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THE HORSE, 
 
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 pa i U-fCr 
 
 THE STABLE AND THE FIELD 
 
 HIS VARIETIES, 
 
 MANAGEMENT IN HEALTH AJTD DISEASE, 
 
 EDITOR OP “the pield;” 
 
 AUTHOR OP “ BRITISH RURAL SPORTS,’* ETC. 
 
 TRATED WITH ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ENGRAVINGS BY B ARRAU D. 
 H. WEIR, ZWECKER, ETC. 
 
 NEW EDITION . 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS,«L 
 
 THE BROADWAY, LUDGATE. 
 
 1871. 
 
Cp ^ Cp v V 
 
 w\u 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 AGRICULTURE LIBRARY 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 We believe it may be asserted, without fear of contradiction, 
 that no book has yet been published, in the English or any 
 other language, which even professes to give a complete descrip- 
 tion of the Natural History, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, and 
 General Management of the Horse, in a form and style suited to 
 the country gentleman of the nineteenth century. It is true, that 
 some of these departments are adequately described in separate 
 works ; but they are generally writen in technical language, suited 
 rather to the Veterinary Student than for the use and compre- 
 hension of the ordinary reader. The writings of Percivall in 
 England, and of Girard, Chauveau, and Colin in France, contain 
 full and accurate details of the Anatomy and Physiology of this 
 animal ; while the Structure and Diseases of his foot have been 
 e subjects of various elaborate treatises by Bracy Clark, Spooner, 
 C<. eman, and Turner, in this country. But in order to reach the 
 information which he requires, the reader has to wade through 
 many long and wearisome chapters, wholly irrelevant to the prac- 
 tical subjects in which he is interested, and he therefore gives 
 up the study in disgust as a hopeless task. So also, in reference 
 to the general diseases of the horse, Percivall’s “ Hippopathology ” 
 is a mine of information ; but it is so elaborate, and so diffuse in 
 style also, that it is consequently never or rarely seen on the 
 library shelves of the private gentleman. Stable management was 
 well described by Stewart, of Edinburgh, five-and-twenty years 
 ago, and his work still continues to be the best manual on this 
 particular subject ; but since it was written many great changes 
 
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IV 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 have been introduced into general use, and it is therefore now 
 somewhat Jbehind the times. For these reasons the author of this 
 work has thought that a book, combining all the above subjects* 
 treated in a practical manner, and in a style popularly intelligible, 
 yet containing the most recent views of eminent authorities in 
 veterinary knowledge, would supply a deficiency which has long 
 been complained of by all who are interested in the proper 
 management of the horse. 
 
 In order to compress within the limits of one volume the infor- 
 mation which has hitherto been spread over so many, it has been 
 necessary to forego all attempts at illustration by anecdote or by 
 records of cases ; and the several chapters, therefore, will be found 
 to contain only what is absolutely necessary for the elucidation 
 of each subject, with the aid of numerous engravings, carefully 
 executed by the Messrs. Dalziel, after drawings by Barraud, 
 H. Weir, Zwecker, Scott, &c. &c. For the first 304 pages the 
 author has drawn solely upon his own resources ; but in the 
 remaining chapters he has received the assistance of two veterinary 
 surgeons of good standing in their profession. Since the first 
 edition appeared, the chapters on the anatomy of the bones and 
 ligaments have been entirely rewritten, and numerous errors which 
 had crept in there and elsewhere, from causes which it is un- 
 necessary to explain, have been carefully corrected. It is therefore 
 hoped that the utility of the book, which has been so well received 
 by the public in its imperfect state, will be increased as an aid to 
 the large class for whom it was mitten; and if the author has 
 succeeded in attaining this object, it will be a source of pride and 
 gratification to him that he has been enabled to promote the 
 interests of those who keep horses, as well as to ameliorate the 
 treatment of the noble animal which forms the subject of his book. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OP THE HORSE. 
 
 VAUE 
 
 The Horse of Scripture— The Greek Horse— That of the Romans — The Arab 
 of Antiquity — Egyptian, Libyan, Numidian, and Moorish Horses — The 
 Original British Horse — Ancient Methods of Using the Horse ..... I 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 NATURAL HISTORY AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 
 
 synonyms and Classification in the Scale of Creation— Habits — External 
 Form, as indicated by Points — Proportions— Period of Maturity — Average 
 Age — Periodical Moulting— Mental Development — Small Stomach . . •. 5 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE HORSES OP THE EAST. 
 
 The Barb — tfie Egyptian Horse — The Horses of Dongola and Abyssinia — 
 Other African Horses — The Modern Arab — The Persian Horse — The Turk- 
 ish Horse — Other Asiatic Horses— The Australian Horse . . . . . . 15 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE HORSES OP THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. . 
 
 The South American Horse— The Mustang — The Indian Pony — The Cana- 
 dian Horse— The Morgan Horse— The Amercian Trotter — The Narraganset 
 Pacer — The American Thoroughbred— The Vermont Cart-horse — The Co- 
 nestoga Draught-horse 27 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL HORSES. 
 
 Spanish and Portuguese Horses— The Italian Horse — The German Horse — 
 
 The French Horse— The Flemish Horse— The Hanoverian Horse— The 
 Russian Horse — The Norwegian and Swedish Horses 44 
 
VI 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 General History — The English Thoroughbred Horse of 1750— -His Origin — 
 
 The Modern Thoroughbred— Increase of Size and Symmetry — Comparative 
 Stoutness— Early Maturity— Object of Encouraging the Breed— Essentials 
 in the Thoroughbred — Purity of Blood— External Formation — Height — 
 Colour — Coat, Mane, and Tail — The Thoroughbred Hunter and Steeple- 
 chaser . 53 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HALF-BREDS, COBS, AND PONIES. 
 
 The Half-bred Hunter — The Irish Hunter— The Charger — The Covert, Road, 
 and Park Hack— The Ladies’ Horse — Cobs, Galloways, and Ponies— The 
 Carriage, Brougham, or Cabriolet Horse — The Heavy Machiner — The Phae- 
 ton Horse— The Gigster, or Fast Trotter 95 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL AND DRAY HORSES. 
 
 The Old English Black Cart-horse— The Suffolk Cart-horse — The improved 
 Lincolnshire Dray-horse— The Clydesdale Horse — Other mixed Breeds . .112 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ON THE LOCOMOTIVE ACTION IN THE VARIOUS PACES. 
 
 Natural and Acquired Paces — Distribution of Weight — Attitude assumed in 
 Standing — Mode of Progression — The Walk — Trot — Canter— Hand-gallop 
 — Extended Gallop — The Amble — Racking, Pacing, and Running — The 
 Paces of the Manege — Leaping 119 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING APPLICABLE TO THE HORSE. 
 
 Theory of Generation — In-and-in Breeding— Crossing : Advantages and Dis- 
 advantages attending on each Plan— Causes of a “ Hit”— Importance of 
 Health or Soundness in both Sire and Dam — Best Age to Breed from — 
 Time of Year best suited to each Variety of the Horse — Influence of Sire 
 and Dam respectively — Choice of Sire and Dam — Selection of Blood in each 
 Class — The kind of Horse most likely to be Profitable to the Breeder- 
 Concluding Remarks on Breeding 137 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE BROOD MARE AND HER FOAL. 
 
 The Hovel and Paddock — General Management of the Brood Mare — Treat- 
 ment when in Foal — After Foaling— Early Management of the Foal — 
 Weaning — Castration 156 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 vii 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE BREAKING OP THE COLT. 
 
 Mr. Rarey’s Principles and Practice— Ordinary Method of Breaking 
 Saddle— Superiority of the Latter, when properly carried out—] 
 to Harness— Dr. Bunting’s Break 
 
 PAGB 
 
 ■ for the 
 freaking 
 . . . 164 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. • 
 
 STABLES. 
 
 Situation and Aspect— Foundations— Superficial Area and Height required 
 —Stalls versus Loose Boxes— Hay Chamber and Granary— Best Materials 
 for Walls, Floors, Doors, and Windows— Drainage and Water Supply — 
 Ventilation and Lighting — Fittings— Harness Room — Coach-house— Ser- 
 vants’ Rooms— Plans of Stables— Necessity for airing New Stables . . .186 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 STABLE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 The Coachman, Groom, and Helper— Stable Implements, Clothing, & c. — 
 Food and Water — Theory and Practice of Feeding — Bedding— Dressing or 
 Grooming — Clipping, Singeing, and Trimming — Use and Application of 
 Bandages — Management of the Feet — Exercise . ' . . . . . . . .214 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 STABLE MANAGEMENT, CONTINUED. 
 
 Recapitulation of Daily Duties — Proper Temperature — Remedies for Stable 
 Vices and Bad Habits— Preparation for Work — Ordinary Sv/eating — The 
 Turkish Bath— Physic— Final Preparation — Treatment after Work— Sum- 
 mering— A Winter’s Run — The Straw-yard — Care of Saddlery and 
 Harness 256 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 RIDING AND DRIVING. 
 
 Saddles— Bridles — Mounting and Dismounting — The Seat — Management of 
 the Reins— Use of Spurs — Modes of Starting the Horse into his various 
 Paces— Riding to Hounds — Out-door Vices and Bad Habits— Harness — 
 Driving a Single Horse— A Pair— Four-in-Hand 282 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE 
 SKELETON. 
 
 Classification of the various Organs — Structure of Bone — Of the Skeleton in 
 General — The Artificial Skeleton — Number of Bones composing the Ske- 
 leton — General Anatomy of the Spinal Column — Of the Head and Face 
 — Of the Hyoid Arch — Of the Thoracic Arch and Anterior Extremities — 
 
 Of the Pelvic Arch and Hind Extremities — Of the Tail — Of the Fore and 
 Hind Extremities considered as Organs of Locomotion 305 
 
viii 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OP THE SEVERAL BONES. 
 
 The Head — Bones of the Cranium— Of the Face— The Lower Jaw — The 
 Teeth— Os Ilyoides— Character of Vertebrae in General— General Character 
 of the Cervical Vertebrae — Peculiarities of certain Cervical Vertebrae — 
 General Character of the Dorsal Vertebrae — Peculiarities of certain Dorsal 
 Vertebrae — General Character of the Lumbar Vertebrae — Peculiarities of 
 certain Lumbar Vertebrae — Os Sacrum — The Coccygeal Vertebrae — The 
 Ribs and their Cartilages — The Sternum— The Scapula— Humerus— Fore- 
 arm — Carpus and Metacarpus — The Phalangeal Bones — The Pelvis — 
 Femur and Patella— Bones of the Leg— Metatarsal and Posterior Pha- 
 langeal Bones 314 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 
 OF THE JOINTS, AND THE TISSUES ENTERING INTO THEIR COMPOSITION. 
 
 General Remarks — Cartilage— Fibrous Tissue— Fibro-cartilage— Synovial 
 Membranes — Classification of the Joints — Their Movements — Articula- 
 tions of the Vertebral Column — Ligamentum Colli, or Great Cervical 
 Ligament, and other Peculiarities of the Vertebrae of the Neck — Move- 
 ments of the Vertebrae in General, and of certain of their Joints in 
 particular — Thoracic Articulation — Temporo-maxillary Articulation — Pe- 
 culiarities in the Articulations of the Lumbar Vertebrae — Lumbo-sacral 
 Articulation — Coccygeal J oints — Sacro-iliac Articulations — Ischio-pubic 
 Symphysis — The Shoulder Joint — Elbow Joint — Knee Joint — Inter- 
 metacarpal Articulation — Fetlock Joint — Pastern Joint — Coffin Joint — 
 
 Hip Joint— Stifle Joint— Tibio-fibular Articulation — Hock Joint and 
 Articulation between the Bones of the Tarsus — Tarso-metatarsal Articu- 
 lation — Termina Articulation of the Posterior Limbs 34f 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 
 
 Physiology of Muscle — Cutaneous Muscles— Muscles of the Head— Anterior 
 Maxillary Region— Muscles whose office it is to move the Lower Jaw — 
 Muscles of the External Ear — of the Eyelids— Ocular Region — Muscles of 
 the Tongue— of the Pharynx— Laryngeal Region— Superficial Muscles of 
 the Neck and Trunk — Lateral Cervical Region — Inferior Cervical Region 
 — Inferior Cervico-occipital Region— Superior Cervico-occipital Region — 
 Muscles connecting the Scapula with the Head, Neck, and Trunk— of the 
 Thorax — Dorsal Region— Muscles of the Abdomen — Superficial Abdominal 
 Region — Deep Abdominal Region — Pelvic Region— Muscles of the Fore 
 Extremity — External Scapular Region— Antero-inferior Scapular Region — 
 Internal Scapular Region — Postero-internal Scapular Region— Postero- 
 external Scapular Region — Antero-external Humeral Region — Postero- 
 internal Humeral Region — Muscles of the Arm and Fore-leg — Muscles of 
 the Haunch — Gluteal Region — External Ilio-femoral Region— Anterior 
 Ilio-femoral Region— Internal Ilio-femoral Region— Deep Muscles of the 
 Ilio-femoral Region — -Anterior Femoro-crural Region — Posterior Femoro- 
 crural Region 38 ^ 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 THE THORACIC ORGANS AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 
 
 Contents of the Thorax— The Blood— General Plan of the Circulation— The 
 Heart and Arteries— The Veins— Physiology of Respiration— Mechanism 
 of the Pulmonary Apparatus — The Nasal Orifices and Cavities — The Larynx 
 — The Trachea and Bronchi — The Lungs— Pulmonary Glands 40 " 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 IX 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE ABDOMINAL AND PELYIC VISCERA. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 The Abdomen and its Contents — Physiology of Digestion — Absorption — 
 Structure of Glands and Physiology of Secretion — Depuration, and its 
 Office in the Animal Economy — Anatomy of the Salivary Glands, Pharynx, 
 (Esophagus, and Stomach — The Intestines — Liver — Spleen— Pancreas — 
 Kidneys— Pelvis— Bladder— Organs of Generation, Male and Female . . 424 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 THE NERVOUS SVSTEM. 
 
 Physiology of the Nervous System— Chief Divisions of the Nervous System 
 —The Spinal Cord— Medulla Oblongata— The Encephalon— The Sympa- 
 thetic System 439 
 
 CHAPTER XXIY. 
 
 SPECIAL ORGANS. 
 
 The Organ of Smell— The Eye— The Ear— The Organ of Touch— The Foot . 444 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THE DISEASES AND INJURIES OP BONE. 
 
 General Remarks — Splints — Ringbone and Sidebone— Ossification of the 
 Lateral Cartilages— Bone Spavin — Exostosis of the Humerus and Scapula 
 — Fistula of the Withers — Poll Evil — Caries of the Jaw — Osteo Sarcoma 
 — Fractures 453 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 INJURY AND DISEASES OP THE JOINTS, MUSCLES, AND TENDONS. 
 
 Diseases of Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament — of Cartilage and Synovial Mem- 
 brane— Infiamed Tendinous Sheaths — Inflamed Bursae Mucosae — Strains 
 — those of the Back and Loins — of the Shoulder — of the Knee — of the 
 Fetlock — of the Coffin Joint— of the Suspensory Ligaments— of the Back- 
 sinews — Breaking Down— Strains of the Hip Joint, Stifle, and Hock — 
 Curb — Dislocation — Wounds of Joints 467 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE THORACIC ORGANS AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 
 
 General Remarks— Catarrh— Influenza — Bronchitis — Chronic Cough — Laryn- 
 gitis — Roaring, Whistling, &c. — Pneumonia and Congestion — Pleurisy — 
 Pleurodynia— Phthisis— Broken Wind — Thick Wind— Spasm of the Dia- 
 phragm— Diseases of the Heart — of the Blood-vessels in the Chest and 
 Nose 479 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 DISEASES OP THE ABDOMINAL VISCERA AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 
 
 General Remarks — Diseases of the Mouth and Throat — Gastritis— Stomach 
 Staggers— Dyspepsia — Bots — Inflammation of the Bowels — Colic— Diar- 
 rhoea and Dysentery — Strangulation and Rupture— Calculi in the Bowels — 
 Worms — Disease of the Liver — of the Kidneys— of the Bladder— of the 
 Organs of Generation 497 
 
X 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 rAr.R 
 
 Phrenitis, or Mad Staggers— Epilepsy and Convulsions — Megrims — Rabies- 
 Tetanus— Apoplexy and Paralysis — String Halt . 517 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 DISEASES AND INJURIES OF CERTAIN SPECIAL ORGANS. 
 
 Diseases of the Ear — Inflammation of the Eye — Cataract— Amaurosis — Buck 
 Eye— Surfeit— Hidebound — Mange— Lice — Mallenders and Sallenders — 
 Warbles, Sitfasts, and Harness Galls— Grubs — Bites and Stings of In- 
 sects — Swelled Legs — Chapped Heels — Grease — W arts — Corns — Sand- 
 crack — False Quarter— Quiti or — Thrush — Canker — Laminitis — Seedy Toe 
 — Contraction of the Foot — Navicular Disease— Accidents to the Legs and 
 Feet 523 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 
 
 Fevers — Anasarca — Glanders— Farcy . 550 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 OPERATIONS. 
 
 Shoeing— Administration of Chloroform — Methods of Confining the Horse — 
 Bleeding— Firing — Setons and Rowels — Blistering — Castration — Docking 
 and Nicking— Unnerving— Reduction of Hernia— Administration of Physic 
 — Clysters— Back-raking 553 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE ACTION OF MEDICINES, AND THE FORMS IN WHICH THEY ARE 
 PRESCRIBED. 
 
 Alteratives — Anaesthetics — Anodynes— Antacids — Anthelmintics —Antispas- 
 modics — Aperients — Astringents — Blisters — Caustics — Charges — Clysters 
 — Cordials — Demulcents — Diaphoretics — Digestives — Diuretics— Embroca- 
 tions - Emulsions — Expectorants — Febrifuges — Lotions — N arcotics— Refri - 
 gerants — Sedatives — Stimulants — Stomachics — Styptics —Tonics — V ermi- 
 fuges, or orm Medicines 5S3 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIY. 
 
 LrsT of Veterinary Drugs, with their Actions and Doses . . . 59f> 
 
 % APPENDIX. 
 
 On the Law of Soundness, and on the Purchase and Sale of Horses. 303 
 
THE HORSE 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY HISTORY OF THE HORSE. 
 
 THK HOUSE OF SCRIPTURE — THE GREEK HORSE — THAT OF THE ROMANS THE ARAB OF 
 
 ANTIQUITY — EGYPTIAN, LIBYAN, NU MIDI AN) AND MOORISH HORSES' — THE ORIGINAL 
 BRITISH HORSE — ANCIENT METHODS OF USING THE HORSE. 
 
 THE HORSE OE SCRIPTURE. 
 
