horse
*'very fat." An ox or a hog perfectly fattened, is pleasing to the eye.
They are intended for succulent joints and steaks, or for hams, bacon,
or pickled pork. A fat horse, except before the close coach of some
wealthy and aged spinster or widow, is woefully out of place.
Never buy a horse because he is big, unless you want him for slow and
heavy draft. Light horses are for light driving. A horse weighing
eleven hundred is heavy enough for ordinary driving, and generally bet-
ter than a heavier one. A pair of horses weighing twenty-four hundred
pounds is good enough for any ordinary work that comes, at*d heaw
enough for any city teaming, excejjt when wanted as show horses before
some brewer's wagon, or as horses of slow draft on heavy trucks.
Don't buy a cheap horse, expecting perfection. The two never yet
went together. Perfect horses are not so plenty. Indeed they are so
scarce as to be entirely beyond the means of any except the very wealthy.
They are seldom seen even among this class. In fact perfection lies only
in degree. A horse may be measurably perfect for our purpose, and yet
quite defective for others. Therefore buy a horse for Avhat you want,
and expect to pay the honest price for what you get. Again, unless you
198 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
are a judge, buy of some dealer who has a reputation to lose, and the
means to back up any guarantee he may make.
XV. Buying for Blood-
In buying for fast work, buy blood every time, whether the work de-
sired is to be trotting to the wagon or carrying the owner under the
saddle.
In buying blood, as a breeder^ whether stallion or mare, never fool
Away any money on a half or three-quarters bred sire, expecting to get
high caste horses. "With a staunch thorough-bred of trotting action, you
may successfully breed good trotters and workers on mares of cold blood,
if they be of good size and form and are roomy. But for racing do not
expect a cold-blooded mare to bring a very fast one, however good th«
^ize, except it may be by chance, and a rare chance at that.
In breeding for any purpose select the best of the class. Staunch
thorough-breds for fast work ; handsome thorough-breds for show horses.
For draft select from families that have been bred for generations for
this work. Above all do not buy horses and mares that happen to strike
your fancy, expecting to start a new breed. Life would be all too short.
U would be far more sensible to begin where the last man left off.
CHAPTER XII.
BACING, OB TUBF HOBSES.
KARLT fllSTORY OP THB KNGLISH BLOOD HORSE. HOW HE WAS IMPROVBD. - — THB
AKKRICAN BLOOD HORSK.- CELEBRATED AMERICAN HORSES. HISTORY OT THEIR
■PERFORMANCES.
The care taken in the breeding and training of horses for the chase
and for racing in Great Britain, extends back, according to the best au-
thority, to long before this people were converted co Christianity ; in
fact, to long before the Christian Era. \
Just when and how horses were introduced into Great Britain is not
certain, but it seems clear that they were well known there long before
the Roman conquest, and that they bred horses not only for domestic pur-
poses but also for war and for racing, seems true, from words in the
ancient British language, as rhediad^ a race ; rheda^ to run — from the
Gaulish language rheda^ a chariot, showing that these words applied to
the racing of horses. Hence the inference that horses came by way of
Gaul, and that chariot races were anciently one of the pastimes of the
people.
The Romans found different vehicles in use in Britain, includinsr the
war chariot. Youatt infers that from the cumbrous structure of the car,
the hardness of the roads, and the furious manner in which the drivins
was done, that the ancient British horses must have been not only active,
but powerful in a wonderful degree ; and he says that Caesar thought
them so valuable that many of them were carried to Rome, where they
were much esteemed.
After the evacuation of England by the Romans and its occupation by
Ihe Saxons, increased attention was paid to the breeding of English
horses, and after the reign of Alfred running horses were brought thew
199
200 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
from Germany, yet these should not be understood as meaning racing
horses as the term is now used. They are supposed to have been light,
speedy horses, adapted to the chase or for the roads, as opposed to the
heavy war horse, capable of carrying a man at arms with his armor.
It does not appear that until the time of Charles I. horses were kept
exclusively for racing. Yet even before Athelstan's time English horses
had come to be jprized on the continent, and in Athelstan's reign many
Spanish horses were imported, showing clearly that so long ago as this
the English were fully alive to the importance of the continued improve-
ment of their horse stock.
William the Conqueror is recorded to have used gi-eat pains in improv-
ing the horse stock of the country, after the conquest of Great Britain
by the Normans, through the introduction of fine horses from Normandy,
Flanders and Spain , and according to Beal it would seem that as early as
631 people of rank distinguished themselves by often appearing on horse-
back, and from which it would be natural to infer that thus early horses
were kept for pleasure riding, since saddle horses are known to have been
used during the Roman occupation of Britain, and cavalry horses long
before the Christian Era.
The first Arab horse would seem to have been imported in the reign of
Henry I., an Arab horse having, with his accoutrements, been presented
by Alexander I. of Scotland, to the church of St. Andrew.
In the twelfth century a race course was established in London, at
what was since called Smithficld, and which was also a horse market.
King John paid great attention to the importation of horses ; one hun.
dred chosen Flemish stallions having been imported at a single time.
Later it is recorded of Edward II. that he purchased thirty war horses
and twelve heavy draft horses.
Edward III., upon the occasion of buying fifty Spanish horses, made
application to France and Spain for safe conduct for them, and so impor-
tant was the horse stock of England considered that the exportation of
stallions was forbidden, and this prohibition was continued up to and
during the reign of Henry VII.
In the reign of Henry VIII. it was decreed that no stallion should be
allowed to run at large on any waste or common where animals pastured,
if under the height of fifteen hands, and that all foals, fillies or marcs
likely to breed undersized or inferior animals, should be killed and bu-
ried.
All the nobility, gentry and higher orders of the clergy, were compell-
ed by an act to keep a number of horses proportioned to their rank, and
even a country parson, whose wife was entitled to wear a French hood or
velvet bonnet (no person below a certain rank being allowed to wear such
RACING, OK TURF HORSES. 201
a hood) was obliged takeep an entire trotting stallion, under a penalty
of twenty pounds sterling. So, also, it was made comi^ulsory that every
deer park and rural parish should maintain a certain number of full-sized
mares and stallions. It is also interesting, as being the first mention
made in English history, that Henry VIII. and Charles Brandon, Duk«
or Suffolk, rode a race in the presence of Queen Catharine, and that in
his reign the first annual races on a regular race course were instituted.
H. W. Herbert, in his work. The Horse of America, thus sums up
the whole matter in relation to the value of Oriental blood in England, in
the time of Oliver Cromwell :
It is now pretty generally admitted that, whether Barb, Turk, Syrian,
or Arab of the * desert proper, all oriental blood has had its share and
influence in reinvigorating the blood of the English thoroughbred, and
giving to it those peculiar qualities which cause it, with justice, at tliis
day, to be esteemed the best, completest, and most perfect animal in the
world .
In what degree these animals have ministered to our now dominant
strain, is by no means to be ascertained ; but it is to be noted that most
of the early imported foreign stallions were not Eastern Arabs.
During the protectorate, Oliver Cromwell, who, though he was com-
pelled by the necessity of conciliating the absurd prejudices of the
Puritans, to forbid racing, was yet an ardent lover of the horse, and an
earnest promoter and patron of all that belongs to horsemanship, pur-
shased of Mr. Place, afterwards his stud-master, the celebrated "White
Turk" — still recorded as the most beautiful south-eastern horse ever
brought into England, and the oldest to which our present strain refers.
To him succeeds Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, his Helmsley Turk, and
to him Fairfax's — the same great statesman and brave soldier, who
fought against Newcastle at Marston — Morocco Barb.
And to these three horses it is tiiat the English race-horse of the old
time chiefly owes its purity of blood, if we except the royal mares,
specially imported by Charles II., to which it is — -mythically, rather than
justly — held that all English blood should trace.
Of all succeeding importations, those, which are principally known and
referred to, as having notoriously amended our horse — by proof of sto^k
begotten of superior qualities, and victorious on the turf through tong
generations — but few are true Arabs.
We have, it is true, the Darley Arabian , the Leeds Arabian, Honey-
wood's White, the Oglethorpe, the Newcome Bay Mountain, the Damascus,
Cullen's Brown, the Chestnut, the Lonsdale Bay, Combe's Gray and Bell's
Gray Arabians ; but what is generally called the Godolphin Arabian, as
it seems now to be the prevailing opinion — his origin not being actually
20i ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
ascertained —was a Barb, not an Arab from Arabia proper. Against
these, again, we find Place's White Turk, D'Arceys Turk, the Yellow
Turk, Lister's, or the Straddling Turk, the Byerly Turk, the Selaby
Turk, the Acaster Turk ; Curwen's Bay Barb, Conipton's Barb, the
Thoulouse Barb, Layton's Barb Mare, great-great-grandam of Miss
Layton ; the Koyal Mares, which were Barbs from Tangier, and many
other Barb horses, not from the Eastern desert, heading the pedigrees of
our best horses.
In this connection, I would observe that the very reasons for which the
Marquis of Newcastle condemned the Markham Arabian — viz., that when
regularly trained he could do nothing against race-horses — on account of
which condemnation he has received a sneer or a slur from every wi'iter
who has discussed the subject, are those which, at this very moment,
prevent prudent breeders from having recourse to oriental blood of any
kind.
They cannot run or last against the English horse. They have not the
size, the bone, the muscle, the shape, if we except the beautiful head,
fine neck, thin withers, long, deep and sloping shoulders, which are the
inevitable characteristics of the race. Therefore, all men who breed with
an eye to profit, — and howsoever it might have been in the olden times
of the Turf, there are few now who have not an eye to it, either as
hoping to win on the turf, or to produce salable stocks — prefer to put
their mares to known English winning horses, proved getters of winners,
of unquestioned bottom and stoutness, rather than to try stallions of the
desert blood, concerning which nothing is known beyond the attested
pedigree, and the visible shapes.
Farther our authority gives a list of all foreign, and the most celebrated
native stallions which were used for covering in England in 1730, or just
150 years ago. They are as follows :
FOREIGN STALLIONS IN 1730,
The Alcock Arabian, the Bloody Buttocks Arabian, the Bloody Shoul-
dered Arabian, the Belgrade Turk, the Bethel Arabian, Lord Burlington's
Barb, Croft's Eg3rptian horse, the Cypress Arabian, the Godolphin Ara-
bian, Hall's Arabian, Johnson's Turk, Litton's Arabian, Matthew's
Persian, Nottingham's Arabian, Newton's Arabian, Pigott's Turk, the
Duke of Devonshire's Arabian, Greyhound, a Barb, Hampton Court
grey Barb, Strickland's Arabian, Wjmn's Arabian, Dodsworth, a Barb
NATIVE STALLIONS IN 1730.
Aleppo, Almanzer, Astridge Ball, Bald Galloway, Bartlet's Childers,
Basto, Bay Bolton, Blacklegs, Bolton Starling, Bolton Sweepstakes,
Cartouch, Chaunter, Childers, Cinnamon, Coneyskins, Councillor, Crab,
Doctor, Dunkirk, Easby Snake, Fox, Foxcub, Gramme's Champion, Grey
Racing, or turf horses. 203
Childers, Grey Crofts, Hampton Court Childers, Harleqmr;, Hartley' •
Blind Horse, Hip, Hobgobling, Hutton's Blacklegs, Hutton's Hunter,
Jewtrump, Jigg, Lamprey, Leedes, Marricle Oysterfoot, Partner, Royal,
Shuffler, Skipjack, Smale's Childers, Soreheels, Squirrel, Tifter, True-
blue, Woodcock, Wyndham.
The importation of racing horses wns, without doubt, first made to
America in Virginia and Maryland. Alieady had race-courses been
established there previous to 1753, and during the exodus from England,
of the Royalists, to the South, it is undoubtedly true that they brought
with them descendants of such horses as were covering with success ia
England. Certain it seems that quite early in the eighteenth century
there were a considerable number of thoroughbred horses from the most
celebrated English sires. That the perfect record has not come down to
us is probably due to the fact that, during the Revolutionary war the
records were either lost or destroyed between the shock of contending
armies.
Spark was owned by Governor Ogle, of Maryland, previous to Brad-
dock's defeat, having been presented to him by Lord Baltimore, who
himself received him as a gift from the then PrinciB of Wales, father to
George III. Spark was a most celebrated horse, and probably one of
the first of high distinction brought to America.
Other celebrated horses early imported are said to have been, Wilkes'
old Hautboy mare, afterward known as Miss Colville. Governor Ogle
also imported Queen Mab, and about 1750 Col. Tasker brought to Mary-
land the celebrated mare Selima, the progenetrix of much of the mightiest
blood of the country. In 1752 he won [a sweepstake of 500 pistoles,
beating Col. Byrd's renowned Tryall, Col. Taylor's Jenny Cameron, and
a mare owned by Col. Cameron.
Nearly about the same time, there were imported into Virginia, Routh's
Crab, by old Crab, dam by Counsellor, daughter of Coneyskins, sup-
posed to be in or about 1745. In 1747, Monkey, by the Lonsdale Bay
Arabian, dam by Curwen's Bay Barb, daughter of the Byerly Turk and
a Royal mare. He was twenty-two years old when imported, but left
good stock. In 1748, Roger of the Vale, afterwards known as Jolly
Roger, by Roundhead, out of a partner mare. Woodcock, Croft's Bay
Barb, Dicky Pierson, out of a Barb mare. Roundhead was by Flying
Childers, out of Roxana, dam of Lath and Cade, by the Bald Galloway,
out of a daughter to the Acaster Turk. Woodcock was by Merlin, out
of a daughter of Brimmer. Dickey Pierson by the Dodsworth Barb out
of the Burton Barb mar-e.
In about 1764, was imported Fearnought, got by Regulus out of Stl-
vertail by Whitenose, grand-dam by Rattle, great grand-dam by th«
104 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Darley Arabian, great great grand-dam Old Child mare, by Sir Thomas
Gresley's Arabian, great great great grand-dam, Vixen, by Helmsley
Turk, out of Dodsworth's dam, a natural Barb. Regulus was ))y th«
Ciodolphin Barb, dam Grey Rol)inson by the Bald Galloway, grand-dam
by Snake out of Old Wilkes' Hautboy mare. Rattle was by Sir H.
Harpur's Barb out of a Royal mare. Whitenose was by the Hall Ara-
bian out of dam to Jigg. Thus Fearnought is come of the very highest
and purest blood in England, and has left his mark largely on the blood-
borg© of Virginia. It is said that, before his time, there was little be-
yond quarter racing in Virginia, that his progeny were of uncommon
figure, and first introduced the size and bottom of the English race-horse
into America. This must be taken, however, cum grano salts, as it is
evident from what has been stated in regard to Selima, that four-mile
racers were the fashion in Maryland at least fifteen years before that
date, and it is only to be understood in the case of second-rate racers,
that quarter running was in vogue at this period.
These capital horses were shortly followed by Morton's Traveller, who
♦v^as i)robably got by Partner, a grandson of the Byerly Turk, and gi'and-
sire of King Herod , dam by the Bloody Buttocks Arabian ; grand-dam
by Grey-hound, a Barb ; g. grand dam by Makeless ; g. g. g. dam by
Brimmer ; g. g. g. g. dam by the White Turk ; g. g. g. g. g. dam by
Dodsvvorth, a Barb ; g. g. g. g. g. g. dam Laydon Barb mare.
Makeless was by the Oglethorpe Arab out of Trumpet's dam. She
was a pure Barb by Dodsvvorth out of the Layton Barb mare. Brimmer
was by the Yellow Turk out of a royal mare.
These were probably the best early horses that were imi^orted into
America ; and to these, with the mares Selima, Queen Mab, Jenny Cam-
•eron, Kitty Fisher, Miss Colville, and a few others of about the same
period, may ])c traced all, or almost all the families of running horses
now existing in the United States, in a greater or less degree, and with
nearly as much certainty as the English champions of the olden day may
be followed up to imported Arab and Barb on both sides.
This being most interesting history, we quote from The Horse of Amer-
ica, to show how much the United States is indebted to the South for the
foundation of its mighty racers of the present day, and owing undoubt-
edly to the great interest the old planters of the South and their de-
scendants have taken in field sports. The record is as follows :
In Virginia, Col. John Tayloe, Messrs. Hoomes, Selden and Johnson;
in Maryland, Governors Ogle, Ridgely, Wright, Lloyd and Sprigg, who,
as it has been remarked, seemed by their practice to acknowledge that
the keeping up of a racing stud was a portion of their gubernatorial
«iuty ; and in South Carolina, Messrs. Hampton, Washington, McPher-
RACING, OK TURF HORSES. 20-^
son, Alston and Singleton, were as early, and have continued to be as
constant and undeviating patrons of the American turf, as have the
Queensburjs, Rutlands, Wyndhams, Bentincks, Fitzwilliams, and other
equally renowned turf names, been supporters of this noble sport on the
old English greensward.
From so early a date as that of the ante-revolutionary cracks and
champions, such as Celer, Traveller, Yorick, Tryall, Ariel, Partner, Marc
Antony, Regulus, Flag of Truce, Goode's Brimmer, Butler's Virginia
Nell, Bel Air, Calypso, Gray Diomed, Cincinnatus, Virago, Shark, Black
Maria, by Shark, Leviathan, Gallatin, Fairy, Cup-bearer, Collector,
Amanda, Ball's Florizel, Post Boy, Oscar, Hickory, Maid of the Oaks,
Bond's First Consul, Sir Archy, Potomac, Pacolet, Duroc, Hampton,
Tuckahoe, and others, the names of which alone would fill a volume, >re
can easily bring down in these States — and the others colonized from
them, both with men and horses, such as Kentucky, Tennessee, and more
recently Alabama — one uninterrupted and stainless succession of noble
racers, to the day when the descendants of Sir Archy, that veritable Go-
dolphin Arabian of the Turf of America, began to show upon the course
—and when the renown of American Eclipse began to call the attention
of the whole world, and of the mother country most of all, whence was
derived that transcendent stock, which in all other countries has degene-
rated, but in this has continued to rival the honors of its remotest ances-
try by the performance of American race horses.
As being of value, we give also the history and pedigrees of som* of
the most celebrated horses of the days succeeding the revolutionary war.
They are :
First INIedley — Imported into Virginia in 1783, by Gimcrack, dam
Arminda by Snap, out of Miss Cleveland by Eegulus ; g. gr. dam Midge,
by a son of Bay Bolton ; g. g. gr. dam by Bartlett's Childers ; g. g. g«
gr. dam by Honejrwood's Arabian ; g. g. g. g. gr. dam the dam • of the
two True Blues. Gimcrack was by Cripple, out of Miss Elliott, by
Grisewood's Partner, gr. dam Celia by Partner, g. gr. dam by Bloody
Buttocks, g. g. gr. dam by Greyhound, g. g. g. gr. dam Brocklesby
Betty.
Cripple was by the Godolphin Arabian, out of Blossom by Crab, gv.
dam by Childers out of Miss Bel voir, by Grantham.
Medley was one of the best sires ever imported into America. He got
Atalanta, Bel Air, Boxer, Calji^so, Gray Diomed, Gray Medley, Lamp-
lighter, the Opossum Filly, Pandora, Quicksilver, Virginia, and others — ■
racers in a high form, and themselves the getters of racers.
Second Shark — Foaled in 1771, and imported into Virginia by
20(5 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Marske, out of the Sniip mare, gr. dam Wag's dam, by Marlborough,
out of a natural Barb mare.
Marske, sire of Eclipse, was by Squirt, dam by Foxcub, gr. dam. by
Oneyskins, g. gr. dam by Button's Gray Barb.
Squii-t was by Bartlett's Childers, dam by Snake, gr. dam Hautboy.
Marlborough was by the Godolphin Arabian, dam large Hartley mare.
Shark's most distinguished progeny are : Americus, Annette, Black
Maria, dam of Lady Lightfoot, Opossum, Shark, Virago, and many
others.
Third Diomed — Foaled in 1777. Imported into Virginia 1798. He
was by Florizel, dam by Spectator, gr. dam by Blank, g. gr. dam by
Childers, g. g. gr. dam Miss Belvoir, by Grantham.
Florizel was by Herod, dam by Cygnet, gr. dam Cartouch, g. gr. dam
Ebony by Childers, g. g. gr. dam old Ebony Basto mare.
Herod was by Tartar, out of Cypron, by Blaze, out of Selima, &c. &c.
IWomed is probably the greatest sire of the greatest winner-getters ever
brought into this country. Had he got none but Sir Archy, out of im-
ported Castianira — who brought him to America in her belly — that re-
nown alone would have been more than enough ; for scarce a recent
horse in England, unless it be PotSo's, has so distinguished himself as a
progenitor.
He begot Bolivar, Diana, Dinwiddle, Duroc, Florizel, Gallatin, Grac-
chus, Hamlintonian, Hampton, Hornet, King Herod, Lady Chesterfield,
Madison, Marske, Nettle-top, Peace-maker, Potomac, Primrose, Sir Ar-
chy, Top-gallant, Truxton, Virginius, Wonder, and many others. Most
of the horses named above were the greatest runners of their day, and
the getters of the greatest racers and sires to the present time. Boston,
prooably the very best horse that ever ran on American soil, was by Ti-
moleon, grandson of Sir Archy, the best son of Diomed ; while Fashion,
the very best mare that ever ran on this side the water, by her dam. Bon-
nets of Blue, daughter of Reality, was great-granddaughter of that same
noble stallion ; and by her grandsire Sir Charles, sire of Bonnets and son
of Sir Archy, was also his great-granddaughter, a second time, in the
maternal line.
Fourth Gabbriel — Foaled 1790, imported into Virginia, was got by
Dorimant, dam Snap mare, gr. dam by Shepherd's Crab, g- gr. dam.
Miss Meredith by Cade, g. g. gr. dam Little Hartley mare.
Dorimant was by Otho, dam Babraham mare, gr. dam Chiddy by
Hampton Court Arabian, out of the Duke of Somerset's Bald Charlotte.
Otho was by Moses, dam Miss Vernon by Cade, gr. dam by Partner,
g. gr. dam Bay Bloody Buttocks, g. g. gr. dam by Greyhound, g. g. g.
ffr. dam by Makeless, g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Brimmer, g. g g. g. g. gr.
BACING. OU TURF HORSES. 207
dam by Place's "White Turk, g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Dodsworth, g.
g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam Layton's violet Barb mare.
Moses was by the Chedworth Foxhunter, dam by the Portland Arabian,
gr. dam, the dam of the Duke of Bridge water's Star, she by Richard's
Arabian.
Gabriel was brought into Virginia, and became, like the preceding
horses, very famous for splendor of his get and their great performances.
He got Oscar, Post Boy, and others. The former of whom, dam by4
imp. Medley, bred by General Tayloe, is his most celebrated son. He
was a good runner, and his blood tells in many of our best modern stal-
lions and mares, especially in the Southern States.
Fifth Bedford — Foaled in 1792, imported into Virginia. He was
got by Dungannon, dam Fairy, by Highflyer, gr. dam Fairy Queen by
Young Cade, g. gr. dam Routh s Black Eyes by Crab, g. g. gr. dam the
Warlock Galloway, g. g. g. gr. dam by the Byerly Turk.
Dungannon was by Eclipse out of Aspasla, by Herod, gr. dam Doris
by Blank, g. gr. dam Helen by Spectator, g. g. gr. dam Daphne by the
Godolphin Arabian, g. g. g. gr. dam by Fox, g. g. g. g. gr. dam by
Childers, g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam by Makeless, g. g. g. g. g. g. gr. dam,
Sister to Honeycomb Punch, by the Taffolet Barb.
The year of Bedford's importation is r^ot exactly known. He was a
great stallion, and there is hardly a family of horses in the Southern
States which do not in some degree, more or less, partake of his blood.
He was a singularly formed horse — a rich bay — with a peculiar elevation
on his rump, amounting in appearance to an unsightliness, if not to an
absolute deformity. This mark, known as the Bedford Hump, he has
transmitted to his posterity, and, whatever may have been the original
opinion as to its beauty, it has been worn by so many celebrated winners,
that it has come of late to be regarded as a foreshadowing of excellence,
rather than a deformity. It has been worn by Eclipse, Black Maria, her
brother, Shark, Boston, Argyle, and many other horses of great note.
Bedford got; ^olus, Cup-Bearer, Fairy, Lady Bedford, Lottery,
Nancy Air, Shylock and others not inferior in repute.
On the first settlement in Tennessee, previous to its admission as t
State into the Union, the early settlers began taking with them excellent
stock from Virginia and Maryland, and the blood of Janus, Jolly Roger,
Morton's Traveller, Pacolet and other worthies of the olden times, still
percolates in rich luxuriance through the veins of their noble steeds. It
has been always a gallant and a sporting State ; and I feel proud and
happy — the rather that the history of the blood stock of Tennessee and
of the neighboring State of Kentucky is nearly identical — to be allowed
the opportunity of presenting to my readers a most valuable memoir of
208 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the blood of its best equine families, considerately and kindly compiled
for me from his own memoranda of old times, and from personal recol-
lection of events, even beforp General Jackson and his contemporaries
were on the turf, by a veteran turfman and a hereditary breeder, Mr.
"William Williams — to whom I take this occasion of tendering my most
grateful and respectful thanks.
Bace Horses at the North.
Prior to the Revolution there was a course for racing, near New York,
about the centre of the county, called Newmarket, and one at Jamaica
called Beaver Pond. As early as the year 1800 courses were established
at Albany, Poughkeepsie and Harlem, New York. On these tracks
purses of from one to four miles were contended for. In 1804 an organ-
ization was formed extending for five years. The Newmarket course was
remodeled, and regular races were held in May and October of each year,
at which purses were contended for at four, three and two mile heats.
Among the celebrated horses of that time, some of which have left
their impress to this day, were Tippoo Sultan, Hambletonian, Miller's
Damsel and Empress. Among these, as worthy of especial mention,
were Hambletonian, as the progenitor of mighty trotting stock. Miller's
Damsel as the dam of American Eclipse, and Ariel, whose granddamwas
this gray mare Empress. American Eclipse was the king of the Amer-
ican turf of his day, and Ariel may certainly be said to have been the
queen, since out of fifty-seven races she was forty-two times the winner,
seventeen of them having been four mile heats. They both of them may
be said to rank with the best race horses of any age or country.
The pedigree of Eclipse may be summed up in the language of Frank
Forrester, as follows : American Eclipse, bred by Gen. Coles of L. I.,
foaled 1814 ; was got by Duroc, his dam the famed race mare Miller's
Damsel, by imported Messenger, out of the imported Pot8os mare ; her
dam by Gimcrack. Duroc, bred by Wade Mosely, Esq., of Powhatan
county, Virginia, foaled 1809 : was got by imported Diomed, out of Mr.
Mosely's "extraordinary race mare Amanda," by Col. Tayloe's famed
gray Diomed, son of imported Medley. Thus far Eclipse's pedigree is
unquestioned; for the balance see American Turf Register, p. 50, vol.
4. Of Sir Charles Bunbury's Diomed, imported into Virginia 1799, hav-
ing filled the measure of his glory," nothing more need be said. Mes-
senger, foaled 1788, imported about 1800 into Pennsylvania, was also a
race horse of repute at Newmarket; he won some good races, and lost
but few. He was a gray, of great substance ; was got by Mambrino, a
very superior stallion, his dam by Turf, son of Matchem, Regulus — Star-
ling— Snap's dam. See English Stud Book, and American Eclipse's ped-
vgree in full, American Turf Register, p. 51, vol. 4.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 209
Of Ariel we find the following: Ariel's pedigree is worthy of her
performances. Her own brothers — Lance, a year older than herself, a
distinguished runner that beat the famous Trouble, a great match —
O'Kelly, that beat Flying Dutchman, Mary Randolph, and others, with
»uch eclat as to bring $5,000 — and St. Leger in the great sweepstake in
Baltimore, where he was so unaccountably beaten, but has since beat
Terror — her own sister Angeline, and half-brother Splendid, by Duroc,
that was beaten at three years old, in a produce match, by Col. Johnson,*
Medley — are all well known to fame. Her grandam Empress, has also
been regarded one of the most renowned race nags and brood mares of
the North. October, 1804, at four years old, she very unexpectedl}*
beat the famous First Consul, for the Jockey Club purse, four-mUe
heats, at Harlem, N. Y. The first race he lost.
Besides combining the three valued crosses of Herod, Matchem, and
Eclipse, it will be observed Ariel's pedigree is "richly imbued with the
best English blood ;" to which she traces almost directly from Childers,
Partner, Crab, Snap, Cade, Spark, Othello, Gimcrack, Mambrino, Med-
ley, PotSos, Messenger, Baronet, Diomed, &c. ; besides deriving her de-
cent from the best early importations. No other stock probably par-
takes so much of the Messenger blood — ^no less than four crosses ; with
two, not very remote, from English Eclipse, two from Gimcrack, two
from imported Pacolet, and three from imported Spark. Her color sus-
tains her valuable origin — running so much into the Arabian blood.
Black Maria was another of the wonderful performers of the early
part of the century, having been bred by Charles Henry Hall, Harlem,
N. Y., and foaled June 15, 1826. She was sired by American Eclipse,
dam Lady Lightfoot by Sir Arch}^ gr. dam Black Maria, by imported
Shark ; g. gr. dam the dam of Ving't un, by Clackfast, a half-brother
to Medley, by Gimcrack ; g. g, g. dam Burwell's Maria, by Regulus.
Of her dam, Lady Lightfoot, Frank Forrester says she was the most
distinguished racer of her day, having won between twenty and thirty
races, the majority at four-mile heats, and never having been beaten but
once, except in her old age — her eleventh year — and then by Eclipse, on
the Union Course. She was bred by the late Col. JohnTaloe of Va. and
was foaled at Mr. Ogle's seat, Bel-air, Md., in June, 1812.
Among the wonderful racers of forty years ago, Boston and Fashion
will always be remembered as the two mighty examples of staunch
prowess and well-deserved fame.
Boston was foaled in 1833, bred by John Wickham, Esq., Richmond,
Va. His sire was the celebrated Timoleon, out of an own sister of
Tuckahoe, by Ball's Florizel ; her dam by imported Alderman, out of a
mare by imported Clackfast ; her gr. dam by Symmes' Wildair, &c.
21U ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
He was a chestnut with white hind feet and a strip in his face, 15 1-2
hands high, rather short limbed, somewhat flat sided, but of immense
substance, and his baciv a prodigy of strength. From 1836 to 1841 he
ran thirty-eight times and won thirty-five races, twenty-six of which
were four mile heats and seven three mile heats. His winnings were
$41t,500, and his earnings as a breeding stallion in 1841, $4,200, making
a total ot $53,700.
Fashion was bred by William Gibbons, Esq., of Madison, N. J., and
was foaled April 26, 1837. Of this mare it is recorded that it would be
difficult to sit down over the Stud Book and compile a richer pedigree
than hers, and the same remark will apply to Boston. Each is descended
from the most eminently distinguished racing families on the side of both
sire and dam, that have figured on the Turf for a hundred years.
Fashion was got by Mr. Livingston's Imp. Trustee, out of the celebrated
Bonnets o' Blue by Sir Charles, and she out of Reality — "the very best
race-horse," says Col. Johnson, "I ever saw." Reality was got by Sir
Archy, and her pedigree extends back through the imported horses Med-
ley, Sentinel, Janus, Monkey, Silver-Eye and Spanker, to an imported
Sp>-nish mare. Trustee, the sire of Fashion, was a distinguished race-
horse in England, and sold at 3 yrs. old for 2,000 guineas to the Duke
of Cleveland, after running 3d in the race for the Derby of 101 sub-
scribers. He was subsequently imported by Messrs. Ogden, Corbin and
Stockton. Trustee was foaled in 1829, and was got by Catton out of
Emma, by Whisker, and combines the blood of Hermes, Pipator, and
Sir Peter, on his dam's side, with that of Penelope, by Trumpator, and
Prunella, by Highflyer, on the side of his sire. Trustee is not a chance
horse ; in addition to other winners of his family, in 1835, his own
brother, Mundig, won the Derby of 128 subscribers.
In her three year old form she won three of the races she ran and lost
one, being beaten by Tyler after winning the second heat. In her four
year old form she ran and won three races, one at two miles, one at three
miles and one at four miles.
Later, the palm of victory rested upon horses bred west of the Alle-
ghanies and south of the Ohio river. Among the celebrated ones were
Lexington, got in 1851 by Boston out of Alice Carneal. Lecompte, by
Glencoe, out of Reel. Pryor, by Glencoe, out of Gypsy, own sister to
Medoc, by American Eclipse.
Still later, and within the last ten years, the laurels of southern bred
racers on various tracks in America and Enghftid, are too well known to
need recapitulation.
As showing English and American views on the speed of race horses
of twenty years ago, really the palmy days of the turf, and which con-
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 211
tinued up to the late war, Stonehenge, from an English point of view,
says ;
By an examination of the racing time-tables as recorded of late years,
it will be seen that from 13 1-2 to 14 seconds per furlong is the highest
rate of speed attained in any of our races, above a mile, and with 8 st.
7 lbs. carried by three-year-old horses. In 1846, Surplice and Cymba
won the Derby and Oaks, each running the distance in 2m. 48s., or ex-
actly 14 seconds per furlong. This rate has never since that time been
reached ; the Flying Dutchman having however, nearly attained it, but
failing by two seconds — making his rate 14 seconds and one sixth per
furlong. But the most extraordinary three-year-old performance is that
of Sir Tatton Sykes over the St. Leger Course, 1 mile, 6 furlongs, and
132 yards in length, which he ran in 3 minutes and 16 seconds, or at a
rate of as nearly as possible 13 1-2 seconds per furlong. "With an addi-
tional year and the same weight, this speed has been slightly exc4.eded
by West Australian, even over a longer course, as .at Ascot in 1854,
when he defeated Kingston by a head only ; running two miles and four
furlongs in 4m, and 27s., or as nearly as possible at the rate of 13 1-2
seconds and one- third per furlong. This performance is the best in
modern days, considering the weight, the age, and the distance ; and it
will compare very favorably with the often-quoted exploit of Childers
over the Beacon Course in 1721, when, being six years old, he beat JLl-
manzor and Brown Betty, carrying 9 st. 2 lbs., and doing the distance in
6m. 40s., or at the rate of 14 seconds and one-third per furlong. Thus,
allowing him his year for the extra mile in the course, and for the 21bs,
which he carried above the Kingston's weight, he was outdone by the
latter horse at Ascot by one second per furlong, and likewise by West
Australian at the usual allowance for his age. Again ; comparing these
performances on the English Turf with the recently lauded exploits of
the American horses, it will be found that there is no cause for the fear
lest our antagonists in the "go-ahead" department should deprive us of
our laurels. On the 2d of April, 1855, a time-match was run at New
Orleans between Lecomte and Lexington, both four years old, in which
the latter, who won, did the four miles, carrying 7 st. 51bs., in 7m. 19
3-4s., or as nearly as may be, 13 3-4 seconds per furlong. This is con-,
sidered by the Americans the best time on record, and is undoubtedly a
creditable performance ; though when the light weight is taken into ac-
«ount, not so near our best English time as would at first sight appear.
On the 14th of April, Brown Dick and Arrow ran three miles over th«
same course in 5m. 28s., or at the rate of 13 seconds and two-thirds ipot
furlong ; the former a three-year-old, carrying 6 st. 2 lbs., and the latter
five years old, 6 st. 12 lbs. Thus it will appear that Kingston, of th«
^12 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
game age as Aitow, and carrying 9 st. instead of 7 st. 12 lbs., ran 2 1-2
miles at a better rate than Arrow did his 3 miles, by one-third of a sec-
ond per furlong. And it has been shown that in the year last past, two
horses exceeded the greatest performance of the olden times by a second
per furlong, and beat the best American time of modern days by one-
third of a second per mile. The assertion, therefore, that our present
horses are degenerated in their power of staying a distance under weight,
is wholly without foundation ; since I have shown that, even taking the
time of the Childers' performance as the true rate, of which there is
some doubt, yet it has recently been beaten very considerably by West
Australian and Kingston. Many loose assertions have been made as to
the rate of the horse, for one mile in the last century, but there is not
the slightest reliance to be placed upon them. That any race-horse ever
ran a mile within the minute, is an absurd fiction : and it is out of the
question to suppose that if Childers could not beat our modern horses
over the Beacon Course, he could beat them a shorter distance. Stout-
ness was undoubtedly the forte of the early race-horses ; they were of
small size, very wiry and low, and could unquestionably stay a distance,
and could race month after month, and year after year, in a way seldom
imitated in these days ; but that they could in their small compact forms
run as fast in a short spin as our modern three-year-olds, is quite a fal-
lacy ; and no racing man of any experience would admit it for a moment.
The size and shape of the modern thoroughbred horse are superior to
those of olden days, if we may judge by the portraits of them handed
down to us by Stubbs, who was by far the most faithful animal painter
of the eighteenth century. In elegance of shape we beat the horses of
that day very considerably, more especially in the beauty of the head
and the formation of the shoulders, which have been much attended to by
breeders. In size, also, there has been an immense stride made, the
average height of the race-horse having been increased by at least a hand
in the last century. This enlargement is, I believe, chiefly due to the
Godolphin Arabian, who was the sire of Babrahara, the only horse of
his time M^hich reached 16 hands, and sire and grandsire of several which
were more than 15 hands, much above the average height of horses at
that time — as for instance. Fearnought, Genius, Gower, Stallion, Infant,
Denmark, Bolton, Cade, Club, Lofty, and Amphion. Indeed it will be
found, by an examination of the horses of that time, that out of 1.30
winners in the middle of the eighteenth century, there were only 18 of
the height of 15 hands and upwards, of which 11 were by Godolphin or
his sons, three descended from the Darly Arabian, two from the Byerly
Turk, and two from other sources. It may therefore be assumed, with
some degree of probability, that the increase in size is in great measure
RACING, OR TURF HOR8ES. 21 :j
due to the Godolphin, in addition to the extra care and attention which
the horse has received during the same time. Nevertheless, all the care
and forcing in the world will not increase the size of some breeds ; and
unless there was this capability of being forced, no amount of attention
would have brought the horse to the present average, which may be
placed at about 15 hands 3 inches.
In relation to the comparisons of speed between English and American
race horses, the Spirit of the Times^ New Yord, sums up the matter,
and gives a list of the most renowned racers of England and America,
which we append :
It will appear, on a critical examination of the subject, that there is
not much difference in the powers of the best race-horses for more than
a century ; a period during which they have been brought, upon both
sides of the Atlantic, to the present high state of perfection. Within the
last two years have been exhibited faster running in England, by Wewt
Australian and Kingston, and in this country, by Lexington and Lecomte,
than was ever before known. The two last have run four miles, and
four-mile heats, faster, in either case, than has been performed in Eng.
land. ** Stoneheuge," who has been well endorsed in England, has showi..
"the absurd fiction" of *'a mile within a minute;" and that there n
' ' not the slightest reliance to be placed upon the many loose assertion? "
— such as the reported accounts of Childers ; and that he and Eclipse
were a distance better than any other horses that have appeared, or that
they *' could beat any other a half-mile in four miles!" On the same
authority, it appears that, in the fastest Derby, St. Leger, and Ascut cup
races, as won by Surplice, the Flying Dutchman, Sir Tatton Sykes, Don
John, and West Australian, the distance varying from one mile and a
half to two miles and a half, that the fastest rate, with English weights,
has been a little over one minute and forty seconds per mile. We have
no authentic report that the mile has been run in England under one
minute and forty-two seconds, the time of Henry Perritt at New Orleans.
Nominally of the same age, three years old, and with the same weight,
86 lbs.. Inheritor, at Liverpool, ran two miles in 3.25 ; which is at the
rate per mile of 1-42 1-2. " Stonehenge," referring to what he con-
siders the best race ever run in England, states that West Australian,
four years old, carrying the St. Leger weight, 8 st. 6 lbs. — 118 pounds —
•'defeated Eangston by a head only," the latter five years old, carrying
9 St. — 126 pounds — running two and a half miles in 4,27, '<or as nearly
as possible, 13 1-2 seconds per furlong." "This performance, the best
of modern days, considering the weight, the age, and the distance, will
compare very favorably with the often quoted exploit of Childers, in
1721, at Newmarket, when six years old, carrying 9 st. 2 lbs.--*.28 lbs;
214 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
he did the distance, three and a half miles, in 6.40, or at the rate of Ih
seconds and one-third per furlong." ''Thus allowing Childers his year
for the extra mile in the course, and for the two pounds which he carried
above Kingston's weight, he, Childers, was outdone by Kingston at
Ascot, by one second per furlong, and likewise by West Australian,
at the usual allowance for his age." "Kingston, of the same age as
Arrow, and carrying 9 st. instead of 6 st. 2 lbs. — 100 pounds — ran two
and a half miles at a better rate than Arrow, in his race with Brown
Dick, did bis three miles, by one-tliird of a second per furlong," But
Arrow's was « race of three-mile heats, the second heat in 5.43 1-2.
Lexington, nominally four years old, carrying 103 pounds, ran four miles,
also at New Orleans, in 7.19 3-4. or, as nearly as maybe, 13 3-4 seconds
per furlong, at the rate, for four miles, of less than 1.50 per mile.
The often quoted exploit of Eclipse, of England, was that he ran four
miles, carrying 168 pounds, in eight minutes.
With these data before them, it is left for others to draw their own
deductions of the relative merits of West Australian, Childers, Eclipse,
and Lexington, at the distances they ran, varying from two and a half
miles to four.
Some among us believe that Lexington and Lecomte were rbout as fast
and as good race-horses as have ever appeared in England. Undoubtedly
they could ' ' stay a distance ' ' about as well as any horse that has run
anywhere, having run two heats, of four miles, in 7.26, and 7.38, and
the third mile of the second heat in 1.47.
It would be difficult to institute a fair comparison between the race-
horses of England and America, the systems of racing being so different
in the two countries. With the exception of the light weights, adoj^ted
by us for convenience, the modes and rules of our turf are nearly the
same as they were in England the last century. Li England, since that
period, the mode of racing has been essentially changed ; heavy weights,
even for two and three-year-olds, at short distances, rarely beyond two
and a half miles ; no longer races of heats ; the great events being for
*'baby horses," two and three-year-olds, instead of horses^ as formerly.
They rarely, nowadays, reach maturity in England. Priam, Touchstone,
Harkaway, and Rataplan, are to be regarded as exceptions to a rule.
Childers and Eclipse were not introduced upon the turf until five year*
old, an age at which the most distinguished horses rarely run in these days.
The elastic turf and the straighter shape of the English race-courses,
better adapt them to speed than our circular "race-tracks," that are
;vh.'iily denuded of turf. Therefore a fair comparison of English and
A nieri'ian race-horses cannot be made by time as the test ; one, too, that is not
"E^ lii 05 high esteem in England, but is frequently disregardpd.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 215
Rather a long catalogue is here presented of the best race-horses of
England and of this country, which might be extended. Those now or
lately upon our turf are omitted, as some doubts might be entertained of
their comparative merits. Of those furnished, who will agree as to the
pre-eminence of any two of them ; at least, to place any six above
^e rest?
MOST RENOWNED ENGLISH AND AMERICAN HORSES.
1715*, Childers ; 1718*, Partner; 1748*, Matchem ; 1749*, Regulus
%nd Mirza, by the Godolphin Arabian ; 1749*, Spectator ; 1750*, Snap ;
1758*, Herod; 1764*, Eclipse, by Marske ; 1771*, Shark, by Marske ;
^773*, PotSos, by Eclipse; *, Saltram, by Eclipse ; 1777*t,Dio-
med; 1782t, Trumpator; 1784t, Sir Peter; 1790t, Waxy; 1792t,
Hambletonian ; 1796t, Sorcerer; 1798t, Eleanor ; 1798t, Orville ; 1807t,
Whalebone; 1816, Sultan; 1822, Camel; 18271, Priam, by Emilius t ;
1831t, Plenipotentiary, by Emiliusf ; 1831t, Touchstone ; f, Queen
of Trumps ; 1 » Bay Middleton ; 1 » Flying Dutchman ; .,
Harkaway; f, Don John; 1» Sir Tatton Sykes ; fj West
Australian ; , Kingston ; 1801*, Florizel ; 1812, Potomac ; 1813*,
Sir Archy ; 1812, Lady Lightfoot, by Sir Archy ; 1812, Vanity, by Sir
Archv; 1813, Reality, by Sir Archy ; 1813*, Timoleon, by Sir Archy;
1814, Virginian, by Sir Archy ; 1815, Sir Charles, by Sir Archy ; 1820,
Bertrand, by Sir Archy ; 1801, Maid of the Oaks, by Imported Spread
Eagle; 1801, Floretta, by Imported Spread Eagle ; 1801, Postboy, by
Imported Gabriel; 1801, Oscar, by Imported Gabriel; 1801, Hickory;
1808, Duroc ; , Sir Solomon ; 1814, American Eclipse ; 1820, Flirt-
ilia ; , Monsieur Tonson ; , Sally Walker; , Ariel, by
American Eclipse ; Medoc, by American Eclipse ; , Fanny, by
American Eclipse ; , Lady Clifden ; , Doubloon, by Imported
Margi-ave ; , Blue and Brown Dick, by Imported Margrave ; 1833,
Boston ; 1837, Fashion ; 1839, Peytona ; , Trifle, by Sir Charles ;
— ^, Andrew, by Sir Charles ; , Wagner, by Sir Charles ; ,
Grey Eagle.
Another view of the comparative merits of race-horses that were not
contemporaries is presented by time on the same course, and with the
aame weight, or the relative weight for age.
It has been showm lately, that on the Charleston Course, at three and
four-mile-heats, in the races won by Nina, Highlander, Jefferson Davis,
and Frank Allen, nearly the same time has been made ; besides the coro»
parison between that of Bertrand and Floride.
♦Boston's ancestors. fDerby and St. Leger wlsnen.
2] 6 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR
On the Union Course, New York, the fastest four-mile heats were a»
follows :
Fashion, 5 years, 111 lbs., and Boston, 9 3'ears, 126 lbs., 7.32 1-2
—7.45.
Tally-ho, 4 years, 104 lbs., and Bostona, 5 years, 111 lbs., 7.33 — 7.43.
Fashion, aged, 123 lbs., and Peytona, 5 years, 117 lbs., 7.39 — 7.45.
Eclipse, 9 years, 12€ lbs., and Henry, 4 years, 108 lbs., 7.37 1-2
—7.49.
Eed-Eye, 8 years, 126 lbs., and One-Eyed Joe, 6 years, 117 lbs., 7.52
—7.39.
Lady Clifden, 4 years, 101 lbs., and Picton, 3 years, 90 lbs., Picton
winning first heat, 7.44—7.43 1-2—7.56 1-2.
Principles of Breeding.
In relation td the principles and practice of breeding for the turi
and for general purposes, Stonehenge on British Rural Sports, than
whom none could be more competent to advise, and although written
from an English stand-point is applicable to any country or conditions
The author, in an essay holds the following :
THE PRINCIPLBS AND PRACTICE OF BREEDING FOR THE TURF AND FOB
GENERAL PURPOSES.
Before proceeding to enlarge upon the practical management of the
breeding stud, it will be well to ascertain what are the known laws of
generation in the higher animals.
The union of the sexes is, in all the higher animals, necessary foi
reproduction ; the male and female each taking their respective share.
The office of the male is to secrete the semen in tiie testes, and emit it
into the uterus of the female, where it comes in contact with the ovun>
of the female — which remains sterile without it.
The female forms the ovum in the ovary, and at regular times, varying
in different animals, this descends into the uterus for the purpose of
fructification, on receiving the stimulus and addition of the sperm-cell of
the semen.
The semen consists of two portions — the spermatozoa^ which have an
automatic power of moving from place to place, by which quality it is
believed that the semen is carried to the ovum ; and the sperm-cells,
which are intended to co-operate with the germ-cell of the ovum in form-
ing the embryo.
The ovum consists of the germ-cell, intended to form part of the
embryo, — and the yolk, which nourishes both, until the vessels of the
mother take upon themselves the task ; or, in oviparous animals, till
hatching takes place, and external food is to be obtained. The ovum is
RACING, OR TURF HORSEf?, 2i^
carried down by the contractile power of the fallopian tubes from the
ovary to the uterus, and hence it does not require automatic particles
like the semen.
The embryo, or young animal, is the result of the contact of the
$emen with the ovum, immediately after which the sperm-cell of the
former is absorbed into the germ-cell of the latter. Upon this a ten-
dency to increase or "grow" is estabhshed, and supported at first, by
the nutriment contained in the yolk of the ovum, until the embryo has
attached itself to the walls of the uterus, from which it afterwards ab-
sorbs its nourishment by the intervention of the placenta.
As the male and female each furnish their quota to the formation of
the embryo, it is reasonable to expect that each shall be represented in
it, which is found to be the case in nature ; but as the food of the embryo
entirely depends upon the mother, it may be expected that the health of
the offspring and its constitutional powers will be more in accordance
with her state than with that of the father ; yet since the sire furnishes
one-half of the original germ, it is not surprising that in externals and
general character there is retained a/ac-simile, to a certain extent of him.
The ovum of mammalia differs from that of birds chiefly in the greater
size of the yolk of the latter, because in them this body is intended to
support the growth of the embryo from the time of the full formation
of the egg until the period of hatching. On the other hand, in mam-
malia the placenta conveys nourishment from the internal surface of the
uterus to the embryo during the whole time which elapses between the
'Bntrance of the ovum into the uterus and its birth. This period embraces
nearly the whole of the interval between conception and birth, and is
•called utero-gestation.
In all the mammalia there is a periodical ** heat," marked by certain
discharges in the female, and sometimes by other remarkable symptoms
in the male. In the former it is accompanied in all healthy subjects by
the descent of an ovum or ova into the uterus ; and in both there is a
strong desire for sexual intercourse, which never takes place at other
times in them.
The semen retains its fructifying power for some days, if it be con-
tained within the walls of the uterus or vagina, but soon ceases to be
fruitful if kept in any other vessel. Hence, although the latter part of
the time of heat is the best for the union of the sexes, because tjien
the ovum is ready for the contact with the semen, yet if the semen
reaches the uterus first, it will still cause a fruitful impregnation, because
it remains there uninjured until the descent of the ovum.
The influence of the male upon the embryo is partly dependent upon
the fact that he furnishes a portion of its substance in the shape of th«
218 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
sperm-cell, but also in great measure upon the effect exerted upoii tk«
nervous system of the mother by him. Hence the preponderance ol
one or other of the parents will, in great measure, depend upon th»
greater or less strength of nervous system in each. No general law li
known by which this can be measured, nor is anything known of th«
laws which regulate the temperament, bodily or mental power, color oi
conformation of the resulting offspring.
Acquired qualities are transmitted, whether they belong to the sire or
dam, and also both bodily and mental. As bad qualities are quite as
easily transmitted as good ones, if not more so, it is necessary to take
care that in selecting a male to improve the stock he be free from bad
points, as well as furnished with good ones. It is known by experienca
that the good or bad points of the progenitors of the sire or dam ari.
almost as likely to appear again in the offspring, as those of the imme-
diate parents in whom they are dormant. Hence, in breeding the rule is,
that like produces like, or the likeness of some ancestor.
The purer or less mixed the breed, the more likely it is to be trarrs-
initted unaltered to the offspring. Hence, whichever parent is of the
purest blood will be generally more represented in the offspring ; but as
the male is usually more carefully selected, and of purer blood than the
female, it generally follows that he exerts more influence than she does ;
the reverse being the case when she is of more unmixed blood than
the sire.
Breeding "in-and-in" is injurious to mankind, and has always been
forbidden by the Divine law, as well as by most human lawgivers. On
the other hand, it prevails extensively in a state of nature with all grega-
rious animals, among whom the strongest male retains his daughters and
granddaughters until deprived of his harem by younger and stronger
rivals. Hence, in those of our domestic animals which are naturally gre-
garious, it is reasonable to conclude that breeding "in-and-in" is not
prejudicial, because it is in conformity with their natural instincts, if not
carried farther by art, than nature teaches by her example. Now, in
nature we find about two consecutive crosses of the same blood is the
usual extent to which it is carried, as the life of the animal is the limit ;
And it is a remarkable fact that in practice a conclusion has been arrived
ftt, which exactly coincides with these natural laws. "Once in and once
out," is the rule for breeding given by Mr. Smith in his work on the
breeding for the turf ; but twice in will be found to be more in accord-
ance with the practice of our most successful breeders.
The influence of the first impregnation seems to extend to the subse-
quent ones ; this has been proved by several experiments, and is espe-
eially marked in the equine genus. In the series of examples preserved
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. , 219
(n the Museum of the College of Surgeons, the markings of the male
quagga, when united with the ordinary mare, are continued clearly for
three generations beyond the one in which the quagga was the actual sire ;
And they are so clear as to leave the question settled without a doubt.
When some of the elements, of which an individual sire is composed
*re in accordance with others making up those of the dam, they coalesce
in such a kindred way as to make what is called "a hit." On the other
hand, when they are too incongruous, an animal is the result wholly
unfitted for the task he is intended to perform.
IN-AND-IN BREEDING.
By a careful examination of the pedigrees of our most remarkable
horses, it will be seen that in all cases there is some in-breeding ; and in
the greater part of the most successful a very considerable infusion of it.
It is difficult to say what is not to be considered such, or when to make it
commence, for in all cases there is more or less relationship between the
sire and dam of every thoroughbred horse ; at least, I cannot find a single
exception — and again, for instance, examining the pedigree of Harkaway,
which is the result of one of the most direct crosses in the Stud-book, we
find that his sire and dam are both descended from Eclipse and Herod
through three or four strains on each side, as will be seen by referring
to page ?1.5. The same will apply to Alarm, who also is the result of as
direct a cross as is often seen ; and, in fact, whatever pedigree is ana-
lyzed, the result will be that the bulk of it in the fifth or sixth remove is
wiade up of Eclipse, Herod, and Matchem, or Regulus blood. It is not
that a horse goes back to one of these stallions in one line only, but
through six or seven, and sometimes through nearly all his progenitors.
Hence, it may be fairly assumed that all the horses of the present day
are Telated, either closely or distantly ; but when we speak of in-and-in
breeding, we mean a nearer relationship than this, such as a first cousin,
or, at the most, one in the second or third degree. But I believe it will
be found that even this amount of relationship is desirable, if not carriecl
too far, and that a vast number of our best modern horses have been
bred in this way.
OUT-CROSSING.
By crossing the blood, we understand the selection of a sire composed
of wholly different blood from that of the dam, or as different as can
be obtained of such quality as is suitable to the particular purpose in
view. Thus, in breeding race-horses it is found that continuing in the
same strain beyond two stages deteriorates the constitutional health,
diminishes the bone, and lowers the height ; hence, it is important to
avoV? +his evil, and another strain must be selected which shall lead to
220 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the same results as were previously in existence, without the above dete.
rioration ; and this is called out-crossing, or more commonly, crossing.
The great difficulty is to obtain this object without destroying that harmony
of proportions, and due subordination of one part to another which is
necessary for the race, horse, and without which he seldom attains high
speed. Almost every individual breed has peculiar characteristics, ancj
so long as the sire and dam are both in possession of them they will
continue to reappear in the produce ; but if a dam possessing them is put
to a horse of different character, the result is often that the produce is
not a medium between the two, but is in its anterior parts like its dam,
and in its posterior resembling its sire, or vice versa ^ than which no more
unfortunate result can occur. Thus, we will suppose that a very strong
muscular horse is put to a very light racing mare ; instead of the produce
being moderately stout all over, he will often be very stout and strong
behind, and very light and weak before, and as a consequence his hind-
quarters will tire his fore limbs, by giving them more to do than they
have the power of accomplishing. This is well seen in Crucifix, who was
a very wiry and fast, but light mare, with a fore-quarter hardly capable
of doing the work of her own hind-quarter. Now, she has several times
been put to Touchstone — a horse remarkable for getting bad-shouldered
stock, but with strong muscular propellers — and, with the solitary
exception of Surplice, these have been a series of failures. Surplice
was also defective in the same way, but still he managed to get along in
au awkward style, but somehow or other at a great pace. Cowl, on the
other hand, was a better galloper, because there was a greater harmony
of parts ; but he was somewhat deficient in the stout qualities which
Touchstone was intended to supply ; yet he will prove, I fancy, a better
sfallion than Surplice, because he is more truly made, and by consequence
more likely to perpetuate his own likeness.
COMPARISON OF IN-BRED AND CROSSED STALLIONS.
The following list of thirty of the most immediately successful stallions
of late years shows the proportion of in-bred to crossed horses of this
class to be equal. I have omitted such as only became celebrated through
their daughters as brood-mares, for instance. Defence, etc.
IN-BRED STALLIONS.
1. Priam. 2. Bay Middleton. 3. Melbourne. 4. Cotherstone. 5.
Pyrrhus I. 6. The Baron. 7. Orlando. 8. Ithuriel. 9. Cowl. 10.
The Saddler. 11. Sweetmeat. 12. Chatham. 13. Flying Dutchman.
14. Sir Tattou Sykes. 15. Chanticleer.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 221
CROSSED STALLIONS.
1. Partisan. 2. Emilius. 3. Touchstone. 4. Birdcatcher. 5. Sir
Hercules. (3. Voltaire. 7. Plenipotentiary. 8. Pantaloon. 9. Lan-
ercost. 10. Venison. 11. Alarm. 12. Ion. 13. Harkaway. 14.
Velocipede. 15. Hetman Platoff.
SELECTION OF BROOD MARE.
In choosing the brood mare, four things must be considered — ^first,
her blood ; secondly, her frame ; thirdly, her state of health ; and
fourthly, her temper.
Her blood or breeding will mainly depend upon the views of the
breeder — that is to say, what particular class of colts he wishes to obtain,
and according to his decision he will look out for mares of the particular
kind he desires to reproduce, on the principle that *'like begets like,"
but subject to the various considerations partly alluded to in the last
chapter, and partly in this and subsequent ones.
In frame, the mare should be so formed as to be capable of carrying
and well nourishing her offspring ; that is, she should be what is called
*'roomy." There is a formation of the hips which is particularly unfit
for breeding purposes, and yet which is sometimes carefully selected, be-
cause it is considered elegant ; this is the level and straight hip, in which
the tail is set on very high, and the end of the haunch-bone is nearly on
a level with the projection of the hip-bone. The opposite form is repre-
sented in the skeleton given with the article * 'Horse," which is that of a
thoroughbred mare, well formed for this breeding purpose, but in other
respects rather too slight. By examining her pelvis, it will be seen that
the haunch-bone forms a considerable angle with the sacrum, and that,
as a consequence, there is plenty of room, not only for carrying the foal,
ibut for allowing it to pass into the world. Both of these points are
important, the former evidently so, and the latter no less so on consider-
ation, because if the foal is injured in the birth, either of necessity, or
from ignorance or carelessness, it will often fail to recover its powers,
and will remain permanently injured. The pelvis, then, should be wide
and deep — that is to say, it should be large and roomy ; and there should
also be a little more than the average length from the hip to the shoul-
der, so as to give plenty of bed for the foal ; as well as a good depth of
back-ribs, which are necessary in order to support this increased length.
This gives the whole framework of the trunk of a larger proportion than
is always desirable in the race-horse, which may be easily overtopped ;
and hence many good runners have failed as brood mares, whilst a great
number of bad runners have been dam* of good race-horses. Beyond
this roomy frame, necessary as the egg shell of the foal, the mare only
222 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
requires such a shape and make as is well adapted for the particular pur-
pose she is intended for ; or if not possessing it herself, she should
belong to a family having it. If one can be obtained with these requisites
in her own person, so much the more likely Avill she be to produce race-
horses ; but if not all, then it is better that she should add as many as
possible to the needful framework, without which her office can hardly
be well carried out. But with this suitable frame, if she belongs to a
family which, as a rule, possesses all the attributes of a race-horse, she
may be relied on with some degree of certainty, even though she herself
should fail in some of them. Thus, there are many fine roomy mares
which have been useless as race-horses from being deficient in the power
of some one quarter, either behind or before, or perhaps a little too
slack in the loin for their length. Such animals, if of good running fam-
ilies, should not be despised ; and many such have stood their owners in
good stead. On the other hand, some good-looking animals have never
thrown good stock, because they were only exceptional cases, and their
families were of bad running blood on all or most sides. No mare could
look much more unlike producing strong stock than Pocalionras, but be-
ing of a family which numbers Selim, Bacchante, Tramp, Web, Orville,
Eleanor, and Marmion among its eight members in the third remove, it
can scarcely occasion suprprise that she should respond to the call of the
Baron by producing a Stockwell and a Rataplan.
In health, the brood mare should be as near jjerfection as the artificial
state of this animal will allow ; at all events, it is the most important
point of all, and in every case the mare should be very carefully exam-
ined, with a view to discover what deviations from a natural state have
been entailed upon her by her own labors, and what she has inherited
from her ancestors. Independently of the consequence of accidents, all
deviations from a state of health in the mare may be considered as more
or less transmitted to her, because in a thoroughly sound constitution, no
ordinary treatment such as training consists of will produce disease, and
it is only hereditary predispositions which, under this process, entails its
appearance. Still there are positive, comparative, and superlative de-
grees of objectionable diseases incidental to the brood mare, which should
be accepted or refused accordingly. All accidental defect, such as bro-
ken knees, dislocated hips, or even ''breaks down," may be passed over ;
the latter, however, only when the stock from which the mare is de-
scended are famous for standing their work without this frailty of sinew
and ligament. Spavins, ring-bones, large splints, side-bones, and, in
fact, all bony enlargements, are constitutional defects, and will be almost
sure to be perpetuated, more or less, according to the degree in whieh
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 22-1
they exist in the particular case. Curby hocks are also hereditary, and
should be avoided ; though many a one much bent at the junction of the
OS calcis with the astragalus is not at all liable to curbs . It is the defect-
ive condition of the ligaments there, not the angular junction, which
leads to curbs ; and the breeder should carefully investigate the individ-
ual case before accepting or rejecting a mare with suspicious hocks. Bad
feet, whether from contraction or from too flat and thin a sole, should
also be avoided ; but when they have obviously arisen from bad shoeing, .
the defect may be passed over.
Such are the chief varieties of unsoundness in the legs which require
circumspection ; the good points which, on the other hand, are to be look-
ed for, are those considered desirable in all horses that are subjected to
the shocks of the gallop. Calf knees are generally bad in the race horse,
and are very apt to be transmitted, whilst the opposite form is also per-
petuated, but is not nearly so disadvantageous. Such are the general
considerations bearing upon soundness of limb.
That of the wind is no less important. Broken-winded mares seldom
breed, and they are therefore out of the question, if for no other reason ;
but no one would risk the recurrence of this disease, even if he could
get such a mare stinted. Roaring is a much-vexed question, which is by
no means theoretically settled among our chief veterinary authorities, nor
practically by our breeders. Every year, however, it becomes more
frequent and important, and the risk of reproduction is too great for any
person wilfully to run by breeding from a roarer. As far as I can learn,
it appears to be much more hereditary on the side of the mare than on
that of the horse ; and not even the offer of a Virago should tempt me
to use her as a brood mare. There are so many different conditions which
produce what is called "roaring," that it is difllcult to form any opinion
which shall apply to all cases. In some instances, where it has arisen
from neglected strangles, or from a simple inflammation of the larynx,
the result of cold, it will probably never reappear ; but when the genuine
ideopathic roaring has made its appearance, apparently depending upon a
disease of the nei-ves of the larynx, it is ten to one that the produce will
suffer in the same way.
Blindness, again, may or may not be hereditary ; but in all cases it
should be viewed with suspicion as great as that due to roaring. Simple
cataract without inflammation undoubtedly runs in families ; and when a
horse or mare has both eyes suffering from this disease, without any other
derangement of the eye, I should eschew them carefully. When blind-
ness is the result of violent inflammation brought on by bad management
or by influenza, or any other similar cause, the eye itself is more or les«
224 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
disoro-anized ; and though this itself is objectionable, as showing a weak-
ness of the organ, it is not so bad as the regular cataract.
Such are the chief absolute defects, or deviations from health in th«
mare ; to which may be added a general delicacy of constitution, which
can only be guessed from the amount of flesh which she carries while
sucldinof or on poor "keep," or from her appearance on examination by
an experienced hand, using his eyes as well. The firm, full muscle, the
brjo-ht and lively eye, the healthy-looking coat at all seasons, rough
though it may be in winter, proclaim the hardiness of constitution which
is wanted, but which often coexists with infirm legs and feet. Indeed,
sometimes the very best-topped animals have the worst legs and feet,
chiefly owing to the extra weight they and their ancestors also have had
to carry. Crib-biting is sometimes a habit acquired from idleness, as
also is wind-sucking ; but if not caused by indigestion, it often leads to
it, and is very commonly caught by the offspring. It is true that it may
be prevented by a strap ; but it is not a desirable accomplishment in the
mare, though of less importance than those to which I have already allu-
ded, if not accompanied by absolute loss of health, as indicated by ema-
ciation, or the state of the skin.
Lastly, the temper is of the utmost importance, by which must be un-
derstood not that gentleness at grass which may lead the breeder's fam-
ily to pet the mare, but such a temper as will serve for the purposes of
her rider, and will answer to the stimulus of the voice, whip or spur. A
craven or a rogue is not to be thought of as the "mother of a family ;"
and if a mare belongs to a breed which is remarkable for refusing to an-
swer the call of the rider, she should be consigned to any task rather
than the stud-farm. Neither should a mare be used for this purpose
which had been too irritable to train, unless she hapiDcned to be an excep-
tional case ; but if of an irritable family, she would be worse even than
a roarer, or a blind one. These are defects which are apparent in the
colt or filly, but the irritability which interferes with training often leads
to the expenditure of large sums on the faith of private trials, which are
lost from the failure in public, owing to this defect of nervous system.
CHOICE or STALLION.
Like the brood mare, the stallion requires several essentials — com-
mencing also like her, first, with his blood ; secondly, his individual
shape ; thirdly, his health ; and, fourthly, his temper. But there is this
difficulty in selecting the stallion, that he must not only be suitable ^^r se,
but he must also be adapted to the particular marc which he is to " serve."
Thus, it will be manifest that the task is more difficult than the fixinsr
upon a brood mare, because (leaving out of considerations all other
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 225
points but blood) in the one case, a mare only has to be chosen which is
of good blood for racing purposes, while in the other there must be the
same attention paid to this particular, and also to the stallion's suitability
to the mare, or to " hit " with her blood. Hence, all the various theories
connected with generation must be investigated, in order to do justice to
the subject ; and the breeder rnust make up his mind whether in-and-in-
breeding, as a rule, is desirable or otherwise ; and if so, whether it is
adapted to the particular case he is considering. Most men make up
their minds one way or the other on this subject, and act accordingly, in
which decision much depends upon the prevailing fashion. The rock
upon which most men split is a bigoted favoritism for some particular
horse ; thus, one man puts all his mares to Orlando ; another, to Surplice
or the Flying Dutchman ; although they may every one be different in
blood and form to the others. Now, this cannot possibly be right if
there is any principle whatever in breeding ; and however good a horse
may be, he cannot be suited to all mares. Some, again, will say that
any horse will do, and that all is a lottery ; but I think I shall be able to
show that there is some science required to enable the breeder to draw
many prizes. That the system generally followed of late is a bad one, I
am satisfied, and with constant crossing and re-crossing it is almost a
lottery ; but upon proper principles, and with careful management, I am
tempted to believe that there would be fewer blanks than at jiresent. I
have already given my own theoretical views upon the case, illustrated
by numerous examples on both sides of the question. It will now
be my object to apply these views practically by selecting particular
instances.
Ih choosing the particular blood which will suit any given mare, my
impression always would be, that it is desirable to fix upon the best strain
in her pedigree, if not already twice bred in-and-in, and then to put to
her the best stallion available of that blood. In some cases, of course,
it will happen that the second best strain will answer better, because
there happens to be a better horse of that blood to be had than of the
superior strain, which would otherwise be preferred. If, on the other
hand, the mare has already been in-bred to the extent of two degrees,
then a cross will be advisable ; but I am much inclined to believe, from
the success of certain well-known cases, that even then a cross into
blood already existing in the mare, but not recently in-bred nor used
more than once, will sometimes answer. Upon these principles I should,
therefore, look for success. It is surprising to me that this very common
occurrence of in-breedinj? amons; our best modern horses has so generallv
escaped observation, and the only way in which I can explain it is by
supposing, that having frequently been through the grandam on either
226 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
side it has been lost sight of, because the knowledge of the sire's and
grandsire's blood is generally the extent to which the inquiry goes. Thus,
we find the most recent writer on the subject, who assumes the name of
"Craven," asserting, at page 121 of "The Horse" — "There is no
proximity of relationship in the genealogy of the Flying Dutchman,
Touchstone, Melbourne, Epirus, Alarm, Bay Middleton, Hero, Orlando,
Irish Birdcatcher, Cossack, Harkaway, Tearaway, Lothario, or others of
celebrity." Now, of these the Flying Dutchman is the produce of
second cousins ; Bay Middleton, his sire, being also in-bred to William-
son's Ditto and Walton, own brothers ; and Orlando, containing in his
pedigree Selim twice over, and Castrel, his brother, in addition, Mel-
bourne also is the produce of third cousins, both his sire and dam being
descended from Highflyer. But if to these four, which he has specially
named, be added the numerous "others of celebrity" to which I have
drawn attention, besides a host of lesser stars too numerous to mention,
it will be admitted that he assumes for granted the exact opposite of
what is really the case.
The choice of particular stallions, as dependent upon their formation,
is not less difficult than that of the mare, and it must be guided by nearly
the same principles, except that there is no occasion for any framework
especially calculated for nourishing and containing the foetus, as in her
case. As far as possible, the horse should be the counterpart of what is
desired in the produce, though sometimes it may be necessary to select
an animal of a breed slightly exaggerating the peculiarity which is sought
for, especially when that is not connected with the preponderance of fore
or hind-quarters. Thus, if the mare is very leggy, a more than usually
short-legged horse may be selected, or if her neck is too short or too
long, an animal with this organ particularly long, or the reverse as the
case may be, should be sought out. But in all cases it is dangerous to
attempt to« sudden alteration with regard to size, as the effort will gen-
erally end in a colt without a due proportion of parts, and therefore more
or less awkward and unwieldly.
In constitution and general health, the same remarks exactly apply to
the horse as the mare. All hereditary diseases are to be avoided as far
as possible, though few horses are to be met with entirely free from all
kinds of unsoundness, some the effects of severe training, and others
resulting from actual disease, occurring from other causes. With regard
^o fatness, there is an extraordinary desire for horses absolutely loaded
with fat, just as there formerly was for overfed oxen at Christmas. It
*s quite true that the presence of a moderate quantity of fat is a sign of
ft good constitution, but, like all other good qualities, it may be carried
\o excess, so as to produce disease ; and just as there often is hypertro-
RACING, OR TURP HORSES. 227
phy, or excess of nourishment of the heart, or any bony parts, so is
there often a like superabundance of fat causing obstruction to the due
performance of the animal functions, and often ending in premature
death. This is in great measure owing to want of exercise, but also to
over-stimulating food ; and the breeder who wishes his horse to last, and
«lso to get good stock, should take especial care that he has enough of
the one and not too much of the other.
In temper, also, there is no more to be added to what I have said
relating to the mare, except that there are more bad-tempered stallions to
be met with than mares, independently of their running, and this is
caused by the constant state of unnatural excitement in which they are
kept. This kind of vice is, however, not of so much importance, as it
does not affect the running of the stock, and solely interferes with their
stable management.
BEST AGE TO BREED FROM.
It is commonly supposed that one or other of the parents should be of
mature age, and that if both are very young, or very old, the produce
will be decrepit or weakly. A great many of our best horses have been
out of old mares, or by old horses — as, for instance, Priam out of
Cressida, at twenty ; Crucifix, out of Octaviana, at twenty-two ; and
Lottery and Brutandorf , out of Mandane, at twenty and twenty-one ;
Voltaire got Voltigeur at twenty-one ; Bay Middleton was the sire of
Andover at eighteen, and Touchstone got Newminster at seventeen. On
the other hand, many young stallions and mares have succeeded well, and
in numberless instances the first foal of a mare has been the best she ever
produced. In the olden times, Mark Antony and Conductor were the
first foals of their dams ; and more recently, Shuttle Pope, Filho da
Puta, Sultan, Pericles, Oiseau, Doctor Sjiitax, Manfred and Pantaloon,
have all been first-born. Still these are exceptions, and the great bulk
of superior horses are produced later in the series. The youngest dam
which I ever heard of was Monstrosity, foaled in 1838, who produced
Ugly Buck at three years old, having been put to Venison when only
two years of age. Her dam, also, was only one year older when she was
foaled ; and Venison himself was quite a young stallion, being only seven
years old when he got Ugly Buck ; so that, altogether, the last mentioned
horse was a remarkable instance of successful breeding from young
parents. As in most cases of the kind, however, his early promises were
not carried out, and he showed far better as a two-year-old, and early in
the following year, than in his maturity. Such is often the case, and, I
believe, is a very general rule in breeding all animals, whether horses,
dogs, or cattle. The general practice in breeding is to use young stal-
228 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
lions with old mares, and to put young mares to old stallions ; and suc^
appears to be the best plan, judging from theory as well as practice.
BEST TFME FOR BREEDING.
For all raci-ng purposes, an early foal is important, because the age
takes date from the 1st of January. The mare, therefore, should be
put to the horse in February, so as to foal as soon after January 1st a*
possible. As, however, many mares foal a little before the end of the
eleventh month, it is not safe to send her to the horse before the middle
of the second month in the year. For further particulars, see "Thoughts
on Breeding," and the ** Stud-Farm," in which the general management
of the mare and foal is fully detailed.
It will be interesting that the reader have a pretty complete record of
the best time at various distances in racing. Such a record has been care-
fully compiled for Turf, Field and Farm . up to the close of the se«'\-
son of 1879 ; and which we append :
Fastest and Best Time, and Most Creditable Performances on Record, At
all Distances, to end of Year 1879.
HALF A MILE.
Olitipa, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 25, 1874, 0 :47 3-4.
Pomeroy, by Planet, Louisville, Ky., May 23, 1877, 0:49 1-4.
Harold, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 23, 1878, 0 :49 1-4.
Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Jerome Park, June 8, 1876, 0 :49 1-2.
Leona, by War Dance, Lexington, Ky., May 12, 1874, 0:49 1-2.
Blue Lodge, by Fellowcraft, Lexington, Ky., May 10, 1879, 0:49 1-2.
Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 24, 1877, 0:49 1-2.
Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Long Branch, July 4, 1876, 0 :49 3-4.
Sensation, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 22, 1879, 0 :49 :3-4.
Kimball, by imp. Buckden, Louisville, Ky., May 21, 1879, 0:49 3-4.
Observanda, by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Ky., May 21, 1879, 0 :49 3-4
Grenada, by King Alfonso, Long Branch, July 5, 1879, 0 :49 3-4.
FIVE-EIGHTHS OF A MILE.
Bonnie Wood, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Saratoga, July 20, 1878,
1 :02 3-4.
Grenada, by King Alfonso, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1879, 1 :03 1-2.
Harold, by imp. Leamington, Long Branch, July 4, 1878, 1 :03 1-2.
Rachel, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Long Branch, July 6, 1878, 1 :03 ]'-2.
Palmetto, by Narragansett, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1876, 1 :03 1-2.
Rhadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 25, 1876, 1 :03 1-2,
Ggypt Caged), by Planet, Saratoga, July 19, 1879, 1 :04.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 229
Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Jerome Park, Oct. 7, 1874, 1 :04 1-2.
Volturno, by imp. Billet, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1878, 1 :04 3-4.
THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE.
First Chance, by Bay wood, Philadelphia, Pa., Oct. 17, 1876, 1:15.
Lady Middleton, by imp. Hurrah, Saratoga, Aug. 1, 1879, 1:17,
1 sl5 1-4. First was dead heat with Checkmate.
Bill Bruce, by Enquirer, Lexington, Ky., May 12, 1876, 1 :15 1-2.
Connor, by Norfolk, Carson, Nev., Oct. 19, 1879, 1 :15 1-2.
Rhadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1877, 1 :15 1-2.
Florence B., by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1879,
1-15 3-4.
Madge, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1874, 1:15 3-4.
Alarm, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, July 15, 1872, 1 :16.
Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Nashville, Tenn., Oct.
9, 1876, 1:16.
Enquiress, by Enquirer, Detroit, July 5, 1879. 1 :16.
Egypt (aged), by Planet, Louisville, Ky., May 26, 1877. 1 :17.
Milan, by Melbourne, Jr., Louisville, Ky., May 26, 1877, 1 :16.
Girofle, by imp. Leamington, Prospect Park, Sept. 13, 1879, 1 :16 1-4.
Spendthrift, by Australian, Nashville, Oct. 8, 1878,1.16 1-2.
Checkmate, by imp. Glen Athol, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1879, 1 :16 1-4.
Kimball, by imp. Buckden, St. Louis, June 13, 1879, 1 :16 1-2.
Mstake, by Waverly, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1879, 1 :16 1-2.
Madge, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, N. Y., Aug. 15, 1876, 1 :16 1-2.
Glendalia, by imp. Glenelg, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 24, 1879, 1 :16 1-2.
Pigne, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 27, 1877, 1:16 3-4.
Tom Bowling, by Lexington, Long Branch, 1872, 1 :16 3-4.
Bowling Green, by Tom Bowling, Louisville, Sept. 24, 1879, 1:16 3-4.
Duke of Magenta, by Denington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1877, 1 :16 3-4
Spartan, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1877, 1:16 3-4.
Sly Dance, by War Dance, Louisville, Sept. 22, 1879, 1 :16 3-4.
Bye and Bye, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 22, 1878,
1 :16 3-4.
McWhirter, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., May 15, 1879, 1:17.
Wallenstein, by Waverly, Lexington, Ky., May 15, 1879, 1:17.
Countess, by Kentucky, Saratoga, 1873, 1 :17 1-2.
Beatrice, by Kentucky, Long Branch, 1 :17 1-2.
Luke Blackburn, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Prospect Park, Sept. #,
1879, 1:17 1-2.
Oden, by Vauxhall, Saratoga, Aug. 7, 1879, 1 :17 3-4.
Idalia, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1878, 1 :18.
15
J30 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Spartan, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 22, 1877, 1 ;19.
ONE MILE.
Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Ky., May 24, 1877, 1 :39 3-4.
Lcander (Searcher), by Enquirer, Lexington, Ky., May 13, 1875,
1 :41 3-4.
Redman, by War Dance, Lexington, Ky., May 13, 1876, 1:42 1-4.
Danger, by Alarm, Baltimore, May 23, 1878, 1 :42 1-2.
Mahlstick, by Lever, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 20, 1877, 1 :42 1-2. Chas.
Gorham, by Blarneystone, Lexington, Ky., Sep. 20, 1877, 1 :42 1-2,
Dead heat.
Grey Planet, by Planet, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1874, 1 :42 1-2.
Dan K., by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Ky., May 29, 1877,
1 :42 1-2.
Goodnight, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., Sep. 23, 1879, 1 :42 1-2
Katie Pease, by Planet, Buffalo, N. Y., Sep. 8, 1874, 1 :42 3-4.
Alarm, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, July 17, 1872, 1 :42 3-4.
Glenmore, by imp. Glen Athol, Detroit, July 4, 1879, 1 ;42 3-4.
Virginus, by Virgil, Saratoga, Aug. 4, 1877, 1 :42 3-4.
Cammie T., by imp. Glenelg, Louisville, Sept. 20, 1879, 1 :43.
Mistake, by Waverly, Louisville, Sept. 26, 1879, 1 :43 1-2.
Edinburg, by Longfellow, Lexington, May 11, 1878, 1 :43 1-2.
Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 25,
1876, 1:44 1-2.
Belle of the Meade, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 27,
1876, 1 :44 1-4.
Spendthrift, by imp. Australian, Nashville, Oct. 12, 1878, 1 :44 1-4.
Clara D., by imp. Glenelg, Sacramento, Sept. 27, 1877, 1:44 1-2.
Astral, by Asteroid, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 12, 1873, 1 :44 3-4.
Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1875, 1 :44 3-4.
Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1874, 1 :44 3-4.
Susquehanna, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 8, 1876, 1 :45,
Charley Howard, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 17, 1876, 1:45.
Firework, by Lexington, Baltimore, Oct., 1874, 1:45.
Hamburg, by Lexington, Cincinnati, 1869, 1:45.
Battle Axe, by Monday, Saratoga, 1873, 1 :45 1-2.
Spendthrift, (aged) by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June i,
1876, 1 :46 1-2.
Tom Bowling, by Lexington, Long Branch, Aug. 8, 1872, 1 :47.
MILE HEATS.
Kadi, by Lexington, Hartford, Conn, Sept. 2, 1875, fastest second
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 2J^1
heat, and fastest two heats ever run, 1 :42 1-2, 1 :41 1-4.
L' Argentine, by War Dance, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 27, 1879. Beati-
tude won first heat, 1 :42 1-4, 1 :42 1-2, 1 :45 1-2.
Mark D., by Monday, Sacramento, Sept. 19, 1878, 1:43, 1:42 3-4.
Himyar, by Alarm, St. Louis, June 4, 1878, 1 :42 1-2, 1 :43 1-2.
Camargo, by Jack Malone, Louisville, Ky., May 20, 1875, 1:42 3-4,
1 :43 1-4.
Una, by War Dance, Prospect Park, June 25, 1879, 1 .-42 1-4, 1 :45.
Tom Bowling, by Lexington, ran mile heats at Lexington, Ky., May,
1873, in 1 :43 1-2, 1 :43 1-2.
Thornhill, by Woodburn, ran first two heats in 1 :43, 1 :43 ; Thad Ste »
vens (aged), by Langford, won the third, fourth and fifth in 1 :43 1-2,
1 ;46 1-2, 1 :45.
Clara D., by imp. Glenelg, San Francisco, Sept. 13, 1878, 1 :43,
1 :43 1-2.
Brademante, by War Dance, Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1877, 1 :43 1-2, 1 :43 1-2.
Bramble, by imp, Bonnie Scotland, Nashville, Oct. 7, 1878, 1 :43, 1 :44.
Lena Dunbar, by Leinster, Sacramento, Sept. 17, 1878, 1 :44 1-4,
1 :42 3-4.
Springbok, by imp. Australian, Utica, N. Y., June 25, 1874, 1 :45,
1:42 3-4.
ONE MILE AND ONE-EIGHTH.
Bob WooUey, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 6, 1875, 1 ;54.
Janet Murray, by Panic, Brighton Beach, July 13, 1879, 1 :54 3-4.
Blue Eyes, by Enquirer, Louisville, Ky., May 28, 1879, 1 :55 1-4.
Warfield, by War Dance, Louisville, Ky., Oct. 1, 1878, 1 :56.
Jack Hardy, by imp. Phaeton, St. Louis, June 4, 1878, 1 :56.
Fadladeen, (aged) by War Dance, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1874, 1:56.
Picolo, Concord, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1874, 1:56.
Himyar, by Alarm, Louisville, Sept. 20, 1879, 1:56.
Jils Johnson, by Longfellow, Lexington, Sept. 11, 1879, 1 :56 1-2.
Fannie Ludlow, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1879, 1 :56 1-2.
Round Dance, by War Dance, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1879, 1:56 1-2.
Konrad, by Rebel Morgan, New Orleans, April 26, 1878, 1 :56 1-2.
Ben Hill, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1879, dead
heat, 1 -56 3-4.
Mollie McGinley, by imp. Glen Athol, Brighton Beach, Sept. 10,
1879, 1:57.
Una, by War Dance, Prospect Park, Sept. 11, 1879, 1 :57.
Susquehanna, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 24, 1877, 1 :57 1-4.
Experience Oaks, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1872, 1:57 1-4..
232 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Bramble, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Saratoga, Aug. 17, 1878, 1:58.
Bramble," " " " '* '' 9,1879,1:58.
Kennesaw, by imp. Glengarry, Louisville, May 28, 1878, 1:58 1-2.
Essillah, by Lever, Nashville, Apr. 29, 1879, 1 :58 1-2.
Gabriel, by Alarm, Brighton Beach, Sept. 27 1879, 1 :59.
Edinburg, by Longfellow, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1878, 1 :59.
Diamond, by imp. Leamington, Ogdensburg, N. Y., Sept. 10, 1878,
lr59.
Lance wood, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1879, 1:59.
Belle, by Dickens, Saratoga, July 23, 1878, 1 :59.
Rhadamanthus, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1876,
1 :59 3-4.
Spendthrift (aged), by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June 10,
1876, 2 :00
Phyllis, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1876, 2 :01.
Spendthrift, (aged), by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Jerome Park, June 12,
1875, 2 :03 1-4
ONE MILE AND A QUARTER.
Charley Gorham, by Blarneystone, Lexington, May 18, 1877, 2:8 1-2.
Falsetto, by Enquirer, Lexington, May 10, 1879, 2 :08 3-4.
Grimstead, by Gilroy, Saratoga, July 24, 1875, 2 :08 3-4.
Frogtown, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Lexington, Ky., May 1872,
2 :©9 1-2.
Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 9, 1879, 2 :10.
Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, July 20, 1878, 2 :10 1-2.
Mate, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, Oct. 3, 1874, 2:11 3-4.
R-eakness, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 13, 1874, 2 :12.
ONE MILE AND THREE-EIGHTHS.
Spendthrift, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, June 10, 1879, 2 :25 3-4.
Gov. Hampton, by Planet, Prospect Park, June 21, 1879, 2 :26 1-2.
Bramble, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Long Branch, July 10, 1879, 2 :27.
ONE AND A HALF MILES.
Tom Bowling,* by Lexington, May 12, 1874, 2 :34 3-4.
Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1877, 2 ;36 3-4.
Lord Murphy, by Pat Maloy, Louisville, May 20, 1879, 2 :37.
Day Star, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 21, 1878, 2 :37 1-2.
Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Louisville, Ky.,'May 7, 1875, 2:37 3-4.
Glenelg, by Citadel, Long Branch, Aug. 2, 1870, 2 :37 3-4.
Shylock. by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 31, 1874, 2:38.
Baden Baden, by imp. Australian, Louisville, May 22, 1877, 2:38.
RACING, OR TUKF HORSES. 235
Vagrant, by Virgil, Louisville, May 14, 1877, 2 :38 1-4.
Peru, by imp. Glengarry, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 11, 1879, 2:38 3-4.
Belle of Nelson, by Hunter's Lexington, Louisville, May 23, 1878, 2 :39.
Imp. Saxon,by Beadsman, Belmont stakes, Jerome Park, June 13,1874,
2:39 1-2.
Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 14, 1877, 2 :43.
Zoo Zoo, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1877, 2 :43 1-4.
Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 8, 1878, 2 :43 1-2.
*Tom Bowling was permitted to extend the run to two miles. He raa
the first mile in 1 :41 3-4 ; mile and a half in 2 :34 3-4 ; one and three-
quarters miles in 3 :00 3-4 ; and two miles in 3 :27 3-4. The last tw©
unofficial.
ONE MILE AND FIVE-EIGHTHS.
Ten Broek, by imp, Phaeton, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 9, 1875, 2:49 1.4.
Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 13, 1879, 2 :50 1-2.
Springbok, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, June 20, 1874, 2 :53.
Brademante, by War Dance, Lexington, May 17, 1877, 2 :53 3-4.
Harry Bassett, by Lexington, Belmonte stakes, Jerome Park, June 10,
1871,2:56.
Mintzer, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, July 23, 1879, 2:58.
Katie Pease, by Plant, Ladies' stake, Jerome Park, June 11, 1873,
S :58 1-4.
ONE AND THREE-QUARTER MILES.
One Dime, by Wanderer, Lexington. Sept. 12, 1879, 3:05 1-4.
Irish King, by Longfellow, Sept. 25, 1879, 3 ;05 1-4.
Courier, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 23, 1877, 3 :05 1-4.
Reform, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1874, 3:05 3^4.
Mate, by imp. Australian, Long Branch, July 15, 1875, 3:06 1-4.
D'Artagnan, by Lightning, Saratoga, July 24, 1875, 3:06 1-2.
Gen. Phillips, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1879, 3:06 1-2.
Emma C, by Planet, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1875, 3:06 3-4.
Frogtown, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Lexington, Ky., May 26, 1872,
Danicheff, by Glenelg, Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1879, 3 ;07.
Gov. Hampton, by Planet, Prospect Park, Sept. 9, 1879, 3 :07 1-2.
Kenny, by Curies, Prospect Park, June 25, 1879, 3 :07 1-2.
Leveler, by Lever, Lexington, Sept. 9, 1878, 3 :07 1-2.
Neecy Hale, by Lexington, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 14, 1876, 3 -.07 5-4.
Catesby, by imp. Eclipse, Saratoga, Aug. 15, 1874, 3 :07 3-4.
Parole, by imp. Leamington, Saratoga, Aug. 11, 1877, 3:08.
Kennesafv, ])j imp. Glengarry, St. Louis, June 5, 1878, 3:08.
234 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Duke of Magenta, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 20, 1878, 3:08.
Joe Daniels, by imp. Australian, Travers' Stake, Saratoga, July 15,
1872, 3 :08 1-4.
Preakness, by Lexington, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1864, 3 :08 1-2.
Viceroy, by Gilroy, Saratoga, Aug. 9, 1877, 3 :08 1-2.
Volturno, by imp. Billet, Brighton Beach, Sept. 16, 1879, 3 :08 1-2.
Atilla, by imp. Australian, Travers's Stake, Saratoga, July 25, 1874,
3 :09 1-2, 3 :08 3-4. The first was a dead heat with Acrobat.
Mintzer, by imp. Glenelg, Saratoga, July 28, 1879, 3 :09 1-4.
Falsetto, by Enquirer, Saratoga, July 19, 1879, 3 :09 1-4.
Zoo Zoo, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 2, 1877, 3 ;10.
TWO MILES.
Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, against time, Louisville, May 29, 1877,
3;27 1-2.
McWhirter, by Enquirer, Louisville, May 28, 1877, 3 :30 1-2.
Courier, by Star Davis, Louisville, May 28, 1877, 3 :31 3-4.
Katie Pease,* by Planet, Buffalo, Sept. 9, 1874, 3 :32 1-2.
True Blue, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 30, 1873, 3 :32 1-2.
Jack Frost, by Jack Malone, Cleveland, O., July 31, 1874, 3 : 33 1-2.
Glenmore, by imp. Glen Athol, Detroit, July 5, 1879, 3 :33 1-2.
Lizzie Lucas, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 21, 1874, 3 :33 3-4.
Creedmoor, by Asteroid, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1876, 3:34.
Geo. Graham, by Rogers ; first heat ; Louisville, Ky., Sept. 25. 1875,
3:34.
Lord Murphy, by Pat Malloy, Louisville, Sept. 22, 1879, 3 :34.
King Alfonso, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 20, 1875, 3 :34 1-2.
Hegira, by imp. Ambassador, New Orleans, La., Nov. 23, 1850, 3 :34 1-2.
Littleton, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., May 23, 1871, 3 :34 1-2.
Monitor, by imp. Glenelg, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1879, 3 :34 3-4.
Wilful, by imp. Australian, Prospect Park, June 24, 1879, 3:34 3-4.
Charlie Howard, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 10, 1876, 3:35.
Vandalite, by Vandal, Breckinridge Stake, Baltimore, Oct. 23, 1874,
a -.35.
Himyar, by Alarm, Louisville, Sept. 25, 1879, 3:35.
Falsetto, by Enquirer, Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1879, 3:35 1-4.
Volturno, by imp. Billet, Baltimore, Oct. 25, 1879, 3:35 1-4.
Vandalite, by Vandal, Dixie Stake, Baltimore, Oct. 20, 1874, 3:35 1-2.
Harry Basset, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 16, 1871, 3:35 1-4.
Vigil, by Virgil, Baltimore, Oct. 28, 1876, 3 :37 1-4.
*Katie Pease came in first, but was disqualified, and race given to
LAaeXe Lucas.
BACING, OR TURF HORSES. 235
TWO MILE HEATS.
•Brademante, by War Dance, Jackson, Miss., Nov. 17, 1877 (?)
3:32 1-4,3:29.?,
Willie D., by Revolver, Prospect Park, Sept. 11, 1879, 3 :34 1-2, 3 :35.
Lottery, by Monday, Sacramento, Cal, Sept. 21, 1878, 3:36, 3:35 1-2.
Arizona, by Lexington, Louisville, Ky., May 18, 1875, 3 :37 1-4,
« :35 1-2.
Aureola, by War Dance, Lexington, Sept. 18, 1872, 3 :37 3-4, 3 :35: 1-2.
London, by Lightning, Nashville, Oct. 5, 1872, 3:36 3-4, 3:37 1-4.
Bushwhacker, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1878,
*:36, 3. -36 1-2, 3:38 1-2.
Princeton won second heat by head. Bushwhacker second ; best aver-
age three heats.
Belle of Nelson, by Hunter's Lexington, Cincinnati, June 1, 1878,
3:37 1-4,3:36 1-4.
MoUie Jones, by Roxbury, Galesburg, Bl., July 4, 1874 ; Rocket woa
first heat, 3:36, 3:40, 3:37 1-4.
Eolus, by imp. Leamington, Baltimore, May 28, 1874 ; the fastest
third heat, 3 :40, 3 :39 1-4, 3 :36 3-4.
Lancaster, by Lexington, Lexington, Ky., Sept. 12, 1867, 3:35 1-4,
3:38 1-4.
Jack Sheppard, by Jack Malone, Nashville, Oct. 12, 1876, 3 :35 3-4,
3:42 1-2.
Irish King, by Longfellow, Baltimore, Oct. 21, 1879, 3 :37 3-4, 3 :37 3-4.
Harkaway, by Enquirer, St. Louis, June 7, 1878, 3 :39, 3;35 1-4.
*Brademante's time very doubtful.
TWO MILES AND ONE-EIGHTH.
Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky., May 10, 1876, 3 -45 1-2.
Mate, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, July 31, 1875, 3:46 3-4.
Monmouth, by War Dance, Louisville, May 19, 1875, 3:48 1-4.
Big Fellow, by War Dance, May 15, 1874, 3 : 50.
Dave Moore, by Longfellow, Lexington, May 16, 1879, 3:50 1-2.
Ferida, by imp. Glenelg, Prospect Park, Sept. 5, 1879, 3 :54.
Springbok, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 3, 1874, 3 :56.
Sultana, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 7, 1876, 3 :56 3-4.
TWO MILES AND A QUARTER.
Preakness, by Lexington ; Springbok, by imp. Australian, dead heat,
3: 56 1-4.
Harry Bassett, by Lexington, Saratoga, July 16, 1872, 3 :59.
Wanderer, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug. 13, 1874, 4 :00 1-2.
Kentucky, by Lexington, Saratoga, Aug., 1865, 4:01 1-2.
Fortuna, by Enquirer, Louisville, May 23, 1879, 4:01 1-2,
236 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Bramble, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Baltimore, May 24, 1879, 4:02.
Mollie McCarty, by Monday or Eclipse, Chicago, June 25, 1879, 4 :02L
Muggins, by Jack Malone, Saratoga, Aug., 1867, 4:03.
TWO AND A HALF MILES.
Aristides, by imp. Leamington, Lexington, Ky.,May 13, 1876,4 :27 1-2.
Katie Pease, by Planet, Buffalo, Sept. 10, 1874, 4 :28 1-2.
Ballankeel, by Asteroid, Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1874, 4:31 3-4.
Helmbold, by imp. Australian, Long Branch, July 30, 4 :32 1-2.
Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 18, 1877, 4:36 1-2.
Edinburgh, by Longfellow, Cincinnati, June 7, 1879, 4:36 1-2.
TWO MILES AND FIVE-EIGHTHS.
Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, Lexington, Ky., 1876, 4:58 1-2.
TWO MILES AND THREE-QUARTERS.
Hubbard, by Planet, Saratoga, 1873, 4:58 3-4.
Kentucky, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 3, 1866, 5 :04.
Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, June 17, 1876, 5 :09 1-4.
THREE MILES.
Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, Louisville, Ky., Sept. 23, 1876, 5 :26 1-2.
Monarchist, by Lexington, at Jerome Park, 1872 ; first mile, 1 ;45 ;
i U 1-2.
Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Long Branch, July 6, 1876, 5 :35 3-4.
THREE MILE HEATS.
Brown Dick, by imp. Margrave, New Orleans, April 10, 1865 ; the
btwst second heat on record, and second best three mile heat race,
5:30 3-4; 5:28.
Mollie Jackson, by Vandal, Louisville, Ky., May 25, 1861; Sherrod
won the second heat. The last two miles of the first heat were run in
3:35; the last two of the second heat in 3:36 3-4: the ninth mile in
1 :48 1-4. This is the best three heats and the best third heat on record,
5 :35 1-2 ; 5 ;34 3-4 ; 5 :28 3-4.
Norfolk, by Lexington, Sacramento, Cal., Sept. 23, 1875; best aver-
age two heats, 5 :27 1-2 ; 5 :29 1-2.
Vandal, by imp. Glencoe, Lexington, May 26, 1855, 5:36 1-2; 5:33.
Whisper by Planet, St. Louis, June, 8, 1878, 5 :39 ; 5 :35 1-2.
FOUR MILES.
Ten Broeck, by imp. Phaeton, vs. Fellowcraft's time, Louisville, Ky.,
Sept. 7, 1876, 7:14 3-4.
Fellowcraft, by imp. Australian, Saratoga, Aug. 20, 1874, 7 :19 1-2.
RACING, OK TURF HORSES. 237
Lexington, by Boston, vs. time, New Orleans, La., April 2, 1855,
7 :17 3-4.
Lexington, by Boston, beating Lecomte, New Orleans, April 14, 1855,
7 ;23 3-4.
Janet, by Lightning, Louisville, Sept. 27, 1879, 7 :29.
Wildidle, by imp. Australian, San Francisco, Oct. 28, 1875, 7 :25 1-2.
Idlewild, by Lexington, over Centreville Course, L. I., June 25, 1863,
7 :26 1-4.
Thad. Stevens, by Langford, best second heat, California, Oct. 18,
1873, 7 :30.
Kentucky, by Lexington, Saratoga, 1866, 7 :31 1-2.
Silent Friend, by imp. Australian, New Orleans, Api-il 21, 1873, 7 :30 1-2.
Kentucky, by Lexington, vs. time at Jerome Park, 1867 ; first two
miles, 3 :36 ; first three 5 :29 ; 7 :31 3-4.
Abd-el-Kader, by Australian, Saratoga, 1869, 7 :31 3-4.
Abd-el-Koree, by imp. Australian, Jerome Park, Fall 1871 ; best time
for a three-year-old, 7 :33.
Monarchist, by Lexington, Jerome Park, 1872 ; first two miles, 3 :39
3-4 ; first three, 5 :36 ; 7 :33 1-2.
Tom Ochiltree, by Lexington, Jerome Park, Oct. 12, 1876, 7 :36.
FOUR MILE HEATS.
Lecompte, by Boston, at New Orleans, April 8, 1854, beating Lexing-
ton and Reube, 7 : 26, 7 : 38 1-4.
Rupee, by Voucher, April 10, 1858, 7 :39, 7 :35.
Miss Foot, by imp. Consol, at New Orleans, March 26, 1842, 8:02,
7:35.
Fashion, by imp. Trustee, over Union Course, L. I., May 10, 1842,
beating Boston match, 7 :32 1-2, 7 :45.
Morgan Scout, by John Morgan, at Lexington, Ky., 1870, best race
ever run in Kentucky, 7 :32 1-2, 7 :43 1-2.
George Martin, by Garrison Zinganzee, beating Hannah Harris and
Reel, March 29, 1843. Reel broke down in first heat, 7 :33, 7 :43.
Bushwhacker, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, Baltimore, Oct. 26, 1878.
Princeton won second heat, 7 :31, 7 :36 1-4, 8 :29.
Glenmore, by imp. Glen Athol, Baltimore, two and three heats, beet
third heat, 7 :29 1-2, 7 :30 1-4 7 :31.
Tally-ho, by Boston, at Union Course, L. I., Oct. 8, 1849 ; Free Trade
won the first heat, Boston the third, and Tally-ho second and fourth,
7 :33 1-2, 7 :43 1-2, 7 :52, 8 :10 1-2.
HURDLE RACES.
Joe Rodes, by Virgil, mile heats, over four hurdles, St. Louis, June i,
1878, 1 :50 3-4, 1 :50 1-4.
238 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Judith, by imp. Glenelg, mile heats, over four hurdles, Piospect Park,
Sept. 11, 1879, 1 ;52, 1 :52.
Lobelia, by imp. Bonnie Scotland, mile heats, over four hurdles, Fash-
ion Course, L. I., Sept. 11, 1869, 1 :51 3-4, 1 :53 1-4.
Waller, by imp. Hurrah, one and a quarter miles, over five hurdles,
Saratoga, Aug. 14, 1878, 2:21 1-2.
Disturbance, by Chillicothe, one and a quarter miles, over 5 hurdles,
Saratoga, Aug. 22, 1878, 2 :21 3-4.
Problem, by Pimlico, one and a half miles over 6 hurdles, Long
Branch, July 5, 1879, 2:50.
Derby, by Eugene, one and a half miles, over six hurdles. Long Branch,
July 2, 1878, 2 :52.
Judith, by imp. Glenelg, one and three-quarter miles, over seven nur^
dies. Long Branch, Aug. 28, 1879, 3 :36 1-2.
Tom Leathers, by Camps Whale, two miles, over eight hurdles. New
Orleans, April 16, 1875, 3:47 1-2.
Redman, by War Dance, two miles, over eight hurdles, Louisville, Ky.,
May 19, 1876, 3 :48 1-2.
Captain Hutchinson, by Voucher, two miles, over eight hurdles, Co-
lumbus, O., July 3, 1875, 3:50.
Jonesboro, by Lexington, two miles, over eight hurdles, welter weights ;
New Orleans, April 11, 1868, 3:51 1-2.
Milesian, by imp. Mickey Free, two miles, over eight hurdles, welter
weights; Long Branch, Aug. 3, 1872, 3:52 1-2.
Cariboo, by Lexington, two and a quarter miles, over nine hurdles.
Long Branch, 1875, 4 :33.
STEEPLE CHASES.
Dead Head, by Julius, about two and three-quarter miles, thirty-six
leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 26, 1878, 5 :33 1-2
Trouble, by Ulverston, about two and three-quarter miles, thirty-six
leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 19, 1876, 5 :34 3-4.
Duffey, by Hunter's Lexington, about two and three-quarter miles,
thirty-six leaps, Saratoga, Aug. 5, 1873, 5 :48 3-4.
FASTEST TROTTING TO WAGON.
One mile, Judge Fullerton, San Francisco, Nov., 1874, time 2:20 1-2.
Two miles, Gen. Butler and Dexter, each a heat, Long Island, 1863, tima
A:56 1-4.
Three miles, Kemble Jackson, June, 1853, time 8 :03.
Four miles, Longfellow, Dec. 31, 1869, time 10:34 1-2.
Five miles, Little Mack, Long Island, Oct. 29, 1863, time 13 :43 1-2.
Twenty miles, John Stewart, Long Island, Sept. 22, 1868, time 59 :23.
RACING, <ni TURF HORSES. 233
TBAINING TO TROTTINQ.
The idea of the average horse owner is that training means pampering
the horse. Nothing could be further from the mark. It truly means
the very best and most intelligent care, feeding and exercise for the work
to to be performed, and this exercise must be in proportion to the
distance.
The artificial care given the horse in confinement renders blankets k
necessary for all fast working horses. Doubly so for turf horses, whose
pace is of the most exhausting kind. To get rid of superfluous flesh
sweating and exercise is necessary. The superfluous flesh and undue
moisture of the body having been properly reduced, then the pace of the
horse should correspond to that expected in the final trial. That is for
mile heats a faster pace will be required than for longer heats, but the
horse must be carefully worked up to the point, the improvement being
carefully and intelligently watched, that as the day of trial approaches
he may have a real trial of speed for the distance to be trotted. There
is, however, no rule that can be laid down as to the amount of work to
be done before this trial takes place. It will depend upon his condition
while at work and the manner in which he accomplishes his brushes, as
spurts of speed are called for short distances. These are among the
most important parts of training, since they tend not only to extend
the stride of the horse and improvement in speed, but the manner of
coming out of them will indicate the condition of the animal.
High-strung, eager, generous horses must be handled in a very differ-
ent manner from sterner tempered ones. In any case, the horse must
come to place implicit confidence in his driver. The first must be re^
strained ; the second urged. The first named seldom have the power to
accomplish all they would. The second must be made to know that it is
speed and distance that is required, and that they must go the pace if it
is in them.
Feeding is essentially important. Some horses crave much hay. Such
must be restrained ; some gluttons will eat their bedding. If so, they
must be muzzled when not feeding, and always so at night. If a horse
is so light a feeder that he will not eat twelve quarts of oats a day, he
may have a little Indian corn, but this only in exceptional cases. Sound,
heavy oats, thoroughly cleaned and sifted, should constitute the feed of
the trotting horse, or any horse of fast work. The light feeder must be
carefully watched in his work. Some horses will eat fourteen to sixteen
quarts of oats a day. Such should have corresponding exercise ; for in
no event must fat be allowed to accumulate. We should prefer to limit
any horse, however large and powerful, to fourteen quarts of oats pet
240 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
day, or rather to that number of pounds. As a rule twelve quarts or
pounds should suffice for the average horse.
Hiram Woodruff, than whom there is no better authority, in his work
on *'The Trotting Horse of America," in relation to the preparation
which precedes the first trial, says :
During the preparation which precedes the first trial, it will be neces-
sary to give the horse one or two sweats. Whether it ought to be one or
two must be indicated by the condition and nature of the animal, the races
in which he is engaged, and resolved by the judgment of the trainer. The
amount of clothes in which he shall be sweated must be determined by
the same considerations. Some may require a blanket and hood, and a
wrapper round the neck to start the perspiration out of them : while
there are others that will sweat freely with but little clothes, and scrape
well when more have been thrown on at the end of the jog. One thing
may certainly be said, that a sweat obtained without the use of heavy
clothing is more satisfactory and better than one with it, provided the
latter method does not include a good deal more work to get the sweat.
Only a moderate quantity of clothing and little work while the horse is going
are the best for a sweat, if a good scrape can thus be obtained. When the
horse comes from the drive, and is taken out of the wagon, he will soon
be ready to scrape. That done, he must be blanketed up again, and
walked about out of the draft. A favorable day for the sweat ought to
be taken advantage of, as a matter of course. Another light scrape may
probably be had after some little time spent in walking in the blankets ;
but, if the perspiration does not continue so as to give this second scrape,
it is not to be forced .:>y more work in the clothes. To be of use in itself,
and as a satisfactory indication that the condition of the horse is advanced
it must come of itself. During the time this scraping process is in
course of operation, the trainer having the conduct of it should not be in
a hurry. The same things that are said to cure a man's cold — patience
and a little water-gruel — will often do wonders in procuring a good
sweat. Commonly, however, it is easy enough to get the sweat and
scrape, but more difficult to cool the horse out properl3\ In order to do
this well, he is to be clothed again, and led very gently about for a
considerable period, so that he may become cool gradually, and the per-
spiration may dry away by degrees. This walking is to be out of all
draft as much as possible ; and it will not do to hurry it over, and go to
the stable, until the horse has cooled off well and gradually. When the
proper state has been reached , the horse is to be taken into the stable and
his body is to be well dreesed. This done, he is to be re-clothed, and
again led into the air.
A few sups of gruel, made of Indian meal or fine shorts, from halt a
RACI^'G, OK TURF HORSES. 241
pint to a pint of the meal stirred into a bucket of water may now be
given to the horse, or water with the chill taken off it may be used as a
substitute for the gruel. When taken into the stable again, which will
be after a little "more walking about in the air, the legs are to be put in
tubs of warm water, the body clothing being kept on. The legs are then
to be well washed with the water and castile soap, and when dried off to
be bandaged. These bandages should be of light flannel, and it is imma-
terial whether it is red or white. They are not to be put on tight. The
legs of a horse ought never to be bandaged tight, for such a course im-
pedes the circulation into the feet, where there is a great necessity for it ;
but losing sight of this, the bandages are sometimes pulled so that it
looks as if they were intended to serve as a tourniquet, and stop the cir-
culation of the blood altogether. Neither can it serve any useful purpose,
that I can see, to bind the suspensory ligament up to the bone of the leg.
Nature intended that in the horse it should stand out from it, as we see iri
the fine flat legs of the best runners and trotters. Whatever support is
required may be obtained with only a moderate degree of tightness ; and I
have sometimes thought that an elastic stocking, such as our best surgeons
use in cases of bad strain to the nerves and muscles of the human foot
and ankle, would be a very useful article in a training-stable.
DRIVING.
The average farmer's boy supposes he can drive a trotting horse. Has
he not seen the pictures of drivers sitting back, apparently holding to the
reins with a grasp, as though the stronger the horse was pulled the faster
he could go ? Such driving never got speed out of a horse. The best
drivers simply allow the horse to pull on the bit with sufficient force to
steady himself, and this pulling force must be gi-aduated according to
circumstances. It is true many fast horses are hard pullers, and gener-
ally so from defects in training. The bit and reins are intended simply
as the medium of communication between the horse and the driver, and
the more intelligently the horse is trained to their use, the more will be
got out of him. The horse should be taught to take a firm hold of the
bit, not for the purpose of pulling upon, but that the driver may give the
horse needed support and steadiness, and that intelligent action may be
established between the driver and the horse.
The object of keeping the horse well in command during fast work, on
the road as well as on the track, is that he may instantly respond to the
wish of the driver through the medium of the reins. Thus he may be
pressed from day to day in his speed, until he at last comes to the full
measure of his powers.
Although trotting speed does not come to the horse until some years
242 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
after he is fully developed in growth, the history of trotting shows that
this increase of speed continues to develop until the horse is from ten to
twelve years old. Hence there should be no hurry to develop the animal
while young. He should be driven from the time he is three years old,
sufficient to cause him to lengthen his stride as much as possible. He
should be taught to listen quickly, never to frighten or shy at any ob-
ject, and this by familiarizing him with whatever may be near. In his
brushes, either on the road or the track, however sharp they may be,
they should never be extended until the animal shows signs of distress.
When he is being regularly trained for some public trial of speed, it will
b« time enough to find out if he can go the desired pace.
DRIVING ON THE ROAD.
Road driving, like driving or riding a race, is a fine art. In road
driving the object is not only to get good speed out of the animal driven,
but he must also be made to go in fine style. With a horse of naturally
fine action, this, if the driver understands his business, is not difficult. If
not a horse of naturally fine style and action, he may be spoiled. For
road work the horse should have been better flexed than when he is to
be used for trotting a race. He must be able to turn out quickly and
handsomely in passing or meeting other teams. When being driven
slowly, he must carry himself handsomely. Thus something must be
sacrificed to this end.
Every horse should have a perfect fitting bit. It should be of the
proper size and length for the mouth, and this can only be decided by
trial. Keep trying different bits until you find one in which the horse
works comfortably. Above all, in handling a young horse do not injure
the mouth with a cruel or rough bit. Above all, never be so cruel as k)
jerk his mouth with the reins. The bit is the medium of communication
between the driver and the horse. If there is any speed in the horse, it
is to be gotten out of him by means of the bit, and hence the more sens-
itive you can keep the mouth, the more likely you are to succeed. If
you render the mouth numb or callous through pulling, twitching, saw-
ing or other smart tricks of drivers, you do so to the permanent injury of
the horse. Therefore first acquire a nice touch yourself, and there wiil
be no difficulty in imparting it to the horse.
Never lose your temper with the horse. If a horse does so that is no
reason why you should. Never strike a horse with the whip for any
fault, and then jerk him back with the reins. If necessary to punish
him, first assure yourself thal^you have him sufficiently well in hand so
he cannot "jump out of the harness." Have a definite object in view,
for every use of rein or whip. Above all avoid a steady, rigid pull on
ike horse. Some horses will not trot without being pulled hard. It is
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 543
usually from defect in training. The perfect horse is trained to pull just
sufficient to steady himself in harness. How Hiram Woodruff drove, he
tells in his *' Trotting-Horse of America." No one, during his life, or
since his death, was better authority in such matters. Hence, we cannot
do better than to give it to our readers in his exact words.
In order that a fast horse should be under circumstances to do his best,
he should be as much at his ease in his harness and general rig as possible .
If he is not, he is placed at almost as much disadvantage as if sore or
stiff, or suffering from some bodily ailment. You may see horses brought
out of the stable to trot with a very tight check to keep their heads up,
and a tight martingale to keep them down. Such a horse is in irons ; and
when to this is added a dead drag at the reins, and no movement of the
bit from end to end, I cannot see how he could do his best. People talk
about a steady, bracing pull ; but, in my opinion, that is not the right
way to drive a trotter. There is a great difference between letting go of
your horse's head, and keeping up one dull, deadening pull all the time.
The race-horse riders practice what is called a bracing pull ; and, a great
many times, I have seen their horses tire under it without ever running
their best. The steady pull checked them. The pull should be sufficient
to feel the mouth, and give some support and assistance, so as to giv6
the horse confidence to get up his stride. More than that is mischievous.
To keep the mouth alive, the bit must be shifted a little occasionally A
mere half -turn of the waist, or less than half a turn, by which the thumb
is elevated and the little finger lowered, is sufficient to shift the bit, keep
the mouth sensitive, and rouse the horse.
The reins are to be held steadily with both hands while this play with
the wrist is made ; and it is, of course, only done with one wrist at a time.
The hands should be well down ; and the driver ought not to sit all of a
heap, with his head forward. Neither should he lean back, with his bod',
ily weight on the reins, which, in that case, are made a sort of stay for
him. He should be upright ; and what pulling he must do should
be done by the muscular force of the arms. The head and the arms are
what a good driver uses ; but some hold their arms straight out, and puU
by means of putting the dead weight of their bodies on the reins. If,
instead of lying back, and putting their bodily weight on the reins, with
which latter they take a turn round their hands, drivers would depend
upon their muscular strength, they could let up on the pull, graduate it,
and so ease the horse from time to time instantaneously. The driver who
depends upon the arms has command of the horse : he who substitutes
bodily weight with the reins strapped round his hands, has not half com-
mand of the horse, or of himself either ; and, if the horse is a puller,
he will soon take command of the driver. The reason of it is, that there
244 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
is no intermission of the exertion, no let up, either for man or horse.
Besides, in that way of driving, it is impossible to give those movements
to the bit which seem to refresh and stimulate the horse so much.
When a horse has been taught the signilScance of this movement of the
bit, the shift by the turn of the wrist, he will never fail to answer it, even
though he should seem to be at the top of his speed. The moment he
feels this little move of the bit in his sensitive mouth, he will collect him-
self, and make another spurt ; and the value of this way of driving is,
that the horse is not likely to break when thus called upon, while a high-
strung, generous horse, if called upon for a final effort with a whip, is as
likely to break the moment it falls on him as not. I have won many a
very close heat by practising this movement, and therefore I have no hes-
itation in recommending it. It is not difficult to acquire, and the horse
soon comes to know what it means.
Let us come now to the way of taking nold of the reins. A wrap
around the hand, such as running-horse riders take, is clumsy and bad.
I do not know whether many people take hold of the reins as I do, or
not. Perhaps not. Sim. Hoagland is the only one who takes hold pre-
cisely as I do, so far as I have observed. When we have been jogging
horses together at early morning, we have often talked over these mat-
ters ; and, whether our way was the best way or not, we could never see
any other that suited us half so well.
I will try to explain how I hold the reins : I could show it in two sec-
onds. Take, first, the right-hand rein. This, coming from the bit,
passes between the little finger and the third finger, over the little finger,
then under the other three fingers, and up over the thumb. The left-
hand rein is held in the left hand exactly in the same way ; but the bight
of the slack of the rein is also held between the thumb and forefinger
of the left hand. This gives some substance in that hand ; but, if it is
found inconvenient to have it there by those who have small hands, it may
be dropped altogether. A firm grasp on each rein, with the backs of the
hands up, and without any wrap, is thus obtained. It is a great point in
driving to be able to shift the reach — that is, the length of the hold you
take — without for an instant letting go of the horse's head. With this
way of holding the reins, it is easily done. If I want to shorten the
hold on the left hand rein (the near one), I take hold of that rein just
behind the left hand with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, and
steady it. This is very easily done ; and it does not interfere at all with
the command of the off rein with the right hand. The near rein being
thus steadied behind the left hand, I slide that hand forward on the rein,
which is kept over the little finger, under the other three fingers, and over
the thumb all the time, and then shut the grasp again on the new reach.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 245
A shift with the right hand is made just in the same way, by taking hold
and steadying the rein behind that hand with the thumb and forefinger of
the left hand.
" I have often observed, that, with other methods of holding the reins,
there was great difficulty in shifting the reach. The driver tries to do it;
but, for an instant, he has let go of the horse's head on one side alto
gether, and broken his stride. When this is found to be the case, th*
dead pull all the time is adopted ; and this spoils the freedom and elas-
ticity of the horse's stride, and chokes off his wind. I do not intend
this to be taken as instruction for professional drivers. Every driver has
a way of his own ; and some of them have very good ways, for, as I
have taken occasion to state before, they drive well. But what I have
set down above may be of service to gentlemen who drive their own
horses, and to those young men who, having as yet no settled method of
their own, may think it well enough to try that which I have found to
answer. Another word about bits. I am opposed to the use of severe
bits, and complicated things of that sort. Some of the inventors of suc^>
things say I am prejudiced; but I don't think I am. If a man has m
horse that cannot be driven with a bar-bit or a snaffle, he may as well sell
him, except it is a very exceptional case. Where are these kinds of
severe complicated bits most in use? Why, in England ; five hundred or
a thousand of them are used there to one that is used here : and where
do the horses trot the best? These bits are mostly invented by men who
have had no practical experience whatever as to what sort of driving a
fast trotter requires to keep his gait square and b«ld, and induce him to
do his best when it is called for. When a horse has a good mouth — and
a bad one is almost always the fault of bad breaking and driving — the
easier the bit you use, the better he will act for you, and the more speed
he will show you."
Trotting Horses.
It has often been said of Northern and Eastern men, that they do not
take kindly to the saddle. In a sense this is true, especially in the
North. In England the passion for riding in the saddle grew up at a
time when there were, so to speak, no roads. In the earlier settlement
of America, throughout the then vast timber region, the same state of
things existed ; but a people who settle a new country have somethmg
else to think of than riding to hounds or other pleasure riding. So the
country became settled ; the level or gently undulating nature of the
country rendered good roads passable at light cost, and the absence of
preserves of game, a landed aristocracy, and the improvement in vehicl'^^'*
for pleasure and use, tended to force public taste in the direction of driv-
16
246
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
ing. Hence the early appreciation of the trotting horse, and the won,
dcrful development in speed in this direction.
In the South, racing stock held its own, and does even to this day ; and
nobly have they contested the palm of victory, and successfully, on many
hard fought fields of racing blood in England and our own country. At
the North, however, the trotting horse now reigns supreme. It is the
"mtcntion here to present something of the wonderful increase in speed
"ud endurance of the trotting horse of America, with information of the
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 447
most celebrated horses that early gave fashion to this style of going, and
a full list of animals and performances, that the reader may see at a
glance the growth of this passion for trotting horses.
EARLY TROTTERS.
Until 1823 we have but little authentic information that regular trot-
ting courses were established, and not until 1830 were fast trotting
courses established. According to Porter's Spirit of the Times, the first
public trotting in America for a stake was a match against time for $1,000.
In 1824, A. M. Giles trotted his horse 28 miles in one hour and fifty-
seven seconds. The same year Topgallant and Betsey Baker were
matched to trot three miles in harness for $1,000 a side. The race was
won by Topgallant by 40 yards, in 8 minutes, 42' seconds. Topgallant
also trotted 12 miles on the road in 39 minutes. The "Albany pony"
did a mile in 2 minutes, 40 seconds. The Treadwell mare did one mile
in 2 :34 ; and Boston Blue trotted 18 miles within the hour. Boston
Blue is reported to have been the first horse that trotted a mile in three
minutes ; it having been done in 1818. So that it will be seen that the
Treadwell mare in 1824 had reduced the time to 2 :34. Yet for many
years after a 2 :40 horse was considered extraordinary, as also was any
horse capable of going on the road in 3 minutes.
In 1827, on the Hunting Park Association of Philadelphia, Screwdriver
won two heats at two miles, beating Betsey Baker in 8 :02 and 8 :10, the
three best time on record. Dutchman afterwards accomplished the same
distance in 7 : 32 1-2, and Lady Sui¥olk in 7 :40 1-2.
In 1840, on the Long Island course, Jerry beat Whalebone in a three
mile trotting race, in 8 :23 the first heat, and 8 :15 the second. The best
time for 2 mile heats that year was 5 :22, 5 :21 ; for 3 miles, 8 :26, 8 :27,
8:41, 8:56. On long distances Sweetbrier accomplished six miles in
18:52.
In 1834 Edwin Fon'est, as yet an unentered horse, trotted his mile in
2 :31 1-2, beating Sally Miller. The course Avas 1 mile and 10 yards in
length.
In 1835 Dutchman made four miles, under the saddle, in 11 :19 and
10 .51, and Dolly, by Messenger, out of a thoroughbred mare, five miles
to wagon, carrying two men, weighing 310 pounds, in 16 :45 ; and imme-
diately was started again to do 10 miles more, which she accomplished in
34 :07. The same year the horse Daniel D. Thompkins, under the sad-
dle, trotted three mile heats in 7 :59 and 8 :10.
In 1842 Ripton beat Lady Suffolk, at 3 miles in harness, in 5 :07 and
5:17.
In 1843 Lady Suffolk made mile heats in 2 :28 1-2, 2 :28, 2:28, 2 :29
148 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
and 2 :32, which was not again equaled until 1854, when this record wx
covered by Tacony.
In 1844 Cayuga Chief made the first half mile in a race in 1 :15, the
fastest yet made in public ; and Fanny Jenks accomplished 100 miles, in
harness, in 9 hours 38 minutes 34 seconds. The slowest mile was done
in 6 :25 and the fastest in 4 :47. At the end of the race this mare wa«
driven an extra mile in 4 : 23.
In 1849 Lady Suffolk trotted 19 times and won 12, beating Grey Eagle*
and Mac twice, Pelham five times. Lady Sutton twice. Trustee four times ;
also beat Black Hawk, Gray Trouble, Plumbay and other horses. This
year a Canadian mare, Fly, is said to have been driven from Cornwall to
Montreal, ninety miles, in 8 hours and 15 minutes. Fanny Jenks mad©
100 miles in 9 hours 38 minutes and 34 seconds. Fanny Murray trotted
one hundred miles in 9 hours 41 minutes 23 seconds.
In 1852 Tacony won 12 races, beating all the best horses of the day>
making a single mile in 2 ;26 ; two miles in 5 :02, and was beaten only
twice. As a 3 year Ethan Allen trotted this year in 3 :20. Flora Tem-
ple this year won her first purse, on the regular turf, in 2 :41.
In 1853 the entire sporting interest was centered in Flora Temple and
Tacony. Flora this year beat all the best horses of the day, winning
seventeen times. Her best time at mile heats was 2 :27, 2 :28, and at it
mile heats 5 :01 1-2, 4 :59. This year Tacony trotted a mile in 2 :25 1-2.
In 1856 the contest lay principally between Flora Tempte and Lancet,
Flora made 11 races, winning nine, beating Lancet four times in harness,
and Tacony three times in harness, Tacony going under the saddle. This
year Flora Temple lowered the one mile record to 2 : 24 1-2.
That the trotting horse of America owes his great powers to the infu-
sion of thorough blood, we have before stated. To Imported Messen*
ger is this due in the greatest degree. Messenger's sire was Mambrino,.
his second sire Engineer, and his third sire Samson. Thence to Blaze,
Flying Childers and the Darley Arabian. Samson is reported to have
been coarse and homely, and Engineer rough and coarse, but both of these
horses were of extraordinary substance.
Another great trotting sire of America was imported Bellfouuder.
There has been much controversy over his breeding, first and last, but
that he was a staunch trotter, and a getter of admirable horses, there is
no doubt, giving splendid action to his get. Still, it must be admitted
that, admirable as was Bellfounder himself, his get was not equal to the
descendants of Messenger in all that constitutes speed, endurance and
action.
Durac also became a valuable factor in our trotting blood. His strain
of blood appears in the Medley's, Durac Messenger's, Mambrino Chief's
*iid Gold Dust's.
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 249
One of the sub-families of Messenger's blood, Hambletonian, who
united the blood of Messenger and Bellfounder, has raised the trotting
torse of America to the highest point of perfection. He was not
a handsome horse from a thoroughbred standpoint, if indeed he was
thoroughbred, which has been doubted. It has been given as follows :
Hambletonian was by Abdallah ; he by Mambrina, a son of Messenger.
The dam of Abdallah, the mare Amazonia. The dam of Hambletonian
by imported Bellfounder ; second dam by Hambletonian ; third dam,
fiilvertail, said to have been by imported Messenger.
In all that constitutes stoutness and ability to perform, in freedom
from tendency to disability, his stock has been wonderful. Noted for
immense and strong joints, length and strength of bone, magnificent
muscular development, prominent, square, massive build, mighty hips
and excellent barrel, all knit together to form a most admirable frame.
United to a nervous constitution, that reproduced itself in his descendants,
in a most wonderful degree.
One of the finest specimens of the Hambletonian stock is shown on tho
preceding plate. This fine horse was by Rysdyk's Hambletonian, by Abdallah,
by Mambrino, by Imp. Messenger. Dam Kitt, by Long Island Black Hawk,
by Andrew Jackson, by Young Bashaw, by Imported Bashaw. Is half-brother
to Dexter, time 2.17^; Nettie, 2.18 ; Jay Gould, 2.211 . Gazelle, 2.21 ; Georg«
Wilkes, 2.22 ; Volunteer ( who has eight trotters below 2.25); Edsall's Ham.
bletonian ( Sire of Goldsmith Maid, 2.14 ) ; Edward Everett ( Sire of Judge
Fullerton, 2.18 ) ; Bruno and Brunette, that trotted double in 2.25^. Foaled
1868; bright golden bay; two white feet; star and small stripe on face; black
legs, mane and tail ; 15| hands high. A horse of fine finish, and shows his high
breeding; remarkably strong and well-backed; thick through the heart; game
head ; beautiful, strong eyes, set wide apart ; clean, sinewy limbs, and sound
feet ; perfectly sound, excellent constitution, good temper, and very intelligent;
a natural trotter, with the big, open, fast, easy, stride of the Hambletonians.
Of Goldsmith Maid, one of the truly great descendants of this blood, Mr.
H. T. Helm, of Chicago, in 1876, wrote as follows:
GOLDSMITH MAID,
"The Queen of the Trotting Turf, was foaled in 1857, and is now
nineteen years old. She was bred by John D. Decker, of Sussex county,
N.J. Her dam was one of those yellow-bay mares so common in the
produce of old Abdallah. She was undersized, fretful, and of a nervous
temperament, and up to the age of six years had performed no work of
any kind, except to run occasional races about and on the farm, for the
amusement of the boys. In 1863 she was sold by Mr. Decker for $260 ;
the purchaser selling her again, on the same day, to Mr. Tompkins, for
$360 , and she was soon afterward bought by Mr. Alden Goldsmith, tot
$600. The eye of the practical horseman discovered that she was Tvorth
230
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the handlins:
He discovered her ability, and soon brought the world to
a knowledge of her value. Under his careful and patient management.
Mid the skillful drivers employed by him, she soon displayed such speed
and extraordinary qualities of game and endurance, that he was able to
sell her, at about the age of eleven years, for the sum of $20,000. The
purchasers were B. Jackman and Mr. Budd Doble, and, under the guid-
ance of the latter, she has steadily advanced in a career of fame that ia
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 25t
without a parallel in the history of the trotting turf. She nas subse-
quently sold, by the two gentlemen last named, to H.N. Smith, for the
sum of $37,000, and yet remains his property. She has been matched
against all the great trotters of her period ; and, while she has occasion-
ally lost a race, she has ultimately vanquished all competitors, and stead-
ily lowered the record for trotting performances, and at the age of
eighteen, marked the marvelous, and thus far unapproachable, record of
a mile in 2 :14.
"Twice during the year 1876 she trotted in a race in 2 :15, and although
in her first race against the renowned Smuggler she was beaten, she by
no means surrendered her queenly scepter, for again, at Buffalo, she as-
serted her supremacy in the three fastest successive heats on record.
Proudly does she command the sympathy and applause of all beholders
when she hurls at her powerful competitor the defiant challeuije, " You
may become King, but I am yet Queen."
"It were useless to mention the names and performances of others ,
there is no name that can be compared with that of the little bay mare ;
the fame and the radiance of all others pale before the brilliancy of a
renown that followed her to the age of twenty years, and has been wit-
nessed on every great course throughout the expanse of a continent. I
subjoin a description of the Trotting Queen, from the pen of one of our
most accurate and capable writers :
"Goldsmith Maid is a bay mare 15 1-4 hands, no white. She appears,
at first glance, to be rather delicately made, but this conception is drawn
from the form, rather than the quality of her make-up. Her head and
neck are very clean and blood-like ; her shoulder sloping and well placed ;
middle piece tolerably deep at the girth, but so light in the waist as to
give her a tucked-up appearance, and one would say a lack of constitu-
tion, but for the abundant evidence to the contrary; loin and coupling
good ; quarters of the greyhound order — broad and sinewy ; her limbs
are clean, fine-boned and wiry ; feet rather small, but of good quality.
She is high mettled, and takes an abundance of work Avithout flinching.
In her highest trotting form, drawn to an edge, she is almost deer-like in
appearance, and when scoring for a start and alive to the emergencies of
the race, with her great flashing eye and dilated nostrils, she is a perfect
picture of animation and living beauty. Her gait is long, bold and
sweeping, and she is, in the hands of a driver acquainted Avith her pecu-
liarities, a perfect piece of machinery. She seldom makes an out-and-
out break, but frequently makes a skip, and has been accused of losing
nothing in either case. Aside from the distinction of having trotted the
fastest mile on record, she also enjoys the honor of making the fastest
three consecutive heats ever won in a race, which renders any comments
upon her staying qualities unnecessary.
,'5"J II.LU8TRATED STOC^K DOCTOR.
She continued on the turf until past twenty years old, and after com*
pleting that age she closed her public career with the year 1877 by
trotting during that year forty-one heats in 2 :30 or better, and making a
time record of 2:14 1-2. Her record stands at the close of her career at
2 :14, with 332 heats in 2 :30 or better. Her record and her career are
" the marvel of the age." Goldsmith Maid finally found a home at the Fashion
stud farm, at Trenton, N. J., there to end her days.
DEXTER.
Dexter has been so often described, that the public are familiar with
his appearance. A dark bay or brown gelding, with a white stripe the
full length and width of his face, and four white legs ; 15 hands, 1 inch
high ; his head as finely cut in its outline as that of Australian or Bonnie
Scotland ; an eye that does not stand out with the prominence of the
Abdallah eye in Hambletonian, but one that sparkles with a glance of
fire that speaks of that which is back of the orb ; his mane and tail are
medium in fulness, and in form and blood-like appearance he is hardly
surpassed by that of any thoroughbred of full age in the country. His
record of 2 :17 1-4 is familiar to all.
JAY GOULD.
Jay Gould is a bright bay horse, of fine mould and finish, 15 hands 2
inches in height ; rather light-appearing in form, but of great and power-
fully formed quarters, and a tolerably fair set of limbs. His head is a
finely formed one, and he has a face that indicates the high degree of in-
telligence that in so great a measure marks this branch of the family.
He has trotted twenty heats in 2 :30 or better, and reached a record of
2 :21 1-2, and in addition is credited with one son, King Philip, a young
horse only five years old, that has trotted nine heats in 2 :30 or better,
and reached a record of 2 : 21.
MAUD S.
HOW SHE WAS RAISED AND WHAT SHE HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
Maud S. was foaled on the Woodbnrn stud farm, Kentucky, on the 28th of
March, 1874. She is of Harold, dam Miss Russell by Pilot, Jr., second dam
Sallie Rnssell bv old Boston. She is 15 hands 3 inches in height, 1| inches
higher behind than in front; her weight is 965 pounds; she is a red-chestnut
mare without a white spot. Until she was 4 years of age the mare was owned
by Captain Stone and was formed under his personal supervision. When she
wiis a colt she was gentle and affectionate, and a great pet with Captain Stone's
daughter. Miss Stone became very much attached to her pet, and the mare
B«eraed to be just as much attached to her. Captain Stone, therefore, requested
ais daughter to name her equine playfellow, and in compliance she gave it her
RACING, OR TURF HORSES. 255
own name, Maud Stone, which was afterward abbreviated into Maud S., a name
which has since become celebrated throughout Europe and America. When
Maud S. was 4 years old, however, Captain Stone sold her to William H,
Vanderbilt of New York. That gentleman sent her to a well-known Long
Island stud farm to be formed. When she was 5 years old, however, he be-
came dissatisfied with her handling, and sending for Captain Stone requested
him to take entire charge of her future training. Captain Stone consented,
and the mare has since that time been in his care. When being speeded the
mare wears a 4-ounce toe-weight, adjusted so that it can be removed when she
is jogging, as at that time her trainer never allows it to be worn.
HER PERFORMANCES.
Maud S.'s first public exhibition was given July 6th, 1880, at Cincinnati.
She was entered in the 2.34 class. She won in three heats. Time, 2.23, 2.30
and 2.28.
Her next race was at Chicago on July 24th for a special purse against
Trinkett. The mare won in three heats. Time, 2.19, 2.21 and 2.13J, in her
second public race thus surprising the sporting world by making a record at
which old turfmen held up their hands in wonder.
Maud S. next appeared at Cleveland on July 28th in the 2.19 class. She
won in three heats; time— 2.24, 2.18, 2.31.
At Buffalo, August 4th, was the next trot in the 2.19 class. The mare here
lost the first heat to Charlie Ford in 2.17 and won the next three in 2.15^,
2.16i and 2.16|.
At Rochester was her next trot, on August 12th, against time to beat all
records. The first quarter was made in 32 J, the half in 1.05, the three-quar-
ters in 1.38^, and the mile in 2.11f.
Chicago was her next trotting place on an exhibition against time. In this
the now widely celebrated little mare was successfeil. The first quarter was
made in 33|^, the half 1.04|, the three-quarters in 1.36f and the mile in 2.11 J.
In her next race at Chicago, September 18th, against time, Maud S. still
more astonished the world. She made the first quarter in 34 seconds, the
half mile in 1.04f, the three-quarters in 1.36 and the mile in the wonderful
time of 2.10|, trotting the middle half in 1.02.
After this she went into winter quarters at Cincinnati in the height of hei
glory. On the 1st of January, 1881, she was taken up and gave her first
exhibition at Columbus, Ohio, on June 30th, over a very slow track, against
Rams' best time over that track of 2.1 7 J. She made the first quarter in 33
seconds, the half in 1.06|, the three-quarters in 1.40 and the mile in 2.13 J.
At Detroit, July 4th, against St. Julien's best time over that track of 2.16^.
First quarter in 35^, the half in 1.08, the three-quarters in 1.42| and the mile
in 2.13|.
264 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
At Pittsburg, July 13th, first quarter 33 seconds, 'naif mile 1.05|, threes
quarters 1.37^, and the mile in 2.10J, beating her former record.
At Chicago, July 23, three heats. The first mile, 2.21|. The second mile,
first quarter, 34|, half mile in 1.06, the thixje-quarters in 1.38 and the mile
in 2.1^. The third mile, first quarter, in 34 seconds, the half in 1.06|, the
three-fourths in 1.37^, and the mile in 2.11. This was considered the greatest
performance ever achieved by Maud S. Beside trotting the three fastest
miles ever trotted by any horse, the track over which it was done was believed
by the best judges to be at least three seconds slow.
Her best record up to August, 1881, was made at Rochester (August
11th), when she trotted ihe mile without a break in 2.10^.
W. W. Bair is entitled to great credit for developing the wonderful speed
of Maud S. She is a highly-bred mare, and wants to be humored. Her heart
is won by kindness. She will not stand harsh treatment; will not prove
obedient under rough usage. Both Bair and his wife made much of Maud
S. They jetted her and treated her to apples and lumps of sugar. The result
is that she will eagerly respond to their call. When jogging on the track at
Chester Park the presence of Mrs. Bair near the rail at any time would cause
Maiud to turn in that direction. During the winter the mare ran in a roomy box.
In April she was put in front of a break-cart, and Mr. Bair drove her about
tVe streets of Clifton and Cincinnati, and thus got her accustomed to the noise
and bustle of the toiling world. He also harnessed her double, and taught her
to drive on either side. She always behaved well to the pole. She does not
like blinds to her bridle, but will trot with any kind of bit in her mouth.
All she asks is that the driver shall not pull on the bit. She wears a 15|-
ounce shoe forward and a 9-ounce shoe behind. She also carries 4-ounce
toe weights.
After her brilliant career iu 1881, Mr. \'aiiderbilt Avilhdrt'w Maud S. from
the track, and placed her in his own private stables in New York. Her quiet
life was not satisfactory, however, to her many friends, wiu) became so great
an annoyance to her owner that in 1884 he sold her to Mr. Robert S. Bonner,
who was already the owner of many fine horses. Forty thoi^and dollars is
the reputed price paid for her. She was then put to several tests merely to
beat her own record. She scored a mile in 2.09f, at Cleveland, August 2d,
1884, and on November 11th, 1884, at Ijexington, Ky., Mr. Bair drove hci-
the mile iu 2.09^, the fastest time ever made by a horse.
PART II.
Diseases of the Horse-.
•CHEIR CAUSES, HOW TO PREVENT, HOW TO KNOA»
Aim HOW TO CUKE.
Diseases of the Horse.
THBIB CAUSES; HOW TO ENOW, AND HOW TO CXTBE THEIL
CHAPTER I.
I. DinKWCCTIOM.— — n. KXTKRNAL MANIFSSTAnOIV OF URWASB,
I. Introduction.
The various diseases to which the horse is subject, embrace nearly all
those afflicting the human family, and including among them, as most
common, diseases of the skin and its integuments, those of the muscles,
of the ligaments, and of the bones, quite rare in the human family, and
to which the horse might be completely exempt, were it not for the igno-
rance, and in very many cases the brutality of the master in over-driving,
over-weighting, leaping, beating, neglect in clothing when heated, care-
lessness in grooming, want of proper ventilation in stables, and the
withholding of proper and sufficient food. Take away these causes of
disease and the labors of the veterinary surgeon would be light. We
should see but little of caries of the bones, causing degeneration of the
substance ; of spavin, curb, ringbone, splint ; of injuries to the sinews
and tendons, causing breaking down ; swellings and other of the most
serious afflictions ; poll evil and other fistulous diseases ; of fractures ; of
rheumatism ; founder, including grease, inflamed glands and veins, cracks
of the hoofs, quittor, hernia, and all that class of diseases attacking the
faithful servant of man, and henceforth rendering him useless for the
purposes of pleasure or profitable labor. Instead of ending the sufferings
of the tortured animal by mercifully taking its life, many owners for the
«ftke of the few paltry dollars received, transfer the once favorite steed
255
256
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
to some one else equally inhuman, who thenceforth drives and goads the
sufferer to labor under the most torturing circumstances, until the animal
economy, entirely disorganized, perhaps by years of such unmitigated
torture, drops and dies.
The object of this treatise is to so enlighten the horse owner in the
nature of disease as to enable him to determine whether treatment can
be made effective — if so, what to do; and especially is it the purpose to
so acquaint him with the causes^ that occasion for treatment may be
averted. By a study of the facts we give it may be easily known whether
cure is possible, and if not it is more merciful to kill and end th© mis^r/
of the poor animal.
EXTERNAL MANIFESTATIONS OF SOME DISEASES OF THE HORSE.
II. External Manifestation of Disease.
For all the diseases we have mentioned l)ut little medicine is needed.
Rest and nursing are most needed — often months of rest and care, as in
the case of spavin, commencing in inflammation and ending in the depo-
sition of bony matter, stiffening of the joint, or, as in the case of
exostosis of the heads of the bones, they in time become quite anchylosed»
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 257
when lameness ceases from the suspension of action of the joints caused
by their complete solidification or growing together.
That the reader may form a more correct idea of what we here write,
and have it brought plainly to view, we present an illustration of some of
the principal diseases of the bones and tissues, caused generally by abuse,
with a sfiort description of their origin. The treatment will be given in
the proper place,
A — Caries of the Jaw. Ulceration of the lower jaw, sometimes ends
in mortification. Caused by bruises from barbarous bits and curb chains.
B — Fistula of the Parotid Duct. Fistulas are caused by bruises or
undue compression of the parts producing inflammation and abscess.
C — Bony Excrescence. (Exostosis of the jaw). A blow upon a bone
will produce inflammation followed by exostosis (bony growth through
increased nutrition) — that of the joints being fearfully painful.
D — Swelling by pressure of the bridle, causing inflammation, and
sometimes tumors.
E — Poll Evil. A painful fistulous disease, often diflScult to cure.
F — Inflamed Parotid Gland. Caused by a bruise or compression.
G — Inflamed Jugular Vein, caused in various ways, often by careless-
ness after bleeding.
H — Fungus Tumor, from compression of the collar. The result of
galls and subsequent want of care, and inattention.
/ — Fistida of the Withers, caused gene»ally by pressure of the saddle.
J — Saddle Gall, caused by a bad fitting saddle ; sometimes ending in
sitiasts.
K — Twmoro/^Ae^^So?!;, caused generally by interference of the shoe
in lying down ; sometimes by a blow. Called also, Capped Elbow.
L — Induration of the Knee, caused by blows in falling.
M — Clap of the Back Sinews, caused by severe exertion in running
and leaping, destroying the integrity of the sinews of the leg.
iV — Mallenders, scurfy manifestations at flexions of the knee, sometimos
becoming cracked and itchy.
0 — Splint, caused by blows, kicks, etc., on the shins. They are to
be dreaded as interfering with the action of the sinews.
P — Ringbone, caused by starting heavy loads, or excessive pulling in
going up hill.
Q — Tread upon the Coronet, the contusion of the shoe of one foot by
treading on the other, causing laceration of the coronet and of the horn
of the hoof.
i? — Quitter, confined pus, from prick of the sole, corns, or injury to
coronet.
258 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
S — Quarter Sand Crack. Imperfect secretion caused by dryness oi
the hoof ; rupture of the laminae.
T — Contracted Hoof, or ringed hoof of a foundered horse. The
result of Laminatis.
U— Capped Hock. Injuring the point of the hock.
y — Sallenders. Scurfy eruptions on the seat of flexion of the hock.
Similar to mallenders.
"[y — Spavin. Inflammation causing painful bony enlargement, some«
times stiff joint. Caused by blows, slipping and hard work, often from
weak limbs.
X — Curb. Inflammation and lameness of the posterior part of the
hock, ending in bony formation. Caused by wrenching or straining the
limb.
Y-^Swelled Sinews, caused by strains or bruises, producing inflamma-
tion, and ending in enlargement.
Z — Thick Leg, caused by various injuries to the joint. Any inflamma-
tion may result in a thickening of the integuments. In all inflammatory
difficulties of this nature, including, spavin, curb, etc., cold water
faithfully applied at the outset will be indicated, but often the trouble is
not known until too late for cold water. The warm water fomentations
will then be indicated. [See treatment].
1 — Grease, caused by debility, excessive labor and neglect, filthy sur-
roundings, from stoppage of the secretions. Scratches are from the
same cause, as working in the mud without proper cleaning, etc.
2- — Toe Sand Crack, caused by the same difficulty as quarter sand
crack.
3 — Quarter Crack. [See sand crack].
These are occasioned generally by severe labor of animals not strong
in the feet, by which the walls are ruptured, by breaking the hoof with
the calk of another foot. False quarter is occasioned by the absence of
the outside and harder portion of the hoof.
4 — Ventral Hernia . Rupture by which the bowel lies next the skin.
When hernia is accompanied with strangulation it becomes dangerous.
5 — Rat Tail, loss of the hair of the tail.
Fuller facts as to causes and treatment of these disorders will be found
in the appropriate place in this work.
CHAPTER n.
DISEASES OF THE SEIN AND SUBCUTANEOUS TISSUEfl
r. SCRATCHES. II. GREASE. III. THRUSH. IV. SWELLED ANKLES. . V.
SWELLED LEGS. VI. SURFEIT. VII. MANCE. VIII. RINGHWORM. -IX
HIDE-BOUND. X. SADDLE GALLS, OR SITFASTS. XI. FUNGOUS COLLAK
TUMOR. XII. WARTS. XIII. VERMIN. XIV. LARVA IN THE SKIN,
XV. TETTER. XVI. RAT-TAILS. XVII. MALLENDERS AND SALLENDERS.— —
XVIII. POLL EVIL. XIX. FISTULA.
Of skin diseases there are two classes : those resultingf from neo-leot
and general bad treatment, and those due to disorders of the internal
organs with which the skin is in sympathy, or which inflame it by unnat-
ural excretions or irritants in the blood. It is almost impossible perfectly
to classify them, since even some that are generally considered to arise
from constitutional causes may be produced by external circumstances,
and the reverse.
In the following sections we treat the most important of both classes.
Others of less moment will be found in our chapter entitled ' * Miscella-
neous Matters and Suggestions, ISlinor Disorders, etc."
I. Scratches.
Causes. — These are various ; as, clipping the heels, which is sometimes
done, and thus destroying nature's covering, so as to allow the parts to
become chilled ; washing off the legs with soap and water without subse-
quently thoroughly drying them, and then suffering them to be exposed
to cold air ; standing in snow or snow-slush ; standing in or upon hot and
steaming manure of any kind, while in stable ; or being long in mud and
filth while in service and not subsequently carefully cleaned. Aiij-thing
that will produce inflammation of the skin of the heel, or in any wav
*reaken it, may produce scratches.
As is the case with other local disorders, this is most easily and rapidly
17 259
260 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
developed when the horse is not in a condition of good general healtlk ,
but foul stables, while furnishing the irritating filth immediately to tli6
scat of this disease vitiate the air also, and thus tend to bring about «
two-fold trouble.
It is believed to be sometimes due to the existence on the skin of pa^
asitic plants and insects.
The sure preventive is to keep the horse, if possible, in good general
condition ; and to confine him, when he must be confined at all, only in a
dry, clean, and well-ventilated stall. When he is forced to be worked
during the day in mud or slush he should be neither stabled nor turned
out to pasture until both his feet and his legs are well washed and thoroughly
«lried.
How to know it. — Scratches are said to be unknown to European horse-
men ; but it is so well known in the United States as to render a descrip'
tion well nigh unnecessary. It appears on the back part of the foot,
srenerallv of the hind foot ; and extends from the heel to the fetlock. It
has been known entirely tq encircle the foot, and to extend upward to the
hock and to the knee. The parts are sometimes hot, swollen and sensi-
tive before any cracking or ulceration takes place ; then they become
dry and scaly, and crack open by ordinary motion. A horse thus affected
is apt to manifest a disposition to walk stiffly, with his hind legs, (when
the disease is seated in the hind heels), wider apart than ordinary, and to
throw his foot rather violently forward when an effort is made to exam-
ine it.
It is often the case that at first there are little patches of a thick, dry,
scabby covering of the skin ; and these spread and inflame until they form
a solid mass of scab and matted hair. These scabs may be distinguished
from those which sometimes appear in other skin diseases by this, that
they have an unusual itchiness, which leads the horse to rub them as
much as possible ; and he often does this until they bleed and become
raw. This disposition of the suffering creature to scratch himself is said
to have originated the name by which the disease is known.
What to do. In cases where the patient is in good condition, and the
disease is in its incipient stage, a thorough cleansing of the parts witk
castile soap and warm water, and applying an emollient or softening
poultice for a day or two, with rest, will be sufficient. If there seems
to be feverishness of the system, a dose or two of Epsom salts to move
the bowels, given in doses of from one to three ounces at a time, well b«
beneficial.
The following is for ordinary cases a most efficacious and easily used
•emedy :
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 261
N». 1. >i Oz. powdered gum camphor,
1 Oz. gum myrrh,
1 Fluid oz. sulphuric acid,
1 Fluid oz. spirits of turpentine,
1 Pint of lard.
Mix iboroaghly, and rub the ointment well upon the heels once a day.
The legs and feet should be washed with soap suds before every applioft^
tion.
When the disedSb is chronic, and proud flesh has appeared, make t
poultice of ground flax seed and lime-water ; sprinkle burnt alum over
the poultice, and apply. Use two or three poultices a day until the
proud flesh has evidently disappeared, then use the ointment No. 1 as
jibove directed.
Another course of treatment, to be adopted Avhen there is a disordered
condition of general health, and evidences of vitiated blood are man-
ifested, is this :
First bleed ; but observe to regulate the quantity of blood drawn by
the condition of the animal as xo flesh and strength. If he is poor and
weak, take from the neck vein about three pints, and after nine days a
like quantity. If he is plainly in poor general health, but not reduced
in flesh and still strong, bleed once, taking from the neck vein three
quarts. Then make careful and thorough application of ointment No. 1.
It may well be stated here that in our practice Ave do not often resoiii
to bleeding, nor do we recommend ii except in rare cases. To the man,
however, Avho finds it both profitable und agreeable to be his own stock
doctor it is often the quickest, easiest, and safest means of removing
vitrious humors, and bringing about a n;ore natural and healthful circula-
tion. In some acute diseases of violent character, as pleurisy, mad
staggers, and the like, it is frequently of vhe first importance, sometimes
almost the only hope ; but we would caution the reader against the
indiscriminate blood-letting of the old practitioners. Observe well the
symptoms; consult this department of "The Stock Doctor " carefully ;
and you will not fall into the mistake of taking away gallons of blood
when a little rest, some good grooming, and plenty of nutritious, life-
giving food, are the things mostly required. T*ie manner of blood-letting
will be found to have been treated of in our chapter entitled "Impl»i
ments : what to keep and how to use."
The foreofoing: methods will answer in all oMinary cases ; but if thus
patient has not been taken in hand till the disease has become chronic
and obstinate, the following is a most excellent preparation and may be
used instead of No. 1. It requires care in the using, as it will discolor
the hands and corrode the nails if it comes in contact AN^ith them, aod it
•hould never be entrusted to bungling and inconsiderate gi'ooms ; but ix
262 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
I
the hands of careful horsemen it is a most valuable remedy for all obstl.
nate wounds, bruises, galls, tumors, and sores. We shall refer to it in
subsequent i)ortions of the work as cahiphorated corrosive auhlimate or
No. 2. 1 Pint spirits of turpentine,
1 Oz. llnely pulverized corrosive sublimate,
1 Oz. gum camphor.
Have the corrosive sublimate very finely ground in a druggist's mortar,
(the efficacy of the compound depends much upon this) ; pulverize the
gum camphor ; put all together into a good strong bottle, and shake
thoroughly. Then let it stand for at least twenty-four hours — longer
would be better, as it becomes more and more valuable with age and
repeated shakings — and it will do to use. In applying it, saturate a small
mop, made of soft rags, neatly and firmly tied upon a stick. Wash
before making first application of No. 2, but afterwards, unless the foot
becomes very foul, this need not be done. The liniment should be
applied once a day till cure is effected.
Keep the horse out of the wet during treatment, especially if the cam-
j)horated corrosive sublimate is used. See to it, also, that his stable is
not only dry, but airy. If it is pasture time, he will need no other food
than grass, unless it is found necessary to stable him, to keep him from
rains and dews. In any event, he ought to be fed rather lightly at first,
and with food not calculated to inflame. If the time is Winter give as
much green, soft food as can be conveniently had, such as roots,
chops, etc.
n. Grease, or Cracked Heels.
Causes. — This disease is but a modification of scratches and of thrush
.—partaking more of the nature of thrush, however, than of scratches, a?
it is confined almost exclusively to the heel, the seat of the thrush, which
is seldom attacked by the scratches.
It is occasionally the result of constitutional weakness or derangement.
When the system abounds in morbid matter, its tendency is towards the
heels, and debility is felt in the distended vessels remote from the vital
organs, ending in inflammation of the skin of the heels, distension of the
sebaceous glands, a stinking deposit on the surface, and a purulent dis
charo-e throuj^h cracks.
Cutting away the hair of the fetlock, and thus exposing to sudden and
protracted cold the parts which it is designed to protect, often causes thic
affection, even in animals of otherwise good condition.
Frequently, however, it may be regarded as most probably a secondary
disease, originating in some other, which has resulted from careless or
nhuman treatment, or from constitutional weakness.
THE HORSE, SKIN' DISEASES, ETC.
26a
It is not contagious ; but filth and want of attention will produce it in
nearly all horses similarly subjected to their influences.
How to know it. — It manifests nearl}^ the very same symptoms as
thrush, as given in the following section; but there is one striking pecu-
liarity which distinguishes it from thrush, foot-evil, and other disorders
Df that kind — the heel cracks open. In a healthy state, the heel of the
horse is moistened, and so kept from becoming dry and hard, by a con-
stant secretion and discharge of an oily fluid from the cellular tissues
under the skin. When this is obstructed, the skin becomes dry and
feverish, and looks scurfy and hot. It soon thereafter cracks, and the
pent-up oily secretion, now turned to a foul, yellowish water, flows out.
As the flow of matter increases, it becomes more and more thick, stickey,
and stinking ; and if not attended to, the heel and sides of the foot
become a mass of ulcerated excrescenses.
It sometimes manifests itself by the oozing
out of a thin matter through the pores of the
skin from some deep-seated disease of either the
coffin-bone or the navicular Joint — most fre-
quently the latter. The more effective treatment
in this case would of course be that directed to
the healing of the primary disorder.
What to do. — The treatment necessary is sim-
ilar to that for scratches. In the first place, see
to it that the causes which have induced it shall
no longer operate. If the disease is secondary, it
must be somewhat difficult to manage ; and the ani-
mal should be allowed to rest, taking only such ex-
ercise as nature prompts, in an open pasture, ex-
cept in bad weather. When it is necessary to con-
fine him, give him a good stable, dry litter, and
pure air. Remember that rest is one of the first
conditions of success ; while constant driving or any
other labor will most probably defeat the ends of the
ph3'sician.
If the disease is discovered in its early stage, and
the general health of the animal has not suffered,
cleanse the parts well with tepid water and
castile soap, and make occasional applications of No. 2, or the camphor-
ated corrosive sublimate, say once a daj^ till a cure is effected. A few
applications will generally be found sufficient.
If the horse is thin m flesh, and in a low state of health from the
effects of this disease, mix sulphur and rosin, in the proportion of two
FiBST Stage of Confibmbb
Greas* Exudation.
Second Stage of Coi»-
FiBMED Grease CBAeks.
264 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
parts of the former to one of the hitter, and give him a quarter of t
pound of this every third day until he has taken three or four doses.
Meanwhile, thoroughly saturate the parts at least every other day \\ ith
No. 2 till the disease is thoroughly conquered.
If the liniment forms a scab upon the heel, so hard and dry that the
remedial eifects seem to cease, omit the liniment for several days and
keep the heel well greased. The scab will come off, and then the appli-
cation of the liniment, (No. 2), may be resumed. This course must be
persevered in till a cure is effected.
The liniment should be applied at night ; and the horse should not be
turned into pasture when the grass is wet ^\^th dew or rain — at any rate,
not till six hours after the application has been made.
In Summer, pa»sturage will in general afford sufficient food ; but in
Winter it should be more nourishing, yet green and succulent as far as
possible. Roots and good bran mashes ought to be given in reasonable
quantity. Grain, as a regular diet in this case, is objectionable, on
account of its tendency to produce inflammation.
After three doses of the sulphur and rosin have been given, as directed,
the following mixture, given every night until all traces of the active
disease have disappeared, will be found an excellent tonic or strengthen-
ing medicine, and having the effect, too, of giving healthy tone to the
fikin :
No. 3. }i Oz. liquor of arsemcalis,
1 Oz. tincture of muriate of iron,
>i Pint of water.
This constitutes a dose. Mix and give as a drench.
When it is difficult to procure No. 2, the following may be prepared
and substituted therefor :
No. 4. 8 Oz. tar,
1 Oz. beeswax,
1 Oz. rosin,
1 Oz. alum,
1 Oz. tallow,
1 Oz. sulphate of iron,
1 Drachm carbolic acid.
Mix, and boil over a slow fire, stirring as long as dirty scum appears,
•od then add 2 oz. of the scrapings of sweet elder.
m. Thrush.
Causes. — This, like scratches, results for the most part from foul
•tables, — the horses being forced to stand in mortar of dung and urine, —
•r from working in muddy and filthy places, without having his feet and
legs well cleansed when he is unharnessed for the night.
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 265
It is sometimes caused by injuries to the frog of tlie foot, as bruising,
snagging, and improper shoeing.
It may arise also from a gross habit of body, producing inlianmiation
of tiie sensitive frog, when a spongy substance is deposited instead of
sound horn ; and this breaks away and leaves the frog ragged and tender.
Again, it may come from too frequently stopping soft frogs with cow
dung, as is the practice of some grooms, thus encouraging rather than
curing decomposition.
Lastly, it may be secondary, having resulted from other diseases,
superinduced by want of cleanliness and care.
How to Know It. — In some cases, the only means of detecting the
existence of thrush is a peculiar smell, or by very careful examination,
as the hoof may show no change, and the frog may not be tender. In
this case the cleft of the frog will generally be found lengthened and
deepened, the opening extending to the sensitive horn within, and this,
Avhen thus closely observed, shows discharge of matter.
The progress of the disease is often slow, though showing meanwhile
no disposition to heal ; till after awhile the frog begins to contract,
becomes tender, grows rough and brittle, and emits a more offensive
discharge. The horny part disappears, and a hardened substance takes
its place ; this easily scales off and leaves the sensitive frog uncovered.
In its advanced state, it is very easily detected, as it "is characterized
by a continuous discharge of offensive matter from the cleft of the frog.
If not reasonably attended to, proud flesh sprouts up ; and as this spreads
the whole foot becomes involved in canker.
What to do. — In the first place, if the causes which have produced the
disease are still in operation, remove these. In any case, when the horse
is to be stabled, use dry litter, and see that the stall is kept clear of
moist excrement, and that it is well ventilated.