 The earliest record of the Horse which we possess is in the Old 
 Testament, where we first find him inferentially mentioned in the thirty- 
 sixth chapter of Genesis, as existing in the wilderness of Idumea aboui 
 the beginning of the sixteenth century before Christ. Many commenta- 
 tors, however, render the word which is translated “ mules ” in our version, 
 as “ waters,” and thus a doubt is thrown upon the correctness of the in- 
 ference which is thence drawn. Moreover, in the thirty-second chapter of 
 Genesis, camels, goats, sheep, cattle and asses are all severally alluded to, 
 but no horses ; so that it is highly probable that in the time of Jacob, 
 whose departure from Laban is there narrated, horses were unknown to 
 the Israelites. It was not until after their arrival in Egypt that the horse 
 is clearly alluded to. Jacob, on his deathbed, leaves ns no room to douot 
 his knowledge of the horse, and of its being domesticated, for he speaks 
 of the “ horse and his rider” in the same sentence. We need, therefore, 
 go no further for a proof of the early existence of this animal in Egypt,., 
 and may assume that there were large numbers of them there, for Pharaoh 
 is recorded to have taken “ six hundred chosen chariots, and c" 1 the horses,” 
 to pursue the Israelites to the Red Sea. It is generally supposed from 
 the omission of all mention of horses w T hile the Israelites were in Arabia, 
 that this country, which has since become so celebrated for them, was at 
 that time entirely without them. The proof, however, is entirely of a 
 negative character, though I confess that it is as strong as any of that 
 nature can well he. Indeed, six hundred years later, Arabia could not 
 have been remarkable in any way for her horses, for Solomon, while he 
 resorted to her for silver and gold, mounted his cavalry from Egypt. Yet 
 the latter country could ; scarcely he the native land of the horse, not pos- 
 sessing the extensive plains which are peculiarly suited to his existence in 
 a wild state, and it is considered probable that he was introduced from the 
 central regions of Africa, which are undoubtedly the native plains of the 
 Quagga, the Zebra, and some other congeners of the Horse ; hut where, 
 curiously enough, he is not now found in a wild state. Thence lie would 
 
 B 
 
THE HOUSE. 
 
 naturally find his way into Egypt, and through Arabia to Persia, Tartary, 
 md Greece, ultimately reaching Great Britain ; but in what century he 
 was introduced there we are quite at a loss to conjecture. 
 
 THE GBEEK HOBSE. 
 
 Of the precise form of the Horse of Scripture we have no account, 
 beyond the glowing language of Job, which will apply to almost any 
 variety possessing the average spirit of the species. The horse of the 
 Greeks is far better known, being handed down to us in the writings of 
 Xenophon, and preserved in the marble friezes of the Parthenon, which 
 are now removed to our own National Museum. The above Greek writer, 
 in giving his advice on the purchase of a horse, says, “ On examining the 
 feet, it is befitting first to look to the horny portion of the hoofs, for those 
 horses which have the horn thick are far superior in tlieir 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 be known by the sound of 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 hoof and below the fetlocks 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, however, be too low and springy, for in that case, the 
 fetlocks are liable to be abraded and wounded, if the horse be gallopped 
 over clods or stones. The bones of the shanks 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 
 gallopped in difficult ground, they will necessarily be filled with blood, 
 and will become varicose, so that the shanks will be thickened, and the 
 skin 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, bend his knees flexibly at a walk, you 
 may judge that he will have his legs flexible when in full canter ; for all 
 norses as they increase in years increase in the flexibility of the knee. 
 And flexible goers are esteemed highly, and with justice, for such horses 
 are much less liable to blunder or to 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 for strength, 
 and because it causes a handsomer action of the fore-legs, which do not 
 then interfere, but are carried wide apart. And 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 towards the crest, and slack towards 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 on 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 not attempt to run away by bringing in, but by thrusting out, 
 their heads and necks. It is also very necessary to observe whether the 
 mouth be fine or hard on both sides, or on one or the other. Eor horses 
 
THE ROMAN HORSE. 
 
 S 
 
 which have not both jaws equally sensitive, are likely to be hard-mouthed 
 on one side or the other. And it is better that a horse should have promi- 
 nent than hollow eyes, for such a 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 
 nostrils to their full width. And the loftier the crest, and 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 shoulder. A double loin is also softer to sit upon, and 
 pleasanter to look at, 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. The shorter and broader the loin, the more 
 easily will the horse raise 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 mm 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, he will bring his hind 
 legs under him 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.” 
 
 Here we have described, in most exact terms, a cobby but spirited and 
 corky horse, with a light and somewhat peculiar carriage of the head and 
 neck, just as we see represented in the Elgin marbles. 
 
 THE ROMAN HORSE. 
 
 Op the Roman Horse we know far less than of that of the Greeks ; 
 but the fact of its inferiority to those of the surrounding nations is 
 established, for no sooner were they brought into collision with the 
 cavalry of Macedonia and Epirus than they succumbed. This could 
 only be owing to the quadruped, for the Roman foot-soldier was still 
 unmatched. Csesar depended for his cavalry upon Gallic horses, which 
 were able to ride down the Roman horses of his rival Pompey without 
 the slightest difficulty. So also Crassus was unable to make head in Asia 
 against the Parthian horse ; and from his day until British horses were 
 transported to Oriental soil, the superiority of Asiatic horses remained 
 undisputed. 
 
 THE ARAB OE ANTIQUITY. 
 
 The Arab of the present day is said by his countrymen to be the 
 same in form, in courage, and in endurance, with the horse which existed 
 in Arabia before the time of Christ. I have shown that there is every 
 reason to believe that the Israelites who dwelt in Arabia had no horses 
 in the time of Jacob, and therefore it is scarcely likely that this variety 
 could have arrived at its present state of excellence much before the 
 commencement of the Christian era. But beyond the traditional accounts 
 which are preserved in the various tribes, there is no means of arriving 
 at the truth, and they are to be regarded with considerable suspicion 
 Buffon comes to the conclusion, nevertheless, that Arabia is the birthplace 
 of this animal, and his opinions are followed by a host of subsequent 
 
 b 2 
 
4 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 writers ; but I have already given the reasons for the contrary conclusion. 
 The dry nature of the country, and the scantiness of herbage, show that 
 in a wild state the horse could hardly exist there, and that it is only by 
 the care and superintendence of man that the Arabian horse has become 
 so famous. 
 
 EGYPTIAN - , LIBYAN, NUMIDIAN, AND MOORISH HORSES. 
 
 The Egyptian Horse is handed down to us on some of the sculptures 
 found in the ruins of Nineveh ; the carvings of which are in a high state 
 of preservation, and are very elaborate and spirited. Even the superficial 
 veins are carefully rendered ; and luence ^we may place some reliance upon 
 the fidelity of the portraiture. In all these bas-reliefs the animal is 
 represented with a large and coarse head, a high crest, and a heavy, 
 lumbering body, not 'very dissimilar to the Flemish horse of the nine- 
 teenth century. 
 
 Of the Libyan, Numidian, and Moorish horses, which are alluded to 
 by classic writers, we know little beyond the cursory description of 
 Alian, who says that they were slenderly made, and carried no flesh. . 
 
 THE ORIGINAL BRITISH HORSE. 
 
 The nature of the original stock which formed the foundation of the 
 modern European horse is extremely doubtful. In Great Britain horses' 
 bones are found in caves which are of extreme antiquity, but they do not 
 define with any certainty the form of the original British horse, nor can 
 we, with certainty, arrive at the exact era at which the animals to which 
 they belonged lived and died. It is, however, an ascertained fact that 
 when the Romans invaded Great Britain they found the people in posses- 
 sion of horses, and using them for their chariots as well as for the purposes 
 of riding. After the irruption of the Goths, and the commencement of 
 the dark ages, we have no reliable history to guide us, and we are left to 
 grope in the dark from the fourth century, when Yegetius wrote on the 
 veterinary art, until the time of the Stuarts, when attention was first paid 
 to the improvement of the breed of horses in this country. 
 
 ANCIENT METHODS OF USING THE HORSE. 
 
 The mode of using the horse adopted by the ancients was at first by 
 harnessing him to a rude chariot, without springs. In course of time, the 
 grooms who took care of him found that they could manage him while on 
 his back without the aid of the saddle and bridle, which are comparatively 
 modern inventions. Hence, we see the horse represented in the Elgin 
 marbles as ridden without either the one or the other ; and there is also 
 abundant written testimony in support of this mode of equitation being 
 practised by the early Greeks. This ingenious people, however, invented 
 the snaffle-bridle, and both rode and drove with its aid, after the esta- 
 blishment of the Olympian games, in which chariot races formed an 
 essential feature. The curb-bit was invented by the Romans, or, at all 
 events, was first used by them; but both that people and the Greeks 
 were ignorant of the use of the stirrup, and either vaulted on their horses, 
 or used the back of a slave as a stepping-stone, or sometimes had recourse 
 to a short ladder for the purpose. The earliest period when it can be 
 proved that the stirrup was in use was in the time of the Norman 
 invasion of this country. The incidents of this event in history were 
 
5 
 
 SYNONYMS AND CLASSIFICATION. 
 
 f 
 
 recorded on the Bayeux tapestry by the wife of William the Conqueror, 
 and on this the stirrup was depicted, according to the authority of 
 Berenger, as a part of the trappings of the horse. Shoeing was not 
 practised by either the Greeks or Bomans, and only in cases of lameness 
 was the foot defended by a sandal, which, however, was sometimes tipped 
 with iron. 
 
 Until some time after the installation of the Olympian Games 
 the use of the horse was confined to war and the chase. These games 
 were held every four years, and are supposed to have commenced about 
 774 years before Christ, and as it was not until the twenty-third Olympiad 
 that the horse was introduced in the arena, the birth of horse-racing may 
 be fixed at about the year 680 b.c. At first the horses were ridden, and 
 the distance was about four miles, but in the twenty-fifth Olympiad the 
 chariot was introduced, and after this time became the prevailing instrument 
 of testing the speed and powers of the Grecian horse. Here, also, the 
 distance was about four miles, but as a pillar was to be rounded several 
 times, the race depended quite as mueh on the skill of the charioteer as 
 on the qualities of his horses. 
 
 CHAPTEB II. 
 
 natural history and general characteristics. 
 
 9 
 
 SYNONYMS AND CLASSIFICATION IN THE SCALE OF CREATION — HABITS — EXTERNAL 
 
 FORM AS INDICATED BY POINTS — PROPORTIONS — PERIOD OF MATURITY — AVERAGE 
 # AGE — PERIODICAL MOULTING — MENTAL DEVELOPMENT — SMALL STOMACH. 
 
 SYNONYMS AND CLASSIFICATION. 
 
 The Horse, in English, is synonymous with SWos, Greek ; equus, 
 Latin ; pferd, German ; cheval , French ; paard, Dutch ; hast , Swedish ; 
 hest , Danish ) cavallo , Italian ; caballo , Spanish ; loschad, Bussian ; Icon 
 Polish ; sukh, Turkish ; hymn , Syriac ; hozan, Arabic ; at, Toorkman ; 
 ma, Siamese ) far or pur , Bornou ; barree , Timbuctoo ; as, Pustoo. 
 
 In the classification adopted by modem natural historians he belongs 
 to the division Vertebrata , class Mammalia , tribe Ungulata , order Pachy- 
 dermata , family Solijieda, and genus Equus. 
 
 His dental formula is as follows : — Incisors J, canine (in the male 
 only) i molars | |, total 40. 
 
 HABITS. 
 
 The Habits of the horse in a wild or free state, are similar to those of 
 most of the gregarious and graminivorous animals. That is to say, he 
 places his safety in flight ; but when compelled to make a stand against 
 any of the larger carnivora, he fights strongly with his heels and teeth. In 
 all countries he feeds upon grass, (green, or dried as hay,) straw or grain ; 
 in addition to which articles may be placed camels milk, which is used 
 occasionally in the deserts of Arabia, when the usual supply of food is 
 altogether deficient. In a free state, where the horse has to travel far for 
 his food, he becomes inured to fatigue, and is able to make long journeys, 
 without the training which the domesticated animal requires. Thus the 
 
6 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 South American and Californian horses, immediately after being taken 
 with the lasso, are able to carry their riders for sixty or seventy miles on 
 end at a fast pace, suffering, of course, from the unaccustomed pressure of 
 the saddle, but not otherwise the worse for their exertions. The walk 
 and gallop are the only natural paces of the wild horse ; the trot and 
 canter being acquired, though to some extent exhibited by the domesti- 
 cated horse before breaking, and evidently the result of the tendency 
 which is always displayed to hand down from one generation to another 
 habits which are not natural to the species. 
 
 EXTEENAL FOEM, AS INDICATED BY POINTS. 
 
 The anatomy of this animal will form the subject of a special division 
 of this book, but the external form may now be discussed with propriety. 
 By horsemen in general this is considered under certain subdivisions, 
 which are called “ points,” and which are severally represented by figures 
 in the following outline. 
 
 HEAD. 
 
 1. Muzzle. 
 
 2. Nostril. 
 
 3. Forehead. 
 
 4. Jaw. 
 
 5. Poll. 
 
 NECK. 
 
 6. 6. Crest 
 
 7. Thropple or windpipe. 
 
 FORE-QUAKTER, 
 
 8. 8. Shoulder-blade. 
 
 9. Point of shoulder. 
 
 10. Bosom or breast. 
 
 11. 11. Tru e-arm. 
 
 12. Elbow. 
 
 13. Forearm (arm). 
 
 14. Knee. 
 
 15. Cannon-bone. 
 
POINTS OF TI1E HORSE. 
 
 7 
 
 1 6. Back sinew. 
 
 17. Fetlock or pastern -joint. 
 
 18. Coronet 
 
 19. Hoof or foot. 
 
 20. Heel. 
 
 29. The sheath. 
 
 30. The ruot of the dock or tail. 
 
 THE HIND-QUARTEK. 
 
 girth. 
 
 25. The loins. 
 20. The croup. 
 27. The hip. 
 23. The flank. 
 
 barrel or chest). 
 
 24. 24. The circumference of the 
 
 21. Withers. 
 
 22. Back. 
 
 23. 23. Ribs (forming together the 
 
 BODY OR MIDDLEPI EC G. 
 
 chest at this point, called the 
 
 31. The hip-joint, round, or whirl-bone. 
 
 32. The stihe-joint. 
 
 33. 33. Lower thigh or gaskin. 
 
 34. The quarters. 
 
 35. The hock. 
 
 36 The point of the hock. 
 
 37. The curb place. 
 
 38. The cannon-bone, 
 
 39. The back sinew. 
 
 40. Pastern or fetlock-joint. 
 
 41. Coronet. 
 
 42. Foot or hoof. 
 
 43. Heel. 
 
 44. Spavin-place. 
 
 The relative proportions and exact shape desirable in, each of 
 these points, vary considerably in the several breeds. Thus, when speed 
 and activity are essential, an oblique shoulder-blade is a sine qud non ; while 
 for heavy harness it can scarcely be too upright, enabling the pressure of 
 the collar to be more easily borne, and allowing the animal to exert his 
 strength at right angles to its long axis. Many men are good judges of 
 hunters and hacks, hut are almost wholly ignorant of the qualities desirable 
 in a coach or cart-horse. There are some elements, however, which are 
 wanted in any horse, such as big hocks and knees, flat legs with large 
 sinews, open jaws and full nostrils. It will, therefore, be necessary to de- 
 scribe the points of each breed; but I shall here give those which are 
 always to be attended to as being of importance in any kind, whether used 
 for racing or hunting, for the road or for agricultural purposes. 
 
 Taking first the head : — It should be known, that the volume of brain 
 contained within it determines the courage and other mental qualities of 
 the individual. How as, cceteris paribus. , size is power, so without a wide 
 forehead (which part marks the seat of the brain), you cannot expect a full 
 development of those faculties known as courage, tractability, good temper, 
 &c. The size of the muzzle is partly regarded as an element of beauty, 
 and partly as a sign of high breeding. Hence, in the cart-horse, a coarse 
 jaw and thick muzzle are not regarded. A large and patent nostril can 
 not be dispensed with in horses intended for fast work, and should be 
 desired even in the cart-horse, for in drawing heavy loads on a hot day, 
 his breathing may be rendered almost as laborious as that of the highly- 
 tasked racehorse or hunter. So also with the jaw, if there is not ample 
 width between the two sides for the development and play of the larynx 
 and windpipe, the wind is sure to be affected, and, in addition, the head 
 cannot be nicely bent on the neck. A defect in this last point is the 
 usual cause of that straight and inelegant setting on of the head which is 
 so common, and which the practised horseman avoids, as alike unsightly 
 and prejudicial to the wind and the mouth ; for a horse which cannot give 
 way to the pressure of the hit is sure to become dull in his mouth, and 
 therefore unpleasant to ride or drive. The eye is to be examined with a 
 twofold purpose, firstly, as an index of the temper, the nature of which is 
 marked by the expression of this organ ; and secondly, in reference to its 
 present state of soundness, and the probability of its continuing healthy. 
 A full and clear eye, with soft, gazelle-like expression, is scarcely ever 
 associated with a had temper, and will most frequently continue sound, if 
 the management of the horse to which it belongs is proper in itself. The 
 
9 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 ear should be of medium size, not too small, nor too large, nor should it 
 be lopped, though many good lop-eared horses have been known, and 
 some very superior breeds, like that of the celebrated Melbourne, are 
 notorious for this defect. 
 
 The Neck should be of moderate length, all beyond a certain dimension 
 being waste, and even a moderate-sized head at the end of an extremely 
 long lever being too much for the muscles to support. It should come out 
 full and muscular, with a sweep between the withers and the bosom, and 
 should gradually diminish till it runs into the head, with an elegant bend 
 just behind the ear. A very narrow throat suddenly bent at the upper 
 part, marked as the thropple, is apt to be connected with roaring, and on 
 that account is objected to by horsemen. 
 
 In the Fore-quarter, there are several points to be attentively ex- 
 amined, and among these, the shoulder is regarded as of most consequence, 
 when the horse under consideration is intended for the saddle. It is 
 evident that, unless there is length of the blade, and also of the true arm, 
 there cannot be a full surface for the attachment and play of the muscles, 
 nor can there be the same amount of spring to take off the jar which follows 
 each footfall. The straighter the angle formed by the long axis of each 
 of these bones, the less spring there will be. So, also, if the angle is not 
 sufficient, the muscles of the shoulder-blade will not thrust forward the 
 true arm, nor will the latter be sufficiently clothed with muscles (withoffi 
 being loaded) to act on the fore-arm, commonly known by the horseman 
 as the arm. Hence it is found, that with an upright shoulder, not only 
 is the stride in all the paces short and the action stumpy, but there is not 
 that elastic movement which enables the horse to carry his body along 
 rapidly and evenly, without rising alternately behind and before, and 
 thereby jarring himself or his rider. On the other hand, the upright 
 shoulder, loaded with a thick mass of muscles, is useful in the cart-horse, 
 and to a certain extent also, in the carriage-horse, in both of which the 
 pressure of the collar requires a steady and comparatively motionless sur- 
 face to bear it. The difference between the two extremes of oblique and 
 upright shoulders is well illustrated in the accompanying woodcut, in which 
 it will be seen that in the former the angle between the blade (a) and the 
 true arm (6) is very considerable., while in the latter it is much less. 
 Hence it results, that when the muscles of the blade bring the axis of the 
 arm into nearly the same line with its own axis, the forearm (e) in the 
 oblique shoulder will be thrust forward and raised to a greater degree 
 than in the upright formation, as is shown in the engraving in the parts 
 represented by dotted lines ( d e). It follows, therefore, that horses intended 
 to have high, and at the same time forward, action should have oblique 
 shoulders, for without them they will almost to a certainty either have 
 very mean and low action, or, if they do bend their knees, they will put 
 their feet down again nearly on the same place as they took them from, 
 which peculiarity we so often see displayed in the cart breed, or those 
 nearly allied to it. This is one of the most important uses of the 
 obliquity of the shoulder blade as it seems to me, and one which has not 
 been generally admitted by writers on this branch of the subject, though 
 all are ready to admit that in some way or other this formation is essential 
 to good action. Another reason for the obliquity of the shoulder in the 
 riding-horse, is that without it the saddle is not kept back in its proper 
 place, and the horseman’s weight being thus thrown too forward, the action 
 of the fore-quarter is impeded. Mere obliquity, however, is not sufficient for 
 this purpose ; for, without a proper development of muscle, the blade itself 
 
F0I1TTS (3<F THE HORSE. 9 
 
 will not keep the saddle in its place. If,, therefore, there is a hollow just 
 behind the top of the blade, even if this is slanting enough, you must ex- 
 pect the saddle to slip forward, and should, in all doubtful cases, be careful 
 to put one on before concluding a purchase. The point of the shoulder 
 should be well developed, but not showing any rough protuberances which 
 are equally objectionable with a flat or ill-developed point. The length 
 of the true arm is mainly dependent upon that of the blade ; but sometimes, 
 when this is oblique enough, the true arm is short and upright, and the 
 
 elbow stands under, or only a little behind, the shoulder point. This is 
 a very faulty conformation, and is seldom attended with good action. The 
 chief defect in the elbow is seen when it turns inwards, and rubs so closely 
 against the ribs that the finger can hardly be insinuated between them and 
 it. Here the elbow is said to be tied or confined, and the horse is very 
 apt to turn his toes out ; while the opposite formation is indicated by 
 turned-in, or “ pigeon” toes, and turned-out elbows, frequently accom- 
 panying long-standing rheumatism of the shoulders. It does sometimes 
 happen, however, that the toes are turned in or out without affecting the 
 elbow, but- this is an exception to the rule. A long and muscular fore-arm 
 is a sure accompaniment of strong and sweeping action, and should be 
 carefully prized ; in other respects there is little to be noted here. Hext 
 comes the knee, which should be broad, and when looked at from the 
 front should be much wider than the limb above and below. It should 
 taper off backwards to a comparatively thin edge, and should have a good 
 development of the pisiform bone, which projects backwards at its upper 
 part. The leg, immediately below the knee, should be as large as any 
 other part, and not “ tied in ” there, which indicates a weakness of this 
 part. A bending of the knee backwards is called a “ calf-knee,’' and is 
 not objected to in cart-horses, in which it is by no means uncommon ; but 
 it is very apt to lead to strains of this joint in the racehorse or hunter. 
 A knee naturally bending somewhat forward is much preferred by good 
 judges, though, when it is the result of over- work, it is almost equally to 
 
 OBLfQUE SHOULDER’. 
 
 UPRIGHT SHOULDER. 
 
JO 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 bo avoided with the calf-knee. Flat, and at the same time large, cannon . 
 bones, without gumminess, are of great importance, and if attended with 
 a full-sized suspensory ligament, and with strong, clean, and free back 
 sinews, the leg is to be considered faultless. The fetlock-joint should be 
 of good size and clean, whilst the pasterns should form an angle with the 
 ground, of between forty-five and sixty degrees. Lastly, the foot should 
 be well formed ; but the construction of this part being hereafter more 
 fully described, I shall omit its consideration here. 
 
 In the Middlepiece the withers come first under notice. It is usual 
 to desire them high and thin, but they are very commonly too much 
 developed, and if the bony processes stand up like the edge of a razor, 
 without muscle on them, they are to be regarded as objectionable rather 
 than otherwise. The inexperienced horseman is apt to consider the exis- 
 tence of high withers as a sure sign that the saddle will be carried well 
 back, but there are some horses whose withers are the greatest annoyance 
 to the rider, for having upright and short shoulder-blades, together with 
 high withers, the saddle rides forward upon the latter, and chafes them in 
 spite of all the padding which can be introduced. In looking at this 
 point, I believe the purchaser should almost entirely disregard it, except- 
 ing to take care that it is not too high for the formation and position of 
 the shoulder-blades. If these are long, and therefore slanting, and espe- 
 cially if in addition to a proper position of the bones they are furnished 
 with plenty of muscle, the withers may be disregarded, and the action may 
 be expected to be good even if they are so low as to show no rise between 
 the neck and the back. 
 
 The volume of the chest is the measure not only of the capacity of the 
 lungs, but of that of the large organs of digestion. Hence, unless there is 
 a middlepiece of proper size, the wind is seldom good, and the stamina of 
 the individual will scarcely ever be sufficient to bear hard work. But 
 there is a limit to the development of this part in those breeds which are 
 required to move with much velocity, where weight is a great object ; and 
 if the body of the racehorse or hunter was as heavy as that of the dray- 
 horse, the speed would be greatly reduced, and the legs would give way 
 during the first severe gallop. So also, a wide chest interferes with the 
 free and rapid action of the shoulders and arms as they glide on the ribs ; 
 and an open bosom is almost always fatal to high speed. In the racehorse 
 and hunter, therefore, capacity of chest must be obtained by depth rather 
 than width ; while in the cart-horse, a wide chest and a frame roomy in 
 all directions is desired, so as to give good wind, and, at the same time, 
 enable the animal to keep up his flesh while working eight or nine hours 
 per day. For light, quick draught, a formation intermediate between the 
 two is the proper one ; the large frame of the cart-horse being too heavy 
 for the legs to bear at a fast pace, and leading to their rapid destruction 
 in trotting over our modern hard roads. The capacity of the lungs is 
 marked by the size of the chest at the girth ; -but the stamina will depend 
 upon the depth of the back ribs, which should be especially attended to. 
 
 A short back, with plenty of ground covered nevertheless, is the desi- 
 deratum of every practised horseman. Unless the measurement from the 
 shoulder point to the back of the quarters is somewhat greater than the 
 height at the withers, the action is confined, especially in the gallop, for 
 the hind legs cannot be brought sufficiently forward on account of the 
 interference of the fore-quarter ; and, indeed, from the want of play in 
 the back, they are generally too much crippled in that respect. A horse 
 u short above and long below” is the perfection of shape in this particular, 
 
POINTS OP THE HOUSE. 
 
 11 
 
 but lie is not very commonly met with. Where length below is seen, 
 there is generally too much space between the last rib and the hip , while, 
 on the other hand, coupled with a short back we too often see the legs all 
 “jumped up together,” and the action short and stumpy. Next to these 
 points in the middlepiece it is important to pay attention to the upper 
 line of the back, which should bend down a little behind the withers, and 
 then swell out very gently to the junction with the loins, which can 
 hardly be too wide and muscular. The inexperienced eye will often be 
 deceived by the hips, for if these are narrow the muscles rise above them, 
 and make the loin and back look stronger than they really are, the 
 contrary being the case where the hips are wide and ragged. This latter 
 formation, though not so elegant as the level hip, is prized by the man 
 who wishes to be carried well to hounds, and he will jump at a horse 
 which would be passed over with contempt by the tyro as “ a great raw- 
 boned brute.” A slightly arched loin is essential to the power of 
 carrying weight ; a much arched, or “ hog” back, is almost sure to give 
 uneasy action from its want of elasticity. 
 
 In examining the hind-quarter, so much depends upon the breed, 
 and the purposes to which the animal is to be put, that only a few 
 general remarks can be given. Thus, for high speed, there should be 
 plenty of length in the two bones which unite at the stifle-joint, without 
 which the stride must be more or less limited in extent. The exact posi- 
 tion of the hip-joint not being easily detected, the tyro has some difficulty 
 in estimating the length from it to the stifle-joint, but he can readily 
 measure the length from the root of the tail, either with his eye or with 
 a tape, if he cannot depend upon his organ of sight. In a flat outline 
 this will come to twenty-four inches in a horse of fifteen hands three 
 inches, but measured round the surface it will be two inches more. 
 Again, the lower thigh or gaskin should be of about the same length ; but 
 if measured from the stifle to the point of the hock it will be fully twenty- 
 eight inches in a well-made horse of high breeding. These measurements, 
 however, will be much greater in proportion than those of the cart-horse, 
 who requires strength before all things, and whose stride is of no conse- 
 quence whatever. In him, the length of the upper or true thigh is 
 generally as great as that of the thoroughbred, but the lower thigh is 
 much shorter, and the horse stands with a much straighter hind leg, and 
 consequently with his hocks making a very slight angle. Muscular 
 quarters and gaskins are desirable in all breeds ; for without strong pro- 
 pellers no kind of work to which the horse is put can be duly performed. 
 The judge of a horse generally likes to look at the quarters behind, so as 
 to get a good view of their volume, and unless they come close together, 
 and leave no hollow below the anus, he suspects that there is a want of 
 constitution, and rejects the animal on that account. But not only are 
 muscles of full size required, but there must be strong joints to bear the 
 strain which these exert, and one of the most important of all the points 
 of the horse is the hock. This should be of good size, but clean and flat, 
 without any gumminess or thoroughpins, and with a good clean point 
 standing clear of the rest of the joint ; the “ curby place ” and the situation 
 of spavin should be free from enlargement ; but to detect these diseases 
 a considerable amount of practice is required. Lastly, the hocks should 
 be well let down, which depends upon the length of the thigh, and ensures 
 a short cannon bone. The pasterns and feet should be formed in cor- 
 respondence with those of the fore extremity, to which I have already 
 alluded. 
 
12 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Such are the recognised points to he desired in the horse ; but in spite 
 of the general opinion of good judges being in favour of them, as I have 
 described, no one can predicate with certainty that a horse possessing 
 them all in perfection will have a corresponding degree of action out ol 
 doors. No one who has bought many horses will be content with an 
 inspection in the stable, even if the light is as good as that of the open 
 air, for he well knows that there is often a vast difference between the 
 estimate of the value of a horse which he forms indoors and out. Much 
 of this depends upon the temper of the individual, for if he is dull and 
 heavy he will not “ make a good show,” though still he may be capable 
 of being sufficiently excited by hounds, and many such horses are invalu- 
 able hunters. Independently, however, of this element, it will be some- 
 times found that the frame which looks nearly perfectly symmetrical while at 
 rest, becomes awkward and comparatively unsightly while in motion ; and 
 the horse which is expected to move well will often be sent back to his 
 stall with “ That will do, thank you,” after a single run. 
 
 PROPORTIONS OF THE VARIOUS POINTS. 
 
 The proportions of the component parts of the horse, as I have already 
 remarked, vary a good deal in the different breeds. The following, 
 however, may be taken as the most perfect ; but they refer especially to 
 the racer, hunter, and hack, as well as to the lighter and more blood-like 
 harness horses, and must not be strictly applied to the draught-horse in 
 any of his varieties : — 
 
 This scale is drawn in inches, and, in the outline, the horse is supposed 
 to be fifteen hands three inches, or sixty-three inches high. The measure- 
 ments are the average of those carefully taken from six horses considered 
 
MATURITY. 
 
 13 
 
 to be of perfect symmetry. Two of these were celebrated stallions, two 
 thoroughbred hunters, and two chargers of great value. 
 
 inches. 
 
 Height at withers and croup ... 63 
 
 Length from shoulder-point to 
 
 quarter 66 
 
 From the lowest part of chest to 
 the ground 36 
 
 From the elbow-point to the ground 39 
 From the withers to the pole, just 
 behind the ears, in a straight line 30 
 The same measured along the crest 32 
 
 Length of head 22 
 
 Width across the forehead ... 9J 
 
 inche» 
 
 From the withers to the hip. . . 22 
 
 From the stifle to the point of the 
 hock, in the attitude shown in 
 
 the plan 28 
 
 From the root of tail to stifle-joint 26 
 From the point of the hock to the 
 
 ground 22 § 
 
 Length of arm from the elbow to 
 
 the pisiform-bone 19^ 
 
 From the pisiform-bone to the 
 ground 19 ^ 
 
 Girth varies from 76 to 79. 
 
 Circumference of fore cannon-bone, 7£, 8, 8, 8, 8|, and 9 inches. 
 Circumference of arm just below the elbow, 16^ to 18 inches. 
 
 On comparing these measurements with those of Eclipse, as recorded 
 by St. Bel, it will appear that there is some considerable variation 
 from those of that celebrated horse, which he is- said to have measured 
 during life, and to have also checked his dimensions after death. Thus, 
 though Eclipse was very low before, and yet was sixty-six inches high, 
 his head was twenty-two inches long, being the same as the average length 
 of the six horses given by myself, though they are three inches lower at 
 the withers, and at least five inches lower at the croup. Again, though 
 thus shown to be particularly short, it must have been of extraordinary 
 width ; for, according to the same authority, it measured one foot across 
 below the eyes ; but, as Mr. Percivall remarks, this must be a mistake 
 for above the eyes. Indeed, 1 cannot help thinking, in accordance with the 
 opinions of the above distinguished English veterinarian, that in other 
 respects " there appears some discordance in his admeasurements ” of 
 Eclipse. Nevertheless, it may safely be assumed, according to Mr. 
 Perci vall’s summing up, that “ he was a big horse in every sense of the 
 word ; he was tall in stature, lengthy and capacious in body, and large in 
 his limbs. For a big horse his head was small, and partook of the Arabian 
 character. His neck was unusually long. His shoulder was strong, suffi- 
 ciently oblique, and though not remarkable for, not deficient in, depth. 
 His chest was circular. He rose very little in his withers, being higher 
 behind than before. His back. was lengthy, and over the loins roached. 
 His quarters were straight, square, and extended. His limbs were lengthy 
 and broad, and his joints large, in particular his arms and thighs were 
 long and muscular, and his knees and hocks broad and well formed/’ 
 
 The scale which I have given likewise differs in many particulars, 
 though only slightly, from that which is usually found in treatises on the 
 horse ; but I have preferred trusting to Nature herself rather than to the 
 observations of previous writers, which may be consulted by the reader at 
 any time. 
 
 MATURITY. 
 
 The horse completes his dentition at five years old, when he may be 
 said to be mature. At eight or nine years the lower teeth lose their 
 marks, or black concavities, after which there is no reliable evidence of 
 age, which can however be tolerably accurately guessed at from the length 
 of the front teeth or nippers, and from the general appearance of the 
 horse, especially about the eyes, as will be hereafter shown. 
 
14 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Mares are very commonly allowed to breed in their third year, 
 being put to the horse as two year olds. They often, however, come “ in 
 season” as yearlings, and many would then breed if allowed to be covered. 
 It is found by experience that the foal robs the dam of some part of the 
 nourishment which is destined by nature to develop the maternal frame, 
 and hence the young mare is injured in size and substance if she breeds 
 before she has come very near to maturity. 
 
 AVERAGE AGE. 
 
 The average age of the horse, when allowed to live without the risk 
 of accidents and disease which he incurs in his usual work, is about 
 twenty-five years. Instances of greater longevity are recorded on good 
 authority, and there is reason to believe that occasionally he has reached 
 to thirty-five or even forty years, but these are rare exceptions, and there 
 are few which live beyond the twenty-eighth year, while a large proportion 
 die before the twenty-fifth. Stallions are over-fed and under-exercised 
 in proportion, so that it is no wonder they become diseased, and seldom 
 die from old age ; but brood-mares are not so mismanaged, and it is found 
 that they become quite worn out soon after their twentieth year ; and 
 even if allowed to live they waste away and die by degrees, generally 
 somewhere between their twenty-third and twenty-eighth year. 
 
 PERIODICAL MOULTING. 
 
 The horse sheds his coat once a year in all countries, and in our 
 climate a second half-moult is performed in the autumn, when the summer 
 short coat is partially shed. This second change consists, however, chiefly 
 in a growth of the already existing hairs, which become coarser and longer, 
 especially about the legs and under-parts of the body. At the same time 
 the coat loses its gloss, and the colour is less rich, blacks becoming rusty 
 brown, and bays more yellow or sandy-coloured than before. The hair of 
 the mane and tail is constantly in a state of growth, and is not shed 
 periodically. 
 
 MENTAL DEVELOPMENT. 
 
 In mental development the horse ranks below the dog, but he is 
 capable of a considerable degree of education, though in countries where 
 he is kept constantly confined he does not appear to great advantage in 
 this respect. That he may be made to understand what is said to him is 
 clear enough from the mode of managing farm-horses, which are all taught 
 to obey the voice. I have on one occasion seen a circus-horse walk, trot, and 
 gallop at the word of command, and change his paces on the instant ; but 
 this feat I have never known performed by any other exhibitor, nor do I 
 think it would easily be imitated. It requires a high order of intellect to 
 distinguish between the three paces and change them on the instant, and 
 if I had not myself witnessed the performance on two several occasions 
 I should scarcely have credited it. The brain of this animal does not 
 require much rest by sleep, and four or five hours in quiet are sufficient 
 to keep him hi health if he is not very hard worked. He readily sleeps 
 standing, and some individuals never lie down ; but this habit of sleeping 
 standing should not be encouraged, as it greatly distresses the legs, and 
 tends to produce fever of the feet, or some other mischief in the lower 
 extremities. 
 
THE BARB. 
 
 15 
 
 SMALL STOMACH. 
 
 One of the greatest peculiarities in the structure of the horse is the 
 small size of his stomach, which is also of a very simple nature. He is like- 
 wise without a gall bladder, showing that the digestion must he continuous 
 and not interrupted by distinct intervals, as in the ruminants and carnivora. 
 Nature has thus framed this animal, in order that he may be at all times 
 able to exert his utmost speed, which he could not do with the mass of 
 provender in his stomach which is carried by the cow or sheep. The 
 same provision is shown in the udder of the mare, which is not larger 
 than that of the goat or sheep. 
 
 All these several characteristics of the horse will be more minutely 
 considered under the different heads to which they each belong ; but they 
 arc here grouped together to give a better general idea of the animal which 
 is under examination. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE HORSES OF THE EAST. 
 
 THE BARB — THE EGYPTIAN HORSE — THE HORSES OP DONGOLA AND ABYSSINIA — OTHER 
 AFRICAN HORSES — THE MODERN ARAB — THE PERSIAN HORSE — THE TURKISH HORSE 
 — OTHER ASIATIC HORSES — THE AUSTRALIAN HORSE. 
 
 For the following descriptions of Oriental varieties of the horse I 
 am indebted to the accounts of travellers, having only seen one or two oi 
 them, and those only as single specimens, with the exception of the Arab. 
 
 THE BARB. 
 
 This kind is named after the country in which it is found, which is 
 rather an extensive one, comprehending the states of Tunis, Tripoli, 
 Algiers, Fez, and Morocco, all lying on the northern coast of Africa to the 
 west of Egypt. Vegetation is very luxurious in the valleys watered by 
 the streams which descend from the Atlas Mountains in their course to 
 the Mediterranean, and grass is abundant in the early spring and autumn, 
 but in the summer season the great heat burns it all up ; and therefore the 
 horse is dependent upon the care of man for fodder during a great part of 
 the year. Berenger describes the true Barb as follows : — 
 
 “ The fore-hand is long, slender, and badly furnished with mane ; but 
 the neck rises distinctly and boldly out of the withers ; the head is small 
 and lean ; ears, of good size, and well placed ; shoulders, light, obliquely 
 sloping, and broad ; withers, thin and high ; loins, straight and short ; 
 flanks and ribs, round, and well developed; haunches, strong; croup, 
 somewhat too long ; quarters, muscular and full ; legs, clean, and the 
 tendons clearly marked and separate from the bone ; pasterns, somewhat 
 too long and slanting ; feet, sound and of good shape. In size they are 
 lower than the Arabs, seldom measuring more than fourteen and a half 
 hands, and they have not as much spirit, speed, or endurance, although 
 in external things they are perhaps superior to him.” 
 
 The Godolphin Arabian, of which the annexed cut is a representation, 
 is said to have been imported into France from Barbary, and is supposed 
 to have been presented by the Emperor of. Morocco to Louis XIV. as a 
 fine barb ; but he was thought so little of in Paris that he was set to 
 
16 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 draw a cart about the streets, from which ignoble occupation he was 
 rescued by Mr. Coke, and brought over to England. This gentleman 
 gave him to a Mr. Williams, who kept the St. James’ Coffee-house,- and 
 by him he was presented to the Earl of Godolphin for stud purposes* It 
 
 was, however, only by chance that his value was discovered ; for being used 
 as teazer to Hobgoblin, he was merely put to Roxana on the refusal of 
 that horse to cover her, the produce being Lath, one of the best horses of 
 the day. The Godolphin Arabian was of a brown bay colour, and is 
 said to have been about fifteen hands in height. He is supposed to 
 have been foaled about the year 1724,. and died in 1753. A remarkable 
 feature in this horse is the height of his crest, and he is also invariably 
 represented with round and drooping- quarters*. Several portraits of him 
 are in existence, but all render these points- in the same manner. I am 
 not aware that there are any reliable grounds for considering this 
 celebrated horse as a Barb rather than an Arab, and according to the 
 usual description of the former, his size is against the hypothesis. Still, 
 as he is generally so considered, I have added his description to that of 
 the Barb, leaving my readers to draw their own conclusions. 
 