If the disease is secondary, the treatment must of course b^ directed
to removing the affection from which it has sprung.
In its simple stages, it may be easily cured in the following manner:
Clean well with soap suds, and allow to dry. Then, wet a piece of
cloth or string of tow with the liniment No. 2, and press it into the cleft
of the frog and the corresponding part of the heel. Remove the tow^
next morning. Continue this treatment, (putting in the saturated tow at
crening), for four days; then omit a day; and so on until a cure is
effected.
Or, sprinkle a small quantity of blue vitriol in the cleft of the frog,
and then fill up the cavities with cotton, which so press in as to keep out
all dirt. Repeat until the foot is cured.
266 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
When it has arisen from grossncss and inflammation, rather than fror%
filth or other local cause, give a dose of Epsom salts, from six to cighV
ounces, according to degree of inflammation ; use less stinmlating food,
and give him reguhir, but not too severe exercise every day. The local
application nmst not be of a stimulating character. Put the foot in a
bran poultice, and let it remain for some days, till the inflammation is
reduced. Be careful, however, not to use the poultice too much, as
undue softening is injurious. Then dress the frog with tar ointment, (a
mixture of equal parts of tar and gi'ease ) . If the frog is found not to
harden by the application of the tar ointment, moisten it occasionall}'^
with a solution of 10 grs. of blue-stone to 1 oz. of water; or, (which is
a somewhat more j^owerful medicine), 5 grs. of chloride of zinc to 1 oz.
of water.
When the disease has become chronic, it is hard to effect a cure, and
the following course ought to be adopted : Clean away all the ragged
portions of horn, so as to reach the sensitive parts. Then smear some
tow with this ointment.
No. 5. 1 Drachm ointment of nitrate of mercury,
1 Oz. zinc ointment,
4 Drops creosote.
Mix well ; and having smeared the tow with the preparation, as directed,
press it into the cleft of the foot and retain it there by a bar shoe, slightly
tacked on. Apply this every da}^ observing its effects. If found not
to do well, tty a wash made of six gi'ains of sulphate of zinc, dissolved
in one ounce of water. As the frog grows, it should be kept supple
with tar ointment. The bar shoe should be kept on until the frog is
fully developed. Some degree of pressure must be employed by means
of tow, and this pressure should be increased as the horn increases in
substance. When proud flesh is obstinate it may be burnt away at once
by forcing a stick of nitrate of silver (lunar caustic,) into it.
In chronic cases, the horse should have, once a day, in his food, an
alterative dose, (a mild improver of health), say a table-spoonful of
sulphur and powdered sassafras, of each an equal quantity.
The following mixture is sometimes found valuable when there is a
tendency to proud flesh. The ingredients are to be well stirred together
and sprinkled into the cleft of the frog, where it must be confined in th«
wme manner as directed f pr powdered blue vitriol alone ;
Wo. 6. 1 Oz powdered blue vitriol,
1 Oz. copperas,
2 Oz. burnt alum,
1-2 Oz. white vitriol.
THE HOnyE, 8KIX DISEASES, ETC. 267
IV. Swelled Ankles.
Causes. — This affection invariably arises from a diseased condition ot
Ihc feet. Its origin may sometimes be traced to diseases of the navicular
and lower pastern joints ; but it is known to proceed for the most part
from hoof rot. It seems occasionally, however, to result from a
plethoric condition of the general system, a superabundance of blood,
hara work, severe strains, etc., etc.
How to Know It. — Confined almost wholly to the ankle joints, it is not
difficult of detection — the only point of importance being to determine
whether the swelling is merely spasmodic and temporary, or whether it
is the result of a primary disorder which requires attention. It is
generally perceptible of a morning, and disappears during the day,
because exercise restores healthful action ; but when there is really a
diseased condition of the bottom of the foot, the fever caused thereby
inflames the membrane of the joint, under the skin, while the horse is
inactive, and the swelling again takes place. If the ankles present a
swollen appearance from morning to morning, attention should be
directed to discover the real condition of the foot ; and appropriate
treatment must be resorted to before the disease takes the chronic and
more advanced form of swelled legs, cracked heels, or scratches.
What to do. — If the swelling proceeds from plethora, or too gi-eat
fulness of the general system, give an occasional dose of Epsom salts, to
reduce the tendency to inflammation ; and feed upon green and succu-
ient food.
If it proceeds from soreness of the bottom of the foot, apply No. 2
freely every day for four days ; then omit for two days, and apply again.
If there is any appearance of thrush or cracked heels, treat as directed
for the removal of these.
V. Swelled Legs.
Causes. — Swelled legs may be the result either of an undue deposit of
serum or watery particles of the blood, or of inflammation of the cellular
tissue lying between the skin and bones in those parts of the leg most
destitute of muscles.
A poor condition of the blood, or feebleness from great loss of it, may
cjuse the legs to swell, since the fluids conveyed to the extremities by
the capillaries accumulate there, because, in the absence of muscular
activity, the veins have no power to return them. Diseased kidneys
have a tendency to produce this disorder of the leo-s.
The inflammatory type may result from blows upon the lower leg ;
Trom concussion; or, in general, from anything that may aiTest the
268
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
action of the cellular ti.ssue referred to, causing it to lu'coine dry and au
length acutely inflamed. It may also arise from the shifting of inliam*
mation from other parts, as from the lungs, kidneys, etc.
Horses of coarse tiber and full habit, accustomed to exercise, if allowed
to stand idle several days, will have swelled legs from the accumulation
of watery fluid ; and, if unattended to, the parts may soon be attacked
hy inflammation, when the tissues become involved, and the di.^ease
assumes its more serious type.
It is occasionally a mere extension of the effects of cracked heels, with
its primary cause resting in whatever may have produced the primary
disorder.
How to know it. — The leg becomes greatly swollen, and looks sm
though it was stretched to its utmost tension. Occasionally, the swell-
ing appears almost suddenlj^ and then as suddenly subsides, in which
case the cause may be considered as having but just begun to operate ;
and if now treated, it is easily managed. Again, it is sometimes sudden
in its attack, and violent ; the skin is hot, dry, and extremely tender,
and the pulse is quick and hard, while a peculiar lameness speedily sets
in. The swelling may extend to the sheath and along the belly, as far as
the muscles of the breast.
In the more advanced stage of the disease small cracks appear in the
skin , and from these exudes a watery matter, of whitish-yellow color,
similar to that which is seen in cracked heels. In this case it must be
taken for granted that no treatment, however skilfull, can speedily
remove it ; that the improvement must be slow, and consequently much
time required.
What to do. — If the disease seems to be merely undue deposit of
serum, owing to confinement, nothing more may be necessary than to
give the animal a dose or two of niter, daily, to act upon the kidneys ;
and to exercise him regularly, to induce absolution. In the adminis-
tering of a diuretic, however, even so simple as niter, care should be
taken that it is not left to ignorant and irresponsible grooms, since it
may be given in excess, and result in disordering the kidneys, and thus
ultimately inducing the very disease which it is intended to remed}'.
When there is a tendency to swelled legs which manifests itself in tliiP
morning, but disappears during the exercise of the day, an excellent pre-
ventive is to stand the horse in cold water to his knees, half an liour,
just before night, and then rub dry before stabling; but care must be
taken to dry the legs thoroughly, or the plan is plainly objectionable. If
it should be found not to yield to this, administer the niter in modera-
tion, as previously directed, and exercise the horse regularly, causing him
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 269
to sweat, both of which have a tendency to diminish the accumulated fluid,
and to assist the veins and absorbents in their functions.
In case the horse is in a debilitated condition, and the swelling is mani-
festly owing to the sluggishness of the circulation, he should be well fed,
on nutritious diet, and the leg or legs should be firmly, but not tightly,
bandaged. Then prepare the followiiig — a tonic and somewhat stimulat-
ing medicine :
I
No. 7. >i Oz. pulverized assafoetida,
1 Oz. cream of tartar,
2 Oz. powdered gentian,
2 Oz. African ginger,
4 Oz. finely pulverized poplar bark.
Rub these ingredients together in a mortar until thoroughly mixed.
Divide this into six doses, and give one, in the food, every night till
exhausted. The bandage should be removed from time to time, and the
limb subjected to a brisk hand-rubbing, or rubbing with a medium
coarse cloth.
If the disease has become chronic, and the animal is much debilitated,
the following more stimulating medicine should be used.
No. 8. 1 Oz. powdered golden seal,
1 Oz. gentian,
1 Oz. balmony, (or snakehead),
>^ Lb. fiax seed.
Mix well ; and divide into six doses, of which give one night and
morning in the food. Bandage and rub alternately, as previously
directed. If the disease does not speedily show signs of 3delding to this
treatment, apply, every night, omitting the bandage, the following
liniment :
Ko. 9. 2 Oz. essence of cedar,
1 Oz. tincture of capsicum,
1 pint new rum.
When cracking of the skin has taken place, so that matter exudes, ant^
there is much fever, the following course has been found eminently suc-
cessful, and must be at once adopted : First, take from the neck vein
three quarts of blood. Mix finely pulverized sulphur and rosin, in the
proportion of two parts of the former to one of the latter ; and give
daily, for three or four days, six ounces of this mixture. It should be
put into meal or bran, and the horse should be allowed no other food
until he readily takes this. Meanwhile, apply No. 2 every morning to
the parts most evidently affected, until the swelling has entirely subsided.
In these chronic cases, it is best not to feed on very nutritious, or at
270 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
least, stimulating food, unless the horse is in low general condition.
Ordinarily, pasturing will be best, when the season admits of it. If it
does not, he should have light, moist diet ; and his stable should be
clean, dry, roomy, and so supplied with litter as to induce him to lie
down as much as possible.
VI. Surfeit.
Causes. — This disease, sometimes known as prurigo, has for its pre-
disposing cause a thick and impure state of the blood, with deranged
condition of the digestive organs. When the animal is in such case, any
sudden exposure to chill, especially when he has been heated, will pro-
duce surfeit-pimples ; and unless the general condition be attended to,
a contirmed case of skin disease may be the result.
It generally appears in the Spring, at the time of shedding, when the
skin is more exposed than at any other time of year, and the horse is
still exposed to sudden spells of cold and w^et weather. The skin, thus
bare, is easily affected ; and if the chill is severe or too frequently
repeated, inflammation sets in, and the cuticle or outer skin becomes
hard and dry because the pores are so closed as to retain the oily secre-
tions necessary to moisten the surface.
Some poisonous herbs produce this, or a similar, eruption of the skin,
and musty hay has been known to have a like effect.
Quick surfeit, or that Avhich arises suddenly, even in animals in good
general condition, upon being overheated and suddenly cooled by chill
air or an over-draught of water, may disappear upon his being brought
to a sweat by exercise ; but that which is contracted while the horse is in
general ill condition is apt to become confirmed, and, unless timely atten-
tion is bestowed, may settle on the lungs and cause serious trouble.
How to know it. — No symptoms precede an attack of surfeit by which
its approach may be known. The pimples or lumps, in quick surfeit,
suddenly appear, and almost as quickly subside. When a case of con-
firnicd surfeit has sot in, the skin is hard, dry, and feverish ; and pimples
appear, sometimes confined to the neck, ])ut more frequently spread over
the sides, back, loins, and quarters. Occasionally, these are attended
with great itching, while again they seem to cause no annoyance. When
they have remained a few days, they discharge, in small quantities, a thin,
whitish, oily matter. Small, scabby excrescences, formed by the dis-
charging sores, cover the parts. These come off, taking the hair with
them, and leaving a small scaly spot^ — sometimes, though rarely, a sore.
Surfeit is sometimes mistaken for button-farcy ; but it may be distin-
guished from this by the shape of the pimples : in surfeit these are
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC.
271
elevated in the center ; whereas, in farcy the lumps are rather flat on
top and have thick edges, like a button in the skin. Farcy buds generally
A Horse Affected with Surfeit.
appear on the inside of the thighs and fore legs, while surfeit pimpiee
are seldom found in these places.
If not promptly and properly attended to, surfeit is likely to degen-
erate into mange, which it is sometimes taken to be, even in its early
stages ; but it may be known from mange by tiying the short hairs at
the roots of the mane : if it is mange, they will be loose and come out>
but if surfeit, they will show their natural condition.
What to do. — If the general condition of the horse is good, and the
affection has evidently arisen from sudden exjDosure or some other
imprudence on the part of the person having him in charge, little
treatment will be necessary. Prevent costiveness and keep down fever
by cooling food, such as bran mashes, roots, and other moist provender.
Give arsenical drink once a day, a pint at a time, to act on the skin, until
cure is effected, being careful, meanwhile, if the weather is cool, to keep
the horse comfortably warai — blanketing him if necessary; and a half
hour's walking exercise should be given him daily. The arsenical drink
consists of these ingredients in the proportions named ;
No. 10.
1 Fluid oz. arsenicalis, or Fowler's solution,
1 >i Fluid oz. tincture of muriate of iron,
1 Quart water.
If the disease has sprung from a thick and impure state of the bloody
disordered digestive organs, and general ill condition, take from thb
272 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
neck vein from three to five quails of blood, according to strength^
extent of eruption and degree of fever. Keej) hhn from becoming
costive ])v cooling and laxative food, as previously directed ; see that he
is comfortably stabled, if the weather is at all inclement, and givd, oa
•t^veral successive nights, the following alterative :
No. 11. 2 Drachms levigated (finely ground) antimony,
3 Drachms niter,
4 Drachms sulphur.
The food should be good — if possible, green and succulent; and It
wjtl be found advantageous to take the chill from wkter given him, if the
weather is at all cold. If the appetite is bad, place gi-uel in the manger,
so thi't he may use it instead of water till stronger food is relished.
If it is Summer, or Spring is sufficiently advanced to be mild, he maj
be turned to pasture ; but in any event, he should be allowed to rest
during treatment.
In the more confirmed cases a speedy cure is not to be expected ; but
good food, not of a nature to induce costiveness and inflammation, and
proper cai-e as to warmth and cleanliness, together with a proper use of
No. 11, will bring the patient round in time.
In very obstinate cases, occasionally anoint those parts where the
umps appear with a mixture of sulphur and lard,, in equal proportions.
VII. Mange.
Causes. — This is sometimes brought about by the same causes as
surfeit ; or rather, it is indeed but an advanced or chronic stage of that
disease ; though in some cases of the same kind, it is of a much more
serious character in itself, and highly contagious.
When not a mere secondary stage of neglected surfeit, its immediate
cause is a parasite — the acarus — bred in the skin of the animal when
subjected to dirt and filth, and debilitated by hard living and ill usage,
or by total neglect and lack of food. The acarus produces mange in the
horse in the same manner as the human parasite produces itch in man ;
but it is of a different species, and frequently so large as to be visible
to the naked eye.
Neglect, starvation, and accumulated filth having induced a depraved
state of the digestive apparatus, with which the skin sympathises, and
the insect once having obtained a lodgment, the horse, unless promptly
taken iu hand, soon becomes a loathsome object, and dies.
The disease once contracted in this way, may be communicated to even
Bound animals, in good condition ; in fact, the great majority of cases
ire thus contracted, as comparatively few animals are so utterly neglected
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 273
« ^sXjjosed tK filthy influences as to become in themselves the generators
<?t these mange-breeding insects. It is regarded as one of the most
contagious diseases to which the horse is subject, and may be imparted
not only to other horses, but to cattle, hogs, and dogs, though it is
asserted by good authority that none of these can in turn communicate it
to the horse.
The curry-comb, brush, collar, or blanket which has been used on a
mangy horse will produce the infection in another ; and to lie in the same
stall or to rub where a mangy horse has rubbed himself is almost certain
to communicate it unless the animal so exposed is exceedingly healthful
and in active condition of body.
How to Know It. — The skin is at first scabby, the hair comes off, and
the outer skin becomes broken into little scale-like pieces. These fall
off, or are rubbed off, and leave the parts raw and sore. The general
appearance of the skin where the raw spots are not too numerous is a
dirty brown, and it is loose, flabby and puckered. The horse is impelled
by itching to rub himself frequently and violently, and he thus leaves his
scurf, dandruff, and in the more advanced stage, his parasites, at every
place.
Usually, where the disease is engendered in the animal itself , it appear,"
first on the side of the neck, just at the edges of the mane, and on the
inside of the quarters near the root of the tail. From these parts the
eruption extends along the back and down the sides, seldom involving the
extremities, except in the very worst cases. Sometimes, though rarely
the ears and eye-brows are attacked and left bare.
When it is the result of contagion, the horse may at first be in health •,
but the constant irritation makes him feverish, the hair falls off as in th*.
first case described, leaving the skin in those places almost bare ; and
little red pimples appear here and there. Each of these contains a
parasite, and the pimples are connected by furrows along which the
parasites have worked their way. In time they increase in number and
size, and from them exudes a matter which hardens into a scab. Under
these scabs the parasites may be found, upon removing them and care-
fully examining in the sunlight.
In the early stage of the disease, where it may be suspected, but is not
yet fully manifest, it may be detected by placing the fingers among tho
roots of the mane and tickling the skin with the nails. The horse is so
sensitive to titillation when in this condition that he will thereupon stretch
out bis neck and evince the most unmistakable pleasure as long as the
tickling ':ontinues.
What to do. — The most effectual preventive, it will be readily inferred
274 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
from the preceding .statement of causes, is cleanliness. In no case
should a healthy animal be allowed to occupy a stable where a mangy
one has been kept until it shall have previously been washed with water
strongly impregnated with sulphur and chloride of lime — say half a
pound of powdered sulphur and one pint of chloride of lime to each
gallon of water. If the stable is thoroughlj' cleansed of loose litter aiid
du*t, and all parts that may have been rubbed against by a mangy horse
perfectly saturated with this solution two or three times, on as many
consecutive days, there can be no danger in using it. Clothing, curry-
comb, brush, etc., that may have come in contact with such animal,
should be burned up.
If starvation, weakness, and general ill condition have caused the
mange, a patent means for its removal will be found in giving him clean
quarters and good nourishing food ; which, however, should not be at
first of a heating nature. Generous pasturage, unless the weather is
damp, will be sufficient ; otherwise, a full supply of oats and chop food
should be given. It cannot be too much insisted upon that especially
while treating a horse for disease his stable should be dry, well ventilated
and properly supplied with litter.
In cases of full habit of body, where the disease is the result of
contact, and the presence of high fever is noted, bleed once, taking from
the neck vein from three to five quarts, according to the condition of the
animal and the degree of fever ; but if it is the result of poverty and
debility, do not bleed at all.
Next, have him as thoroughly cleansed of scab and dirt as possible, with
a, wisp of hay, and by softly and lightly using a curry-comb. Then
ptepare a liniment of the following ingredients and in the proportions
here given for greater or less quantities :
Ko. 12. 1 Quart animal glycerine,
1 Gill creosote.
K Pint turpentine,
1 Gill oil of juniper.
Mix all together and shake well ; and with this saturate the whole skin,
as nearly as possible, rubbing in well with a soft cloth. Care must be
taken to rub it in thoroughly. A little well i-ubbed in is better than
much merely smeared on.
Leave him in this condition two days ; then wash him well with warrii
water and soft soap ; stand him in the sunshine if the weather admits,
and rub with a wisp of hay or with suitable cloths until he is dry ; after
which, anoint him pretty well all over with the mixture described, No.
12, and rub it in. This course should be pursued until a cure is effected.
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 275
Two to four applications will generally be found sufficient, even m
obstinate cases, if care is taken as to food and drink. The following
alterative will be found beneficial :
No. 13. 1 Oz. tartarized antimony,
2 Drs. muriate of quicksilver,
3 Oz. powdered ginger.
3 Oz. powdered anise seeds.
Mix with mucilage so as to form a consistent mass ; divide into six
balls, and give one every morning till the eruption disappears.
Care must be taken that the patient is not exposed to rain or heavy
dews while under this course of treatment.
Vin. Bingworm.
Causes. — ^There are two kinds of ringworm ; one simple, of sponta-
neous origin, and non-contagious. The other contagious. The first
is usually the result of indigestion or confinement in close and foul
apartments, as in filthy and ill-aired stables, railroad cars or ship holds.
The latter, or contagous kind, is found on horses of good condition, as
well as on diseased and neglected ones, and is produced by vegetable
parasites in the hairs and hair-glands.
How to know It. — ^It is especially common in Winter and Spring, and
appears on the face, neck, shoulders, sides, and sometimes elsewhere.
When non-contagious, it may usually be known by its appearing as an
eruption of small blisters, about the size of a wheat grain, on inflamed
patches of skin. These assume a circular form ; and if not seasonably
attended to, the circle enlarges and covers fresh portions of skin.
The contagious type appears in round, bald spots, covered with white
scales, and surrounded by a ring of bristly, broken, or split hairs, with
scabs around the roots, and some eruption on the skin. These broken
hau's soon drop out, and a wider ring is formed. The most marked
characteristic of the contagious or parasitical ringworm is the splitting of
the hairs in the ring, and the perfect baldness of the central part.
Occasionally the patches, in either form of the disease, assume an
iiregular rather than a really circular form.
Any attack of this sort is usually marked also by the horse's rubbing
*nd scratching himself against the sides of his stable, or convenient
objects outside ; but this is not to be depended upon as a marked symp-
tom, since it likewise indicates surfeit and mangre.
What to do — If a simple, non-contagious case, shave the hairs p<
closely as possible from the affected part, and paint with tincture Of
iodine ; or, if scratches or little ulcers have appeared on the patch, rub it
with the folloAving stimulating and healing ointment :
IF
fiT8 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 14. 10 Grains nitrate of silver,
1 Oz. lard.
If it is a case of the contagious or scaly variety, wash the patches
thoroughly with soft water and soft soap, and then rub every day with
the following ointment :
No. 15. >i Drachm iodine,
1 Drachm iodide of potash,
1 Oz. cosmoline.
If through neglect and long standing it has ulcerated, use this ointment
twice daily :
No. ItJ. 6 Oz. pyroligneous acid,
5 Oz. ImseecS oil,
2 Oh. spit its oi camphor.
If it has become obstinate — not yielding to the foregoing treatment — •
apply a blister directly over the patch, and then treat as for a common
8ore, using some simple ointment.
If there are signs of constipation and fever, care must be taken to keep
the bowels open and regular, and to avoid stimulating grain food. A
seasonable supply of cut grass and sliced potatoes, or of carrots, if they
can be obtained, should be allowed. If in Spring and Summer, and the
horse is not in active use, put him to pasture for a few days.
When the horse shows a tendency to weakness, as is sometimes the
/jase with young animals, and with those suffering from neglect, give
good nutritious food, and tonic medicine in moderation.
To prevent spreading the contagious form, clean the stable where a
horse so afflicted has stood, and wliit6-wash its interior thoroughly.
Wash the harness, collars, and whatever else may have covered the ring-
worm, with strong soap and water, and rub them over with a solution of
corrosive sublimate, (one drachm to a pint of water.) If the horse has
been blanketed while suffering with the disease, the blanket should be
well boiled.
IX. Hide-bound.
Causes — Strictly speaking, this is not of itself a disease, though th«
*kin is in a peculiarly abnormal condition, but the result of a diseased
condition of the general system or of derangement of some specific vjtal
function. With respect to the cuiuses from which it arises, it is some-
what similar to mange ; but, unlike mange, it is neither eruptive nor
contagious.
Poverty and cruel usage — ^the food being deficient in quantity or
THK HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC.
27T
Onk of the Cad8ks of Hide-bound in Horses.
quality, and the labor onerous — ^bring on impaired digestion ; the blood
becomes thick, dark, and feverish, because the secretive processes are
sluggishl}^ performed ; the skin sympathizes with these internal disorders,
and the lubricating fluid through the pores is suspended ; and then,
instead of remaining soft and pliant, it becomes dry and adheres to the
body. A disordered state of the stomach, bowels, and urinary and
respirator}^ organs may be considered as having produced it when no
specific form of disease can be discovered as existing ; but it is an almost
invariable accompaniment, in a greater or less degree of intensity, of big
head, glanders, grease, farcy, founder, distemper, bad cases of swinney,
big shoulder, lock-jaw, consumption, and chronic d^^sentery. The fever
in these dries up the watery secretions and shrinks the hide.
Formerly it was supposed to be caused by worms in the stomach and
alimentary canal ; but this is erroneous. Worms may of course exist
while the horse is in this state, but they are rather a consequence than a
cause — ^the result of imperfect digestion and excretion. The skin, as
has been elsewhere stated, sympathizes readily with the vital internal
organs, and in all obscure cases hide-bound should be considered a
symptom of disorder in these, and treated accordingly.
How to know it — The skin is diy and hard, and the hair is rough and
rusty. Both are evidently destitute of that oil by which in health they
are kept in soft, pliant, and glossy condition. Adhering almost immov-
ably to the ribs, legs, neck — almost every part of the body — ^the skin
cannot be caught up in folds with the hand. At times it appears scurfy,
and the exhalants, (ha^dng the quality of gi^ang out or evaporating), pour
278 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
forth unusual quantities of matter, the more solid portions of whicli
form scales and give the horse a filthy appearance.
The excrement or dung is dry, hard, and black.
What to do. — Especial pains must be taken to discover, if possible,
wlmt specific disease has given rise to this state of the skin. If the
cause is obscure, direct the treatment to restoring a healthy condition of
the digestive organs. Begin by bettering his treatment in every way.
Instead of hard labor, he should have only gentle exercise, and instead of '
being left exposed to the rain, snow, and merciless winds, in barren pas-
ture land or filthy barnyard, he should be well sheltered, and, in Winter,
blanketed — using for this purpose two blankets joined along his back by
tapes so that a space of an inch or two may be left for the escape of
insensible perspiration. Instead of allowing the skin to grow clogged,
torpid, and dead for want of cleanliness and friction, he should have
regular daily currying and brisk rubbing with good brush or coarse cloth,
which will materially aid in restoring healthy action of the skin.
If it is pasture season, give him a run at good grass during the day ;
but stable at night in a clean stable, furnished with dry litter, and give
him a generous feed of bran and oats, or moistened bran and chopped
hay. Mix with the food night and morning, the following alterative :
Ko. 17 3 Oz. powdered sasafras bark,
3 Oz. sulphur,
3 Oz. salt,
2 Oz. bloodroot,
2 Oz. balmony,
1 Lb. oatmeal.
Mix, and divide into twelve doses.
If he appears in the beginning of the treatment to be filthy, feverish,
and stiff, bleed him — ^taking from the neck vein three quarts. If the
stiffness continues, bleed again after seven days, taking a like quantity.
If the appetite is bad, mix^vith No. 17, (the alterative above described),
a spoonful of gi'ound ginger ; but in general you should avoid cordials,
tonics, and aromatics, (that is, warm and pungent medicines). They
may arouse fever that would otherwise fail to develop itself, and thus
defeat the object for which the mild laxatives and temperate alteratives
prescribed have been given. Cordials may indeed arouse the vit.il
functions to sudden action ; bUt even if no lasting fever is created, the
action soon subsides, rendering it necessary to continue the cordial or
forego whatever seeming adNrantage may have been derived from it. If
excitment is continued by this means, the powers of nature are impaired
nnd lasting injury done.
A good and sufficient tonic may be furnished, of which the horse will
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASBS, ETC. 279
partake as much as the system requires, by placing a poplar pole in the
stable, upon which he can conveniently gnaw.
If the time is Winter, it will generally be found necessary to begin the
course of treatment by gi^ang a purgative, say two ounces of Epsom salts,
wbich may be repeated within seven hours if it fails to produce the
desired action ; and to feed him on laxative food until constipation is
overcome and a healthful action of the bowels restored.
Remember that one of the very first objects is to establish regular
action of the bowels ; and then generous diet, (let it be green and succu-
lent if possible, but at any rate nutritious without being inflammatory),
vdih cleanliness and regular friction of the hide, will do more than
medicine. Do not expect to effect a speedy cure ; in any event, the very
existence of hide-bound indicates chronic disorder, and all chronic dis-
eases require time.
If it is known to be the result of a well-defined disease, as big-head,
farcy, etc., the treatment must of course be directed to the removal of
that, according to directions elsewhere given in this work ; and the hide-
bound will disappear as its immediate cause is removed.
X. Saddle Galls, or Sit-fasts.
Causes. — These are swellings, sores, and tumors, caused by ill-fitting
saddle or harness. Different names are applied to them according to
their appearance and character. When a mere heated swelling on the
horse's back or shoulders is unattended to, while he is kept in constant
use, it sometimes assumes the appearance of a dead patch of skin, and
is then called a warble; when these ulcerate and discharge pus, and a
leather-like piece of skin is firmly fixed upon the top of it, the name
sit-fast is applied ; and when, by the use of saddle or harness before a
warble or sitfast is thoroughly healed, a hard, callous lump is formed, it
is called a navel gall — said to be so called because it is generally on that
part of the back opposite the navel.
How to know it — These swellings, sores, and tumors require no
further description than has already been given.
What to do. — The first and most essential thing is, that the animal
shall be allowed to rest ; or at any rate be subjected to such labor only
as will not require the same chafing, abrading saddle or harness which
has produced the trouble.
Then, if it is merely a gall or scald — a heated, tender swelling, mthout
either suppuration or hardness — bathe with cold salt and water two or
three times daily. When the heat and tenderness are sensibly reduced,
anoint occasional! v, until the lump has entirely disappeared, with a mixture
of tar and olive oil, equal parts.
280 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
If it has assumed the character of a t>itfast, do not use the knife, nor
try to tear the dry skin awa}^ but bathe with warm soft water, and then
apply a poultice. This must be repeated, if necessary, until the callous
^kin is easily removed, and then anoint frequently, until the sore is healed,
with the following :
Ko. 18. 1 Dr. iodide of potash,
6 Drs. simple ointment,
2 Drs. glycerine.
When it has reached the stage of navel gall — hard, grisly, almost
horny — apply daily the camphorated, corrosive sublimate. No. 2. Shake
the bottle well before pouring it out ; use a mop with which to put it on ;
then, when it is thoroughly saturated with this liniment, use a hot iron
with which to dry it in.
When one finds his horse suffering in this way under saddle or harness,
his own interests, as well as the promptings of humanity, demand that
he shall at once remove the cause, if possible ; but it is sometimes the
case that this cannot be done — absence on a journey, military necessity,
press of farm or road work, requiring regular service. Under these
circumstances the saddle or harness should receive immediate attention
and subsequent watchfulness on the part of the rider or driver. The
padding must be taken out of the saddle or collar so as to obviate
pressure on the part affected ; or, as for the saddle, the blanket may be
so arranged as to lift it from the spot. The sore place must be bathed
well with salt and water as soon as possible after it is discovered ;
and then covered with a piece of adhesive plaster, heated, of course,
until it sticks readily. If matter has formed, a hole should be cut in
the middle of the plaster to allow it to escape.
Treated in this way, the horse may be ridden from day to day, and
recover while in use.
Greasing collars and other parts of harness Avill frequently prevent
that chafing which results in sores and callous tumors.
If the horse, through constitutional tenderness, is subject to these
swellings and sores, it is well to put the saddle on half an hour before
using him ; and leave it on, having slightly loosened the girths, for a half
Yiour or an hour afterward, thus preventing sudden change in the temper-
ature of the skin.
XI. Fungous Collar Tumor.
Causes — This in its nature is essentially the same as that described in
the preceding section as saddle gall, or sitfast — differing, however, in
location and specific cause. It is an inflammation and swelling beneath
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 28 J
the large flat muscle that covers the front of the shoulder, and is caused
by the chafing of the collar.
How to know it — it is scarcely necessary to undertake farther descrip.
tion of a well-known, visible affection. It is usually found near the
point of the shoulder ; and the character of the tumor as to simplicity
or severity can be readily determined by examination. If of considerable
standing, it will be found so hard as to render it almost impossible to
detect any fluctuation that would indicate the presence of matter.
Where there is much swelling, however, there is almost invariably matter,
and no cure can be effected until this is removed. In cases less marked
there will be a small, hard or indurated lump without matter.
Under similar conditions as those mentioned in the preceding section,
it may form a leathery patch in the center and become a real sitfast.
What to do — The tumor must, if possible, be so treated as to leave no
scar or lump, as this would be easily irritated by the collar upon subse-
quent use, and prove a source of constant trouble. The first thing in
order will be to take the horse from work, if at all practicable. If not,
use a breast-strap, so as to prevent all further chafing. If the swelling
is recent, apply cold water often, or cover the part Avith a wet rag hung
over the shoulders in such a way as to remain in contact with the swelling.
This must be kept constantly wet.
But if the tumor is large, and of long standing — already hardened
and containing matter deeply hidden, open with a knife — making a
smooth, vertical cut, and of suflScient depth to thoroughly evacuate
the pus. Syringe the opening well every day with the following solution ;
No. 19. 30 Grains chloride of zinc,
1 Quart water.
If the wound seems inclined to heal and leave a hard lump in doing so,
discontinue the injection, and rub frequently with the following liniment
to promote the absorption of the callous or gristly formation :
No. 20. 1 Oz. iodine,
12 Oz. soap liniment.
Xn. Warts.
Causes. — it is difficult to point out anything that may be implicitly
received as the cause of these excrescences. Generally accompanying a
plethoric condition, they may be considered as owing their origin prima-
rily to high feeding and insufficient exercise. This, however, must not
be taken as conclusive, since they not unfrequently appear upon active
animals, of meagre habit.
282 ILLUSIllATED STOCK DOCTOR.
The manner of their formation seems to be this : Knots in the true ski«
urc <'-radualiy developed, being surrounded with a covering of the scarf-
akin, something thickened and matted together ; and this outer covering
generally dries and splits into fibers towards the top, while blood, in
greater (juaiitities than usual, is sent to the inner or vascular parts ; and
more nutriment is thus diverted to it than to the surrounding flesh, so
that an upward or outward growth is promoted.
Seed warts usually make their appearance on the eyelids, the nose, the
Hheath and adjoining jiarts of the belly ; the encysted or sac warts, on
the pasterns, hock-joints, and knee-joints, and sometimes upon the sheath
and neighboring parts.
Unless warts appear upon the penis they are not injurious to health,
and at first occasion little inconvenience unless upon the shoulder or
some part where harness or saddle touches constantly ; but they should
be removed, nevertheless — particularly the sac wart and those seed warts
which manifest a tendency to enlargement. If the encysted or blood
wart is allow^ed to remain it will almost invariably enlarge and spread.
How to know it. — There are two kinds of these formations, one of
which is fibrous, white, and gristly or cartilaginous, but somewhat
spongy lump, contained in a sac or cell which has taken its rise from the
•outer or scarf-skin ; and the other is a somewhat cartilaginous substance,
not inclosed, but adhering firmly to the skin — a hard excrescence, — the
«' seed wart," — which is too well known to require particular description.
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the blood wart, as the former is
Bometimes called, from the seed wart ; but it generally presents a more
rounded, smooth appearance, and sometimes hangs as by a little stem, in
which last case it is readily known.
What to do. — If there is doubt as to the character of the wart, the
miitter maj^ he speedily determined by running a sharp-knife through it ;
when, if a blood or sac wart, the contents will come out, accompanied
by more or less copious bleeding ; whereas, the seed wart will in tliia
ease be merely divided by the incision, each part retaining its firmness or
consistency.
When the blood wart is thus opened, nothing more will be necessary
than to touch the part with a solution of chlonde of zinc, one grain tc
the ounce of water, or lunar caustic. When these warts are attached to
the skin by narrow bases, or small stems, they may be clipped off with
knife or scissors, and the part slightly burned over with caustic as pre-
viously directed.
If the growth is of the fixed kind, or seed wart, remove by means of
«Mqssors or knife when standing singly ; but if the stem or base is large,
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 283
or if the warts grow in bunches, too numerous and too close together to
be cut away, pick off or otherwise chafe the rough outer surface so as to
make it bleed ; then with a stiff brush rub in yellow orpiment wetted
with a little water, and in a few days they will come away, or may be
rubbed off, and leave a healthy sore, which soon heals. If the entire
wart does not come off by reason of one application, repeat.
When the penis is wholly covered with warts, the best plan is to have
it amputated, as the warts cannot easily be removed without destroying
as much of it as it would be necessary to remove entirely in order to be
rid of them.
Xm. Vermin.
Causes — Vermin are both a cause and a consequent of skin disease ;
and being also bred in the hairy covering, perhaps in the very skin
itself, they are properly treated in this connection.
Every species of animal is more or less troubled with his own peculiar
insect tormentor ; and while no well-defined cause can be assigned as to
their origin, they are almost always found associated with filth and
squalor.
They sometimes, however, trouble animals of fair condition, and accus-
tomed to reasonable care ; but in this case they are caught by contact.
Poor, ill-cared-for, mangy horses, colts in the Spring of the year, with
long, uncurried coats, and old and feeble horses with like rough and
shaggy covering, most probably breed them ; and on these they are most
frequently and plentifully found.
The itching torment to which they subject diseased animals doubtless
intensifies whatever disorder may exist ; and the very earliest opportunity
should be taken to eradicate them from the sufferer.
When horses stand in proximity to a hen-house, they are often
seriously annoyed with hen-lice, which are even more tormenting than
those peculiar to the horse himself.
How to know it. — The horse infested with vermin will usually mani-
fest his uneasiness by biting and rubbing himself ; but their presence
may be unmistakably detected by a more or less careful examination of
his coat.
What to do. — If the horse is suffering from some skin disease requit-
ing treatment, the means adopted for this will almost invariably suflSce of
themselves to remove the vermin ; but where no such disease exists, and
it is a simple case of lousiness, anoint him with the following salve :
284 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 21. 1 Dr. carbolic acid crystals,
1 Quart fresh lard.
Rub it upon every part of the body thoroughly ; wash with warm soap
auds next day ; repeat if necessary — at last washing and drying.
Attention to his general health will also be demanded ; and to this end
he should be upon good pasture, or a liberal supply of nourishing but
not heating food should be given.
If it is a case of hen-lice, the first thing to be done is to remove the
horse from the place mfested with these, and then to anoint and wash
as before directed.
XIV. Larva in the Skin.
Causes — The larva, which infests chiefly the back — ^that part of the
horse upon which saddle or harness must press — is not only a source of
trouble to the animal, but of great inconvenience to the master, as the
acute painfulness of a tumor raised by one of these grubs often pre-
vents use.
The larva is the offspring of a fly which deposits its eggs upon the
back and sides of the horse while he is out at pasture or roaming at large
upon the common. This fly does not frequent the barn-yard and stable,
so that horses which are confined to these when not in use are never
annoyed with the larva.
The eggs are hatched by the warmth of the animal ; and the creature
burrows into the skin, where it remains and grows till Spring, raising
meanwhile, by its irritating presence, a small lump, which is eventually
developed into a painful tumor, upon the pus of which the insect pro-
longs a life that it began upon the natural juices of the skin and cellu-
lar tissue.
How to know it — The most unmistakable sign of the trouble, when it
is not plainly discesrnible with the eye, is the restlessness manifested by
the horse when subjected to the saddle. When he does this, and no
well-defined occasion for his displeasure and his pranks is readily per-
ceptible, examination will reveal a tumor or abscess if the larva is present ;
for the horse will hardly grow restive at first, when there is a mere lump
m the skin. Upon the top of this abscess a black spot will be found,
which is the point of entrance, and the opening through which the
insect obtains the little air that it needs.
What to do. — The best thing to do, because both quickest and safest,
is to open the top of the tumor slightly with a lancet, and then to
'vjueeze out the larva. The wound should then be dressed a time or two
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 285
with a solution of one grain of chloride of zinc to one gill of water ; and
the trouble will soon be over.
XV. Tetter.
Causes. — This seems to arise from some constitutional cause, which it
is difficult to point out. It appears on horses of different conditions or
habit of body. On some it breaks out periodically, Summer after
Summer.
It is not contagious, unless neglected until it assumes the epizootic foiTxi,
which it sometimes does, after which it is communicable te both man
and horse.
There are said by some to be two or three forms of tetter, but in
reality whatever different forms it may assume, when not complicated
with other affections, they are indications of (different degrees of severity.
How to know it — The attack is usuaHj^ sudden, and the animal is
observed to rub himself severely, as suffering from intense itchiness.
The neck, shoulders, back, and thighs are the points ordinarily affected.
Upon examination, the skin will be found red with inflammation, some-
times torn or scratched by rubbing ; and the blisters or pimples will
be seen on those parts of the inflamed spot not so torn or scratched.
These blisters break, and a watery fluid is discharged, which keeps the
surface moist.
In its more advanced stage it may be taken for mange ; but it may be
distinguished from mange by its manifesting less tendency to spread and
invade all parts of the skin ; and by the absence of parasites under the
scabby portions.
What to do, — First, see that the horse's bowels are put in good condi"
tion. If there is any tendency to plethora, (too great fulness), to
constipation, or general feverishness, give him a purgative dose ; and in
any event let his food be of such character a? to prevent costiveness.
Give, once a day, an ounce of Fowler's solution of arsenic. Eub the
affected parts well with sweet oil, and let it ^remain thereon for a few
hours ; then wash with warm soapsuds so as to remove the scabs or
scales. Then cover the diseased surface and some portion Tjf the healthy
•kin all round with the following ointment :
Ko. 22. % Lb. flour of sulphur,
yi. Lb. carbonate of potash*
1 Oz. carbolic acid,
2 Lbs. lard,
2 Lbs. olive oiL
286 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
MLx well with a gentle heat. Allow it to remain on the skin for tw«
or three days, and then wash off with strong soap and water.
Tar ointment, (equal quantities of tar and lard well mixed with gentle
heat), is an excellent external application, and may be used when No. 22
is difficult to procure.
XVI. Bat Tails.
Causes. — Simple tetter, as also mallenders and sallenders, is sometimes
allowed through neglect to become obstinate ; the skin thickens ; ugly
cracks are formed, from which flows in abundance a sort of purulent
half-Avatery fluid ; upon the thickened portion of the skin the scabs
increase, growing up into somewhat perpendicular layers, and the hairs
grooving from these are glued together by the exuding matter. Such
bunches of matted hair are called, by reason of their appearance, "rat
tails."
The disease seems occasionally to be produced outright, without the
supervention of an}^ other known disorder, by much exposure to wet
gi'ound of a chalky or loamy nature, or to sticky mud.
How to know it. — It appears chiefly upon the legs, one or all of
which may be affected at the same time ; but the hairs of the tail,
especially near the root of the tail, are often found in the condition
described, and for a like reason. Tetter, ringworm, or some other dis-
order produces itching ; the horse rubs the part till it becomes raw ;
matter exudes at length, and the hair is matted in bunches along the
Mpper portion of the tail bone, as shown in the figure exhibiting external
^nanifestations of disease.
If resulting from either neglected tetter, no matter what its position,
or from mallenders and sallenders, it is accompanied by itchiness ; but
this is generally less severe than is the case with these disorders in their
simple form. When the disease is fully developed, the appearance of
the bunches of hair upon the parts is a sufficient indication.
What to do — As in simple tetter, attention must be directed to estab-
lishino; a good condition of the bowels ; and to this end a purgative may
be given — especially if there is any indication of constipation and
general feverishness. The food must be regulated by the necessity of
keeping down all inflammatory symptoms. Make a tonic powder aa
'ollows :
No. 23. 12 Oz. sulphur,
1 Dr. arsenic,
1 Oz. bruised coriander seed.
Divide into twelve parts and give one in the food night and morning.
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 287
Dress the sores three times a day with the following lotion, applying
with a soft rag ;
Ho. 24. 1 Fluid oz. laudanum,
1 Fluid oz, glycerine,
H Oz. carbonate of soda,
1 Quart water.
XVII. Mallenders and Sallenders.
Causes. — By these terms are denoted oozy, scurfy patches upon the
knee and hock — those which appear back of the knee being called (for
what reason nobody seems to know) mallenders ; and those which appear
in front of the hock, sallenders. They spring from idleness and neglect
— an impure state of the blood having been brought on by heating and
unsuitable diet, and disorders of the bowels, liver, or kidneys.
Though of no serious importance as diseases, they are unsightl}', and,
if neglected, they result in troublesome sores.
How to know it. — They first begin as a moist tetter, apt to escape
observation until they appear in a roughened state of hair about the
parts mentioned, under which the skin is scurfy, feverish and somewhat
tender. Itching of such severity sometimes attends them as to render
the horse restive and hard to keep under restraint.
What to do — In the first place attend to the cleanliness of the horse
and put him upon a regular course of moderate exercise. Give him
twice daily, night and morning, a pint of the excellent alterative and
tonic drink :
No. 25. 1 Fluid oz. liquor arsenicalis,
l}i Oz. tincture muriate of iron,
1 Qt. water.
Rub the parts affected two or three times a day with an ointment mado
Us follows :
No. 26. 1 Oz. animal glycerine,
2 Drs. mercurial ointment,
2 Drs. powdered ointment,
1 Oz. spermacetti.
If the scurfy places have developed into suppurating sores, use, instead
of the ointment, the following lotion, saturating them well twice a day
No. 27. , >a Pint animal glycerine,
}i Oz. chloride of zinc,
6 Quarts water.
Be careful that his food is such as to keep him from constipation and
fever.
^S-'^
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
XVm. Poll-evil.
Causes Poll-evil is the name given to a deep abscess having its seai
of primary inflammation between the ligament of the neck and the first
l)one which lies beneath without being attached to it ; and it is serioua
in its nature by reason of this depth and of the difficulty with which the
matter formed finds its way to the surface through the strong fibrous
membrane that envelopes it. If not attended to in its early stages, the
surface of the first bone from the head, or that of the joint between the
first two bones, becomes inflamed, and the joint or joints involved.
The disease may be said to owe its origin almost wholly to violence of
some kind. A blow upon the poll by a brutal driver may very readily
produce it ; and much slighter causes, often repeated, result in thi.*
affection ; as, the forcing on of a tight collar day after day ; hanging
back and so bruising the poll "with bridle or halter ; and excessive rubbing
of that part because of itch produced by dirt accumulated about the ears
and upper point of the neck and not carried away by brush or currycomb.
Striking the head against low ceilings and the beams of low doorways is
doubtless responsible for very many cases of this dangerous and disa-
gi'eeable disorder.
How to know it — A certain restlessness, a throwing back of the head
and then returning ; again, a drooping tendency, turning the head from
one side to the other ; a dull appearance about the eyes ; a sluggishness
of movement — all these are sometimes observed before any symptoms
of the disease may be discovered about the head.
Sometimes no notice is taken of its existence until considerable swelling
and even an unwholesome discharge have set in ; but more frequently an
oval tumor is discovered, — hot, tender, situated directly in the region of
the nape of the neck, but generatly inclining to one side. In the milder
form this tumor is evidently supei-ficial ; and the horse moves his head
with comparative ease and freedom ; whereas, in the more advanced stage
he carries it stitfly, and every movement of it or the neck causes great pain.
Sometimes the disorder is so deeply-
seated that the tumor is not developed
sufficiently to make much outward show.
It is much likelier to discover itself plainly
as a well-developed swelling w^hen tho
hurt is superficial. In any case, it must
be examined ^nth the fingers to deter-
mine this point. Place the fingers gently
upon it, and give the animal time to re-
cover from the little scare into which this
touching of a sore at first gives him ;
POLL-KTIL DUBINO THX FIRST STAGK.
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 2S9
then gradually press upon the part.
If the hurt is near the surface, he will
flinch quickly ; if deeply seated, he
will be correspondingly slow in show-
ing evidences of pain. If suppura-
tion has already set in, it can readily
he knoAvn when near the surface by a
«ort of fluctuating feeling ; but this
fluctuation can scarcely be felt at all poll-kvil in its skcond stagk.
if the matter is deep seated.
What to do. — If discovered when there is nothing more than a swelKng,
no matter having yet been found, remove all tendency to general fever-
ishness by giving purgative medicine according to evident fullness of
<?ondition ; allow the horse to rest ; and put him on moderately light
diet. Then make the following cooling lotion, and keep the swelling
constantly moistened with it by having a small rag pad laid over it and
saturated with the mixture from time to time :
No. 28. 2 Oz. tincture of arnica,
1 Dr. iodide of potassium,
1 Qt. vinegar,
1 Qt. camomile infusion.
If this does not reduce the inflammation and remove the swelling
within a few days, it may be inferred that matter is already forming,
though it may have been impossible at first to detect it-; and you must
bring it to a head as soon as practicable by poulticing. Use for this pur-
pose a mixture of ground flax seed, corn meal, oil of turpentine, and
hog's lard. As soon as matter can be felt, have ready a laige and very
sharp knife ; cast the animal, and have some one to sit upon his neck to
prevent struggling ; then open with a quick, steady, and strong sweep of
the blade through the tumor — being careful to have the wound open at
the lower point of the tumor, so as to provide for more easily draining it
of matter that may hereafter form. Be careful, too, not to cut the
tendinous ligament that runs along the neck under the mane. If the
matter appears to be on both sides, open the places separately, so as to
leave this liofament undi^dded. It may, if absolutely necessary, be
severed between the second bone and the head, and the support of the
head be not materially weakened, since the main stress is on the second
bone, and the divided ligament, if healthy, will soon heal again ; but it
is best to avoid all risks ; and if at all convenient, the aid of an exper-
ienced veterinary surgeon should be had when it becomes necessary to
use the knife.
290 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
The wound must now be cleansed by being syringed daily with a stim-
ulating wash, (1-2 dr. chloride of zinc in 1 quart of water), until a
healthy discharge sets in, and evidences of healing begin to manifest
themselves. Nothing further will then be necessary than to keep the
parts clean by daily sponging with warm soapsuds.
It sometimes occurs that before r^edial measures are resorted to, not
alone the fleshy, but the tendinous, ligamentary, and bony structures
have become involved, and the disease has assumed a desperate char-
acter. If further neglected, the spinal cord is likely to become diseased,
and the case hopeless. If, upon opening a tumor, the matter is found to
flow in great quantities, resembling melted glue, with something of an
oQy consistence, it may be known that the disease is deep-seated and
dangerous ; and the probe should be employed to find whatever ca^^ties
may exist. If any are found, the knife should again be emploj'^ed, and
another cut made, smooth dow;n, and in the same direction as the first, to
prevent all rough and hacked walls, till the lowest depths are reached.
Then cleanse the wounds with warm soapsuds, using a good gum com-
press s3Tinge ; and dress with a mixture of spirits of turpentine, honey,
and tincture of myrrh. When a thick, light-colored matter begins to
appear, the dressing must be discontinued, and the parts must be kept
clean, as previously directed, by sponging with warm soapsuds.
It is sometimes necessary to cut away loose pieces of ligament till a
healthy aspect is presented on the walls and in the dejjths of the incision.
In the more desperate cases, numerous openings are formed, and these
discharge a matter resembling the white of an egg, which adheres to the
surrounding parts, and gives to the animal a most repulsive appearance.
In this case the knife should be used so as to take in at one sweep the
greatest number of openings, and then the other openings should be con-
nected by cuts with this main channel ; after which the wound should be
cleansed as previously directed, and dressed with the mixture prescribed
— spirits of turpentine, honey, and tincture of myrrh.
After matter has formed, the knife is the only sure means of saving
the horse ; and, in the hands of the skillful man, it is a merciful
means. The operation is brief ; and the relief is more speedy than can
otherwise be obtained. Let no one attempt it, however, who cannot
operate as though for the moment divested of feeling, as there must be
no hesitation, no awkwardness as to direction, no notching and hacking.
A horse that has once had the poll-evil should never afterward have a
collar thrust over his head, or be hauled around with a halter or any
other head-gear pressing upon the part. The poll wall long remain ten-
'<er, and a return of the disorder is likely.
If it is necessary to treat during Summer, when the horse is apt to bo
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 291
annoyed with flies, keep the wound covered with a rag moistened in x
solution of tar.
XIX. Fisttda.
Causes. — This is sometimes known as fistulous withers ^ to distinguish
it from fistula of the parotid duct. It is similar to poll-evil and is gen-
erally caused in like manner, by bi^ises. In the case of fistula, these
bruises may be caused by an ill-fitting collar ; by a lady's saddle, partic-
ularly if awkwardly ridden; by the pressing forward of a man's saddle,
especially in case of high withers ; by striking the withers against the
top of a loAV door-wa}^ ; by rolling and striking the withers against soni*»
hard substance ; by the biting of other horses ; and by a blow of the
blacksmith's hammer. The points of the spinal processes, (little pro-
jections of the spine or back bone,) are hurt, inflammation sets in, and
the fistulous tumor is produced. Its site is the spine above the shoulders ;
and it is more troublesome than poll-evil, because it is more exposed to
repeated injuries.
How to know it — The first indication will be a swelling on one or
both sides of the withers, generally rather broad and flat. Upon exam-
ination with the fingers this will be found hot, tender, and apparently
deep seated. If observed when first formed, it will be of unifori?
hardness throughout. If unattended to while in this state, the tumor
soon becomes an abscess ; and owing to the difficulty in the way of the
matter's escaping, (its natural outlet being at the top of the shoulders),
the pus sinks downward ; and the abscess sometimes becomes enormous
before there is any well defined head, and before there is any opening.
When it breaks, or is opened, a large quantity of extremely offensive
matter flows out. Ordinarily, the tumor will come to a head in from one
to two weeks. When the discharge has begun, the tumor does not begin
to grow healthy and heal, but the walls of the opening thicken, and
continue to discharge matter which becomes more and more offensive.
The matter burrows between the shoulder blade and spinal points, and
everything around seems to be rotting away ; and it is both difficult and
dangerous to trace the opening. In process of time several holes will
•ppear along the course of the muscles in contact with the original abscess,
and from each issues a foul discharge, till the ulcerating process seems
to extend itself to nearly all the muscles of the shoulder.
The health of the animal may at first be excellent, and there may be
no lameness ; but as the inflammation extends, there is lameness of the
shoulder, and he suffers generally — often greatly. He is averse \<\
motion, and will suffer for food and drink rather than undergo the pai«
19
292
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
-AlilCRT BNLAROEMKNT WHICH MAY END
IN FiBTULODS Withers.
of tiyiiig to reach and partake of it. In its worst stages the bones
extending hito the sinus decay.
What to do — Be careful to ascertain, in tho
first place, whether the tumor has newlj
risen. The matter may form in one, evea
while it is quite small ; and it is important
to know when the knife may be used to
advantage.
If matter has already formed, it can be
detected by the somewhat soft and fluctua4:-
ing feeUng of the abscess.
If discovered while still a new formation,
take the horse from work, if possible ; if
not, take especial pains to protect the in-
jured point or points from pressure.
A bruise at that point of the with-
ers where the collar rests will not
unfit a horse for the saddle, unless
considerable inflammation and ex-
tending soreness has already set in ;
nor will a saddle bruise, farther
back on the withers, necessarily un-
FMTDL0D9 Withers— Worst Stage. ^^ him for haniCSS.
A recent swelling should be im-
mediately treated with fomentations of bitter herbs.
Boil wormwood, or mullen stalks, or life-everlasting in soft water, to
make a strong decoction ; and apply it with large woolen cloths, as hot
as can be borne, to hasten the formation of matter. When the tumor
begins to soften and show signs of heading, have a suitable, fine-pointed,
sharp knife. Ascertain the lowest point of the abscess. Then stand
close to his side, near the middle, to avoid both hind and fore feet in
case of kicking or striking, with the back of the knife to the shoulder ;
point upward and outward, stick at the lower edge, and cut open with a
free incision. Next, syringe the abscess till it is as thoroughly cleansed
fts possible with a solution of carbolic acid and water, one part acid to
two of Avater. Then dress with coal oil, or some convenient salve.
After two or three days, the wound should be thoroughly cleansed by
«3rringing with warm soap suds ; then use the carbolic acid water, and
repeat the oil or salve dressing ; and so on till a cure is effected.
The patient must in no case be turned to pasture, since the constant
motion of the neck and jaws necessary to procuring and masticating his
'ood aggi-avates every symptom. Stable him comfortably, and feed
THE HORSE, SKIN DISEASES, ETC. 293
according to his general condition. Let him have water freely ; and give
opportunity each day for some exercise by allowing him the rmi of a
small inclosure.
When the case has become chronic, and holes in considerable number
have appeared, make a cut so as to reach the bones, and to include in iti
course as many holes as practicable. If there are other openings, (par-
ticularly below), cut from them into the main incision. Have an assistant
to press back the sides of the greater opening till the matter is cleared
out ; and if the spinous processes or points are found to be carious or
rotten, nip off with a pair of bone forceps till the healthy bone is
reached. If any ©f this decaying bone is left, the wound will inevitably
matter and break again, though it may for a time appear to have healed.
After thus cleaning out the bulk of the matter and picking away the
dead bone, use the syringe and warm soap-suds still further to clean the
parts ; then inject the carbolic solution as previously directed. But
instead of coal oil, use this ointment ouce a day ;
No. 29. yi Oz. verdigris,
^ Oz. copperas,
1 Oz. oil of turpentine,
4 Oz. yellow rosin.
The copperas and rosin must be finely powdered — ^then mix all together
thoroughly. When a kind of thick whitish discharge is observed to hava
set in, discontinue the ointment ; but still wash or sjTinge thoroughly, at
intervals, mth warm soap-suds. To keep away flies, cover the wound,
after each dressing, with a large cloth saturated with diluted tar.
Should the horse grow feverish from the effects of blood poisoning,
which takes place in a greater or less degree in this chronic stage by
reason of absorption, bleed him once, at least, taking from the neck vein
from three to six quarts, according to general condition and severity of
the inflammation.
When the disease has proceeded to the length of requiring this severe
treatment, the recovery is necessarily slow, and the horse is inevitably
disfigured.
In verv desperate cases it is sometimes best, or, indeed, almost indis-
pensable, to use the rowel. The pipes, (or sinuses as they are sometimoi
called), the openings whence the matter exudes, take a dangerous direc-
tion, and tend from the withers to the chest. Use an elastic probe, to
ascertain the direction and the depth ; and if it is found that cutting will
not answer, use the guarded seton or rowel needle described in the chap-
ter on medicines, ointments, etc. Insert it as far as it will go, then give
it a firm rap on the handle, so as to force out the cutting edge and driv«
the point through the flesh. Knot one end of a long, slender tape.
294 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
place the other through the opening near the point of the needle an,i
draw it through. Then tie a knot at the other end, and leave it. In
this way, the sinus will have an opening below, and the tape will act as »
drain, while tending also by friction to remove the hard lining of tbe
pipe. As soon as a healthy looking matter is seen to be issuing from
the lower orifice, remove the seton, but cleanse occasionally with warm
9oap and water.
CHAPTER m.
DISEASES OF THE GLANDS AND NASAL UEMBBANBB.
f . «I>AMI>KS8. n. TAKCT. 111. DISTEMPER. IV. NASAL GLEET. — — V. KASAft
POLYPUS.
I. Glanders.
Causes. — This seems to be primarily a disease of the lymphatic and
nasal glands, and conlSned to them ; but upon this point authorities dis-
agree, and it is contended by some that all the air passages are always
affected— that it is a kind of phthisic, or incipient pulmonary disorder —
and that whether the ulcers appear on the membrane of the nose prior or
subsequent to the formation of tubercles in the lungs does not invalidate
the proposition that the earliest external manifestations are but the
effects of pulmonary derangement. The most tenable conclusion, how-
ever, is plainly this : that inflammation of the membrane of the nose,
and confined to that membrane, at last results in ulceration ; that the
matter discharged from these i« poisonous, and acts upon the glands by
means of the absorbents with which it comes in contact, and is also
inhaled into the lungs with the air as it passes through the nasal cavities,
till at length both the circulatory and the respiratory systems are gen-
erally diseased.
Whence this poison is derived is not at all clearly defined. The diseas«
is both spontaneous, (bred in the horse), and contagious ; but it is doubts
less due far more frequently to predisposing cause than to contagion. It;
IS found as a prevalent disease where neglect, filth, and foul atmosphere
exist ; and we may reasonably conclude that poisonous inhalations, acting
upon the delicate and easily irritated membrane of the nose, produce
that incipient ulceration from which the subsequent general poisoning
proceeds. In close stalls, the carbonic acid given off from the lungs,
(which gas is of a deadly poisonous character), passes again and again
295
f99 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
into the lungs, mixed with other impurities of the stall itself ; this, actmg
perhaps more readily upon the nasal membrane than upon the other
linings of the air passages, produces inflammation. This inflanmiation
may long exist, and unsuspected by the ordinary observer, till some
intense action is set up, when ulceration takes place.
Or it may be produced by an3i:hing that injures and weakens the vital
energy of this membrane ; as violent catarrh, accompanied by long con-
tinued discharge from the nostrils ; a fracture of the bones of the nose ;
«nd the too frequent injection of stimulating and acid substances up the
nostrils. Ever3^thing that weakens the constitution, may, under peculiar
circumstances, produce glanders. Among the hurtful influences that
may operate to this end we may enumerate : hardships and an exhausted
constitution ; any interference with the due elimination or throwing off
of morbid and waste matter from the system ; want of regular exercise ;
isudden and violent exercise when the horse has not been previously pre-
pared for it ; placing a weak and worn-out horse upon a course of diet
that is too nutritious and stimulating ; and hereditary predisposition to
certain forms of disease.
One point is deserving of special mention : it is sometimes present and
contagious in animals apparently in fine bodily condition ; other horses
may contract the disease from such a one and die of it while it is stiU
difficult to discover unmistakable traces of it in the first. There may be
inflammation, and minute ulcers so far up the nasal passages as not to be
seen ; these little hidden ulcers may discharge so small a quantity of mat-
ter as to escape notice, and yet the matter is so poisonous that when it
ectmes in contact Avith any thin and delicate membrane, by which it may
b<5 absorbed, it will produce glanders. Weeks, and even months, may
intervene between the first existence of inflamed membrane and the
development of the disease. In this case there nia}^ be counteracting
tendencies, requiring some violent action or sudden change to determine
the issue.
It must be observed that its infectious nature is not general, but par-
ticular— depending upon inoculation with the matter exuded from
glanderous ulcers, or at least from poison received in some way from th©
Ijlandered animal and communicated directly to a wound or to some del-
icate membrane of another horse, an ass, or a human being.
How to know it. — As may be inferred from the preceding, it is not
always easy to detect the actual presence of this disease, though it is
often a matter of paramount importance that it should be known. Its
dangerous character as an infectious disorder makes it essential that it
•hould be known in its very earliest stages, that the proper precautions
may be taken to prevent the infection from spreading.
THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. 29T
There are some symptoms that may be observed, even before th«
appearance of any discharge whatever ; and these may be described,
though they may sometimes prove faUacious, and are found to be but
extraordinary indications of some other disease.
The first signs are those of heaviness, dulhiess, followed by fever ; the
eyes are red and unhealthy looking, while the light is seemingly painful to
them. The hair is one day dry, the next, perhaps, it resumes its natural
appearance, and so alternating until after awhile it becomes staring and
unnatural. The flesh wastes away rapidly for a time ; then, and particu-
larly if a change of food is introduced, showing some improvement, and
so alternating till at length he begins to show signs of permanently
failing health and of a general debility.
These may be regarded as for the most part premonitory signs, and up
to this time there may be no appearance of tumors and no discharge
from the nostrils ; but the animal should be subjected to the most rigid
scrutiny, to discover whether there is anything to confirm the impression
made by the symptoms enumerated as to the probable existence of glan-
dered condition.
After these manifestations there may be said to be three stages of the
disease, the jDeculiarities of each of which, in so far as they are distinctly
defined, are generally as follows : In the first stage the discharge so
much resembles that which attends some other nasal affection as some-
times to pass unnoticed, but examination will disclose a curious fact
which has not been accounted for, — it will be found confined to one
nostril, and that, in the vast majority of cases, the left. Occasionally it
is the right, very seldom both. This, however, must not be regarded as
a peculiarity of the first only, as it is common to every stage of the
disease.
The second stage is characterized by an increased flow, and it also
becomes more mucous and sticky, while its color changes from an almost
transparent clearness to a whitish or 3^ellowish tinge. It often begins
now to drip from the nose in stringy clots. Some of the matter in this
stage, now more actively poisonous, being taken up by the absorbent.*,
affects the neighboring glands. If both nostrils are discharging, the
glands within the under jaw will be enlarged on both sides ; if from on«
nostril, only the gland on that side. As other diseases will produce
these swelled glands, as catarrh, for instance, it becomes necessary to
look for some peculiarity in order to determine certainly as to the exist-
ence of glanders. At first the enlargement may be spread over so mucr^
Burface as not to make any distinctly marked lumps ; but this soon
changes, and one or two small swellings remain, and these are not in the
center of the channel, but adhere close to the jaw on the affected side.
2flS' ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
This may be regarded as an almost conclusive test. The membrane ot
the nose will now be found of either a dark purplish hue or a leaden
color — the latter, unless there is some of the redness of inflammation;
and ulcers will probably appear upon the membrane, usually approaching
to a circular form, and deep, with abrupt and prominent edges. When
these appear there can be no further doubt, but care must be taken tc
know that they are not spots of mucous. To this end, try whether they
may be brushed away. Notice particularly, too, that the orifice of the
duct which connects with the tear glands is just within the nostril, and
on the inner side of it ; otherwise, this, if foul, may be mistaken for an
ulcer. This orifice may be readily distinguished from an ulcer by
observing that it is on the continuation of the common skin, while the
glanderous ulcers are on the membrane of the nose.
When these ulcers begin to be visible, the general condition of the
animal soon shows signs of change ; his coat seems dead and staring, the
hair coming off easily ; his appetite is impaired ; he loses flesh ; his belly
contracts ; he grows more and more debilitated ; there is more or less
cough ; the discharge increases in quantity, and its increased poisonous
character causes it to remove the hair where it flows, while it seems
tinged with blood, and is offensive to the smell.
In the third stage the ulcers have become larger and more numerous ;
And upon placing the ear to the horse's chest, a grating, choking noise
will be heard at every act of breathing. The air passages being obstructed,
every breath is drawn with difficulty. The skin of the forehead will be
found somewhat thickened, swelled, and peculiarly tender ; the membrane
lining the frontal openings of the nose will be not only ulcerated but
evidently inflamed ; the discharges are increased and become more sticky
and of darker color, though still somewhat flecked with blood. The
absorbents become more and more involved ; it seems now that general
ulceration has set in • and the additional symptoms are henceforth those
of farcy.
To i)revent its being mistaken in its earlier stages for strangles, which
is sometimes done, the following directions will suffice :
Strangles is peculiar to young horses, and at the outset resembles cold
with some fever and sore throat, accompanied generally by distressing
cough and some wheezing. The enlargement which sometimes appear*
beneath the jaw in strangles is not a single small gland, but a swelling
of the whole substance between the jaws, growing harder toward the
center, and at length, if the disease runs on, breaking. In strangles th«
membranes of the nose will be very red, and the discharge from the
ttostrils profuse and mattery almost from the first. When the tumor has
^UJ'st, the fever will abate and the horse will speedily get well.
THE HOESE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. 29S
To distinguish it from catarrh, for which also it is sometimes mistaken,
observe that feVer, loss of appetite, coughing, and sore throat all
accompany catarrh, whereas these symptoms are rarely if ever found
together in glanders. In catarrh, the horse quids his food, (drops it
from his mouth partially chewed), and gulps his water. The discharge
f I om the^ nose is profuse and sometimes mattery ; the glands under th©
jaiv, if swollen, are movable, while there is a thickening around them
and tho}'^ are hot and tender.
What to do. — The first thing to do, and in the first stage, will naturally
Suggest itself to any one who has taken the pains to inform himself of
the dreadful nature of the disease. Its contagious character renders it
dangerous, as has been said, not only to all of the horse kind but to
man ; and no time should be lost in removing a glandered animal from
the possibility of communicating the disorder to another. If stabled,
there should be no connection whatever between his stall and those of
other animals, as the discharge from the nostril, (in which lies the
danger), may be communicated through any opening suflBcient to allow
horses to bite or nibble at each other. If placed to pasture, it should be
kno^\ai that no other horse is at all likely either to be turned in with him
or to approach the inclosure. And this removal or separation should
take place whenever it is observed that there is that constant discharge
from one nostril which has been described, even though it may seem but
watery and natural, and the horse be in the very best apparent condition.
Remember that a glandered condition may long exist, and minute ulcers^
in the hidden recesses of the nose, discharge a sort of limpid or clear
fluid, without any of the active and violent symptoms being manifest ;
but that all this time the horse may be able to communicate the disease
to others ; and that these may die of it while he is yet in reasonably fair
condition.
It can hardly escape the intelligent horse owner that every knows
€>ause of the disease should, if possible, be promptly removed. Close,
damp, dark stables, reeking with exhalations distilled from mingled dung,
urine, and rain water, ought at any rate to begin to receive a little
attention after the poor occupant has caught what is more than likely to
prove his death ; if he is jaded and exhausted by labor, no hope of cure
can be entertained unless he is promptly released from his toils and put
upon moderate and health-giving exercise only, with such generous diet
as will restore the wasted tissues ; if, on the contrary, he is pampered
and stimulated and grown unwholesomely plethoric for want of labor
proportioned to his good keeping, his food should be gradually changed,
and a regular course of moderately increasing exercise be instituted and
300 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
persevered in till that point is discovered at which such exercise la
recuperative rather than exhaustive, and then maintained.
It may be well, before proceeding farther, to caution the reader against
the advice of quacks, and point out what not to do. This may be
iummed up in the one single injunction, do nothing cruel. All such prac-
tices as slitting the nose, scraping the cartilage, searing the glands, tiring
the frontal and nasal bones, and injecting mustard, capsicum, vitriol, and
corrosive sublimate up the nostrils, are but the hurtful devices of ignor-
ance combined with brutality.
If the disease is in its tirst stage when the horse is taken in hand for
the purpose of employing remedial agencies, place him in a good, dry
and airy stable, if in Summer, or in an open pasture where most of his
food may be obtained by himself, observing the precautions already laid
down. If in Winter, he should still have the drj^ stable, not too close,
and supplied with clean litter, and care should be taken to guard liim
against severe cold and exposure to any sudden change. The matter of
food may be regulated by this : it niust be nutritious without being
inflammatory ; and the condition of the animal as to previous treatment
and present condition of flesh must regulate the quantity, as also to some
extent the quality. Then prepare and administer the following medicine :
No. 30. 1 Drachm powdered sulphate of camphor,
4 Fluid drachms Fowler's solution of arsenic.
Mix with linseed meal and syrup to form a ball, and give one of lik*
quantity each day for three days ; then omit a day ; then give the balls
for three days again, and so on till a change for the better is perceptible
or its failure is manifest. Meanwhile, swab out the nose every day with
a solution of pyroligenous acid — using warm water, (as warm as the
horse can well bear), and putting in sufficient of the acid at first to make
the solution of medium strength. It should be a little increased from
day to day ; but care must be taken not to make it too strong, as violent
acid injections or swabbing solutions are calculated to do harm rather
than good. A good mop for this purpose may be made hy attaching soft
rags, (old cotton cloth is best), to a light stick, two feet in length — so
arranging the cloth as to have it project beyond the end of the stick to
be inserted, to prevent any roughness that might abrade or scratcli the
membrane, and fastening very securely, to prevent its slipping off.
If this treatment is found not to be efficacious, or if the disease hji«
already developed into the second stage — the discharge more mucous,
fetickj, and stringy, with glands swollen and the membrane of the nose
of a dark purple or leaden color — adopt the following treatment, and
•arry it out energetically and persistently :
THE HOKSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL, GLANDS, ETC. 301
Take from the ueck vein from three to six quarts of blood, accord-
ing as the horse may appear feeble or plethoric. Make a gallon of
very strong decoction or tea of tobacco leaves, which keej) ready for use.
Put enough of this into warm water, (as warm as the horse can well
bear), and swab out his nostrils with it, as high up as possible, using
mop as just directed. Then put a gill of this same strong tobacco tea
into a pint of warm water, and drench him with the solution. There
must be no uneasiness on account of the dreadful sickness which this *
will produce. The tobacco is necessary thoroughly to relax the system
and overcome fixed or chronic tendencies, and to counteract the influence
of the glanderous poison. Swab out the nose every day for eight or ten
days, and drench every third day for from two to four weeks, or until
the discharge has ceased and the ulcers are perceptibly healing.
So for the first two stages. If all these directions, (those as to food
and care as well as for the administering of medicines), are faithfully
carried out, a reasonable hope of success may be entertained. If the
disease has passed into the third stage, however, no treatment can be
confidently recommended. So doubtful is it as to Avhether any remedial
agencies will avail, that most veterinarians in the United States confi-
dently declare that the best thing to do is to kill the sufferer in the
quickest and most humane way, and bury him deep in the ground, beyond
the possibility of his contaminating the atmosphere with his decaying and
poisonous carcass. This is made a matter of legislative enactment in
England — severe penalties attaching to the keeping of glandered horses
— and it is contended by some that the general safety of both animals
and man require like legal enactments in this country ; but, as we have
said, until he has passed into the third state, or where he seems to be
suffering with both glanders and farcy, a good horse ought not to be sac-
rificed. It cannot be too strongly urged, however, that no effort ought
to be spared to prevent the spread of the contagion ; and the man
who would expose a horse for sale, known to him to be glandered, but
not apparent to a casual observer, ought to be confined in the State
prison.
A horse affected with this disease, in any stage, is dangerous to th«
man who handles him ; but he is doubly so, perhaps, when he has become
a loathsome object in limbs and body as well as in head ; and under
ordinary circumstances it is doubtless best to destroy him as quickly aa
possible. In case treatment is determined upon, nothing better than thai
prescribed for the second stage can be recommended.
The reader's attention ought to be called to this fact: that there have
been instances of a spontaneous curt of glanders — ^that is, of cures
having taken place without the agency of remedial means used by man ;
502 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
but all such cases may have been apparent rather than real — a mere suti.
pension of the active powers of the poison — and they ought to be looked
upon with suspicion. These may be resumed at some future time and
with fatal result.
It remains now but to suggest some precautionary measures to prevent
contagion, in addition to those which have already been given. If a
atable is known to have been used by a glandered horse, no other animal
should be allowed to occupy it until the trough, the rack, and the walls
have been thoroughly scraped and scoured with strong soap and warm
water. Then take one pint of chipride of lime and dissolve it in two gal-
lons of water, with which thoroughly saturate every part that the horse's
nose may have touched. Next, white-wash the walls inside. Then burn
bridles, halters, buckets out of which he has drunk — whatever may have
been about his head — and if any blanketing has been used have it care-
fully cleansed by washing, or burn it up.
n. Farcy.
Causes — In treating of glanders and farcy there is a great diversity
of opinion as to the relations in which they stand to each other — which
is the antecedent, which the consequent ; but the most sensible view of
the matter, and the one taken by the ablest veterinarians, is this : that
the two arc but different manifestions of the same disease, and that they
might with propriety be so treated. Regarding them separately it is
difficult to say which is the more acute form, w^hich the more chronic, as
it is now generally conceded that a horse afflicted with what may seem at
first a well-developed case of glanders may be presently laboring under
confirmed farcy — the last state apparently worse than the first ; again, a
case of farcy may assume the type to which the name glanders is applied,
and in this case also there seems to be a development of the first into a
more hopeless disorder.
This would be a matter, however, of no special consequence to the
intelligent horse owner were it not that the fconfused notions of men
concerning the two affections might chance to bring him face to face with
this difficulty : that, unable to eliminate the truth from the tangled
statements of some who, entertaining diverse views, may take it upon
themselves to advise, he may find himself halting between two opinions
when it is of ^'^tal consequence that he should be doing something. Let
him be assured that it is wholly unnecessary to trouble himself with nice
questions as to the priority of either disease or the real difference
between them ; the one important point for him is to be able to detect in
*he incipiency of an attack of either that one of them is present.
THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. ^0^
Speaking now of the farcy as a distinct disease, it is to be regarded as
a general poisoned condition of the horse — the poison having its imme-
diate origin in an ulcerated condition of the lymphatic glands ; and it«
remote origin in whatever tends to disorder these lymphatics. The
remote causes are often found in constitutional or inherited tendencies,
but more frequently, no doubt, in neglect and abuse — some of the forms
which these take on being ovei-work and under-feeding; lack of the
curry-comb and brush ; exposure to the foul atmosphere of dark, damp
stables, and their accumulations of filth.
The glands so affected are more numerous along the jaws, neck, and
flanks than elsewhere near the skin. Some species of poison is taken
into the system of the animal, which manifests itself by an enlaro^ement
of some of these glands into the hp,rd, rounded lumps, called farci/^buds^
or buttons, which presently secrete and discharge dangerous infectious
matter. The absorbents whose office it is to remove useless particles
from the body, take up from beneath the skin some of this virus -, they
inflame with it and swell ; and by their connection with the veins give the
latter a corded, swollen appearance. The poison, of course, finally
reaches the veins and is mingled with the blood ; by the blood it is
conveyed to every part of the system. Acting upon the valves of the
veins — ^those little membranous sacs which assist in orivins: the blood a
uniform tendency towards the heart — the poison creates new knots or
buttons, and thus they mcrease until many portions of the skin are
covered with putrid ulcers
The first existence of an ulcerous condition may not be upon any visible
portion of the body. Minute poisonous ulcerations may arise in the
recesses of the nose, and discharge so slightly as to escape observation
until the general system is thoroughly inoculated with the virus.
It is, however, extremely capricious in its manifestations ; probably
owing more to the peculiarities of different animals than to any difference
as to either immediate or remote causes of the disease itself. It occa-
sionally takes on a lingering form, and will continue for months and
years ; again it will run its course and kill the horse in an incredibly
Bhort time.
It is extremely contagious in all its stages, and is communicable not
only to other brutes, but to man.
How to know it — it is difficult to give in few words such directions
as enable the unprofessional and inexperienced reader readily to detect
this disease in its inoipiency, and to distinguish, in its somewhat advanced
state, between it and some other diseases which have, occasionally similar
manifestations. It often perplexes by the different forms it assumes ;
but close attention to the following particulars and a wide-awake interest.
^4 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
that leads one to observe changes and peculiar conditions will probably
suffice :
In some cases the horse will droop for many days before the appear-
ance of either buds or corded veins ; the appetite is impaired ; the coat
is staring, or rough and unpleasant to the sight ; his mouth is hot ; his
thirst gi-eat and difficult to quench ; the urine is highl}^ colored ; the hair
comes off easily ; and he evinces then the symptoms of a generally
deranged condition.
Sometimes the horse will appear to be perfectly well at night, and next
morning one leg, usually the hind leg, will be fearfully swollen, hot
T\nth fever, and almost without the power of moving.
At other times the head will swell, the muzzle, particularly, will be
enlarged, and an offensive discharge proceed from the nose.
Again, this tendency to the swelling of the leg is accompanied by
cracks at the heels, leading the inexperienced to mistake it for ordinary
"swelled legs" or for "grease."
When taken by inoculation, (the poison ha\dng been received from
another animal or from trough, stable, or curry-comb), it is apt to
manifest itself in its earliest stages by shivering, followed by heat of
body, a frequent and hard pulse, dullness, accelerated breathing, and
rapid elevation of temperature. These attacks may speedily prove fatal.