 THE EGYPTIAN HORSE. 
 
 In the first Chapter I have shown that there is a strong reason for 
 believing that the horse was introduced to Arabia through Egypt, and 
 that the latter country again derived its supply from the central regions 
 of Africa, which probably also furnished the Barbary States. The modern 
 Egyptian horse is a very second-rate animal, and, according to Burckhardt, 
 “is ugly, of coarse shape, and looking more like a cart-horse than a racer.” 
 He says, “ Their legs and knees, and short and thick necks, are frequent 
 defects among them. The head is sometimes fine ; but I never saw good 
 legs in an Egyptian horse. They are not able to bear any great fatigue, 
 
THE MODERN ARAB. 
 
 17 
 
 but when well fed their action occasionally is more brilliant than that of 
 the Arabian ; their impetuosity, however, renders them peculiarly desirable 
 for heavy cavalry, and it is upon this quality alone that their celebrity 
 has ever been founded/’ 
 
 There are said to be some fine breeds in the interior of the country ; 
 but, as a rule, the Egyptian horse stands very low in the estimation of 
 travellers. Of late years more attention has been paid to his breeding by 
 the Viceroy and his subordinates, and it is said that some considerable 
 improvement has taken place. 
 
 THE HORSES OF DONGOLA AND ABYSSINIA. 
 
 The Dongola breed has been celebrated by that trustworthy authority, 
 Mr. Bruce, as of the highest symmetry, size, and strength. He also 
 praises highly their temper and docility, but seems to know nothing of 
 their actual performances. Other writers, however, find fault with their 
 want of substance, and pronounce them to be deficient in stoutness. 
 
 The Abyssinian Horse is generally described as of good size and 
 power, but I know of no reliable authority on which to depend in refer- 
 ence to particular points. 
 
 OTHER AFRICAN HORSES. 
 
 Besides the above distinct breeds of African horses there are several 
 others which are not clearly made out, but to which individual travellers 
 have alluded as, in their opinion, decided varieties of the animal. Thus 
 Mr. Tully speaks of the Bornou horse as superior both to the Barb and 
 Arab, but his statement is not verified by travellers of later date. The 
 South African horse, used by the Kafirs in the recent wars with the 
 Boors of the Cape of Good Hope, is a most wiry and useful animal ; but 
 there is no doubt that he has been greatly altered from the original form 
 of the native horse by crosses with the English and Arabian breeds, which 
 have been obtained by theft. In the early days of this settlement the native 
 horse was very small, seldom reaching to fourteen hands, and though 
 hardy and capable of standing a good deal of work, yet plain and 
 unsightly in appearance. The colonists have so improved this original 
 stock that they can now furnish several thousand horses annually for 
 exportation, averaging fifteen hands in height, and of very superior form 
 and action. They show a great deal of Arabian blood, but many of them 
 bear a strong resemblance to the thoroughbred English horse, several of 
 which breed have been at various times introduced into the colony. 
 
 THE MODERN ARAB. 
 
 The controversy relating to the value of this breed in the stud has 
 raged with such vehemence that it is difficult to obtain an unprejudiced 
 opinion upon it. One thing, however, is quite clear, namely, that to it in 
 great measure we owe the pre-eminence of our English thoroughbred. 
 But how long it would take to bring a modern Arab, even of the highest 
 caste, to the state of perfection in which we find our own West Australians 
 and Stockwells it would be difficult to say. This subject, however, will 
 be better discussed in treating of the English breed itself. 
 
 Ali Bey, who has investigated the subject with great acuteness, and 
 who has had opportunities beyond the reach of ordinary writers, describes 
 six distinct breeds of Arabs. “ The first,” he says, “ named the * Dgelfe/ 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is found in Arabia Felix. They are rare at Damascus, but pretty common 
 in the neighbourhood of Anaze. They are remarkable for speed and fire, 
 yet mild as lambs ; they support hunger and thirst for a long time, are of 
 lofty stature, narrow in the chest, but deep in the girth, and with long 
 ears. A colt of this breed at two years old will cost in his own country 
 two thousand Turkish piastres. 
 
 “ The second breed, called * Seclaoni/ comes from the eastern part of 
 the Desert, resembles the 6 Dgelfe ' of Anaze in appearance, but is not 
 quite so highly valued. 
 
 “ Next comes the 6 Mefki/ handsome, though not so swift as the two 
 former breeds, and more resembling the Andalusian in figure. They are 
 very common about Damascus. 
 
 “ Then the Sabi resembles the Mefki ; and the fifth breed, called 
 Fridi, is very common, but it is necessary to try them well, for they are 
 often vicious, and do not possess the excellent qualities of the other 
 breeds. 
 
 “ Sixth, comes the Nejdi, from the neighbourhood of Bussorah, and if 
 they do not surpass, they at least equal, the ‘Dgelfe of Anaze, and 
 Seclaoni/ Horses of this breed are little known at Damascus, and con- 
 noisseurs assert that they are incomparable ; thus their value is arbitrary, 
 and always exceeds two thousand piastres.” 
 
 The first and last of these breeds are those which are most sought after 
 by East Indian sportsmen; and Colonel Bower, who is one of their 
 strongest admirers, tells us that he once possessed a three-year-old colt 
 which stood fifteen hands and an inch at that age. He describes him as 
 having “ the stereotyped assortment of Eastern beauties : could stick his 
 nose in a tumbler, and looked the gentleman all over ; remarkably mus- 
 cular, and as stately in his bearing as an autocrat, but his clean flat wiry 
 legs, measuring eight inches round the shank below the knee, had nothing 
 English in their composition. This was a pure Anaze Arab, but his 
 career in the field was cut short by his casting himself in his stall, and 
 dislocating his hip.” It will be seen that no mention is here made of the 
 breed which has been so long familiar to those who read our modern 
 histories of the horse as that called “ Kochlani” or " Kailhan,” descended 
 from the stud of Mahomet, who is supposed by many historians to have 
 laid the foundation of the Arabian pedigrees. There is a tradition that 
 the Prophet, being desirous of selecting mares for his stud, had a number 
 of them which had been used as chargers kept for two days without 
 water. At the end of that time, when mad with thirst, they were set at 
 liberty, and at the moment when they were close to the coveted water, 
 his trumpets sounded a war charge, which had such an effect upon five of 
 them that they abandoned the water, and gallopped to the spot where 
 they expected to meet with the still greater excitement of war. These 
 five were therefore selected to form the foundation of his stud, and from 
 them it is supposed that the race called “Kochlani” are descended. 
 There is a slight similarity between this name and that of the second in 
 the list enumerated by Ali Bey, and perhaps his “Seclaoni” may be 
 identical with the “Knchlani” of previous writers. It is asserted by 
 Oriental travellers that pedigrees exist which can be traced five hundred 
 years back, and in the highest breeds there is no doubt that at present 
 great care is taken, and many ceremonies performed at the covering of the 
 mare. After the birth of the foal, a certificate is always duly made out 
 by the local authority, and this must be done within seven days of its 
 being dropped. 
 
 I 
 
 
TI1E MODERN ARAB. 
 
 Id 
 
 Arabia, is, in great measure, made up of rocky mountains and sandy 
 deserts ; but in Arabia Felix there are numerous valleys of remarkable 
 fertility ; though it is chiefly on the limited oasis surrounding each well or 
 spring of water that the Arab horses are dependent for their food. It is 
 found even in this country that a very luxuriant herbage does not suit the 
 horse, whose frame becomes coarse and heavy if he is reared upon the 
 succulent grasses of rich meadows, and therefore it is probable that much 
 of the wiryness of leg and lightness of frame in the Arab is due to the 
 sandy soil in which the grasses of these oases take their roots. Besides 
 this, the dry air may have something to do with the development of 
 muscle and tendon, while the soft sands of the desert render it unneces- 
 sary to protect the feet with iron shoes, and thus they are enabled to grow 
 into the form which nature has designed for them as the most suitable to 
 bear the superincumbent weight. 
 
 Pure Arabs are considerably smaller than our modem thoroughbreds, 
 seldom exceeding 14 hands 2 inches in height. The head is remarkable 
 for the width across the forehead, which is also full and square, while the 
 muzzle is finer, the face more hollowed out, and the jaws more fully 
 developed in their proportions than in any other breed with which we 
 are acquainted. The eye is full and soft, yet sparkling with animation 
 on the slightest excitement ; the ear is small ; the neck arched ; the 
 1 shoulders oblique, but muscular ; the withers moderately high and thin ; 
 
 the chest rather light in girth, but the back ribs deep in proportion, and 
 ' the hips, though narrow, well united to the back by a rounded mass of 
 | powerful muscles. The croup is high, and the tail set on with a con- 
 
 c2 
 
9Q 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 siderable arch. The hones of the legs are large in proportion to the size, 
 and the tendons full and free, the suspensory ligaments being particularly 
 strong and clean. The hocks are large and free both from curbs and 
 spavins ; and, lastly, the feet, though small, are sound, and capable of 
 bearing an amount of battering which few well-bred English horses can 
 sustain. The prefixed engraving of “ Chaban,” an Arabian stallion, shows 
 most of these points extremely well, and the general characteristics of 
 the breed are particularly well ind ; cated by the artist, who took the 
 sketch from a celebrated Arabian of high caste in the stud of the King 
 of Wurtemburg. 
 
 Erom the full development of the brain in this breed it might be 
 expected, ct priori, that the amount of intelligence and courage possessed 
 by them would be far above the average ; and such is the result of experi- 
 ence. Most of them are extremely docile, and in their native plains, 
 where they pass their lives in constant communion with their masters, 
 they are possessed of fine tempers ; but if they are highly fed, and at the 
 same time deprived of exercise and cruelly treated, their nervous system 
 is so sensitive that they rebel, and when they fight they persevere to the 
 death. A vicious Arabian is, therefore, a very unmanageable brute, and 
 difficult to cure of his bad propensities. Good treatment, however, has 
 its effect upon him, and when he once shows his forgiveness he may be 
 depended on by the individual that he takes into his good graces. This 
 trait has been well exemplified in the savage Arabian lately tamed by 
 Mr. Earey, and in a still more marked manner in former years in the case 
 of Chillaby, who was, if possible, more savage than Cruiser, and yet was 
 so completely tamed by Hughes, the celebrated circus-horse trainer, that he 
 was able to exhibit him as a trained horse, and was never once disappointed 
 by him. This is, I believe, more than Mr. Earey can say of the above 
 well-known savage horse, which was one of the first he operated on in 
 this country. 
 
 The food of this kind of horse is of a very dry though nourishing 
 nature, and neither when at liberty nor when tied up can he get much 
 water, the prevalent opinion being that an unlimited supply of this fluid 
 injures his shape, and interferes with his wind. It is said that the Arab 
 horse is only fed twice a-day; but I conclude that this only refers to his 
 allowance of corn, and that in the intervals he is permitted to pick up 
 what little dr^ herbage the soil affords. Wonderful stories are told of 
 the distances which young colts are compelled to go when first mounted, 
 but I confess that I look with great suspicion upon these travellers’ tales. 
 About five or six pounds of barley or beans, or a mixture of the two, 
 constitute the daily allowance of corn, which is about the weight of half [ 
 a peck of good oats, and would be considered poor feed by our English 
 horses, unless the proportion of beans is very large. 
 
 The colours of the Arabian horses are mostly bay, chestnut, and grey, 
 but occasionally black. The skin itself of the grey horses is of a deep 
 slate colour, and the manes and tails are darker than the rest of the body. 
 
 The speed of the Arabs, which have recently been brought over to this 
 country, is undoubtedly not nearly equal to that of our thorough-bred 
 horses for courses of moderate length, that is, not exceeding two miles ; ; 
 and there is no reason to believe that at longer distances there would be j 
 any essential difference in the result. In the Goodwood Cup an allowance 
 is made them of a stone, yet no Arab has ever had a chance of winning, 
 and as far as this test goes they are proved to be inferior to the Erench 
 and American horses. In India a difference of weight, varying from 
 
THE MODERN ARAB. 
 
 21 
 
 1 stone to 1 stone 7 pounds, is made in favour of Arabs as against 
 imported English horses, “ in order to bring the two together ” in racing 
 parlance, yet even then few Arabs can compete with the second-rate 
 horses which are imported from this country. Colonel Bower tells us that 
 “ in India the weights range from 7J stone to 10 stone, and no uncommon 
 timing for Arabs is 2 minutes and 5 4 seconds the mile and a half; 
 3 minutes and 52 seconds the 2 miles — it has been done in 3 minutes 
 and 48 seconds, and the Arab that did it was once my property, and his 
 name was the Child of the Islands. He was a daisy-cutter, and yet I 
 have ridden him over the roughest ground, and never detected him in a 
 trip. A pleasanter, safer hack could not be, and a fleeter Arab the world 
 never saw. He stood 14 hands 2 inches, bay with black points, wiry 
 limbs, very muscular all over, and measured 7 f inches round a fore leg 
 of the finest bone and flattest sinew.” This time is as good as that of the 
 average of our Derbys, but the test is a very fallacious one, and unless 
 the time is taken over the same course, and that in the same running 
 condition, no comparison can possibly be drawn. 
 
 Captain Shakspear, in his recently published work on the “Wild 
 Sports of India,” gives the following most minute description of the Arab, 
 as he is now met with in India. As it differs in some particulars from 
 the accounts of other observers, I extract it entire. The price of a good 
 Arab, he says, varies from 150J. to 200 1., and there is plenty of choice in 
 the Bombay and Bengal markets. 
 
 “ The points of the highest caste Arab horse, as compared with the 
 English thoroughbred, are as follow : the head is more beautifully formed, 
 and more intelligent; the forehead broader; the muzzle finer; the eye 
 more prominent, more sleepy-looking in repose, more brilliant when the 
 animal is excited. The ear is more beautifully pricked, and of exquisite 
 shape and sensitiveness. On the back of the trained hunter, the rider 
 scarcely requires to keep his eye on anything but the ears of his horse, 
 which give indications of everything that his ever-watchful eye catches 
 sight of. The nostril is not always so open in a state of rest, and indeed 
 often looks thick and closed ; but in excitement, and when the lungs are 
 in full play from the animal being at speed, it expands greatly, and the 
 membrane shows scarlet and as if on fire. The game-cock throttle — that 
 most exquisite formation of the throat and jaws of the blood-horse — is not 
 so commonly seen in the Arab as in the thorough-bred English racehorse ; 
 nor is the head quite so lean. The jaws, for the size of the head, are 
 perhaps more apart, giving more room for the expansion of the windpipe. 
 The point where the head is put on to the neck is quite as delicate as in 
 the English horse. This junction has much more to do with the mouth 
 of the horse than most people are aware of, and on it depends the pleasure 
 or otherwise of the rider. The bones, from the eye down towards the* 
 lower part of the head, should not be too concave, or of a deer’s form ; for 
 this in the Arab as in the English horse denotes a violent temper, 
 though it is very beautiful to look at. Proceeding to the neck, we notice 
 that the Arab stallion has rarely the crest that an English stallion has. 
 He has a strong, light, and muscular neck, a little short perhaps compared 
 to the other, and thick. In the pure breeds, the neck runs into the 
 shoulders very gradually ; and generally, if the horse has a pretty good 
 crest, comes down rather perpendicularly into the shoulders; but often, if 
 he is a little ewe-necked, which is not uncommon with the Arab, it runs 
 in too straight, and low down in the shoulders. The Arab, however, 
 rarely carries his head, when he is being ridden, so high in proportion as 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 22 
 
 the English. He is not so well topped, which I attribute to the different 
 way he is reared, and to his not being broken in regularly, like the 
 English horse, before he is put to work. His shoulders are not so flat 
 and thin, and he is thicker through in these parts generally for his size 
 than the English thorough-bred horse. His girth does not show so deep, 
 that is, he does not look so deep over the heart ; but between the knees 
 and behind the saddle, where the English horse very often falls off, the 
 Arab is barrel-ribbed ; and this gives him his wonderful endurance and 
 his great constitutional points. This also prevents him from getting 
 knocked up in severe training or under short allowance of food, and in 
 long marches. His chest is quite broad enough and deep enough for 
 either strength or bottom. The scapula, or shoulder-blade, is both in 
 length and backward inclination, compared to the humerus, or upper bone 
 of the arm, quite as fine in the high-caste Arab as in the English horse ; 
 while both bones are generally better furnished with muscles, better deve- 
 loped, and feel firmer to the hand. But some of the very fastest Arabs 
 have their fore legs very much under them ; indeed, so much that no 
 judge would buy an English horse so made. Yet, whether it be that this 
 form admits of the joints between these bones becoming more opened, 
 when the horse extends himself, or whatever be the cause, it is a fact that 
 blood-horses thus made are almost always fast horses. The upper part of 
 their shoulder-blade seems to run back under the front part of the saddle, 
 when they are going their best. This formation is most common in the 
 lower-sized Arab, and apparently makes up to him for his deficiency in 
 height. The very finest-actioned Arabs have had this peculiarity of form. 
 They are rather apt to become chafed at the elbow-points by the girths, 
 and almost require to have saddles made on purpose for them. The 
 elbow-point, that essential bone, which for the sake of leverage should be 
 prominent, is fine in the Arab, and generally plays clear of the body. The 
 fore-arm is strong and muscular, and is pretty long; the knee square, with 
 a good speedy cut for the size of the animal, equal to the English horse ; 
 while below the knee the Arab shines very conspicuously, having a degree 
 of power there, both in the suspensory ligaments and flexor tendons, far 
 superior, in proportion to his size, to the English horse. These are dis- 
 tinct and away from the shank-bone ; they give a very deep leg, and act 
 mechanically to great advantage. The bone looks small, but then it is 
 very dense, the hollow which contains the marrow being very small, and 
 the material solid, more like ivory than bone, heavy, and close-grained. 
 The flexor tendons are nearly as large and as thick as the canna bone. 
 The pasterns and their joints are quite in keeping with the bones above 
 them, and are not so long, straight, and weak as those of the English , 
 horse. The feet are generally in the same proportion : but the Arabs 
 themselves appear to be very careless in their treatment of them. The 
 body or centre piece of the Arab horse has rarely too great length. This 
 is a very uncommon fault in the pure breed ; and there is no breed of , 
 horses that are more even in this respect than the Arab. Behind this, we 1 
 come to a great peculiarity in the breed — his croup. I might say an j 
 Arab horse is known by it : he is so much more beautifully made in his 1 
 hind quarters, and in the way his tail is put on, than most other breeds. ' 
 His loins are good ; he is well coupled ; his quarters are powerful, and 
 his tail carried high ; and this even in castes that have very little more j 
 than a high-bred stallion to recommend them. The straight- dropper! 
 hind leg is always a recommendation, and almost all racing Arabs have it; 
 and this, when extended, brings the hind foot under the stirrup, and the 
 
THE MODERN ARAB. 
 
 23 
 
 propellers being of this shape give a vast stride, without fear of overreach. 
 The thighs and hocks are good ; the latter very rarely know either kind 
 of spavin or curbs. The points and processes are pre-eminently well 
 adapted for the attachment of the muscles ; while the flexor tendons of 
 the hind legs generally correspond with those of the fore. The hocks are 
 not so much let down, nor the hind legs so greyhound-like, as in the 
 thorough-bred English horse. In stride, too, he is somewhat different, 
 inasmuch as it is a rounder way of going, and is not so extended or so 
 near the ground, but is more like a bound. However, there are excep- 
 tions ; and I have bred pure Arabs whose stride, for their size, was very 
 extended, and quite like that of English racehorses.” 
 
 The Mare is commonly supposed to be more highly prized by the 
 Arabs than the stallion; but this idea is said to be unfounded by the 
 celebrated Abd el Kader, in a highly interesting letter to General Daumas, 
 which is published in the fifth number of Bailfs Magazine of Sports. 
 He remarks : — 
 
 “ It is true that the foal proceeds from the sire and from the dam, but 
 the experience of ages has proved that the essential parts of the body — 
 such as the bones, the tendons, the nerves, and the veins — proceed 
 always from the sire* This is beyond all doubt. The meanest Arab 
 knows now that any malady specially belonging to the bones, under 
 which the sire may be suffering at the time of covering, will be perpetuated 
 in his produce, such as splints, bone and blood spavins, the shape of the 
 bones, and all diseases of the vertebral column. The dam may give to her 
 produce colour, and a certain amount of resemblance in form, the foal 
 naturally partaking of some of the qualities of the animal which had so 
 long borne it ; but it is an incontestable fact, that it is the sire who gives 
 strength to the bones, substance to the tendons, vigour to the nerves, 
 rapidity of pace, in short, all the principal qualities. He also communicates 
 what may be called moral qualities, and if he be unquestionably’ of high 
 blood the foal is preserved from vice. Our fathers have said, El aond 
 pdr ma audouche hiela — 4 A horse of noble race has no vices.’ An Arab 
 will lend his stud horse gratuitously ; he never accepts payment for his 
 services. To hire out a stud horse for money is, in the eyes of an Arab, 
 an unworthy action, and is contrary to the generosity for which he is re- 
 nowned, and although the law allows it, I have never known an instance 
 of it. But though the Arab lends his stud horse gratuitously, he does 
 not do so to the first comer, nor for any mare. Ho ; the suppliant is 
 often obliged to make use of the intercession of persons of great interest, 
 or even of his wives, if he would not see his request refused. On the 
 other hand, the Arabs are very difficult in their choice of a stud horse, 
 and if they cannot find one of pure blood, they prefer leaving their mares 
 unproductive rather than put them to a common horse. To procure a 
 good sire they do not hesitate to travel any distance. The preceding has 
 already intimated to you my conclusion, that the sire has more to do with 
 the foal than the dam. And my conclusion is identical with the universal 
 opinion of the Arabs. They say, El hdr ilebal el falial — ‘The foal follows 
 the sire.’ ” 
 
 In corroboration of this opinion, he describes the Arab horses as dis- 
 tinguished under the following heads : — “ El Horr , El Hadjim , El Melcueref 
 and El Berdoune. El Horr is that in which sire and dam are both of 
 noble race ; that takes the lead. El Hadjim is that in which the sire is 
 noble and the dam of common race ; it is considered less than El Horr , 
 'its name Hadjim, t ‘defective.’ being derived from the word ‘ Hurdjiss t } 
 
 \ 
 
 X 
 
24 
 
 THE HOBSE. 
 
 which signifies faulty. El Mekueref is that in which the dam is high 
 bred and the sire is half bred ; although this approaches the Hadjim, it 
 is of much less value. The name of this class is derived from ‘ harafj 
 mixed. El Hadjim is superior in quality on the same principle that a 
 man whose father is white and whose mother is a negress is superior to 
 him whose mother is white and whose father is a negro. El Berdoune is 
 that class in which both sire and dam are badly bred. This animal is a 
 stranger to our country. The value of a horse is in its breeding.” 
 
 THE PEESIAH HOESE. 
 
 Sir John Malcolm and Sir Eobert Ker Porter, both of whom resided 
 many years in Persia, are the chief authorities on this subject. The former 
 says : — “ A variety of horses are produced in Persia. The inhabitants of 
 the districts which border on the Gulf still preserve here those races of 
 animals which their ancestors brought from the opposite shore of Arabia. 
 In Ears and Irak they have a mixed breed from the Arabian, which 
 though stronger is still a small horse compared with either the Toorkoman 
 or Khorassan breed, which are most prized by the soldiers of Persia. 
 Both these latter races have also a great proportion of Arabian blood.” 
 Sir Eobert thus alludes to them : — “ The Persian horses never exceed 
 fourteen or fourteen and a half hands high ; yet certainly on the whole 
 they are taller than Arabs. Those of the Desert and country about 
 Hillah seem very small, but are full of bone, and of good speed. 
 General custom feeds and waters them only at sunrise and sunset, when 
 they are cleaned. Their usual provender is barley and chopped straw, 
 which, if the animals are picketed, is put into a nosebag and hung from 
 their heads ; but if stabled, it is thrown into a lozenge-shaped hole, left 
 in the thickness of the mud wall for that purpose, but much higher up 
 than the line of our mangers, and then the animal eats at his leisure. 
 Hay is a kind of food not known here. The bedding of the horse consists 
 of his dung. After being exposed to the drying influence of the sun 
 during the day, it becomes pulverized, and in that state is nightly spread 
 under him. Little of it touches his body, that being covered by his 
 clothing, a large nummud from the head to the tail, and bound firmly 
 round his body by a very long surcingle. But this apparel is only for 
 cold weather; in the warmer season the night-clothes are of a lighter 
 substance, and during the heat of the day the animal is kept entirely 
 under shade. At night he is tied in the court-yard. The horses* heads 
 are attached fco the place of security by double ropes from their halters, 
 and the heels of their hinder legs are confined by cords of twisted hair, 
 fastened to iron rings and pegs driven into the earth. The same custom 
 prevailed in the time of Xenophon, and for the same reason, to secure 
 them from being able to attack and maim each other, the whole stud 
 generally consisting of stallions. Their keepers, however, always sleep in 
 their rugs amongst them to prevent accidents, and sometimes notwith- 
 standing all their care they manage to break loose, and then the combat 
 ensues. A general neighing, screaming, kicking, and snorting soon raise 
 the groom, and -the scene for a while is terriblQ. Indeed no one can 
 conceive the sudden uproar of such a moment who has not been in 
 Eastern countries to hear it, and then all who have must bear me witness 
 that the noise is tremendous. They seize, bite, and kick each other with 
 the most determined fury, and frequently cannot be separated before their 
 heads and haunches stream with blood.” 
 
THE TURKISH HORSE. 
 
 25 
 
 THE TUEKISH HOUSE. 
 
 This variety seems to be merely the Arab developed by higher food 
 into a larger size and more massive proportions. The horses of Constanti- 
 nople are often sixteen hands in height, with very elegant proportions 
 and a crupper more highly developed than that of the Arab. They are 
 said to be extremely docile, and the two specimens which I have seen 
 imported into this country ' certainly bore out this character, both of them, 
 though stallions, being as quiet as any English geldings. They had very 
 high crests and arched necks ; and this is said to be one of the charac- 
 teristics of the breed. In the records of the turf in this country, many 
 of the most celebrated sires are mentioned as Turks ; but though imported 
 from Turkey, it is very probable that some of these were genuine Arabs. 
 
 OTHER ASIATIC HORSES. 
 
 The Horses of Toorkistan are described by Sir R. K. Porter as 
 scanty in barrel, long in the leg, with ewe necks and large heads. When 
 crossed with those of Persia, they, however, are said by him to produce a 
 most magnificent animal, all elegance and elasticity, and of a stronger 
 form and somewhat larger size than the best Arabians. Sir Alexander 
 Burns attributes to them, on the other hand, a very high crest, and large 
 and bony though somewhat long bodies. He says, also, that in Bokhara 
 there is a breed of Kuzzak horses, sturdy and small, with shaggy coats and 
 very long manes and tails, much and deservedly admired. 
 
 The Tartar Horses are small and narrow, with, long necks, weak 
 legs, large heads, and light middles. Nevertheless they are described as 
 fast and untiring, and of the most hardy nature, so that they can support 
 themselves on a quantity and quality of food upon which even our donkeys 
 would starve. 
 
 In various parts of Tart ary horses are found in a wild state, and 
 present a rough inelegant form not unlike that of our New Eorest 
 ponies. In them the characteristics of the domesticated Tartar horse 
 already described are exhibited in a marked manner, and there is every 
 reason to believe that the two breeds are identical, and that the ranks of 
 the latter are recruited from the enormous herds of wild horses which are 
 found in countless thousands on the edges of the vast deserts of the 
 country. They are generally of a red colour, with a black stripe along the 
 back, and manes and tails of the latter colour, but almost always reddish 
 at the roots of the dock and edges of the mane. The Tartars eat the flesh 
 both of the wild and domesticated horse, and are said to cook the meat 
 under their saddles. They also manufacture a drink called koumiss from 
 the milk obtained from the mare, which is fermented and distilled into 
 an intoxicating beverage. 
 
 In so vast a country as India, it might be expected that numerous 
 breeds of horses would be found, varying almost as much as the climates 
 and soils of Bengal and Cabool. In the immediate neighbourhood of the 
 three presidencies imported and country-bred Arab, as well as Persian and 
 Turkooman horses^ are common enough, as also are importations from the 
 Cape of Good Hope, Australia, and Yan Diemen’s Land. English horses 
 are not nearly so numerous, the expense and risk of the voyage deterring 
 most people from the speculation, the doubtful nature of which may be 
 estimated from the fact that the insurance is twenty-four to twenty-five 
 
26 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 per cent., and this only ensures the landing of the animal alive ; for if it 
 is so wasted and worn as to die an hour afterwards, the policy is of no 
 value to the insured. Williamson, in his Wild Sports of the East , describes 
 the native Bengal breeds in the following terms : — “ They have generally 
 Roman noses and sharp narrow foreheads, much white in their eyes, ill- 
 shaped ears, square heads, thin necks, narrow chests, shallow girths, lank 
 bellies, cat hams, goose rumps, and switch tails ! Some occasionally may 
 be found in every respect well shaped. They are hardy and fleet, but in- 
 capable of carrying great weights. Their vice is proverbial ; yet until they 
 arrive at four or five years they are often very docile and gentle; after 
 that period they, for the most part, are given to rearing, kicking, biting, 
 and a thousand equally disagreeable habits.” Other writers have defined 
 the several breeds found throughout the southern parts of India, and 
 named them also, as Toorky , Cozakee , Tazsee , &c. ; but I understand from 
 good authority that there are really no such breeds in existence now, and 
 probably they were only called into being by the active imaginations of 
 inventive writers. Large breeding studs were kept .by some of the native 
 princes, but these were mainly dependent upon imported Arabs and 
 Persians, and could claim no peculiar strain as their own. The same 
 mixture of blood prevails in the present day, with the exception of the 
 horses in the northern provinces. 
 
 The Birman Horse is very small, being seldom higher than thirteen 
 hands, and it is said that some specimens are less than eleven. The same 
 remark applies also to those of China, Siam, and Java. 
 
 THE AUSTRALIAN HORSE. 
 
 The Irishman’s fifth quarter of the world is now abundantly sup- 
 plied with horses of the first class, in size, speed, and stoutness, though 
 little more than half a century ago the animal was altogether unknown 
 there. At first, from the proximity of India and the Cape of Good Hope, 
 the horses of these colonies, and those of inferior value only, were 
 imported into the new settlement ; but about the year 1835 great efforts 
 were made by several enterprising settlers, both in the Island of Van 
 Diemen and also on the continent of Australia, and several horses of 
 good breeding were imported from this country, especially by Mr. Wil- 
 more in the former island. It was soon found that the climate is 
 admirably suited to this animal, and there are now colonial-bred horses, 
 adapted for the turf and the road, ’as well as for agricultural purposes, 
 superior in soundness and probably in stoutness, even if they are defi- 
 cient in face, as compared with the British thoroughbred. As far as 
 I know, no Australian horse has been imported into England, so that 
 we have no means of comparing the two on terms advantageous to the 
 mother country ; nor possibly can we altogether depend upon the glowing 
 accounts which are furnished us of the appearance and performances of 
 our Antipodean rivals. Still I am inclined to believe that as the soil ana 
 climate are admitted to improve the appearance of the imported horses, 
 as indeed they do all our domestic animals, and as disease of all kinds is 
 extremely rare, so it will be found that in all good qualities the Australian 
 horse is at least on a par with our own. Their breeders are so spirited 
 and determined that neither money nor trouble is spared in procuring 
 the best blood, an evidence of which is afforded by the fact that at the 
 recent sale of Lord Londesborough’s stud, the large sum of 3,120 guineas 
 was invested for Australia. This, probably, is the heaviest price yet paid at 
 
THE SOUTH AMERICAN HORSE. 
 
 27 
 
 one sale by any colonial breeder, but numerous smaller speculations 
 have been going on for the last twenty years. Hence, whatever posi- 
 tion is attained by our friends over the water, they will entirely owe 
 to the parent country ; and I strongly suspect that before long we shall 
 have to go to them to procure sound horses of high breeding for our 
 own studs. 
 
 ( CHAPTER IY. 
 
 THE HORSES OP THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. 
 
 THE SOOTH AMERICAN HORSE — THE MUSTANG — THE INDIAN PONY— THE CANADIAN 
 HORSE — THE MORGAN HORSE — THE AMERICAN TROTTER — THE NAIiRAGANSET PACER 
 — THE AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED — THE VERMONT CART-HORSE — THE CONESTOGA 
 DRAUGHT-HORSE. 
 
 THE SOUTH AMERICAN HORSE. 
 
 For some time after the discovery op America, at the conclusion of 
 the fifteenth century, the horse was entirely unknown in that hemisphere, 
 but according to Azara a few specimens were introduced there by the 
 Spaniards in the year 1535, and in the. year 1537 several were shipped to 
 Paraguay. From these have been bred the countless herds which have 
 since spread over the whole southern part of the western world, and 
 passing the Isthmus of Panama have wandered into North America. In 
 both these divisions the horse runs wild, wherever there are plains suitable 
 to him, and not yet brought under cultivation ; but it is in the south that 
 the wild horse is to be found in the greatest numbers, on the extensive 
 plains which stretch almost unbroken from the shores of La Plata to 
 Patagonia. Here herds numbering some thousands in each are to be met 
 with, each under the guidance of a master stallion, who enforces entire 
 submission to his will as long as he has the power to do so. Here the 
 native Gaucho has only to throw his lasso , and he can at any time supply 
 himself with a horse which will carry him for miles at a hand gallop, 
 when he changes him for another, and is thus always mounted at a cheap 
 and easy rate. In this way Captain Head rode all across the continent from 
 one shore to the other, nearly using up one horse in the course of fifty or 
 sixty miles, and then looking out for another before the first was so spent 
 as to be unable to assist him in making the exchange. These wild horses 
 greatly resemble their Spanish ancestors in make and shape. They are 
 said to be possessed of a fair amount of speed, but not above the average 
 of foreign breeds. They are, however, from their roving habits, in excellent 
 wind, and it is said that a Gaucho has been known to ride one fresh 
 caught nearly a hundred miles without drawing bit. 
 
 THE MUSTANG, OR WILD HORSE OF NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 Like the wild horses of South America, those of Mexico and Cali- 
 fornia are in all probability descended from Spanish blood, and indeed it 
 is impossible now to discover, with anything like certainty, the source of 
 the Indian Ponies, large herds of which run wild in the northern and 
 north-western parts of this extensive continent. So little do the Americans 
 now know or care about these wild horses, that the late Mr. Herbert, who 
 has treated of the American Horse in two vols. quarto, omits all mention 
 
28 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 of them, excepting the most cursory allusion to the Mustang as the origin 
 of the Indian pony, in common with the Canadian horse. I shall, there- 
 fore, not weary my readers with extracts from Mr. Gatlin’s somewhat 
 fanciful writings, but at once proceed to allude to the modern domesti- 
 cated breeds of horses met with in the United States and Canada. 
 
 According to Mr. Herbert, who seems to have taken great pains to 
 arrive at the truth, “ with the one solitary exception of the Norman horse 
 in Canada, no special breeds have ever taken root as such, or been bred, 
 or even attempted to be bred, in their purity, in any part of America. In 
 Canada East the Norman horse, imported by the early settlers, was bred 
 for many generations entirely unmixed ; and, as the general agricultural 
 horse of the province, exists, yet so stunted in size by the cold 
 climate and the rough usage to which he has been subjected for centuries, 
 but in nowise degenerated, for he possesses all the honesty, courage, 
 endurance, hardihood, soundness of constitution, and characteristic excel- 
 lence of feet and legs of his progenitor.” Besides this native Canadian 
 there are also, among the more active kinds, the Morgan horse, the 
 American trotter, the Narraganset pacer, and the thoroughbred descended 
 from English imported horses, with scarcely any admixture of native 
 blood ; and of the agricultural varieties, the Vermont and Conestoga 
 draught-horses, in addition to seyeral others not so easily made out. 
 
 THE INDIAN PONY. 
 
 The Indian Pony, which seldom or never exceeds thirteen hands in 
 height, is remarkable for activity and strength, as compared with its size, 
 appearing, like its Scotch congener, to be almost overwhelmed with its 
 rider, whose feet nearly touch the ground, yet moving under its load 
 with freedom. It has a high crest, and a flowing mane and tail, with a 
 proud carriage of the head of a very pleasing character. The body is 
 strongly built, and the legs and feet are made of the most lasting materials. 
 Large herds of these ponies run wild in the prairies of the north-west, 
 and many are brought into Canada for the use of the inhabitants. 
 
 THE CANADIAN HORSE. 
 
 The Canadian Horse is generally about fourteen to fifteen hands high, 
 and is a remarkably hardy animal, capable of travelling very long distances, 
 but in his pure condition not above the average in speed. When crossed, 
 however, with a thoroughbred horse, he combines the speed of the latter 
 with his own endurance and iron constitution and legs, and in this way 
 a great many of the best American trotters are bred. Mr. Herbert says, 
 “ His crest is lofty, and his demeanour proud and courageous ; his breast 
 is full and broad ; his shoulder strong, though somewhat straight, and a 
 little inclined to be heavy ; his back broad, and his croup round, fleshy, 
 and muscular ; his ribs are not, however, so much arched, nor are they 
 so well closed up, as his general shape and build would lead one to expect ; 
 his legs and feet are admirable — the bone large and flat, and the sinews 
 big and nervous as steel springs ; his feet seem almost unconscious of 
 disease ; his fetlocks are shaggy ; his mane voluminous and massive, not 
 seldom, if untrained, falling on both sides of his neck, and his tail 
 abundant, both having a peculiar crimpled wave, if I may so express 
 myself, the like of which I never saw in anv horse which had not some 
 
29 
 
 TI1E MORGAN HORSE. 
 
 strain of his blood.’' I append a sketch of one of these horses, showing 
 the shape and action peculiar to them. It is said by good judges to bo 
 an excellent likeness. 
 
 CANADIAN HORSE. 
 
 THE MOKGAH HOESE. 
 
 The Morgan Horse has recently been paraded in America as a distinct 
 strain, kept pure in its own district for more than half a century, and 
 descended from a single horse, in the possession of Mr. Justin Morgan, a 
 schoolmaster in Vermont. In the present day the “ Morgans" are so 
 much sought after that in the year 1856 the Agricultural Society of 
 Vermont offered a prize for the best essay on the subject, which was 
 awarded to Mr. Lindsey, an inhabitant of the same state. According to 
 this authority, the founder of the family, or strain, was got by a horse 
 called “True Briton," which was said to have been stolen, and whose 
 pedigree is therefore doubtful. Mr. Lindsey endeavours to prove, how- 
 ever, that he was a son of the English thoroughbred horse Traveller, 
 which he assumes to be identical with the son of Partner, known as 
 More ton’s Old Traveller, giving as his authority a pedigree inserted in 
 the Albany “Cultivator" of 1846. The same authority is also adduced 
 to prove that the dam of True Briton and also of Justin Morgan’s horse 
 were of nearly pure English blood, and that the latter was descended 
 from the famous “ Cub " mare ; but the facts adduced seem of the most 
 doubtful nature, and I believe that the Morgan horse would . in this 
 country be considered, as undoubtedly half-bred. 
 