In all these cases, the poison has been working, but is not yet
outwardly manifest. Generally the first stage of unmistakable local
manifestation is a swelling of the lymphatics, a development of the
"farcy-bud." A single bud will sometimes appear near the pastem
joint and run up in an uneven knotty form. They usually appear,
however, along the sides of the neck or inside the legs, and are rounded,
with an elevated edge, and a pale surface. These presently burst and
discharge a watery fluid for some time, when a change takes place and
the discharges become more mattery and offensive, and are mixed with
blood. They frequently increase in number until the neck, shoulders,
and legs are almost entirely covered with them — sometimes almost the
whole body becomes a putrid loathsome mass. In this last case there are
no longer any buds or knots, as the veins have become so generally
Injured as not to show special prominences at the valvular points.
Occasionally it will be found that the buds will not ulcerate, but
become hard and difficult to remove. This indicates that the progress of
tlie disease is suspended ; but the poison is in the system, and if steps
are not taken at once to eradicate the seeds of the malady, it will in
time break out and destroy the horse.
When it rises along the spine, as it occasionally does, it is to be
•onsidered mali^ant and very dangerous, particularly to those horseji
THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS ETC. 305
that are fat and full-blooded — the disease in this case being most
probably the result of infection.
To enable one to distinguish it from those diseases for which it i»
sometimes mistaken, the following directions, if closely observed, will ba
sufficient :
It differs from surfeit in this : that the buds are generally higher than
the surfeit tumors, more knotty, not so broad, and are found principally
on the inside of the limb and not on the outside.
The sudden swellings of the legs, head, or chest are characterized by
heat and tenderness that do not accompany other enlargements ; and the
farcy may be distinguished from grease or swelled legs by this : that in
grease there is usually a peculiar tightness, glossiness, and redness of the
skin, with scurfiness, discharging cracks, and a singular spasmodic catch-
ing up of the leg. In farcy the swelling is more sudden — the leg that is
apparently sound at night is found in the morning swollen to an
enormous size. It is o^ang to a simultaneous inflammation of all the
absorbents of the limb ; but instead of the redness and glossiness of sui-
feit there will be burning heat without outward manifestation, and the
leg will be peculiarly tender, while the body will be generally feverish.
It may be known from that local dropsy of the cellular membrane pro-
ducing an enlargement beneath the thorax called water-farcy, by simply
observing that in water-farcy there is general weakness unaccompanied
by inflammation.
What to do — The treatment must of course be directed primarily to
the removal of the blood poison and to the restoring of the assimilative
powers of the digestive and circulating organs. It must be both general
and local ; as the vital functions are to be restored to their normal condi-
tion at the same time as the outward manifestations of the poison are
removed. The buds must be dispersed and the ulcers healed by active
external applications, since the powerful internal remedies must be more
or less inoperative while these receptacles of poisonous matter furnish a
constant supply to the absorbents, to be carried by the various organs of
circulation to all parts of the body.
The first and most necessary thing to do is to exercise a wise discrin>-
ination as to the stage of the disease. If found to be in its incipiency^-
few buds ha\4ng appeared, and being slow to spread ; no foul discharge
from the nose ; no sudden swellings and violent heat — the foUowino-
treatment may be adopted with every hope of success :
Pay particular attention to feeding, and to keeping the stable, (if nec-
essary to have the, animal confined), clean, dry, and comfortable. The
food should be easy of digestion, but nourishing, and especially of such
306 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
X character as to keep the bowels reguhir. Bran, oats, long forage,
(green if possible), arc good ; and an occasional mash of boiled carrots or
turnips mixed with bran or shorts, to which a table-spoonful of salt is
added, will be found beneficial. He should have moderate daily exercise ;
and as much good pure water as he will take should be given him. If
the food given does not have the effect of keeping the bowels open, give
an occasional mild purgative compounded as follows :
No. 31. 3 Drachms finely powdered aloes,
1 Drachm ground ginger.
Stir these ingredients thoroughly together ; then use sufficient soft
»oap to make a paste that can be rolled into a ball. Wrap this in thin
paper, and give by elevating his head and thrusting it into his throat.
Give the following tonic, to stimulate the digestive and secretive
functions :
No. 32. C Oz. powdered sulphate of iron,
6 Oz. rosin,
3 Oz. gentian,
3 Oz. ground ginger.
Mix thoroughly, divide into twelve powders, and give one night and
morning. When these powders are exhausted, make up the same
mixture, with the exception of the rosin, which, by too long continuance
is apt to affect the kidneys unduly, and give as before, night and
morning.
To remove the buttons and ulcers, take a large stick or pencil of lunar
oftustic or of caustic potash, and with it burn out the central portion of
each bud, and cauterize each ulcer. When convenient to obtain what is
called a farrier's "budding iron," the work may be more expeditiously
done by heating the iron to redness, and, after rubbing it on something
to clear off the scales, inserting the point into every bud and ulcer —
remembering that it must be done moderately, and not so as to destroy
the tissues. When these burnt places begin to slough out, and look
pale, foul, and spongy, with thin matter, wash them frequently with a
solution of 1 drachm of corrosive sublimate in 1 oz. rectified spirits.
When the wounds begin tC look; red, and the bottom of them is even an<3
firm, while they discharge H thick white or yellow matter, use som«
•imple ointment.
If the disease is plainly in an advanced stage — the buttons and ulcers
numerous and widely spread over the body ; the thirst great and hard to
satisfy ; signs of glanderous ulcers on the mucous membrane of the nose ;
the hair, where the sores have not invaded the skin, staring and easy ta
THE HORSE, DISEASES OF THE NASAL GLANDS, ETC. ^7
*ome off ; the general appearance filthy and loathsome — the following
Kevere treatment should be adopted and perseveringly carried out :
In the first place, observe all the precautions as to diet and the state of
the bowels previously recommended, being careful to guard against
extensive purging, for tliis will tend rather to reduce the disease to a
lower stage, and to retard recovery.
Bleed at once, taking from two to four quarts of blood from the neck
Tein, according as the body is more or less inflamed.
Take &, gill of very strong solution of tobacco and pour it into » pint
of warm water, and drench with it. Repeat this dose every third day
until a change for the better has evidently taken place. If the feverish
state continues he should be bled again, taking a like quantity as at first,
within a week or ten days. The practice of bleeding, as insisted upon
})y some veterinarians, cannot be recommended ; but there are cases iia
which it may be employed with the greatest advantage. In farcy, it
cannot be said to remove the poison to any great extent, though it does
in some measure have this effect ; but the vitiated condition of the fluid
5eems to render it turgid and slow, and to produce an unnatural disten-
ision of the veins and capillaries, which bleeding partially relieves — .
possibly by both diminishing the quantity a little and by a reaction which
follows the shock given to the organs of circulation by the act of blood"
letting.
The tobacco drench is a powerful medicine in counteracting the poison
in the system ; and while the dose recommended will make the horse very
sick, from its well-known nauseating properties, its effects are not to be
feared.
On those days which intervene between the doses of tobacco tea, the
tonic powder. No. 32, may be given as directed for the milder stage of
farcy, omitting the rosin.
When the poison has been long at work Avithout betraying its presence,
till all at once the horse becomes lame, his legs swell, violent general
heat sets in, large and vicious looking buds appear suddenly and presently
break, while a stinking discharge takes place from the nose — corded veins
and buttons appearing in some instances along the spine — the case may
well be looked upon as hopeless ; and if there are other animals that are
in danger of taking the affection from him, it is doubtless best, as is
generally recommended by English veterinarians, for even much milder
forms, to kill the horse and bury him beyond the reach of all danger to
others. In this stage of the disease he is dangerous to man, and no
one ought to be required to take the risk of handling him.
Lastly, every precaution should be taken to guard against the sprcrul
•f the contagion. When a horse is known to be affected with farcy, n*
20
308 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
time should be lost in cleansing the stable where he has been confined^
Washing the trough, rack and walls thoroughly, — saturating them aftet
that with a strong solution of chloride of lime, (one pint of chloride to
two gallons of water), and then white-washing the walls inside. Curry-
comb, blanket — whatever may have the poison adhering to it — hall
better be burned.
m. Distemper
Causes. — ^This is an epidemic disease, occurring in young horses, gen«
erally, and when it once breaks out all the animals in the stable are likely
to be infected with it, unless they have already had it. Colts and young
horses will take it from older ones more easily than older ones from the
young.
If it is not actually generated by filth and uncleanness in the stables,
the disease is certainly aggravated by causes producing miasma and bad
air in the stables. Therefore cleanliness is essential not only as a means
of preventing the disease, but in rendering it of a mild type when it
breaks out
Horses will contract the disease from others when at a considerable
distance. It is supposed to be communicated both by actual contact and
also from germs proceeding from the breath. Hence when once it breaks
out, at the first symptoms, isolate the sick animal or animals, fumigate
the stable thoroughly and daily.
To do this fill the stable with tobacco smoke, both the stable from
whence the sick horses have been taken, and the place where they are
confined during treatment. Let the smoke be so thick as to become
'luite inconvenient. Make all the animals inhale as much as possible.
Wash every part of the stable, and especially the feeding places and hay
racks, with a strong decoction of tobacco stems, using for the purpose
cheap, rank tobacco. Keep powdered tobacco leaves in the mangers of
all the horses. This being early attended to its spread may be generally
arrested.
How to know it. — The disease has three stages. In the early stage of
the disease there is a dry, hacking cough, and there will be noticed %
discharge from the nose, first of a thin, watery fluid succeeded by %
thicker, purulent discharge of a whitish color.
The next stajre of the disease shows itself in a swelling: of the throat.
The salivary glands, which at first were inflamed, are now closed, and pus
is being formed. At length an abscess is formed.
The third stage is the suppurative stage, in which the abscess breaks ;
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 80t
sometimes there are two. From this time on, the animal is in a fair way
to mend, and every means should be taken to promote the discharge. In
bad cases the suppuration may continue for weeks, and in extreme cases
it may continue for months.
From first to last there is a fever. The pulse is quickened and hard.
The appetite fails, both from the fever and inability to swallow. As th«
tever increases the eyes become dull and glassy ; the hair is dry, will not
lie close, looks dead ; and the animal stands with its head drooped, and
the whole appearance is stupid.
What to do. — In some cases, bleeding will be indicated. This, how-
ever, should not be allowed except unde;r the advice of a competent
veterinary surgeon or physician. If the animal is fat, or if there are in-
dications of blood poisoning, from a quart to three pints of blood may be
taken from the neck vein. The animal must be warmly clothed and kept
in a thoroughly well ventilated but comfortable stable. Let the food be
light, but nourishing. Mashes made of oat-meal and bran ; also boiled
oats ; oat-meal gruel, and hay-tea should be given for drink. Give the
following ;
So. 33. 1 table-spoonful pulverized gum myrrh,
1 table-spoonful gun powder,
1 table-spoonful lard,
1 table-spoonful soft-soap,
2 table-spoonfuls tar.
Mix, and put a spoonful of this mixture on a long, narrow paddle
down the throat twice a day, so it will lodge about the glands of the
throat.
Let all drink and food have the chill taken off before giving it. If
there is considerable fever and the tongue is coated, give a little cream of
tartar in the drink. If the limbs are cold, bandage them and hand rub
to promote circulation. Give once a day in the food the following :
No. 34. 2 or three ounces flower of sulphur,
1 ounce resin.
To be mixed in the food if it will eat, or in the drink. Give also thre«
ounces of sulphur per day, if the animal will take it. Wash the neck
two or three times a day with a decoction of tobacco as hot as the animal
will bear it. If these remedies are taken in time and faithfully applied,
they will often prevent any tumor from forming. If the tumor forms,
then every means must be employed to cause it to suppurate. It will
then be dangerous to scatter it. If the bowels are obstructed, removt
the contents of the rectum by the following injection :
SIO ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Vo. 35. 4 Drachms powdered aloes,
1 Drachm common salt,
2 Drachms hot water.
Mix, and inject when blood-warm.
Use every possible means to promote the formation of pus and its dis.
eharge. Common distemper and strangles are similar in some of their
eymptoms, and one may run in the other. Stimulate the swelling witk
the following:
No. 36. Two parts spirits of turpentine,
One part laudanum,
One part spirits of camphor.
Apply this three times a day with a
brush until soreness is produced. Af-
ter each application keep the parts
warm with folds of flannel, kept in
KiGHT-TAiLED BANDAGE. placc with au eight-tailed bandage, a
piece of flannel having three slits
cut in the ends for tying, and long enough to go round the throat and tie
over the top of the head.
If this does not cause the tumor to form, prepare a poultice as follows ;
No. 37. 1 Part powdered slippery elm,
1 Part poplar bark,
1 Part ground flax seed.
Moisten with vinegar and water equal parts, quilt between two folds of
cloth and apply to as large a surface as possible. When the tumor has
formed pus and is nearly ripe, which may be known by a soft place where
it is working its way to the surface, open it with a knife with a round-
pointed blade, and if necessary increase the opening with a button-pointed
bistoury, to allow free exit of matter. It will give almost immediate re-
lief- Then apply to the swollen glands night and morning, the following :
No. 38. 4 Ounces spirits of camphor,
3 Ounces pyroligneous acid,
1 Pint neat's foot oil.
Mix. If the acid is not to be easily obtained use strong cider vinegar.
Prepare the following powders :
No. 39. 2 Ounces powdered gentian,
1 Ounce powdered golden seal,
1 Ounce powdered pleurisy root,
1 Pound powdered liquorice root.
Mix, and divide into six powders, to be given in the food night and
iQorning.
^ THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 31 1
IV. Nasal Gleet.
Causes.^-This affliction sometimes follows distemper and strangles and
is one of the attendants on glanders, sometimes running into it. It is
sometimes caused by a chronic affection of the schneiderian surfaces. It
is caused sometimes by the relaxing and enlarging of the ducts commu-
nicating between the cavities of the mouth and nose by disease, allowing
the semi-liquid food and its juices to pass into the nostrils. This is true
chronic gleet, and the discharge is tinged with what the animal eats. It
is in one of its forms a suppuration of the mucus membrane lining in the
facial sinuses, producing distortion and a terribly offensive dischar-o-e,
which may have been produced by a blow on the face. In bad cases the
cheapest way is to end the animal's misery by killing.
How to know it. — Discharge is not always present, neither is it uniform.
Sometimes during fair weather it will be discontinued. The discharge is
a thick yellow mucus tinged with green, if the food be grass, or with the
color of the food. If it becomes purulent, that is pus, matter, and
tinged with blood, it may end in ulceration of the cartilages of the nose,
and in glanders. If the discharge is confined to the left nostril, is tena-
cious, elastic, accumulates around the edges of the nose, if there is
enlargement of the lymphatic submaxillary gland, under and on the side
of the jaw, it is cheaper to kill the horse, or else call in a surgeon, since
for the proper treatment of the disease the trephine should be used,
by which a circular piece of the bone may be taken out to facilitate
treatment.
How to Cure. — In mild cases look for decayed molar (grinding) teeth ;
if found, remove them. Look for swelling of the frontal bone, produced
by bruises. Put the horse where he may be comfortable, let his diet
be light, but soft ; fresh grass in Summer, with good food. Inject the
nasal passages thoroughly with the following ;
No. 40. 1 Ounce bayberry bark,
1 Pint boiling water.
When cool strain through a close linen or white flannel cloth, and inj&a^
daily.
Prepare the following :
Ko. 4L 1 Part Grains of Paradise,
1 Part white mustard seed,
1 Part powdered sulphur,
1 Part powdered charcoal.
Mix, and give one ounce daily in the foo4U
M2 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
Give occasionally in gruel the following :
ISo, 42. >^ Ounce balsam copaiba,
2 Drachms sweet spirits of niter.
This with warm clothing and nutritious food will suffice for mild cases
Where the trephine is not to be used, treatment must be persisted in until
the animal is cured.
V. Nasal Polypus.
Polypus may form upon any of the cavities of the body which com-
municate with the air, being peculiar to the mucous membrane. These
grown to such size as seriously to impair breathing, are accompanied some-
times by discharge of mucus which is pure. That is, it is thrown out as
soon as formed, and therefore it is not fetid.
Y/hat to do. — If the polypus which is generally pear-shaped and at.
tached to the membrane of the nose, by a small neck, can be made visible
by causing the horse to cough, it may be removed by a ligature or a
pair of polypus scissors by any physician, if no veterinary surgeon is
at hand.
When the polypus is entirely concealed from view, tracheotomy may
have to be employed before an examination can be made, since the poly-
pus may have gone so far as to oppress the breathing. Thus in all cases
of palypus, unless it be so low that a ligature can be employed to strarg-
ulate it at the neck, it is altogether better to call in the aid of a T«tei>
inary surgeon.
CHAPTER IV.
DBOFSICAL AFFECTIONS.
K raOFBT OF THK HEART. II. DROPSY OP THE BRAIN. — — HI. DROPSY OF THE CHESY.
IV. DROPSY OF THK 8KIH OF THK CHEST. V. DROPSY OF THK SCROTUM. W
DROPSY OF THE ABDOMEN.
I. Dropsy of the Heart:
Causes. — The pericardium or membranous covering of the heart ii
subject to inflammation ; by this inflammation and consequent obstructeij
circulation in the minute vessels that supply it an effusion takes place,
»nd either thickens the walls of the pericardium itself, and thus contracts
or compresses the heart, or it is deposited in the cavity of the pericardium
in quantities varying from a pint to a gallon. This diseased condition iu
generally found in connection with dropsy of the chest or abdomen.
How to know it.^In the early stages of the disease there is a quickened
and irregular respiration, with a bounding action of the heart. As the
fluid increases the action of this organ becomes feeble and fluttering.
There is a peculiar expression of anxiety and alarm on the countenance
of the animal. If he does not die of the disease before the pericardium
is filled, violent palpitations and throbbings characterize the advanced
stage. The breathing becomes difficult, and when the head is raised
there is a tendency to faint.
What to do. — If it is observed while there is yet a painful state of the
pericardium by reason of inflammation — profuse effusion not havnig
taken place— the first thing is to reduce the inflammation and allay the
pain, and thus forestall the further accumulation of the fluid. For thi&
purpose relieve constipation, which is usually found as an accompaniment,
fcy moderate doses of salts, or of oil. Then give the following draugnt;
313
514 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 43. 1 Oz. nitrate of potash,
15 Drops tincture of aconite,
1 Pint of water.
The animal must be kept comfortable, according to the season, and
have a plentiful supply of fresh air and cold water.
If there are no indications of relief within four hours, give the following
draught :
No. 44. 4 Oz. solution of acetate of ammonia,
10 Drops tincture of aconite,
12 Oz of water.
Repeat this after eight hours, and then leave off the aconite, but con-
tinue to give, at intervals, the acetate of ammonia in water.
If the disease has reached an advanced stage, and the cavity of the
pericardium is largely filled with Avater, it is scarcely to be hoped that the
animal may be saved ; but even in that case the course here prescribed
should be adopted, unless there is some more general disorder under such
treatment as will render it unnecessary or objectionable.
II. Dropsy of the Brain.
Causes. — The remote cause of this disease (known also as hydrocepha-
lus), is some constitutional disorder of the brain, or of its membranous
covering — chiefly, as is believed, a scrofulous tendency. The immediate
causes, or the excitants to its development, are various, as castration, foot
puncture, staggers, acute diseases of the stomach, defective nutrition, etc.
How to know it. — At first an unnatural sleepiness will appear, with ap-
parent unconsciousness and a tendency to reel when moving on foot.
The pupil of the eye is perceptibly dilated ; the animal breathes in a
hard and grunting way ; he tosses his head about and throws it upward
or backward, as though in much pain. When down, with neck lying
prone, as is often the case, he will sometimes raise his head, then drop it
spasmodically, beating it upon the ground. If unrelieved, convulsion*
finally set in, and death ensues.
MVhat to do. — If the head is hot with fever, denoting an acute attack,
aponge frequently with cold water, and see that the bowels are kept mod-
erately open. If there is decided constipation, as is sometimes the case,
use an injection of soap-suds at intervals, until the bowels are moved.
Then give the following in doses of 2 ounces, morning and evening:
No. 45. 4 Oz. fluid extract of buchu,
2 Oz. iodide of potassium,
6 Oz. water.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 314
Continue this, keeping the horse from labor and as quiet as possible,
until all symptoms of feverishness disappear from about the head, and
the unnatural torpor no longer manifests itself.
in. Dropsy of the Chest.
Causes. — This disease, (called also hydrothorax), is frequently the
sequel of pleurisy, and is the result of the inflamed condition of the large
surfaces of the covering of the heart and lungs. The absorbents are in-
adequate to the taking up of the abundant effusion, so that the chest is
filled, the lungs are pressed upon and death by suffocation follows.
How to know It. — The impaired appetite and chilliness of the ears and
legs which characterize the last stage of pleurisy, change when it is about
to assume a dropsical form, and the horse becomes more lively, his appe-
tite returns, his legs and ears become warm, the eyes look more cheerful,
and his manner is every way more encouraging. A few hours after this
first apparent improvement, however, the breathing becomes labored, the
muscles quiver and twitch, and the nostrils flap. The animal stands
with the legs wide apart, head low, or resting upon something, neck
stretched out, eyes staring, and the motion of the flanks increased, even
brought into forcible heaving action. The pulse is more frequent, but
small, irregular and fluttering ; and the nose, ears and legs become cold
again. His weakness rapidly increases, and if not relieved the animal
dies, sometimes within a week, though he may linger much longer.
The disease may be detected in its early stage, or immediately after the
horse has shown signs of relief from pleurisy, by placing the ear to the
chest, near the breast bone. If the dropsical effusion has set in, the ear
will detect no sound, nor will any be detected until the ear is placed high
up the shoulder or flank, past the middle of the ribs. Holding it here,
at the point where the breathing is first audible, and directing a slap to be
made on the other side with the open hand, the examiner will hear a dull,
splashing noise as though of disturbed water ; and there need be no
longer any doubt as to the nature of the case.
What to do. — In the first place adopt the use of diuretics and laxatives,
that the various organs may be assisted in carrying off the accumulated
fluid. For the first day give every six or eight hours, the following :
No. 46. 4 Drachms powdered nitrate of potash,
1 Fluid ounce tincture of cardamoms,
10 Oz. water.
Mix the potash and water, and when a clear solution is formed add the
tincture, and give from the bottle twice or thrice in the twenty-four hours.
316 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
On the second day, two or three times a day give :
'So. 47. 2 Fluid ounces solution of acetate of ammonia^
1 Oz. nitrous ether.
Mix with water and administer from the bottle.
If this treatment does not seem to be giving relief at the end of threw
to five days, draw off the liquid by tapping the chest. It is a simple and
safe operation and will give relief unless treatment has been too long de-
layed, so that there is an accumulation of substances that will obstruct
the mouth of the canula and prevent the flow of the liquid. The instru-
ment to be used, the trocar, armed with a stylet, must not be large, as
drawing off the water too suddenly would prove fatal. The smallest of
those made for human practice is large enough, but it must be of greater
length. Having the instrument, and that in good condition, select a place
behind and about on a level with the elbow, and take a small portion oi
skin, between the eighth and ninth ribs, which must be pulled forward.
Then make a narrow slit with a sharp knife upon the place which the
skin originally covered. Still holding the skin gathered forward, insert
the armed trocar into this opening and press it with such force as suffices
to push it gradually onward until resistance ceases. It is then within the^
cavity of the thorax, and the stilet must be ^vithdrawn, whereupon the
water usually begins to flow out. Take all the water you can get if the
horse will suffer so much to be withdrawn ; but if at any time during the
operation he shows signs of faintness, withdraw the trocar and let the
skin fly back. It is necessary always to have the skin drawn forward so
that on returning it may cover the wound lest the air may enter the chest
from the outside, which would prove quickly fatal. In an hour or two
after the first attempt a second may be made but the trocar must be in-
serted in a new place, as the first wound might be irritated by an effort
to re-insert the instrument.
There is sometimes apprehension lest this operation may injure an
artery by approaching too near the posterior border of a rib, but this is
groundless, as the artery is protected by the groove through which it
travels.
If the trocar is properly inserted, and no water flows, the case may b»
regarded as well nigh hopeless. A whalebone may be inserted to break
away the pus or whatever substance may line the thorax, but this is not
known to have ever resulted in any good.
If there is fluid on both sides, it should be drawn off on both sides at
the same time, to prevent pressure upon the delicate divisions of the
■ihest. The fluid is generally confined, however, to one side.
The operator should stay by the animal during the slow abstraction ol
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 317
the water, so that upon any sign of faintness he may withdraw the trocar
and prevent death through sudden collapse.
After the water is pretty thoroughly drawn off, be careful to give the
patient as much nourishing and carefully prepared food as he will con-
«ume ; and the following tonic ball should be administered night and
waorning for several times on alternate days :
No. 48. 1 Drachm iodide of irou,
>i Grain strychnia,
}i Drachm sulphate of zinc.
4 Drachms extract of gentian.
rV. Dropsy of the Skin of the Chest.
dauses. — This is an effusion of fluid underneath the sWin of the chest \
and it is a sequel to various diseases — beginning generally to manifest
itself only after the animal is reduced to a debilitated state. It is most
likely to occur in the Spring and in the Fall of the y^-ar, at the time of
changing the coat.
How to Know it. — A swelling appears on the ckiest and somewhat
between the forelegs ; and its dropsical character may be known by ita
yielding to pressure of the fingers with a fluctuating feeling.
What to do. — If it is the accompaniment of any more general disorder
the first thing, of course, is to remove that primary disease. Meanwhile
if the fluid accumulates in any considerable quantity, draw it off with the
trocar; and if there is not too much soreness, subject the part to regular
and moderately vigorous friction occasionally for some days.
Diuretics are always good in these dropsical complaints. No. 45 is
good. It is important that the bowels be kept regular, and that good
nutritious food, as boiled oats or boiled barley, with wheat bran, be given
regularly, and in sufficient quantity to nourish well. Give 4 drs. of
gentian every other day for a week or two.
It must be remembered that these medicines are to be given only m
case there is no treatment in progress for a more general disorder,
V. Dropsy of the Scrotnm.
Causes. — This is usually found in connection with dropsy of the abdo-
men, and arises from either local injury and consequent inflammation,
followed by effusion, or by sympathy from that cause which has produced
the general abdominal trouble.
How to Know it. — It is readily known by a chronic distension of the
part, except when mistaken for scrotal hernia or rupture, from which it
318 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
may be distinguished by its not passing back with a sudden movement,
■when pressed with the fingers, but with a steady current and gi'adual
diminution
What to do. — If it is associated with dropsy of the abdomen treat that
first, and until it is relieved, without which being done it is unnecessary
to attempt the cure of the more local and dependent disorder. In any
event, find out, if possible, and remove the primary cause. Next see to
it that the bowels of the patient are kept moderately active ; and as in
the case of dropsy of the abdomen, give sufficient of diuretic No. 45, to
act freely upon the kidneys.
If the fluid has accumulated in any considerable quantity, so as to
render the scrotum painful by distension, draw it off mth a fine armed
trocar, or a hypodermic syringe, and support the parts with an elastic
bandage.
VI. Dropsy of the Abdomen.
Causes. — This is a collection of water in the abdomen which is gener-
ally the result of chronic inflammation of the peritoneum, a tough, white
membrane which lines the abdomen and embraces the bowels in its folds.
"When this inflammation has assumed a chronic condition, the peritoneum
secretes a watery fluid, because of long obstructed circulation, which fills
the cavity, and unless attended to will finally cause death.
Frequently it follows injuries of the abdominal walls, when the perito-
neum has been subjected to violence, and is associated with local inflam-
mation of the muscular tissues, from which effusion is directed inward.
Sometimes it arises from obstructed circulation caused by diseases of
the liver, lungs or heart, and again from a poor, watery state of the
blood, superinduced by exhaustion or by scanty and innutritions food.
It is more frequently found in old than in young and vigorous animals.
How to know it. — Generally, a low state of health precedes the more
unmistakal)le manifestations ; there is thirst and loss of appetite ; the
pulse is hard and small ; the membrane of the nose is pale ; the mouth
is dry ; the head droops ; there is a condition of weakness and languor ;
and there are some signs of heart and liver diseases ; pressure upon the
abdomen is so painful as to cause a groan. Sometimes there is local
dropsy of the sheath, legs and breast, as well as of the belly. The
bowels are apt to be constipated, but are sometimes irregular ; and the
coat is loose and staring.
When the water has begun to fill the cavity, the horse manifests a de-
sire to lie down and remain long in one position ; there is a gradual
enlargement of the abdomen, and as the fluid increases there is increased
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 31f
difficulty in breathing. In the chronic stages of the disease, the progress
is slow ; but the belly becomes more and more baggy ; and in some in-
stances the hair of the tail comes away easily or drops out, showing that
the skin and capillary glands of that part of the body are affected.
The presence of water, when it has collected in any considerable quan-
tity, may be detected by placing the ear to the abdomen and having some
one slap the horse on the opposite side with the open palm.
In mares, this enlargement of the belly is sometimes mistaken for a
pregnant condition ; but it may be readily distinguished by a fluctuating
feeling which follows a pressure upon the parts with the fingers, a sort of
fluid motion, as of water forcibly displaced.
What to do. — If it is known to proceed from local injuries, or from
diseases of the vital organs, it is scarcely necessary to adopt any course
of treatment, unless, indeed, the primary disease can itself be removed;
but when it depends upon inflammation of the peritoneum, or when it
results from bad or deficient food and unwholesome surroundings, place
the horse in a good, dry and well-ventilated stall, feed him generously,
Mud give him the following tonic ball, night and morning :
No. 49^ 1 Oz. powdered digitalis,
}i Oz. sulphate of iron.
Mix with mucilage and a spoonful of linseed meal to form a ball of
sufficient firmness for handling.
It is important that the kidneys should be kept active, and the follow-
ing diuretic must be used for that purpose :
Noo 50. 2 Pounds soap,
2 Pounds nitrate of potash,
3 Pounds rosin,
2 Pounds Venice turpentine,
yi Pint oil of turpentine,
Melt the soap and rosin slowly together, and stir in the other ingredi-
ents while the former mixture is cooling. Make it into 2-ounce balls
with linseed meal, and give one at a time as often as necessary to keep
up a somewhat copious action of the kidneys.
If at any time the water accumulates in a great quantity, drav it off
by means of a fine trocar, plunged into the most dependent or lowest
part of the distended abdomen.
CHAPTER V.
PISEASES OF THE THBOAT, CHEST AND LUNGS.
CHK8fT-rOUND«R. -- — ir. BRONCHITIS. III. PNKUMONIA, OR INFLAMMATIOii OF THB
LUNGS. IV. CONSUMPTION, V. PLEURISY. VI. COLDS. VU. ENLARGED GLANDS.
VIII. SWELLED THROAT, OR LARYNGITIS. IX. CHRONIC COUGH. X. MALIGNANT
EPIDEMIC. XI. DIFFICULTY OP BREATHING. XII. BROKEN WIND, — BELLOWS, — »
HEAVES. XIII. INFLUENZA. XIV. PINK EYE. XV. BLEEDING FROM THE NOSE.
XVI. STRANGLES. XVII. SPASMODIC ACTION OF THE GLOTTIS AND EPIGLOTTIS.
I. Chest-Pounder.
This when it is not soreness of the muscles from hard work, is rheu-
matism in its acute form. Sometimes it is caused by lesion, or straining
of the muscles or the tendons connected with them.
Causes- — It may be brought on by suddenly allowing the horse to
become chilled after heating, giving large drafts of cold water when
warm, or driving him into cold water up to his belly when heated.
How to know it. — The horse is dull ; his coat may be staring ; he
is stiff, and moves unwillingly. Sometimes the soreness extends to the
limbs ; usually does from sympathy. There is fever in the parts affected
and accelerated pulse, the latter from 70 to 80 beats in a minute. Also,
sometimes profuse sweating and heaving at the flanks, but the legs will
remain warm. The parts affected may be more or less swollen, but
always tender to the touch.
What to do. — Clothe the horse warmly, and put him where he may
be kept so. If the animal is fat, and full of blood ; if there is evident
determination of blood, bleed moderately, say a pint from the neck vein.
320
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
321
We never, however, advise bleeding, except by a veterinary surgeon or
physician who knows his business. Wash the throat in warm salt and
water. Relieve the bowels as soon as possible by an injection of soap
suds, if the rectum be impacted. Give as a laxative 4 drachms Barbae
does aloes. Pulverize and mix into a ball with molasses and linseed meal
to form a mass or give the following :
No. 51.
>i Oz. ground ginger,
1 Drachm tartar emetic,
1 Pint salt and water.
Mix and give as warm as the horse can swallow it. As a rule the
horse being thoroughly physicked will get better ; if not, apply a mild
blister.
No. 62.
1 Oz. powdered cantharidea,
8 Oz. lard oil.
Heat to blood heat and mix thoroughly. Shave the hair from tha
breast, wash with warm vinegar and apply the mixture rubbing it well in.
When the blisters rise dress with a plaster of mutton tallow.
A FIT SUBJBCT FOR FOUNDER OR BRONCHITIS.
n. Bronchitis.
Causes. — Exposure of a heated and steaming hcrse to chill, or orer
•xertion, and leaving the horse in the stable, when the system is quite
relaxed. Ridins: to town and leaving a horse in the cold and wind while
the owner is making himself comfortable. There is first a cold, enlarged
glands and swelled throat. The inflammation extends down from the
522
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
larynx through the trachea into the bronchial tubes and air passages trf
the lungs, and ends sometimes in confirmed and incurable bronchitis.
How to know it. — In the acute stage there is difficulty and rapidity
of breathing, from the filling of the membranes with blood and the con
sequent diminishing of the size of the tube. After a time mucus is
formed and increases the difficulty of breathing and causes a cough. The
pulse will be 60 or 70 beats per minute ; the cough will become hard and
dry, and the sound in the throat will be rattling, and after the secretion
of mucus a gurgling sound will be given similar to that made in blowing
soap bubbles. In extreme cases the breathing becomes extremely labori-
ous, the cough is constant and distressing, the legs are extended, and at
length the animal dies of suffocation.
A H0R3B DRBSSED FOR BRONCHITIS.
What to do. — The first step is to find the extent of the inflammation.
Never bleed. Clothe the animal warmly and give an injection of warm
water to relieve the bowels. Avoid all strong purgatives. In fact, givb
none unless the bowels are decidedly bound up. Let the food be soft and
laxative, green grass in Summer, or mashes and gruels in Winter. For the
throat, scalded soft hay, fastened by means of the eight tailed bandages,
will be good. Wash the neck and chest with a weak decoction of tobacco
as hot as it can be borne. When dry, shave the hair from the chest and
apply a blister of better strength than that advised for chest founder
The following will be good :
No. 53.
1 Ounce powdered cantharides,
1 Ounce powdered resin,
4 Ounces lard oil.
Melt the resin and lard together, with just sufficient heat to melt xxm
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 32S
reein. Add the cantharides and stir until it sets together. Apply to the
chest and throat if the case is desperate. If only irritation is desired the
following will be good :
No. 54 4 Ounces lard oil,
1 Ounce turpentine, -*
6 Drachms powdered cantharides.
Shave the hair and apply by rubbing in.
For the body prepare a strong cloth as shown on preceding page. Get
two pieces of flannel three yards long and the full width of the fabric,
also four pieces half a yard long and a foot wide. Saturate one of the
pieces with cold water, fold, and apply near the top of the back, equally
on each side. Two of the smaller pieces are to be saturated with water
and laid along the sides of the chest, fasten the jacket at the back so as
to hold all snug. When the flannels are warm remove them and replace
immediately with others. So continue for two or three hours as the case
may be, and then allow them to remain until the animal is pretty well
recovered.
In very aggravated cases of congestion give every half hour until the
pulse regains its tone, and then at longer intervals, reduced at last to
once a day, the following :
iTo. 55. 1 Ounce sulphuric ether,
1 Ounce laudanunqu
1 Pint water.
At the third dose discontinue if the effect required is not produced and
give the following :
No. 56. yi Drachm of solid belladonna,
y^ Pint of warm water.
Rub down the belladonna with the warm water. Give this exclusivelr
every hour until the pulse is better, then withdraw half the laudanum and n<l<)
half a drachm of belladonna to the drink first recommended (No. 55), rc-
suming it as directed. Let the food be thick gruel of oatmeal, boikd
potatoes, and oatmeal and bran mashes. Give no dry, and especially no
dirty food. When the animal begins to recover so as to eat whole grain,
grass and hay, let them be especially freed from dust, and let them be
given moistened, until the horse be perfectly recovered
If the disease is to terminate fatally, the pulse will grow quick and
tremulous. In drawing the breath the body will quiver, showing increas-
ing difficulty and pain. The membrane of the nose becomes of a blui'^'i
tint with frothy blood and purulent matter about the nostrils. The
21
524
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
respiration, will become more and more difficult, and the cough mocA
distressing, and continuing until a quantity of fluid matter is ejected from
the nostrils, only again and again to be resumed. Thus the animal suffers
Jind dies, or else slowly recovers, remaining through life with the cough
•f incurable bronchitis.
A COUGH OP INCURABLE BKONCHITIS.
in. Pneumonia, or Inflammation of the Lungs.
This may follow acute congestion of the lungs, this being really it»
first stage, though often not noticed, by the ordinary observer, as such.
But congestion may occur in its sudden and fatal form from overtaxing
a fat horse, or one otherwise out of condition. Suppose from hard
driving or hard riding he hangs heavily on the bit ; droops and staggers j
A CASE OF CONGESTION.
If not pulled up he may fall ; or getting to the stable he stands witt
dilated nostrils, extended head, quick, convulsive or labored breathing,
eyes staring and bloodshot, his nasal membrane deep red or blue, an|
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
32a
pulse rapid and weak ; if in putting the ear to the chest there is a loud
respiratory murmur with crepitation (a peculiar slight cracking sound) ;
if the heart, as felt behind the left elbow, is beating tumultuously ; if
the limbs are cold, with persj^iration breaking out on different parts of
the body, there is no time to lose. In extreme cases bleed at once from
the neck vein. The blood will be turbid, dark, almost jelly-like in very
bad cases.
Eemove everything from the animal that may impede breathing, and
allow him plenty of fresh air. Give an active stimulant, the easiest to
be had ; whisky, four or five ounces, or a tumbler full in a half pint of
water. If this cannot be had give an ounce of ground ginger in a pint
of water, or a half ounce of oil of turpentine in half a tumbler of
water. Give also warm water injections to relieve the bowels, and also
active hand rubbing of the legs to promote circulation to the surface,
while the body is enveloped in blankets wrung out of hot water, and
covered with dry ones. If the patient does not soon recover under this
treatment the case will be one of pneumonia.
How to know it. — If the disease does not succeed to the symptoms we
have just described, those of acute congestion, there will be a chill with
shivering, and generally a dry cough, but deep as though from the chest.
There will be a hot skin, indicating fever, quick-labored breathing, a full
but oppressed pulse. The membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth will
be red, and as the disease advances a yellowish or whitish matter will
come from the nostrils. The horse will always stand with the legs wide
apart ; so will the ox in bad cases,
and the latter will moan with each ex-
piration of the breath. Generally
the ox will lie down. There will be
crepitation of the lungs about the
seat of the disease, and a more than
normal murmur upon applying the
ear. By percussion, striking the af-
fected parts, there will be flinching
and even groaning, but except at the
seat of the disease the chest will re-
tain its healthy sound, while the dis-
eased parts will sound dull and solid.
Thus, by the ear, and sounding by
the hand, the progress of the solidi-
fication of the lungs may be followed from day to day.
What to do. — Under the advice of a veterinary surgeon or physician,
blood may be drawn. If none such are near, if the animal be young ani'
THB POSITION ASSUMED BY THE HOR8S
DUBINO AN ATTACK OF PNKUMONIA.
526 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
plethoric, blood may be drawn in the earlier stages. Place the animal In
a loo?* box stall, with plenty of ventilation to the stable. If the bowels
are costive, loosen them by injections of warm water. Bandage th*
limbs to keep them warm, and give the body such clothing as the neces-
lities of the case seem to require. Let the food be simple, laxative an(i
cooling. Bran mashes, boiled carrots, linseed meal, soft sweet hay. Do
not check diarrhoea or profuse staling ; it is an effort of nature to relieve
the system. If there is fever, give plenty of water. If there is swift
pulse and oppression of the lungs, give 20 to 30 drops of tincture of
aconite in half a pint of water, or 1 to 2 drachms of tincture of veratrum
in water every two hours. If under this treatment the system becomes
depressed, and it must be watched, discontinue. If the pulse falls — ^if
there is trembling sweats, and a peculiar anxious expression in the eyes,
discontinue. If there is great exhaustion, give moderate doses of whisky,
but discontinue it unless good effects are seen. If there is much weak-
ness, give two drachms each of camphor and of carbonate of ammonia,
made into a ball with molasses and linseed meal, twice a day. In the
case of considerable congestion, strong mustard poultices will be indi-»
cated, to be applied to the chest ; or in extreme cases, blister.
In the case of cattle, the same general treatment should be followed.
Double the quantity of aconite and ammonia should be given. As a rule,
cattle require more than the horse; and in giving medicine to cattle it
must trickle down the throat, in order that it may not pass into the first
stomach.
In this disease symptoms must be watched. Good nursing is of espe-
cial value, and as the animal begins to recover, give soft and easily
digestible food, and assist the system if necessary with wine, ale or
whisky in very light doses.
IV. Consumption.
This hereditary affection is much more common in the West than is
generally supposed. More common in cattle and even in sheep and
swine than in horses. In horses it is comparatively rare. The disease
may be communicated to healthy animals by inoculation, and by eating
the raw flesh of diseased animals, and it may also be superinduced in an-
imals predisposed to the disease by local inflammation ; so also the germs
nay be received in milk, when the disease has invaded the mammary
glands of the cow. Deep milking cattle with narrow horns, thin necka
and narrow chests are especially predisposed to the disease. Tubercles
may be developed in any part of the body, even, in rare cases, the bones
and muscles ; the lungs, the spleen, the liver, the paflcreas, the ovaries
and the kidneys are the usual seats of the disease.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 327
Causes. —Badly constructed and illy ventilated stables ; moving from a
^arm to a cold climate ; exposure to cold and wet ; or any thing which
tends to lower the health in a predisposed animal will bring on the disease.
How to Know it. — The disease may be acute, carrying off the animal,
sometimes, in a few weeks. It is generally chronic. The attack is insid<»
lous, tubercles often being formed before danger is suspected. There is
a general dullness and loss of spirit, tenderness of the withers, back, loins,
and of the walls of the chest. In cattle the nose will often be dry, show-
ing fever ; the ears and horns will be hot ; the skin loses its elasticity and
pliant quality. The heat of the body may go up to 102 degi*ees ; the
pulse is weak but accelerated, and there is a slight, dry, but not frequent
cough ; the lymphatic glands about the throat may be enlarged and there
may be swelling of the joints. If the chest is sounded there may be
heard a murmuring sound hoarser than natural, if it be listened for just
ovel the lower end of the wind pipe or in the chest. As the disease ad-
vances, the eyes become more and more smiken, the skin becomes more
and more hide bound, the hair is dry and erect. If the bowels are
involved there will be more or less scouring, and if the lungs are prin-
cipally affected there will be swelling and lameness, labored breathing,
exhaustion and profuse perspiration occurrmg uj)on the slightest exercise.
There will be temporary windy distention of the stomach after feeding,
and the appetite fails. The cough increases with rattling, the discharge
at first light, increases. There is crepitation (a rattling or snapping
«ound) of the lungs, with a whirring or gurgling of the chest, and percus-
sion gives a dull sound, with wincing when the parts covering them are
handled. So if tubercles are formed in the liver, pancreas, or kidneys it
will show the involvement of these parts. Recoveries are rare. Occasion-
ally calcification of the tubercles occurs in animals naturally of a strong
constitution, but the disease usually ends in death.
What to do. — A cure is scarcely ever accomplished. The symptoms
may be mitigated. The animal must have dry, pure air, plenty of sun-,
shine, Summer and Winter, and be protected from sudden changes, and
must be kept warm. The food should be light and digestible, good grass
in Summer and ground food with linseed meal and roots in Winter. In
the early stages of the disease four to five drachms of gentian may be
given daily in the food, at two or three doses, alternated with two drachm*
of sulphate of iron as a tonic. As an expectorant, and diaphoretic, give
occasionally three to four ounces flowers of sulphur every other day, or
once in three days, or to act on the skin and as a diuretic, the following:
JTo. 67. 2 Ounces of flowers of sulphur.
2 To 3 three drachms powdered resm.
3!28 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Mix and give a dose daily until the effect is produced ; and afterwards
as needed. As an antiseptic (to counteract putresence) the fumes of
burning sulphur would be indicated.
How to Prevent. — From Avhat we have written the owner will under-
stand the difficulty attending the treatment of this disease, and also its
dangerous character in the case of cattle. The flesh and milk it is better
not to use at all, although danger can be destroyed by the most thorough
cooking. Using consumptive animals as breeders, or selling the milk of
consumptive animals should not be thought of. Drainage, good pastur-
age, a warm, sunny location for the stables and yards, care against all
chronic and debilitating diseases, good, liberal feeding, especially when
animals are giving milk, the prompt removal of all consumptive animals
from pastures and buildings, and the thorough fumigation of the latter is
recommended.
V. Pleurisy.
This is an inflammation of the membrane lining of the chest and
covering of the lungs. It is common to all domestic animals, in exposed
situations and those liable to rheumatism. The pleura is one of the serous
membranes, those lining close cavities, as the chest, abdomen and joints.
In health they are insensible to us, but under the effects of inflammation
the most sensitive and painful possible. Since every inspiration and
expiration of the breath moves these membranous linings upon each other,
Ave can at once see the extreme anguish it must occasion. If relief is
not soon obtained the disease quickly ends in death.
How to know Pleurisy. — There will be some alternations of shivering
followed by heat of the skin, sometimes extending to the limbs. There
will be localized sweating and congestion of the muscles. If confined to
one side the foot of that side will be extended. The animal will look at
the flank, lie down, rise again, and there will be general uneasiness indi-
cative of pain. The pulse will be quick and hard, seeming to strike the
finger under the comi)ression. There will be inclination to cough, but
which the animal will fear to exercise. The cough is not always present,
but when so, is always suppressed, short and hacking. The breathing
will be hurried, but apparently confined to the abdominal nmscles, the
inspiration short and checked, but the expiration slow and prolonged.
In pneumonia and bronchitis there is often intense redness of the
nose, in pleurisy less. There is no nasal discharge and the heat of the
breath is not so great as in pneumonia. After effusion of serum (fluid
matter or water) into the cavity of the chest ensues, which may be in 24
©r 36 hours, the pulse becomes soft, and the animal seems better. If
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. S2h
the effusion is re-absorbed the animal will recover. If not, the pulse
loses its full tone, and again becomes hard and quick. The breathing is
again difficult and attended with lifting of the flank and loin. The nose
and head is extended, the nostrils are dilated, with signs of suifocation.
The pulse at length becomes weak, thrilling at each beat until at length
the animal wavers, staggers, falls and dies.
An attack of pleurisy is often taken by those unacquainted with the
disease for spasmodic colic. This error, if made, will probably be fatal
to the animal affected. In colic the pulse is natural at the commence-
ment, and the paroxysms of pain are of short duration. In pleurisy the
artery is thin, the pulsations seem to strike the fingers, but the stroke is
*hort. The pain is continuous, the body hot, but the feet generally cold.
What to do. — The same general care as in bronchitis and inflammation
of the lungs is to be observed. If there is a chill, wrap the horse com-
pletely in blankets wrung out of hot water, and cover with dry ones.
When removed, do so a little at a time, rubbing dry, and re-clothe warmly.
If iaken in its earliest stage, give :
No. 58. >i Ounce laudanum,
^ Pint linseed oil.
This will often prove effective ; if not, repeat the dose in a few hours
For an ox, give double this dose. If the symptoms increase, apply a
strong mustard poultice to the side of the chest, or a blister. No. 53
may be applied to the chest. The bowels should be kept mod-erately
open. If effusion of water takes place, give 6 drachms of acetate of
potassa once or twice a day in a pail of water. The following will be
found excellent in place of the last named remedy, if there is weakness
*nd a rapid pulse (70 to 80), and scanty urine :
¥0. 59. K Ounce tincture of chloride of iron,
}i pail water.
Give as a drink twice daily.
The effusion of water not jdelding, the chest may be tapped with a
trochar. Divide the skin with a lancet, between the eighth and ninth
rib and near the lower end. Be careful the air does not enter. Draw
•ff only a part of the water if it produces a shock. In this, one should
have the advice of a veterinarian. Repeat in 24 to 48 hours. The ani-
mal should be kept up with sulphate of iron, two drachms, twice a day,
in water, with stimulants and easily digestible and nutritious food.
It is absolutely necessary, after effusion of water has taken place, that
the urine should be passed freely to assist absorption. To this end th«
following will be indicated :
330 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 90. 1 Drachm iodide of potassium,
1 Drachm carbonate of ammonia,
^ Ounce powdered gentian.
Give twice a day as a drench in a quart of "water, or as a ball mixed
with linseed meal and molasses.
VI. Colds.
Colds in horses, as in the human family, are usually the result of im-
proper care or undue exposure. Taking a horse from a hot, illy ventii*
ated stable, and allowing him after driving to become cold, is one prolific
cause of colds. There are so many means of causing this disability that
it would be impossible to enumerate them. If the attack is light, all that
will be necessary will be to clothe the animal warmly and relax the bowels
with a warm mash, and give rest for a few days.
Sometimes, however, the attack is prolonged
and severe. The ajipetite ceases, the coat rough-
ens, parts of the body are hot and others cold, the
membrane of the nose at first dry and pale,
with the facial sinuses clogged, at length termi-
nates in a discharge more or less great, but with-
out improving the health of the horse.
What to do. — Keep the animal warmly clothed,
in ample box stall, with plenty of bedding. If
A horse's HEAD WITH COLD, the coM docs uot give way in a few days after
the first attack, and the symptoms are as we have
indicated, or if the membranes of the nose are dry, make a sack of
coarse gunny cloth, large enough so it may fit the nose properly, but en-
largfins: to the bottom, and two feet or more long, with a slit covered with
a flap in the side, half way down. Put into the bag half a peck or more
of coarse pine sawdust with which half an ounce of spirits of turpentine
has been thoroughly mixed. Place the bag on the nose as shown in
the cut on next page.
Turn two gallons of hot water in the slit, and every twenty minutes
repeat, allowing the bag to remain on an hour each time, use this six
times a day until the discharge begins. When water runs freely from
the nose, three times daily will be enough. Let the food be good scalded
oats or other like food, with mashes if the bowels are constipated.
An animal with this kind of a cold should not be put to steady work
until entirely recovered. The result of protracted cold is great weakness,
and work before recovery often leads to disease of the air passages and
lungs. If there is much fever give the following :
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
331
ITo. «1.
2 Drachms spirits of ammonia,
2 Drachms ether.
Mix and give in :i little gruel, (say 1-2 pint,) twice a day. If the throat
is involved poultice it with linseed meal in which a little mustard has been
mixed. When the symptoms give way and improvement begins, or if
the appetite is not good prepare the following :
No. 62.
2 Ounces powdered gentian,
2 Ounces carbonate of ammonia.
Form this into a mass, with linseed oil and molasses, divided into eight
parts and give one twice each day. If the cold becomes chronic it ends
in catarrh. When there are catarrhal symptoms and sore throat give the
following :
No. 63.
1 Drachm extract of belladonna,
2 Drachms ipecac,
2 Drachms powdered camphor,
4 Drachms nitre.
Mix into a ball with linseed oil, and give one
every three or four hours. In inveterate or chron-
ic cold there is discharge, and swelling of the lym-
j)hatic gland. We have already shown how glan-
ders ma}^ be known.
..^ ^^^'■^~:
HSAD WITH LYMPHATIC GLAND
OF THE THROAT SWOLLEN.
1— The enlarged lymphatic within
the jaw.
KOSS BAO FOR STEAMIN»
HORSE WITH COLD,
We give a cut show-
ing the enlargement
of the lymphatic
^land in chronic
icold. In case the
horse gets cold it is
better that he be ex-
amined by a competent
veterinary surgeon,
(not by a quack,) in order to be sure the disease is not glanders.
Vn. Enlarged Glands— Goitre.
There are various glands in the throat that are subject to enlargement
from disease, and which remain permanent after the disease is passed.
This result is generally more unsightly as a blemish than as a real disa-
bility. Goitre, however, is a disease peculiar to some limestone regions,
producing in animals as in man a swelling of the thyroid gland. In some
portions of the East it is quite prevalent, producing extensive enlarge-
'S32 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
ments in lambs. It also attacks cattle and swine. In solid-hoofed anl-
nials, as in the horse, there may be a swelling on either side ; in others it
is in the center just below the roots of the jaws. For all enlargements
of the glands, tincture of iodine will disperse the swelling if it may be
possible. In l^ronchocele or goitre, rainwater only should be given to
drink ; iodine in doses of ten grains daily may be given on an empty
stomach, and the swelling may be painted with the tincture. This to bo
persisted in for months. Another remedy that has been successful, is
the following :
No. 64. >i Drachm iodide of potassium,
1 Drachm liquor potassae,
^ Pint rainwater.
Mix, and give as a dose night and morning, using the tincture of iodine
on the goitre.
Vm. Swelled Throat, or Laryngitis.
Causes. — Foul stables or any cause producing colds, catarrhs, etc. It
Is sometimes divided professionally into laryngitis and pharyngitis, but
practically they are one — inflammation of the air and food passages of
the neck, generally accompanied with cough, difficulty in swallo\ving
and fever.
How to Know it. — The animal is dull. The head is carried in a peculiar
manner, as though the neck were stiff. There is a short, frequent
cough, the breath is hurried, the pulse full and throbbing, and the mem-
branes of the nasal passages are high colored, almost scarlet. There
will be a hoarse sound, approaching to a grunt, at each breath taken, if
the ears are held against the animal's wind-pipe. Externally there is
more or less enlargement over the region of the larynx, the enlargement
of the windpipe next the throat. Handling the throat seems to produce
extreme pain.
What to do. — Reduce the pulse at once by doses of tincture of
aconite in a wine glass full of water, repeated every half hour. Plac©
the steam ing-bag on the nose, as recommended for colds. Keep it em-
ployed almost constantly, for there may be danger of strangulation. If
the steaminjr seems to distress the animal, omit it, or use it onlv oca-
sionally, and soak soft hay in boiling water and apply to the throat as
hot as can be borne. Bandage and fasten with the eight-tailed bandage
previously described. Or, ferment the throat with cloths wrung out of
hot mustard water. If there is difficulty in swallowing, put a tea-
•poonf ul of the following well back on the tongue several times a day •
THE HOBSE, ITS DISEASES.
Ho. am, 1 Ounce powdered guaiacum,
4 Ounces powdered chlorate of potash,
}i Pint of molasses.
Do not in administering anything, force the jaws wide apart. Act as
gently as possible. If the animal is feverish and the throat hot and dry,
give three times a day, in a pint of cold linseed tea, the following :
No. 66. 1 Drachm powdered ipecac,
1 Ounce solution of acetate of ammonia.
In case the disease becomes chronic, the following excitant to the
throat will be indicated ;
No. 67. 1 Part oil of turpentine,
1 Part solution of ammonia,
i 1 Part olive oil.
Mix, shake the bottle before using, and rub well in on the throat every-
day. If this does not relieve, apply the following blister :
No. 68. 1 Drachm croton oil,
1 Drachm sulphuric ether,
10 Drachms alcohol.
Mix, and apply by rubbing with considerable friction.
A. HOBSB Wixa THE THBOAT BLISTEBBD. •* SETON IN THE THROAT OF A HOBSE.
When the symptoms become more favorable, by the membranes of th©
nose becoming pale or more natural in color; by the cough becoming
more free, or louder, easier and with less violent breathing, and by the
appearance of a white and thick discharge from the nostrils, put a seton
in the throat, (see cut,) and allow nothing but moist and succulent food.
Move the seton daily until healthy pus (matter) is formed. Then cut
one of the knots and withdraw it, and as the horse recovers allow drier
food — hay and grain — but that entirely free from dust. See that no
stones or grit are in the oats, and soak for five or six hours before feed-
ing. In this, as in diseases where the throat is more or less sore, the
IvK^e may quid his food. This is not a symptom of laryngitis as is some-
534
ILLvJSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
times supposed, but known to all diseases where there is obstruction n
•wallowins^.
IX. Chronio Cough.
A UORSB QCIDDING.
There are many cases of long standing or
chronic cough. Cough is an attendant upon
so many disorders of the air passages, from
the most trivial difficulty in teething to glan-
ders, that a cough should not be overlooked
in the diagnose of diseases. And so many
diseases leave the patient with chronic cough,
that its symptomatic stages should be care-
fully observed.
Coughing tends generally to a thickening of the membranes. When
the membrane covering the larynx becomes thickened, and consequently
morbidly sensitive, the cough becomes fixed or what is termed chronic.
The sense of smell in the nose is peculiarly acute, and the membranes
of the nose and throat, as a matter of course, are fully as sensitive. We
have said, "the limbs and feet are half the horse ; the lungs the test of
his endurance." Yet nine in ten of the stables in which horses are kept
are offensive to man and irritate the air passages when first entered. Yet
the sense of smell in man is not very acute, except in a few directions.
A stable therefore, offensive to man is not a fit place for horses to bo
kept, where the lungs constitute one of the principal excellencies of the
animal.
THK ACT OF COUGHING.
The cough which accompanies the several diseases of which this rol-
nme treats, will be described in the treatment of the diseases themselves.
In this article chronic cough will be treated, the cough that is always
Present in eating, drinking and inhaling a cold draught of air, or from
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 335
any cause of excitement, requiring long and careful nursing for their
cure. The chronic cough, resulting from colds, is hard and metallic.
For this, the following will be good, to be rubbed on the throat and
mround the windpipe, once in ten days :
No. 69. 15 Drops croton oil,
1 Ounce glycerine,
«
Give twice a day, for a week, the following :
No. 70. 40 Drops diluted prussic acid,
1 Ounce niter,
1 Ounce bicarbonate of soda,
1 Quart water.
If this does not give relief, the following, valuable for irritable chronic
«ough, the result of influenza or sore throat, may be used :
No. 71. 1 Ounce Fowler's solution of arsenic,
1 Ounce chlorate of potash,
1 Drachm belladona.
Give once a day in water pr gi-uel and note results, ceasing after a
week or ten days, if no improvement ensues. For cough and sore throaty
when first discovered, take :
No. 72. 1 Drachm powdered camphor,
1 Drachm extract belladona,
2 Ounces sweet spirits niter.
Give in a pint of cold gruel three times a day. Tar-water is well known '
to be valuable in obstinate coughs. Give every morning as a drink, the
following :
No. 73. 1 Drachm powdered squills,
>i Pint tar-water,
}i Pint lime-water.
If the cough is violent, use as a sedative, the following :
No. li. 1 Drachm dilute prussic acid,
2 Drachms powdered opium,
4 Drachms niter.
Mix in a pint of linseed tea and give from five to six table-spoonfuls
three times a day.
Expectorants, calculated to loosen the cough and restore the secretions
to their natural conditions, do not act so kindly as could be wished on
farm animals. For a long standing cough, try the following :
836 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 75. 1 Drachm aloes,
1 Drachm squills,
'2 Drachms gum ammoniacum.
Mix into a ball with meal and give once a day in the morning. If the
cough is irritable and easily excited, and the bowels natural, omit the
aloes and substitute for it one drachm of opium.
For a cold settled in the chest, with cough, give every morning th«
following :
No. 76. 1 Drachm ipecac,
1 Drachm liquorice powder,
>i Ounce nitrate of ammonia.
Add tar, the size of a hazel-nut and mix with molasses to form a ball.
AH coughs resulting from indigestion or worms, and some of those
resulting from irritation of the passages of the throat, are often cured
by turning the horse out in Summer where he may have free range on the
prairie, where resin weed grows plentifully. A long standing cough,
however, requires time, and the operator must use judgment in adminiS'^
tering medicine. If he be a veterinary surgeon he will make up his mind
from various symptoms. The farmer should endeavor carefully to do
the same.
X. Malignant Epidemic.
Under this head the older veterinarians were accustomed to term
several diseases that sweeping over a country became unusuall}'^ prevalent
or fatal. Thus Dr. Layard and Ohmer long ago wrote of malignant
epidemic, probably a severe form of catarrhal fever, or epidemic catarrh,
and also known as influenza distemper, malignant epidemic, murrain,
pest, etc.
Youatt describes a malignant disease occurring in 1714 in England,
imported from the continent and destroying in the course of a few months
70,000 horses and cattle. Professor Bruquon, of Turin, says of this
disease, that it commenced with loss of appetite, staring coat, a wild and
wandering look, and a staggering from t]ie very commencement. The
horse would (-ontinually lie down and get up again, as if tormented hy
colic ; and he gazed alternately at both flanks. In moments of compar*
ative ease there were universal twitchings of the skin and spasms of tha
limbs. The temperature of the ears and feet was variable. If there
happened to be about the animal any old wound or scar from setoning or
firing, it opened afresh and discharged a quantity of thick and black
blood. Very shortly afterward the flanks, which were quiet before, begap
to heave, the nostrils were dilated, the head extended for breath. The
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 337
horse had, by this time become so weak that, if he lay, or fell dowu, he
could rise no more ; or, if he was up, he would stand trembling, stagger-
ing, and threatening to faL every moment. The mouth was dry, the
tongue white and the breath fetid ; a discharge of yellow or fetid matter
proceeded from the nose and fetid matter from the anus. The duration
of the disease did not exceed twelve or twenty-four hours ; or if th«
animal lingered on swellings of the head and throat and sheath and
scrotum followed, and he died exhausted, or in convulsions.
Black spots — extravasation — were found in cellular membrane, in the
tissue of all the membranes, and on the coats of the stomach. The
mesenteric and lymphatic glands were engorged, black and gangrenous.
The membrane of the nose and pharynx were highly injected, the lungs
were filled with black and frothy blood, or with black and livid spots.
The brain and its meninges were unaltered.
y.I. Diflaculty of Breathing. .
From whatever source this may arise, whether from some disorgan-
ization, or change in the lungs, or obstruction in the air passages ; what-
ever the obstruction be, it must first be traced to its cause before good
can be done. This is sometimes not eas}^ to do ; the owner must act
with judgment. Thick wind often follows pneumonia, and is caused by
closing or obliteration (hepatization) of a portion of the lungs. If it does
not pass away after the disease which preceded it is entirely cured, it may
be mitigated by feeding the animal on sound oats, entirely freed from
dust, giving but little hay, that moistened, and avoiding any food that is
dusty. Mashes and carrots in Winter suificient to keep the bowels prop-
erly open, and turning on prairie pasture in Summer will be indicated.
Roaring has rendered nearly useless many valuable horses in England j
in the United States horses are not subject to it. It is said to be pro^
duced by obstruction in some part of the respiratory canal, most often in
the larynx and next in the trachea. Thus chronic cough sometimes ter-
minates in roaring. In this country heaves is the most usual termination.
Xn. Brokeia Wind ; Bellows ; Heaves.
Causes. — Broken wind is the result both of disease of the lungs and
riolent exertions. Feeding on dusty hay and grain are prolific sources of
the disease. Where no clover hay is used, the disease is rare. It is
mainly confined to horses that have arrived at maturity. A horse fed for
days and weeks on dusty hay, and then driven hard, will exhibit heaves,
unless his lungs and digestion are extraordinary. This disease is usiially
knoAvn in the South under the name of bellows, and in the ^ ^rth a*
heaves, either of them expressive of the disease.
338 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
How to know it. — Broken wind is nearly allied to asthma in man, but
is more continuous in its action a)id less liable to occur in paroxysms.
At each breath there will be a two-fold motion of the flank, caused by a
falling in of the abdominal walls, causing the flank to lift, then after a
perceptible interval a rising of the back part of the belly assists in freeing
the lungs of air. There is a short, dry cough, sometimes almost inaudi-
ble, followed by whirring. When the horse is moved suddenly, or driven
hard, when a draught of cold water is given, or the animal is suddenly
brought into the cold air, the spells will occur. Indigestion is almost
always present, and as a consequence of flatulency of the bowels. The
appetite is ravenous and unnatural ; eating the litter given for bedding, is
one of the many exhibitions of it.
What to do. — There is no permanent cure for this disability. The
symptoms and distress may be alleviated by giving only sound grain and
bright, hard stalked hay, free from dust. Prairie hay with plenty of
resin leaf in it is the best ; next, clean cured corn-stalks. But little water
should be allowed at a time, and not more than 6 to 8 pounds of hay,
daily, and this given at night, the provender being confined as much a»
possible to gi-ain and grass in Summer, and grain, bran-mashes and car
rots or potatoes in Winter.
This will enable many broken-winded horses to do a fair amount ol
work with comparative comfort. In any event, a horse inclined to be
thick-winded in any degree, should never be tightly checked up, nor
above all, be driven by pulling in the head, causing undue bearing either
of the curb or snaffle on the jaw.
The animal should be allowed to hold its head
in the easiest position, since its work must be nec-
essarily slow. One of the most usual palliative
means of the animal appearing for a time sound,
is to give 10 to 15 grains of arsenic a day for a
week or ten days. A better preparation to give
relief — afterwards, the animal to be turned out
on clean, short grass, is the following:
BIT BKABINQ DFON JAW.
No. 77. 1 Ounce Fowler's solution of arsenic,
1 Drachm extract of belladonna,
)i Drachm tincture of ginger.
Give once a day, in the morning, in one pint of water, and continue fo*
/our to eight weeks, as circumstances may dictate.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
339
XIII. Influenza.
This epizootic, which first and last has heen prevalent in nearly all
countries where the horse is used, is, as to its origin, but little under-
stood. Its symptoms, however, are well known, but these may be
complicated by inflammatory symptoms of all the air passages ; also by
rheumatic swellings, paralysis, delirium and inflammation of the eyes.
How to know it. — The attack may be sudden. There will be stupor
and weakness, the head will be held low, the eyes dull and half closed,
the gait will be weak, with cracking of the joints sometimes. There will
be no appetite, and fever ; the mouth hot and clammy, the bowels costive,
with scanty urine ; the pulse quick and weak, but sometimes hard ; the
membrane of the nose may be pink, or a deep leaden hue ; the cough will
be deep and harsh ; the ccat rough and staring ; the skin tender and
sometimes trembling, and tlie ears and limbs alternately hot and cold.
Upon applying the ear to the lungs crepitation will be heard, or some-
times a harsh blowing sound. As the disease progresses, and the nos«
discharges a white, yellowish or greenish water, the animal may get bet-
ter ; but when the lungs are seriously involved, the symptoms will in-
crease. As a rule there is constipation, although purging is sometimes
present .
CONFIRMED INFLUENZA.
What to do. — Place the animal in a well littered stall, free from drafts
•f air Do not depend upon strong physic. The cure must be effected
Oy watching the symptoms and combating them. If there is costiveness
keep the bowels open by injections of two wine glasses full of linseed
oil. Relief must be had by means of stimulants and tonics. Good
Bill sing must be constant, with clothing enough to keep the animal warm
h good tonic and stimulant is :
22
540 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
BTo. 78 2 Oz of gentian,
2 Oz. carbonate ammonia.
Form in eight doses and give one night and morning. If the ooogli u
dietressing prepare the following :
No. 79. H Oz. extract belladonna,
2 Drachms powdered opium,
3 Drachms camphor,
2 Oz. liquorice,
)i Pint molasses.
Mix thoroughly and spread a table-spoonful on the tongue twice a daj.
If, with the cough, there is sore throat and catarrh, prepare the following ;
No. 80. 20 Grains iodine,
1 Drachm iodide of potassium,
2 Ounces sweet spirits of niter,
1 Pint water gruel.
Give this as a dose twice a day. If the animal should begin to improve
It will be about the fifth day.
Sometimes recovery is complicated by various disabilities. If there is
dropsy or swelling of the legs or sheath, prepare the following ;
No. 81. 1 Oz. iodide of potassium,
1 Oz. carbonate of ammonia,
1 Oz. powdered gentian.
Form into eight balls and give one morning and evening.
If a spasmodic cough follows the attack the following will be indicated :
No. 82. 1 Drachm extract of belladonna,
1 Drachm chloroform,
10 Drachms alcohol.
Mix in a pint of gruel and let it trickle slowly down the throat, in
«»rder to produce a full local effect.
As recovery ensues, the food should be nourishing and easily digested.
The animal should be induced to take food during the disease, especially
fn the form of nourishing gruel. When the pulse changes, and especially
irhen it loses its wiry character ; when the discharge from the nos«
becomes steady and copious, a pint of ale occasionally is a good stimu-
lant. In any event, good, easily digested food should be given, and th«
minimal must be nursed until entirely recovered.
XV. Pink Eye.*
This epidemic has been prevailing throughout the United States. It is a dis'
• From M. W. Birch, V. S., President of the Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Surgeons.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 341
case which confines itself to no particular organ or organs of the animal economy.
The cause is some malignant miasmatic influence.
Symptoms. — The mucous surface of the eyelid assumes a yellow cast ; in-
creased redness of the membrane of the nose ; oozing of tears and sometimes
mucus from the corners of the eyes ; snorting, in some cases cough, and sore
throat, with or without febrile disorder. I shall divide my subject into four
classes: Simple, when void of fever; febrile, when attended by fever; chronic,
when of long and tedious duration ; influenzal, when attacking many at one
time, and accompanied with prostration of strength and loss of condition.
The symptoms of simple are some slight hurried blush of the membrane of
the nose ; oozing of tears from the corners of the eyes, with globules of mucus
observable in them ; occasional snorting, perhaps coughing as well, with or
without slight soreness of the throat, but without depression of spirit or loss
of appetite.
Febrile stage may be either slight or severe. When slight it is nothing more
than the simple form accompanied with swelling in one or all the legs, and
with dullness and fastidiousness of appetite and some little fever, preceded per-
haps by shivering. This is the ordinary form.
The severe form is that in which the depression is greater, the appetite nearly
or quite lost, tbe fever comparatively high, membranes more injected. The
duration of an attack of Pink Eye is ordinarily from one week to three.
Should it not appear to be on the decline about the third week, we may infer
the disease is becoming chronic, in which form it may degenerate into nasal
gleet or glanders.
Treatment. — The treatment is a very simple affair. First. Take the horse
out of his warm (perhaps foul) stable, or from any cold or wet situation in
which he may happen to be, and turn him loose into a box of the temperature
of 55 degrees. Take care that he may have an ample bed, clean and dry,
and free from all impurities. In cold weather clothe him warmly, and, if re-
quired, flannel bandage his legs ; give him nothing to eat but sloppy bran-
mashes ; and, as he probably evinces signs of sore throat, let him have linseed
tea or gruel, or chilled water to drink, a pailful of either beverage being hung
up within his box, so that he may partake of it at pleasure. Inject by th«
roouth once a day as follows :
Chlorate of Potash, one ounce;
Warm water, a half gallon.
Let the throat be rubbed with the following liniment:
Water of Ammonia ;
Oil of Turpentine ;
Oil of Lard ; two ounces of each.
Apply the above once a day for three days. Should the excrement proT*
Wd, let an injectioa of soap and tepid water be given and repeated daily,
342 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
until, through it or a mash diet, the bowels become regular. Administer in-
ternally F. Ext. Belladonna in 80-drop doses every three hours. If the animai
be attacked with fever, discontinue Belladonna and substitute Tr. Aconite in 10-
drop doses every hour until eight doses have been given. If the animal be-
comes debilitated, a stimulant should be given in the form of whisky. Give
an ordinary whisky glass full as a dose. If the breathing becomes labored or
increased, apply the liniment which is to be used on the throat to both sides of
the chest. This should be done but once. Follow this with careful nursing and ^
moderate exercise.
XVI. Bleeding from the Nose.
This often occurs from various injuries to the mucus membrane of the
nostrils, from hard pulling up hill, too tight a collar, and from other
causes, especially if the animal be full of blood. In these cases, the
bleeding is from one nostril and in drops, accompanied by sneezing. If
the bleeding comes from the lungs, it mil be bright red and frothy, and
there will be a cough. If from the stomach, it will be black, clotted ^
sour and accompanied by retching.
What to do. — In simple cases tie the head up as high as possible, blow
strong alum water from a tube into the nostril at each inspiration, and if
obstinate, plug the nostril with pledgets of tow. Give internally one
scruple of acetate of lead, to be followed in half an hour with another
if necessary. In the case of an ox, two scruples may be given at a dose.
If both nostrils are involved, and the flow is continuous, only one nos*
tril must be stopped at a time, unless tracheotomy is performed, sinci
the horse cannot breathe through the mouth. The ox, however, can dt
80, and both nostrils may be plugged if necessary. See Tracheotomy, page 488^
XVII. Strangles.
This is a disease but little known in America. Our distemper takes
its place. It is thus described in English works : It usually occurs in
young horses, highly-bred horses being more subject to it than cold
blooded ones. When the animal is "breeding strangles," there is a gen-
eral though slight indisposition. After a few days the neck becomes
etiff, the throat swells, the tumor being hard, hot and tender. A d:."
charge from the nose takes place, the throat becomes sore, the breathing
oppressed, the hair is staring, the appetite is gone, and the animal stands
with half -closed eyes. At length the tumor becomes ripe enough and is
opened, as is usual in distemper. It is more than probable that the dis-
ease is really the same, and that strangles and distemper are one and the-
same thing, only modified by conditions and climate.
THE HOUSE, ITS DISEASES. 343
The general treatment is the same as for distemper. See on pages 308-310.
OPENING THB ABSCESS OF STRANGLES.
XVIII. Spasmodic Action of the Glottis and Epiglottis.
This may be occasioned rarely by food sticking in the gesophagus. It
is sometimes attendant upon cutting the teeth, in which case the gums should
be cut. It generally appears in colts, calves, and lambs.
How to know it. — The first symptoms are like those of sore throat.
There will be a dry whirring breathing and a hard metallic cough.
Sometimes it will be heard only when spasm of the larynx comes on.
As the disease progresses the fever increases, the temperature of the
body running to 107 degrees, and the pulse from ninety to over one
hundred. White films or pellicles (albuminous false membranes) form
in the throat, which come away from time to time, or if not, the animal
dies of suffocation.
What to do. — Place the animal where it may have free air but no drafts,
and where the temperature may be kept comfortable. Allow sufficient
clothing. Give as a laxative twelve ounces Glauber salts dissolved in a
quart of warm water.
As an antispasmodic give two or three drachm doses of laudanum
every hour in a decoction of marsh mallow. In the early stage of the
disease warm fomentations persistently applied may scatter the disease.
K later, use the following:
No. 82. 1 Part oil of turpentine,
1 Part lard oil,
1 Part solution of ammonia.
Rub well on the affected parts of the throat. If the membrane in the
throat do not give way, and there is increased difficulty in breathing, swab the
throat with a solution of: 10 gr. nitrate of silver in 1 oz. of rainwater.
CHAPTEE VI.
DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS.
1. SOUR STOMACH. II. COLIC. III. THE BOT. IV. INFLAMMATION AND
RUPTURE OF THE COLON. V. INFLAMMATION AND BLEEDING OF THE REC-
TUM. VI. SPONTANEOUS SALIVATION. VII. INFLAMMATION OF THE STOM
ACH. VIII. SORENESS AND ITCHING OF THE ANUS. IX. CHRONIC GASTRITIS.
——X. SPASMS OF THE DIAPHRAGM. XI. RUPTURE OF THE STOMACH.
XII. INFLAMMATION OF THE PERITONEUM. XIII. STRANGULATION OF THB
INTESTINES. XIV. FUNCTIONAL DISEASES OF THE LIVER. XV. PARASITES
WHICH AFFECT THE LIVER. XVI. DIARRHEA.
I. Sour Stomach.
Animals living upon vegetable food, where the mastication or the
grinding down of the substances taken into the mouth is imperfectly
accomplished, or where a greedy animal is allowed to overload the
stomach with food, since it thus is imperfectly moistened with saliva,
are subject to acidity of the stomach, fermentation of the food, and
the diseases attendant thereupon. Carbonic acid gas is evolved, and if
not checked in time will sometimes cause violent and extreme distension
and inflammation of the stomach, the result of decomposition, or spas-
modic colic, with paroxysms of extreme agony, and sometimes the most
violent rupture of the stomach ending in death.
We often see violent distension of the stomach in cattle when turned
into a field of flush clover when hungry ; the remedy in this case is
thrusting a trochar or knife into the stomach to allow the escape of th«
gases. When in the horse inflammatory action has been set up it may
lead to many diseases, each of which must be treated according to the
symptoms exhibited.
344
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 345
In the first stage or that of simple acidity of the stomach, if taken in
time, treatment is comparatively easy. It is called sour stomach, acute
gastritis, indigestion, tympany, etc.
Causes* — Suspended digestion and consequent fermentation from over-
loading the stomach with improperly chewed food. This will never occur
in slow feeders that fully grind and saturate the food with saliva, since in
this case the appetite is fully satisfied before overloading ensues. Colic
may occur by giving large draughts of water immediately after feeding,
thus washing forward the food beyond the stomach. Sour stomach may
also ensue from indigestible and easily fermented food, and inflammation
from eating plants that irritate the stomach.
How to know it. — The first symptoms are sour stomach, simple colic,
or fermentation. There is fullness, causing undue distension, then
quickened, deep, but oppressed breathing ; the animal is dull and stupid ;
there is increasing pain, and at length, if relief is not obtained, more
violent symptoms set in.
What to do. — Grive immediately one or two ounces of magnesia.
Evacuate the bowels by means of injections of warm water. Rub the
belly with considerable friction one way, from the forelegs back. If
there is griping give the following :
No. 85. 15 to 20 Drops oil of peppermint,
1 Ounce of laudanum.
If the weather ib cold, blanket and walk the horse to assist in giving
relief.
In the case of the ox, give double the dose mentioned ; sheep one-
quarter to one-third the dose for the horse, except of laudanum, of
which give the sheep, 2 to 3 drachms.
n. Colic.
This may be of two kinds, spasmodic, or flatulent colic. The first i»
the result of cramps or spasmodic contractions, causing severe pain with
tendency to inflammation. The other of distension of the bowels with
tendency to inflammation and rupture of the coats.
How to know Spasmodic Colic. — There will be spasms of pain, with paw-
ing, striking of the belly with the hind foot, looking round at the flanks,
lying down and suddenly getting up, rolling, or h'ing stretched out for
an instant ; then suddenly rising, the horse will shake himself as the
pain intermits. Again the pain returns and the same performances are
gone through. There may be frequent small discharges from the bowels
346
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
and bladder, and during the attacks the pulse and breathing ar«
ac€al«rat«d.
THE FIRST STAGS OF SPASSIODIC COLIC.
What to do. — Relieve the pain by means of an opiate, and cause move-
ment of the bowels. To do this in mild cases the following will be good
in. connection with injections of warm water :
No. 86.
>^ to 1 Ounce of laudanum,
4 to 5 Drachms aloes,
1 Pint hot water.
SECOND STAGE OF SPASMODIC COLIC.
Pulverize the aloes and dissolve in the hot water. Cool as quickly as
possible and add the laudanum, and give as a dose. If there \b abund-
ant formation of gas, give the following promptly :
No 87.
yi Ounce powdered aloes,
1 Ounce aromatic ammonia,
1 Ounce aulpburic ether,
] Pint warm water.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
34T
Mix and give at once. Another colic drench in good repute ia the
following :
iTo. 86.
i Drachms aloes,
1 Ounce sulphuric ether,
1 Ounce laudanum.
THIRD STAGE OF SPASMODIC COLIC.