 Mr. Lindsey describes the founder of the Morgan strain in the following 
 terms:— He “was about fourteen hands high, and weighed about nine 
 
so 
 
 THE I10RSK 
 
 hundred ahd fifty pounds. His colour was dark bay, with black legs, 
 mane, and tail. He had no white hair upon him. His mane and tail 
 were coarse and heavy, but not so massive as has been sometimes 
 described ; the hair of both was straight, and not inclined to curl. His 
 head was good, not extremely small, but lean and bony, the face straight, 
 forehead broad, ears small, and very fine, but set rather wide apart. His 
 eyes were medium size, very dark, and prominent, and showed no white 
 round the edge of the lid ” (Qy. iris ?). “ His nostrils were very large, the 
 muzzle small, and the lips close and firm. His back and legs were perhaps 
 his most noticeable points. The former was very short, the shoulder-blades 
 and thigh-bones being very long and oblique, and the loins exceedingly 
 broad and muscular. His body was rather long, round, and deep, close 
 ribbed up ; chest deep and wide, with the breast-bone projecting a good 
 ileal in front. His legs were short, close jointed, thin, but very wide, 
 hard and free from meat, with .muscles that were remarkably large for a 
 horse of his size, and this superabundance of muscle manifested itself at 
 every step. His hair was short, and at almost all seasons soft and glossy. 
 He had a little long hair about the fetlocks, and for two or three inches 
 above the fetlock on the back side of the legs ; the rest of his limbs were 
 entirely free from it. His feet were small, but well shaped, and he was 
 in every respect perfectly sound and free from blemish. He was a very 
 fast walker. In trotting his gait was slow and smooth, and his step short 
 and nervous ; he was not what in these days would be called fast, and 
 we think it doubtful whether he could trot a mile much, if any, within 
 four minutes, though it is claimed by many that he could trot it in three. 
 Although he raised his feet but little, he never stumbled. His proud, 
 bold, and fearless style of movement, and his vigorous untiring action, 
 have perhaps never been surpassed.” 
 
 He describes him as being fast for short distances, by which he explains 
 that he means a quarter of a mile, which he says was the usual distance 
 run in those days. From this celebrated horse are descended, more or 
 less remotely, “ Black Hawk,” “Ethan Allen,” “American Eagle,” and a 
 host of horses celebrated for gameness, and many of them for fast-trotting 
 powers. But those who dispute the claims of Mr. Justin Morgan's horse 
 to be considered the founder of the family, assert that before his time a 
 similar horse prevailed in this district, which was made up of crosses 
 between the Canadian horse and the English thoroughbred. I shall, 
 however, leave this much-vexed question for the Americans to settle 
 among themselves, contenting myself with a description of the modern 
 Morgan horse as he is recognised throughout the states of America. He 
 is generally, though not universally, admitted to be very stout and 
 enduring, with good action, especially in the trot, and great hardness of 
 constitution. He shows very little evidence of pure blood indeed it may 
 be said that the reverse is the case, as he invariably possesses a thick and 
 long mane and tail, with a considerable curl in both, signs which may be 
 truly said are fatal to his claims. In height he seldom exceeds fifteen 
 hands. His frame is corky, but not remarkably well put together, there 
 being generally a deficiency in the coupling of the back and loins. The 
 forehead is very light, and carried high, somewhat in the fashion of 
 the Canadians, but not so heavy in the crest a d junction of the neck 
 to the shoulder, though the setting of the head is equally thick. On the 
 whole, the Morgan horse may be described as extremely useful, but defi- 
 cient in what we call “ quality,” in proportion to the absence of thorough 
 blood. 
 
THE AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 
 
 this 1 
 
 could 
 
 THE AMERICAN" TROTTER. 
 
 The true modern trotting horse is a most remarkable instanc 
 what may be done by keeping an animal to one kind of work for gener, 
 tions, and selecting the specimens best fitted for it to breed from. In 
 country a thoroughbred horse, or even one of nearly pure blood, 
 not be found at any price to trot a mile in three minutes, yet in America 
 there are plenty, of blood almost entirely derived from the English turf 
 horse, which will perform the distance in two minutes and forty seconds, 
 and some in considerably less time. In America private and public 
 trotting matches in harness have been for many years the chief amuse- 
 ment of the town population, and, until very recently, when flat racing or 
 running, as it is called there, has been more developed, a fast trotter 
 fetched a higher price than any other description of horse. Trotting 
 matches are, in fact, the national sport, just as racing is that of our own 
 country. Latterly, however, the amusement has been somewhat on the 
 decline, the aristocratic classes holding themselves aloof, and patronising 
 the turf in preference. Still there is no diminution in the pace of their 
 trotters, and, on the contrary, the celebrated Elora Temple has recently 
 made the best time on record, having, on the 15th of October, 1859, when 
 fourteen years old, done a third mile heat in two minutes, nineteen and 
 three-quarter seconds, and having, in June of the present year, per- 
 formed three separate mile heats in the wonderfully short time of seven 
 minutes, six and a half seconds. The most extraordinary performances of 
 these trotters, as recorded in the American Racing Calendar, are as 
 follows : — 
 
 FASTEST TROTTING ON RECORD. 
 
 Flora Temple, b. m. in harness 
 Ditto ditto 
 
 Ditto ditto 
 
 MILE HEATS. 
 
 Kalamazoo, Mich; . . Oct. 15, 1859 . 
 
 Cincinnati Oct. 7, 1859 . 
 
 Eclipse Course, L. I. . Aug. 9, 1859 . 
 
 Tacony and Mack in 1853, Lancet in 1856, and Patchen in 1859, each in harness. 
 
 EthanAUen, stallion, 1051b. waggon Union Course, L. I. 
 
 Oct. 28, 1858 . 
 
 19f 
 
 214 
 
 21 * 
 
 25| 
 
 28 
 
 TWO MILE HEATS. 
 
 Flora Temple in harness .... 
 
 L. I 
 
 . Aug. 16, 1859. 
 
 4 
 
 50| 
 
 Ditto to waggon .... 
 
 L. I 
 
 . July 6, 1859 . 
 
 5 
 
 7 
 
 Lady Franklin, ro. m.-to waggon . 
 
 L. I 
 
 . July 30, 1858. 
 
 5 
 
 11 
 
 THREE MILE HEATS. 
 
 Dutchman, b. g. under saddle . . Beacon Course, N. J. , 
 
 . August 1839. 
 
 7 
 
 324 
 
 Ditto in harness . . 
 
 Beacon Course, N. J. 
 
 July 1839 . . 
 
 7 
 
 42" 
 
 Trustee, ch. g. in harness . . . 
 
 FOUR MILES. 
 
 L. I 
 
 . June 13,1849. 
 
 11 
 
 6 
 
 Sally Green, br. m. 2501b. waggon. 
 
 L. I 
 
 
 13 
 
 56 
 
 Mary Warren, b m. to road waggon 
 
 FIVE MILES. 
 
 L. I 
 
 . July 5, 1851 . 
 
 14 
 
 42 
 
 Lady Agnes, gr. m. in harness . . 
 
 L. I 
 
 . Nov. 25, 1850. 
 
 15 
 
 18 
 
 Prince, ch. g. in harness, driver to 
 weigh 1651bs. 
 
 TEN MILES. 
 
 I LI 
 
 Oct. 20, 1849 . 
 
 28 
 
 Si 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 TWENTY MILES. 
 
 ch. g. to ord. trotting ) 
 weighing 1501bs, driver > L. I. 
 
 51 bs ) 
 
 ly Fulton, b. m. in harness . . L. I. 
 
 Ariel, b. m. in harness, driver 
 
 weighing 601bs 
 
 Spangle, sp. g. waggon and driver ) T T 
 weighing 4001bs. ... t • ■ 
 
 FIFTY MILES. 
 
 Bull’s Head Course, Al- 
 bany, N. Y. . . . 
 
 min. see. 
 
 Nov. 11,1853. 59 35£ 
 July 12, 1855. 59 55 
 
 hs. min. sec. 
 May, 5, 1846. 3 55 40| 
 
 Oct. 15, 1855. 3 59 4 
 
 ONE HUNDRED MILES. 
 
 Conqueror, b. g. in harness . . . L. I Nov. 12,1853. 8 56 1 
 
 Fanny Jenks, in harness, (feather [ Bull’s Head Course, Al- ) r rh , 
 
 weight) . . | bany, N. Y. . . . { Ma ? 1845 ‘ 9 42 ^ 
 
 Pacing is considerably faster than trotting, as will be shown in the 
 following recorded feats : — 
 
 MILE HEATS. 
 
 Pocahontas, ch. m. in waggon ) j T 
 
 weighing 2651bs. with driver . J 
 
 Pet, r. g. in harness L. I 
 
 Hero, g. g. in harness L. I 
 
 Young America, b. g. waggon . . S. Francisco . . . . 
 
 min. sec. 
 
 June 21,1855. 2 17| 
 
 Sept. 9, 1852. 2 18| 
 May 17,1853. 4 56§ 
 Jan. 10, 1859. 4 58£ 
 
 The extent to which match-trotting is carried on in America may be 
 guessed from the fact that Lady Suffolk won, at various times, 35,311 
 dollars, or more than 7,0007. The exact value of the stakes which have 
 fallen to the lot of the owner of Flora Temple I do not know, but three 
 years ago it amounted to 46,850 dollars. Mr. Herbert in his quarto work 
 on “ The Horse of America ” clearly shows the reason why our transatlantic 
 cousins excel us in their trotters, and why they take to this species of 
 amusement in preference to others. After enumerating several which do 
 not appear to us quite so cogent as to him, he more pertinently says, 
 “ Another reason, inferior in practical truth to the owners adduced, but 
 physically superior, is this, — that before American trotters could be gene- 
 rally used in Great Britain, the whole system of British road-making 
 must be altered, which is not likely to occur. On an ordinary English 
 macadamized turnpike, which is exactly the same as the hardest central 
 part of the Hew York Third Avenue, without any soft track alongside of 
 it, an American trotter would pound his shoes off in an hour’s trot, and 
 his feet off in a week’s driving; and this is doubtless, whatever may 
 be said of the objections heretofore offered, one which must operate 
 for ever against the general use of trotters after the American fashion, 
 unless they be trained and kept exclusively for sporting purposes. This, 
 however, is no more, but even less likely to occur than the total alteration 
 of the whole system of English road-making, and the entire change of the 
 tastes and habits of the English people : since ' the point which renders 
 the trotting horse so popular here would then be wanting, namely, his 
 equal adaptability to ordinary road driving and purposes of general utility, 
 and to occasional matching and turf amusements of a peculiar though 
 inferior description.” This is the true cause of the “ decline and fall ” of 
 tro tting horses in England, for in the early part of the nineteenth century 
 there were ten good performers on the trot for one now. The pace is not 
 a natural one, and in its highest perfection, especially, it must be developed 
 by constant practice. But this is forbidden on our modern roads, which, 
 
THE AMERICAN TROTTER. 
 
 3:3 
 
 as Mr. Herbert truly remarks, would ruin the legs and feet of any horse 
 ridden or driven at such a pace as to do a mile in two minutes and thirty 
 seconds. I fully believe that the horses of America have sounder legs and 
 feet than those of our own country, partly from being kept cooler in their 
 stables, partly from their being less stimulated by inordinate quantities of 
 oats and beans, but chiefly from their ancestors having been less injured 
 by hard roads than those of our own. If this is the case we must have 
 in every succeeding generation more and more difficulty in getting sound 
 roadsters, and such, I believe, is really the fact. 
 
 By many people it is supposed that the American trotter is a dis- 
 tinct breed or strain of horses, and that we can in this country easily 
 obtain plenty of horses able to do their mile “ within the thirties,” by 
 importing individuals and breeding from them. This hypothesis, however, 
 appears to be unfounded according to the evidence of Mr. Herbert, as 
 recorded in his “ magnum opus,” and that of other writers in the Hew 
 York sporting press. The former gentleman, who is “ well up” on this 
 subject, says : — “And first we shall.find that the time trotter in America 
 is neither an original animal of a peculiar and distinct breed, nor even an 
 animal of very long existence since his first creation. Secondly, we shall 
 find that in an almost incredibly short space of time, owing to the great 
 demand for and universal popularity of the animal, united to a perfectly 
 devised, and now ubiquitously understood, system of breaking, training, 
 and driving him so as to develop all his qualities to the utmost, the 
 trotting horse of high speed, good endurance, showy style of going, and 
 fine figure, has become from a rarity a creature of every-day occurrence, 
 to be met with by dozens in the eastern and middle states, and scarcely 
 any longer regarded as a trotter, unless he can do his mile in somewhere 
 about two minutes and a half. Thirdly, it will appear that the trotting 
 horse is, in no possible sense, a distinct race, breed, or family of the horse ; 
 and that his qualities as a trotter cannot be ascribed or traced to his origin 
 from, or connexion with, any one blood more than another. It is true, 
 and it is to be regretted, that of trotting horses the pedigrees have been so 
 little alluded to, and probably from the nature of circumstances are so 
 seldom attainable, that few, indeed, can be directly traced to any distance 
 in blood. Enough is known, however, to show that some horses of first- 
 rate powers have come from the Canadian or H orman-E rench stock ; some 
 from the ordinary undistinguished country horse of the southernmost of the 
 midland states; some from the Vermont family; some from the Indian 
 pony; and lastly, some mainly, if not entirely, from the thoroughbred. 
 To no one of these families can any superiority be attributed as pro- 
 ducing trotters of great speed. All have shown their specimens by 
 means of which to claim their share in the production. Only it may be 
 affirmed, generally, that while some very famous trotting horses have 
 been nearly, if not entirely, thoroughbred, the low, lazy, lounging, 
 daisy-cutting gait and action of the full-blooded horse of Oriental blood 
 is not generally compatible with great trotting action or speed. Still 
 it is true that the best time-trotters have not the round, high-stepped 
 action which is prized in carriage-horses, or parade-horses for show, and 
 which probably originated and existed to the greatest extent in the 
 Flemish or the Hanoverian horse of the coldest of all imaginable strains 
 of blood ; and that they have in a great measure the long reaching 
 stride, the quick gather, and the comparatively low step of the thorough- 
 bred.” 
 
 In order to estimate the truth of this statement it is only necessary 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 to investigate tlie pedigrees of the chief public performers in trotting and 
 pacing of late years. Foremost among these stands 
 
 FLORA TEMPLE. 
 
 This celebrated mare was got by a horse of doubtful pedigree, called 
 “ One-eyed Kentucky Hunter,” out of a clever and fast-trotting mare, 
 Madame Temple, who was said to be by a spotted Arabian sire. She was 
 foaled in 1845, at Langerford, Oneida County, New York, and was sold by 
 ner breeder to Messrs. Richardson and Kellog, of Eaton, Madison County, 
 New York, who used her for livery purposes for nearly two years, when 
 
 FLORA TEMPLE. 
 
 she was re-sold to a Mr. Yelie, and finally to Mr. G. E. Perrin, of New 
 York City, who speedily developed her extraordinary powers by constant 
 trials against the trotters of the various gentlemen of that city. La 
 September, 1850, she won her first public match over the Union course, 
 since which, with the exception of the year 1851 when she was lamed 
 by an accident, she has had an almost uninterrupted series of victories, 
 winding up with her defeat of Geo. M. Patchen, in June, 1860. She is a 
 rich blood bay, with black points, and no white. In height, fourteen 
 hands two inches, with great power and wiriness of frame. Her head, 
 as will be seen by reference to her portrait, is as light as that of an Arab, 
 and has, indeed, all the characteristics of that blood. Her shoulders are 
 very long and sloping, and, though standing over a deal of ground, she is 
 very short in the back. Indeed, her shape is faultless in all essentials, 
 and her action is remarkably long, yet as her pace tells you it must be 
 particularly quick. She is now fifteen years old, but is evidently quite in 
 her prime. 
 
AMERICAN TROTTING HORSES. 
 
 35 
 
 POCAHONTAS. 
 
 Though Pacing is somewhat different from trotting, yet, with the 
 exception of the extinct Narraganset pacer, there is no difference in the 
 breeds of the several horses adopting each pace, and, indeed, it cannot be 
 predicted beforehand whether a young horse shall be classed under either 
 of these heads. I therefore include this extraordinary animal in the list. 
 She is a rich chestnut, fifteen hands , three inches high, with beautiful 
 proportions throughout her entire frame. Her sire was a horse called 
 Cadmus, thoroughbred, being by American Eclipse, dam, Di Yernon, by 
 Elorizel, g. d. by Ogle’s Oscar, gt. g. d. by Hero. Her dam was a fine 
 natural trotter, by imported Shakspeare, who was by Smolensko, Charming 
 Molly, &c. The grandam of Pocahontas was an excellent roadster, but 
 of unknown pedigree, and therefore it can only be made out that she was 
 three parts of pure blood. 
 
 LADY SUFFOLK. 
 
 Second only to Flora Temple in general estimation in America, is the 
 grey mare known by the above name, though now, if alive, she would be 
 twenty-seven years old, having being foaled in 1833, and died in 1858. She 
 was by Engineer, a thoroughbred son of Engineer by imported Messenger. 
 Her dam was by Plato, also a son of imported Messenger, grandam by 
 Rainbow, out of a road mare of unknown pedigree. She is, therefore, at 
 least seven-eighths of pure blood, the only stain appearing in the great 
 grandam of the maternal side. She was much inbred, her sire and 
 maternal grandsire being both by the same horse. She was about fifteen 
 and a half hands, of a grey colour, with a full white tail, a neat head, 
 long muscular shoulders and great substance, united with length. Her 
 action was peculiarly long and elastic. 
 
 ETHAN ALLEN. 
 
 Among the celebrities of the annals of trotting is the Morgan horse 
 Ethan Allen, though never reaching beyond two minutes, thirty-four and 
 a half seconds, in his mile performance ; but this was considered extremely 
 good for a stallion. He is a yellow bay, with a full and curly tail supposed 
 to characterise the breed. He was got by Morgan Black Hawk, by 
 Sherman Morgan, out of the Howard mare, by a son of Hambletonian. 
 His dam is said to be of Messenger blood, but evidently his pedigree 
 does not entitle him to be considered more than half of pure blood 
 
 YOUNG BLACK HAWK 
 
 Another well known trotting stallion of this name has done his mile 
 in two minutes, twenty-seven and a half seconds, and may therefore be 
 included in the list. He is by Hill’s Black Hawk, dam by Old Kentucky 
 Whip, grandam the Shakspeare mare, celebrated as a trotter. Hill’s 
 Black Hawk was by Sherman, son of Justin Morgan, out of a half-bred 
 English mare. 
 
 TRUSTEE. 
 
 Two horses only are proved to have trotted twenty miles within the 
 hour, — namely, Trustee and Lady Eulton. The former was by imported 
 Trustee, out of the trotting mare, Fanny Pullen, three parts bred. The 
 latter’s pedigree I do not know. 
 
 d 2 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 3f> 
 
 THE NARRAGANSET PACER. 
 
 It is supposed that this beautiful variety of the American horse, 
 which is now nearly or quite extinct, is descended from the Spanish 
 horse. There are several traditions afloat in support of this and other 
 theories, but by general consent it is admitted that the above theory as 
 to his origin is the true one. According to this, he was introduced into New 
 England by Governor Robinson, from Andalusia, and for many years the 
 breed was kept up for the supply of Cuba, the voyage being much shorter 
 than that from the mother country, Spain. These horses were of good size 
 and natural pacers, the action being on alternate sides, but remarkably easy, 
 which is more than can always be said of the modern rackers or pacers. As 
 the roads improved, however, in the West India island, carriages were 
 introduced, and then, the demand ceasing almost entirely, the breed was 
 neglected, and is now unknown in its pure form. 
 