Mix, pulverize the aloes in a pint and a half of hot water ; cool, add
the other ingredients and give immediately. If relief is not obtained,
give as a second dose the following :
No. 89. H Ounce sulphuric ether,
^ Ounce laudanum,
a Ounce spirits camphor,
yi Ounce essence of peppermint.
Mix in a pint of gruel and turn down. The symptoms in cattle are
uneasiness, shuflSing of the hind legs when standing. When /ying down
they will kick with the outer limbs. There will be moaning and twisting
of the tail. The same treatment is advised as for the horse, except that
one pint of linseed oil should replace the aloes. Give the doses by
allowing the liquid to trickle down the throat very slowly. The doses
should be double that of the horse. Swine should have castor oil one
ounce in place of the linseed oil ; and sheep three-quarters of an ounce.
Otherwise the doses should be about one-quarter to one-fifth those
ordered for the horse.
Flatulent Colic. — ^This disease is dangerous, and is generally the result
of a chronic distension of the bowels, with tendency to inflammation and
rupture of the coats.
It may be the result of some other disease, or appear as a consequence
of the spasmodic form ; or, may be produced by the same causes as
those assigned to the acute form.
348
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
How to know it. — The expression of pain is constant but not so acute.
The pulse is rapid and feeble, with difficult breathing ; the feet and ears
are cold ; the abdomen is tense and swollen, and it sounds drum-like
when struck. The animal is weak and sometimes delirious. The intes»
tines are painful (sore) as is shown by the cautious manner of lying
down ; if, indeed, the horse lies down at all.
FIRST STAGE OF FLATl'LKNT COLIC.
What to do. — Be careful about giving purgatives. Act by injections
of soapsuds and oil of turpentine ; removing the contents of the impacted
tectum with the well oiled hand. Give the following injection :
No. 90.
>i Pint oil of turpentine.
1 Quart of soapsuds.
HOUSE DYINQ OF FLATUI-KNT COLIC.
Repeat in half an hour if necessary. If there is great distension
puncture the large intestine, or, where the sound when tapping with the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 349
knuckles is most drum-like, plunge in a trochar and allow the gas to
escape through the canula. Give the following according to circumstances :
No. 91. >i to 1 Ounce laudanum,
2 to 4 Ounces tincture asaafoetida.
Mix in a pint of gruel.
If the colic is the result of disease and exhaustion, with much swelling
of the belly, try the following : I
No. 92. yi Ounce chlorate of potash,
>i Ounce sulphuric ether,
^ Pint water.
To be given in a half pint of gruel. i
Later in this disease when it is required to act moderately on the
bowels the following will be found useful ;
No. 93. yi Ounce chlorinated soda,
2 to 3 Drachms aloes.
Powder the aloes and dissolve the whole in a pint of warm water, and
give when cool. During recovery, the health of the animal must be
attended to. Give easily digested food ; avoid large draughts of water,
and over feeding. Give good grooming ; blanket if necessary, and keep
the circulation active by hand rubbing of the body and limbs.
ni. The Bot.
The female bot fly, ^strus-equi^ is too well known to need description.
They lay their eggs on the legs, flanks, and other portions of the horse's
body easily reached. The animal in licking its body takes the e^g into
its mouth and being swallowed they hatch, and the young fasten them-
selves by means of their hooks to the mucous membrane of the stomach.
Here they live and grow and the next season become mature and are
passed from the animal, and undergo their transformation to the perfect
fly in the earth. So long as the animal is in perfect health they do little
if any harm. But in case of disease or insuflScient food they become
troublesome. Or if they exist in great numbers when nearly or full
grown and they are passing from the animal, they sometimes cause severe
injury by attaching themselves to the sensitive lining of the bowels.
This irritation is not easily distinguished from other forms of indigestion
or colic.
In the Spring when the animal is hungry, and there is indication of in-
testinal diflBculty, they may be suspected. If the horse turns up his
upper lip, and if the edges of the tongue are red and fiery looking, it
rf50 ILLUSTKATED STOCK. DOCTOR.
will be evidence of their existence. At this time physic will hasten them
Away. A usual remedy is to give once a day for three days, 1 drachm
sulphate of copper, to be followed at the end of the time with 4 drachms
of Barbadoes aloes, and repeat at the end of a week if necessary. Or
the following will be found safe and effective ;
No. 94. 1 yi Drachms calomel,
1 yi Drachms powdered Bavin,
2 Drachms powdered assafoetida,
30 Drops oil of male shield fern.
Make into a ball with molasses and linseed meal, to be given at night
and followed next morning with 4 drachms of aloes.
In the. South, Azedarach (pride of China) is grown around stables for
its supposed efficacy in destroying bots by being eaten by horses. If so,
it can only be while the bots are quite young. Since, after acquiring
some age and becoming fastened to the stomach, they resist alike, strong
acids, alkalies, irrespirable gases, narcotics and mineral poisons.
Colics, etc., arising from bots, maybe treated by anti-spasmodics as
given under that head. As a preventive against bots, keep the long hairs
of the jaws, breast and fore-limbs trimmed close, and apply a little oil
daily ; and brush off any eggs that may be found. Animals kept in sta-
bles and well groomed are seldom troubled with bots.
<E8TRU8 HBMORRHOiDALis. 2.— Eggs magnified. 3.— TheBot. 4.— The
Crysalis. 6.— The male fly.
Another bot fly ( CEstrus Hemorrhoidalis) resembles the oestris equi
quite closely, and deposits its eggs upon the lips and upon the hairs
under the jaw. Dropping into the food, they are swallowed and fasten
to the stomach in dense clusters. The larvae are somewhat longer in pro-
portion to their bulk than the species equi.
When ready to pass away they sometimes cause irritation of the
bowels and anus by sticking there. The same means must be used for
•his species as for the other.
Intestinal worms. — ^There are various intestinal worms that inhabit tho
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 55|
horse, at least three species of tape worms and seven of round worms. The
ox has two tape worms and seven round worms. The sheep one tap©
worm and seven round worms. A good vermifuge for tape worm is the
following :
No. 96. ^ Ounce powdered aloes,
>i Ounce powdered assafoetida,
1 Ounce oil of turpentine,
1 Ounce sulphuric ether.
Mix the two first in hot water and when cold add the turpentine and
ether, and give in gruel as a drench. If the animal is weak and out* of
condition, give an ounce of areca nut, and follow with nourishing food.
For round worms, if suspected, give 4 drachms of aloes, and if worms
are found in the dung, give immediately on an empty stomach the
following :
No. 06. 1 Drachm oil of male fern,
2 Ounces oil of turpentine,
yi Pint linseed oD.
Follow this for three days with a dose of 1-2 drachm sulphate of copper
For thread-worms in the rectum give an injection every two days for a
week, of the following :
No. 97. 2 Drachms oil of turpentine,
1 Pint linseed oil.
Inject every day for a week, a purgative dose to precede the first injea
tion. A strong decoction of wormwood is also a good vermifuge used as
an injection.
IV. Inflammation and Bupture of the Colon.
This disability is usually the result of colic. If through constriction of
one part and expansion of another rupture actually occurs, the animal
will die. The colon is the largest division of the intestinal canal. Be-
ginning at the ccBcum, (the commencment of the large intestine) it ascends
by the right kidney, passes under the hollow part of the liver to the
spleen, thence descends by the left kidney and passes in the form of nn
S to the upper part of the os sacrum. It thence runs straight to the ani;s
and this part of it is called the rectum.
How to know Rupture. — The sides of the flanks will be distended, there
will be fever and heat, and the animal will give evidence of its severe suf-
fering. The pulse will be hard, wiry and quick, the belly tender, the
So2 > ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
ears cold ; the pain will be constant, and medicine will increase it. Thew
will be great and rapidly increased weakness. The symptoms are directly
opposed to those in colic.
What to do. — In the first stages of the disease give the following, m.
lime water, every hour or two until three or four doses are given :
No. 98. 20 Drops tincture of aconite,
>i Ounce laudanum.
in very severe cases a hypodermic injection of 40 grains of chlorel
hydrate, to be at once followed by one of 3 grains of morphia, to be
repeated in an hour ; this, however, must be performed by a competent
surgeon. The following may be given by the mouth :
No. 99. 10 Grains morphia,
1 Ounce chloral hydrate.
Give in sweetened water, and repeat every two hours until three or
four doses are given, or until the symptoms abate.
Extensive fomentations to the bowels will be beneficial. This may be
done by folding a blanket inside a rubber cloth which is fastened over the
back. Keep the blanket soaked with water as warm as can be borne.
If the disease be inflammation of the bowels, or enteritis, whether it
does or does not follow an attack of colic, among the symptoms will be
stretching of the lips upward. This may however be done when there
is abdominal irritation of any kind. If the
inflammation be severe, so shown by increas-
ed heat and fever, an ammoniacal blister may
be applied. Dilute strong liquor of ammonia
with six times its bulk of cold water, saturate
a cloth with it and lay it on several folds of
blanket, to be held to the belly by four men
N08K sTBAiNED ipwAUD. ^^q ^jI1 ^^y^^ j^lud thc fumps. Thc manner
of holding it is shown in the cut on next page.
Watch the action of the ammonia. It may blister within ten minutes,
or it may take twice that time. Do not allow it to eat the skin, else a
bad sore will be the result. When the proper effect is produced remove
it at once. It should really be applied only under the direction of a
veterinary surgeon. They are, unfortunately, not always near. In this
case, to save life, something must be risked. The worst inflammatory
symptoms being stayed, give every two hours until three or four dose*
are given, or a favorable result is obtained, the following;
No. 100. 30 Grains calomel,
1 Ounce laudanum.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 353
Mix in half a pint of gruel. As the animal begins to take food it
should have bran and oatmeal mashes, mixed with tea of slippery elm bark.
Cooked food should be given, and if carrots are at hand, give a mess of
them boiled every day. Skimmed milk is excellent if the animal will
drink it.
APPLICATION OF AN AMMONIACAL BLISTER.
V. Inflammation and Bleeding of the Bectum.
This is a diflSculty that often accompanies or follows inflammation of
the bowels.
How to know it. — There will be heat and swelling, with or without
protrusion and bleeding of the rectum.
What to do. — Wash the parts with a weak solution of salt and water,
and also use injections of the same as often as may seem necessary. If
this do not give relief add a slight infusion of chlorate of potash and
golden seal.
VI. Spontaneous Salivation.
Causes. — This infirmity is generally the result of or symptom of some
other affliction. It is often produced by something the animal has eaten.
White clover will produce it. Caries and other diseases of the teeth :
dentition, paralysis of the lips, ulcers of the mouth, irritating food,
irritation by the bit, and especially from medicaments attached to the bits
of horses by ignorant stable men. It occurs as a free discharge of saliva
in frothy masses or in stringy filaments, with frequent swallowing, thirst,
and generally indigestion.
What to do — Eemove the cause. If the cause is from alkalies, wash
the mouth with weak vinegar. If from acids, use lime water. If from
354
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
caustic salts, use white of egg, or tea of slippery elm bark. If there i«
inflammation with costiveness, open the bowels with injections of warnx
water, or soapsuds, and wash the mouth frequently with vinegar and
honey. If this do not effect a cure wash the mouth with alum water.
If there are ulcers touch them with a feather wet with the following :
No. 101.
10 Grains lunar caustic,
1 Ounce distilled water.
If there are tumors with pus, lance them. If there is sloughing wash
with the following :
No. 102.
1 Drachm solution of permanganate of potassa,
1 Pint rainwater.
Give plenty of cool water, so the animal may take it at will, and feed
with soft or boiled food, and if there is much swelling, keep the head
tied up.
vn. Inflammation of the Stomach.
Causes. — This disease is not common in horses, and occurs rarely from
eating vegetable poisons, and more generally from poisoning by arsenic
given in the food by ignorant stable-men, to make the horse carry a
shining coat and foam at the bit. It is also produced by the licking of
external corrosive applications, thus producing acute gastritis.
HORSK SUFFERING PKOM ACUTE QA8TBITI6.
The symptoms are various in unison with the causes producing them.
These are, refusing food, extreme thirst, redness of the nasal and con.
junctival membranes, discharge of ropy saliva, frequent eructations with
fetid smell, colic, rolling on the ground, paAving, striking at the abdomen,
etc. } tuck©d up flanks, heaving, panting, small, quick pulse, violp it
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 35?)
straining, passing of mucus in large quantities, protrusion and inflamma-
tion of the opening, glances at the abdomen, prostration of strength, con-
vulsions, madness and death.
What to do. — The first thing, if possible, is to find out what caused the
trouble. If this cannot be found, give at once :
No. 103. 3 Ounces sulphuric ether, *
3 Ounces laudanum, ^"■
4 Ounces carbonate of magnesia,
1 Quart cold gruel.
Mix and give as a dose. If the pulse be low, add to the above one
drachm carbonate of ammonia. If the animal is weak, but able to swal-
low, take plenty of time, do not use violent means. If there is paralysis
of the throat, or the horse is in delirium, the dose must be injected
through the nostril, by means of a pump and pipe, or horse catheter.
See article tetanus. As soon as there is evidence of recovery, and in
fact whenever the animal will take it, thin starch or gruel of flour should
be freely given to sheath the mucus surfaces.
vlll. Soreness and Itching of the Anus.
This is a disease following inflammation and disease of the rectum,
and also produced by other causes. The anus or orifice of the rectum
becomes sore. There is a peculiar dryness with scurf, and to relieve the
itching the horse sometimes rubs the roots of his tail until the hair is en-
tirely worn away.
What to do. — Attend to the general health of the horse, to keep the
bowels in a natural condition. Mix a little fine salt with lard oil, and
keep the parts well oiled, with friction. If the trouble be inside, a little
goldenseal well rubbed down with salt butter and passed carefully within
the anus, will give relief. If the diflSculty is occasioned by worms, see
that article.
IX. Chronic Gastritis.
Causes. — Anything which impairs the digestive functions may produce
this disease. It is, however, in its chronic form, extremely rare. The
ordinary food will be refused, and the animal will persist in eating for-
eign substances — old lime mortar, the wood work of the stable, earth,
litter and bedding.
How to know it. — There is a dry cough ; the membrane of the moLth
and nostrils are dry and pale ; the breath is tainted ; the evacuations
23
356 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
wnell badly ; the eyes are sunk, the coat dry and ragged ; the horse lose*
condition »nd becomes pot bellied ; the anus is lax and prominent.
What to do. — The cure will take time. Prevent the animal from in-
dulging its unnatural appetite. The following made into a ball will he
indicated.
No. 101. >i Grain strychnia,
1 Drachm bichromate of ammonia,
}i Drachm extract of belladonna,
1 Drachm powdered gentian,
}4 Drachm sulphate of zinc.
Give this a« a ball once a day. If after continuing several days there
lis no improvement, give the following :
No. 105. H Ounce liquor arsenicalis,
^ Ounce tincture ipecac,
1 Ounce muriated tincture of iron,
>i Ounce laudanum,
1 Pint of water.
As the animal gets stronger give an ounce of sulphuric ether daily in a
pint of water.
If the animal has simply chronic indigestion, that is, the disease does
not show in the severe form we have depicted, to improve the general
health the following will be indicated :
Ko. 106. 1 Ounce powdered assafoetida,
1 Ounce powdered golden seal,
2 Ounces powdered ginger,
2 Ounces powdered poplar bark,
5 Drachms powdered sulphate of iron,
1 Drachm powdered red pepper,
1 Pound of oatmeal.
Mix, divide into sixteen messes, and give one every night in the food.
In addition to this the following will make a good appetizer :
No. 107. 1 Quart brandy,
1 Ounce salt.
Mix and give a wine glass full night and morning in gruel, just before
the food. The food given must be of the very best, and that which is
easily digested. Boiled oats, shorts and carrots, with sufficient good hay
to distend the stomach. Keep the animal muzzled during the intervals
of feeding, to prevent foul feeding. That is, eating litter or other inju-
rious substances. If acidity of the stomach be shown, moisten the hay
i^ven, and sprinkle it freely with magnesia.
THK HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 357
X. Spasm of the Diaphragm.
Causes. — Hard riding or driving of a horse constitutionally weak.
How to know it. — If the horse is being ridden, there will be a sensa-
tion to the rider as though a sudden blow was given inside the horse.
This is from spasmodic action of the diaphragm (the midriif or muscle
separating the chest from the abdomen) in drawing the breath. If the
animal is still driven forward it sometimes suddenly falls and dies oi
suffocation.
What to do. — There is no cure. Relief may be given by clothing tlie
animal. Lead him to the nearest stable or shed and give the following :
No. 108. 3 Drachms aromatic spirits of ammonia,
3 Drachms tincture of ginger
8 Ounces laudanum,
l>i Ounces ether.
Mix in a pint of oil or gruel and give as a drench, or give the folio mng '
No. 109. yi Drachm camphor,
1 Drachm powdered ginger,
1 Drachra carbonate of ammonia.
Mix with sufficient linseed meal and hot water to form a ball. Repeat
ut an interval of three hours if relief is not afforded by the first dose.
A horse subject to this affection should have only slow work. Thd
diaphragm may be strengthened by giving for some time a daily dose of
one drachm of powdered sulphate of iron in the food.
XI. Bupture of the Stomach.
Rupture, when it ensues, ends pretty surely in death. Rupture of the
fitomach is produced by working or driving a horse until he is very hungry
and then feeding and watering unduly. The only symptoms which show,
are violent colic, and the tenseness of the tissues. There are many rup
tures where animals die, and the owner does not know what is the diffi
culty. If the mischief has proceeded to rupture, the animal may as weL
1)0 killed.
One of the positions assumed by a horse suffering from abdorainai
injuries, is this : He will persistently sit on his haunches. Animals
will assume this position and yet occasionally recover. Another position
assumed is, for the animal to kneel and support himself upon his bkif
L,
358
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
legs. Such unnatural positions show the intense pain which leads to sucTfc
attitudes to get relief.
CKKATURAL ATTITUDE INDICATIVE OP ABDOMINAL INJURY.
XII. Gorged Stomach.
When this occurs from over feeding, the bowels should be immediately
relieved by removing the contents by repeated injections of warm water.
Let the animal be gently walked about, and warmly clothed in cold
weather. The operator must act according to circumstances. If discov-
P08ITION ASSUMED BY HORSE SUFFERING FROM ABDOMINAL INJURY.
ered early, or before colic sets in, give the following to evacuate th»
bowels after having relieved them by injections :
No. 110.
6 Drachms powdered aloes,
1 Ounce sirup of buckthorn,
1 Ounce tincture of ginger.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 35f
Dissolve the aloes in a pint of warm water, add the buckthorn and gin-
ger, and give as a drench.
/
Xm. Inflammation of the Peritoneum.
Inflammation of the lining membrane of the abdomen is likely to occur
in all domestic animals. In ruminants the right side is most affected, and
the animal will stand with its feet well together.
Causes. — Injuries either from rupture of the stomach or intestines, or
from injuries to the abdominal walls, exposure to chill or cold, or giving
an exhausted horse a wet bed to lie on.
How to know it. — There may be colic, or steady pain. This will be
acute when the affected parts are pressed. There may be chill and fever
alternately, and loss of appetite. The pulse will be rapid and hard, and
the breath quick and catching, but when eifusion takes place the breath-
ing will be deep and easier ; the pulse will soften, the belly will be pend-
ent, and there will be fluctuations when handled, fram the water contained.
What to do. — In the early stages, give full doses of laudanum ; 1 to 2
ounces, as may be needed, to allay pain and keep the bowels inactive.
Apply mustard poultices to the abdomen, or in extreme cases the ammo-
niacal blister as previously described. Frequent injections of thoroughly
cooked gruel may be thrown into the rectum, but until the worst symp-
toms are past the animal should take nothing into the stomach. As the
disease progresses favorably, great care should be exercised in feeding.
Oat or rye meal gruel may first be given. If these agree well, give warm
soft bran-mashes, with a little oat meal added, and at length hay and
sound oats.
In case absorption of the effusion of water in the cavity does not take
place, which may be known by regular and ample staling, give 6 drachms
potassa nitrate, daily, until the kidneys act. If tonics seem to be de-
manded, give daily doses of 1-2 drachm oxide of iron.
XIV. Strangulation of the Intestines.
This is produced by various causes, the result of colic and rupture
being the most frequent. Strangulation may be produced by the forma-
tion of false membranes, by the involvent of the intestines, by the
rupture of the mesentary, or by tlie rolling on itself of the intestine until
it is entirely strangulated. In this as in other abdominal difficulties, the
animal will often assume unnatural positions, as shown in the article
Rupture of the Stomach. If it be a ruminant, and in good flesh, it is
better to kill the animal at once. Some forms of strangulation in cattle
560 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
of sufficient value, may be remedied by a veterinary surgeon. In this
case, give laudanum in 2-ounce doses to keep the animal quiet until the
doctor arrives. Relief is obtained by cutting into the side and releasing
the intestine. For the horse give opium in one or two drachm doses as
the nature of the case may seem to require to relieve the pain, and trust
to nature to effect a cure by releasing the parts naturally.
XV. Functional Diseases of the Liver.
The liver of the horse is not particularly subject to disease. It vras
formerly supposed to be almost entirely exempt, but later researches
show it to be an agent, through obstruction, and the principal local seat
of various disorders, as diabetes, blood poisoning from imperfect oxygen-
ation of the albuminoids, etc. ,
How to know it. — In active congestions of the liver, which is the dis-
ease most usually prevalent and this principally in the South, there
may be sluggishness, irregular bowels, abundant liquid discharges of
deep yellow or orange colored dung.
T^ere will be extreme and painful
prostration, the eyes will be sunken,
the pulse excited, and the limbs will
tremble. There may be colicky pains.
If the last ribs are struck with some
force, extreme pain will be shown.
If the horse faints and there are pal-
lid mucus membrane, with quick and
weak pulse, it may be conjectured
that rupture of the liver has taken
TEST OK HEMOKRUAGK FROM THic LivEK. piacc . lu tWs casc, thc cud is dcath.
The illustration we give will show
the test alike for ruptured liver and spleen.
What to do. — In the beginning, that is when the pulse is strong, free
bleeding will often check the disease. When the pulse is weak, blood
must not be drawn ; or, if the blood does not flow freely, close the orific*
at once.
Apply mustard poultices to the limbs. Give one pound of sulphate of
soda dissolved in a quart of water, to deplete the portal system and liver.
Apply ice to the last ribs to check effusion. Apply a blister over the
region of the liver. Continue the sulphate of soda in doses of one to
four ounces daily.
During the attack and recovery the animal must have pure air, and
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
361
soft, easily digested food, and as recovery ensues, daily moderate exer-
cise must be given.
Inflammation of the liver is rare. If congestion has proceeded to
inflammation the region of the last rib will be very tender. There will
be quickening of the pulse. The mouth will be hot and clammy ; th«
bowels may be at first loose, yellow and bilious, but soon become costive.
The heat of the body is raised ; patches may appear on the mucous
membranes ; and the limbs, especially the hind ones, will swell.
What to do — In this case all bleeding should be avoided. Give as a
purge a pound of sulphate of soda (glauber salts) aided by injections of
warm water. After the bowels are opened, keep them so with small
doses of glauber salts, six ounces, or, cream of tartar four ounces daily.
If the horse eat anything it must be very light mashes, pulped roots or
fresh grass. As the horse improves, give twice a day two ounces of
Peruvian bark or two drachms twice a day of gentian.
XVI. Parasites which Infest the Intestines.
■"^j
The general symptoms for intestinal worms, in large quantity, are
general ill health. The animal will lose condition : the skin will be scurfy,
dry and often itching ; the animal
will become hide bound and pot
bellied ; the appetite will be irregular
but voracious ; there will be fetid
breath, diarrhea, passing of mucus
with the dung, colicky pains, swelling,
itching and puffy anus, and especially
the passage of the worms or their
eggs will be certain proof. The horse
will raise the upper lip and rub it
against anything near. Colts will pick
and bite the hair from the body and
limbs. The annexed cut will give a
good general idea of an animal suffer-
ing from worms.
Besides the bot, already treated of, which inhabits the stomach, there
are those of the intestines proper. These are the tape worm, round
headed and flat headed, and five species of round worms.
What to do. — Vermifuges are without number, some general in their
nature, and others specific for particular classes. When worms are sus^
pected, and the owner of the animal is not sure of the reality, it is safe
COLT PICKING HAIB FROM ITS LEG,
GIVING PROOF OP WORMS.
362 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
to give a purge and watch the droppings. The following is a good
Vermifuge drench :
No. 111. 4 Drachms aloes,
1 Ounce powdered male fern,
20 Drops oil of worm seed.
Give this in a pint of warm gruel an hour before feeding in the morning.
If it be found that there are tape worms, if the horse is weak, give an
ounce of areca nut fasting and follow with 4 drachms of aloes. If the
animal is strong, give an ounce of oil of turpentine in an ounce of water.
In four hours give another dose and follow in an hour with 4 drachms
aloes. In the case of common pin worms, (^Sclerostomum Equinuni) and
all worms inhabiting the bowels except the tape worm, the following
vermifuge will act kindly :
No. 112. 1 Drachm tartar emetic,
y% Drachm powdered ginger.
Mix with enough linseed meal to form a ball, then moisten with hot
water and give a dose daily for a week, before feeding. Follow with a
dose of one pint of linseed oil, wait another week, and repeat as before.
Then give good generous diet, with tonics daily, say 2 drachms sulphate
of iron, or 4 drachms gentian in the food.
For worms lodging in the gut near the rectum, give an injection of a
strong decoction of wormwood or tansey. The prevention of worms is to
pay attention to the water the animal drinks, to be careful of dog's drop-
pings in the pasture, and to give sound grain and hay as food, since lib-
eral feeding and good general care will often extirpate the parasites.
For other vermifuges see article 3 of this chapter.
XVn. Diarrhea.
Diarrhea is a condition of frequent watery discharges from the bowels,
and may be produced by so many causes, as irritating and indigestible
food, worms, severe purgation by medicines, disorders of the liver, or
constitutional tendency, that no general rule can be given. The owner of
the animal must find the cause before proceeding intelligently to giv«
relief. The most we can do is to give some general indications.
Sometimes diarrhoea is an effort of nature to rid the body of injurious
matter; then the effort should be aided. Early in the effort give the
horse a pint of linseed oil, or if an active purge be required, a pint of
castor oil. If the diarrhcea does not cease check it with ounce doses of
laudanum and follow with tea of slippery elm bark, or linseed. If the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 36S
difficulty refuse to give way, doses of 2 scruples of tannin may be given,
or, doses of 3 drachms of catechu every hour until checked. The ox
requires double the dose. Follow with tonics, say 4 drachms of gentian
daily, or one ounce of peruvian bark, with sound, easily digested food. If
caused by bad water, throw a handful of charcoal in the water before
giving it to drink. The following will be found haueficial in the severaV
cases mentioned.
For sour and fetid discharges mix the following mgredients in the food
♦wice or thrice daily. ^
No. 113. 1 Ounce powdered chalk,
1 Ounce bisulphate of soda.
For sour discharges with griping, take ;
No. 114. 1 Drachm powdered opium,
1 Drachm powdered chalk,
20 Drops carbolic acid.
Form into a ball with linseed meal and molasses.
If the bowels are simply in an irritable, relaxed condition, use the
following :
No. 115. 1 Ounce powdered chalk,
1 Ounce catechu,
1 Ounce ginger,
1 Drachm opium.
Make into a ball with linseed meal and molasses.
When the diarrhoea is the result of violent medical purging, try the
following ;
No. 116. 2 Ounces laudanum,
2 Ounces powdered chalk.
Mix, and give in a quart of thin starch, or flour gruel. For excessive
and continued purging, give at one dose the following :
No. 117. 1 Ounce laudanum,
1 Ounce sulphuric ether,
20 Grains tannic acid.
Mix in a pint of flax-seed tea.
Astringent injections may be given as follows :
No. 118. 2 Ounces laudanum,
2 Drachms acetate of lead,
1 Quart starch water.
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Inject half of this and follow with the remainder in three hours, if ne».
essary, or give at one injection the following :
No. 119. 4 Drachms tannic acid,
1 Piat starch water.
fn carte of cattle the same quantities may be used, but when given bj
the mouth it must be made to trickle slowiy down the throat.
CHAPTER Vn.
SttBASES OF THE LIVEB, UBINABY OBOANS, BTO.
AACNDICE. n. KNLARGEMEKT OF THB SPLEEN. IH. INFLAMMATION OF THE KD.
KEYS. IV. PROFUSE STALING, OR DIABETES. V. BLOODY URINE, OR HEMATURIA,
VI. THICK AND ALBUMINOUS URINE. VII. WHITE, OR LIME URINE. VIII.
«RAVEL, OR STONE IN THE BLADDER. IX. SUPPRESSION OP URINE. X. INFLAMMA-
TION OF THE BLADDER. XI. FOUL SHEATH. XII. RUPTURE OP THB BLADDER.
•Kta. SPASM OF THE URETHRA. XIV. INFLAMMATION OP THE ORGANS OF GENERATION.
I. Jaundice.
The horse is subject to but few diseases of the liver. Jaundice or the
yellows, is a condition in which the visible mucous membranes, the skin
(if it be naturally white) the urine and the tissues are stained yellow,
not by non-secretion of the bile from the blood, but by the re-absorption
of bile already secreted.
Causes. — Obstruction of the bile duct from any cause. Obstruction of
the bowels hindering the proper discharge of the bile. Diminished
fullness of the capillary vessels of the liver from obstruction of the
hepatic artery or aorta. And from undue secretion of the bile in cases
of congestion of the liver.
In solid hoofed animals the blood is easily dissolved. In flesh-eating
unimals it is not so. Hence, although there is often a jaundiced appeals
ance of the membranes in horses, it is comparatively harmless.
How to know it. — There will be a general coloration of the tissues.
The mucous membrane will be yellow. The urine will be yellow. In
obstruction of the bile duct the dung will be fetid, and of a clay color
from being devoid of bile.
3t>^
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
What to do. — ^No general rule can be laid down. The following is a
good remedy for torpidity of the liver, when there is general dullnesa
and biliousness.
120. 1 Pound Epsom salts,
1 Pound Glauber salts,
1 Pound common salt,
1 Ounce essence of ginger,
1 Gallon warm water.
Mix and give a pint from one to three times a day until a gentle but
full purgation is produced. Follow this up with daily doses of one
scruple of podophyllin.
This remedy will also be indicated for cattle, except that they should
have the following formula as a purge instead of No. 120 :
No. 121. yi Pound sulphate of magnesia,
>i Pound common salt,
2 Ounces powdered ginger.
Give this dose in two quarts of water once a day until a free evac-
uation of the bowels is produced, giving also daily one scruple of
podophyllin.
Saline purges do not always act kindly on horses. If so the following
will be indicated if there is considerable congestion :
No. 122. 30 Grains calomel,
1 Drachm aloes,
2 Drachms soap,
4 Drachms powdered rhubarb.
Mix with molasses into a ball and give twice a day until a moderate
operation of the bowels is had.
If the disease occurs in the Spring, turning upon succulent grass,
especially where dandelion is plenty, will generally effect a cure.
n. Enlargement of the Spleen.
The pancreas and the spleen are subject to a variety of diseases, very
diflficult to determine. The pancreas is a gland which secretes the pan-
creatic juice, by which emulsion takes place with the fatty aliments by
means of a duct leading into the intestines. The presence of fatty
matter in the dung will imply a suppression of these juices. If there
are sharp, colicky pains without fever, obstruction of the duct by calculi
may be suspected. If there is general fever, with pain and tenderness
behind the last rib on the right side, inflammation may be suspected.
For calculi use fomentations of hot water over the parts affected, and
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 367
give anti-spasmodics, chloral hydrate in half ounce doses daily, or hyos-
cyamus extract two drachm doses, or belladonna two drachm doses, as
the case may be.
If there is inflammation give laxative medicines, one and a half ounce*
dandelion ; blister the right side, and confine the animal to light diet.
For suppressed secretion give one ounce doses of sulphuric ether.
So far as affections of the spleen are concerned, it is an in vol vent in
diseases of the liver and other glands. In highly fed animals enlarge-
ment ensues ; in badly fed ones degeneration or wasting. Obstructed
circulation through the liver will engorge the spleen almost to rupture
sometimes. In tuberculosis, cancer, glanders and blood poisoning it is
affected. Anthrax and other fevers tend to enlargement of the spleen,
sometimes to rupture. So little is really known of the spleen and its
true functions, that but little can be done except by giving general atten-
tion to the health and by means of tonics and good nursing to build up-
the health.
III. Inflammation of the Sidneys.
8YMPT0M3 ATTENDING DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS.
Causes. — ^Inflammation of the kidneys, Nephritis, is produced by a.
Tariety of causes. Blows on, or sprains in the region of the loins, cal-
culi, the excessive use of diuretics to which some stablemen are prone,
musty fodder, or that which contains irritant plants, etc.
How to know it. — There will be more or less fever, sometimes a high
fever ; colicky pains ; looking at the abdomen ; the horse will lie down
with extreme caution ; frequent jjassages of urine in small quantity, but
368
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
very high colored, sometimes containing blood and even pus ; the legs
swell uniformly from the hoofs up ; the pulse is rapid, the bowels costive
and the breathing excited ; the horse straddles in his gait ; this, however,
is a general characteristic of all diseases of the urinary organs, but in
severe inflammation it amounts almost to helplessness.
There is, however, one test that is constant : there is extreme tender**
ness of the bony processes about six inches from the spine in the loins,
pressure over the kidneys will show the terrible pain from the crouching
attitude the horse assumes.
TEST FOR INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS.
If the urine is examined under a microscope, the fibrinous casts of the
kidney tubes will be found. In chronic cases, stocking of the legs, casts
in the urine, more or less tenderness upon pressure of the loins, and
general ill health, may be all that will be observed.
What to do. — In acute cases, if there is a strong pulse and the animal
is full of blood, bleeding may assist a cure. It is not always safe, except
under the advice of a veterinarian of modern practice. Bleeding should
never be practiced except in the earliest symptoms. Give an active
cathartic.
No. 123.
1 Drachm calomel,
4 Drachms powdered aloes,
Make into a ball with linseed meal and molasses.
Wrap the loins in woolen blankets and foment thoroughly with an in-
fusion of a handful of digitalis leaves in a pail of boiling water, putting
it on as warm as the hand will bear it ; or wring a sheep skin out of hot
water and apply the flesh side, changing as often as may be necessary.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 369
To assist the evacuation and ease the pain give injections of linseed tea,
one quart, to which an ounce of laudanum is added. Get up a good sweat
if possible. This will relieve the kidneys. Keep the bowels gently open
with laxatives and relieve the pains with anodynes, and as the animal im-
proves, give bitter tonics, 3 ounces of Peruvian bark daily in three doses ;
•r an ounce of gentian in two drachm doses three times a day.
rv. Profuse Staling, or Diabetes.
This disease, called by various names, as diuresis, diabetes insipidus,
poluria, etc., is simply an excessive secretion of urine, causing loss of
flesh, weakness, and at length terminating in exhaustion and a general
breaking down of the system.
Causes. — The most common cause is dosing with quack medicines, a
favorite pastime of ignorant stablemen, especially for "the water." It is
also produced by musty hay and grain, new oats, distillery slops, acid
diuretic plants, or any cause irritating the stomach and at the same time
stimulating the kidneys.
How to know it. — There is excessive thirst, profuse and frequent
staling, of pale colored urine, thin, and with little odor ; loss of condition
and spirits ; the appetite fails ; the skin is hard and dry ; the hair harsh •
the pulse will be weak, whether fast or slow ; depraved appetite for lick-
ing noxious substances.
What to do. — Change the food at once, well seasoned hay and grain,
with linseed tea given freely in the drink. The horse must not suffer
from thirst, but inordinate drinking should not be allowed. Iodine is
one of the chief specifics in this disease. The following will be a good
formula, to be given three times a day in water :
No. 121. 20 Grains iodine,
1 Drachm iodide of potassium,
4 Drachms carbonate of soda.
Mix, and give in water.
Or, give daily the following :
No 126. 2 Drachms phosphate of iron,
2 Drachms iodide of potassium,
4 Drachma Peruvian bark.
Mix, and give once a day in water.
If this does not soon show a disposition to check the disease, add 15 to
20 grains of creosote daily.
Another good formula, to be given once a day, or in bad cases twice
daily, is the following :
870 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. 126. 30 Grains iodine,
2 Drachms sulphate of iron,
>i Ounce powdured gentian.
Give as a ball, made with molasses and linseed meal. If four or five
doses do not show decided effect discontinue. Six or seven days should
effect a cure.
V. Bloody Urine, or Hsematuria.
Causes. — Sprains or bruising of the loins, stone in the kidneys, urinary
passages or bladder ; blood poisoning.
HORSE SUFFERING FROM BLOOr>Y URINE.
How to Determine the Condition. — If from local irritation, the blood
being in a healthy state, there will be clots of blood passed, and fibricious
casts of the urinary tubes entangling blood globules. These may be
seen with a good lens. If there is gravel more or less gritty matter will
be passed. If from blood poisoning, the tests must be made by a vete-
rinary surgeon, from the urine, who can then prescribe the proper
treatment.
Wliat to do. — The general practice is to give sound food, good shelter,
mucilaginous drinks, as linseed or slippery elm tea, or marsh mallow tea.
Also acid astringents, vinegar, buttermilk, a weak decoction of white oak
bark. If the passages are profuse apply cold water to the loins. If
there is inflammation foment with warm water (cloths saturated with hot
water) and follow with a mustard plaster. If the bowels are inactive,
give the following :
No. 127. 4 Drachms aloes,
1 Ounce cream tartar.
Mix in one and a half pints of warm water and give when cool, aiding
the operation by an injection of one quart of soap suds and four ounces
•il of turpentine.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 371
VI. Thick and Albuminous Urine.
This disability in horses, characterized by a thick, ropy, albuminoui
discharge of urine, is quite common in its milder forms, being an attend-
unt on extensive inflammation of important organs, on rheumatism,
fevers, and some conditions of blood poisoning. It is especially attend-
ant on inflammation of the kidneys, both acute and chronic, attended
with degeneration and shedding of the epithelium (the layers of cells)
iining the kidney tubes.
POSITIOK ASSUMED BY HORSE HAVING ALBUMINOUS URINE.
How to know it. — ^There are two special positions assumed by horses
suffering from severe secretion of albuminous urine. One is the stretched
out position. In the other the back will be roached, as seen in the cut.
In its mild stages the urine is thick, ropy, mucilaginous ; when it first
begins to flow, of a reddish-brown color, but changing to a more natural
condition, ending with a whitish, milky fluid ; sometimes the reverse ;
commencing white. When the disease is farther advanced the urine is
thicker, more deeply tinged, and sometimes offensive to the sense of
smell. It may degenerate into a number of forms, and finally terminate
in Bright' s disease of the kidneys.
What to do. — Place the animal where it may be comfortable ; clothe
warmly. If there is inflammation of the kidneys, foment with a sheep
skin wrung out of hot water ; or better, with an infusion of a handful of
digitalis (Foxglove) in a pail of scalding water, and use other measures
recommended in this article. If it be thought necessary to liquify the
arine, not always beneficial, prepare the recipe given on the following pag«,
«od exercise great care in the attendant treatment as there prescribed.
24
J72 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
^0, 1J8, 1 Ounce powdered assafoetida,
2 Ounces powdered juniper berriei,
8 Ounces powdered poplar bark.
Mix, divide into eight parts, and give one night and morning in th«
food.
The real animus should be to remove the cause, which, as we have
stated, is various. Attend to the general health of the animal, keep the
bowels open by a free use of bran mashes and other food of an opening
nature. Give a laxative if necessary — say, 5 ounces salts, and Peru-
vian bark 1 to 2 ounces daily at two or three doses.
vn. White, or Lime Urine.-
The urine is one of the agents used by nature to pass away the excess
of calcareous or other stony matter from the body. So long as the con-
ditions are normal, even when limy secretions are excessive, it may be
nature's means of removing this excess. When the urine becomes albu-
minous, the calciferous matter unites with the albumen, and the result
is calculi.
How to know it. — A white matter will be passed at the end of each
urination, or the urine may become decidedly limey.
What to do. — Attend to the general health of the horse, give none but
sound oats and Indian corn, and sweet clean hay from upland meadows.
Sand-like Deposit in the Bladder. — Sometimes a sand-like deposit,
or soft magma is made in the bladder, and to such an extent that the
urine flows involuntarily and constantly by drops. The remedy is by
means of a stomach pump and catheter, to fill the bladder with water.
Shake up the contents with the hand introduced through the rectum, and
allow the water to flow through the catheter. So proceed to again pump
full and empty until all the deposit is cleaned.
When an animal is inclined to this disability, 1 drachm of caustic soda
given daily ia the water will correct the secretion.
Vm. Gravel, or Stone in the Bladder.
The existence of urinary calculi, whenever found, is due to the de-
posit of mineral matter around some body as a nucleus. This may consist
of mucus, fibrine, blood-dot, or even of a crystal deposited from over-
saturated urine.
Causes. — They are so various that it would be useless to enumerate
them. Impaired breathing, whether from weak or diseased lungs, imper-
fect action of the liver, or impaired functions generally, are among the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 37;s
prominent causes. Any cause favoring concentration of urine might
bring about the fermation of calculi.
How to know it. — Cistus calculus, or stone in the bladder, occurs in all
domestic animals, producing straining in the effort to pass the urine. It
will escape in driblets, often drop by drop, or not at all. Blood will often
be passed in clots, and crystals of microscopic calculi will be passed.
By introducing the oiled hand into the rectum up to the bladder the stone
may be felt. Sometimes there are a number of them.
What to do. — 111 the case of a female the stone may be broken with a
lithatrite. In the case of a male the operation is called lithotomy. The
male is operated on standing, or else thrown on the right side. The
operation must in any event be performed by a competent surgeon, since
it involves cutting and the use of instruments that may not be attempted
by the novice. »
Preventive Measures- — The seed of Jamestown weed, or thorn apple
(^Datura stramonium) has been given with good effect in preventing the
formation of large calculi. Give an ounce of the powdered seed in the
feed every other day until six doses are given. In connection with this
give the following :
No. 129. 1 Ounce oil of juniper,
1 Ounce oil of sassafras,
4 Ounces sweet spirits of niter.
Form into four doses and give one morning and night for two days.
Animals predisposed to gravel should be fed on sound hay from old
meadows, sound grain, and watered only with soft water.
IX. Suppression of Urine.
Causes. — Retention or suppression of urine is due to so many causes,
especially in old horses, as paralysis of the bladder, meningitis, lockjaw,
severe colic or other acute disease, or from irritating drugs given by
ignorant stablemen, that the operator must be informed as to the nature
of the case.
What to do — If it be caused by paralysis the urine must be drawn off
several times a day with a catheter. The following will be indicated to
be given internally :
No. 130. yi Drachm extract nux vomica,
1 Pint water.
Give as a drench twice a day.
3Y4 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Another remedy, if one has a hypodermic syringe, would be :
No. 131. 4 Drops sulphuric acid,
2 Grains strychnine,
yi Ounce alcohol.
Throw one-half of one grain twice daily under the skin.
If the difficulty is due to general weakness of the bladder, gire th«
following stimulant :
No. 132. 20 Grains powdered cantharides,
1 Drachm powdered digitalis.
Make into a ball with soap.
If there is an accumulation of hard faeces in the rectum it must be
removed by full injections of strong soap suds, and if necessary removal
of the partially softened dung with the oiled hand.
If there is inflammation of the neck of the bladder, as shown by heat,
swelling, tenderness, give injections of one drachm extract of belladonna
in a quart of warm water, thrown repeatedly into the rectum of horses
and into the vagina of mares. To relieve pain give from one-half to twa
drachms of opium as may be needed.
X. Inflammation of the Bladder.
Causes. — A disease very rare in animals, and when occurring the effect
of violent external injury, or the result of irritating medicines, as croton
oil, cantharides, administered by the ignorant. It is quite rare, and may
be known by the frequent passing of urine, with great pain and difficulty.
As a sure test gi'asp the horse by the mane half way between the head
and shoulder with the left hand ; place the right hand under the flank
when all nervousness is passed, press more or less strongly on the abdo-
men. If inflammation be present the animal evinces intense pain. If
the muscles be tense and hard there is no inflammation.
What to do. — Give full doses of opium, two drachms, to relieve pain.
Give linseed tea, milk, and white of eggs beaten up with water as drinks.
As a laxative to relieve the bowels give one to two pints of olive oil as
may be needed. Inject into the bladder the following if you have an
matrument :
No. 138. 1 Drachm opium,
1 Drachm gum arable,
1 Pint blood warm water.
In severe cases the ammoniacal blister may be applied, as given on
the next page, if there is paralysis of the parts, with or without
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 37g
fomentations. The acute symptoms having subsided, give small doses of
copaiva, one to two drachms, or buchu, two to three drachms, as may
seem to be needed. Give soft or sloppy diet, with linseed tea, slippery
«lm, gum arable, or other mucilaginous drinks.
^ XI. Foul Sheath.
A horse with a foul sheath is unfortunate in his ma?5ter, unless ths
difficulty occurred before purchase.
What to do. — Clean the sheath of all foul matter with warm soap suds,
removing all lumps. To wash the sheath, take hold of the yard when
protruded, and without undue violence hold it with gentle pulling until
there be no resistance when it may be pulled out its entire length. When
washed, oil thoroughly with lard and salt, three parts of lard to one of
salt. Every other day or every three days wash again and oil until a
cure is effected.
xn. Rupture of the Bladder.
This difficulty occurs only in the female, the result of difficult parturi-
tion. The animal strains violently, and on examination a red, tumid,
rounded mass is shown between the lips of the vulva.
What to do. — Wash the parts carefully with tepid water, in which an
Dunce of laudanum has been mixed with each quart. Then return care-
fully, by pressing the center of the mass inwards to correct the eversion .
The difficulty will be in returning it through the neck of the bladder.
There will be more or less inflammation and softening, therefore care.
Judgment and time must be used, not to tear the tissues. If there is
'renewed straining, place a truss or compress over the vagina.
Xm. stricture of the Urethra.
Stricture of the urethra is the result of local irritation, the results .of
gravel, or of strong astringent injections. The symptoms are difficxilt
urination, with great pain and frequent erections. The cure must be
effected by the use of catheters, gradually increasing them in size until
the normal condition is reg-ained.
"O"
XIV. Inflammation of the Organs of Generation.
ci- — ^In stallions, there is occasionally inflammation of the testi^^les,
caused by external injury and other causes. It may be known by the
376 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
swelling of the parts, Ji straddling gait, with drawing up and again lef^
ting down of the testicles.
What to do. — Give a purgative, 4 drachms aloes in 1 1-2 pints water.
Foment the i)arts twice a day wath warm water. Then dry and apply ex-
tract of belladonna or laudanum. If pus (matter) should form, known by
fluctuation of the parts, open at the soft part. If the gland is involved,
and there is threatened destruction of the part, castration had better be
performed.
h. — Inflammation of the Womb,
Causes. — Bruises or other injuries at the time of giving birth, or in
getting rid of the afterbirth ; retained afterbirth, or exposure to wet or
cold after parturition.
How to know it. — Two, three or four days after parturition, there will
be an attack of shivering: pains, with looking at the flanks, similar to
those in colic ; shifting of the hind feet ; the loins and abdomen tender,
with aching of the loins ; the vulva red and swollen ; there is frequent
straining vnih. fetid discharge. The oiled hand being introduced into the
womb, the neck and body will be found filled with fluid ; the belly will
be tense and swollen ; the respiration and pulse will be increased, and the
temperature of the body hot. There will be grinding of the teeth, great
thirst and loss of power in the limbs.
What to do. — After having drawn out the contents of the womb with a
catheter, fill it again with tepid water, introduced through the tube, and
wash out thoroughly. Then inject one drachm permanganate of potassa
in a pint of lukewarm water, adding four ounces of glycerine and half an
ounce of laudanum. Give a purgative dose to move the bowels freely,
4 drachms Barbadoes aloes for a mare ; (for a cow, 1 pound of glauber
salts). Follow this with 20 drops tincture of aconite four times a day for
the mare; (for a cow, 30 drops). Give also once a day 5 drachms
nitrate of potassa, and also once a day 1 to 2 drachms chlorate of potassa.
Apply a blister of mustard to the right flank of the mare, or for a cow,
mustard and oil of turpentine. If there is a weak pulse, prostration and
stupor, use stimulants ; quinine in 15 to 20 grain doses, camphor and
Avhisky : also antisei)tics, chlorate of potassa, 1-drachm doses, or carbolic
acid 1-2 drachm doses in a pint of water.
c. — Leucorrhoea^ Catarrh of the Womb or Vagina.
The same general treatment is to be observed as in the foregoing. It
may be known by a whitish discharge from the vulva if caused by re>
tained afterbirth. Repeat the injection recommended for inflammation
«f the womb, daily, and keep up the system with tonics and good food.
THE HOESE, ITS DISEASES. 377
Tfee following will form a good tonic, appropriate in any enfeebled oonditioa
•f the mare, but especially so in the forms of disease just treated.
Mo. 134 2 Drachms sulphate of iron,
1 Drachm black pepper,
K Ounce ginger,
X Ounce gentian.
Divide into three doses for each daj.
CHAPTER Vm.
DISEASES OF THE TEETH AND MOUTH,
I. TEKTHTNO, OR DENTITION. II. SHEDDING TEETH. m. BLIND TEETH. IV. DECAY
OF THE TEETH. V. SCURVY. VI. STUMP SUCKING, OR CRIB BITING. VII. LAM-
PAS. VIU. INFLAMMATION IN AND AROUND THE MOUTH. IX. SLAVERING. X.
INFLAMMATION OP THE TONGUE. XI. SHARP AND PROJECTING TEETH. XII. SCALD
MOUTH. XIII. APTHA. XIV. INFLAMMATION OF THE PAROTID GLAND. —XV. FIS-
TULA OF THE PAROTID DUCT,
I. Teething, or Dentition.
Dentition in the horse has already been wiitten of and illustrated in
the map given in this work. In teething, all animals suffer more or less
from irritation and fever of the parts, probably as much so as the human
family. In puppies and in kittens it often causes convulsions between
the third and sixth month. Cattle are principally troubled between the
second and third year, and horses from the third to the fourth year, since
in the third year they cut four front teeth and eight back ones, and in the
fourth year four front back teeth, eight back teeth and the four tushes.
Hence the reason why it is advised that at this period of their lives they
be not hard worked.
In both cattle and horses the rising teeth are sometimes entangled with
the teeth that are being shed. There will be redness, swelling, tenderness
of the gums, and the inflammation sometimes extends to the throat,
causing coughing and general fever.
What to do. — If there is slavering ; if the animal seems to chew hard
food with pain, or bolts soft food with haste, examine the mouth. Ex-
tract the loose teeth ; lance the gums to allow easy dentition ; wash the
gums with tincture of myrrh : relieve the bowels if necessary with gentle
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 379
laxatives, and give as much rest and soft food as possible. Swine from
the sixth to the twelfth month usually cut thirty-six teeth, and sometimes
require attention.
n. Shedding Teeth.
In the shedding of the teeth the mouth should be examined frequently
for loosened teeth, to find if the new teeth are growing properly. If
they are likely to become crowded, causing twisting, they should be
straightened, and if necessary one of them extracted to allow them to
grow properly. Sometimes there will be disease of the membranes sur-
rounding the roots of the teeth, causing loosening, deviation from the
proper course, suppuration, and even shedding of the teeth with much
pain, even to inflammation and other diseases of the gum. Relief is to
be given by careful examination, keeping the bowels open with soft food,
such manipulation as may be necessary, sponging the gums with tincture
of myrrh, lancing the gums, and extraction of the loose teeth when
necessary.
m. Blind Teeth.
Supernumerary teeth may occur among the nippers and grinders.
When so they should be extracted. Blind, or wolf teeth, are not super-
numerary, but natural as they are insignificant, and would not be necessary
to notice here were it not from the fact that ignorant pretenders have
given the impression that they are the cause of blindness, big head, and
even apoplexy or staggers. These teeth are certainly useless, and occur
in horses (not in mares) immediately in front of the grinders and may
be extracted without difficulty or injury, care being taken that they be
not broken and thus irritate the gums.
IV. Decay of the Teeth.
The teeth of horses under an artificial system of management, are quite
subject to decay. Usually this is found in the grinders, although it
eometimes, but rarely, occurs in the nippers.
Causes. — Anything that will destroy the enamel or corrode the teeth,
strong mineral medicines, fermentation in the stomach, breaking of the
teeth by biting hard substances, or natural causes from increasing age.
How to know it. — The horse will suddenly drop the food from the
mouth ; slavering and exhiliition of pain. This means toothache in its
acute form. The general symptoms are imperfect chewing of the food.
gg,, ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
and consequent finding of whole grain in the dung ; indigestion, ua
thrifty t^tate of the hair and skin, irritability, loss of condition, generally
with swelling of the legs ; swelling of the
jaw-bone about the carious tooth, quidding of
the partially chewed hay, accumulation of food
around the tooth, and between it and the cheek.
What to do. — Put a balling iron in the
horse's mouth, and examine the jaws for bro-
ken or decayed teeth. If suspected, tap it
gently. If there is inflammation, lance the
A HOR8K WITH TooTHACHK. affectcd parts, aud sponge with tincture of
myrrh. If the tooth is ulcerated, it is better
to extract it at once ; if not, it may be cleaned and the cavity filled with
gutta-percha. If tender from exposure of the nerve, it must be relieved
or deadened with crystalized carbolic acid and powdered opium, before
filling. As a rule, in extensive caries, the tooth may be extracted. If
so, the opposing tooth must be occasionally rasped down. The extract-
ing of teeth, however, should only be undertaken by a veterinary surgeon,
except in the case of loose teeth, which may be extracted with a large
pair of forceps.
V. Scurvy of the Teeth.
Old horses are subject to deposit of calcareous matter, by which the
teeth become ridged with a white scurf, extending down upon the gums,
inflaming them and keeping them sore. This is generally confined to the
front teeth. Young horses also sometimes suffer from this disability.
Causes. — Imperfect digestion and sour stomach, evolving gases, or any
cause injuring the enamel of the teeth.
What to do. — First, find if his system is in good condition, or put
it 80. Put a twitch on the animal's nose and with proper instruments
remove the incrustations. Files, scrapers and fine emery paper are the
means to be used, the teeth afterwards to be oiled. In ordinary cases, a
stiff brush and a mixture of tartaric acid and salt will do it ; rubbing
afterwards with clean, hard wood ashes. Keep hard wood ashes and salt
where the horse may take it at will.
VI. Stump Sucking, or Crib Biting.
Stump sucking is when a horse rests its teeth against any projection,
arches its neck with spasmodic action of the throat, chest and flanks.
Crib-biting is when the horse seizes the crib or other hard substance be*
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. ggj
tween the teeth and pulls, with or without spasmodic action. "Wind
sucking is when the horse suddenly seizes any hard, firm substance with
its teeth, pulls back, sucking in the air, sometimes with so loud a spas-
modic action, noise and groans that it may be heard for a long distance,
with swallowing and eructation.
What to do It is probably more generally connected with disease
of the teeth than is generally suspected, and these should be immediately .
examined for cause. At length it becomes a confirmed vice. Relieve
any disabilities from the teeth. The remedy is to allow no surface uncov-
ered with sheet-iron where the horse may reach it. Smearing the front
of the manger with aloes has been recommended. A muzzle with two
iron bars projecting from the lower jaw over the mouth and extending
over and between the nostrils, will prevent the vice. If the disease be
pure wind-sucking, a strap fastened tightly about the upper part of the
neck will prevent the effort, but there is danger of the horse becoming
a roarer.
Vn. Lampas.
Lampas is congestion of the palate ; a redness and swollen condition
of the bars of the mouth behind the upper front teeth, caused by denti-
tion in young animals, and in old ones from indigestion, causing pain in
chewing from the protrusion of the tender parts.
What to do. — If in young horses, the means advised in dentition, with
slight cutting (scarifying) of the roof of the mouth, with a sharp knife
or lancet will suffice. In old horses, scarification, with a general atten-
tion to the health of the animal will be indicated. In scarifying, cut
only about an inch back of the teeth, and never deep. Just behind the
third bar an artery lies near the surface, difficult to manage if cut through.
Hence the care required in bleeding in
the roof of the mouth. Should, by ac-
cident the artery be severed, put a strong
cord around the upper front teeth close
to the gums, and strain it as tightly as
possible. This will generally close the
orifice and stop the bleeding. As a wash
for the gums, the following will be good : buening foelampas.
No. 135. 1 Oz. chlorate of potash,
2 Oz8. soft water.
Never hum the bars of the mouth for lampas. It is as senseless as it
382 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
is brutal and cruel. Never use caustics. The bars of the mouth ai>«
U!*cful to the horse, as the palate is to man, and may not be tampered
with with impunity.
vm. Inflammation in and Around the Mouth.
Causes. — Irritation from wounds, bruises, acrid or poisonous plants,
ravage bits, injuries from the bit, twitch or rope around the under jaw
and tongue, medical irritants, bites or stings of reptiles or insects, the
use of calomel and other salivating drugs, fungus growths, specific
fevers, etc.
How to know it. — There will be difficulty in feeding and drinking, sla-
vering with or without fetid saliva, swelling and rigidity of the lips,
cheeks or between the bones of the lower jaw, blisters or sores within
the mouth, swelling of the glands, etc.
What to do — Find the cause, whether from mechanical injury, irritating
food or irritant drugs. If injured by alkalies wash with vinegar and
water, equal parts ; if by acids use lime water or a weak solution of
bicarbonate of soda ; if caused by caustic salts use mucilage of slippery
elm, or white of egg ; if from venomous bites apply ammonia and give
one-half ounce of liquid ammonia internally to the horse, and one-half
to one ounce to the ox. For bite of venomous snakes, tarantula, etc.,
cauterize the wound in addition and give whisky in full doses. If there
Ls simple inflammation, open the bowels with a gentle laxative, two ounce
doses of magnesia, and wash with vinegar and honey. Give plenty of
cool water and soft food. If there are ulcers, touch them with a feather
dipped in
No. 136. 10 Grains lunar caustic,
1 Ounce rain water.
If there is much swelling keep the head tied up. If tumors resolving
into matter (pus) appear, open with a lancet or knife. If there is slough-
ing of the parts (separation of dead flesh) wash with the following:
No. 137. 1 Drachm permanganate of potassa,
1 Pint of water.
IX. Slavering.
Causes. — The result of mercurial salivation, symptoms of various
affections, as apthous fevers, epilepsy, cutting teeth, ulcers of the mouth,
'irritating food, alkalies, acids, bad fodder, etc. White clover will often
cause undue secretion of saliva by the glands.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
It may be known by the free discharge of saliva, great thirst and often
indigestion.
What to do. — Find the cause and remove it. Give cold water to drink,,
and sound grain, grass and hay. Use as washes
for the mouth, vinegar and water or vinegar
and honey. If the saliva is offensive, use water
slightly tinctured with carbolic acid as a wash,
and attend to the general health of the animal.
EFFKCT OF CBUEL D8E OF THE BFT.
X. Inflammation of the Tongue.
How to know it. — There will be difficulty in eating and drinking. The
tongue will be swollen and inflamed, sometimes hanging from the mouth.
What to do. — Use the same means recommended for inflammation of
the mouth, first having thoroughly searched for wounds from any sharp
substance having punctured and remained in the tongue. If the tongue
hangs from the mouth put the end in a bag, and support it with tapes
extending from the corners of the mouth and tied behind the ears. Great
relief may be afforded the suffering animal by this means.
XI. Sharp and Projecting Teeth.
The remedy for this disability will be obvious. Secure the animal, put
a twitch on its nose, if a horse, and a balling iron in the mouth and file
the teeth until smooth and even, using a rasp made for this purpose, flat
and with a slightly crooked handle.
Xn. Scald Mouth.
Causes. — The ignorant use of acid drenches or corrosive drugs by
careless or ignorant stable men. Medicines of unusual strength are
sometimes sent with directions for diluting. If labels were carefully
read, and directions implicitly followed, there would be less of this
distressing malady, often ending in chronic disease of the stomach.
Kow to know it. — The mouth is red, often raw ; the lips are in constant
motion , moving up and down ; the saliva flows continually, showing the
pain the animal endures.
What to do. — Give well-made cold gruel, either of com or oatmeal,
and soft food if the horse can take it. Boiled carrots are excellent if
the animal will eat them. Prepare the following lotion :
584 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
■go. 138. T) Ounces of powdered borax,
2 Pounds of honey,
1 Gallon of boiling water.
Mix, let it become quite cold ; hold up the horse's head moderately and
pour half a pint into the mouth. At the expiration of half a minute
allow the head to gradually drop so the fluid may flow over the inflamed
surfaces. This should be repeated several times a day. Beyond this
nothing can be done except to attend to the general health of the animal,
which should do no work until entirely recovered.
Xm. Aptha, or Thrush.
A disease incident to sucking animals and young horses, generally
occurring in the Spring and Fall.
How to know it. — Red patches will appear on tongue, cheeks and lips,
which assume a whitish color, caused by a fungus growth
(cedium albicans) . The lips swell; the tongue hangs
out of the mouth ; vesicles form containing a clear,
gelatinous fluid. At length these burst ; crusts form
and recovery ensues.
What to do. — Give the animal soft food as recom-
mended for other mouth diseases. Wash the mouth
with the lotion prescribed for scald mouth, or prepare
equal parts of honey and powdered bayberry bark into
a paste, with which anoint the affected parts every night.
To purify the blood and promote the general health give the following ;
No. 139. 1 Ounce flowers of sulphur,
1 Ounce powdered sassafras bark,
2 Ounces powdered golden seal.
Mix, divide into four portions and give one every night in scalded
shorts allowing it to get cold. Or give it in cold gruel as a drink. This
prescription will be found valuable in any case and for all farm stock
when the blood is thick and inclined to humors. Give fully grown swine
half the dose prescribed, and full grown sheep one-third the dose ; that
is, divide into eight doses for swine and twelve for sheep.
XIV. Inflammation of the Parotid Gland.
Causes. — This gland, which lies in the hollow that extends from
the root of the ear to the angle of the lower jaw, sympathizes with in-
fliimmation of the uppe^ part of the throat, and becomes hot, tender and
swollen in almost ever case of cold. It is liable to inflammation also
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 385
from mechanical injury, and from obstruction of its duct. In bad cases
of strangles or distemper, it will sometimes swell to great size and will
break, a fistulous sore being the termination.
How to know it. — When the gland has become swollen, it is easilj
discernible by sight or feeling. There is a hard and painful lump be-
neath the ear, with a softer feeling about its edges. The horse carries
his head stiffly, chews slowly and with difficulty, and has some general
fever.
What to do. — As this state of the gland is almost always preceded by
cold, and is accompanied by it, the treatment must be first directed to
the removal of the exciting cause. Place the animal in comfortable sur-
roundings, attend to the state of his bowels, giving 3 ounces glaubers or
epsom salts, in case of constipation, and a few warm mashes. Mean-
while, cover the affected gland with a good poultice until the inflammation
is subdued.
If inflammation results from mechanical obstruction, that obstruction
must of course be removed before any permanent relief can be obtained ;
and this may require the removal of a calculus or stone from the parotid
duct, which can be safely done only by an experienced surgeon.
If attention is not directed to the swelling until matter is forming,
allow it to approach the surface and come to a head before attempting to
open, to avoid cutting any of the ducts, which might result in a fistula.
If the tumor becomes hard, use iodine, almost to the extent of blistering.
Any wound inflicted mechanically, as a cut into the gland, or a prick
with a stable-fork, must be treated externally according to its nature—
the main point being to close it so effectually that the salivary fluid which
it is the office of this gland to secrete cannot escape through the wounds
XV. Fistula of the Parotid Duct.
Causes. — The parotid duct, which is formed by a union of the smallei
ducts of the parotid gland, enters the mouth after it leaves the gland, in
front of the large masseter muscle of the cheeks — having passed for
eome distance upon the inner side of the jaw, and then turned under th«
lower border of the bone. The saliva secreted by the parotid gland,
which lies at the spot where the neck joins the jaw, is poured into the
mouth by this parotid duct, to be mingled with the food during the pro-
cess of mastication. If the mouth of this little tube is closed in any
way, so as to prevent the free egress of the saliva, distension of the duct
takes place, and the confined secretion causes sneering, inflammation,
and finally rupture. This stoppage is sometimes caused by hayseeds or
other particles of food that enter the mouth of the channel while the
3^(5 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
animal is feeding. The presence of food in the mouth and the motion
of the jaw stimuhitc the action of the gland, and since the saliva thus
eecreted cannot escape by its natural opening, there is constantly more
and more pressure until some outlet is found. This, as we have said,
may be by bursting, or it may be by external accident. A wound inflicted
on the jaw with any pointed instrument, as a hay-fork, has been known
to penetrate this channel. The saliva thereupon pours through the open-
ino-, and by its constant flow it prevents the healing of the wound, so
that its edges speedily become hard and without that liveliness essential
to the closing of punctured or gashed flesh.
The stopping of this passage into the mouth is said to have been some-
times caused by calculus or stone in the cheeks of the animal. These, of
a size exceedingly large in proportion to the size of the duct in which
they lodge, have been taken from the jaw.
Every wound which penetrates this or any other duct of the salivary
glands soon becomes a fistulous and offensive sore ; the fluid secreted by
the gland finds its way out through the false opening, while none of it
enters the mouth to perform its natural function in preparing the food
for the stomach, so that the horse soon begins to lose flesh, and finally
assumes a wretched and loathsome appearance.
The opening of the parotid duct occasionally occurs, perhaps, from the
opening of abscesses attending strangles or distemper.
How to know it. — The digestion necessarily becomes deranged when
the process of mastication is carried on for any considerable length of
time without the foods being moistened by that secretion which the paro*
tid duct in a healthy condition furnishes ; but the orifice in the skin under
the jaw or on the cheek at the large muscle, discharging a liquid some-
what resembling the white of an egg, is the unmistakable indication of
the disorder under consideration. Durins; the act of feeding this fluid is
freely discharged, even sometimes squirting from the wound, and especi-
ally so if the food is dry and hard to chew. It will be noticed that in
chewing the horse uses the opposite side of the mouth from that on
which the opening occurs, and that the process is slow and diflScult. The
edges of the wound soon become callous, the running of the stream down
the cheek destroys the hair, and the whole part has a fistulous and filthy
appearan(^e.
What to do — In the first place, especial care must be taken to keep-
the animal, during the period required for effecting a cure, upon food
that requires no chewing. It should be sufficiently plentiful and nutri-
tious to prevent the uneasiness of hunger. Soft mashes and gruels alone
should constitute the diet. Another precaution is necessary when he is.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 387
left to himself — that is, to tie him up in such a way as to prevent him
from rubbing the wound. This can be done by having a rein at each side
of the halter, and tying it up, one to each side of the stall, and suffi-
ciently back and high up to keep him from putting his jaw against either
ihe trough or the wall against which it stands.
If the wound has recently broken, shave the edges so as to remove all
roughness and bring them closely and evenly together. Then cover with :
collodion, putting on coat after coat until it is strong enough to keep the)
wound from bursting.
If the sore is of long standing, and the case evidently obstinate, the
first care must be to determine whether the channel has become closed
between the wound and the mouth, as sometimes happens. If so, make
a new one and keep it open by passing a thread through it. This thread
must have a flat button affixed to each end, one inside the mouth the
other outside the wound, to retain it in place. It should not be so closely
shortened by the buttons as to prevent its being slipped a little, first one
way then the other, until the walls .of its passage have become callous or
firm, and not likely to adhere. It must then be withdrawn, and the way
being open for the secretion to escape into the mouth the outside wound
must be closed. To do this, make an adhesive fluid by saturating gum
mastic with the strongest spirit of wine, or by dissolving India rubber in
sulphuric ether. Pare off the edges of the wound till the healthy skin
and flesh are laid bare, which may be known by bleeding. Now wash the
surrounding parts thoroughly with warm soap suds, so as to remove the
oily secretion from the skin and hair, and render the latter dry, so that
an adhesive preparation may the more readily stick. When the bleeding
has stopped and the hair is dry, lay over the orifice a piece of India
rubber, and over that a cotton cloth. Fix the cotton firmly by means of
the adhesive fluid above mentioned, first attaching one side, then, when
that is dry and firmly fixed, stretching and fastening down the other
edge. Continue to fasten on these strips one after another in this way —
some of them cross-ways — until there is a good body of them ; then
thoroughly saturate the whole with the adhesive fluid and tie up the
animal as already directed. When his reins are loosened in order that he
may eat, he must be watched to see that he does not rub and re-open the
wound .
This one covering, as described, is generally sufficient to effect a cure <
but if it falls off before the orifice is entirely closed, wait a day or two,
«till feeding on soft food, and then put on another coat of the India
rubber, cotton, and mastic solution ; and so continue until a cure U
effected.
25
CHAPTER IX.
DISEASES OF THE HEABT, BLOOD, ETC.
1. THUMPS. n. SCROFULA. III. FEVER, OR GEKBRAL INFLAMMATION. IV. KNLAKOE-
MK2IT OF THE HEART. V. FATTY DEGENERATION OF THE HEART. VI. KNLARGK"
MENT OF THE ARTERIES. VII. INFLAMMATION OF THE JUGULAR VEIN.— VUI. INFLAM*
MATION OF THE ABSORBENTS. IX. SCARLATINA.
I. Thumps.
Palpitation of the heart, or thumps, as it is usually called, may occur
from fright, in highly fed, irregularly worked animals, but is not as a
rule connected with structural disease of the heart.
Causes. — Indigestion, some blood diseases, sudden excitement or fright
in animals predisposed to nervousness.
How to know it. — ^The action of the heart will be violent and convul*
sive ; the beatings can be seen, felt and heard. The disorder comes on
abruptly, generally from excitement, has perfect intermissions with ab-
rupt jarring thumps, and a jerking motion of the abdomen, and unaccom-
panied by redness of the mucus membranes ; excited eyes, rapid breathing
and a more or less sudden diminution of the palpitation. If signs of
temporary excitement arc not present ; if the attack comes on slowly, is
constant with aggravated intervals ; if there is a heavy, prolonged, une-
qual beating, with red mucus membranes and swelling of the limbs, it
may be inferred that the difficulty is connected with structural heart
disease.
What to do. — Avoid sudden excitement and over-exertion, but give
regular but gentle exercise, stimulants and tonics. The following would
be indicated as a stimulant, either whisky, or 1-2 ounce liquid ammonia.
Give 15 to 20 grahis digitalis twice a day in the feed, for some weeks.
388
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 389
If there is a full, strong pulse, and increased size of the heart, add to
the digitalis 20 drops tincture of aconite, twice a day, or drop it into the
water given twice a day. If there is general debility, the following will
be indicated, to be given twice a day for several weeks ;
No. 140 Yt Drachm powdered nux vomica,
1 Drachm extract of belladonna.
Form into a ball with liquorice powder and molasses, and give.
II. Scrofiila.
The horse is not subject to scrofula, as is man, and the lower farm
animals. Swine are essentially scrofulous ; sheep are often so ; cattle
more rarely, and horses least of all. Yet that this noble animal has the
germs of this dread disease in his system, would seem to be indicated by
ulcers on the liver, tumors in the glands, and tubercles of the lungs.
Thus it may be found in connection with other diseases, or show itself in
eruptive skin, or of the organs.
What to do. — Stramonium, known to farmers as Jamestown or Jimson
weed, is a specific. Give every other day half an ounce of the dried
seed, bruised, or 20 to 30 grains of the stramonium of the druggists,
daily. The ox may have from 1-2 to 1 drachm ; sheep 5 to 10 grains,
and swine 4 to 6 grains daily, the state of the bowels being carefully
attended to by giving laxative food if costive, ^r if necessity occur, med-
icine, Glauber salts in light doses.
III. Fever, or General Inflainmation.
When from any cause injury is done to any part of the frame, or in,
flammatory action is set up either in the tissues, membranes, or any of
the organs of the body, heat is produced, and this is fever. This often
becomes general from sympathy, thus in a measure relieving the pressure
on the more closely affected parts. Fever is not the disease itself, but
the result of disorganization, a symptom of disease, or internal disorder.
In fact, a symptom of disease arising from sympathy of the system with
disease of the animal economy. Remove the cause and the fever will
eease. We may do something to alleviate it in connection with the treat-
fnent of the disease itself, but we must not lose siffht of the latter.
In intermittent fevers there is a cold stage, a hot stage and a sweating
stage. These may vary in succession and degree, but the real difficulty
is in a morbid state of the viscera, but particularly of the liver and
organs employed in the formation of bile, and of the mesentery. In
fevers the tongue is coated. Yet no quack is so ignorant as to suppose
390 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the fevor can be cured by scraping the tongue, and yet this is fully a»
sensible as to suppose fever to be the disease itself when it is an effect of
disease.
In the horse fevers often manifest themselves through inflammation ot
the mucous or serous membranes, producing catarrh or influenza. Whea
it affects the mucous surface of the stomach and bowels it produces
extreme languor and debility. In pleurisy there is inflammation of the
serous membranes within the thorax. The fever is the manifestation of »
the disease. In typhoid fever there is inflammation of the brain and
viscera and especially of the stomach, intestines and peyers gland. The
fever is the attendant simply upon the cause of the inflammation.
Fever in horses has been described by the author of Hippopathology
to be 1st. Common fever — a general diffuse inflammation. 2d. Idiopathic— »
arising without any apparent local injury. 3d. Symptomatic — arising
from some local cause or irritation. The late Dr. Dadd, V.S., very truly
says:
"A rational system of veterinary medicine contemplates, in the treat-
ment of febrile symptoms, nothing more than a kind of expectancy. W
the patient be in the cold stage, administer warm diffusible stimulantii
and diaphoretics, aided by warmth and moisture externally ; friction on
the extremities, and, if necessary, stimulating applications to the chest and
the extremities. In the hot stage, and when the superficial heat of tha
body is great, cooling drinks are indicated : water acidulated with cream
of tartar, makes a good febrifuge. The patient may be occasional!}'
sponged with weak saleratus water. The alkali has a beneficial effect on
the cutaneous vessels, while the water lessens the temperature of tho
body. No treatment, however, can be of any rational use, unless it
contemplates a restoration of the healthy equilibrium of the whole system.
Let the doctor treat the disease, and a good, attentive groom can manage
the fever."
In treating general fever or inflammation, therefore, we must first find
the cause, and treat, giving such agents as have been indicated throughout
this work, for the febrile symptoms as they occur. As a rule we do not
advocate bleeding, but in the horse in the early stages of acute inflamma-
tion, especially of the brain, and all that class of diseases which involve
the general system, and when the blood is thick and dark, sometimes
almost brown, bleeding may be practiced with success. It is never well
however to bleed blindly. In apoplexy and that class of diseases, bleed.
It is a case of life or death. For fevers in general there can be no
specific. In diseases of the blood, accompanied by fever, alteratives will
be indicated both as a preventive and corrective of the diseased functions.
Sometimes the condition of the absorbents are so inactive that alterative*
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. S9l
cannot act. Here bleeding would seem to be indicated. Yet it Is better
unless in the case of life or death, that it be not resorted to, except
Mnder the advice of a competent veterinarian or physician.
IV. Enlargement of the Heart.
H}'pertrophy or enlargement of the heart is an increase of its muscular
substance and may be confined to one side or one ventricle. Sometimes
disease of the valves leads to enlargement much beyond its usual size.
Enlargement of the heart also accompanies broken wind and other im-
pediments to the free action of the lungs and breathing tubes.
Causes. — Long continued hard work ; chronic indigestion, or some
obstruction to the circulation.
How to know it. — There is palpitation, the beats forcible and prolonged,
the intervals of silence shortened. The first sound is low, muflied and
prolonged, the second loud, and if only one ventricle is affected some-
times repeated. The pulse is as a rule regular, except under excitement
of the animal, and, the excitement removed, soon returns to its usual
state. The breathing is often hurried, and exertion increases the general
fsymptoms in a marked manner.
What to do. — Simple hypertrophy is seldom the cause of imminent
danger. It is not unusual for horses with an enlargement of the heart
to do steady, slow, moderate work, and live to be old. If there is
dilatation, weakness, blowing murmurs with the first heart sound, spells
of oppressed and difficult breathing, if the nasal and other visible mucous
membranes are livid, there is danger of sudden death at anytime.
Keep the animal quiet, and at only slow, moderate labor ; never over^
load or put him to speed. Let the diet be of good, easily digested food ;
never allow the stomach to become overloaded. Give twice a day from
20 to 30 drops tincture of aconite root as the case may need. If there is
broken wind or other serious impediment to breathing, 3 to 4 grains of
arsenic in the food has been found useful. If the case, however, be of
long standing, or due to permanent obstruction, treatment must be simplj
silleviation. The case will eventually end in death.
v. Patty Degeneration of the Heart.
This disease is occasioned by a change of the muscular substance of
the heart to a fatty state, by which the organ is weakened, at length lead-
ing to rupture of its tissues. It is not uncommon in high-bred stock,
including cattle and swine.
jf,.2 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
Qauses. High feeding, inactivity, want of exercise, and the result of
such diseases as purpura scarlet fever, and diseases the result of pro-
found alteration of the blood.
How to know it. — Debility in the circulation, irregularity and weak,
ness in the puUe, lessening of the heart sounds, swelling of the legs and
sometimes a general dropsical condition, dilatation, a want of correspond-
ence between the heart beats and the stroke of the pulse, appetite irreg-
ular and capricious, and the membranes of the mouth and nose a rusty
red color.
What to do. — Humor the appetite with sound, easily digestible food.
There is no remedy. Attention to the general health, and an ounce of
chlorate of potash twice a day in the food may mitigate s%Tnptoms when
more violent than usual. In all heart or arterial diseases give rest, and
in fattening stock, do so as quickly as possible.
VI. Enlargement of the Arteries.
Dilatation of the arteries (Aneurism), is rarely found. It is a thinning
and weakening of the coats of the vessels, sometimes to bursting, causing
a pulsating: tumor containing blood.
Causes. — Severe strains in the vicinity of an artery, blows, kicks,
stabs, or weakening from overstretching, as in fatty degeneration. In
the mesenteric arteries of horses, they are common from immature
worms ( Sclerrt,<<toj7ium equhuim) in the circulation.
How to know it. — There is a soft, fluctuating, visible tumor if near
the surface, which may be reduced by pressure, but which instantly
reappears.
What to do. — Treatment is not successful except when near the sur-
face. Then steady pressure by a pad if taken early wiU sometimes cause
its disappearance. An animal with enlargement of the arteries is un-
sound and should never be bought . The same rule apphes to all diseases
of the heart.
VH. Inflamed Jugular Vein.
Causw. — This is due, for the most part, to bleeding, and the treatment
to which the horse is subjected, or rather lack of treatment immediately
after blood-letting. It is not to be attributed to any particular manner
of bleeding, or to any awkwardness in its execution and in the closing of
the wound. Some horses have a constitutional predisposition to inflam-
mation u}X)n any occasion of punctured veins, and the most skillful
phlebotomist cannot avoid throwing theoi into this state unless care is taken
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 39%
after the operation to see that there is as little exciting cause as po3sible.
Inflammation may, indeed, result from bruising the vein in the act of
bleeding, but this must be of so rare occurrence as to be scarcely worthy
of notice. The same may be said of a large and ragged wound made by
a bungling operator.
The motion of the animal after bleeding, and rubbing so as to displace
the pin and tow by which the wound is usuall}'^ closed, may be set down
as the srreat sources of danorer. If the horse is turned loose and allowed
to graze about, hanging doyra his head and keeping it down at will, vrith
his jaws in almost constant motion, inflammation of the vein is apt to
result. So, if he is allowed access to food in a trough or stable. When
allowed his freedom he is apt to rub the wound whenever itching sensa-
tions supervene, as they are apt to, and the trouble is thus easily induced.
If put to the saddle immediately after blood-letting from the neck, the
bridle reins may rub the wound, and especially irritate it by disturbing its
fastenings ; and if put to harness the collar may press the blood too
violentlv and constantly against the orifice, and so bring on inflammation.
How to know it. — The earliest indication is a slight opening of the lips
of the wound, whence exudes in small quantity a thin, waterv* discharge.
A slight swelling appears ; this is followed by a hard, cord-like enlarge-
ment of the vein, which feels hot ; and there is some visible swelling at
the angle of the jaw. The swelling takes place above the orifice, and
the inflammation tends almost wholly in that direction.
If negrlected, the second stage of the disorder soon sets in. Abscesses
form along the vein, and these flnally burst and discharge a thin but
filthy pus. These tumors are united at their bases by sinuses in the
interior of the vessel.
It ma}' be reckoned as a third stage of the disease when the vein feels
hard under the skin, and the abscesses discharge a dark, impure and
stinking pus, resembling rotten blood. At this stage the horse grows
dull and stupid ; then at last the inflammation extends to the brain, and
a madness similar in violence and fatal effects to the rabies may supervene.
What to do. — In the first place,. "an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure," and whenever it is necessary to bleed an animal, let it
be done in as neat, skillful and expeditious manner as possible; then
close the wound with care, leaving no part of the fastening pin to project
over the suture or winding of tow or cord by which the lips are drawn
close ; and at once tie up the horse in a stall. If the stall is contracted
in ^-idth, it is all the better, as he will be less likely to stir unnecessaiily.
Tie the halter above and something back from the manger, so that he
cannot rub his neck against the trough nor anything pertaining to th:it
part of his stall. Give him no food that will necessitate chewing—'
391 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
nothing but a sufficiency of thin, cool gruel, having in it no inflammatory
ingredients, to prevent the absolute gnawings of hunger. Water may b«
given in as great quantities as he will take.
Allow him to remain in this position twenty-four hours. Even then,
do not turn him into a field, as the traveling to and fro, with the head
often pendent and the jaws in motion as he grazes may yet cause inflam-
mation. He may now, however, be allowed a more roomy stable ; but
the food should be for another day only such as will necessitate no con-
siderable chewing. This precaution will in all probability wholly prevent
inflammation, even in those cases where the animal has a strong consti-
tutional tendency to it.
These directions, however, are not to be understood as applicable to
every case. When a horse is bled to relieve some sudden or acute local
trouble, there is really but little danger of inflammation of the jugular,
especially if the acute trouble is attended with marked local fever.
When inflammation has actually set in, from whatever cause, the cure
is easy and speedy, if steps be promptly taken to this end. If begun
while in its simplest stage, place the horse at once in a stall, as previously
indicated, and tie his head up during the day — giving him food and drink
by raising a bucket within easy reach for the time. Then sponge the in-
flamed part very frequently with the following lotion, as cool as it can
easily be made :
No. 141. 3 Ounces tincture of arnica,
2 Ounces muriate of ammonia,
4 Ounces methylated spirits of wine,
3 Pints water.
It will be more effectual if some soft padding is confined along the
whole extent of the inflammation, and this kept constantly saturated
with the cold lotion.
After the inflammation has subsided, mix biniodide of mercury and
lard in the proportion of 4 drachms biniodide to 4 ounces lard, and rub
the vein well with this, if it remains enlarged, every night until the new
deposit has ])een absorbed, which will be known by its having produced
a free watery discharge.
The treatment thus laid down is intended to apply strictly to the first
stage of the disease. When the second stage has set in before treatment
is begun — that is, discharging abscesses along the vein — begin by remov-
ing the pin and suture, if not already done, and then blister along the
whole extent of the inflamed and tumorous surface by rubbing in effect-
ually the oil of cai^tharides, or liquid blister. One blister must succeed
another till every sign of the disorder has disappeared. If the case seems
Vo be violent and to yield slowly, one blister must not wholly cease to
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 39d
act until another coating of the oil has been applied — though this is not
necessary except in ' ery obstinate cases. If the liquid is to be applied
over an old one, sfA\ raw, use a fine brush with which to lay it on, and
then cover over with an application of some unctuous oil to soothe th»
severe smart that presently sets in. Be careful always to have the blia-
ter cover every 9»)ot where there is indication of inflammation.
If the disease has progressed to that stage in which there is a foul and
hlack discharge, the abscesses must all be joined by slitting up the inter-
yening sinuses. Cut the whole extent of the hardened vessel except a
little at each 9tid, which must be left to prevent copious bleeding. Em-
ploy a small, suitable probe, carefully and patiently, and cut along the
track indicated, from abscess to abscess. Then apply the liquid blister
as directed, regardless of sores or cuts, and continue to do so until the
paj-t is but one blister sore and not a lot of discharging tumors.
The vein will of course be destroyed. Whenever the corded and
suppurating state sets in this is inevitable, as no human agency can
restore its functions ; but this will not seriously interfere with the circu-
lation, since the smaller vessels that ramify every part of the neck (as,
indeed, of the whole system) soon accommodate themselves to the new
order of things, and the life-current flows regularly on. It requires
much time, however, to bring him to that condition in which he will not
need more than ordinary attention. Throughout the day his head must
be tied up to the rack, while at night he may be loosened so as to permit
him to lie down. The floor should be covered with tan, as he would
chew straw, and thus render cure more difficult by that motion of the
jaws which is to be guarded against. He should be kept this way for
from four to seven weeks, according to progi'ess of recovery. Meanwhile
his food should be hay tea, sloppy mashes, and cooling gruel moderately
thick. No solid food should be allowed — no corn nor oats. Potatoes,
carrots, turnips, boiled, reduced to pulp, moistened and mixed with br»n
form the best diet.
At the close of the time designated begin regular daily exercise — ^very
little at first, but gradually increasing it, which may be continued for two
or three months, during which time he should not wear a collar, or be in
anv way subjected to pressure about the neck. After three months he may
be restored by degrees to the use of solid food ; but much care should
be observed during a whole year, after which he may be considered
measurably sound.
Inflammation may follow bleeding from leg veins, and those elsewhere,
but it is most common in the jugular and most troublesome. The treat-
ment were prescribed is of course applicable in its general principles to other
reins.
896 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Vm. Inflammation of the Absorbents.
Inflammation of the absorbents (Lymphangitis), has a variety of
names, among which are Weed, and Shot of Grease, and may be a con-
stitutional case, or a mere local affection. In its constitutional form, it
is found in heavy lymphatic, fleshy-legged horses that, hard worked on
heaxy feed, are left in the stable for days together.
In its local form it is the result of wounds, bruises, injuries of various
kinds, putrefying matter in and around the stable. It may occur from
the specitic poison of glanders, farcy, etc., and in the constitutional form
mav go on to abscess, sloughing and unhealthy sores, and death ; or the
horse may be left with the limb permanently thickened. In the local
form there may be abscess, diffuse suppuration, induration of the glands,
and even the vessels and surrounding parts.
How to know Constitutional Lymphangitis — There will be more oi- less
shivering ; in bad cases severe, quickened breathing ; rapid, hard pulse ;
a general feverish state, and fever in one or both hind limbs. Enlarge-
ments may be detected high up in the gi'oin, by the side of the sheath in
the horse or udder in the mare, and great tenderness of the inguinal
glands. The shivering fits will be succeeded by fever with burning
sweats, swelled limbs, exudation and filling, sometimes to the body.
What to do. — In mild cases, give moderate and daily exercise, pay at-
tention to diet, ventilation, and cleanliness. If the case is more severe,
give from 4 to 6 drachms of aloes, apply warm fomentations continually
to the limb, with w^alking exercise. The bowels haAnng been thoroughly
moved, give diuretics, an ounce of saltpeter in a gallon of water two or
three times daily ; or 10 grains of iodine. In very bad cases, when the
subject is plethoric, bleed from the jugular vein until the pulse softens,
and proceed as before directed. For "thick leg," a chronic thickening
of the limb, bandage from the foot up when the animal is in the stable,
and apply tincture of iodine for four days, giving daily exercise ; or rub
the limb with iodine ointment, and give the following once a day :
No. 142. ^ Ounce powdered resin,
Ji Ounce niter,
10 Drops oil of juniper.
Mix into a ball with liquorice powder and molasses.
K abscesses form, open them with a sharp knife, and dress with thfc
following :
e
No. 143. 1 Ounce carbolic acid,
1 Pint distilled water-
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 397
In the local form there will be slight ewelling of the cords, and redness
in white skins. The lymphatic glands will be enlarged along their course,
and become nodular or knotty. There will be pasty swellings of the
parts, and even erysipelas.
What to do. — Give rest, and a purge of aloes as recommended for th©
chronic state. Wash the diseased limb with the following :
No. 144. Ji Drachm opium,
1 Drachm acetate of lead,
1 Drachm carbolic acid,
1 Quart rainwater.
In case of excessive inflammation, poultice with flax seed or bread and
milk to hasten suppuration. Open the suppurating parts to let out the
matter, and dress with the carbolic solution as in the other form of the
disease. ^
IX. Scarlatina.
Causes. — This disease, called also scarlet fever, is not considered
contagious in its milder forms, but in a malignant stage it would doubt-
\ess be as much so as the same disease in the human family. It is
Jometimes regarded as but a mild form of acute anasarca, and not
entitled to be treated as a distinct affection ; but we cannot dwell upon
the niceties of classification, and where the necessities of the case (the
knowledge requisite for treating certain manifestations of disease success-
fully) are met, it is not important that we should.
It generally follows influenza and other affections of the respiratory
organs ; and may be justly said to have its origin in colds, and in some
cases, perhaps, in the breathing of vitiated air in close, dark, ill-ventilated
stables.
How to know it. — The patient exhibits great thirst, with a failing
appetite, and e\ident weakness. He is more or less unsteady in his gait ;
his breath is hot and stinking, and all the limbs are swollen. But the
most unmistakable sigrns are elevated blotches on the skin about the neck
and fore limbs, and scarlet spots, of variable size, on the membranes
within the nostrils.
What to do. — First, remove the animal from its fellows, for fear the
disease may develop into that putrid form which is found so contagious
among children, and prove infectious. Give an occasional watery bran
mash to keep the bowels open and allay fever. If this is not found
sufficiently laxative, give a dose of Epsom salts, or linseed oil. Guard
against too active and violent purgatives, Mix three oimces liquor acetate
398 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
of ammonia with three ounces of cold water, and drench with this on%«
or twice a day, according to the violence of the fever, for three days.
Meanwhile, sponge the elevated spots on the skin with a tincture of
muriate of iron mixed with warm water ; or, if found more convenient,
put two ounces of iartshorn (aqua ammonia) into a quart of soft water,
and use that.
There is a tendency in this disease to dropsical effusions, and the limbs
become very much swollen, even during the treatment prescribed ; and
by the third or fourth day a whitish mucus will begin to run slightly
from both nostrils ; the scarlet spots will have spread and become redder.
Give now, night and morning, one-half fluid ounce sweet spirits of niter,
for four or five days. Discontinue to sponge the elevated spots, but rub the
limbs closely and often ; and blanket the animal if necessary to keep him
comfortable. The niter acts as a diuretic, and the dose and length of time
it is given must be regulated by the effect upon the kidneys. If urine is
voided too often and too freely, lessen the dose, or discontinue it alto-
gether. Follow this up with a daily dose of twenty grains of sulphate
of quinine for from three to six days, and continue to rub the limbs.
When there are signs of returnmg appetite, give him, in addition to the
bran mashes, a few oats and a daily small allowance of hay ; and place
him in a small inclosure, where he may have such moderate exercise as
he may be prompted to take. Do not fail to supply him from the fii«t
mih all the pure water that he will drink.
CHAPTER X.
DISEASES OF THE BBAIT) AND NERVOUS SYSTEM.
V BTDBOPHOBIA, OR RABIES. U. MAD STAGGERS, OR PHRENITIS. HI. BLIND STAflh
GERS, MEGRIMS, OR VERTIGO. IV. APOPLEXY, OR SLEEPY STAGGERS. V. ABCESS-
WITHDi THE BRAIN.
I. Hydrophobia, or Babies.
Causes. — This is the name given to a madness which generally arisen
from the bite of a dog, though wolves, foxes and cats are also subject to
it by a spontaneous generation, and this bite is as fatal to another animal
and to man as that of the dog. It is believed by some authorities that
in rare cases hydropho'/ia arises spontaneously in the horse ; but of this
there is no proof ; ar d since it may have been communicated by some-
thing of the dog or cat kind, even in those cases where all the outward
signs are lacking, it is safe to say that the horse takes it only by inocula-
tion. He need not be absolutely bitten. The licking of bridle-bit sores
at the corner of his mouth by a mad dog is sufficient to introduce the
poison by absorption ; and if the horse by any means chances to take into
his mouth and stomach, with his food, the saliva or spittle of a mad ani-
mal, he will very probably be attacked, and especially if the animal so
dropping the spittle is suffering with the disease in its violent stage.
The poison is known to reside in both the spittle and the blood of its
rictim .
When once the virus has been generated in or communicated to any
animal, hot weather, abuse, want of water, want of good food, will pro'
duce that feverish state which is so favorable to its development ; and th«
greater or less time in which it manifests itself decidedly in horses after
inoculation, is probably due to these conditions or the absence of such.
The poison remains in the system, without producing the positive syrap*
399
400 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
toms, from three to eight weeks. Some declare that a longer period than
even eight weeks sometimes intervenes between inoculation and positive
madness ; but such cases, if there are such, must be extremely rare.
Thev form the exception, and contradict the great mass of testimony on
this subject.
The remote cause — that which produces it in animals of the dog and
cat kinds — we need not attempt to discuss, as it can have little if any
practical bearing on the subject in hand. It may be well to observe,
however, that most of the lower animals
contract the disease when bitten by dogs
that are violently mad, whereas among
men it is widely different. Statistics
seem to show that less than fifty per
cent, of the latter take the disease. It
has been offered in explanation, that the
bite is generally through clothing, that
serves in many instances to cleanse the
teeth of the virus before the skin is
COUNTENANCE OF A HOBsiwiTrRABiKs. rcachcd. lu thc casc of horscs, the bite
is generally on the lip — a sensitive and
vascular part, where the absorbents are readily reached.
How to know it. — Blood on the lips, or elsewhere, with marks of
violence, are of course to be regarded as symptoms of dog bite, if any
known occasion for such a thing has existed ; ant* for a few days these
will be the only indications. If the horse is high tad and full of blood,
and the weather is hot, the poison may begin to produce outward effects
in from five to ten days by a swelling of the bitten parts, and by a diffi-
culty manifested in swallowing. In from twelve to fifteen days there is
perceptibly increased pulsation ; inflamed throat, with thickening of the
membrane that lines it ; from the fifteenth to the twentieth day the
stomach inflames, and perhaps rejects food, — but nothing certainly can
be stated as to this point, since here the symptoms vary greatly with
different animals : in some cases the appetite is voracious, and so morbid
that the sufferer will devour his own excrement and urine. Sometimes
he will exhibit burning thirst and drink freely, while again water will
cause spasmodic movements and be avoided with horror. But in general,
the appetite is destroyed, and that dread of water which characterizes
thc disease in man is present in the horse.
In a very short time the indications increase, and usually (as we
have said, with full blooded, feverishly disposed horses, at a time of high
temperature) before the twentieth day, absolute madness sets in. He
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
40i
rx)w rubs the bitten part against anything convenient with increased
violence ; sometimes instead of rubbing he will bite and tear the wound ;
the eves assume a wilder and more unnatural appearance ; some patients
neigh squeakingly, shove out the tongue, or gnash the teeth. The progress
of the disease is now very rapid ; generally there is profuse sweating ;
there is suppression of the urine, and inflammation of the parts of
generation ; his countenance changes from a look of anxiety to one of
cunning and a sort of grinning ferocity, and there is an irrepressible
desire to bite man or animal — whatever living thing may be within reach ;
he gazes sometimes at an imaginary object and springs and snaps madly
at vacancy ; his propensity to destroy grows with his pain, and at last he
wreaks his fury upon inanimate objects — the manger, or trough, the
rack, whatever is seizeable in his stall is torn to pieces with his teeth or
smashed with his feet ; if not confined he darts ferociously at whatever
object of attack may present itself ; plunges about like a demon of
destruction, snorts, foams, sometimes uttering a kind of crying neigh,
and perhaps beats himself to death before the last and comparatively
kelpless stage ctjnes on.
DBSTBDCTIYK IMPULSS OF BTDROPHOBIA.
If not destroyed before the disease has run its course, paralysis,
usually confined to the loins and the hinder extremities, sets in, and
involves with it all those organs which depend for their nervous influence
upon the posterior portion of the spinal cord. Unable to stand upon the
hind legs, the animal will sit on his haunches, and strike and paw with
his fore feet. The suffering is sometimes rendered more terrible by
tenesmus or retching of the bowels, which seem dreadfully oppressed but
have lost the power to act, while the kidneys are fevered and torpid and
the urine cannot be voided.
402 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
It sometimes happens that the disease *is developed by exertion and
heat, when no previous indications have been manifest, and shows itself
in a peculiar manner. The horse stops all at once in his work, heaves,
paws nervously, trembles, staggers and falls. In a moment he will be
up, and may, if put to it, proceed for a few moments, when he will stop,
stare about, and lie down again. This stage is sometimes mistaken for
blind staggers, but it may be distinguished by observing that in blind
staggers the horse loses his senses, while in hydrophobia he is always
conscious, often acutely intelligent and observing.
What to do — This is a disorder of so dreadful and dangerous a charac-
ter that some of the ablest veterinarians do not hesitate to advise the
instant killing of the sufferer ; and they refuse to give any directions for
attempting a cure. When the furious stage has come on there seems ta
be a sort of demoniac maliciousness and treachery, with a watchful cun-
ning, that makes it hazardous for friend or stranger to trust himself any-
where within reach. It is extremely doubtful, too, whether recovery
ever takes place after the madness is developed.
Yet, it is not improbable that much may be done in the way of prevent
tion after the bite has been inflicted. The first step is to check the flow
of blood from the part, if possible, to prevent the rapid spread of the
poison over the system. If a limb has been bitten, this may be done by
tying a handkerchief around it, above the wound, and twisting with a
stick until a suflScient degree of compression is had. Then cauterize the
wound thoroughly, making sure that the very deepest recesses of every
tooth print or lacerated place is reached. Lunar caustic is best, because
most easily and surely handled ; but if impossible to get a stick of this,
any convenient caustic may be applied, as oil of vitriol, nitric acid, caus-
tic potash, butter of antimony, etc. : or, a small iron, not too sharp,
heated to a white heat and cleaned of scales, will answer if the animal
can be kept still enough to apply without danger of injuring him other-
wise. The handkerchief should be left on tight until the cauterization,
is effected.
Cauterizing thoroughly, even two or three days after the injury, may
result in saving the animal, as the absorption does not always speedily
take place.
If the wound is upon a part that forbids the use of the handkerchief,
it may be cut open to its depth, and a freer flow encouraged, both by the-
larger opening and by squeezing and wringing — soaking, meanwhile, with
warm water. Then use the lunar caustic wherever a siffn of tooth mark
can be seen.
But when unobserved till the virulent stage has come on, it is not even
known to science that anything can be done to save ; and the best, the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 403
most merciful thing to do is to shoot at once. When there are strong
symptoms of madness, but still some doubt, put him by himself in a sta-
ble, bare of everything destructible except food and water, which must
be placed where he can get it, and barricade the door. Leave a window
open for observation, and keep him here until the symptoms disappear
or hydrophobia is unmistakable — then act accordingly.
II. Mad Staggers.
Causes. — This disease is sometimes known by the more learned term of
phrenitis (the delirium of fever ; frenzy, raving) ; but it will be by prac-
tical men most readily recognized when treated of under its old and fa-
miliar name.
It is an inflamed condition of the brain and its covering, with effusion
of the small cavities and the spaces between the membrane and the brain
itself. Sometimes both the brain and its membranous covering are in-
volved in this inflammation, sometimes but one, and that most frequently
the membrane.
It may be caused by concussion of the brain by reason of blows upon
the head. The brutality of a driver, which finds its gratification in using
the butt of his whip upon the head of the horse, may result in a frac-
tured skull, to be followed by slight pressure upon the brain, a speedy
fever and the consequent determination of too much blood to the head,
which, combined with the burning inflammation, brings on this madness,
perhaps death.
Among the causes other than violence we may name the following :
The sluffsino: of the vessels of the brain with clots formed elsewhere in
the system by some abnormal action ; the growth of tumors upon the
brain or upon its covering, from some remote and probably hidden cause ;
sudden and great changes of temperature in the body brought about by
instantaneous exposure to extreme heat or cold ; over-exertion in pletho-
ric or full-blooded animals, especially in hot weather ; congestion from
close collar, short-drawn check, or tight throat-latch ; congestion from
internal compression, as by over-loading stomach and bowels ; feeding on
parasitic grasses or smut, of which rye grass may be noted as the most
hurtful ; infection of the blood by poisonous animal matter or fluids ;
imprudent over-feeding and insufficient exercise.
How to know it. — The symptoms often differ but little from apoplexy,
comparing the^rs^ stage of each, but they may generally be distinguished
by this : that in mad staggers the horse is not so comatose, or sleepy an<l
insensible, as in apoplexy. Light affects his eye a little, and he is sen!>i-
tive to the whip, whereas the horse laboring under a genuine attack of
26
404
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
apoplexy seems blind, deaf, and without bodily feeling. In sonm
instances in mad staggers, it is true, the animal may sleep till he drops,
but on recovering himself he will manifest the sensitiveness above
described.
Occasionally, the brain alone is involved, in which case he is stupid,
dull, and awkward of motion, the nerves of sensation and of motion
being both affected ; and during this stage he will sometimes bore hit
head against some object ; at others he will rest his haunches upon hit
trough or anything else convenient.
When the membranes covering the brain are inflamed, which is most
generally the case, there is restlessness rather than stupor ; the horse
trembles ; his general temperature is elevated, while there is great heat
about the upper part of the head ; his pulse is excited, his breathing
•quick ; his eyes glare ; his movements are irregular ; he paws, stamps,
•champs his teeth ; an interval of stupor may occur, but even when just
iroused from this condition of repose he is extremely excitable and tremble*
violently.
HORSE DURING THE MAD STAGE OF STAGGERS.
When the worst symptoms are rapidly developing themselves he begftii
suddenly to heave at the flanks ; his eyes brighten and his nostrils expand ,♦
the pupil of the eye dilates to the utmost, and stares wildly and vacantly ;
his breathing becomes shorter and quicker ; sometimes he will neigh
uneasily ; his ears are erect and bent forward ; the membrane of the eye
reddens and contrasts strangeh-^ with the clearness of the cornea or ball j
he becomes more aad more excitable, and trembles at every sound, and
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 405
<ielirium setsin. He now dashes himself about with fury; his motions
are sudden and violent, but without any disposition to mischief, as he is
evidently unconscious. He sometimes becomes ferocious, and dangerous
to all who may come within reach ; he then bites and strikes at those who
€ome near him ; he plunges, rears upon his hind legs, whirls round and
round and falls with dreadful force. He will now lie awhile exhausted,
and his pulse and breathing are slower.
At length the mighty anguish returns, and he becomes again a teriify-
ing and dangerous animal. The second paroxysm is worse than the first ;
he darts furiously at everything within reach ; sometimes bites and tears
himself ; and this continues until his former stupor returns, or until he
ha'« worn himself out and death puts an end to his sufferings. Each
succeeding attack increases in intensity, and brings on increased weakness,
«o that his periods of stupor become longer and longer till at last he dies.
In those cases where at first only the brain is involved the premonitory
symptoms may continue a day or two, when the membranous coverings
may become suddenly inflamed and delirium speedily set it. Whenever
the membranes are attacked the disease reaches its crisis in a few hours -~
there must be speedy relief or death will quickly follow.
This disease may sometimes be mistaken for colic or for hydrophobia ;
but to distinguish from the former, notice that in the colic the horse rises
and falls with less violence, and that though he sometimes plunges, he
more frequently rolls about. He looks frequently at his flanks with an
expression of pain, and he is all the time conscious. To distinguish it
from hydrophobia, observe that while there is violence in the latter, and
generally an inclination to do mischief, there is always consciousness.
What to do — If the earlier symptoms — stupidity, sleepiness, awkward,
staggery motions — are observed, apply ice cold water to the head, both
by pouring and by means of a sponge or rags secured between the ears
and along the forehead ; and bleed severely — not enough, however, to
render the horse faint. Then give an active purge, as the bowels will
almost invariably be found to be torpid and constipated. Use at first ;
No. 145. ^ 7 Drachms aloes,
I 4 Drachms castile soap,
6 Drops oil of caraways.
Mix with mucilage or s}'Tup to form a ball, and give this quantity f&r
one dose. If this is found, after four hours, not to have produced the
■desu'ed effect, give one scruple of croton meal in water, if he will drink
it ; if not, he must be drenched. This is a powerful medicine ; but it is
of the utmost consequence that his bowels be free, and no effort must be
spared to effect that object. If the croton cannot be had, resort to the
clyster (of warm soap suds), or to back-raking.
406 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
The bowels having been opened, give two or three times a day, the fol-
lowin<y compound, the effect of which is to decrease the action of the
heart and prevent the tendency of the blood to the head, as also to pro-
mote the activity of the urinary organs :
No. 148. 1 Drachm digitaliB,
1 a Drachm tartar emetic,
3 Drachms niter.
Keep him in a cool, airy stall, and feed with the greatest moderation,
giving such green and moist food as has a laxative tendency, and such
quantity only, for a few days, as will prevent gnawing hunger.
But if the paroxysm has already come on when remedial means are to
be adopted, seize the first opportunity, during an interval of stupor, or
of comparative stillness, to bleed him till he falls, or, if down, till he
grows faint and weak. Open the vein on both sides of the neck, if pos-
sible, as the quickness with which the blood is drawn away from the
brain is of almost as much consequence as the quantity. The operator
must observe great caution, as the fury may return suddenly and with
much danger to himself.
If successful in bleeding, the next step to take is to purge in the least
possible time. To affect this, use half a drachm of croton meal. Some-
times the horse will drink readily and freely, in which case the meal can
be well stirred in water and given in that way ; but if necessary, pour it
down him according to directions for drenching. If the meal of croton
cannot be had instantly, give an ounce of aloes dissolved in hot water. If
this does not act within four hours, give a quarter of an ounce more, and
so continue till purging is produced. The next step is to give as a seda-
tive the digitalis or powdered foxglove, etc., as previously directed. It
may be necessary to back-rake and then give a clyster of warm soap-suds.
All this will of course leave the creature in a dreadfully depleted and
weak condition ; but the only hope of saving him lies in the use of power-
ful means, especially when delirium has already set in. It may not be
possible in every case to bring him back to fullness of life and usefulness,
even with the best of care. At all events, he must be treated gently
thereafter, and guarded from excitement, as the attack is otherwise likely
to recur.
m. Blind Staggers.
Causes. — This disorder, by some called megrims, by others vertigo,
and still by others dizziness, is not well understood ; and there is a diffi-
OAilty in determining whether some of the forms it assumes ought not to
be set down as separate diseases. The causes, however, that will produce
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 407
certain manifestations in one horse will produce different ones in another,
so that it may be readily inferred that the varying symptoms do not mark
different types of disease but mere difference of degrees ; and that the
jBame general causes act throughout.
The immediate cause is clearly pressure on the brain, resulting from
unusual flow of blood to the head. This is doubtless in some instance*
the result of a constitutional tendency — a predisposition to epilepsy — .
that is brought to manifest itself on occasion of excitement, over-exertion,
or geiieral ill condition of the digestive apparatus. In others it is most
probably a watery suffusion of the brain — the blood being subjected to
some sort of decomposition in its passage through the head and leaving
the serum or watery portion to collect there.
The brain requires a proportionately far greater amount of blood than
any other organ ; but while ample means are provided for supplying it,
nature guards against doing this with that velocity which would endanger
it by overloading and rupturing. The arteries make their way through
the head in a peculiarly circuitous manner, and they enter through minute
bony holes that will not admit of much distension. When the horse is
overheated, however, or when the return of the blood is impeded, this
fullness takes place. In great heat the arterial passages are enlarged to
their utmost capacity, and the rapidity with which the now uncommonly
heated and the thinner fluid makes its way into the brain is not counter-
balanced by a similarly rapid return, and the effect is produced to which
the various names referred to have been given. Impeded return of the
blood from the extremities, through the veins, is caused by a tight collar,
pressing, during the act of pulling, upon the large or jugular vein, on
one or both sides of the neck ; by a tight throat latch, producing a similar
compression of the jugular ; or by a check-rein drawn so short as to
brines down the head, and bend the neck to the extent of crowdino; its
parts together and interfering with the circulation. By this compression,
though the blood may not be forced to any undue arterial activity, the
large veins will be too long distended by reason of the sluggishness of
return, and the small veins running through the substance of the brain
will be so increased as to press upon the nerves at their points of origin
and produce loss of power and of consciousness.
The immediate cause, or pressure upon the brain, is doubtless some-
times to be found in tumors, arising from blows on the head, as well as
in congestion, or too great fullness.
Other remote causes besides those already named may be found in a
diseased stomach and intestines. Inflammation of all the organs of
digestion and secretion may be brought on by the retention of great
masses of indigestible food, and this clogged state superinduces conges-
408 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
tion by a sort of internal compression, and this tendency is of coursw
increased by rapid exercise and the consequent heat. That this is one of
the primary causes is evinced by the fact that constipation attends nearly
every case. Indigestion and foul stomach are the natural results of con-
finement in hot and badly aired stables, unwholesome food, or food in
excess of the quantity required by the amount of daily exercise, of
extreme cold, of extreme heat, and of great fatigue. Hot weather,
when the horse is of full habit, will sometimes derange the digestive
functions, and undue exercise will then quickly develop a case of blind
fttafforers.
Draft horses, and particularly those that are young and of a plethoric
or full blooded tendency, are most subject to it, though it is not confined
to any age. • It is rarely the case that a horse under the saddle is attacked
with it.
The dread of l;he whip, combined with the consequent fretting and in-
terference with both the digestive and circulatory functions, is thought
to produce it in sensitive horses.
It is ordinarily regarded as an incurable disease. If there is an organic
predisposition to epilepsy, entire recovery is of course out of the ques-
tion ; and when a horse has been once attacked, though previously free
from any such tendency, he is subject to a return of the complaint be-
cause the vessels have been weakened by violence, and offer less resist-
ance to the rapid flow of blood in the arteries, or the abnormal gathering
of it in the small veins of the brain.
How to know it. — In its final manifestations it is unmistakable ; but the
careful and intelHgent owner ought to be able to detect some symptoms
of an appoaching attack in time to guard against its most hurtful effects.
That condition of body which superinduces congestion by internal com-
pression and derangement is not difficult to detect, and attention to this
may be the means of warding off a violent attack. This is indicated by
an offensive breath ; somewhat impeded respiration, or expelling of the
air from the lungs ; chewing food slowly, perhaps letting some of it fall
from his mouth only partly masticated ; a foul tongue ; a dry and clammy
mouth ; disposition to plunge his head into the water above the nostril*
when drinking; faices (or dung) hard and difficult to pass; and urin©
ejected in small quantities.
As previously observed, the attack very seldom comes on while the
horse is ridden, but Avhile he is being rapidly driven, or after he has been
subjected to a long, hot pull under a tight collar, a closely-drawn check
rein, or a throat-latch buckled almost chokingly.
Occasionally the attack will be sudden and without the slightest warn-
ing; he will fall almost as though shot, or make an effort to run around
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 409
and then fall ; usually he will first exhibit some signs of uneasiness, ag
shaking the head and twitching the ears, and the eyes, if observed, will
be found to have a wild, staring and bloodshot appearance. Sometimea
he will stop and stare about — look wild and irresolute — and then go op
as though nothing were the matter. Again, he will rear up or stagger
like a drunken man, and then fall. He often becomes stubborn, and will
go only his own way — evidently unconscious — and then come convulsions,
followed by insensibility.
When down, it occasionally happens that he
lies in this insensible state at first, but he usu-
ally struggles violently, then becomes quiet ;
fradually recovers himself, and gefs up, ready
to proceed on his way — being yet dull, how-
ever, and evidently affected by what has hap-
pened.
What to do. — ^When it is discovered in time
that he is suffering with disordered digestion
and is constipated, relieve him from work, if
• 11 J 1 ,1 .., « J <? 1 KXPRK88ION CHAKACTERIS'tle
possible, and lessen the quantity of dry food. ofmegkims.
Turn him out at night, at any rate, even
if found imperatively necessary to have his services during the day. If he
can have some continued rest, and the run of a good pasture, or else be
well fed with food suitable to his condition, and well watered, while occu^
pying a roomy, dry and well-ventilated stable, his chances for restoration
to health and escaping violent attacks altogether, will be greatly in-
creased. Of course he should have sufficient exercise, but in moderation.
If the animal is young, and of full habit, yet fallen into this disordered
state, restrict his diet, increase his exercise by degrees, or turn him out
to pasture until his normal condition of stomach and bowels has returned.
In the beginning of this treatment as to diet — what may be called the
preventive treatment — give him the following purgative :
No. 147. 7 Drachms aloes,
4 Drachms castile soap,
6 Drops oil of caraway.
Mix with mucilage or syrup sufficient to form a ball. This amount
constitutes a dose. It may be repeated after twelve or fifteen hours if
the first does not produce proper action.
But if these premonitory symptoms pass unobserved, or if it is a case
of sudden attack owing to violent exercise, great heat, or development of
epileptic tendencies, stop him, if driving, upon his showing any of the
indications described, and go to him ; examine collar, check-reia, throat-
410 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Iat("li, and see that all is right; pat and soothe him, and allow him to
stand for a few moments in quiet. Where it is found that the collar has
been pressing the neck veins see that it is altered without more ado —
cither by cutting or by pressing in against the breast on the lower part of
the collar a cloth of sufficient size to prevent its tightening upon the sides
of the neck. If he recovers sufficiently to be driven, allow him to move
at a Tery moderate pace ; if not, remove him from the vehicle and lead
him home. When there he must have rest and quiet, and care must be
taken, as previously directed, to bring him, by food and laxatives, into a
irood state as to stomach and bowels.
When the attack is so violent that he rears, plunges, and falls, bleed
as soon as he becomes composed enough to allow it — taking from the
neck vein from three to six quarts, according to the violence of the fit,
and the weight, fullness, and fleshiness of the patient. During the first
paroxysms of his attack dash cold water over his head, if it can be had ;
and a wet sponge made fast between his ears will be found useful.
From these violent attacks, entire recovery is doubtful, even though
he may not die outright ; but every chance of even a partial return to
health and usefulness is increased by rest. A horse once affected in this
way should really not be driven again, though apparently recovered, for
the fit is likely to recur, and the driver may himself be thereby seriously
endangered.
The necessary steps as to feeding and care, and the administration of
laxative medicine have already been pointed out.
IV. Apoplexy, or Sleepy Staggers.
Causes. — The different stages of this disease are sometimes treated as
though they were two different types ; and we find even professed veter-
inarians, who ought to be more discriminating, so regarding them.
Ai)()plcxy is the term by M'hich alone it should be known — the state of
sleepiness and staggering being but premonitory symptoms, or rather the
earliest stage.
The immediate cause of this disorder, as in blind staggers, megrims,
vertigo, giddiness, dizziness, or by what other name the disease previously
treated may be known, is undue pressure upon the brain, and their re-
mote causes are generally identical also — the difference in the diseases
being simply a difference in the modes of their manifestation.
Pout mortein examinations of horses that have died of apoplexy, have
KufficicMitly indicated the cause. The vessels of the brain are found to bo
I'crulirly bloated or distended with black blood. Sometimes there may
be no inflammation of the membranes of the brain, but the stomach is
found loaded with undigested food or the intestines with foul matter. It
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 41 J
is clear that congestion of the brain, perhaps of the venous system gen-^
erally, is the condition that prevails when the disease manifests itself in
its active and violent stage. And this too great fullness of blood is iu
most cases owing to disordered digestion, which may be brought about in
two ways : the horse may be overfed and subjected to insufficient exer-
cise, so that the stomach becomes weak, and lacks the power to digest or
expel the food ; or he may suddenly gorge himself when chancing to
come upon abundance of food of which he can partake without restraint.
The fulness of the stomach and bowels produces that internal compres-
sion which precludes the regular flow of blood through the veins, and
weakens the venous system, and the brain soon becomes overcharged,
awd that, too, with a fluid in a degree poisonous for want of perfect oxy-
genation, or purification by being regularly passed through the lungs and
exposed to the air. Hot weather is peculiarly favorable to the attack,
both because of the more debilitated state of the system from heat, and
because the heat predisposes a more rapid arterial flow of blood, that is
not counterbalanced by an equally rapid return of the blood through the
veins to the heart and lungs.
Luxuriant pasture, warm weather, and the dependent posture of the
animal's head in his continual cropping, especially if he is in over-condi-
tion and full of blood, may readily produce apoplexy — the immediate and
the remote cause in this case seeming to act simultaneously. Horses in
poor condition may be attacked after having been overworked and re-
duced to a debilitated state throua-h want of care and of nourishins: food.
Put upon rich pasture, with a ravenous appetite, they are apt to gorge
and bring on indigestion and its attendant constipation.
There is sometimes a softening of the brain, rather than effusion or
too great fullness, and this may arise from tumors, caused by blows, or
by the plugging of the vessels with clots of fibrous matter.
How to know it. — This differs from blind staggers or megrims in this,
at least, that the prevailing symptoms force themselves upon the atten-
tion of the ordinary observer while the horse is at rest. He exhibits at
first a want of appetite, and is more than usually dull. When he walks
his movements are slow and unsteady. Examination will discover his
pulse to be slow, heavy and dull, yet full. When he is exercised a little
these symptoms go off, but they soon return when he is left to himself,
and more unmistakably. In the open air he balances himself as though
about to fall, and stands with his head depressed. In the stall he bears
upou the trough or the wall, and a good deal of his weight seems to be
supported in this way. Sometimes he gets his head against some rest,
stands for a length of time, and then drops as though shot, but presently
gets upon his feet again, to relapse into the same sleepy listlessness.
412 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
When in this condition it is dangerous to be near him, or to attempt to
move him. When arouSed from this apparent sleep he looks vacantly
around, glares unmeaningly, and sometimes the eyes will not close when
an object is moved before them — and the indications are that he neither
sees nor hears. If food is within reach he will sometimes take a mouth-
ful, but lose consciousness while it is yet but half chewed ; and if ho
attempts to drink, the power of swallowing seems to be partially lost,
and the water will return through his nostrils. As he grows worse he will
twist his legs over each other when trying to go straight forward. In the
last stage he begins to foam at the mouth ; his breathing becomes loud and
laborious ; the pulse is depressed ; the jugular veins are distended almost
to bursting : the muzzle is cold, and sometimes he discharges faeces almost
involuntarily; he grinds his teeth; twitchings steal over his face and
limbs ; and at last he falls into convulsions and beats himself about in a
terrible manner. There is no disposition to do mischief — he is evidently
well nigh unconscious. All the powers of life are wrought upon, and
death speedily results unless some powerful means can be brought to
bear to bring instant partial relief.
It is well to caution the reader against mistaking for an apoplectic sign
a certain sleepy, listless, stupid expression of countenance that is brought
on by repeated attacks of megrims. A little examination will generally
disclose that all the other symptoms of apoplexy are wanting.
What to do. — That treatment which will most speedily relieve the
overloaded vessels of the brain is clearly best. If anything is done
before the violent stage of the disease comes on, bleed freely from the
neck vein — so freely, indeed, that the horse falters or begins to blow.
If the case has been neglected until the violent stage is upon him, bleed,
if possible, until he falls. It may sometimes happen that a lull in the
paroxysms ensues, and even at this late hour it is well to make the
attempt to save by drawing blood.
Next, determine, if possible, whether the cause is a present-existing
gorged stomach, and constipated, torpid bowels. If so, use the stomach
pump promptly. Force warm water into his stomach till the food is so
thinned that it may escape by the pylorus and by the mouth and nostrils.
When this extreme fullness of the stomach is overcome, give a purgative
bolus as follows ;
No. 148. 7 Drachms aloes,
4 Drachms castile soap,
6 Drops oil ol caraway.
Mix with mucilage or syrup to form a ball, which give as a dose.
If the constipation is obstinate, and does not yield to this purgative,
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 41?
stir a handful! of fine salt in one gallon of warm water, and inject it into
his bowels. This failing he must be back-raked.
When the system is once relieved the digestive functions may be stim-
nlated by giving, every four hours, for two days, a wine-glass-full of
No. 149. 4 Ounces fluid extract of black pepper,
6 Ounces fluid extract of ginger,
2 Ounces hyposulphate of soda,
4 Ounces water. I
Dissolve the soda in the water ; then add the ginger and pepper.
Attention must now be paid to diet, at first reducing it to a small
quantity, and to such in quality as will have a laxative tendency. He
may be turned upon a pasture, if it is not too rich, but he should have
food administered morning and evening in moderation. He should have
free access to water.
In the beginning of the paroxysm it is sometimes found advantageous
in quieting him somewhat to apply ice to his head, or to pour a stream of
ice cold water steadily between his ears.
Until he is so far recovered as to render it safe for him to go to
pasture, keep him comfortable. If the weather is hot — and it usually
comes on during hot weather — keep him in a cool, well-aired place, or
in an open place well shaded.
Complete recovery is seldom to be hoped for. Generally, the horse
once severely affected, is useless for Summer work, though well able to
go through that of Winter, if properly cared for.
As in the blind staggers, the unnatural distension of the blood vessels
renders a recurrence of an attack very probable ; and it may be brought
about by external compression, so that tight collars, tight throat latches,
and short-draw check-reins, should be avoided. A breast-strap should be
substituted for a collar, and overwork should be specially guarded
against.
Apoplexy is not contagious, though it has been so regarded. If more
than one horse on the same farm or in the same stable is affected with it,
be assured that the same causes are present for both, and that when they
are removed the danger of new cases ceases.
V. Abscess Within the Srain.
This not unusual and terrible affection is produced almost invariably
by external injury. From being struck or striking against some hard
substance, as in running away, striking the head in the stable, or other
eimilar cause. It is possible the owner may know nothing about it. A
414 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
wound, perhaps a trivial looking one, is found on the head, from which
perhaps only a little watery fluid issues. Soon the horse becomes dull,
and from day to day gets worse, refuses his food, and at last falls and
commences knocking his head against the floor or on the ground ; thus
he continues until at length death comes to his relief.
A HORSE DYING FROM ABSCESS WITHIN THE BRAIN.
What to do. — There is nothing to be done once an abscess forms within
the brain. The only means of cure is to allow the matter to escape. The
thick muscles covering the cranium of the horse would prevent the use of
A HORSB, MAD FROM INFLAMMATION OF THE BRAIN.
the trephine, and if, indeed, a hole was made through the skull to the
brain, and perchance the abscess cured, who would want the horse?
THE HORSE, ITS DISKASES. 415
There is but one sensible way : kill the suffering animal and end its mis-
ery at once.
Another terrible affliction of the brain, fortunately not common, is in-
flammation of the brain, or phrenitis. It is indeed madness, with the
exhibition of terrible strength, which no human power can cope with to
euccessfully relieve, in its frenzied state.
If discerned in its earliest stage, before violent frenzy attacks it, resort
may be had to bleeding. Open both neck veins and allow the blood to
flow until the dull, heavy, listless expression brightens or the animal
sinks. Bleed again if necessary. Give 8 drachms of aloes, and repeat
at the end of three hours, if the bowels are not thoroughly relieved, or
the pulse changes for the better. Afterwards give 20 to 30 drops of
tincture of aconite, or half a drachm of the powdered root infused in a
pint of hot water, or a drachm of digitalis, infused in the same way, to
be given cold every half hour until relief is obtained. In ninety-nino
cases out of a hundred, however, relief will come in death.
CHAPTER XI.
DISEASES OF THE MUSCLES AND TENDONS.
t. 8L00D SPAVIN. U. BOG SPAVIN. III. CURB. IV. THOROUGH PIN. V. TETAlTnS,
OR LOCKJAW. VI. CRAMPS. VII. RHEUMATISM. VIII. STRING HALT.
I. Blood Spavin.
This may be defined as a distension, or enlargement (dilatation) of the
veins of the hock joint, and overlying the seat of bone and bog spavin ;
a local venous congestion, caused generally by swelling, impeding the
flow of the blood, and often connected with bog or bone spavin. It is
harmless ; in fact it may be considered as accompanying, or the result of
other disease of the joint.
What to do. — In the early stage cold water perseveringly applied, fol-
lowed by cooling lotions, equal parts of alcohol and rain water, or one
pint of brandy to one-half pint of water, applied as a lotion. If this
does not relieve the diflSculty, use a strong infusion of bayberry bark,
using considerable friction by hand rubbing with either of the remedies
named.
n. Bog Spavin.
Common bog spavin is technically (as is windgall) an enlargement of
the Bursa Mucosa, just as a distension of the sub-cutaneous (beneath the
skin) veins in the region of the hock is called blood spavin. These cause
an undue secretion of joint oil and a dropsical effusion into the joint,
producing swelling'having all the character of inflammation of the true
hock joint. This inflammation of the upper or principal hock joint is
true bog spavin.
416
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 41?
Causes. — Overwork, sprains, injuries either from punctured wounds,
fractui-es or bruises ; also from the effects of rheumatism. All produce
inflammation of the structures of the joint.
How to know it. — In its acute early form there is a tense, puffy, fluctu-
ating swelling of the front and inside portion of the hock at the upper
or principal point just where usually there is a depression. There is also
a swelling behind, where thorough-pin occurs, but it can be pressed
forward, the anterior (front) swelling filling up ; but there is no swelling
below and behind the hock as in thorough-pin.
What to do. — Absolute rest and the use of a high-heeled shoe. Con-
tinued pressure on the swollen parts, by means of a truss or compress,
with cold water applications, or brandy and salt.
In case there is much inflammation reduce it by means of fomentations
of water, and if there is pain let the fomentations be an infusion of hops.
In the later stages use tincture of arnica diluted with water. If the case
is a bad one, when the extreme heat and tenderness has subsided a blister
may be applied, since it sometimes goes on to ulceration of the joint, and
even to bony deposit destroying all movement of the joint. See No. 160
and 161 for blisters. (Pages 423, 424.)
m. Curb.
This is a swelling in the middle of and just behind the lowest part of
the hock joint. At first it is soft and doughey, or retaining for a time the
shape of the pressure, producing an enlargement about two inches below
the hock. Curby hocks are also sometimes congenital and hereditary.
Causes. — A blow, but more frequently a sprain of the tendon, or of
the sheath through which the flexor tendon passes. The ligament of the
hock when injured increases the gravity of the disease.
How to know it. — There is heat, inflammation, tenderness, lameness,
and a tendency to knuckle forward at the fetlock.
What to do. — Absolute rest, a high-heeled shoe, and cold water bandages
will generally remove the diflSculty if applied in the early stages of the
disease. If, from neglect, the lameness becomes decided, apply the
following
No. 150. 1 Ounce powdered bloodroot,
1 Ounce turpentine,
4 Ounces acetic acid.
Apply night and morning for a week or ten days and afterward batho
daily with vinegar
418 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
If coagulable l}Tiiph forms, threatening callosity, (a hard swelling;
daily and long-continued friction — hand rubbing downward — and the
application of a more decided stimulant will be indicated. If so, prepare
the following:
No. 151. 1 Ounce oil of cedar,
1 Ounce oil of majoram,
1 Ounce oil of sassafras,
1 Pint soft soap.
Use this daily, rubbing always downwards.
IV. Thorough Pin.
Causes. — This is a sprain of the flexor tendon behind the hock, and
which has a large sheath which extends both above and below the joint —
a dropsical enlargement of the sheath of the tendon, so the fluid con-
tained may be pressed from one side to the other. Hence its name.
How to know it. — Pressure on one side will cause bulging on the other,
and pressure on both sides will cause fluctuation along the tendon below
and behind the hock.
What to do. — Use the same treatment as for curb ; cold water band-
«
ages, or hot fomentations in the early stages of the disease ; also absolute
rest and a high-heeled shoe. When tenderness ceases and lameness is
gone, apply a spring truss, so the pads will clasp and cover the puff on
both sides, and exert a pretty firm and steady pressure. Success in re-
moving the puff has occasionally been had by puncturing the lower part
of the swelling, into the sack, and injecting a solution of the following
strength :
No. 152. 10 Grains sulphate of zinc,
1 Ounce rainwater.
Inject one or two tea-spoonfuls, as the case may require. Then bring
the walls of the sack closely together and hold them so for a week by
means of a firm flannel bandage.
Another plan is to apply with gentle rubbing, the following ointment
every day until ihe skin is inflamed :
No. 153. 1 Part biniodide of mercury,
7 Parts neats foot oil.
Rub together, either in a mortar or with & spatula on glass, until ina-
■aatcly incorporated, and use as directed, observing regularity and slnu^ning
"^lent handling.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 419
V. Tetanus, or Lockjaw.
This terrible affliction, which consists of persistent and often acutely
painful drawing together (cramps) of the voluntary muscles, causing ex-
treme rigidity, drawing together the whole muscular system, and closing
or locking the jaws.
Causes. — Often a wound in the leg or foot, seemingly of the most
trivial character, as the prick of a nail. It is also produced by castra-
tion nicking and docking; by hard riding or driving, and leaving the
animal shivering in the night air. When it proceeds from a wound, it is
called trumatic : when from no apparent cause, it is called idiopathic. It
rarely occurs from wounds until they are well advanced toward being
healed ; though it may display its symptoms immediately upon or a
month after the hurt, but generally from the sixth to the fourteenth day.
How to know it. — In the earliest stages there will be stiffness and rig-
idity of the muscles near the injury, and the limb will be moved with
difficulty. There will be excitement, the ears will be pointed forward,
the head elevated, the legs stiff and stretched out ; the horse will seem
excited and yet obstinate to move ; the tail will quiver and the skin and
flesh will feel hard like a board. The lower jaw being taken in the
hand and the head raised, if the haw projects over the eye, you h»ve a
case of lockjaw. See cut.
THB TEBT FOB TETANDS.
What to do. — Give the animal a loose or box stall, and in the most
quiet place possible, and where it will see no one except the attendant.
Place slings beneath him so he can stand clear of them or rest in them at
will. Remove all straw, litter or other sources of excitement, and avoid
all noise or unusual movement. Keep the stable darkened and without
other animals present. If the disease is produced by a wound examine
it, and if contracted or containing pus (matter) ^viden it, and cover with
27
^420
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
a bread and milk poultice containing laudanum or extract of belladonna.
Give a powerful purgative, as the following :
No. 154.
6 to 8 Drops croton oil,
4 to 6 Drachms powdered aloes.
Dissolve in a pint and a half of water and give as a drench. If it
cannot be given by the mouth administer it through the nostrils by meana
of a stomach pump and the horse catheter, to be hereafter shown, i%
feeding ; or prepare the following, if the horse can swallow a ball :
No. 155. 4 Drachms powdered aloes,
4 Drachma extract of gentian,
1 Scruple croton farina.
Mix with linseed meal and molasses into a ball.
Follow this up with three doses daily of anti-spasmodics, as, one to
two drachms belladonna, or one-half ounce chloral hydrate, or one-half
to one ounce dose of tincture of lobelia in a pint of water. Give by the
mouth if the animal can swallow ; if not, as an injection. Keep the
bowels open with one drachm podophyllin and two drachms extract of
belladonna, smeared on the back of the tongue.
8LINQS FOR TBTANUS, OR FOR FRACTURED LIMB.
If the animal can bear it, a thorough sweat with a blanket wrung J.ut
of hot water, and covered with dry blankets will do good. Feed with
aonrishiug gruels if the animal can swallow; if not, feed as next described.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
421
Attach a horse catheter to a stomach pump, pass the end carefully up
the nostril and into the gullet as shown. If coughing is produced, with-
draw the catheter and commence anew. If two feet are inserted without
MOD£ OF FEEDING HORSE HAVING CHRONIC TETANUS.
alarming symptoms, pump in only a quart of linseed gruel, if the horse
has fasted for some time, and as the stomach can bear it, give more.
This, however, must not be attempted while the disease is in its acute
form (its earlier stage), but after the disease assumes a chronic form it
may be resorted to.
SHOWING HOW FAR AN ANIMAL WITH TETANUS IS CAPAPLE OF MOTION.
The disease is apt to leave the animal in a most deplorable conditioa,
and it will be a long time before it becomes serviceable, if indeed it evef
422 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
does. Six weeks or even two months may be required before the animal
retains the use of its powers. The cut iiiiUexed will illustnite the condi-
tion of a horse with tetanus.
It will thus be seen that in a decided case it will be policy as well as
humanity to seriously consider whether it may not be better to relieve
the sufferings of the poor animal at once by shooting through the brain.
VI. Cramps.
Some horses are quite subject to cramps of the muscles and tendons.
It may be an irritability or spasm of a particular muscle or set of mus-
cles, which refuse to act, becoming stiff and inflexible. They cramp and
sometimes twitch excessively. This is again succeeded by another stag©
in which the muscles relax and are restored to their normal condition.
Causes. — Strains, bruises, or over-taxation of the powers. In many
cases it is undoubtedly allied to rheumatism, a disorder attacking horses
much oftener than is supposed ; rheumatism very often being attributed
to bots, founder and various other causes by the ignorant. Both diseases
are quite painful, and leave the animal verylsore, and rheumatism often
for months.
What to do. — Clothe the body warmly, find the seat of the difficulty
by feeling of the parts until the sore place is touched. Wash the part-s
with salt and water, and rub dry. Then apply the following liniment •
No. 156. 1 Part solution of ammonia,
1 Part spirits of camphor,
1 Part olive oil.
Rub it in well, and hold a hot iron or brick to the parts to heal if
thoroughly.
vn. Rheumatism.
This is a peculiar form of inflammation attacking the fibrous structures
of the body, such as the joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles, and is
accompanied by stiffness, exceeding tenderness and pain, shifting from
place to place, often implicating the valves or other structures of the
heart, and when so usually results in death.
Causes. — ^Exposure to cold, wet or drafts, especially when the system
is overworked. There is usually a constitutional predisposition in the
subjects, and in such it is easily brought on by diseases of the respiratory
or digestive organs, especially in horses of a full, gross habit.
How to know it. — In its acute form there is dullness, followed by ex-
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 423
treme lameness in one or more of the limbs. There is tenderness and
then swelling of the joint, tendon or muscles, at first soft, then hard.
There may be fluctuations from excess of synovia (joint fluid). With the
inflammation there is fever. The pulse is full and hard : the mouth is
di'v and clammy ; there is hurried breathing, scanty urine and costiveness.
In the chronic form the symptoms are the same as in the acute, but
not so pronounced, and in this form it is unattended with fever. It may
appear only upon undue exposure, or in damp, lowers^ weather, and dis-
appear again upon the recurrence of fine weather. Chronic rheumatism
is also less inclined to shift from place to place.
What to do. — For rheumatism in its early acute stage relieve the bowels
by laxative medicines, say four drachms of aloes. Put the animal in
slings, as for tetanus, and clothe him from the hoofs to the ears in flan-
nel. K practicable the first thing is to fill the box in which the horse is
kept with steam, keeping it up for an hour. If the pain is extreme
lessen it with ounce doses of laudanum.
Give the following three or four times a day as a drench in a pint
of gruel :
No. 157. X Ounce bicarbonate of soda,
1 Ounce Salicylic acid.
If this cannot be obtained, give the following, at a dose, night and
foorning :
No. 158. ^ Ounce powdered saltpeter,
1 Drachm powdered colcMcum,
1 Ounce oil of turpentine.
Mix in half a pint of linseed oU.
For rheumatism in its chronic form the following will be found to be
*-aluable, used intemally :
No. 159. 1 Ounce powdered carbonate of potash.
1 Ounce powdered saltpeter,
2 Drachms iodide of potash.
Give in one and a half pints of water.
As a liniment for the joints and other affected parts, to be afterwards
•Trapped in flannel, the following is excellent :
\o. 160. 1 Pound compound soap liniment,
2 Ounces liquor ammonia,
2 Ounces tincture cantharides,
2 Ounces laudanum.
Rub in with as much friction as the horse can bear, and apply until
424
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
signs of blistering are apparent. If this does not produce the desired el
feet, use the following :
No. 161.
H Ounce laudanum,
>i Ounce camphorated oil,
1 Ounce tincture cantharides.
Apply to the joints with a soft brush, but without friction.
A sootliing and stimulating embrocation, when so severe measure* a*
ike foregoing are not considered necessary, may be made as follows :
No. 162.
1 Part spirits of camphor,
1 Part solution of ammonia.
1 Part olive oil.
Mix, and apply by rubbing it in.
Vm. String Halt.
String-halt is the sudden jerking up of a hind Umb, sometimes both in
succession. Sometimes several efforts will be made before the animal
can prooTcss at all. In other cases the spasmodic action of the hind leg
is shown in starting off, and the animal becoming warm, it ^v\\\ nearly or
quite cease. An exceptionally bad case is showTi in the illustration
given below.
A HORSE HAVING STRING HALT.
Sometimes the action is so slight as to be almost unnoticed, and again
it may be so strong that the hind leg will strike the belly.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
Causes. — The causes are unknown. It is supposed to be produced by
a variety of injuries, but principally as a reflex nervous action. It in-
creases with age and hard labor, and nervous excitement, and is a positive
unsoundness.
What to do. — ^There is no cure. Rest, keeping the bowels open with 2
drachm doses of belladona daily, will lessen the spasms for a time ; but
fatigue or nervous excitement is sure to bring on a recurrence of the
attack. A careful driver will often prevent the disability being much
«bowii *»y being careful not to excite or overwork the horse.
CHAPTER Xlt.
DISEASES OP THE EYE.
I. IfATURALLY WKAK KYBS. II. SORK BYE-LIDS. III. MOON EYKS. TV. CATARACT.
V. INFLAMMATION OF THE HAW, OR HOOKS, VI. DIMNBSS OF VISION. VII.
WORMS IN THE KYE. VTH. PURULENT OPHTHALMY. IX. FUNGOID TUMORS IN THB
SUBSTANCE OP THE BYE. "X. IMPEDIMENT IN THE LACHBYMAI. DUOT.— — XI. OUTTA
SERENA. '
I. Naturally Weak Eyes.
Very many persons, otherwise well informed, when from any cause the
eyes of horses become weak, inflamed, watery, or drop tears, suppose the
cause to be from a natural weakness of the sight. So "blind teeth" are
supposed to cause serious trouble, and even blindness in horses. Nothing
could be further from the truth. It is exceedingly rare that horses have
naturally weak eyes ; it can almost always be traced to some local cause.
Thus, watering of the eyes is caused by a stoppage of the lachrymal
ducts leading from the eyes into the nostrils, the natural channels for
carrying off the superabundant moisture of the eye. Inflammation of
the eyes is not uncommon from a turning in of the eye-lashes. The
remedy is to snip them off with the scissors.
"Blind teeth," or "wolf teeth," as the immature supernumerary
tushes are called, do no injury whatever. If it is feared they may, it is
easy to take them out with a pair of forceps, or to knock them out with
a punch and hammer.
Occasionally a supernumerary tooth may be found growing in the
upper jaw, between the first and second teeth, and lapping over both of
them. This is considered by many persons as producing inflammation of
the eyes. It is true that if pain results, the eyes may be affected by
sympathy. This tooth should always be removed, and may be done with
a strong pair of forceps. It may cause distress from pain in the jaw;
nothing more.
426
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 427
Colts are often subject to inflammation of the eyes in a slight degree,
during teething. Examine the teeth, lance the gums, and the eyes will
recover. It is a case of sympathy.
n. Sore Eye-lids.
In the outset of more serious disease, soreness of the lids of the eyes
Ts common. It is also produced by irritation of various kinds. In in-
flammation of the eyes, soreness of the lids is always present. If from
other disease, it is sympathetic, and will pass away with the disease itself.
There is one form, however, that is characterized by a redness, spell-
ing and itching, the edges becoming raw and exuding matter. This must
have specific treatment.
What to do. — The horse should have a laxative dose if the bowels arc
uot in a natural state. The following will be indicated :
No. 163. 1 Drachm flowers of sulphur,
2 Drachms powdered mandrake,
3 Drachms powdered aloes.
Form into a ball with honey, and give as a dose.
To reduce the inflammation, make a curd, by beating three eggs thor-
oughly and then stirring them, with a quart of filtered rainwater until
mixed ; let it come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add half an ounce of
sulphate of zinc, and continue the boiling for a few minutes. Bind the
curd over the eyes, by placing a portion between layers of thin muslin.
The clear water strained through several thicknesses of fine linen is excel-
lent for sore or inflamed eyes of any kind. "Wet the lids three or four
times a day.
In aggravated cases that will not yield to treatment, and that remain
raw and exude matter, the edges should be carefully touched with mer-
curial ointment, the utmost care being taken that it does not come in con-
tact with the eye.
During the whole treatment the horse must be tied up by two lines to
the rear posts of the stall, so he cannot rub the eyes, and must be fed
from a nose-bag.
m. Moon Eyes.
This is ophthalmy, recurring at periodic times, or at intervals of three
weeks, a month or more, and not, as is often supposed, at the full moon.
Causes. — Hereditary predisposition ; from malarial causes ; herding in
low, damp situations ; rheumatic affections ; irritation consequent on
428 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
teething, and, in fact, where predisposition occurs, from any cause tend-
ing to lower the general state of the health.
How to know it. — There will be a sunken look to the eye ; the haw of
the eye will protrude ; the white of the eye may be of a pinkish cast ;
the eye will be watery ; the pupil of the eye will be cloudy, at the edges,
and dull and discolored at the center ; there will be haziness, milkiness,
or a whitish spot may appear, which will continue to overcast the eye.
In the intervals between the attacks the transparent coat of the eye will
have a hazy, bluish cast about its border, and the iris will lack its natural
brightness ; the upper lid or eyebrow will be wrinkled or furrowed.
What to do. — Look first of all for carious or defective teeth, and if
found extract them. There is a strong sympathy between any difficulty
with the teeth and the eyes, though unsound or <* wolf teeth" do not, as
was once supposed, cause blindness.
Place the animal in a darkened stable ; give four drachms aloes, and
apply the following lotion twice a day :
No. 161. 20 Grains acetate of lead,
20 Drops belladonna,
1 Quart filtered rain water.
Alternate this twice a day with the following :
No. 165. 20 Grains sulphate of zinc,
20 Drops tincture of Calabar bean,
1 Quart filtered rain water.
The physic having acted, give two or three times a day the following.
No. 166. 1 Drachm sulphate of iron,
a Ounce powdered Peruvian bark.
Mix in one quart of warm water, or give in the feed if the horse will
eat it. When another attack is expected double this dose.
Sometimes an ounce daily, for several weeks, of Fowler's solution of
arsenic will be serviceable, intermitting a few days occasionally. If, how-
ever, the attacks recur, and at lessened periods, the trouble may be
expected to end in cataract and blindness.
rv. Cataract.
As a rule, cataract is the result of inflammation of the deep structures
of the eyeball (internal ophthalmy or the periodic form). It also occurs
occasionally from diabetes and other constitutional disabilities.
How to know it. — Put the horse in a dark place. Take a lighted can-
dle. Three images will be reflected, one from the surface of the eye.
THE HOKSE, ITS DISEASES. 429
one from the front surface of the lens, and one from the rear surface of
the lens. If in moving the light either of the posterior images are
changed into a white haze, there is exudation into that part of the lens ;
in other words, a cataract is forming.
What to do — Unless the cataract is only just forming the horse will
be eventually blind. Give aloes as recommended for moon-blindness,
mnd also the prescription for lotions in that case. Follow this up with
digitalis in doses of fifteen to twenty grains daily, alternated daily with *
six to eight drachms of niter in the water taken. Keep the animal in a
dark room ; apply blisters to the cheeks and behind the ears, using the
following, well rubbed in ;
No. 167. 2 Drachms powdered cantharides,
K Ounce lard.
Mix thoroughly and rub well in, treating the blisters when formed with
linen cloths covered with mutton tallow to keep them running.
Apply also to the eye daily for several months the following :
No. 168. 2 Grains phosphorus,
1 Ounce ahnond oil.
M>x and keep in a dark, cool place, in a bottle with a ground glass
stopper.
V. Inflammation of the Haw, or Hooks.
The haw is a triangular shaped cartilage situated just within the inne>
comer of the eye. In health but little of it can be seen. Its use is to
pass over the ball of the eye to remove dust or other offensive substances
from the eye. This is done so quickly that it is difiicult to distinguish
the action. Its play may be seen by opening the lid of the eye, or by
«ittempting to touch the eyeball with the fingers.
Causes. — This is often produced by inflammation or swelling of other
parts of the eye. It may end in producing a hard, bony state, protrud-
ing from its place as a whitish lump. When it presents this appearance
some persons are fond of cutting out the * ' hooks ' ' to keep the horse
from "going blind." Our advice is, " Don't do it."
What to do. — ^If there is inflammation and swelling, treat the eye as
for ophthalmy (inflammation). In all cases of inflammation of the eyes
use the bandage as sho\\Ti in the cut on next page.
If the inflammation is slight, but active, keep a linen cloth over the
eye, or eyes, saturated with the following :
430 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTTOR.
No. 169. 4 Ounces sassafras pith,
1 Quart rain water.
Let it stand three or four hours, and apply cold, straining it as used.
If the inflammation is more pronounced, use the following as a lotion :
No. 170. 4: Drachms laudanum,
2 Drachms extract belladonna,
1 Quart rain water.
Also raise the eyelids and swab the inflam-.
ed haws occasionally with the egg and sul-
phate of zinc lotion recommended for sore
eyes. K the lachrymal duct is closed, that
is, if water runs from the eyes, swab out
the ducts well up the inside of the nostrils
with weak tobacco water, finishing with
clean water, or u-se the sulphate of zinc in
the form of a lotion.
MODS OF BLINDING A HOR8K, AND jf thc blood vcsscls arc ovcrloaded, leech-
APPLTING LOTION TO THI EYK . '
ing the lids of the eyes will be beneficial,
and in extreme cases half a gallon to one gallon of blood may be ta-
ken from the neck vein, to be repeated at the expiration often days, if
necessary.
The inflammation having subsided, the haws will resume their natural
place and appearance, and again become almost invisible.
VI. Dimness of Vision.
Very many horses have defective vision. Some do not see well at
night ; some are near-sighted ; some are far-sighted, as in man, from too
great convexity of the eye, or the reverse. Old horses gradually acquire
dimness of vision.
There is no specific for defective eyesight. Spectacles would reliev©
the difficulty, but, spectacles that might be worn by a horse have not yet
been invented, and for the reason that they are not practical. He must get OO
as best he may.
vn. Worms in the Eye.
This is occasioned by a worm {Filaria Oculi)^ and may be extracted
by a skillful puncture. It should only be undertaken by a competent
veterinary or other surgeon, the horse being first securely hampered so
he cannot struggle.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 4S1
vm. Funilent Ophthalmy.
Purulent Ophthalmy is confined to the conjunctiva (mucus membrane
of the eye), and it is in this membrane that the redness and ordinary
swelling of the eyes have their seat. The eyelids are much swollen, and
the membrane rises up, puffy and red above the level of the cornea (the
transparent disc), sometimes in fungoid excrescences. This species of
inflammation is epidemic, and when occurring often, goes through the •
stable.
What to do. — Place the animal in a moderately dark stable, keep the
eyes wet constantly — by means of the cloth shown in the cut with inflam-
mation of the hooks — with the following :
No. 171. 2 Drachms sulphate of zinc,
20 Grains morphia,
1 Pint rainwater.
Use the water tepid if possible, but if used cold at first, it must be so
continued, and vice versa.
The bowels should be kept moderately open with physic if necessary,
or with soft feed, and the same general treatment used as for the other*
forms of ophthalmy.
If the disease does not yield to this treatment, and becomes chronic>
prepare a wash as follows :
No. 172. 6 Grains nitrate of silver,
1 Ounce distilled water, or rainwater filtered through sharp'
washed sand.
Mix, and drop a little into the eye, daily, from a quill.
IX. Fungoid Tumors in the Substance of the Eye.
This is a rare affection, and fortunately so. The causes which prt>*
duce it are obscure, but probably the same as in any other cancerous
affection. The end will probably be death, for the taint of the cancerous
affection is probably in the system. Upon close examination, the eye
ball may be clear, but a brilliant yellow substance may be seen at the
base of the interior.
If it be not deemed best to destroy the animal, the eye must be extir-
pated. Two knives are required, of a peculiar shape, one of small size
and slightly bent to one side ; the other larger and curved to one side
until it nearly reaches the shape of a semi-circle. A sharp scalpel (the
knife ordinarily used in surgical operations) will also be required. Two
straight, triangular pointed needles threaded with strong waxed twine, a.
432 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
curved needle, similarly threaded, water, a sponge, lint, injecting tube
and a bellows.
Cast the horse, and fasten him so he cannot move. Pierce each eyelid
with one of the straight needles and tie a secure loop for raising and
holding the lids as shown in the cut.
EXTIRPATION OF THE ETE.
Let an assistant then hold the lids wide open. The surgeon with the
straight knife quickly describes a circle around the globe of the eye,
severing completely the conjunctiva mucous membrane of the eye. He
then takes the small, curvbd blade, and passing it through the divided
conjunctiva it is carried around the eyeball close to the bone, severing the
levator and depressor muscles. The cornea is then pierced with the
curved needle, in and out, the thread drawn and a loop fixed. Then the
eye being drawn out as far as post^ible the curved knife is passed around
the rear of the eye with a sawing motion, the integuments are severed,
and the eye is drawn forth.
It is quickly done when all things are ready, but should not be at'
tempted except by a competent surgeon. Some bleeding will follow.
Inject cold water ; if this do not check the hemorrhage, force cold air
into the cavity with the bellows. If this do not avail, plug the cavity
softly with lint, bandage the wound to secure the dressing, and leave th«
result to the natural process of healing.
X. Impediment in the Laehtymal Gland.
The lachrymal ducts of the eyes are small canals leading from the eyes
mto the nose. Their use is to convey away the superfluous moisture
(tears of the eyes). When it is closed by inflammation or other tempo-
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 4Si
rary cause, the water of the eyes flow over the face as shown in the
subjoined cut.
Occasionally, however, the duct becomes per-
manently closed. The usual remedy is to swab
the nostrils where the duct enters with weak to-
bacco water and afterwards with clear water.
If this do not effect a cure after two or three
trials, the duct must be opened with a probe.
The duct commences by minute openings near
the terminations of the upper and lower lids at the
£ M-t Ti- J. j-l. OBSTRUCTION OF LACHRYHAJ.
inner corner of the eye. It comes out upon the gland.
dark skin which lines the commencement of the
nostrils, lying on the inner membrane.
A delicately thin elastic probe must be used, and about twelve inches
long, the horse being cast and securely fastened. It may be necessary
to introduce the probe both from the corner of the eye and from the
nostril. Next charge a fine pointed syringe with tepid water and placing
the point into the nasal termination of the duct, force the water through.
The operation should only be performed by a surgeon.
XI. Gutta Serena.
This is sometimes called glass eye, incorrectly, however, as the term is
understood in the West and South. In glass eye, as understood there,
the pupil is sound and perfect, the iris distinct and natural, but has a
white ring around the cornea. It may injure the sale of a horse, but
simply from the singular expression it gives the eye of the animal.
True gutta serena, or Amaurosis, is palsy of the nerve of sight, or of
the nervous expansion called the retina, and due to functional and organic
disease of the optic nerve. In the early stages of the disease it may
sometimes be relieved, but is likely to occur again. In the later stages
it is incurable.
Causes- — Congestion, tumors, dropsy or other diseases of the brain.
Also by injury to the nerve of sight, by pressure or other cause, from
inflammation, excess of light, and may be symptomatic, from indigestion
or during gestation.
How to know it. — In the early stages the insensibility of sight may be
only partial ; the pupil will be unnaturally large ; upon closing the lids
of the eyes, and opening them in a strong light, there will be little or no
variation in the pupil ; the eyes will be unnaturally clear from extreme
dilatation ; the animal vnW be partially or totally blind, as shown by high
stepping and failure to flinch when the fingers are suddenly pointed close
434 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
to the eye ; the ears will be in constant motion as a compensation for the
want of sight.
What to do. — If from overloading the stomach, indigestion, gestation,
etc., turn the animal upon grass, if in the season ; or clothe warmly and
feed upon easily digested food, as mashes and
roots. If the attack is recent and from such
cause as inflammation of the brain, bleed to
the extent of a gallon, and put a seton close to
the eye. In fact the cause must be found
and removed, if it be due to one that can be
removed. Success is sometimes had by blis-
tering as for ophthalmy. Use in connection
with this nerve stimulants. Of these strych-
nia, in one to two grain doses, according to
lYE AFFKCTKD BY SERENA. circumstanccs, or five grain doses of nitrate of
silver may be given.
Sympathetic amaurosis may admit of cure. As we have said, the
deranged function must be restored.
If medicine is required to deplete the system the following will be
good:
No. 173. 2 Drachms powdered gentian,
4 Drachms powdered aloes,
1 Ounce common salt,
1 Pint warm water.
Give as a drench, and keep the animal on light mashes with an 0000-
ftional injection of salt and water if necessary.
If there is debility alteratives and tonics will be indicated :
No. 174. 1 Ounce powdered golden seal,
1 Ounce powdered gentian,
1 Ounce powdered sulphur,
1 Ounce powdered ginger, '
1 Ounce salt,
1 Poiind oatmeal.
Mix, divide into twelve parts and give one in the feed — of good, gen-,
crous diet — night and morning.
As a lotion for bathing the eye the following is recommended as a good
astringent :
No. 175. 1 Ounce powdered bayberry bark, ^
1 Pint boiling water.
Let it stand until cool. Strain through a close linen cloth, add a.
table-spoonful of tincture of bloodroot and bathe twice a day.
CHAPTER Xm.
DISEASES OF THE BONES.
X- BIO HSAD and big jaw. 11. 8WEBNT OF THB SHOULDER. 111. SWEKKT OV THK
HIP. IV, BONK SPAVIN. V. ENLARGED HOCK. VI. RING-BONS. VII. STIFLK.
^VIII. SPLINT. IX. SORE SHINS (INFLAMMATION OP THE METACARPAL BONB).
X. ROTTEN BONB. XI. INFLAMMATION OP THE KNEE-JOINT. XU. CARIES OF THB
LOWER-JAW.
I. Big Head and Big Jaw.
Causes. — This disease, called also exostosis of the bones, is manifested in
an enlargement or bony tumor on the face, on a line between the nostril
and the eye. It finally breaks out in small holes, which discharge a thick
pus, and at last ends, if not t'">s\ted opportunely, in a complete decay of
the bone. The bone continually enlarges, and cells or channels are
formed aa the minute bony plates become thinner and thinner, till the
structure can be easily cut with a knife or crushed with the fingers. The
interstices are filled with a red, bloody mass. In some cases the ligaments
and tendons are separated by decomposition of the bone, and crumblings,
dislocations and fractures take place for want of firm attachment for
these supporting ligaments.
The primary cause of the disorder is not known ; but the tendency is
believed to be transmitted . A horse manifesting signs of the big head
is generally diseased not alone in the bones of the face, but the whole
osseous system seems to be to some extent involved, so that there is not
infrequently a soreness of the limbs and a lameness accompanying it.
The immediate exciting cause is most probably defective nutrition — a
want of that power of assimilation which is necessary to the supplying nf
the bones with their phosphate constituent.
It may be developed by both over-feeding and by deficiency of food, as
28 435
436 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOll.
the di«-estive functions are deranged by either excessive burdens imposea
upon them or want of sufficient nutrition in that food which is digested.
It is difficult to assign any reason why the general predisposition should
be determined primarily to the face.
It has been observed to prevail mostly in those regions where Indian
com is constantly fed, and in those, whatever be the predominant food,
where the animal uses only, or chiefly, free stone water — a fluid lacking
in that phosphate element so essential to bony structures.
Hard labor and abuse, poor food and bad stable management, doubtless
do much to precipitate the disease.
How to know it. — Before the visible swelling of the face there will
generally be evident weakness, loss of appetite, laziness ; a slight suffu-
sion of the eyes with tears — one or both according as one or both sides
of the facial bone is affected ; then a swelling, about half way between
the eye and the nostril, small and hard, but gradually increasing in size.
If the swelling is pressed upon with some force the horse will wince with
pain, but gentle rubbing seems to give ease. The lower jaw, under th»
chin, will next appear thickened ; a degree of general stiffness sets in ;
at last the joints are swollen, and seem puffed up with wind ; the horse
rapidly fails in flesh ; and the head becomes enormously swollen, and
finally breaks into little openings which discharge an offensive pus.
What to do. — It is well, perhaps, to warn the reader in the outset not
to do any of those foolish things which characterized the old practice,
such as boring into the diseased part and injecting corrosive poison ; lay-
ing open the jaw and sawing out a portion of the bone ; blistering, burn-
ftig, etc. The disease is not local, but constitutional, and though perhaps
having no other visible manifestation than on the face, it has extensive
connection with various portions of the frame, so that purely local treat-
ment is of little consequence.
The first step will be to see that the patient is well stabled or other-
wise cared for according to the season of the year, and put upon a sys-
tematic course of food, drink, and moderate exercise in the sun. Give
him from five to seven quarts of oats per day, and if these are boiled and
mixed with a little wheat bran, all the better. When green vegetables
can be had, they should be fed liberally, to counteract a sort of scorbutic
or scurvy tendency which marks this disorder. Apples, beets, carrots,
turnips — whatever fruit or vegetable you can get him to take is good.
When seasonable, put him upon a bountiful pasture.
Give the following in eight doses, night and morning, with such food as he
ivill most readily eat:
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 437
So. 176. 2 Ounces chlorate of potash,
4 Ounces powdered ginger.
3 Ounces gentian,
2 Ounces podophyllin,
6 Ounces poplar bark.
Give also with the food, once daily, 2 ounces phosphate of lime.