 THE AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 Until the English Thoroughbred Horse is described, it is scarcely 
 possible to enter fully into the pedigree of the American, descended as 
 the latter is from stock imported from the mother country. But, taking 
 the fact for granted, I may proceed to allude to the progress which has 
 been made in the United States, from the date of the first importation. 
 It appears that shortly prior to the year 1750, a Mr. Ogle, the Governor of 
 Maryland, was in possession of Spark, presented to him by Lord Baltb 
 more. About the same time he also imported Queen Mab, by Musgrove’s 
 grey Arab ; and, soon afterwards, Colonel Tasker obtained Selima, daughter 
 of the Godolphin Arabian ; while Colonel Colville’s Miss Colville, known 
 in the English Stud Book as Wilkes’ Old Hautboy mare, Colonel Taylor’s 
 Jenny Cameron, and Routh’s Crab, were severally introduced into the 
 colony. In 1747, Monkey, by the Lonsdale bay Arab, though in his 
 twenty-second year, crossed the Atlantic, and got some good stock, 
 followed during the next year by Jolly Roger, by Roundhead, out 
 of a Partner mare. About 1764, Eearnought, a son of Regulus and 
 Silvertail, and therefore of the very highest English blood, went to 
 America, and within a few years of that date Morton’s Traveller, by 
 Partner, out of a mare by the Bloody Buttocks Arabian, which completes 
 the list of the importations prior to the War of Independence. It must 
 be observed, that, before the year 1829, no Turf Register existed in 
 America, and hence there is not the same guarantee for the fidelity of ? 
 pedigree as in England, where there are authentic records which reach te 
 a much earlier period. Moreover, the war upset the homes of so many 
 families, that multitudes of documents were lost; but, nevertheless, I 
 believe sufficient has been preserved to prove the authenticity of the pedi- 
 grees belonging to the horses which I have enumerated, and whose progeny 
 can be traced down to the present day, their blood being mingled with 
 that of numerous importations of a more recent date. The love of racing 
 was very soon implanted in the colonists of Maryland and Virginia, from 
 whom it spread to North and South Carolina, and in these southern states 
 the sport has been kept up to the present day with great spirit. Tennessee 
 was inoculated with the virus of the racing mania soon after its first settle- 
 ment, as also may be said of Kentucky, both states having possessed 
 some very celebrated horses at various times. New York joined in at a 
 
THE AMERICAN THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 3? 
 
 much later period than the southern states, no organized racing-club exist- 
 ing there until after the commencement of the present century ; although 
 there were small racecourses at Newmarket and Jamaica before the Revo- 
 lution. But the energy of the true Yankee sent the New Yorkites ahead, 
 and they soon became worthy rivals of the southern statesmen. From 1815 
 to 1845, the great stables of the North and South were carried on under 
 a most honourable rivalry ; but at the second of these dates, it so hap- 
 pened that a vast number of the most energetic supporters of the turf in 
 the northern states withdrew from the arena, and, as they disappeared, 
 none filled the gaps, except a few professed trainers and jockeys, who carried 
 racing on entirely as a business, and regardless of that honourable spirit 
 which had previously distinguished it. Trotting also came into fashion, 
 and the fanatics preached a crusade against both, which took double effect 
 upon the sport, already tottering to its fall. It may indeed be said, 
 that from 1845 to 1855, racing in America was confined entirely to the 
 south ; but about 1855 or 1856 a new jockey-club was established in New 
 York, and its members laid out a new racecourse on Long Island; but still 
 the second effort was not equal to the first, and New Orleans has taken 
 the wind altogether out of the Long Island sails, by the spirited attempt 
 which has been made by Mr. Ten Broeck to match his stud against the 
 first English horses on their own ground. That he has failed in carrying 
 off the Derby with Umpire is no proof of the general inferiority of 
 American horses to those of England, any more than his other great 
 successes are enough to ensure a conviction of the opposite condition in 
 any unprejudiced mind. Umpire might have been an exceptional horse, 
 and granting to h i m the high form which he was last year (1859) assured 
 to possess, it would prove nothing quoad the general form of the horses 
 of his country. Still it cannot be denied that they are much nearer to 
 our own than was believed to be the case before Mr. Ten Broeck came 
 among us ; but how near they are is yet a vexed question, which will 
 take some time to settle. 
 
 In order to show how largely the Americans are indebted to English 
 blood, I insert here the following list of horses imported by them from 
 this country, for which I am indebted to Mr. Herbert : — 
 
 Abjer, 1817, by Old Truffle — Briseis by Beninborough. 
 
 Action, 1837, by Comus or Blacklock — Panthea. 
 
 Admiral, 1799, by Florizel — Spectator mare. 
 
 Admiral Nelson, 1795, by John Bull — Olivia. 
 
 Ainderby, 1832, by Yelociped — Kate. 
 
 Alderman, 1778, by Pot 80s — Lady Bolingbroke. 
 
 Alexander, by Alexander, son of Eclipse ; dam’s pedigree unknown. 
 
 Alexander, 1791, by Champion — Countess. 
 
 All Fours, 1772, by All Fours — Blank mare. 
 
 Ambassador^ by Emilius — Trapes by Tramp. 
 
 Americus, 1755, by Babraham — Creeping Molly. 
 
 Amurath, 1832, by Langar — Armida. 
 
 Apparition, 1827, by Spectre — Young Cranberry 
 
 Archduke, 1796, by Sir Peter Teazle— Horatia. 
 
 Archer, 1760, by Faggergill — Eclipse mare. 
 
 Archibald, 1801, by Walnut — Bay Javelin. 
 
 Arrakooker, 1789, by Drone— Camilla. 
 
 Autocrat, 1822, by Grand Duke— Olivetta. 
 
 Bachelor, 1753, by Blaze — Smiling Tom mare. 
 
 Barefoot, 1820, by Tramp — Rosamond. 
 
 Baronet, 1782, by Vertumnus — Penultima. 
 
 Bay Richmond, 1769, by Feather— Matron. 
 
 Bedford, 1752, by Dungannon — Fairy. 
 
 Belshazzar, 1830, by Blacklock — Manuella. 
 
38 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Bergamot, 1788, Highflyer — Orange Girl. 
 
 Berner’s Comus, 1827, by Comus — Rotterdam. 
 
 Black Prince, 1760, by Babraham — Riot. 
 
 Blossom, 1795, by Bordeaux — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Boaster, 1795, by Dungannon — Justice mare. 
 
 Bolton, 1752, by Shark — Partner mare. 
 
 Brilliant, 1691, by Phenomenon— Faith. 
 
 Bryan O’Lynn, 1756, by Aston — Le Sang mare. 
 
 Brutus, 1748, by Regulus — Miss Layton. 
 
 BufFcoat, 1742, by Godolphin Arab — Silverlocks. 
 
 Buzzard, 1787, by Woodpecker — Misfortune. 
 
 Camel, 1822, by Whalebone— Selim mare. 
 
 Cannon, 1789, by Dungannon — Miss Spindleshanks. 
 Cardinal Puff, 1803, by Cardinal— Luna. 
 
 Celer, 1774, by Old Janus — Brandon. 
 
 Centinel, 1758, by Blank — Naylor, by Cade. 
 
 Cetus, 1827, by Whalebone — Lamia. 
 
 Chance, 1787, by Lurcker — Recovery. 
 
 Chariot, 1789, by Highflyer — Potosi, by Eclipse. 
 Chateaux Margeaux, 1822, by Whalebone — Wasp. 
 
 Citizen, 1785, by Pacolet — Princess. 
 
 Claret, 1850, by Chateaux Margeaux — Partizan mare. 
 Clifden, 1797, by Alfred — Florizel mare. 
 
 Clifton, 1797, by Abbd Thullh — Eustatia, by Highflyer, 
 Clockfast, 1774, by Gimcrack — Miss Ingram. 
 
 Clown, 1785, by Bordeaux —Eclipse mare. 
 
 Coeur de Lion, 1789, by Highflyer — Dido. 
 
 Commodore, 1820, by Caleb Quot’em — Mary Brown 
 Consol, 1828, by Lottery— Cerberus mare. 
 
 Consternation, 1841, by Confederate — Curiosity. 
 
 Content, 1823, by Catton — Helen. 
 
 Cormorant, 1787, by Woodpecker — Nettle. 
 
 Coronet, 1828, by Catton — Paynator mare. 
 
 Crab, 1736, by Crab — Councillor mare. 
 
 Crawler, 1792, by Highflyer — Harriet. 
 
 Creeper, 1786, by Tandem — Crawler’s dam. 
 
 Cub, 1739, by Old Fox — Warlock Galloway. 
 
 Cynthius, 1799, by Acacia — Yarico. 
 
 Dancingmaster, 1787, by Woodpecker — Madcap. 
 
 Dare Devil, 1787, by Magnet — Hebe. 
 
 David, 1756, by Gower Stallion — Fox Cub mare. 
 
 De Bash, 1792, by King Fergus — Highflyer mare 
 Denizen, 1836, by Actseon — Design. 
 
 Derby, 1831, by Peter Lely— Urgunda. 
 
 Diomed, 1777, by Florizel — Spectator mare. 
 
 Dion, 1795, by Spadille — Faith. 
 
 Doncaster, 1834, by Longwaist — Muley mare. 
 
 Don John, 1835, by Tramp or Waverley— Sharpset’s dam 
 Don Quixote, 1784, by Eclipse — Grecian Princess. 
 Dormouse, 1753, by Dormouse — Diana, by Whitefoot. 
 Dragon, 1787, by Woodpecker — Juno. 
 
 Driver, 1784, Driver — Dorimont mare. 
 
 Drone, 1778, by Herod — Lily. 
 
 Druid, 1790, by Pot8os — Maid of the Oaks. 
 
 Dungannon, 1793, by Dungannon — Miss Spindleshanks. 
 Eagle, 1756, by Volunteer — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Eastham, 1818, by Sir Oliver — Cowslip. 
 
 Eclipse, 1778, by Eclipse — Phoebe. 
 
 Emancipation, by 1827, by Whisker — Ardrossan mare 
 Emilius Colt, 1836, by Bourbon — Fleur de Lis. 
 
 Emu, 1832, by Picton — Cuirass. 
 
 Englishman, 1812, by Eagle — Pot 8 os mare. 
 
 Envoy, 1827, by Comus — Aline. 
 
 Escape, 1758, by Precipitate — Woodpecker mare. 
 Espersykes, 1837, by Belshazzar — Capsicum mare 
 Eugenius, 1770, by Chrysolite — Mixbury. 
 
 Expedition, 1755, by Pegasus — Active. 
 
LIST OF IMPORTED HORSES. 
 
 39 
 
 Express, 1785, by Postmaster — Syphon mare. 
 
 Exton, 1785, by Highflyer — Io. 
 
 Fairfax Roan, 1764, by Adolphus — Tartar mare. 
 
 Fearnought, 1755, by Regulus — Silvertail. 
 
 Fallower, 1761, by Blank —Partner mare. 
 
 Fellow, 1755, by Cade — Goliah mare. 
 
 Felt, 1826, Langar — Steam. 
 
 Figaro, 1830, by Figaro — Catton mare. 
 
 Figure, 1747, by Standard — Beaufort Arabian mare. 
 
 Firebrand, 1802, by Braggart — Fanny. 
 
 Firetail, 1755, by Phenomenon — Columbine. 
 
 Flatterer, 1830, by Muley — Clare. 
 
 Flexible, 1822, by Whalebone — Themis. 
 
 Flimnap, 1765, by South — Cygnet mare. 
 
 Florizel, by Florizel — Alfred mare. 
 
 Fop, 1832, by Stumps — Fitzjames mare. 
 
 Frederick, 1810, by Selim — Englishman’s dam. 
 
 Friar, 1759, by South— Sister to Lowther Babraham, by Baoranam 
 Fylde, 1824, by Antonio — Fadladinada. 
 
 Gabriel, 1790, by Dorimant — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Genius, 1753, by Babraham — Aura. 
 
 Gift, 1768, by Cadormus — Old Cub mare. 
 
 Glencoe, 1831, by Sultan — Trampoline, by Tramp. 
 
 Gouty, 1796, by Sir Peter Teazle — Tandem mare. 
 
 Granby, 1759, by Blank — Old Crab mare. 
 
 Grecian, 1821, (Brother to Alasco,) by Clavalino — Pioneer mare. 
 
 Grey Highlander, 1787, by Bordeaux — Teetotum mare. 
 
 Greyhound, 1796, by Sweetbriar — Miss Green, by Highflyer. 
 
 Hambleton, 1791, by Dungannon — Snap mare. 
 
 Hamilton, 1793, by son of Highflyer — Eclipse mare. 
 
 Hector, 1745, by Lath — Childers mare. 
 
 Hedgeford, 1826, by Filho-da-Puta — Miss Craigie. 
 
 Hark Forward, 1840, (brother to Harkaway.) by Economist — Naboclishmare, 
 Hibiscus, 1834, by Sultan — Duchess of York. 
 
 Highflyer, 1782, by Highflyer — Angelica. 
 
 Honest John, 1794, by Sir Peter Teazle — Magnet. 
 
 Hugh Lupus, 1836, by Priam — Her Highness. 
 
 Humphrey Clinker, 1822, by Comus — Clinkerina. 
 
 Invalid, 1822, by Whisker — Hamilton mare. 
 
 Jack Andrews, 1794, by Joe Andrews — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Jack the Bachelor, 1753, by Blaze — Gallant mare. 
 
 James, 1746, by Old James — Little Hartley mare. 
 
 John Bull, 1799, by Fortitude — Xantippe. 
 
 John Bull, 1833, by Chateaux Margeaux — Woful mare. 
 
 Jolly Roger, 1741, by Roundhead — Partner mare. 
 
 Jonah, 1795, by Escape — Lavender mare. 
 
 Jordan, 1833, by Langar — Matilda. 
 
 Julius Caesar, 1757, by Young Cade — Snip mare. 
 
 Juniper, 1782, by Babraham— Anna. 
 
 Junius, 1752, by Starling Crab — Monkey mare. 
 
 Justice, 1782, by Justice — Curiosity. 
 
 Justice, 1759, by Blank — Anna, by Stamford Turk. 
 
 King William, 1777, by Herod — Madcap. 
 
 King William, 1781, by Florizel — Milliner. 
 
 Knowsley, 1795, by Sir Peter Teazle — Cupella, by Herod. 
 
 Kooli Khan, 1772, by The Vernon Arab — Rosemary. 
 
 Langar colt, by Langar — Malvina. 
 
 Langford, 1853, by Starch — Peri. 
 
 Lapdog, 1823, by Whalebone — Canopus mare. 
 
 Lath, 1763, by Shepherd’s Crab— Lath mare. 
 
 Leopard, by Liverpool — Sneaker, by Camel. 
 
 Leviathan, 1823, by Muley — Windle mare. 
 
 Lofty, 1753, by Godolphin Arab — Croft’s Partner mare. 
 
 Ludford, 1832, by Wamba — Idalia. 
 
 Lurcher, 1832, by Greyleg — Harpalice, by Gohanna. 
 
 Luzborough, 1820, by Williamson’s Luzborough — Dick Andrews’ maro, 
 Lyeurgus, 1767, by Blank — Snip mare. 
 
40 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Magic, 1794, by Volunteer — Marcella. 
 
 Magnum Bonum, 1774, by Matchem — Snip mare. 
 
 Manfred, 1796, by Woodpecker — Mercury mare. 
 
 Mark Antony, 1767, by Spectator — Rachel. 
 
 Margrave, 1829, by Muley — Election. 
 
 Marmion, by Whiskey — Young Noisette. 
 
 Marplot, by Highflyer — Omar mare. 
 
 Master Robert, 1793, by Star — Young Marske mare. 
 
 Matchem, 1773, by Matchem — Lady. 
 
 Matchless, 1754, by Godolphin Arab — Soreheels. 
 
 Medley, 1766, by Gimcrack — Arminda, by Snap. 
 
 Mendoza, 1778, by Javelin — Pomona. 
 
 Merman, 1835, by Whalebone — Orville mare. 
 
 Merryfield, 1808, by Cockfighter — Star mare. 
 
 Messenger, 1778, by Mambrino — Turf mare. 
 
 Meux, 1816, by Chorus — Diana. 
 
 Mexican, 1775, by Snap — Matchem mare. 
 
 Molock, by Muley Molock — Sister to Puss. 
 
 Monarch, 1334, by Priam — Delpini mare. 
 
 Monkey, 1725, by Lonsdale bay Arab — Curwen’s Bay Barb mare. 
 Mordecai, 1833, by Lottery — Miss Thomasina. 
 
 Moro, by Starling — Brown Slipby. 
 
 Morven, 1836, by Rowton — Naneen, by Selim. 
 
 Moscow, 1746, by Cullen Arab — Croft’s Starling mare. 
 Mousetrap, 1772, by Careless — Regulus mare. 
 
 Mufti, 1783, by Fitzherod — Infant mare. 
 
 Nicholas, 1833, by St. Nicholas — Moss Rose. 
 
 Nonplus, 1824, by Catton — Miss Garforth, by W T alton. 
 
 North Star, 1768, by Matchem — Lass of the Mill. 
 Northumberland, by Old Bustard — Old Crab mare. 
 
 Onus, 1835, by Camel — The Etching, by Rubens. 
 
 Oroonoko, 1745, by Old Crab — Miss Slamerkin. 
 
 Oscar, 1795, by Saltram — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Othello, 1743, by Crab — Miss Slamerkin. 
 
 Pam, 17 57, by Regulus — Cade mare. 
 
 Pantaloon, 1778, by Herod — Nutcracker. 
 
 Partner, 1760, by Partner — Camilla. 
 
 Partner, by Duke of Hamilton’s Figure — Old Figure mar©. 
 Passenger, 1836, by Langar — My Lady. 
 
 Passaic, 1836, by Reveller — Rachel. 
 
 Paul, 1807, by Saltram — Virago. 
 
 Phenomenon, 1780, by Herod — Frenzy. 
 
 Pharaoh, 1753, by Moses— Godolphin mare. 
 
 Phil Brown, by Glaucus — Bustle. 
 
 Phoenix, 1798, by Old Dragon — Portia. 
 
 Pilgrim, 1762, by Samson — Regulus mare. 
 
 Play or Pay, 1791, by Ulysses — Herod mare. 
 
 Plenipo, 1837, by Plenipotentiary — Polly Hopkins. 
 
 Portland, 1834, by Recovery — Caifacaratudaddera. 
 
 Post Captain, 1835, by The Colonel — Posthuma. 
 
 Precipitate, 1787, by Mercury — Herod mare. 
 
 Priam, 1827, by Emilius — Cressida. 
 
 Priam, 1834, by Priam — Soothsayer mare. 
 
 Prince, 1773, by Herod — Helen. 
 
 Prince Ferdinand, by Herod — Matchem mare. 
 
 Punch, by Herod — Marske mare. 
 
 Regulus, 1747 by Regulus — Partner mare. 
 
 Restless, 1788, by Phenomenon — Duchess. 
 
 Reveller colt, 1836, by Reveller — Rachel. 
 
 Rutland, 1810, by Stamford — Worthy mare. 
 
 Riddlesworth, 1828, by Emilius — Filagree. 
 
 Roan colt, 1802, by Sir Peter Teazle — Mercury mare. 
 
 Robin Redbreast, 1796, by Sir Peter Teazle — Wren. 
 
 Roman, 1815, by Camillus — Leon Forte. 
 
 Rotherham, 1838, by Grey Conqueror — Camilla mart*. 
 
 Rosalio, 1836, by Vanish — Rose Leaf. 
 
 Rowton, 1826, by Oiseau — Catherine 
 
LIST OF IMPORTED HORSES. 
 
 41 
 
 Rowton Colt, 1836, by Row ton — Nannie. 
 
 Royalist, 1790, by Saltram — Herod mare. 
 
 Ruby, 1836, by Emilius — Eliza. 
 