JRub upon the swelled face with moderate vigor, twice daily, the fol-
lowing preparation :
No. 177. 6 Ounces spirits of camphor,
4 Ounces cod liver oil,
2 Ounces oil of cedar,
1 Pint diluted acetic acid.
If the case has been neglected until there are already breaks in the
skin, and exudation of matter, adopt the previously described course,
with this exception, that the part must be thoroughly cleansed with warm
soap and water, and then, instead of No. 177, apply the camphorated
corrosive sublimate every other day for six or eight times, then omit
three days, and begin again, and so on until the skin shows signs of heal-
ing. Apply the sublimate with a little mop of soft rags, and dry it in
with a hot iron held near the part, or pressed smoothly over a layer of
intervening cloths, thick enough to prevent actual burning.
n. Sweeny of the Shoulder.
The common effect of all lameness and disease of a limb is a wasting
of the muscles connected therewith. Therefore in all sprains entailing
inflammation and continued disease of a limb, and in all injuries entailing
chronic, long-continued manifestations, there will be wasting or atrophy
of the muscles, and in extreme cases sometimes permanent contraction,
even of the cords of the limb. This is popularly called swinny or sweeny.
It is the result of disease and not the disease itself. The cause of this
wasting must therefore be looked after in order to obviate the difficulty.
There is, however, from sprain of the muscle outside the shoulder
blade, a tendency to waste of the muscles, to such a degree sometimes,
that they are so shrunken as to cause the skin to bo drawn tight to the
shoulder blade.
Causes. — Sweeny is usually acquired by young horses, when first put
to work, from over-strain ; or, it may occur in horses of any age, from
hard pulling on uneven ground, by stepping into holes, etc., thus causing
injury to the muscles of the shoulder, and particularly those supporting
the joints.
^3g ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
How to know it. — Sometimes the horse may be able to walk or evea
trot without serious difficulty. If one stand directly in front of him
there will be seen that the affected shoulder is held in an unnatural posi-
tion, seeming to be rolled outward farther than is natural. There will be
a peculiar motion in the gait, and heat, tenderness and swelling on the
outside of the joint.
What to do. — Bv pressure on the parts discover the seat of the inflam.
mation by the flinching of the animal. This found, reduce it by continued
application of cold water to the part, if in the earlier stages. This may
be done by folding a long blanket and hanging over the shoulder so as to
cover the affected part. O'er this keep a cloth continually wet with cold
water, until the acute s^'mptoms have subsided.
After these have subsided, exercise must be given every day, either by
driving on a smooth road or using at any light work on smooth ground.
Every effort should be made to increase the circulation over the fallen
muscles by active rubbing. If the case do not yield to treatment, an<4
there is decided wasting, the muscle being hard, use the following :
No. 178. 1 Pint ammonia,
1 Quart Olive oil.
This should be rubbed in with considerable friction, untU nearly the
excitement of a blister is produced. This with subsequent friction and
an occasional use of the blister, will effect a cure ; but it may take
months of perseverance to bring the shoulder back to its perfect shape.
Light exercise should be given every day,
m. Sweeny of the Hip.
The wasting of the muscles of the hip are due to analagous causes with
those of the shoulder. It is, however, far more rare, since the power of
the horse being in the hind-quarters, the enormous muscles of those part*
act as cushions to protect the parts from injury. As a rule, the cause of
the wasting of the muscles of the hip must be looked for lower down,
unless the injury is known to proceed from a fall on the side.
A careful examination of all the muscles will enable the owner pretty
ajenerally to fix the seat of the disease, from the heat and tenderness cf
the parts. This discovered, use the means prescribed for shoulder sweeny.
In old and difficult cases, either of the shoulder or hip, it may be neces-
sary to resort to active blistering and subsequent stimulation by means of
the galvanic battery. In old and confirmed sweeny that has come with a
horse bought, or from neglect at the proper time, a cure will probably
not be effected ; but a partial restoration of the parts may be made.
THE aoKSE, ITS DISEASES. 439
Sweeny has been placed among the diseases of the bones because it
sometimes proceeds from injury to the bones and joints. The difficulty
itself, however, is confined to the muscles.
rv. Bone Spavin.
The definition of bone spavin may be given as an inflammation, ulceF-
ation and bony deposit of the small flat bones in the lower and inner part
of the hock joint ; or of both the outer and inner ones, or from inflam-
mation of the cuniform and metatarsal bones, terminating in anchylosis
Ca bony union of the parts) rendering the jomt stiff.
Foot, incapable of being raised from Natural poeition of the healthy foot when raisea
groundby reason oi spavin. from the ground during ah easy trot.
Causes. — Injury to the joint by concussion, sprains of the ligaments,
\he use of shoes with high heels or calks. Hereditary predisposition to
wpavin is common from weakness of the joints, bones and ligaments.
Consequently weak limbed horses or mares, or those with spavins, or
other diseases of the bones should never be bred from.
Bone spavin is really one of the most formidable diseases with which
the horseman has to deal, and the attack is sometimes so slow and blind
that jockeys are often enabled to put off a spavined horse on the uuwarv,
the horse afterwards going dead lame. Nevertheless it will show itself
if the horse is allowed to cool, or is ridden into the water and allowed to
stand awhile, for a horse with spavin coming on as he becomes warmed
the ligaments become freer in their action, and an animal lame at first,
will go well enough afterwards ; yet, in the end the horse becomes jjer"
manently lame, until the deposit about the bone, called anchj'losia,
becomes solidified, when the joint is stiff and the lameness ceases.
Causes. — The causes producing spavin may be various. Hereditary
*reakness of the limbs is undoubtedly one of the principal causes. Thus
a blow, a sprain, or any injury producing inflammation will cause spavin
in such, an animal, when in a strong muscled and fine boned animal it
440 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
would }neld readily to treatment. The reason is, a feverish and unnealth^
condition of the membrane secreting the synovial fluid is produced, and
the firm membrane affording no outlet, it settles into the spongy bone,
and a diseased condition ensues, which the weight and motion of the
animal intensifies until confirmed spavin is the result. AVhen only the
•plint bone is affected there is chance for recovery, but when the cube
bone is affected there is but little chance for relief until the disease has
run its course, and ended in a joint more or less stiff.
How to know it. — Sprains do not invariably cause lameness. There
may be little or no local swelling as in occult spavin, as ulceration is
called, in the center of the joint between the flat bones. The swelling,
when it does exist, is in front and on the inside and on the lower part of
the joint, and may best be seen by standing about midway of the body
so as to get a side view of the front of the hock. "When the swelling is
in front of the hock it is most to be feared. It is hard and is to be dis-
tinguished from the tense but elastic swelling caused by sprain of the
flexor tendon, or from the flexible and fluctuating swelling of bog spa\in.
The swelling of bone spavin may be more to the front or farther back
on the inside of the hock, or even shown principally on the outside, and
in case it extends to the true hock joint, it may end in bony formation to
such a degree as to close the articulation (play of the parts) and produce
a stiff joint. The animal if turned from side to side in the stall will
move stiff and on the toe. This same stiffness is also seen when the
animal first starts off, but which may nearly or quite disappear when the
animal becomes warm. The horse will sometimes jerk up the limb as
though he had string-halt. By turning him quickly in a small circle he
will carry the limb more or less stiff, or rest on the toe only.
What to do. — In any case rest and a high heeled shoe should be allowed.
In the acute stage or early in the development of the disease, place the
horse in slings if possible. Foment thoroughly with hot water in which
an ounce of laudanum is mixed to each two quarts of water. Give four
dmchms of aloes if the bowels are costive, and give half an ounce to an
ounce of saltpeter in the water, morning and night, until a free flow of
urine is had. When the inflammation has subsided blister. The follow-
ing will be effectual :
Ho. 179. 1 Part corrosire sublimate.
12 Parts oil of turpentine,
Mix thoroughly and rub in. Firing with a white hot iron is still more
effectual, yet the iron and the corrosive liniment are apt to leave a blemish.
A i:iilder preparation is :
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 441
No. 180. 2 Drachms oil of rosemary,
>i Ounce powdered cantharides,
4 Ounces mercurial ointment.
Grind thoroughly together and rub on heating it in -with a warm iron.
If there is simply swelling, in old cases, thorough and frequent rubbing
with oleate of mercury will dissipate what swelling has not actually be-
come bone. Setons are also most valuable in spavin. Thfe needle should
be passed for a considerable space under the skin, over the seat of spavin.
AjK)int the tape with the following ;
No. 181. 1 Part powdered white hellebore,
8 Parts lard,
Mix with gentle heat.
Before the application of either blister or seton we would advise
thrusting a narrow-pointed bistoury under the sprain and scarifying the
parts. In no event, however, should resort be had to cutting away the
bony parts which have formed, with mallet and chisel, as we have seen
them. It is barbarous, inhuman, and can do no good whatever. Some
cases will absolutely resist all and any means foi cure ; others again will
yield kindly in from one to three months. In young horses if treatment
be given in time, a cure may generally be effected. With old horses the
cure is difficult.
V. Enlargement of the Hock.
Nature has protected the hocks in a most ample manner, to prevent
injury under ordinary circumstances, and in fact, under exceptional cir-
cumstances, except those of an accidental or violent nature. From vari-
ous bruises or strains, inflammation and lameness may ensue. Eest and
fomentations will generally set this right if taken early. Sometimes,
however, the enlargement will continue to grow in spite of all efforts to
the contrary, and until the entire joint is involved.
How to know it. — ^There are two forms of this disease. In one, the
tendons and cartilages only are affected. This will generally yield to
fomentations and a few applications of oleate of mercury. If not, blister,
using the prescription No. 180. Another form is more serious. From
a severe blow or other cause, there is a bruise of the bone, b}^ which the
investing membrane, called the periosteum, is either severely strained or
torn loose, giving rise to inflammation and formation and deposit of bony
matter on the surface of the bone, sometimes to such a degree that the
parts are of excessive size, and the leg so lame that it is only with great
difiiculty the animal can walk. The animal may, indeed, as in the case
^42 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
of bad spavin, be capable of doing farm work even with a stiff leg, but is
totally unfit for driving on the road.
What to do. — Precisely the same treatment must be pursued as in the
case of bone spavin. Fomentations, while in the stage of fever or in-
flammation, and blistering, firing and setons to assist absorption. It
must be rememljered, however, that either in spavin, or any other disease
of the bones, joints, cartilages, or muscular tissues, that straining of the
parts is likely to ensue again, and consequently care must be taken abou\
overworking or injuring by fast driving, especially on rough ground.
VL Ring-bone.
This is a deposit of bony matter above and below the coronet of the
foot, just where the hair begins above the hoof, or of the bone of the
hoof, as the coffin bone is called, or bony growth on the pasterns.
Causes. — It is caused by heavy work, hard pulling by draft horses,
bruises of the bone by pounding of the feet on hard roads and pavements,
generally beginning as inflammation of the membranes covering the
bones, and at these points giving attachments to the ligaments at the side
of the lower or small pastern bone, or of the lower end of the upper or
large pastern. Sometimes the bony formation proceeds to such an ex-
tent, involving and covering the whole surface, as to produce a kind of
club foot.
How to know it. — There may be lameness or not, except on hard
ground, or upon liinding the limb, in old-seated ring-bones. During the
beginning of the evil, or while there is inflammation, and a tender, elas-
tic swelling, and a more or less doughy state (engorgement) of the soft
parts. In the course of the disease this matter becomes hard, from being
turned into a soft or spongy bony formation. The swelling may be
scarcely seen and confined to the sides of the pastern bone, or there may
be great enlargement of the whole surface. If the trouble occurs in a
fore-leg, the heel is put do\vn first ; if the ring-bone is in the hind-foot,
and in the sides or back part of the pastern, the toe will be put down
first.
What to do. — For the fore-foot, put on a thin-heeled bar shoe. If la
the hind-foot, a high-hccled shoe. That is, if the animal walks on the
toe, use a high-heeled shoe ; if on the heel, a thin-heeled shoe. If there
is inflammation, known by heat and tenderness, use fomentations of hot
water, porscveringly applied until it is reduced. Then blister severely
with the following: :
o
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 443
K». 182. 10 Dropg muriatic acid,
20 Grains corrosive sublimate,
20 Grains camplior,
1 Ounce oil of *iirpentine.
Mix, and apply until a sufficient blister is formed ; then wash ofp to
prevent blemish and keep the blister running as long as possible, by cor-
ering with a rag well smeared with mutton tallow. Blister again if neces-
sary. Or, use the means pursued in spavin, oleate of mercury, if the
case is not difficult.
If the ring-bone has been of long standing, the only relief will be the
growth of bony matter over^the joint. There will be more or less stiff-
ness in the joint, but the horse may do slow work. Old horses are more
difficult to cure than young ones, and in any case to avoid blemish, the
case must be taken at the first indication. Then thorough fomentations,
slight blistering, a proper shoe and rest will accomplish a cure. If there
is simply a hardening of the integuments, oleate of mercury, in developed
ring-bone or spavin, will reduce so much of it as is not already bony
^owth.
Vn. Stifle.
Any difficulty of the stifle joint, by which the animal is more or less
disabled from the use of the limb, is by the generality of horsemen
termed stifling, it being supposed to be a dislocation of the stifle bone,
corresponding to the knee-pan in man. Dislocation, however, is ex-
tremely rare. The displacement of the whirlbone of the stifle joint when
it occurs, will cause the animal to throw the Umb straight out behind.
This form often becomes chronic ; that is, occurs, and the habit is fixed
from ^apparently slight causes, or any cause that shall compel the animal
to throw the leg back farther than is usual in going at a slow gait. It is
often produced in the first place by catching the hind leg or hoof in some-
thing which forcibly holds it.
How to know it. — The horse will hold the leg extended out behind ,
the head will be raised and the animal will go on three legs ; there is
every evidence of extreme pain, but no heat nor swelling. Upon exam-
ining the stifle bone, the patella, corresponding to the knee pan in man,
will be found outside those against which it should fit. When the
dislocation is inward, the limb will be drawn upward.
What to do. — Get the animal into a close place ; have him held firmly
by the head ; pass a rope about the fetlock and over any projection, so
the limb may be drawn forward. Bring the limb forward and upward,
and standing behind and against the hip, press the bone toward and into
444 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
its place. Hold it there firmly until the muscles regain their ori^nal
contractibility in some measure, and use an infusion of bayberry or oak
bark, cold, freely, for some days.
In addition to this it is better that the horse be made to stand on the
injured limb. To do this it is usual to tie a cord tightly about the other
hind le£?. This is apt to make a blemish. Tie the other foot so it cannot
be thrown back.
In nine cases out of ten when the owner supposes his horse to be stifled
the difficulty will be found to be from injury to some other part of the
limb, as sprain of any of the ligaments of the leg, of the fetlock, a
prick of the hoof, etc., causing the animal to hold the limb in such a
way as to cause the stifle bone to seem displaced.
Horses often injure the parts around the stifle joint by running, leaping,
or from bruises or other hurts. In this case the treatment is to be the
same as in any other sprain or bruise. In mild cases the following will
be found good to bathe the sprain or bruise with :
No. 183. 1 Ounce tincture of arnica,
1 Pint rain water.
Bathe the affected part freely with this from time to time. If the
difficulty is severe, fomentations of hot water must be perseveringly used
until the inflammation subsides, and then resort may be had to blistering
if necessary, or a seton may be placed under the affected part to get up
counter irritation. In severe cases the cure is slow and the animal must
have absolute rest.
In any difficulty in or about the stifle joint, it is well to examine care-
fully for wounds or bruises.
A wound of the parts will often cause intense pain, and to the unin-
itiated, apparently all the symptoms of dislocation. The veterinarian is
never deceived, and no one need be if he brings common sense and a
careful examination to bear upon any wound, bruise, strain or other
injury. There will be blood, matter, swelling or heat in the part af-
fected. This found, use the remedies prescribed in such cases.
Vm. Splint.
Causes. — The name is given to a peculiar enlargement generally found
OD the outside of the small bones of the fore leg, and inside the leg.
The causes are not well defined. Splint may be caused by violent blows
or other injuries, but it seems to be more a consequence of weight and
strain. The inner splint bone, or small bone of the leg, is placed nearer
the center of the body than the other, and there is at almost all times
greater weight upon it, while on certain occasions it may also be subjected
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 445
to more violent strain, whence inflammation may set in, and a bony
deposit result. Raising the outer heel of the shoe more than ordinarily,
contributes in some degree to produce an unnatural strain upon this bone.
The term splint is applied also to those bony tumors that sometimes ap-
pear on the outer shank bone. These are more readily accounted for,
as this part of the leg is peculiarly liable to blows and other injuries.
How to know it. — In the first stage of the disease, while the splint is
forming, there is inflammation of the periosteum or bone-covering mem- *
brane ; there is lameness : and though no swelling may yet be visible,
you can discover it by passing the open hand down the side of the leg,
with the thumb on the small bone, or rather in the groove formed by the
two small bones. A small, hard swelling will be found, which, being
pressed upon, will cause the animal to flinch.
When the tumor is well-developed and plain to the sight, it is not gen-
erally attended with lameness, from the fact that the periosteum has ac-
commodated itself to the new formation, and the inflammation, with
consequent soreness, has subsided. Then it happens that a very little
splint will often cause more lameness than one which is so large as to be
easily seen at a distance.
In cases of much inflammation and extreme soreness, the horse stands
resting the toe upon the ground, with the leg slightly bent ; and this
great heat may extend itself by sympathy to the soft parts of the leg
nearest the splint, but this is seldom the case.
Sometimes the animal is apparently free from all trouble when merely
put to a walk, but will discover extreme lameness in trotting — the extra
concussion producing much pain, and examination, as previously directed,
will disclose the seat of the trouble.
What to do. — If the protuberance is small, and there is no lameness,
do nothing, unless the horse is valuable and the tumor is unsightly. It
will disappear by natural absorption as the animal increases in years,
provided there is no directly exciting cause constantly at work. An
unskillful attempt to cure will sometimes lead to lameness and an increase
of the splint.
If it is a recent formation, and treatment is thought necessary, observe
whether the irritation is such as to have produced extreme tenderness of
the part, and swelling of the soft parts of the leg. If so, lessen the
inflammation, and thus also the soreness, by cool, softening poultices, or
frequent application of cold salt and water. Then shave the hair off
from over and around the protuberance, and rub in, at evienjug, the fol-
lowing mercurial ointment :
No. 184. 1 Drachm biniodide of mercury,
1 Ounce lard.
^.J6 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Continue this until a free watery discharge is produced from the sur-
face. As a general rule this is sufficient, for even though it may not
directly disappear, it will gradually do so from this time, unless the
tumor interferes materially with the ligaments or tendons.
If it is laro-e, or near the joint, or extends so as to destroy the motion
that naturally exists between the two small bones, cast the horse, and
secure him from violent struggling — then scarify the periosteum or
membrane covering the bone, over the splint. For this pui-pose, have a
small, probe-like knife, shaped like a scimiter, with the cutting edge on
the convex side. Make a small opening about an inch below the splint,
turn the little probe knife flat and insert it into this opening and urge it
forward until the point has passed over the protuberance. Now turn the
cutting edge down, and scarify the periosteum well, making several cuts
across the splint, and with such force as to reach the naked bone every
time. Withdraw the knife and insert a seton needle, with tape fixed as
usual ; pass the point up past the splint, send it through the skin, and
draw the tape through. Slightly enlarge the upper end of the tape, so
that it cannot come out below, and the work is done. Suppuration will
ensue in from seven to fourteen days ; absorption will follow, and the
splint will almost invariably disappear.
During treatment the horse should be kept from work, as any consider-
able exercise, particularly any straining in harness, or concussion by rapid
motion, will increase lameness and render cure more tedious and difficult.
IX. Sore Shins— Inflammation of the Metacarpal Bones.
This is an inflammation of the membrane covering the shank bones,
and is not confined to any particular classes of horses, though racing or
other fast worked horses are more subject to the affection than are draft
horses, the difficulty generally occurring before the animal becomes
mature.
Causes. — The cause is undoubtedly over-working and abuse before the
bones and integuments become fully developed.
How to know it. — The lameness resembles that of splint. There is
swelling over the shin bone, which is tense as though stretched, elastic,
and doughy to the touch. There is heat and tenderness, and sometimes
the swelling becomes excessive, and breaks, but always preserves its e\as-
tic feeling. Or the swelling may not be extensive, but gradually hardens
through the formation of bony matter, until at length the pain disappears.
In these slight cases, the matter thrown out between the bone and
membrane, is generally converted into a bony formation and the skin re-
mains permanently thickened. In severe cases the throwing out of
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 447
matter (lymph) may separate the membrane and the bone, and eventuate
in necrosis, or death of the bone.
What to do. — If the difficulty is not severe, cold water faithfully ap-
plied during the inflammatory stage, and later, blisters, will be all that
will be necessary. In fact, treat it precisely as is recommended for
splint.
In very severe cases, where there is great tenderness, and decided
doughy swelling, make a series of incisions with a bistoury or narrow-
bladed knife, carrying the blade a short way beneath the skin, and then
cutting down to the bone. This is done to let the contents escape. Use
as a fomentation hot water containing half an ounce to an ounce of laud-
anum to a pint, and afterwards with cold water. If the healing is not
prompt, apply a blister. In a majority of cases it should yield by apply-
ing the following astringent lotion :
No. 185. 60 Drops carbolic acid,
yi Ounce sugar of lead,
2 Quarts rainwater.
It may be necessary, in fact it will be better, to give a purgative, 4 cr
5 drachms of aloes, to be followed by 20 drops tincture of aconite, three
or four times a day. The animal should have perfect rest and be kept
on sound hay and bran mashes.
X. Botten Bone.
This is called necrosis when it attacks the shaft or body of the horse,
*nd caries when it is confined to the ends at its joints.
Causes. — Death and decay of the bone, from inflammation. It is lia-
ble to occur in poll-evil, founder, from cracked or broken bones, and
inflammation of the membranes.
How to know it. — There will be severe inflammation, followed by one
flr more abscesses, which break and discharge. They do not heal, but
form fistulas (pipes). The discharge at first may be thin and without
smell, but after a time there is a peculiar and fetid odor, characteristic
of decayed bone.
What to do. — The proper thing to do is to cut down at once to the
decayed bone, scrape it clean, remove all loose portions, wash the wound
■with chloride of zinc lotion, made as follows :
So. 186. 40 Grains chloride of zinc,
1 Ounce distilled water.
The wound made in cutting is to be treated as is any wound. If the
148 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
cuttino' be extensive enouorh to warrant it close with stitches, cover witli
lint steeped in oil to which a little carbolic acid is added. If healing do
not progress satisfactorily, that is if the granulations at the edges do not
contract fast enough, stimulate by washing with tincture of aloes and
myrrh. So far as this cutting and scarifying is concerned it should be
done by a surgeon. If this cannot be done, open the fistulas clear to th»
bottom and wash out once a day with the following :
No. 187. Ji Ounce sulphate of zinc,
>i Ounce sulphate of copper,
1 Ounce solution of sub-acetate of lead,
6 Ounces pyroligeous acid, (or better, white wine vinegar).
To one part of this use ten parts of water, and inject with force from
a syringe once a day for two weeks if necessary.
XI. Inflammation of the Knee-joint.
Inflammation of the knee or other joints may occur in all stages, from
the most simple form to those most violent, with ulceration, and the
formation of destructive abscesses.
Causes. — Jarring on hard roads ; various injuries, such as bruises,
strains, etc.
How to know it. — In light cases the horse in starting forward will do
so from the knee and with pain. There will be excessive flinching if the
knee is extended by force. The animal stands square on his feet, and
without inclination to raise the heel. In walking he takes a fair step, but
carries the knee joint as much without bending as possible, and in putting
down his foot exerts the greatest pressure on the heel.
What to do. — Take off the shoes. Treat the inflammation as directed
in other cases ; first by hot water embrocations perseveringly applied,
using laudanum as directed if necessary to relieve pain. There must be
perfect rest, and if the animal will use the limb put him in slings, and
apply splints and bandages to the knee. The inflammation having been
cured, blister the parts, to promote absorption of the fluids. When the
animal is better let him have the run of a quiet pasture until entirely
sound, or keep him in the stable with gentle walking exercise every day.
XII. Caries of the Lower-jaw.
Causes. — Caries, or ulceration of the lower jaw bone, between the
tushes and grinders, is caused almost wholly by the barbarous use of bits
and curb-chains. Injury is also sometimes inflicted upon the bony plate
of the roof of the mouth by pressure of the curb, when a tight nose
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 449
band keeps the mouth shut down. The gums of the lower jaw are very
often hurt, and not infrequently the bone itself is so bruised as to result
in this ulceration. When this is the case, the gum, unless forcibly opened,
must slough, so that the injured portion of the bone can be cast off. Thus
a stinking sore is made, and one of long continuance, as the scaling of the
bone and the escape of the loosened particles is a tedious process, and
•ttended no little suffering.
How to know it. — Examination of the gums is necessary to disclose the
trouble when it exists simply as a bruise. The spot will appear ol" a
color different from the adjacent parts, and pressure upon it will cause
the animal to wince with pain. Even if neglected till there is a discharg-
ing sore, it is not always detected at once, as the discharge is, in the
beginning, of a watery character, and is lost in the saliva, though con-
stantly going on. On contact with the bit, however, there is a mixture
of blood and watery matter, and some of this escapes constantly while
the horse is in use. This ought to attract the attention of the master, if
nothing else has, and lead to thorough examination. There will be found,
in that case, a depression in the gum, and, fixed to the bottom of the
-cavity, a mass of proud flesh. The discharge will be characterized by a
very offensive stench.
What to do. — If the bruised place on the gum, accompanied with sens-
itiveness to pressure, is discovered before there is any break or exudation
of matter, have a strong, keen knife, and cut to the bone. The incision
made ought to correspond with the extent of the bruised bone. The
grating of the knife upon this sore portion will cause the horse to strug-
gle with more or less violence, owing to the exceeding soreness and ten-
derness of the injured part ; and this may in some sort furnish a guide
as to the amount of incision necessary. If the opening is too small for
the scaled bone to be easily cast out, it will be necessary to employ the
bone forceps with which to grasp and withdraw it.
Upon cutting it, a thin, watery fluid will flow out. Care must now be
taken to see that the incision is not allowed to close over and retain the
injured bone, as this would ultimately result in a foul and troublesome
ulcer.
When the discharge has somewhat thickened, and is peculiarly of-
fensive to the smell, showing that the bone is decaying and that nature is
making an effort to cast off the injured portion, wash it out with the
«yringe, several times a day, with the following solution :
Ko. 188. 1 Scruple chloride of zinc,
i Drachma essence of anise seed,
1 Pint water.
450 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
If treatment is deferred, however, till there is an open, ulcerous gum*
with the existence of proud flesh, push a stick of lunar caustic deep into
the unhealthy granulation in the cavity, so as to destroy it. Then keep
down the fungous growth by the use of the caustic, day after day, until
the stinkinir discharjre has ceased. This will not be until the bone has
ceased to scale away ; and the wound may now be safely left to heal.
A cure affected, the next thing to do is to select a bit that shall press
upon another part of the mouth, or there may be a repetition of the evil.
The snaffle may be used with comparative safety where the curb has in*-
flicted serious hurt.
CHAPTER XIT.
DISEASES OF THE FEET.
ft. ULCKRATION OP THE FOOT (NAVICULAR DISEASE). II. CRACKED HOOFS. IH. HOOV
KOT. IV. CORNS. V. CONTRACTION OF THE HOOP (NARROW HEEL). VI. INJU-
RIES TO THE PROG. ^VII. FOUNDER. VIU. NAIL PRICKING. IX. CANKER. X.
SAND CRACK. XI. FALSE QUARTER. XII. QUITTOR. XIU. TOE CRACK. XIV.
PUMICE FOOT. XV. SEEDY TOE. XVI. OSSIFIED CARTILAGES. XVII. SIDE BONES.
"'■~— XVUI. INCISED AND PUNCTURED WOUNDS OF THE SOLE.
I. Ulceration of the Foot— (Navicular Disease).
Between the coffin bone and lower pastern there is a small bone which
forms the projection of the heel and rests upon the frog of the foot.
This bone is called the shuttle or navicular bone. The inflammation of
the surface of this bone is called the navicular disease. It may implicate
the sjrnovial sac, the ligaments and the flexor tendon which plays over it.
( )ne of the uses of the navicular bone is to give increased strehgth to the
connection between the coffin bone and the joint above. Another use is
to enable the flexor tendon, which passes over it and is joined to the
coffin bone, to give increased pliability, strength and motion to the foot.
In high bred horses, and all those used for fast work, this bone i»
peculiarly liable to injury and consequently to disease. This disease is
inflammation and subsequent ulceration of this highly organized bone.
The difficulty may extend to the interior of the bone , to the tendon which
passes over its surface and even involve the adjacent parts.
Causes- — It is thought that a rheumatic constitution predisposes an
animal to this disease. Certain it is that highly organized and weak
limbed animals most usually suffer from it, probably from the fact that
they are not able to withstand an injury that a stronger limbed animal
would do, especially when carrying a bad fitting shoe, or subject lo
Tiolent exertion or over strain of any kind. Other causes than bad shoes
29 461
^52 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
and concussion of the bone may exist, injury from nails picked up on th»
road, impaired nutrition, by which the bones are not sufficiently nourished
acting to assist injury to the bone.
How to know it. — The foot will feel hot, yet particular heat is not
always present. The toe will be pointed, in the stable, eight or ten inches
before the other, and with the heel slightly raised. This peculiarity may
indeed be noticed often for a long time before any particular lameness is
noticed. By-and-by the animal will be observed to step short, and on
the toe, with liability to stumble when first taken out of the stable. This
will disappear as the animal gets warm, but will show again when cool.
The toe of the shoe will become more worn than other parts. As the
disease progresses the hoof will decrease in size, particularly in the
quarters and heels. Trying the edges of the hoofs will not make the
animal flinch unless there be corns, but by tapping the sole on each side
of the body of the frog with a hammer, or upon the walls of the hoof
about the quarters, will give pain. By bending the foot back and press-
in<^ with the thumb in the hollow of the heel on either side of the flexor
tendon, with considerable force, it will cause intense pain. These are all
characteristic tests. There may be sweeny of the shoulder from disease
of the muscles. This is an effect of the disease and not a disease in
itself.
What to do. — If the injury is new, the first thing to be done is to re-
duce the inflammation. Do this with cold water applications or any of
thf! remedies advised for ring-bone, spavin, or other inflammation. Give in
laxative dose, 4 drachms of aloes ; have the shoes taken off and let the
horse stand during the day time in pure wet clay up to the top of the
hoof, and at night poultice the foot. If there is much inflammation,
bleed in the arteries above the coronet. The coronet is the lowest part
of the pastern, where the hair grows around the hoof. Keep the horse
perfectly quiet, and if he has a fast pulse, give an ounce of salt petre in
the drinking water night and morning. At the end of two weeks, or
sooner if the inflammation is gone, blister the coronet all around. Or,
use the following :
No. 189. 1 Ounce camphor gum,
1 Ounce corrosive sublimate,
1 Pint oil turpentine.
Grind the sublimate thoroughly in a mortar, and put into a strong bot*
tie ; pour on the turpentine and shake occasionally. It should be fit for
use in from 20 to 30 hours. This is to be applied every other day to the
heel and bottom of the foot, first paring away all scaly, ragged parts.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
453
Heat it in with a hot iron. This preparation is of great strength and
power and must be used canefully.
If preferred, a seton may be put in the bottom of the foot at the frog.
To do this, first pare the scale as thin as possible without reaching the
quick ; provide a sharp, short, well-curved needle threaded with tape ;
pierce the sole about an inch from the toe, and bring out midway be-,
tween the two parts of the frog and the hoUow of the heel ; or enter at
the hollow of the heel and bring out the needle at the body of the frog.
The utmost care must be had not to pierce deep enough to injure the
tendon or bursa which lies close there. Tie the tape, and wet daily with
2^0. 189, or the following :
No. 190.
1 Part powdered cantharides,
1 Part oil of turpentine,
8 Parts Canada balsam.
Shake the two first well together and add the balsam, shaking occa-
eionally for 24 hours, and apply to the seton tape every day, turning it
at the same time. The object in this disease is to produce suppurative
running of the parts. This done, the cure is only a question of time.
If, in spite of all that has been done for relief, the disease proceeds to
degeneration of the bone, resort must be had to cutting the nerves lead-
ing to the foot, (Neurotomy) which will be described in the proper
chapter.
n. Cracked Hoofs.
Causes. — This is not an unusual occurrence in
horses, and arises, as a rule, from weak and
brittle hoofs, produced by a dry state of the
hoof, whatever may be the cause, whether fever
or other causes of degeneration. The prolific
causes are drying of the wall of the hoof,
uneven bearing of the shoe, calking or other
wounds or injuries of the coronet. This crack
may extend down from the coronet according to
the time it is allowed to run.
CLOSING CBACE IN HOOV.
What to do. — If taken early, a bar shoe,
having an even bearing all round will generally
relieve the difficulty. In connection with this, apply a plaster of pitch
over the injury.
If the crack becomes determined, as in the cut given, it must be kep<
464 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
closed together by clinching a thin nail on each side of the gap near th«
bottom and top, or else with thin wire as shown in the cut.
Also burn a groove just below the crack about an inch long nearly
down to the quick. It is also well to slightly blister the coronet at the
top of crack. An efficient and stimulating liniment will be the oil of
eantharides, made as follows :
No. 191. 1 Ounce powdered cantharides,
8 Ounces olive oil.
Mix in a strong bottle and set it in water kept near the boiling heat for
three or four hours, and filter through close linen. Apply once a day
with friction until the part is tender. Let the horse have rest, or turn
into a pasture until cured.
m. Hoof Kot.
This difficulty, sometimes called tender feet, arises from diseases of
various kinds, spavin, ring bone, chronic founder, navicular disease.
There is a dry, feverish state of all the parts, and the hoof, and especially
the sole, becomes decayed and sometimes perishes entirely.
How to know it. — The bottom of the hoof is dry and chalk-like, so
that it may easily be dug away with the point of a knife, or even easily
scraped away. The frog of the foot diminishes in size, and the ankle
joints are apt to swell. The horse steps short and goes lame, if in one
foot, or if in both, cripples in his gait. The a:ffected foot will be pointed
forward to enable the animal to rest on the sound foot, or if both are
affected, first one and then the other vdW be placed forward. Sweeny or
wasting of the muscles of the leg and shoulder result simply from disease
of the limb.
What to do. — Remove the shoe, pare away all unsound portions of the
hoof until all the pumiced parts are got rid of ; also the frog and the
sides of the hoof. Stimulate the bottom of the hoof by washing with No.
189 once a day for three days, heating it in with a hot iron. Then omit
for two or three days and commence again. During the treatment the
animal must be kept in the stable and the feet should be kept dry.
When hoof rot is due to other diseases, as ulceration of the navicular
joints, it will do no good to follow the rule laid down until the cause of
the difficulty is removed.
IV. Corns.
Corns are in very many cases the result of other diseases, tending to
weakening of the sole rather than the result of a bruise to a sound hoof.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. ,#«^
Thus a horse with corns should be thoroughly examined for injury to the
bones of the hoof, rotten hoof, etc.
Causes. — ^ bruise on the sole below the bars and the wall at the heel,
producing a horny tumor or hardening, which presses on the quick.
Sometimes there is inflammation, owing to the formation of matter
which works out either at the top of the hoof or at the toe, from the
formation of a fistula. Then it is Quittor. They may be found on
either side of the heel, but usually on the inner or weaker side.
How to know it, — There will be flinching when the walls of the hoof
and sole are seized and strained with the pincers ; thus revealing on
which side and the locality of the corn. The toe will be pointed, when
at rest, and with the heel slightly raised. In motion the gait will be
short and stumbling. If it has proceeded to suppuration, the pain will
be so extreme that the horse will fear to put the foot to the ground. If
there is a horny tumor forming, it may be known upon paring the hoof
by the evident appearance of a white, spongy, horny formation, as in sand
^rack.
What to do — ^If the corns proceed from other disease, causing con-
traction and other disabilities of the hoof, remove these causes and the
corns will disappear. If the corns proceed from a simple and recent
bruise, remove the shoe and rasp down the bearing surface of the heels,
so there may be no pressure. That is, the heels should be rasped lower
than the other bearing surfaces. If there is inflammation, let the hoofs
rest in cold water, or keep them moist with a wet cloth and the sole with
a soft sponge, or the w^hole hoof may be enveloped in a large sponge cut
to fit. The animal should wear a bar shoe, arranged to avoid pressure
on the parts affected. When the foot ceases to be tender, keep the hoof
and sole smeared with the following ointment, to render it soft and pro-
mote healthy growth :
No. 192. yi Ounce tallow,
1 Ounce oil of turpentine,
4 Ounces beeswax.
Use the horse at light w'ork until entirely recovered.
If the difficulty be found to be a suppurating corn (one containing
matter), the hoof must be cut down to let all the matter escape: cut
away all the horn that has become separated from the quick, and pare
away all the horn around the parts to a thin edge. Poultice the part
with a linseed poultice, renewed until there is no longer tenderness, and
the surface is smooth and healthy. Then put on a bar shoe with a
leather sole, and fill the space from behind with tar held in place with a
J56 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
stuffiii"" of tow. Give entire rest and no pressure on the heel until th«
sole of the foot has grown out naturall3\
If the corn has become a tumor it should be cut out, and the same
treatment pursued as advised for a corn that has formed matter.
Old corns sometimes result in disorganization of the parts, or death of
a portion of the heel, disease of the bone of the foot, or ulceration of
the cartilage. In this case they must be treated as advised for Qiiittor or
for navicular disease.
V. Contraction of the Hoof, Narrow Heel.
In a healthy condition the hoof of a horse should be nearly round.
Whatever, shape the hoof may assume, it is not a disease in itself but the
result of disease or of some disability. It is generally the result of
fever in the feet from injury to bones, ligaments or frog, or the effect of
founder, etc. Contraction of the hoof exists in nearly all diseases of
the feet, and may occur from standing idle in the stable. So it may
result from undue paring of the heels, the bars on the frog, from a shoe
remaining on so long that the foot is prevented from taking its natural
growth.
What to do. — The only thing is to remove the shoes and round the
edges of the hoofs to prevent their being broken or split, and keep the
affected hoofs standing every day from early in the morning until late at
night in puddled clay reaching well up the hoofs. Continue this for two,
three, or four weeks as the case may be. Then use prescription No.
192 as a hoof ointment until the hoof is brought back to its natural
shape as near as may be. In shoeing let the shoe be without bevel on its
upper side, and let the bearing be equal on all parts of the wall of the
hoof.
VI. Injuries of the Frog.
The frog of the horse's foot is especially liable to injury from being
bruised upon projecting stones, pierced by nails and splinters. It is also
liable to inflammation of the secreting membrane, resulting in the forma-
tion of matter, and to canker.
What to do. — In all bruises with soreness pare away the frog carefully
until the difticulty is found. If bruised, treat it by using the liniment
No. 189. If pierced with some sharp substance extract it and inject
tincture of aloes and myrrh. If the diflSculty be thrush, caused by expo-
sure to wet and filth, bruise of the frog, hard substance lodged in the
cleft, or other cause, there will be soreness of the skin behind the cleft
THE HOBSE, ITS DISEASES. 457
of the frog, and a bad smelling discharge from the cleft with more or
less lameness.
Wash the affected parts thoroughly. Cut away all ragged surfaces
and press into the cleft or wound dry calomel, or finely powdered sul-
phate of copper.
Vn. Pounder.
Founder, or inflammation of the feet, called by veterinarians laminitis,
consists in fever, inflammation of the sensitive parts of the foot, including
the laminee, and of the foot bone, but is most severe in the forward por-
tion, where greatest strain occurs when standing. Acute inflammation of
the foot, or founder, differs but little in its physical manifestations from
other inflammatory symptoms, except that it seems more complete and
permanent. Acute founder is generally produced by overwork or over-
heating and exhaustion and sudden cooling, while the sub-acute form
may be the result of diseases of the respiratory organs, suddenly leaving
those parts and manifesting itself in the extremities.
Causes. — The disease may be brought about directly from hard work
on dry, solid roads, and consequent strain on the laminae (scale of the
bones), from over-feeding or drinking cold water when warm, especially
when the predisposing cause already exists. So it may be brought about
by other diseases, as inflammation of the lungs. Heavy, fat horses are
especially predisposed to founder, and so are those ^ith small and de-
formed or large, flat feet.
ACUTE FEVER IJf THE FEET.
How to know it. — There will be general fever and stiffness, and sore-
ness ; there may or may not be shivering. Soon extreme tenderness of
the feet follows, generally most severe in the forward part, but soon m
the heel ; the pulse is strong, full and rapid ; the breathing quickened.
458 k ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOK.
with dilated nostrils ; the intensity of the pain will often cause the anima*
to o-roan and to break out into a sweat. If pushed backward the horse
will elevate the toes and throw his weight on the heels by a peculiar
motion. The hoof and frog will be hot and very sensitive to pressure,
and the arteries of the pasterns will beat with violence.
When the inflammation is in the hind feet, the fore feet are carried at
far under the body as possible to support the weight, while the hind feet
are thrown forward to bring the weight upon the heels. In either case,
the animal will often lie stretched out for hours to relieve the intense
pain of the feet.
Founder has sometimes been mistaken for a disease called myositis, an
inflammation of the muscles of the limbs, especially of the hind quarters
and loins. They should never be so mistaken, as an observ^ation of the
several symptoms will show.
Founder. — First one foot and then the other is lifted from the ground.
Lving down lessens the pain and the fever of the feet.
The difficulty usually occurs in the fore feet.
Myositis. — Both feet are kept on the ground with refusal to more
either.
The animal will not lie down, and if thrown down the pain is increased.
Generally in the hind quarters.
In many cases the symptoms are not so aggravated as we have shown,
but the symptoms, whether one or more of the feet are affected, are the
game, and often, especially when repeated attacks have been suffered,
leave the animal with seedy toe, pumiced feet, corrugated and other-
wise distorted hoofs, and always more or less liable to recurrence of stiff
spells during life.
What to do. — In light cases, when discovered early, clothe the animal
warmly, give twenty drops of tincture of aconite every two hours, pre-
ceded by a gentle laxative, say
No. 193. 2 to 3 Drachms powdered aloes,
1 Ounce bicarbonate of soda.
Mix in a pint of water and give as a drench. If there is severe pala'
give ounce doses of laudanum every hour until an effect is produced.
As an application to the feet keep them in large warm poultices of
linsoed meal and water, or let the feet be placed in water kept as hot a.s
the animal can bear. Put him in slings by all means, if they can be pro-
<ured. Have the shoes carefully taken off as soon as the sedatives given
will allow him to bear the pain. As early as possible the animal should
l>e bled in the veins above the coronets of the affected feet. The bleed-
ing will be assisted by the feet being placed in hot water, and for this
reason, if for no other, the slings should be used as quickly as possible-
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 4o9
If there is much thirst make the drink slightly sour with cream of
tartar. If at the end of two days the fever and tenderness does not get
better pare down the soles and open them at the toe to let out anv watery
matter that may exist, for fear the horn may separate from the quick,
keeping on the poultices afterwards as before. When the inflammation
subsides blister the pasterns and apply the coiTosive liniment No. 189 to
the soles of the feet, and keep the horse standing on soft clay, or if in
Summer time turn him into a moist, soft pasture.
As a rule, neither bleeding from the neck or active purging should
be allowed in founder. There are, however, cases occasionally in simple
founder, from overfeeding when tired, or gi^^ng cold water when warm,
when a gallon of blood taken from the neck and an active purge of a
quart of linseed oil has acted like a charm, the patient recovering almost
immediately. In this the operator must be guided by circumstances. If
the horse is fat and full of blood it vnW tend to reduce the inflammation
by drawing the blood to another part of the system. If so the blood
should be allowed to flow in a full stream.
Vm. Nail Pricking.
The prick of a nail in shoeing, or from ha\ing a nail enter the foot in
traveling often leads to the most serious consequences if allowed to pro-
ceed, such as ulceration, ending in quittor and other disabilities. An
animal being lame without swelling, inflammation or other indication of
strain or bruise, the feet should be carefully examined, and the nail or
other substance be cut out, at whatever pains it may take. Then dress
the parts with hot pitch, cover with tow and give the animal rest for a
few days.
rx. CaAiker.
This is one of the diseases that may arise from the prick of a nail or
bruise. Again it may occur without apparent cause
How to know it. — It is a disease most prevalent in heavy, coarse-boned
horses. The frog will become large, spongy, and covered with a fun-
sous OTowth of a cheesv texture, and throwinaj out an abundant colorless,
bad smelling fluid. If cut away it will again quickl}'^ spring into growth.
The discharge is more offensive than in thrush, and the disease more ob-
stinate, often resisting treatment for a long time.
What to do. — ^The horse must be kept in a clean, dry, well- ventilated
stable. All diseased portions of the hoof must be carefully pared off so
far as the knife may be able. The cure consists in destroying the fun-
460 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
goid granulations. Thus in cutting do not be alarmed at the sight ot
blood from the canker. Over the well portion of the hoof spread th©
following :
No. 194. 4 Grains chloride of zinc,
1 Ounce flour.
Mix, and apply dry.
Cover the diseased parts with the following :
No. 195. >i Ounce chloride of zinc,
4 Ounces flour.
Tack on the shoe lightly, pad the parts within the shoe well, and secur*
good pressure by cross pieces driven firmly within the shoe. The second
day after remove the shoe and padding, cut away ever3i;hing that appears
to be in a sloughing condition ; repeat the dressing every two days until
the parts are sound. As soundness begins to appear in portions of the
surface, dress these with the following ; that is, when fungoid granula-
tions have ceased to sprout ;
No. 196. 2 Grains chloride of zinc,
1 Ounce flour.
As the canker improves, the dressings may be extended to the third oi
fourth day, and during the whole time of treatment the horse should be
liberally fed, and be exercised gently for four hours every day.
X. Sand or Quarter Crack.
These are of two kinds, quarter crack, occurring in the inner quarter
of the fore foot, and toe crack, occurring in the toe of the hind foot,
both being cracks and fissures in the walls of the hoofs, beginning at the
coronet and extending downwards.
Causes. — Defective quality of the hoof, causing brittleness ; bad shoe^
ing, or splitting of the hoofs from hard driving on solid roads.
How to know it. — When the horse leans his weight on the hoof, the
crack will open ; when the foot is lifted the crack will close. Sand and
dirt work into the parts, causing excessive pain and lameness, often fever
and the formation of matter.
What to do. — In recent cases, before there is much inflammation, all
that will be necessary to do will be to remove the shoe, cleanse the crack
thoroughly, cutting into it if there is dirt or sand lodged inside, drawing
the hoof together closely again, by the means of two thin clinch horse
shoe nails, one at top and one at the bottom, and filling with the follow-
ing composition •
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
No. 197. Yt Ounce tallow,
1 Ounce oil of turpentine,
2 Ounces resin,
4 Ounces beeswax.
Melt together, and fill the crack with it quite warm, and let it cool.
The foot should be protected so no dirt can enter, and the horse turned
to pasture until a new hoof is grown, placing a bar shoe on the in-
jured hoof.
If the crack is an older one, and there is inflammation, the edges must
be pared and the fissure sufficiently laid bare so it may be thoroughly
cleansed of all grit and dirt. The crack must then be thoroughly
fomented to reduce the inflammation, and poulticed until it assumes a
healthy appearance. The parts must then be brought firmly together by
means of clinch nails ; covered with ointment. No. 197 ; a bar shoe put
on, and a new hoof allowed to grow.
XI. False Quarter.
This difficulty differs materially from sand crack, inasmuch as it is a
deficiency in the growth of the horn of the hoof extending from the cor-
onet to the sole. It is a gap in the wall of the hoof rather than a crack.
Causes. — ^It is produced from a deficient secretion of the horn making
power, owing to previous quittor, frostbite or other injury to the coronet.
What to do. — The principal means to be used is careful shoeing with
a bar shoe. If the injury has been recent, stimulate the coronet with a
mild blister, or if there is a wound, cut the edges with a knife and dress
with weak carbolic acid water, to induce a healthy growth of horn. In
old cases, all that can be done is to fill the fissure with gutta percha, and
protect the weak hoof with a bar shoe.
Xn. Quittor.
Causes. — This fistulous condition of the fibrous cartilage of the foot--
inflamed, suppurating, penetrated by canals in various directions, with
openings upon the quarters and heels of the coronet — is caused by pricks
in shoeing, by threads, by suppurating corns or bruises, by neglected
bad tread or over-reach, by neglected thrush, by irritation from sand-
crack and false-quarters, by bruised sole that sometimes takes place when
flat-footed horses are ridden over stony ground ; in short, b}'^ any injury
which leads to inflammation of the cartilage of the hoof and the forma-
tion of pus inside. When the sensitive portion of the foot is pierced by
a nail, or when inflammation has followed a bruise, suppuration speedily
461! TTJirST^ATgP 5P9CK DOCTOK.
ioBows, and tiw aocsBnbftiiD^ mattH' presses in every direction, and,
finffia^ w> ivadr oodet, the little fleshj pUtes of the coffin bone aim
farced tmrn tfce komj ones of tbe crusty or it may burrow between the
hoKvr and flesl^ sole, and tar towards the Teiy ccntnl portion of the
foot. F^ies sod araases are then made in everj- Erection ; but the outlet
is •enenDy by abbess of the coronet, or tiiat pcHlkm of the hairy skin
dova noB the hoof .
Wtm ti ioMW JL — A reeeadt voond or ordiBaiy aharpg^s of the coronet
ty be ari^tir-^ by the Bae^Mnenced for qaittor, especially if any liune-
Iteadsit; b^ a fittle examinatifm viQ readily Asdoee the tme
of the case. Fran a simple womd, there is not apt to be a fetid
of 8o ■nnhuleauie a chancter as that which oones frcMn the
of the qaittor, and the parts mnst; be mare or less sircAea, and
to pcesnre, whereas, in qmtfeor, the soiroinifii^ tiwoe is hard,
it has taken on a pemBariy nnhfaMiy action, and ^nbing with
the fleziile probe, or hsmfit^ wiU ^aoofvcr the presence of a sinns or of
aiHSK, of Bore or leas depA. There s afanost ahrays lanM»M'.ws which
is aMBetnes caceessive, and of a haltiag fharaftrr ; tibe e«onet is some-
swdled lato a nd^ aronndthe top of the hoof, and about the
of which one or nnne snnll utifiues are f onnd, that dashxrge in
a affcaelfe natter — iiian liaii ■ rather thin and wateiy,
and having a enrdled appeacBiee. The probe, as we hare
sad, w3l dbdose nnses, and Aese genenlly tend downwud into the
foot. The ifaaaiiij of Matter iliiiihii^i il b often Terj i anH at fast, so
■meh so as to be ont <rf all proportion to Ae Tcxy serioas natore of the
troaUe, and Ae «lifc nll^ attrnding a care. Even whea the opemaig or
win searechr ndait the rmnli faayie, there any be amch matter,
may have pfrtrrtrd aader Ae rartilagea and ligjmiada, and to
Ae I iiga jiiinl itself. Wherever it has gone, it has f oraMd fistuhms
as that are igfc all toheaL Tbaeisasaaily
as w«Il as mach teadeneas of Ak foot.
afeepistDdBeover,if poadble,tkecaBse; and if
toamke every ^Eortia joarpoao' to mnare it
tte hoof, aad snch cseecore
to have Ae foot haadled ese^
la this case, a^ply a good softeaini^ aad eooiiBg
keep him as atSI as poaribie— renewing the ponltice aa
to grow diy and hot — aatil tiv inflaanmtBoa is some-
ewxy aail if it eaa be doae. If the Indble has beea
hj a aaO. aad the aal eaa be removed, these is already
ISE HOBSE. ITS DISKAaDI. 4^
of a dependent opening made by which the accnmulated pus mav escape^
and this opening mav be enlarged by farther paring awav the hoof, so as
to reach the softer part, that can be more readily cut with a keen knife.
A small probe, or bougie, should be inserted from above, and worked
to the lowest depth of the sinus. If this extends far towards the base of
the foot, the prime object should be to get an opening from below to
meet it, no matter what may have been the cause — whether x prick, x
bruise, or irritation caused by other foot diseases. This dqpendeBt <^>eii-
ing established and kept open, the pus will in tim'e be eracaated, and the
foot will return to its healthy state, unless the joints have heen. attacked,
in which case a cure is scarcely to be hoped for.
If the disease is of long standing, the internal surface of the sinus or
sinuses has become more or less callous, and a stimulatii^ lotion must be
injected with a syringe every day. composed of one draclim chloride of
zinc to one pint of water — increasing the chloride gradoallv to two
drachms.
This treatment will suffice. The main trouble, however, is to make the
dependent outlet. In case this c-annot be done, owing to the shallowness
of the sinuses from above, reduce the inflammation by poulticinc:, as pre-
viously directed, ^nd then inject this somewhat caustic solution into each
channel or pipe :
Ko. ISe. 5 Grains bidik>nde of memiTT,
1 OiUM« spirits ol wise.
30 Drope wonatie add.
Do this three times the first day. twice the seocMad day, and once a dav
subsequently. When the discharge has ceased, stop the injection, and
simply keep clean by the use of warm soap suds, used as necessary
K it is found impracticable to inject this solution into the openings,
adopt this instead: Insert, by means of a wet probe, a mixture of
corrosive sublimate and flour (three p»arts of flour to one of corrosive
sublimate ) . Persevere until you know that every part of the sinuses has
felt the caustic. In two or three days thereafter they will b^:ia to dis-
charge a white, curd-like matter. It may be necessary to repeat this,
but if thoroughly done, and there is no affection of the joints, a cure may
be expected.
Sometimes the trouble rises from a gravel having insinuated itself
between the shoe and the sole, and creating a bruise or com. This may
be ascertained by removing the shoe and seeking for a spot unnatural in
appearance, hot, and tender on the sole. If found, it ought to be pared
down so as to reach the more sensitive part of the foot, and, if possible.
t*> discover and liberate matter.
^g4 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
In makino- examinations preliminary to treatment, the greatest ca**
should ahvays 1^ exercised, as the treatment, to be successful, must be
specially adapted to the exigencies of the case. It sometimes happens
that the trouble is critical, and that only an experienced practitioner ought
to be intrusted with it. When the probe indicates that the direction of
the sinuses is backward, the chances are in favor of recovery ; but if it
shows the direction to be forward, the important and complicated parts
of the foot are in danger, and the result of even the best treatment is
doubtful.
In anv event, a complete cure requires much time, and a more than
ordinarv exercise of patience and care.
If the patient, in moving about, strikes the swollen parts above the
fore-foot with the toe of the hind-foot, or if he hurts it in lying down,
some steps ought to be taken to obviate these additional causes of irrita-
tion and pain.
If the general health of the animal is scrupuously attended to, it will
materially assist in the management of the local disorder.
XTTT. Toe Crack.
A hoof with crack in the toe should be treated precisely as though the
difficulty occurred in another portion of the wall of the hoof. The diffi-
culty in all cracks of the hoof, is the difficulty in healing, for the reason
that when the animal steps, especially on uneven ground, the walls are
strained apart. In sand-cracks, the principal care must be to extirpate
the grit and dirt, whatever the amount of paring and cutting it may take.
If granulations appear, they must be cut out. Then wash with a solution
of chloride of zinc, made as follows :
No. 199. 1 Grain chloride of zinc,
1 Ounce of water.
Whatever the quantity made, let it be in this proportion. Cleanse tho
whole interior of the crack fully. In cutting away the hoof, it should
present an oval shape when finished, the points at top and bottom.
Having cleansed the inner portions, if the crack does not extend con>
pletely from the coronet to the toe, with a firing iron, just hot enough to
cause the horn to smoke, the iron not at a red, but at a black heat, soften
the crust and continue the cutting until the diseased portion is all ex-
posed. If granulations (proud flesh) show, cut it out and let the parts
bleed. Then continue the application of the chloride of zinc lotion three
times a day until a healthy reaction is produced. The crack may then
be stopped with pitch or tar and tow, or gutta percha ; a bar shoe put
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 465
on with two clips in front to hold the parts together, and the animal kept
in a clean, soft pasture until a new hoof is grown. An examination of the
pails being made from time to time to see that no grit or foreign sub-
stance has entered to increase the difficulty.
Sand-cracks, quarter-cracks, and false-quarters, will require time to
«usure full recovery, and the time so consumed should not be grudged.
XIV. Pumice Foot.
Pumice foot, the effect of chronic laminitis, is an excessive growth
of soft, spongy horn in place of the healthy hoof, forming rings running
together at the toe, causing a bulging at that point and a depression
above This growth in front of the laminae of the toe separates the
coffin bone from the wall of the hoof, and allows the bone to press upon
the sole and even to pierce through it. Thus the sole becomes convex
instead of concave, the animal becoming groggy, and in time quite crip-
pled. This state is almost entirely confined to animals with flat feet and
weak limbs, weak and brittle crusts to the feet, with large, prominent frogs.
What to do. — In bad cases there can be no cure. Much may be done
to alle\date distress, and enable the horse to do slow work, especially on
the farm. Put on a thick, broad webbed bar shoe, a dished shoe having
the web hollowed out, or beveled toward the inner side on the upper sur-
face and thinned down from the toe to the heel. It is better that the
shoe be also assisted with a bearing of leather next the sole.
The hoof should be smeared daily with equal parts of glycerine and
tar. If heated in slightly so much the better. The sole should also
have the same application. Apply a mild blister to the coronet from
time to time to stimulate action, and turn the horse into a soft, damp
pasture. Thus in time a fairly smooth hoof may be grown, but it can
never be expected to be entirely sound.
XV. Seedy Toe.
The wall of the foot is composed of two layers, the outer one darker,
harder and thinner than the inside one ; the inner layer thicker, softer
and lighter in color than the outer. The outside layer is secreted by the
coronet, the inner one from the sensitive laminae. In health these are
intimately united, forming the thick, tough, elastic hoof, capable of
bearing the shocks of the body in traveling.
Causes.' — If from any cause, inherent weakness, undue shocks, disin-
tegi-ating the laminae, or other cause, the separation begins at the toe,
just as in the human nail the separation begins at the margin — it produ-
ces seedy toe.
466 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
How to know it. — If n seedy toe be struck with a hammer it will giTis
a hollow sound, showing that it is disunited. Remove the shoe and a
separation will be found between the two coats of the hoof.
What to do. — Find the extent of the separation with a thin probe. Cut
away sucli portiojis of the crust as may be disunited, and to where there
is firm adhesion of the parts. If there is a powdery substance clean it
out. Keep the cavity tilled with warm tar, properly held in place, and
shoe so as to give a uniform bearing, and support the weak part with a
clip if necessary. This dressing must be repeated from time to time as
required, until the cavity is entirely filled with a new and healthy gi'owth.
XVI. Ossified Cartilages.
Ossification of the cartilages is sometimes called false ring-bone. It is
a disease to which many horses are sometimes subject, and often exists
in connection with ring-bone and side-bones.
Causes. — Jarring, by hard driving over rough roads, or pounding on
hard pavements, or any of the causes producing ring-bone or inflammation
of the parts.
How to know it. — ^When the difllciilty is new, there may be fever in the
parts. Later there will be more or less enlargement of the back of the
coronet and the heel, the parts feeling hard, irregular or lumpy. The
horse is not always lame, but if driven over hard roads, the horse will
show soreness and travel short after cooling oif.
Wliat to do. — In old standing cases, but little can be done ; rubbmg
the parts with oleate of mercury will reduce so much as is not already
bony substance. In connection with this put in a seton under the af-
fected part. In more recent cases, if there is heat, bleeding from the
foot will give relief. Then apply cloths dipped in cold water to every
quart of which has been added a half pint of tincture of arnica. The in-
flammation being reduced, apply repeated dressings of biniodide of
mercury. This will promote absorption, but a complete cure may not
be expected.
XVn. Side Bones.
Side-bones are ossifications from the heels of the coflSn-bone into the
lateral cartilages. In heavy horses, side-bones may occur in connection
with ring-bones. In fact, ring-bone has its seat in the os suffraginis, and
side-bone in the parts about ; the first being in the pastern ; the latte.
Vower, or about the coffin-bone.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 467
How to know it. — The enlargement is just above the coronet and im-
mediately below, when ring-bone exists. Side-bone may be found at the
back and lateral parts of the coronet. There will be more or less soi-e-
ness and lameness, but after ossification bony formation of the parts haa
been completed, the joint is either stiff or nearly so.
What to do. — The treatment should be precisely identical with that
prescribed for ring-bone.
XVm. Incised and Punctured Wounds of the Sole.
Incised wounds are those made with a sharp instrument ; punctured
ones are those made with a blunt one, as a nail. If the cut be a clean
one, all that will be necessary to do will be to pare away the sides to be
sure that no foreign substance is lodged there ; wash out with tincture of
aloes and myrrh, and keep the wound closed with tar and tow, and give
rest until healed.
If the diflficulty be from a nail, care must be taken that it is all ex-
tracted. This must be done at whatever cost of cutting. Then dress as
prescribed Alt tilt incised wound. In old cases, where suppuration has
taken nlt06f Hxd matter must be let out by enlarging the orifice. Then
the ItniO meant iOf l^^ire may be adopted as in quitter or other rnatm-
30
CHAPTER XV.
WOUNDS AND INJTJIIIES AND THEIB BESULT8.
1. STRAINS AND SPRAINS. H. OVER-RKACH. III. BRUSHING, OR SPKKDT OCT.-
BROKIN KNBBS. V. CAPPKD BLBOW. VI. FROST BITE. VII, BURNS AND SCAXDS.
VIII. RUPTURE. IX. CHOKIKG. X. WOUNDS FENBTRATING TH« ABDOMINAL
CAVITY. XI. CONTUSED WOUNDS. XII. LACERATED WOUND6. XIU. PUNCTURE©
WOUNDS. XIV. BROKEN HOCK. XV. DISLOCATIONS. XVI. VARIOUS FRACTURES.
Xrn. VARIOUS distortions. XVIII. diseases OF THE EAR.
I. Strains and Sprains.
In the human subject, a strain is simply a wrench, by which a fiber, a
ligament or tendon is stretched beyond its proper capacity, and followed
by pain, lameness, and inflammation of the parts.
A sprain is an incomplete luxation (dislocation) in connection with
stretching, with more or less laceration of the ligaments of a joint, and
even rupture of the tendon. In veterinary practice the word strain is
used. It is far more difficult to handle than in man, and for the reason
that it is often difficult to prevent an animal from using the parts.
Replacement of the parts as near as may be, and rest, are the surest
means of cure. Therefore in every case the intelligent horseman wjll
use the best means to ensure this ; consequently it will be simply neces-
sary to lay down certain rules of guidance to be followed.
Strain of a joint. — —In a joint that is easily flexed, (moved back and
forth) the parts should be held firmly by means of a starch bandage, if
there has been sufficient stretching to produce loss of continuity.
How to make a starch bandage. — Provide a long strip of strong un-
bleached muslin, and of a width proportioned to the part injured. Soak
this in strong starch, and bind on while wet, making a half turn of th«
cloth in passing about the limb, so it will form a figure eight. Allow
468
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 46^
this to dry without movement and it will hold the parts firm. If the strain
occurs in the fetlock, hock, or knee, this will be indicated. For a lighter
strain, a simple cold water bandage will suffice.
In all strains, rest must be given, the diet should be light but whole-
some, and if the bowels become costive, they must be stimulated to action
by alterative medicines. Strains of the ligaments or muscles must be
met with cold water bandages. In all strains, however, dependence in
the early stage must be upon arnica, equal parts of the tincture and rain
water. Bathe the parts thoroughly and carefully two or three times a
day, and then apply the cold water bandage, keeping it wet.
If the strain is in the shoulder or loin, lay a wet blanket over the part
affected, and cover with a dry one, changing as often as may be neces-
sary. Sponge the affected parts with the diluted tincture of arnica, as
before recommended.
This, with rest, a light diet, keeping the bowels regular, and an ounce
of cream of tartar to the bucket of water, ought to subdue any curable
«ase of strain.
H. Over-reach.
CausSS- — A tired horse, especially when going at a fast pace, sometimes
fails to lift the fore feet quick enough. The result is the inner part of
the hind foot strikes the outer side of the coronet of the fore foot, or
higher, often producing a severely lacerated or contused wound.
What to do. — The only remedy is to clip the torn portions away, and
keep the parts washed with chloride of zinc, (No. 195), first cleansing the
l)aits with water if at all dirty. The healing must take place through
the sloughing of the torn parts, and by granulation. If slight, tincture
of arnica will be sufficient as a lotion. Treads from calking may receive
the same general treatment.
m. Brushing, or Speedy Cut.
This is a bruise, abrasion of the skin, or contused wound, produced by
the shoe of one foot striking the opposite fetlock ankle, or even the knee.
It is more owing to weakness than other causes, though a horse striking
once is more liable to the same injury thereafter. It is really the foot
that is resting on the ground that causes the hurt, from its being put
down out of the proper line.
What to do. — For horses of slow or moderate driving, the difficulty is
confined to striking the ankle and below. The usual remedy is to cause
the horse to set his foot in proper line by raising that side of the shoe,
thus throwing the inside of the ankle slightly up. Any common sensf
470 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
blacksmith should know how to do it. For fast horses, the limbs must
be further protected by means of pads and other appliances to be found
at all saddlery establishments.
IV. Broken Knees.
This is a common disability of stumbling horses, and of saddle horsea
kept for riding, leaping, or hunting. A horse with the scars of broken
knees should never be used as a saddle horse, unless it cau be clearly
shown that the hurt was done accidentally in leaping upon a foul landing
place.
What to do. — The first thing to do is to find the extent of the injury.
It may be that it is only a slight bruise with or without abrasion of the
skin. In this case, using the tincture of arnica two or three times a day,
and a cold water bandage, if there is heat, should ensure recovery.
Sometimes, however, there is an ugly, lacerated wound filled with dirt
and gravel. In this case the parts must be well washed by repeatedly
filling a large sponge with clean, warm water, and squeezing it dry against
the limb above the hurt. Never, under any circumstances, put it against
the hurt. It only soils the sponge and presses the particles of dirt
farther into the wound. If there is a sac below the cut containing dirt
it must be carefully probed, and opened from the bottom with a keen,
sharp pointed knife. The object is that no grit may remain in the wound
to prevent its healing. A seton should be tied so the sac may be emptied
of its contents in the process of suppuration. If the granulations become
soft and flabby, showing proud flesh, they must be touched with nitrate of
silver. In three days after the establishment of suppuration the seton
may be withdrawn. The wounded parts must be kept wet with cold
arnica water, the proper proportions being one ounce tincture of arnica
to each pint of water used.
Copious suppuration having been fairly established, discontinue the use
of the arnica, and use instead the lotion made by dissolving in each
ounce of water used a grain of chloride of zinc. Use no bandages.
Cleanliness of the parts is necessary. These means should carr}'^ the
knee to a favorable issue.
Sometimes, however, the injury is so severe that the ligaments :nid
even the joint is injured. It then becomes a most serious case. In this
event the animal must be put into slings, the joint brought together, after
being thorougly cleansed as before stated, the parts must be bandaged
and astringent washes used to promote the uniting of the parts, while the
same general treatment is pursued with the laceration as advised before.
In case the injury be so severe as to involve the joint, if a veterinary
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 47 1
sargeon cannot be had with proper appliances for caring for the horse he
had better be killed at once.
Besides injury to the knee by falling, it is sometimes injured by having
some sharp substance driven forcibly into the ligaments or even between
the joints. These should be carefully looked for and removed, since old
running sores, fistulas and other disabilities may result, completely des-
troying the usefulness of the animal. Joints other than the knee may be
similarly injured. If so, the general treatment should be the same.
First reduce the inflammation, and then use means for cure. In ordinary
cases, as a healing agent, in wounds, either lacerated or contused, we
have never found anything better for promoting healthy granulation or
**©aling of the parts than a free use of tincture of aloes and myrrh.
V Capped Elbow.
Causes. — This tumor at the back point of the elbow is generally caused
by a bruise inflicted by the calkings of the shoe while the horse has slept
with his legs doubled up under him. Inflammation of the sub-cellular
tissue is established, and that condition sets in which gives rise to enlarge-
ments by increased deposit near the part. The tumor is circumscribed,
being confined to the elbow, but it sometimes grows to an enormous size,
and hangs loosely from the back point of the elbow, and interferes with
its action.
It may be produced also by long heels, as well as calkins, by striking
with the shod hind foot, by a blow, and by lying on uneven surfaces.
How to know it. — A slight swelling of the point of the elbow is first
perceived, and unless ^he cause is removed this will gradually develop
into a large-sized tumor. When of any considerable size, it will contain
serum, or a watery matter, and has a fluctuating feeling to the fingers.
This fluid is contained in tough, fibrous walls, and may remain for a long
time, or it may at last be absorbed, and leave a hard tumor. At this
stage there will of course be no fluctuation.
What to do. — If discovered in its early stage, and serum is evidently
present, let it out by opening the sac at the lower edge with a keen knife,
or a thumb lancet. Press upon it so as thoroughly to remove the fluid.*
Then, with a small rubber syringe, inject a mixture of equal parts of
pyroligneous acid and water. Next, moisten it externally, morning and
night, with the camphorated corrosive sublimate. No. 2, which will have
the better effect if dried in at once with a hot iron held near. Before
the horse is allowed to lie down again, make a soft pad, covered with
chamois skin, without a seam on the outer side, of such thickness as to
keep the shoe from striking the elbow when the leg is doubled under him.
472 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
and tie it securely round the pastern. This should be on every night j
and even after cure is effected it will be necessary for the animal to wear
this pad, to prevent recurrence of the bruise, or else to have the shoe
shortened. The pad must be at least two and a half inches thick.
If it is in its new state (a simple swelling without matter), it can be
assuaged by using frequently, at moderate intervals, some cooling lotion.
If large, watery, somewhat pendant, and unsightly, have an exper-
ienced surgeon remove it entirely; and then dress as an ordinary wound.
If, after it has been opened, and the fluid pressed out, it heals with
hard substance left behind, rub frequently with acetate of mercury
until the natural state is restored.
If treatment is undertaken only when there is no watery matter, no
fluctuation, remove it absolutely by making a vertical slit, of sufficient
length, and dissect the lump ; after which treat the wound with simple
cerate, or any healing ointment.
Care must always be taken to guard against ha\'ing the elbow injured
again while treatment is going on, and to prevent rebruising the part
after cure is effected.
If there is constipation or otherwise feverish tendency in the animal,
the cure of tumors or other local troubles will always be more difficult
unless this tendency is removed by suitable purgatives and carefully reg-
elated diet.
VI. Frost Bite.
Injury fhfim the effects of frost is more common in the North and
West than is generally supposed, and in many cases rheumatism, founder
and other "stiff complaints" may undoubtedly be attributed to this as the
predisposing ca'ise.
Causes. — Long exposure to cold, either standing in the open air or
confined in cold siables ; standing in half melted snow and slush ; keep-
ing young animals in exposed yards, where they cannot take exercise and
with insufficient food.
How to know it. — T^h* skin of the injured parts in light cases, turns
purple, inflames, cracks and exudes a bloody serum ; or if severe, the
skin and tissues beneath lose color, and become dead and eventually
shrivel. The skin, particularly of the heel, will crack, often from one
side to the other, refusing to heal.
What to do- — If the limbs are simply chilled, friction will be all that
is necessary. If actually frozen, the animal should be warmly clothed
and the frozen parts be rubbed with snow until circulation is partly re-
stored. Then put the parts in cold water and continue rubbing until
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 473
warmth and circulation are entirely restored. Then dry thoroughly with
cloths and hard rubbing.
If the frosting has been neglected and raw sores make their appear-
ance, prepare the following :
No. 200. 2 Drachms belladonna,
1 Ounce petroleum,
1 Ounce lard.
Rub the whole thoroughly together, and apply twice a day to the raw
or ulcerated places. If this does not promote recovery, and decided ul-
cers occur, add to the above prescription 2 ounces red oxide of mercury.
Rub all well together and apply once a day to the ulcerous parts.
VH. Burns and Scalds.
Burns and scalds seldom occur in horses kept on the farm or employed
on the road. They are, however, of frequent occurrence when horses
are employed about mills or factories where steam is used ; or in iron
founderies and in cities.
What to do. — One of the best and most easily obtained applications,
for a fresh burn or scald, is to dredge bicarbonate of soda, common
baking soda, thickly on the part, or moisten with water into a thick paste
and bind it or lay it over the injury. For slight burns, which sometimes
cover a large surface, there is nothing better than several coats of thick
white lead paint laid on with a brush; cover the whole with cotton and
bind on close,
Strong alum water is also an excellent remedy for fresh burns and
scalds, the proportions being 2 ounces of powdered alum to each pint of
rain-water. Keep the parts well soaked with it, and wet cloths saturated
with the same constantly over the surface.
Sometimes indolent sores follow burns and scalds. If so, the ulcers
should be well and carefully washed with tar water, and the following
mixture dusted over the parts :
No. 201. 1 Ounce oxide of zinc,
2 Ounces powdered starch.
Mix intimately and dredge on thickly to form a crust. Wherever th«
moisture appears through, keep adding the mixture until the crust be-
comes permanent and fixed.
Vm. Bupture.
Rupture or burst (Hernia) is the displacement of an internal organ
474 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
through an opening, either natural or otherwise. The rupture most com
nx)nly seen is of the bowels and omentum. The omentum is thti
membranous covering of the bowels or the caul. The bowels may pass
through the caul by rupture, or the bowels and involved caul may, it is
possible, pass through the mesentary, the membrane retaining the intes-
tines in their proper position.
If the rupture is into the chest, it is called diaphramatic, and may
occur from a violent shock, as in leaping, or in 'bucking, 'as jumping stiff-
lesrjred is called. In bad cases death is sudden from suffocation. In
the slight forms there may only be difficulty of breathing, with lifting of
the flanks, as observed in heaves. The only remedial means to be used
are to give anodynes and rest. Thus slight cases may at length take on
the chronic form, but will never be cured.
Hernia of the mesentary and omentum is difficult to know, and no
remedy can avail, except rest, with anodynes if there is pain.
Naval rupture, and that through the scrotum, is most common. The
only means of cure in naval rupture is where pressure can be had by
means of a bandage or truss and taken in the earlier stages. The intestine
must first be carefully pressed back and pressure made over the parts by
means of a soft pad, securely fastened, and to be worn until the orifice is
closed or at least permanently contracted. Of course an animal vnth
l-upture of any part is not capable of violent exertion.
Rupture of the scrotum is also common in males. In cases of colic in
entire animals, an examination should be made for scrotal rupture, since
there may be colickey symptoms. There may be a swelling of the bag
containing the testicle, the contents being movable, and disappearing up-
on pressure. In the smaller animals, castration may be employed, the
gut returned juud the wound sewed up.
Ventral hernia is known by the contents being movable and gurgling,
and easily pressed back to their place. If recent, the animal should be
thrown on its back, using ether or chloral to keep quiet, returning the
protrusion, padding the orifice, and covering with strong factory muslin
wound round the abdomen and laced along the back, the bandage being
kept in place by bands fastened in front and carried to a collar worn on
the neck. Except in the case of valuable animals, treatment scarcely
pa^'^s, unless a veterinarian can be enjployed who understands anatomy «
IX. Choking.
Choking occurs in two distinct forms. The high choke, when the sub-
stance is lodged in the throat or neck ; and the low choke, when the sub-
stance is lodged in that part of the gullet lying low down within tho
THE HOBS^, ITS DISEASES. 475
chest. In high choke, the animal may die in a few minutes ; in loir
choke, there is not such special need of haste.
How to know it. — There is intense distress ; the head is raised ; ther*
is slavering, violent coughing and continual efforts to swallow.
What to do. — Examine carefully the furrow on the left side of the
neck for the substance. If solid, endeavor to press it upwards with the
lingers on each side. If not, endeavor to extract it by putting a balling iron
into the mouth to hold it open ; pull out the tongue ; pass the hand into
the throat and endeavor to dislodge it with the finger, the head being held
out in a straight line with the neck. If this do not succeed, and the
obstruction is in the gullet and is clear of the windpipe, procure a probang,
oil it thoroughly, cast the horse, put the balling iron in the mouth, intro-
duce the probang and by steady pressure for a few seconds at a time,
endeavor to move it. If it moves continue the pressure until it is pushed
into the stomach.
If the substance is so firmly held that the probang will not move it, the
mass must be cut down upon and taken out. Let an assistant press the off
side of the neck to get as much bulge as possible. Then with a bold cut
of a sharp knife, cut through skin, tissues and gullet, to the mass, with
an ample cut, and remove ; bring the edges of the gullet together, stitch
them with fine catgut, or strong silk, and then the v/oundinthe skui. The
difficulty here may cause subsequent stricture of the gullet, which may
thereafter prevent the animal swallowing solid food. In any event only
semi-liquid food should be given for ten days after choking, or untQ the
animal seems well.
In desperate cases, where there is instant danger of death from choking,
tracheotomy must be employed. This is cutting into the windpipe and
inserting a breathing tube and will be treated in its appropriate place.
The Low Choke. — This is where the obstruction is low in the gullet,
or in the thoracic portion of the aesopbagus.
In this form there is great distress but the head is not held so high »
saliva runs from the mouth, and the discharge is copious from the nose ;
if the animal attempts to drink, the water is cast forth from the nose ; the
breathing is laborious, the flanks tucked up, the back roached, and th«
animal shows symptoms of general distress.
What to do. — Give a gill of linseed oil or lard oil once an hour, and
between these doses every hour the following anti-spasmodic :
No. 202. 2 Ounces sulphuric ether,
2 Ounces laudanum,
^ Pint water.
Use the probang carefully after each anti-spasmodic. If the whole »f
476 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
the dose is apparently returned, administer chloroform from a sponge, hy
inhalation, until entire insensibility is produced. Then extend the head,
insert the probang, well oiled, and use steady but constant pressure,
wntil the substance moves. It may take ten to fifteen minutes, or more.
When the substance moves do not use much violent pressure, but move
it carefully until it enters the stomach, care being taken not to force the
instrument too far and thus wound that organ, remembering always that
sudden violence may bring on spasmodic action, in which case efforts
must cease. Violence may also rupture the sesophagus.
THE LOW CHOKE
X. Wounds Penetrating the Abdominal Cavity.
A penetrating wound of the walls of the abdomen is generally followed
by protrusion of the bowels. Sometimes it is so extensive as to allow
a large portion of the intestines to escape. If so, they should be sup-
ported by a sheet fastened over the back to prevent injury by the feet
and the admission of dirt until relief is given.
What to do- — The horse should be cast, the bowels washed with tepid
water, the horse turned partly on his back, the intestines properly returned
to their place by pressure, and the wound sewed up with catgut, well soaked
in warm oil, and at intervals of an inch apart, bringing the edges nicely
together. Then encircle the belly with a strong band!lge properly fas-
tened, by being laced along the back. Empty the rectum, if necessary,
by means of injections of warm water or soap suds, and keep the bowelt
open by feeding scalded shorts pretty well salted,
XI. Contused Wounds.
A contused wound is one occasioned by injury ffvim seme Muni inetru
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 477
ment, as a hook, wagon shaft, or other similar medium. They often
leave a gaping wound with torn and bruised edges.
What to do. — Clip away all torn and bruised flesh that present ragged
edges. If the injury is not extensive all that will be necessary will be to
keep the bowels of the animal in health, and moderately loose, with bran
mashes, using the following lotion daily. This is known as the compound
tincture of aloes and myrrh and should be kept in every stable as a
dressing for wounds, galls and other injuries of that nature. It is made
as follows :
No. 203. 4 Ounces myrrb,
4 Ounces benzoin,
4 Ounces of catechu,
8 Ounces pulverized aloes,
1 Gallon Jamaica rum.
Mix, keep in a warm place for two weeks, frequently shaking it, and
filter through linen. If the wound assumes an unhealthy character, wash
with water in which a little carbolic acid is mixed. When granulations
appear, if pus, raatter,forms, wash daily with a syringe and warm water,
and use the carbolic acid wash for dressing, or, if the wound is in such
a place that it may be done, cover with tow saturated with the wash. If
the granulations are soft, flabby and projecting, showing proud flesh,
touch them with a stick of lunar caustic, and expose to the air until dry.
Then dress as before directed.
Xn. Lacerated Wounds.
A lacerated wound is a torn wound. The wound by treading, calking^Is
a lacerated wound. The tearing up of the skin and sub-cellular tissues,
leaving a flap, is a lacerated wound.
What to do. — In any wound, if feverish symptoms occur, give an ounce
of pulverized saltpeter in the drink night and morning, and administer a
moderate purge, unless the bowels are open, say 4 ounces of aloes.
In the case of any lacerated wound, if extensive, clip away all torn
shreds, bring the edges nicely together and sew them with fine catgut, or
white waxed silk, and let the subsequent treatment be as directed for
•ther wounds.
XIII. Punctured Wound.
A nail, the point of a fork, a splinter of wood, a thorn, or any similar
•ubstauce, makes a punctured wound. They are the most dangerous o#
wounds, from danger of internal poisoning, or fistula, lockjaw, etc-
<78
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
What to do. — First, examine carefully by means of a probe for any
foreign substance lodged inside. If so, remove it, even if a clean cut
has to be made. A clean cut is not dangerous unless an artery is sev-
ered. If the instrument inflicting the wound was dirty or rusty, syring«
the wound thoroughly with weak carbolic water. If the wound heals
kindly, use the tincture of myrrh dressing, No. 203. If inflammation
sets in, and matter forms in a deep, narrow wound, it may be necessary
to enlarge the opening to let out the pus. Then treat as directed for
contused or lacerated wounds.
MANNER OF USING SBTON NEEDLE.
Xrv. Broken Hock.
This is a term applied to a severe injury —
breaking the cap of the hock. The only treat-
ment is absolute rest, the application of sedatives
as lotions, laudanum equal parts with water, to
remove pain, and astringents — ^white oak bark.
It is sometimes necessary to blister near the
part to get up counter irritation, or put in a se-
ton below the hurt. The mode of using a fixed
seton needle, to bring a wound together, in
sewing, where a proper crooked, flat needle is
not at hand, is here shown. It will also serve
to show the manner of using a needle for a se-
ton, to be threaded with white tape.
XV. Dislocations.
Dislocations in the horse are rare, and when they occur are diflicult to
manage, except with the aid of a veterinary surgeon. Dislocation of the
lower joints, and of the hip, is most common, from catching the foot,
twisting and pulling thereon to get free. In fact, dislocation of the hip
is scarcely ever seen except in connection with fracture, but is sometimes
met with in lean, under-fed, young cattle and horses. Dislocation of the
shoulder is most seldom met with.
What to do. — In any case of dislocation the first thing to do is to put
the joint in place, not always an easy matter. The means we have indi-
cated for dislocation of the stifle will serve to show the manner of
operation. A veterinary surgeon should be employed if possible in any
case of dislocation. If such cannot be had, any humane surgeon should
be willing to give advice as to how to operate. The means to be employed
are so different, varying with each particular case, that it would be im-
possible to state them except in a general way.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES.
If inflammation and considerable swelling has set in before the hurt is
discovered this must be first reduced by cold water applications, or better,
hot water fomentations, if persistently applied. Then the joint must be
brought to place by traction and force. If there is no inflammation this
will not be difficult.
"WTien a starch bandage may be employed, this should always be used
to hold the parts together. If not the dislocation must be splintered or
padded, or both, to keep the parts intact and in place. The slings should
always be employed to rest the horse when they may be had. This with
cooling lotions to subdue inflammation, rest, proper care and feeding,
will ensure recovery in the end. A bad dislocation, however, usually
leaves the horse out of condition for anything but farm or slow work.
XVI. Various Fractures.
To fracture a limb completely, so the leg hangs loose, is of so serious
a nature, in the horse, that unless in the case of a very valuable animal
for breeding purposes it had better be killed at once. In very many
cases, however, one of the bones of the leg is fractured or split part way,
though the horse may not exhibit extreme pain, may even travel upon it.
Softening, however, sets in, and sometime after, in getting up in the
stable, the bone gives way entirely. So the fibula, as the smaller bone of
the leg is called, may be fractured. If there is lameness after falling in
harness, or from a blow, with tenderness, it is safe to treat for fracture.
What to do. — Place the horse in the slings and splinter the limb, first
having applied a starch bandage, when it may be made to act. All that
will be necessary further will be to feed and water regularly, keep the
bowels naturally open, reduce inflammation and soreness by the use of
arnica, and trust to time for a cure. A month or six weeks ousht to so
strengthen the bone that the animal can eat grass, or be fed in a box
stall until recovery is perfected.
XVn. Various Distortions.
A distortion arising from fracture or from any chronic difficulty cannot
be cured. In case of severe recent strain of the ligaments of the neck,
by which the head is thrown to one side, and held so, the neck should be
brought straight, splintered, and held so until the ligaments recover their
normal tone. Poll evil often leaves the animal with a stiff neck, pro-
ducing a distorted manner of holding the head. Distortions are often
produced by injuries of various kinds. These must be attended to during
the cure of the superinducing cause. Distortions often occur in young
animals, as knuckling, turning the fetlocks from weakness, etc. The
480 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
remedy is starch bandages and splints. Distortions of the tail by which
it is curved awry, are remedied by wholly or partially severing the ten-
dons which are constricted or drawn. This, however, should never bo
attempted l)y one who does not understand the anatomy of the parts,
else mischief may be done. As a rule, however, any distortion, except it
be old and chronic, may be cured l)y taking proper measures, splintering,
bandaoin*!^, and the use of fomentations where relaxation is necessary.
These means the intelligence of the operator will readily suggest.
XVni. Diseases of the Ear.
Causes. — Injuries to the ear are generally caused by brutal treatment.
Twitching them, nipping and pulling upon them with the blacksmith's
plyers, and blows upon the head with cudgels, sometimes result in
troublesome bruises, ulcers and tumors that close the auditory passage.
Deafness may be an organic defect, or it may be the effect of some
disease which has disordered- the head, and, by sympathy, the auditory
nerve ; and the sense of hearing is no doubt dulled by old age, even
when the horse may have been well used and reasonably free from dis-
ease ; but it results in most cases from pulling the ears, cutting or clip-
ping either them or the surrounding skin to remedy supposed defects,
and from beating upon the head.
Sometimes scabby or mangy eruptions make their appearance upon the
tips of the ears and spread downward, covering them entirely ; but this
is most probably the accompaniment of some general skin disease.
How to know it. — The cuts, breaks in the skin, or sutures, that result
from pulling, pinching, and twitching are readily discernible, as are also
the ulcers or suppurating sores in which they sometimes end. When the
tendons which sustain the ear in its upright position are broken, there is
no difficulty in perceiving it, as the ear drops down and flaps about with
the motions of the head and neck.
Kunning sores, similar to the poll-evil, sometimes result ; but these
may be distinguished from that disease by their being confined more
closely to the ear, either inside or out.
When deafness is suspected, an examination of the internal ear -will
be necessary ; and if the swollen parts or ulcers are not perceptibj©, some
artifice must be resorted to to find whether the hearing is actually de-
stroyed. Deafness may be only temporary, as is sometimes the case
with man, and the matter can be decided only by making a series of
examinations.
What to do. — A simple laceration of the skin, and even of the cartilage,
if small, will require no special attention ; but if it is so great that the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 481
edges do not come in contact, they must be brought together and sewed,
after which the trouble will soon be over.
But it occasionally happens that ulceration of the skin and cellular tis-
sue and a rotting away of the cartilage sets in. This is past all remedy,
and necessitates the cutting away of the ear.
When there has been no laceration of the skin, and a tumor is forming,
apply camphorated corrosive sublimate, No. 2, occasionally, till it en-
tirely subsides ; but if matter seems already forming, apply May-apple
liniment, made by taking one gallon of May-apple roots and boiling them
until a thick syrup is formed ; then, having removed the roots, adding as
much lard as there is syrup, and stirring well together while the syrup is
still boiling. This liniment will draw out the fever and bring the matter
speedily to the surface.
Sometimes an abscess forms on the outside, which will need lancing ia
order to afford the most speedy relief. In this case, cut at the lower
•xtremi^-y of the rising, and let the lancet slant upward into it.
Deafness, unless simply a temporary result of some prevailing disorder
of t^he head or neck, is beyond the art of the Teterinary practitioner.
CHAPTER XVI.
POISONING.
Iw XKTSBMAL P0X80V.-
-11. POISONING FROM STIWOS.
-in. POISONED SEW.
I. Internal Poisoning.
The cases of internal poisoning are more frequent, especially with
horses, than is generally supposed. Among the most common are those
arising from drastic or powerful doses, blindly given by the ignorant,
cither in disease, or from some effect sought to be produced upon the
general health — to make the coat blooming, cause champing of the bit
and frothing at the mouth, or to excite the animal spirits. Of these,
strong purgatives, diuretics and arsenic are the most common.
A ROR8K SCFFEUING KKOM DKA8TIC POISON.
Other causes are from eating poisonous plants, either in the hay or In
Ihe pasture, the ergot of rye and other grain ; ergot sometimes attacks the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 483
grasses — thus, smutty grain, castor beans, hellebore or poke root, laurel,
gtramonium or Jamestown weed, and cured tobacco, among plants, may
be mentioned as common. Among minerals, sulphuric, nitric and
muriatic acid, and all the concentrated vegetable acids are caustic and
irritant poisons. They are never taken unless forced down. The anti-
dote to these is larie doses of powdered chalk, whiting or lime water.
In the absence of tnese give weak lye (white lye) until relief is obtained
*nd follow with a full dose of linseed oil.
Alkalies destroy the tissues. If quick lime, caustic potash, strong lye
or washing soda has been taken give vinegar and water to neutralize it,
and follow with a dose of oil.
Horses that are dosed with whisky to "give them strength" sometimes
«how alcoholic poisoning. Never give it except as a stimulant as advised
for disease.
Forty grains of arsenic will kill a horse. The symptoms are, intense
thirst, quick, feeble pulse, great pain in the bowels, with purging some-
times, irregular breathing, faintness, paralysis, convulsions and death.
Give full doses of oil, in which is mixed two, three or four spoonfuls of
oarbonate of iron as the case may seem to demand.
Corrosive sublimate is a fatal poison. A quarter of an ounce will kill
n horse. The symptoms are violent pain, intense thirst, effusion, and
bloody discharges from the bowels, trembling, salivation, ending in stupor
and death. Give the whites of a dozen eggs, stirred in a little warm
water. Follow this with linseed tea, or better with mucilage of slippery
€lm. Litharge and sugar of lead are poisonous. The symptomg are
staring coat, arched back, a protruding tongue and foaming at the mouth,
staggering, and sometimes dashing wildly to and fro. Give large iloses
of purgatives to be followed by from one to two ounces of iodide of
potash daily for seven or eight days.
Strychnine is a quick and potent poison. Eight to ten grains will
always kill. The symptoms are violent trembling succeeded by stiffness
and jerking of the limbs, spasms, rigid limbs, arched back, diflScult respi-
ration, succeeded by intervals of quiet ; but which are again brought on
by a slight noise or even a touch. Soon the animal dies. Keep the
animal quiet and in a dark place, and give a quart of sweet oil or linseed
oil. Follow with powdered charcoal mixed with thin mucilage. Move
the bowels by means of injections as quickly as possible, and if exhaustion
ensues give stimulants (whisky) freely.
Tartar emetic in doses of two to four ounces will sometimes kill a
horse. The symptoms are, thirst, vomiting and purging, staggerin- \
colic, salivation, convulsions and paralysis.
Give strong tea, followed as soon as you can get It, with a decoction
1^ ELLUyrRATED STOCK DOCTO*.
of wfciU oak bark. For the Tomhing and purging, if they continue, gire
f^ ym-waAmwtnwn m X little water.
from aloes, castor oil or croton beans, known by excesaire
Uoodj purging. *^^ straining, cold ears and legs, hot, dry mouth, and
bloating. Give two ounces of laudanum in a quart of linseed tea, and if
BBceasaiy gire a like dose bj injectMrn.
In poisoiimg from ctgot or otiier Aseaaed and injured foods, give full
doses of linseed oQ, both by the mouth and as injections, with stimulants
afterwaids ; and tonics, say eight grains of quinine three times a day
during rccoTcry.
For poisoning by white hellebore or Indian poke, gire whisky in pint
doses. Hie -rimr means may be used in poisoning by laurel, followed
hr injections of salt and water, and also by linseed oil given as a purge.
In case of poisoning by ofnmn or landamim, poor cold water on the head
from a eoosiderable height, and keep the animal in constant motion. For
potnmK with Jamestown weed ( jimson) known by faintness, giddiness,
foDoved bj eon^vlamts, paralysis and stupor, give a quart of linseed oil
witk two omoes of laadanmn. Give also an injection and subsequently
flCmralate with pint doses of whisky.
Tobacco poisoning is shown by purging, offensive dung, colic pains,
weak pulse, prostration, conrulsioas and stupor. Give a purge of oil,
a*d f<Aow with pint doses of whisky in slippery elm or linseed tea.
H. Poiaoning firom Stings.
It is not infreqaoit that animals are badly stung, or bitten by venomous
•erpeots or insects.
For the atn^ of insects, as wasps, hornets and bees, wash the stings
repeatedly wtth onion juice, or ammonia three parts to one part of oil.
Washing with salt and wat^' is also an ezc^ent remedy.
In some portions of the West and espet^Dy in the South, gnats and
certain species of Tenomoas iies eome in Summer. The remedy against
this is to use petroleum. When these insects are verv bad it is usual to
smear the unprotected parts of the animars body with a mixture com-
, posed of one part of tar to two parts of lard. We prefer equal parts of
petroleum, lard oil, and tar. Bacon drippings mav be substituted for the
lard al or kvd. For the stii^ of centipedes, scorpions, tarantulas and
spiders, give die f oflowmg :
V*. M. 1 T«i wfittmtwl ml tmmmiA,
% PfBt af wim watar.
THE HOKSE, ITS DISEASZS. 4S9
"Wash the bitten part with ammonia frequently, and keep it soaked
therewith bv means of a sponge.
Bites by venomous serpents are to be treated in the same way. The
wound should be well cauterized when first discovered with an iron at
a white heat. The doses of whisky we have given are fuU ones. One
half this quantity of proof spirits given every hour with a little amtiwiiii^
until relief is obtained will be proper, but in bad cases gire the full does
*3 a first one, and always with water.
TTT- Poisoned Skin.
There are manv weeds and plants that sometimes cause irritatHm and
poisoning of the skin. The means of cure is to move the bowcis and
apply some soothinsr wash to the irritated parts. For injury from poison
oak. poison ivv, hemlock, St. John's wort, etc., wash with a decoction of
golden seal three times a dav. oiling the surface at night. In the morn-
ing wash awav the oil with soap and warm water, and use the golden se*l
again. A solution of sugar of lead is also a specific for r^ngtable p<MsoiH
kig of the skin.
CHAPTER XVn.
VBTKBENABY SUBG^Y.
I. CA«nunoK.^— n. sLKiDtsG. m. trachiotokt. rv. pxRioanoTOirr.— v. xsxv
KOTOirr. VI. DrvTSiON op the TXirooys.
Genkral Remarks on Suegeet. — Every person who has the care of
farm stock, or who has the care of horses, should understand some of
the simpler means used in veterinary surgery. The castration of animals,
for instance, is exceedingly easy and safe if a few simple rules are ob-
served. If done in a bungling or improper manner, the chances, except
in the case of very young animals, are against recover^'. Bleeding is
sometimes absolutely necessary to save life. When necessary it should
be promptly performed. Tracheotomy also, as cutting into the windpipe
is called, must sometimes be performed before a surgeon could possibly
reach the animal. Periosteotomy, as operating upon the membrane of the
bones of the leg is called, had better be left to the veterinary surgeon
entirely; so again, neurotomy, the division of the nerve which supplies
the hoof of the fore leg with sensation, had also better be left to the
surgeon. In all division of tendons, fractured limbs and various disabil-
ities to which animals are subject, ever}' horseman ought to know what
to do. The diseases of animals have been pretty thoroughly treated of
in this work. Some of the operations of surgery must therefore receive
the attention their importance deserves.
I. Castration.
Calves, lambs and pigs should be castrated when quite young, always
before the sixth week of their life. Lambs and pigs should be castrated
at from one to two weeks old. Colts are not usually castrated until one
year old, smce thus they retain more of the natural \igor and style of
the entire horse.
486
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 487
In the case of colts and old horses the structures are touo^h and the
c
cords strong, consequently clamps (grooved sticks) so twined together at
one end that when pressed together and tied firmly the cord will be held
so tight that circulation is entirely stopped are generally used.
How to do it. — Cast the colt or horse and fasten him securely, havir^
everjk'thing read}', a keen, round-pointed knife, clamps and cords. Seize
the scrotum making a clean cut through the integuments and well into the
testicle, and in a line so the cut shall be parallel to the median line, or
line dividing the scrotum. Clean the envelop of the testicle, leaving it as
near intact as possible, as the envelop must remain %\-ith the animal. Draw
the testicle out, put a clamp on the cord and seizing the other end of the
clamp with a pair of pincers press it strongly together, and tie securely
with a waxed thread. So proceed with the other side. The horse may
then be allowed to get up. In thirty-six to forty-eight hours, the sticks
are to be removed by cutting the strings.
Another mode, and a most excellent one, especially in the case of colts,
is after freeing the testicle of its envelop and exposing the cord, to seize
the artery beyond where it is to be secured, with a pair of pincers made
for the purpose, cut the cord and twist the artery seven or eight times ;
let go, and with its retractive force it will retain the twist and prevent all
bleeding. Another way is to tie the artery and allow the ends of the
strings to hang out of the orifice. The plan by torsion, twisting by the
pincers, is the plan to be preferred.
In castratins^, do not be afraid to make an extensive cut, and do not
leave the cord too long, else it may be strangulated, and fever and infla-
mation ensue. If this should unhappily occur, enlarge the opening and
push up the cord. If there is formation of matter, hasten it by foment-
ation with warm water. "When a free exudation of cream-like matter is
established, the animal will go on to recover}' as granulation progresses.
Wash the parts daily with tincture of aloes and m}Trh. If, however,
the work has been properly done, the animal will suffer little inconveni-
ence, and nothing more need be done.
The best time for castrating colts and horses is from the middle of
May to the first of June, in the North, and in the South about the time
the young grass is a full bite.
n. Bleeding.
There are cases where bleeding must be resorted to to save life. Theee
are brain disorders and some forms of inflammatory disease. The jugu-
lar vein is the one to be bled from, and when the object is to deplete th«
system, six, seven, and even eight quarts should be taken. Always catck
the blood in a vessel, as it is neccessary to know how much we take.
488 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
By pressing on the jugular vein along the neck, below the spot select,
td for the incision, it will soon rise up prominently . In bleeding, always
make the incision in the line of the vein, never across it. Make the in-
cision large, but never through both walls of the vein. When sufficient
blood has been taken, raise the lips of the vein between the fingers, thrust
a pin through and vnnd some thread dipped in the blood about it to
hold it.
In staggers and diseases of the brain, it is usual to bleed in the roof of
the mouth.
Whenever a horse is to be bled, it is better to blindfold him, since it
prevents his starting, and thus causing a miss with the lancet or fleam in
the hands of an inexpert person.
m. Tracheotomy.
The operation of tracheotomy consists in cutting down into the wind-
pipe, in all desperate cases "where the animal is likely to suffocate for
want of breath. In bad cases of strangles, or other obstruction to breath-
ing, it is sometimes necessary to save the life of the animal, and there is
no time to wait for a surgeon.
How to do it. — Have an assistant hold the horse's head high, with the
nose extended, so as to best stretch the skin of the neck. Then feeling
along the neck for that part least covered with flesh, make a bold in-
cision with a sharp knife — one with a round point, and thin, being prefer-
able. Make the incision about four inches long, and along the central line
of the windpipe, and down to it. Then with a sharp-pointed knife pierce
one of the upper exposed rings of the windpipe, cut downward along the
central line, dividing two or three of them ; introduce a tracheotomy
tube, which has a movable collar to prevent going in too far, and fasten
its strings around the neck to hold it in place. The spout of a tea-kettle
has been extemporized as a tube, and with good effect. This tube must
be allowed to remain until the animal can breathe through the nostrils,
when the wound may be sewn up and treated as any other clean cut.
IV. Periosteotomy.
This is cutting down to the bone, and through the periosteum, the ner-i
Tous vascular membrane immediately investing the bone, and which in
fccalth has little or no sensibility, but which in disease of the bones is ex-
ceedingly sensitive. It is sometimes performed in inflammation of the
shank bone, when exudation has taken place between the membrane and
bone, giving rise to thickening and the formation of bony matter.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 43^
How to do it. — Pass an extremely narrow-bladed knife through the
skin half an inch below the swelling, and cany the point carefully up
over it, dividing the periosteum or membrane. Then cover with a wet
bandage, or put in a setou.
A better way is first to make a snip above and below the tumor with a
pair of roweling scissors. Then with a blunt seton needle fixed in a
hollow handle by means of a screw, and armed with a tape knotted at
the end, force it in at the lower snip and carry it up and out at the other,
breaking down the cellular tissue of the tumor. A probe-pointed knife
is then introduced slicing the tumor. The knife is withdrawn, and the
needle, released from the handle, is passed in at one opening and out of
the other, the end withdrawn from the needle and thus the seton is
fixed. The operation should be performed by a surgeon. The first
operation, simply cutting through the periosteum, is altogether the better
course.
V. Neurotomy.
This is the division of the nerve of the hoof in navicular disease whea
other means fail. It will give relief from pain, but it is no cure, and
generally the disease goes on advancing until the animal becomes worth-
less. We should never advise the operation upon an animal with a weak
hoof. The operation must of necessity be performed by a competent
surgeon who understands the anatomy of the foot and leg.
VI. Division of the Tendons.
There are some disabilities, as bad cases of knuckling over, carrying
the tail awry, or only the toe of the hind leg may be able to be put to
the ground, from contraction of the perforans tendon. Relief is obtained
by division of the tendons, but it should always be done under the advio*
of and by a competent surgeon and with proper instrumente.
CHAPTER XVm.
mSCELLAI^OUS MINOB DISEASE&
S. FIGfMBNT TUMORS. II. KPITHBLIAL CANCER. III. DROPSY OF THK LUNGS. — ^-IV.
STINGS AND BITES. V. FALLING OFF OF HAIR. VI. ACUTE IRRITATION OP THX SKIN.
VII. HARDENING OF THE SKIN. VIII. EXOSTOSIS OF THE LOWER JAW. EX. SWELL*
INQ BY PRESSURE OF THE BRIDLE. X. SORE NOSE. XI. ROARING, OR HIGH-BLOW-
ING. xn. WIND-GALLS. XIU. RUPTURE OF THE HAMSTRING. XIV, INTKBHAX.
HEMORRHAGE. XV. PARTIAL PARALYSIS.
I. Black Figment Tumors.
Those black pigment tumors known by the learned name of Melanosis,
and which are so common in gray and white horses, attacking the baro
parts of the skin, as the anus, the vulva, the sheath, the udder, the lips,
the eye-lids, etc., are occasionally cancerous, but for the most part quite
harmless. If they are deemed objectionable, as disfiguring the animal,
remove them with the knife.
n. Epithelial Cancer.
This is a nipple-like cancer, which sometimes appears on the lips of
horses. It should be promptly removed with the knife, after which the
oart should be burned over with lunar caustic.
m. Dropsy of the Lungs.
This results from valvular and other diseases of the heart. When th«
ear is placed to the chest, and the horse struck on the other side with the
open palm, the sound heard is nearly the same as that heard in pneumo-
nia ; but it may be distinguished from pneumonia by the entire absence
of fever which characterizes lung dropsy. It is usually beyond medical
t«ach, as the diseased heart, its original cause, is generally incurable.
490
TECB HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 491
No treatment, in addition to that already prescribed for heart disease,
can be recommended.
IV. Stings and Bites.
Hornets, wasps and bees often attack horses, and sometimes cause
them serious injuries. To relieve a case of this kind, we use one of the
following remedies, with which the coat must be thoroughly saturated:
Solution of ammonia ; weak carbolic acid wash, ( 1 ounce to a quart of
water) ; 1 pint of lime water, in which 1 drachm of carbolic acid is dis-
solved ; or oil of lobelia.
Cases are recorded of horses having died in consequence of an attack
of bees. In ordinary cases, the preceding direction properly carried out
will be sufficient ; but in more aggravated ones, sponge the whole body
with lime water, and then smear with linseed oil. If lime is not accessi-
ble, use a weak solution of soda. Spirits of turpentine and laudanum,
in equal parts, will give relief.
To prevent the stings of gad-flies, make a strong infusion of the green
bark of the elder, and wash the flanks before going out. To prevent the
bites of buffalo-gnats, that are so troublesome along the lower Mississippi,
cover the parts most likely to be attacked with a mixture of tar and lard
^two parts of lard to one of tar.
V. Palling OflF of Hair.
i^'or that unwholesome state of the skin and hair glands known by the
learned terms of humid exanthema and dry exanthema, that causes tho
falling off of tbe hair, the following is an excellent local remedy when
the animal is not under general treatment for some disease primary to
the state now under consideration :
No. 209. 1 Ounce pulverized charcoal,
1 Pint olive oil,
5 Ounces pyroligneous acid,
1 Ounce common salt.
Mix, and rub upon the parts daily with a sponge or a soft rag.
VI. Acute Irritation of the Skin.
For that acute irritation of the skin consequent upon clipping, witft
which some horses suffer so much, wash twice a day carefully with «
solution of soda (2 ounces of soda to a bucket-full of water). It th«
horse is especially feverish and sore, give the following purgative:
No. 210. 8 Ounces castor oil,
2 Ounces tincture of aloes,
2 Dracnms essence of peppenninL
492 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
In grooming, use a soft brush, and discard the curry-comb until ih%
soreness and tenderness are gone.
vn. Hardening of the Skin.
For that hardening of the skin which takes place in consequence of th«
pressure of some portion of the harness, from cutting the integumenti
and sub-cellular tissue, from the calkings of the shoes, from cauterized
fungi, etc., use the acetate of cantharides as an application to the in-
durations :
No. 211. 1 Ounce acetate acid,
5 Ounces water,
1 Ounce pulTerizcd cantharidee.
Mix, and let the mixture stand fourteen days to soften. Then filter
through linen or blotting paper, and add one ounce of spirits of wine.
Apply it occasionally by means of a bit of sponge. Or, use equal parts
of oil of turpentine and olive oil applied in the same way.
VUUL. Exostosis of the Lower Jaw.
That unnatural enlargement or bony ex-
crescence of the lower jaw, known by the
above name, is generally caused by a tight
curb-chain used with a curb-bit of such lev-
erage as to enable the rider to inflict injury
by violent jerking. The jaw-bone is bruis-
ed, and soon enlarges. The injured portion
must exfoliate, or scale ; and the presence of
TTOOKCABSBDBYcrBB-cHAix. tWs uuuatural substaucc under the flesh and
tendons gives rise to a foul ulcer, unless steps are taken to give relief
while the hurt is comparatively recent.
Nature makes a constant effort to heal, however, and unless the tumor
is irritated by passing particles of bone, it partially heals, so that an ob-
stacle is interposed from time to time to the escape of the scales ; and in
this way an unnatural bony structure is formed and matured before the
bony tum6r is entirely healed. To prevent this, open with a keen knife,
as soon as the bone is found to be injured, and keep the wound open hy
using the elastic syringe and warm water, until the discharge has assumed
an offensive odor — ^then syringe into it several times daily, this solution ;
No. 212. 1 Scruple chloride of zinc,
4 Drachms essence of anise seed,
1 Pint water.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 493
If taken in time, and treated in this way, the healing may take place
without deformity.
When once the bony excrescence has established itself, no one but %
wilful veterinary surgeon should be entrusted with its removal.
IX. Swellings by Pressure of the Bridle.
These, as the designation indicates, are swellings, sometimes sores, and
occasionally, when of old standing, callous lumps, made by the pressure
or rubbing of the bridle upon that little prominence on the neck just
below and back of the root of the ear. If the swelling is simple and
recent, remove by saturating it with the camphorated corrosive sublimate
(No. 2) and drying in with a hot flat iron, held close without touching.
This must be attended to once a day, and the bridle must be kept off
during treatment. If there is a sore without fungous growth (proud flfesh)
the same treatment will be found effective.
If the tumor is of old standing and fungous, the proud flesh must b«
burned away with lunar caustic. If it is old and horny, resort must be
had to the knife, after which the wound may be healed by a dressing of
simple cerate, -or of any of the unctuous oils.
X. Sore Nose.
The nose sometimes becomes sore from long-continued purulent dis-
charges, from any irritating substance introduced, but generally from
grazing near some irritating weed or vine. Jamestown weed will often
poison the noses of horses, yet the leaves, buds and pods are eaten with
impunity. So-called *' sneeze weed " will also irritate the nose and cause
it to become sore. As a rule rubbing the nose with mercurial ointment
in which equal parts of sulphur and lard has been intimately mixed will
effect a cure. Apply with a mop, if out of reach of the hand, to be
rubbed in as well as may be possible.
XI, Roaring and High-blowing.
This is when a horse emits any unnatural noise in traveling, whether he
simply be thick winded, or emits the peculiar noise when hard urged, or
the sharp sound denominated whistling and piping, similar to roaring,
but a more confirmed type, occasioned by a strong closing of the rima
glottidis. Whistlers are simply chronic or confirmed roarers, and roaring
precedes whistling. Both impediments to breathing are produced by
atrophy or wasting or degeneration of the muscles whose office it is to
dilate the larynx.
Thick wind is from an inflamed and thickened condition of the smaller
^94 ILLCSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
and lower branches of the breathing tubes, whistling from a narrowing
or constriction of the windpipe. Roaring, again, is of two kinds, acute
and chronic. The first is, in comparison with the chronic and confirmed
state, lif'ht and trivial. Fortunately it is comparatively rare in the United
States, but quite common in England, and essentially a disease of higk
or well-bred horses.
True high-blowing, as understood by English horsemen, is not consid-
ered a disease or impediment. There is no sound made during inspira-
tion. The air is expelled during and after hard exertion, with force and
a peculiar ^'ib^ation of the nostrils, causing the sound.
Causes. — -^^7 ^^^ ^^ ^^ these impediments are produced by various
affections, and some of them, as thick wind and roaring, are considered
by some as hereditary. Laryngitis, distemper, bronchitis, pneumonia,
tumors, diseases of the nasal membranes, and tight reining. Roaring and
whistling are decided unsoundness. So also should thick wind be conr
sidered, if the horse is to be used for any other than slow work.
How to know It. — One of the means used is to go into the stall, take
the horse bv the head, and make a motion as though to strike him across
the side with a stick. The animal will probably spring towards the man-
ger, and if a roarer, the peculiar grunt accompan^'ing the habit will be
made. Yet it must be admitted that some horses, under the impulse of
sudden fear, will grunt. The best test is to put him to speed more
severe than usual. If the trial is objected to, be sure there is something
wrong, and be sure also that there are no straps about the neck to pre-
vent or ease the habit. In addition to the ordinary sound made by
roarers, they often, indeed usually, have a loud, hard, sharp cough, be-
tween a cough and a roar. If occasioned by laryngitis, this cough will
be indicative of the chronic stage of that disease. So a thick-winded
horse will have a short, hard, dry cough, which he will give upon making
any sudden movement, or upon being struck sharply upon the abdomen.
What to do- — ^Remedies are of but little avail, except as palliations. In
slight cases, and during the earlier stages, swabbing the larynx with a
solution of nitrate of silver has given relief. It is prepared by dissolving at
the rate of ten grains of nitrate of silver to each ounce of distilled water>
and is applied by means of a small, soft sponge fixed on the end of a
piece of whalebone, the sponge having a cord attached and longer than
the handle, so as to be recovered if it comes off. Pads have been at-
tached to the nose-band of the bridle, so as to lie on and compress the
false membrane of the nose. These have given relief if the horse is not
required to make extra exertion. Firing or blisterins: about the region of
the larynx has also been successfully used as a means of relief.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 495
When roanng is caused by paralysis of the muscles of the larynx, hy-
podermic injections of strychnine every two or three days in half grain
doses has given relief.
Relief is also sometimes given by rubbing on daily, or once in two
iays, the following :
No. 213. 1 Drachm iodine,
2 Drachms iodide of potash,
2 Ounces lard.
Mix at a heat little more than to melt the lard, by placing in a vessel
of hot water.
In all of the diseases mentioned, good, easily-digested food should be
given, and only sufficient water to satisfy the actual demands of the sys-
tem, and the animal should not be put to work within an hour of eating
his food.
Thick Wind.
This may be alleviated, and sometimes cured, by giving the following
6all once or twice a day for several days in succession, as the animal may
eeexn to need it :
No. 214. 1 Drachm powdered camphor,
1 Drachm powdered niter,
1 Drachm powdered opium.
Or if preferred, to be given once a day, until five or six doses are takeii>
U\G following :
So. 215 1 Drachm powdered niter,
1 Drachm extract belladonna.
S grains arsenic.
XH. Wind-galls.
Causes. — Windgalls may arise either from strains, over exertion, ot
dropsy of the parts. As a rule they are elastic, round swellings on each
Hide of the tendons, rarely becoming solid from coagulation of the lymph,
unless as is occasionally the case, the strain Is so severe as to cause in-
flammation of the bone, ulceration and bony deposit. They do no injury
whatever, and do not cause unsoundness.
What to do. — If the puffs, windgalls, are just appearing they may 'oe
scattered sometimes by a strong decoction of white oak bark and alum.
They may be reduced by blistering from subsequent contraction of the
skin : so the liquid lymph may be drawn out with a hvpodermic syringe,
after which a wet bandage should be applied over the part
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
If there is heat and tenderness in connection with the windgalls it must
be treated with fomentations and a high-heeled shoe as recommended for
such disabilities. As a rule simple windgalls being so common, often
appearing on colts, and doing no injury, had better not be meddled with
unless there is inflammation attending them.
xm. Bupture of the Hamstring.
Not only the hamstring but other sinews are subject to rupture or even
division. In this case the parts should be brought together and held so
by starch bandages or splints or both, when fibrous tissue will form and
the ends will unite in three, four, or five weeks. If inflammation occurs
it must be treated as heretofore advised.
XIV. Broken Wind.
A horse with broken wind is in pretty much
the same condition as a man with the asthma.
It is said often to occur suddenly, as after unu-
sual exertion, or after severe work upon a full
stomach. The facts are, these may have aggra-
vated and suddenly made apparent symptoms not
noticed before. There is no cure, but much may
be done to alleviate the distress and enable the
animal to do ordinary slow work.
now TO HEA.R THE SOUND MADK
IN THX HOBSE'S WINDFIFS.
How to know it. — ^There is often, for a long time previous to a severe
attack, more or less cough — a short dry hack, and occasioned by irritabil-
ity of the larynx. The appetite is often ravenous and morbid, the thirst
excessive. As the disease progresses there is flatulence, a pendulous
belly, a ragged coat, and a general dejected and unthrifty appearance.
In breathing there will be a three-fold effort. The inhalation will be
quick, the expiration slow. Then the abdomen will rise as in an effort to
drive forward the diaphragm, and thus empty the half expired lungs.
The two last efforts seem laborious, and the double effort is often only
partially completed when the animal is again forced to gasp for breath.
In the earlier stages the peculiar sound made is in the windpipe. Th«
cut given will show the manner of listening to sounds for throat difficul-
ties. Every horseman should accustom himself to recognize not only the
sound indicative of healthy breathing but also those given out in various
diseases of the throat. No horse with heaves or broken wind shotild be
driven immediately after eating. The food should be sound, and water
should be given only in small quantities.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 497
XV. Internal Hemorrhage.
Internal bleeding or hemorrhage is rare unless made by puncture of
some of the deep-seated blood vessels. The orifice leading to the surface
being obscure and high, will of course occasion internal bleeding. When
they can be got at the remedy is of course tying. Punctured wounds do
not bleed much, the clot usually closing the orifice, assisted by the con-
traction of the vessel. In transverse or oblique clean cuts of an animal
causing wounds to the important arteries death must follow unless they
can be cut down upon and tied.
Rupture of the blood vessels of the lungs sometimes occurs from over
exertion, and is also common from the nose. Or hemorrhage of the
lungs may arise from any pulmonary complaint involving the blood
vessels. In this case it must be determined. If
the blood comes from both nostrils and is frothy,
it is from the lungs. If the horse has no
specific disease of the lungs, and is in full flesh,
bleeding from the neck vein, a full stream, may
check the blood. Digitalis in fifteen grain doses
may be given. It may give present relief, but
probably there is no permanent cure.
If the bleeding is from the blood vessels of the
nose, a strong solution of alum may be syringed
up the nostril. If this fails, pour half a pint of boiling water on a
drachm of matico leaves, and when cool strain and inject it up the nostril.
Chronic hepatitis, congestion and inflammation of the liver, often results
in hemorrhage internally. The symptoms confirming this state of things
are, the mouth cold, nasal membranes pallid, the eyes ghastly, sometimes
yellow. The horse will look for the seat of pain on the right side, and
usually lies on the left side when down. The head is depressed. As the
disease progresses there is increased weakness with staggering. The
pupils of the eyes are dilated ; the sight is bad, and if the head is
attempted to be raised high the animal instantly shows signs of falling.
What to do. — Put the animal in a roomy stall, or loose box. Keep
the bowels regulated by grass and bran mashes only, with nutritious food
and as much gentle exercise daily as the animal can take. Prepare the
following :
"So. 216. 2 Ounces iodide of potasfliiun,
1 Quart liquor potassa.
Mix, and give two table-spoonfuls twice a day in a pint of water.
INTBRPfAL HEMORRHAOK.
498
ILLUSTRATKD STOCK DOCTOR.
V. Partial Paralysis.
This is a disease principally coufined to fast driven horses, ot thok«
used to extreme exertion. It is also occasioned by ergot in the hay or
grain and then is known as ergotism. An injury to the brain may cause
paralysis of the opposite side of the body. So paralysis of the face,
body or limbs may arise from pressure on the brain. Paralysis of one
side of the body, called hemiphlegia, may result from disordered brain
or spinal cord. So paralj'sis of the face, ear, eyelid, lip, tongue, larynx
and tail may arise from local causes. A current of cold air continually
striking a part, bad fitting bridles, collars, or other parts of the harness.
Paralysis of the hind limbs is the most common form and may result from
injury to the loin or back, from indigestion, from tumors, parasites, in-
flammation or softening of the spinal cord, from eating freshly ripened
seeds of some of the grasses (the loliums) as darnell, flax rye grass, and
perennial rye grass.
What to do. — The cause must first be found. See articles on inflam-
naation, poisons, indigestion, etc.
IIOR8K 8CFFKBIN6 FROM PARTIAL PARAXY8I8 OF THK MIND L£G9 .
If the paralysis proceeds from an incurable disease it is to be treated
by cold water shocks and subsequent friction by rubbing. Among the
best means is a current of electricity daily.
The following ball has resulted in relieving the difficulty when it wa»
partial paralysis of the hind limbs:
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 49S
No. 211. H Grain strychnine,
}i Grain iodine.
Work this up into a ball with powdered quassia and molasses and give
daily, gradually increasing the strychnine according to its effects, so that
at the end of three weeks one grain will be given daily, and, if good
effects are produced, a grain and a half may be given daily at the end oi
five or six weeks.
Paralysis is, however, past cure. Something may be done for present *
relief, but each recurring attack is more and more severe. The most
strengthening food should be given and the best of care, always being
careful that the animal be not subject to cold drafts, or extraordinar3>
labors. During the recurrence of the attacks, absolute rest and quiet
must be given. In the giving of nerve stimulants, as strychnine, when
increasing the doses gradually, if twitching or slight cramps of the
muscles are observed, cease giving for a few days and then begin again
with the smallest doM.
32
CHAPTER XTT
KEDICIZrES.
WhMi :o Eaep, Karw to Obcain. Hov to Prepare, And Hoir to Oire The
AjrTT5XmC5~ TV.
— xn.
xn. maxTLAjrrs xvn. toxics. xthl
Dis5»cnoy. xao. scsci-
»HI. XXMHCSSmS TO BX EEPT.
Lt IB Bot ■ettWMiy tliat erexj fainiKr diould keep a large quantftr of
on band. A few sim^es will suffice, except in the case of
wko, hsriii^ a l>ig<e £tock of airimaJf;, require medidDes to meet
CMea apt to arise. The great point we hare inasted on, and here reiter-
ate, is good care and attention, in health, and good nursing in sickness,
as being nuet impovtsBt m the care of farm animals. The day has psLSt
for biecdiug and pn;^!^ for ererj ill that eren horse flesh is heir to.
Good Tgng, attention to the general bealth, and to symptoms, with the
preacriptioBS we hare ^ea, will enaUe xnj one to carry an animal
thiungh an otdiuaiy flidkoeas.
Ercrjr penon who has ear^dlj' 8tn£ed this work will see the necessity
of keepii^ some medicines on hand, nnee there is no reason why, with
the aid of what we hare presented, he may not be able to treat nine in
ten of the dineaiies to which faum •«itwaU a^e subject, and without the
aid of a professed Teterinazj smgeon. The totj foil ^oesary which will
be foond as a part of this work, dioold be consulted for medical terms
«wd when the definition does not imme£ately follow the use of the term.
In naming the medicines and their effects in thi£ chapter we shall give
defiaitions tbat may be found in the ^ossary, since in the division of th*
anbfect of medicines it scans proper that we should follow the nrie
•^npted of defining the ™*i«"«wg of terms in the body of the work. The
iTperstions of mfdirine may be defined as follows :
I. Alteratzrea.
Mfrfifiiifs acting genially and continually on the system, especially on
*^ blood and gtandnbir sjatem. Among the alteratives are, antimony.
THE HORSE. ITS DISEASED. g^i
niter, sulphur, ginger, calomel, arsenic, iodine, iodide of poUsaum,
sulphite, or bi-sulphite of soda.
Antimoni/. — Black sulphuret of antimony. Dose 1 to 2 drachms.
Given in connection with sulphur, 1 to 2 ounces, and niter 4 to 6 dnduns.
Ginger. — Given as an alterative only in connection with other medicines.
Calomel. — Give in broken doses, say 1 scruple. Another form of
mercury, sulphuret. give 3 drachms once a day in connectkm with 4
drachms cream of tartar in a pint of water. This has been recommended
in obstinate cases of surfeit, and other affections of the skin.
Arsenic. — Dose 5 to 10 grains daily. It should only be used under the
direoticn of a veterinarian. Its action is principaUj oo the nerres
Fowler's solution of arsenic contains 4 grains to the omice. It k tht
best form in which to administer the mineral.
Iodine. — ^As an alterative give 10 to 20 grains.
Iodide of potassium. — Dose 1-2 to 1 drachm. Valuable in chronic
rheumatism, chronic cough, scrofulous enlargements, and to cause ab-
sorption in pleurisy, and inflammation of the lungs.
Bisulph ite of S'jda . — Th is atMst mot be eon/ottrnded writk tmipkate. Dose
X-'2 to 1 ounce relieves tympbany.
n. Anesthetics.
These remedies benumb the senses, reUere pain, and are used largely
in destroving sensation in performing principal surgical operatiGiis. All
that will be necessary to notice are :
Chloroform and Ether. The best and safest prepaiatioii is the foL
lowinsr:
5o.sia. 1
a
3
Cast the animal to be operated upon; pour a taUe-epoonfal om. a
» x>nge and hold to the nostrils so that the animal can take some air with
it, since if not mixed with air, it is fatal to life. Ke^ ^le Jii^<eis oatlie
pulse, and if it ceases, or intermits decidedly, discoDtiDiie, waA IkM hait»-
hom to the nose, and commence again more lightly. So soon as uncoo-
•ciousness is produced, suspend the use of the ansstiietxc, and renew
asain from time to time, until the operation for whidi it is grroi is
completed.
Sometimes the animal will continue low for scwoe time aftor the admin-
istration, with failing pulse and irregular breathing. If so. pour pails of
cold water on the K^nly, and if necessary, gently inflate the lungs with a
pair of bellows, at the same time pres^ng upon and releasii^ the ribs, as
in natural respiration. Also press jMeces of ice into A» lectum, or
oy)2 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
vagina, according to the sex, as an additional means of restoration, il
necessary. As the natural functions again act, clothe the body and rub
dry. From two to four minutes should be sufficient to produce complete
insensibility in either the horse or ox.
m. Antiseptics.
These are used to arrest mortification and putrefaction. The principal
agents are charcoal, creosote, pyroligneous acid, sulphate of zinc, and
yeast. They should be applied directly to the parts affected.
TV. Astringents.
These are agents used to stop or lessen discharges, either of the bowels,
Bose, blood vessels, kidneys or glands, and are applied both internally
and externally. Among those usually employed, are, acetate of lead,
alum, catechu, ergot, kino, opium, per sulphate of iron, tannin, the min-
eral acids, and gallic and tanic acids.
They should not be used when there is considerable inflammation ; nor
for diarrhoea, in the beginning of a difficulty, since this flux is often an
effort of nature to relieve the body by natural means.
Acetate of lead. — Dose, 1 to 2 scruples. As a wash, use a saturated
solution.
Alum. — Dose, 2 to 3 drachms ; useful in sore throat and dysentery. In
powder, used for stopping the flow of blood.
Catechu. — Dose, 2 to 5 drachms. Useful in diarrhoea.
Ergot. — Dose, 1-2 to 1 ounce. Checks bleeding from the lungs, nose,
stomach and bowels. As an astringent, for this purpose, it is better to
give it by hypodermic injections, using ergotine in solution in five grain
doses.
Kino. — Dose, 1-2 ounce to an ounce. Given in diarrhoea.
Opium — Laudanum. — Dose, powdered opium, 2 drachms. Lauda-
num, 2 to 4 ounces. It is a well known agent in relieving the spasms of
colic, dysentery, lockjaw and other convulsive ailments. In diseases of
the lungs and breathing tubes, if the respiration is short and quick, it
should not be given. So, if there is much fever it should not be given
until these symptoms abate.
Per sulphate of iron. — Dose, 1 to 2 drachms. Useful for arresting
bleeding or hemorrhage.
Tannin. — Tannic acid is the best form. Dose, 10 to 20 grains. A
powerful astringent in diarrhoea or mucus discharges.
V. Cathartics.
These are medicines acting strongly and directly on the bowels as a
purge, in from 3 to 12 hours. Strong purgatives should not be given
except it be necessary to thoroughly evacuate the bowels, and deplete the
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 503
animal system. The principal agents employed are aloes, croton oil,
linseed oil, podophyllin and salts.
Aloes, Barbadoes. — This should always be used in preference to Cape
aloes, which is more griping. Dose 4 to 8 drachms.
Croton oil. — A powerful and sharp purgative, valuable in obstinat*
constipations. Applied externally it is apt to irritate and produce blem-
ish. Dose internally 20 drops.
Linseed oil. — ^A safe, and pretty sure, mild purge. Dose 1 pint to
1 quart.
Podophyllin. — This is the active principle of the May apple. It Is
both purgative and sedative. Dose 1 to 2 drachms. Its effect on animals
is not so marked as on man. In the commencement of fevers it is
excellent.
Salts. — Sulphate of soda or Glauber salts is generally used when pur-
gative effects are required. The dose is 1 to 1 1-2 pounds. Epsom salts,
sulphate of magnesia, dose 1 to 2 pounds, or 8 to 12 ounces, and repeated
every three or four hours until an operation is had.
VI. Carminatives.
These are used in colic, griping, etc., and are often given with griping
medicines. The principal agents are black pepper, caraway seeds, cloves,
ginger, peppermint, sage, etc.
Black pepper. — ^Dose 2 drachms. When a quick and powerful remedy
ii» required give 2 drachms red (cayenne) pepper.
Caraway. — Dose 1-2 to 1 ounce of the seeds, as a powder, or as an
iuf usion .
Cloves. — Dose 1-2 to 1 ounce of powdered cloves steeped in hot water
and given warm, or 30 to 60 drops of the oil of cloves given in thin
mwcilage of gum arabic.
Peppermint (oil). — Dose 15 to 30 drops in mucilage. Sage or any of
the heating herbs may be given as a tolerably strong infusion or tea.
Vn. Counter Irritants.
These are divided into classes : Rubefacients, which simply excite the
skin to redness ; vesicants, which blister, and suppurants which produce
sores on the surface. They are serviceable by setting up inflammation
on the surface near the seat of disease, in congestion and inflammation of
internal organs ; also of the bones, joints and tissues. Rubefacients are
good in influenza, and other attacks of a general nature, where there is
low fever ; as, for instance, rubbing a paste of mustard on the legs and
washinsr it off in ten or fifteen minutes. Vesicants should not be used
when fever or inflammation is high, and suppurants are chiefly of valu^
in old chronic complaints.
504 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
Rubefacients. — Alcohol, ammonia, mustard, turpentine.
Vesicants. — Cantharides, scalding water, and a hot iron at 212 degrees,
Fahrenheit.
Suppurants. — Croton oil, ointment of tartar emetic.
vm. Caustics.
Agents which burn and destroy the flesh. Used to kill the virus in
poisoned wounds, eat out proud flesh, destroy sloughs, and stimulate old
ulcers ; to produce healthy action in fistulas, and remove warts and other
excrescences. Among the best agents are butter of antimony, caustic
potash, chloride of zinc, lunar caustic (nitrate of silver), nitrate of
mercury, nitric acid, and the hot iron at a white heat. Chloride of zinc
and nitrite of silver come in pencil shaped sticks. Nitric acid must be
used with care. It is powerful and intensely eating, causing extreme pain,
l)ut which soon ceases. It may be used by dipping a suitable slip of
wood in the acid and appl}dng. The hot iron is the most powerful caustic,
as it is the most efficient. It however requires nerve and judgment to
use it properly and efficiently.
IX; Diaphoretics.
These are medicines to cause sweatins: o> to increase the insensible
perspiration, and thus relieve pressure on other organs. Acetate of am-
monia in solution, Dovers powder, ipecac and cantharides are mainly
employed ; the animal being covered quite warm. Warm water is also
useful, but steaming the most prompt of all.
Acetate of ammonia. — Solution. Dose, 2 to 3 ounces.
Dover's powders. — Dose, 3 drachms.
Ipecac. — Given in 2 to 3 drachm doses in warm water, until the effect
k produced. Not especially useful for horses.
Cantharides. — Dose, 4 to 5 grains.
X. Diuretics.
These are medicines used to act on the kidneys. Saltpeter, sweet
spirits of niter, cream of tartar, turpentine and digitalis are princi-
pally used.
Saltpeter — Dose, 6 to 8 drachms.
Sweet spirits of niter. — Dose, 1 to 2 ounces.
Cream of tartar. — Dose, 1 ounce.
Turpentine (Oil). — Dose, 1 to 2 ounces.
DigitaU.%. — Dose, 1.5 to 20 grains.
Both diuretics and diaphoretics are similar in their action. If sweating
l« intended, it must be assisted with warmth and friction. If operation
THE HOBSE, ITS DISEASES. 505
on the internal organs is required, warmth and friction should not be
used.
XI. Demulcents.
These are gummy or glutinous substances, used to soothe and cover in-
flamed surfaces, or those in an irritable condition ; as inflammation of
the throat, stomach and bowels ; in diseases of the kidneys, or for irrita-
ble conditions generally. Those most in use are : Linseed tea, o-um
arable water, slippery elm bark tea, starch water and olive oil. Marsh
mallows makes one of the most valuable agents known, being especially
soothing to the bowels.
xn. Disinfectants and DeodoriBers.
The most valuable of these are, sulphate of iron, chloride of zinc, car-
bolic acid, chloride of lime, used for disinfecting and deodorizing drains,
etc. The cheapest is a solution of sulphate of iron, a good handful dis-
solved to each bucket of water used. As an atmospheric fumigant and
•disinfectant, the following is cheap, and one of the best known :
No. 219. }i Pound flowers of sulphur,
2 Pounds pine tar.
Mix with a gentle heat, saturate tow with it and burn without flame.
Carbolic acid in weak solutions, or crude carbolic acid in its liquid, im-
pure form, as it comes from the gas works, is valuable for brushing over
any wood, iron, brick or stone work. Also valuable for wetting cloths,
and hanging up to destroy disease germs, keep away flies, etc.
The following formulas will be found valuable disinfectants :
No. 220. 1 Part sulphate of zinc,
1 Part powdered oak bark,
a Parts sulphate of iron.
Mix into balls of proper size and place in drains, sink-holes and cess-
pools.
Collins' disinfecting powder is made by adding 1 part of burnt alum to
two parts of chloride of lime. Pour on water to thoroughly wet the
mass, and set in shallow pans about the stable.
The following is a powerful disinfectant •
No. 221. 2 Pounds common ealt,
1 Pint oil of vitriol.
Pour the oil of vitriol gradually and slowly over the salt, and the act-
ive disinfectant, muriatic gas, will be evolved.
The following, known as chloralum, is not poisonous, and has no smell.
To make it take,
5(Jg ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
No. d22. 1 ^ Pounds chloride of aluminum,
1 Gallon water.
Dissolve.
A most effectual, powerful and cheap disinfectant, but poisonous, if
taken, is made as follows .
No. 223. 8 Ounces chloride of zinc,
16 Ounces sulphate of iron,
1 Gallon water.
Dissolve.
A pint mixed in a gallon of water will be quite strong enough for use.
Xm. Emetics and Expectorants.
What would act as an emetic on man, would be simply a nauseant with
the horse. The horse does not vomit, nauseants act to loosen a cough,
and to loosen the mucus in the air passages, and thus facilitate its expul-
sion. Nauseants also act as a substitute for the old practice of bleeding.
Tartar emetic, blood root and sulphate of zinc are among those usually
employed .
Tartar emetic. — ^Dose, 1 to 1 1-2 drachms, in connection with lobelia
and saltpeter.
Blood root. — Dose, from 2 to 4 drachms of the powdered root.
Sulphate of zinc. — Dose, 1 to 2 drachms.
Tartar emetic. — ^This is often employed in connection with saltpeter
and lobelia. Dose, tartar emetic 1 drachm ; saltpeter 1 ounce ; lobelia
1 drachm.
Xrv. Narcotics, Anodynes and Sedatives.
These run one into the other, and are used to soothe pain, allay the
irritability of the system, and quiet excessive nervous action. Narcotics
quickly quiet the system, induce sleep, and if taken largely, produce
death. When given simply to allay pain, they are called anodynes. The
action of a sedative is to lower nervous force, reduce the pulse and abate
febrile symptoms, especially in the beginning of acute inflammation.
Narcotics. — Opium, or its preparations, laudanum and morphia, bella-
donna, tobacco and Indian hemp.
Opium is generally given as a tincture, in the form of laudanum.
Dose, 1 to 2 ounces.
Morphia. — Dose, 3 to 5 grains.
Belladonna. — Dose, 2 ounces.
Indian hemp. — The dose of this drug 1-2 to 1 drachm.
Sedatives. — Aconite, tincture. Dose, 20 to 30 drops.
Veratrum vmde.— The dose of this is 1 scruple.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 50f
XV. Relaxants.
These deprive the muscles of their power. Of this class lobelia should
be given in doses of 1 to 2 drachms.
XVI. Stimulants.
These are, alcohol, and are given in the form of brandy, whisky, rum,
gin and ale. The latter when an animal is exhausted by hard drivin<y.
The dose of brandy, whisky or gin is 3 to 6 ounces, and of alcohol 1 to
3 ounces diluted with water. Other stimulants are : ether, dose, 1 to 2
ounces ; carbonate of ammonia, dose, 2 to 4 drachms ; turpentine, dose,
1 to 2 ounces ; and ginger, dose, 1 ounce. The ginger to be given as
a tea.
Stimulants are used when it is necessary to quickly raise the animal
from exhaustion. In nervous exhaustion its effects are marked, but it
must not be given in inflammation or fever.
XVn. Tonics.
Tonics sharpen the appetite, increase the nervous vigor, and thus im-
prove the condition of the patient. Many horsemen are fond of giving
condition powders, the main value of which lies in the alteratives and
tonics contained. In this they suppose that they are beneficial to already
healthy animals. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They are
not beneficial unless the animal is out of condition and the system needs
rallying. To get the best effect from tonics, they should be given in
light doses, and continued for a considerable time. Then intermit for a
few days, and if necessary, commence again, or substitute another tonic.
The mineral tonics, sulphate of iron, sulphate of copper and arsenic are
more active than the vegetable tonics, Peruvian bark, gentian, quassia,
«tc., though often the two forms combined act with greater efficacy.
XVin. Vermifuges.
These are medicines supposed to be useful in expelling worms.
For round worms, common salt, to be licked at will, is one of the
best agents to expel them. Oil of turpentine 1 ounce. Tartar emetic 2
drachms and sulphate of iron 2 drachms ; give five or six days in succes-
sion, and follow by a purge. Four to 6 drachms of aloes is one of the
best direct vermifuges.
Tapeworm. — Oil of turpentine 1 ounce doses ; or root of male shield
fern, 1 ounce of the extract. Give all vermifuges fasting, and at the end
of four hours give a purge of aloes. For weak animals give areka nut
1 ounce.
In using a vermifuge it is always better to clear the bowels before
^ving it, and in case the worms are in the intestines give injections as well
508 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
as a purgative by the mouth. It should be remembered that vermifugeo
that destroy by mechanical irritation, as iron filings, pounded glass, etc.,
should never be given.
From the foregoing the action of the different classes of medicines will
be learned. Some of the more common we have given as examples. In
the vast list of drugs used in medicines, and which are drawn alike from
the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms, and some of them, the most
valuable, being deadly poisons, must not be given in too large doses > the
practitioner cannot be too careful in their use. The doses we have given
in this chapter are from medium to large. If there is any doubt in
using those, especially the strong poisonous extracts or crystals use the
smaller.
There are really but few medicines out of the large list that are of
real and well known value in common practice. The druggist in prepar-
ing medicines, uses delicate scales and weighs accurately. It is always
better that they compound the prescriptions if possible ; yet, as it is not
always convenient to seek the druggist, especially when a stock of medi-
cines in ordinary use is kept, it is better to have a pair of scales and a
liquid measuring glass. We therefore append a table of weights and
measures as used by veterinarians :
WEIGHTS AND MEASUBES.
Apothecaries' Weight.
20 grains make 1 ecruple,
3 scruples make 1 drachm,
8 drachms make 1 ounce,
16 ounces make 1 pound.
Wine Measure.
60 minims, or dropti make 1 drachm,
8 drachms make 1 ounce,
16 ounces make 1 pint,
2 pints make 1 quart,
4 quarts make 1 gallon.
Sufficient accuracy in fluid measure for anything not violent in it»
action, will be the following :
60 drops, or 1 tea-spoonful, make 1 drachm,
4 tea-spoonfuls, or 1 table-spoonful, make )i ounce,
2 table-spooni^ils make 1 ounce,
1 wine-glassful makes 2 ounces,
1 tea-cupful makes 4 ounces,
1 tumblerful makes K pint,
1 tin-cupful makes 1 pint.
A handful of flaxseed, or other seed, usually innocent in their nature,
will weigh about 2 ounces ; a handful of leaves of dried herbs will weigh
about 1 ounce.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 509
IX. Importance of Symptoms.
The importance of understanding symptoms in disease, not only of th«
horse, but of all farm stock, is generally underrated by farmers and stock
men, and yet it is the key to all remedial means. Unfortunately, dumb
animals cannot tell how they feel, and thus the practitioner must judge
by outward signs, which, by the way, are pretty ample to the careful ob-
server. These are difficult to describe in print, yet they have been so
described as fully as possible in the list and treatment of diseases. '
Every horse owner, and especially every stock-raiser, should educate
himself to understand symptoms in such diseases as he must necessarily
have to deal with. This will not be found difficult, if the reader will use
the means we have presented in this work. The pulse is one of the most
important agents in this direction ; through this, we may get a pretty
accurate indication of the state of the system in relation to fever, ple-
thora of blood, or the reverse. It cannot well be described, and yet it is
goon learned by use and observation. In the horse, the mouth is hot and
dry in fever, and moist and cool in health. In health the nose of the ox
is especially cool and moist, and in fever hot and dry. The full or small
pulse, depends upon an excessive quantity of blood in the vessels indi-
cating a full or a weak nutrition. A thready or wirey pulse is indicative
of a small quantity of blood in the vessels, combined with an increased
or diminished contractibility of the heart. A sluggish or oppressed pulse
will indicate unusual fulness of the vessels, the vital powers of contract
ibility and sensibility not being increased, or, it may even be one or both
of them being diminished. Among the internal causes operating on the
pulse are irritability and nervousness. Outside causes are temperature,
other atmospheric causes, and manner of feeding. The stock man who
will habituate himself to feeling the pulse of his animals, will soon come
to understand how slight causes will sometimes affect this agent, and thus
will soon learn to detect disease, often by this indication alone. This and
attention to the outward symptoms we have given in diseases enumerated,
will soon enable him to dispense with the services of the practiced veter-
inarian, except in critical cases.
XX. Dissection.
If a farmer would, when an animal is sick, in addition to attending to
■tudying the symptoms as they appear, take the trouble, in case it dies,
to open it, with a view of studying the altered structure, knowing as he
may, how they look in health, this would assist him greatly in under-
standing disease generally ; for by this means he may find just when and
how the parts affected are changed. He will thus, also, come to understand
the importance of good care and nursing in the prevention and elimination
«f disease, more fully than by any other one means.
^IQ ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOB.
XXI. Surgical and Other Instruments.
With all our care it is necessary to meet disease and accidents wheii
thev come, and to this end we must be provided at least with a few sim-'
pies, and the means of arriving at quantities.
To this end we have advised the purchase of a pair of scales to weigh
orains. drachms, ounces and pounds ; certain surgical instruments, also,
and a small store of the medicines such as are in common use.
In the horse stable a balling iron should be kept. This is an iron ring
through which the closed hand may be passed : on the top and bottom
are two bars, which placed between the front of the jaws enable the
mouth to be kept open while the hand passes the ball of physic to the
root of the tongue. Sponges of several sizes should also be kept. A
roomy nose-bag and an atomizer will be useful. The little India rubber
bottle with which the wife sprays her plants, will answer very well in
place of a better, for spraying the external surfaces.
Means for giving injections should be procured. This may be the
regular horse or cattle syringe, though the pail and India rubber pipe,
described in another part of the volume, will be found simple and
effectual .
A drenching horn or bottle is another implement that should not be
neglected. A probang should always be kept. A trocar will be found
useful in case where the stomach is to be punctured to permit the escape
of gas. A knife will, however, answer in its place ver}' well, if the
blade be sufficiently long and pointed. An outfit larger or smaller accord-
jug to the necessities of the stock owner, may be bought in any store
where surgical instruments are kept, and in fact in any of the larger drug
stores of cities.
A convenient one which we have used contains : 1 . A blunt-pointed
bistoury-, an instrument for making incisions. When only one is to be
used we recommend the slightly curved form, with the sharp edsre on the
inside -
2. Thumb lancet. We are opposed to the old time fleam. It seems
to have been invented for ignorant persons ; certainly none such should
ever operate, even on an animal. A little judgment will soon enable the
operator to use the lancet properly and with effect, gaugmg the depth
properly to which the puncture is to be made. It is better than the
spring lancet.
3. A spring forceps, most valuable in dressing wounds, catching
arteries for tying, for removing foreign substances in wounds, and for a
variety of other purposes.
4. An aneurismal needle — a long blunt needle. It can be used as s
probe and for introducing small setons.
THE HORS£, ITS DISEASES. 511
5. A silver probe, for exploring wounds. It is blunt at one end and
sharp at the other, and is indispensable.
6. A frog knife, a narrow straight blade, sharply curved into a strono-
edged hook at the end, and used for paring and cleaning the frogs of the
hoofs, etc.
7. A pair of curved scissors, for trimming the edges of wounds, ex-
cising ragged flesh, clipping the hair, and for other purposes.
8. A straight, broad scalpel (knife), used in dissecting, opening ab-
scesses, castrating, and various other surgical operations. Any straight,
broad-bladed, keen-edged knife will do. In castrating, however, we
have always preferred a round-pointed blade, similar to that used by
Kiurserymen in budding.
9. A seton needle for threading and introducing tapes or other setons.
10. A few surgical needles, white thread and silk, or better, thin cat-
gut. These may all be carried in a neat morocco case made for the
purpose, and can be afforded, wholesale, at ten dollars. (In fact we wiU
send them at that price, delivered with this book.)
XXH. Medicines to be Kept, and Doses.
The following drugs will be found handy. Keep everything in white
bottles, well corked. Corrosive substances must have ground glass
stoppers. The druggist, if so instructed, will arrange things. Quanti-
ties of these to be kept should be about ten doses each. 1 dose is:
1. Acetic acid — Antidote to acids, cooling astringent. Horse, 1 drachm ;
ox, 2 drachms ; sheep, 1 scruple.
2. Tincture of aconite. — Sedative, diaphoretic. Horse, 20 to 30 drops ;
ox, 30 to 40 drops ; sheep, 3 to 5 drops.
3. Alcohol. — Stimulant, diuretic, narcotic. Horse, 1 to 3 ounces ; ox,
3 to 6 ounces ; sheep, 1-2 ounce. Locally, cooling astringent.
4. Barhadoes aloes. — Purirative. Horse, 4 drachms.
5. Ahnn. — Astringent. Horse, 2 to 3 drachms ; ox, 3 to 4 drachms ;
sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm.
6. Ammonia, liquid. — Diffusible stimulant, anti-spasmodic, anti-acid,
diuretic. Horse, 1-2 ounce : ox, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm.
7. Carbonate of ammonia. — Diffusible stimulant, anti-spasmodic,
anti-acid, diuretic. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms ; ox, 4 to 6 drachms ; sheep,
12 to 1 drachm.
8. Anise seed, caraicay, cardamon, fennel seed. — Stomachic, carmina-
tive. Horse, 1 ounce ; ox, 1 to 2 ounces ; sheep, 2 to 4 drachms.
9. Arnica tincture. — Stimulant, diuretic. Horse, 1 drachm ; ox, 1
drachm ; sheep, 1 scruple.
10. Asafcptida. — Diffusible stimulant, carminative, vermifuge. Horse,
2 drachms ; ox, 4 drachms ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm.
512 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
11. Bahamof Peru. — Stimulant, antispasmodic, expectorant. Horse,
1 ounce ; ox, 1 to 1 1-2 ounces ; sheep, 2 drachms.
12. Borax. — Nerve sedative, uterine stimulant. Horse, 2 to 6 drachms ;
ox, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm.
13.* Blackberry root. — Astringent. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms ; ox, 1-f
ounce ; sheep, 2 scruples.
14. Camphor. — Antispasmodic. Horse, 1 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4
drachms ; sheep, 1 scruple.
15. Carbolic acid. — Sedative, anodyne, astringent, antiseptic, disin-
fectant. Horse, 1-2 to 1 drachm ; ox, 1 drachm ; sheep, 10 drops.
16. Cherry bark, wild. — Expectorant. Horse, 1-2 ounce ; sheep, 2 to
3 scruples.
17. Copaiva. — Stimulant, diuretic, expectorant. Horse, 2 to 4
drachms ; ox, 3 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 1-2 to 1 drachm.
18. Cream of tartar. — Diuretic. Horse, 1 ounce ; sheep, 4 to 6
drachms. Laxative ; horse, 5 ounces ; ox, 5 to 8 ounces, sheep, 1 to 2
ounces.
19. Ergot. — Checks bleeding, parturient. Horse, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; ox,
1 ounce ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms.
20. Iron, peroxide. — Tonic. Horse, 2 to 4 drachms ; ox, 4 drachms ;
sheep, 1 drachm. An antidote to arsenic.
21. Lime, chloride. — Checks tympany, disinfectant. Horse 2 to 4
drachms ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms.
22. Linseed oil. — Laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 pints; ox, 1 to 2 quarts;
sheep, 1-2 pint.
23. Lobelia. — Sedative, antispasmodic, expectorant. Horse, 1 to 2
drachms ; ox, 1 to 3 drachms ; sheep, 15 grains ; swine, 5 to 15 grains.
24. Mallow. — Demulcent. Give freely of cold infusion.
25. Mentha piperita (^peppermint). — 30 to 60 drops.
26. Oak bark. — Astringent. Horse, 1 ounce; ox, 2 to 4 ounces;
sheep, 4 drachms.
27 Olive oil. — Laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 pints ; ox, 2 to 3 pints ;
sheep, 3 to 6 ounces.
28. Opium. — Narcotic, sedative, anodyne, antispasmodic. Horse, 1-2
to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4 drachms ; sheep, 10 to 20 grains.
29. Opium, tincture laudanum. — Narcotic, sedative, anodyne, anti-
spasmodic. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; ox, 2 ounces ; sheep, 2 to 3 drachms.
Of the powdered drug, give : horse, 1-2 to 2 drachms ; ox, 2 to 4
drachms ; sheep, 10 to 20 grains.
30. Pepper, black. — Stomachic, stimulant. Horse, 2 drachms ; ox, 3
drachms ; sheep, 1 to 2 scruples.
31. Pumpkin seeds. — Vermifuge, taeniafuge. Horse, 1 pint.
THE HORSE, ITS DISEASES. 5VJ
32. Rhubarb. — Laxative, tonic. Horse, 1 ounce ; ox, 2 ounces ; sheep,
1 drachm.
o3. Resin. — Diuretic. Horse, 4 to 6 drachms; ox, 1-2 to 1 ounce;
sheep, 2 to 4 drachms.
34. Soap. — Diuretic, antacid, laxative. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; sheep,
2 to 6 drachms.
35. Silver nitrate {lunar caustic). — Nerve tonic. Horse, 5 grains;
ox, 5 to 8 grains ; sheep, 1 to 2 grains.
36. Sioeet spirits of niter ^ Spirits of nitrous ether. — Stimulant, anti-
spasmodic, diuretic, diaphoretic. Horse, 1 to 2 ounces ; ox, 3 to 4
ounces ; sheep, 3 to 6 drachms.
37. Tobacco. — Sedative, antispasmodic, vermifuge. Horse, 4 drachms ;
ox, 4 to 6 drachms ; sheep, 1 drachm.
38. Tar. — Expectorant, antiseptic. Horse, 1-2 to 1 ounce ; ox, 1-2
to 2 ounces : sheep, 1-2 ounce.
39. Turpentine oil. — Stimulant, antispasmodic, diuretic. Horse, 1 to
2 ounces ; ox, 1 to 1 1-2 ounces ; sheep, 1 to 2 drachms. Vermifuge :
Horse, 2 ounces ; ox, 2 to 3 ounces ; sheep, 4 drachms.
40. Valerian. — Diffusible stimulant, antispasmodic, vermifuge. Horse,
2 ounces ; ox, 2 to 4 ounces ; sheep, 1-2 ounce.
41. Wild cherry hark. — Expectorant. Horse, 1 ounce; ox, 1 1-2
ounces ; sheep, 3 arachms.
42. Zinc, sulphate. — Astringent, tonic. Horse, 1 to 2 drachms j ox,
2 to 3 drachms ; sheep, 15 to 30 grains.
XXIII. Oraduating Doses.
In the administration of medicines the following statement of ages and
doses will be found valuable in determining quantities. The doses men-
tioned in the preceding list being full ones :
A horse of 3 years, ox 2 years, sheep 1 1-2 years and swine 15 months
old, should have a full dose.
A horse 15 months to 2 years; cattle 1 to 2 years, sheep 9 to 18
months, and swine 8 to 15 months, 1-2 of a full dose.
A horse 9 to 18 months, cattle 6 to 12 months, sheep 5 to 9 months
and swine 6 to 8 months, require 1-4 of a full dose.
A colt 5 to 9 months old, calves 3 to 6 months, lambs 3 to 5, and pigs
3 to 6 months old, may have 1-8 of a full adult dose.
Colts 1 to 5 months old, calves 1 to 3 months, lambs 1 to 3 months, and
pigs 1 to 3 months old, may have 1-16 of the dose.
Nervous, excitable animals require less than others. The continued
use of medicines renders their action slow and decreases their power.
The influence of disease also checks or modifies action. In diseases of
the brain, and spinal cord, and in impaction of the stomach, doubl«
514 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
quantities must sometimes be given, while in low fevers one-half th«
usual quantity may produce evil, and sometimes prove fatal.
As a rule, anod}Ties, narcotics, sedatives, stimulants and anti-spasmodios
ma}' be repeated once in four hours until the required effect is produced.
Twice daily ma}'^ be given as the rule for alteratives, refrigerants, tonics,
diaphoretics and febrifuges.
Emetics should be repeated every five or ten minutes and their action
induced by opening the mouth and irritating the throat with a feather.
If the animal will drink, give large draughts of slightly warm water.
Emetics are not given to horses.
Purgatives should not be given the second time until the first has had
full time to operate. In the horse not before 36 hours ; cattle and sheep
12 to 15 hours ; swine in 7 to 10 hours.
Draughts of tepid water, or warm gruel assist the operation of purgatives.
A ball is not to be made round, but longer than it is wide and not
larger than a walnut for horse or ox. It must be small enough so an
animal may swallow it easily. Balls are made of drugs in powders mixed
into a semi-solid state with honey or molasses and linseed meal, and cov-
ered with oiled tissue paper.
Drenches (liquid medicines) are made as infusions, with warm or cold
water, or as decoctions with boiling water. Powdered substances not
solvent in water are mixed with thick gruel or mucilage.
A ball is best given with the aid of a balling iron. This has been pre-
viously described. Put the iron between the front of the jaws, and place
the ball well back on the tongue with the hand. Hold the head well up
until swallowed. This may be aided by stroking the throat next the jaws.
Liquids are given from a horn or thick quart bottle with a pretty long
neck, such as a champagne bottle. No liquid or irritating medicine should
be given until sufficiently diluted with water so that it will not injure the
mouth if held therein some minutes.
Oil of turpentine, croton oil, and other strong irritating substances
that will not mix with water, should be mixed with palm or olive oil,
milk beaten with eggs, or it may be given in mucilage as the case may
require.
PoM-erful agents, that do not irritate, act promptly injected under the
skin with a hypodermic s^nringe. A surgeon's advice should be used in
administering them.
Injections are given with a horse sjringe. There are patent injectors
that pump in the liquid continuously. "We have described an implement
that works well, by gra\'ity, and is easily made. Small syringes are used
for injecting abscesses. Also the hypodermic syringe for injecting under
the skin.
CHAPTER XX.
IMPLEMENTS AND APPARATTTS.
"Wliat to Keep, and How to Use Them.
Catheter. — This is a round gutta percha tube, with one end open, the
ather rounded and near the end with two openings. Used to draw away
the water when the horse is unable to pass it naturall}'. They are also
introduced into deep ulcers, and liquid injected through them by means
of a syringe. In using the catheter, it should be well oiled and carefully
awd slowly pushed along the orifice or canal.
Drawing Tcnife. — Frog knife. The knife in common use by black-
smiths ; a thin blade with a shaqDly-curyed end fixed in a handle, and
used in cutting into and paring the hoof.
Firing iron. — A heayy, blunt-edged blade fixed in a handle, and some-
times used for blistering when the actual cautery is considered necessary.
Valuable in skillful hands.
Forceps. — These are pincers with long jaws, and used for extracting
splinters, pieces of bone, or for seizing arteries in order to tie them up.
Knives. — These should be always keen and should be both sharp and
round-pointed. A heayy bistoury is a long, narrow-bladed knife for
opening deep wounds and abscesses.
Lancet. — These are of three kind : the thumb lancet, the spring lan~
eet and the fleam. The thumb lancet is gauged by the thumb, the spring
lancet by a spring, and the fleam is struck by a hard wood stick. Always
make the incision lengthwise of the vein.
Ligatures. — Cords for t^ing arteries, and in t^ing, a surgeon's knot
should be used. Instead of passing the end of the cord once round the
other, pass it twice around before drawing tight. It will hold securely.
Probes. — These are made of silyer^\li'e, with the ends slightly knobbed.
They are useful in exploring wounds.
RoiceL — This is a ring of leather, an inch or so in diameter, the rim
33
516 ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR.
being about a quarter of an inch wide. It is wrapped with flax or
thread moistened with turpentine, and pushed down into a pocket made
in the skin, to induce a running sore. They are little used now; setons
accomplishing the object fully.
Setons. — A cord or ligature of leather thrust in, under and out of the
^kin, and tied. It is soaked with turpentine or smeared with irritating
compounds, and turned every day, the object being to promote and keep
up a discharge of pus, and reduce inflammation.
Seton needles. — These are broad, curved blades, with a round shaft
eighteen inches long, and with an eye at the blunt end. Used for thread-
ing setons of tape, cord or leather into wounds made. Needles for sew-
ing up wounds are of several sizes, curved, square needles.
Tents. — These are pledgets of tow, lint or other substances introduced
into wounds to cause them to form matter. They should be moistened
with Venice turpentine.
Twitch. — A loop of leather or strong cord, fastened securely upon a,
stout handle two feet long. Used for holding refractory horses, or dur.
ing surgical or other operations. Pass the upper lip through the loop,
and twist until sufficient force can be used to keep the animal still.
Hopples. — Ropes for casting a horse. They should be each twenty-
five feet long. Have two strong straps of leather double, with a two
inch seam between, and so they may be buckled tight to the fetlock.
Fasten both ropes securely to the bottom of a collar placed on the horse's
neck. Or if the rope is long enough, loop the middle to the collar ;
buckle a strap securely to each hind pastern, pass the ends of the rope
through the rings, and back through the collar. One man manages the
head to bring the horse down properly and easily, while assistants pull
forcibly on the ropes ahead. A horse should never be cast except upon
a thick, soft bed of straw or tan bark. If it is simply wished to hopple
the horse, fasten the ends of the rope to the collar, and of such a length
that the horse cannot kick.
Slings. — These are an apparatus to suspend a horse's weight in case of
fracture, rheumatism, or other diseases when the animal cannot bear full
weight on the limbs. First a broad strip of leather or strong canvas two
feet wide and six or seven feet long, stiffened at the ends by being sewn
around smooth billets of wood. To this a breeching is attached to pass
around the buttocks, and others to and about the breast, to hold it se-
curely. Loops must be fastened to the billets at the ends of the girdle of
sufficient strensfth to bear the weight of the animal. Double blocks and
pulleys are attached to these, suspended at proper points, and thus the
animal is lifted and suspended so as to bear much or little weight on his
limbs.
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