 St. George, 1789, by Highflyer — Sister to Soldier. 
 
 St. Giles, 1829, by Tramp — Areot Lass. 
 
 St. Paul, 1789, by Saltram — Purity. 
 
 Saltram, 1780, by Eclipse — Virago. 
 
 Scout, 1836, by St. Nicholas — Blacklock mare. 
 
 Scythian, 1851, by Orlando — Scythia. 
 
 Selim, 1780, by Bajazet — Miss Thigh. 
 
 Scrub, 1821, by Phantom — Jessie. 
 
 Shadow, 1759, by Babraham — Bolton Starling mare. 
 Shakspeare, 1823, by Smolensko — Charming Molly. 
 Shamrock, 1827, by St. Patrick — Fairy. 
 
 Shark, 1771, by Marske — Snap mare. 
 
 Stork, by Stork — Partner mare. 
 
 Stork, 1729, by Jig — Snake mare. 
 
 Silver, by Mercury — Herod mare. 
 
 Silver Eye, by Cullen Arab — Curwen’s Bay Barb. 
 
 Sir Harry, 1794, by Sir Peter Teazle — Matron. 
 
 Sir Peter Teazle, 1802, by Sir Peter Teazle — Mercury mare. 
 Sir Robert, 1833, by Bobadil — Fidalma, by Waxy Pope. 
 Skylark, 1826, by Waxy Pope — Skylark. 
 
 Slender, 1779, by King Herod — Rachel. 
 
 Slim, 17 68, by Wildman’s Babraham — Babraham mare. 
 Sloven, 1756, by Cub — Bolton Starling mare. 
 
 Slouch, 1745, by Cade — Little Hartley mare. 
 
 Sorrow, 1836, by Defence — Tears. 
 
 Sour Grout, 1786, by Highflyer — Jewel. 
 
 Sovereign, 1836, by Emilius — Fleur de Lis. 
 
 Spadille, 1784, by Highflyer — Flora. 
 
 Spark, by Honeycomb Punch — Miss Colville. 
 
 Speculator, 1795, by Dragon — Herod mare. 
 
 Spread Eagle, 1792, by Volunteer — Highflyer mare. 
 Stafford, 1833, by Memnon — Sarsaparilla. 
 
 Star, 1786, by Highflyer — Snap mare. 
 
 Starling, 1800, by Sir Peter Teazle — Magnet. 
 
 Stirling, 1797, by Volunteer — Harriet. 
 
 Strap, 1800, by Beninborough — Highflyer mare. 
 
 Stratford, 1834, by Shakspeare — Pheasant. 
 
 Swiss, 1821, by Whisker — Shuttle mare. 
 
 Tarquin, 1720, by Hampton Ct. Arab — Leeds mare. 
 Telegraph, 1795, by Guildford — Fame. 
 
 Tickle Toby, 1786, by Alfred — Caelia, by Herod. 
 
 Tom Crib, by Gladiator— Jemima. 
 
 Tom Jones, 1745, by Partner — True Blue mare. 
 
 Tranby, 1826, by Blacklock — Orville mare. 
 
 True Blue, 1797, by Walnut — King Fergus mare. 
 
 Truffle, 1825, by Truffle — Helen. 
 
 Trustee, 1829, by Catton — Emma. 
 
 Tup, 1756, by Javelin — Flavia. 
 
 Valentine, 1823, by Magistrate — Miss Forester. 
 
 Valparaiso, 1831, by Velocipede — Juliana. 
 
 Vampire, 1757, by Regulus — Steady mare. 
 
 Vanish, 1834, by Vanish — Elephant’s dam. 
 
 Victor, 1838, by Defence — Vivid. 
 
 Volney, 1833, by Velocipede — Voltaire’s dam. 
 
 Volunteer, by Volunteer — Whipcord mare. 
 
 Whale, 1830, by Whalebone — Rectory. 
 
 Whip, 1794, by Saltram — Herod mare. 
 
 Wildair, 1753, by Cade — Steady mare. 
 
 William the Fourth, 1895, by Blacklock — Juniper mare 
 Wonder, 1786, by Florizel — Saccharissa. 
 
 Wonder, 1734, by Phenomenon — Brown Fanny. 
 
 Wrangler, 1794, by Diomed — Fleacatcher. 
 
 Yorkshire, 1834, by St. Nicholas — Miss Rose. 
 
 Zinganee, 1825, by Tramp — Folly. 
 
 Zinganee Colt, 1840, by Zinganee — Mis3 Andrews. 
 
42 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The list of imported mares is most probably still more numerous, 
 but they are not so easily ascertained, as, prior to the establishment of the 
 American Turf Register, there was no record of them, whereas most of 
 the stallions are mentioned in our English Stud Book as having been sent 
 out. Mr. Herbert, it is true, gives a long list of them, but many of 
 these he himself rejects as apocryphal ; and there are some of those 
 accepted by him as correct which I have reason to believe have never left 
 this country. So also in his list of stallions, even such a well-known 
 English covering stallion as Launcelot (brother to Touchstone) is included 
 as having been imported into America ; but still, on the whole, I believe 
 that his list of mares is not far from the truth. 
 
 The American thoroughbred horse is said to be much stouter than 
 the modern English strains; and without doubt Mr. Ten Broeck’s Prioress 
 can stay better than most English horses, though she is not considered by 
 the Americans themselves to be quite up to the best staying form which 
 they possess. This subject, however, will be better considered after the 
 performances of the English horse are carefully examined. It must be 
 remembered that, with the exception of the horses recently brought over 
 to this country, we have no means of comparison beyond the time test, 
 which is not a reliable one ; firstly, because we have no time-races here ; 
 and, secondly, because none of our long distances are run from end to end. 
 As far as I have had an opportunity of seeing, and with the single excep- 
 tion of Charleston, all Mr. Ten Broeck’s horses have been extremely 
 narrow, the crack Umpire in particular being “like two deal boards 
 nailed together,” as the “men of stable mind” say here. His hips are 
 the narrowest I ever saw in a horse supposed to be of first class, and 
 those of Prioress are not much more developed. The celebrated horse, 
 Lexington, who is out of the same mare as Umpire, is also reported to 
 have been very narrow in the hips, so that probably this peculiarity runs 
 throughout that strain of blood, but whether derived from Alice Carneal 
 or from Boston (who got both Lexington and Lecompte, the latter the 
 sire of Umpire) I cannot say. Nevertheless, unless the time-test is 
 utterly fallacious, both Lexington and Lecompte must have been stout, 
 for they have each done four miles, under seven stone two, in seven 
 minutes twenty-six seconds, with a start similar to that adopted in 
 England. Lexington, with the same kind of start, has performed the 
 same task in seven minutes twenty-three and a half seconds, and with a 
 running start against time, in the extraordinarily short time of seven 
 minutes nineteen and three-quarter seconds. I shall now dismiss this 
 subject until I can carefully compare the horses of the two countries 
 together. 
 
 THE VERMONT CART-HORSE. 
 
 A distinct breed of draught-horses under this name is described by 
 Mr. Herbert as existing in Vermont and the adjacent country, though 
 now, he says, less marked than it was prior to the introduction of rail- 
 roads. I cannot, however, find any other authority for it, nor do I quite 
 agree with the above writer in thinking the breed, if he rightly describes 
 it, as identical with the Cleveland Bay. He says, “ These are the very 
 models of what draught-horses should be ; combining immense power 
 with great quickness, a very respectable turn of speed, fine show, and 
 good action. These animals have almost invariably lofty crests, thin 
 withers, and well see on heads ; and although they are emphatically draught- 
 horses, they have none of that shagginess of mane, tail, and fetlocks 
 
43 
 
 THE CONESTOGA DRAUGHT-HORSE. 
 
 which indicates a descent from the black horse of Lincolnshire, and none 
 of that peculiar curliness or waviness which marks the existence of 
 Canadian or Norman blood for many generations, and which is discover- 
 able in the manes and tails of very many of the horses which claim to be 
 pure Morgans. The peculiar characteristic, however, of these horses is 
 the shortness of their backs, the roundness of their barrels, and the 
 closeness of their ribbing up. One would say that they are ponies until 
 he comes to stand beside them, when he is astonished to find that they are 
 oftener over than under sixteen hands in height.” Now these are just the 
 peculiar points of the Clydesdale cart-horse, as we shall find in examining 
 into that breed, when I come to treat of the English horse, and as may at 
 once be seen by an inspection of the engraving accompanying the descrip- 
 tion of him. 
 
 THE CONESTOGA DRAUGHT-HORSE. 
 
 The last on the list of American horses is that known under the above 
 name, which was given to it from being produced in the valley of Cones- 
 toga, within the state of Pennsylvania. It is a very large muscular horse, 
 often reaching to seventeen hands and upwards, and closely resembling 
 the heaviest breeds of German and Flemish cart-horses. The early 
 
 COKESTOGA DRAUGHT-HORSE. 
 
 se tiers of this part of the United States were mostly Germans, and they 
 either brought over with them some of; the horses of their country, or 
 else they have since selected from those within their reach the animals most 
 resembling in appearance their old favourites when in their fatherland. 
 I here is, however, no record of the Origin of the breed, and all that can 
 be done is to describe it as it now exists. 
 
44 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The accompanying sketch embodies the general appearance of these 
 horses, and by comparing it with the London dray-horse, it will be seen 
 that it differs only slightly, having the same heavy ^outline of form, 
 united with similar comparatively light limbs, but not burdened with the 
 mountains of flesh and heavy crests which have been produced in England 
 for purposes of show. In Pennsylvania, these horses are chiefly used for 
 waggons, and some few of them, when of inferior shape, for the canal 
 traffic. They are good honest workers, and are quicker and lighter in 
 their action than might be expected from their weight. Indeed, some of 
 them are still used for heavy carriages ; but even in Pennsylvania, for 
 quick work, they are generally replaced by the Vermont horse, or some 
 nondescript of mixed blood, with which America is completely overrun. 
 
 In colour they follow the Elemish horses, except that black is rare 
 among them, but like the Elemish they are free from chestnut, and the 
 larger proportion of them are bay, brown, or iron greys. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL HORSES. 
 
 SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE HORSES — THE ITALIAN HORSE — THE GERMAN HORSE — THE 
 FRENCH HORSE — THE FLEMISH HORSE — THE HANOVERIAN HORSE — THE RUSSIAN 
 HORSE — THE NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH HORSES. 
 
 SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE HORSES. 
 
 Throughout Spain and Portugal there formerly existed a hardy and 
 useful breed of horses, of different degrees of lightness and activity, 
 according to the use for which they were designed. But in both coun- 
 tries they have greatly degenerated from their former excellence, and in 
 Portugal they have dwindled down in size and appearance until they can 
 scarcely now be recognised as belonging to the same class of animal. 
 The old breeds were greatly improved by the Moors during their 
 occupation of Spain, by importing the Barbs of their own country, 
 and hence those provinces which were most overrun by that people 
 possessed the best breeds of horses. The Spanish Jennet has always been 
 celebrated for easy paces and gentle temper, and these have been the 
 characteristics of all the breeds of the Peninsula, united in most of them 
 with a high courage which would induce them to face either the dangers 
 of war or of a bull-fight without flinching. One chief peculiarity of the 
 Spanish horse is the fulness and width of the bosom, which has always 
 made them slow in the gallop, but extremely easy, while their powerful 
 shoulders have rendered their action good and safe. In the present day 
 the Spanish horse is seldom seen out of his own country. 
 
 THE ITALIAN HORSE. 
 
 Like those of Spain the Italian horse is supposed to be descended 
 from the Barb, but in the last two or three centuries the breed has greatly 
 degenerated from the original type. The horses used for the saddle are 
 light and active, and at Rome as well as at Florence public races take 
 place between them without riders. These are managed by goading them 
 
THE GERMAN HORSE. 
 
 45 
 
 in the only direction which they can take by suspending balls covered 
 with sharp points from a surcingle passed round the body, in such a 
 way that at every stride they rebound against the sides of the animal and 
 prick him severely. A street is chosen for the purpose, and in one end 
 of this they are confined by a rope drawn across it till the moment of 
 starting, when it is dropped, and the whole lot getting away gallop to the 
 other end, where again they are stopped by an impassable barrier. The 
 horses employed for this purpose are called Berberi, though none of them 
 in the present day are pure? Barbs, but they retain the appellation as 
 indicative of their Oriental origin. The Italian horse seldom attains the 
 height of fifteen hands, the average probably being little more than 
 fourteen. He is thick in the shoulder and wide in the bosom, but has a 
 tolerably light forehand, good legs and feet, and short drooping hind 
 quarters. 
 
 THE GERMAN HORSE. 
 
 In Austria Proper, Hungary and Prussia, horses are bred in exten- 
 sive studs for military purposes, and of late years the rulers of those 
 countries have been largely indebted to English blood for the improve- 
 ment which has been made in the horses of the respective countries. 
 The Emperors of Austria have also caused races to be established at 
 Vienna, Pesth, Buda, Breslau, &c. Some idea may be formed of the 
 extent to which the sport is carried on at these meetings, when it is stated 
 that at the meeting at Vienna, in May, 1860, nine races were run, the 
 value of the stakes being more than 2,000 sovereigns, while at Pesth they 
 amounted to <£3,320. Even the latter of these is a poor sum when con- 
 trasted with our own Epsom, Newmarket, and Doncaster meetings, where 
 five times the amount are won by the horses engaged in them ; but as 
 compared with foreign races of an older date, it is a magnificent one, and 
 the spirit which has been displayed shows that the present state of things 
 is doubtless a forerunner of still greater successes in turf proceedings. 
 The plan of breeding stallions for the supply of the provinces, adopted by 
 the Austrian government, is excellent, and I should much like to see a 
 similar one introduced into this country. Erom 100 to 200 stallions 
 are annually bred for this purpose, and sold for about 100 guineas apiece, 
 which price is quite sufficient to cover all expenses, and leave a slight 
 surplus to the imperial treasury towards lowering the cost of the cavalry 
 horses, bred at the same studs. 
 
 There is a considerable variety in the native breeds of the three 
 countries mentioned, but they are all useful in their several ways. In 
 speed and stoutness they cannot compete with our thoroughbreds, nor 
 with our “half-bred” hunters, many of which have at least seven-eighths 
 of pure blood. They are generally light in the middle-piece, with drooping 
 quarters, and somewhat long in the leg — qualities which are all opposed 
 to stoutness at a high pace. But they are very hardy, and can five on 
 food which would starve an English horse, so that in a campaign they are 
 not by any means to be despised. The German cart-horses are thick, 
 strong, and useful, of great ske, but somewhat slow in their movements, 
 and flat in their feet. 
 
 THE ERENCH HORSE. 
 
 The Norman Charger or Destrier has been celebrated for ages as 
 the type of horse for the purposes of show and utility combined. With 
 a fine upstanding forehand he unites a frame of the most massive propor- 
 
46 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tions, and this is moulded in a form as elegant as is consistent with his 
 enormous power. Even the diligence horses of many parts of France are 
 of very handsome frames, and their legs and feet are so sound that they 
 are able to trot over the paved roads at a pace which, slow as it is, would 
 speedily lame our English horses of similar size and strength. Their 
 tempers, also, are so good that the stallions may be used together with 
 mares in all kinds of work, and though vice in its various forms is not 
 altogether unknown, yet it is comparatively rare. Their countrywoman, 
 Bosa Bonheur, has made this variety of horse familiar to most of my 
 readers, and I need not, therefore, trouble myself to describe them 
 minutely. The Limousin is chiefly used for the saddle, and is supposed 
 to be descended from some one of the Eastern horses introduced by the 
 Crusaders. He was not, however, in high request until the invention of 
 gunpowder caused heavy cannon to go out of use, when a lighter horse 
 was required, and the old heavy animal bred between the Flemish and 
 Norman cart-horse went entirely out of fashion. The true Norman horse 
 is large, powerful, sufficiently active, and very hardy. He has, however, 
 the disadvantages of a heavy head and long cannon bones. The Valley of 
 the Meuse is supplied with a small, active horse, generally of a roan 
 colour, with strong limbs, clothed with an abundance of hair, and a large 
 heavy head. The Lingone horse, in the valley of the Marne, is still 
 smaller, with lop-ears, drooping quarters, and cat-hams, which latter 
 qualities enable him to display the activity and surefootedness of the goat 
 in scrambling over the rough mountain passes bounding the district. 
 Lastly, the Barrois variety, in the valley of the Arne, is a mere pony, but 
 makes up for his want of size by his agility, hardiness, and good temper. 
 
 As in Austria and Prussia, so in France, the Government has done its 
 utmost to encourage the breeding of horses for cavalry purposes, and 
 numerous “ haras” have been established throughout France. For a long 
 time purchases have annually been made of first-rate English blood stock, 
 chosen, like those selected by the Americans, chiefly for their stoutness 
 and soundness of constitution. Still there are so many drawbacks in the 
 shape of bad hay, hard training ground, &c. in the way of the breeder and 
 trainer, that though their horses run us hard, we are still enabled to give 
 them a lump of weight. Throughout nearly the whole of France there is 
 no upland grass in the summer months, and neither meadow grass nor 
 meadow hay is suited to the horse intended for fast work. We may, 
 therefore, hope still to be able to maintain our supremacy in horses 
 intended for the racecourse or the hunting field; but, as far as I can 
 learn, the French cavalry are gradually obtaining a class of animal bred 
 out of their lightest and stoutest Norman mares crossed with thorough- 
 bred horses of pure English blood, some imported direct, and others bred 
 with great care in France. The produce are of good size, very hardy, and 
 possessed of excellent legs and feet, indeed in every way calculated for 
 troop-horses, and should our cavalry ever come in contact with them, and 
 any advantage is to be gained, it must be through superior horsemanship 
 alone. 
 
 The following list of Stallions at the various haras in France 
 during the year 1858 will show the extent to which English blood is 
 used in that country. Many of them are bred in France, but a very large 
 proportion, as will be evident, are of English descent, and as thorough- 
 bred as any in our stud-book. The importance of carefully examining 
 this list will be apparent to all those who know the value of this breed as 
 a cross for low-bred mares. 
 
LIST OF FRENCH STALLIONS IN 1858. 
 
 47 
 
 LIST OF GOVERNMENT STALLIONS IN FRANCE, 1858. 
 
 AT ABBEVILLE. 
 
 Auckland, by Touchstone out of Maid of Honour. 
 
 Bedford, by California, dam by The Colonel. 
 
 Maryland, by Royal Oak out of Pecra. 
 
 Mulatto, by Royal Oak out of Egl6. 
 
 R^munerateur, by The Baron out of Marguerita. 
 
 AT ANGERS. 
 
 Aquila, by Gladiator out of Cassandra. 
 
 Badpay, by Caravan out of Miss Rainbow. 
 
 Caravan, by Camel out of Wings. 
 
 Fontaine, by Mr. Waggs out of Lanterne. 
 
 Geometrician, by Theon out of Jew Girl. 
 
 Grog, by Nautilus out of Discrete. 
 
 Hernandez, by Pantaloon out of Black Bess. 
 
 Iago, by Don John out of Scandal. 
 
 Jules, by Pickpocket out of Amazone. 
 
 Lucullus, by Harlequin out of Crochet. 
 
 Madrigal, by Napier out of Celeste. 
 
 Shylock, by Simoom out of The Queen. 
 
 Spartacus, by Gladiator out of Discrete. 
 
 Strongbow, by Touchstone out of Miss Bowe. 
 
 The Prime Warden, by Cadland out of Zarina. 
 
 Tivioli, by Hsemus out of Follette. 
 
 AT ARLES. 
 
 Fortunatus, by Piccaroon out of Lucia. 
 
 Gringalet, by Mr. Waggs out of Marcella. 
 
 Sophiste, by Tarrare out of Miss Sophia. 
 
 AT AURILLAC. 
 
 Arion, by Royal Oak out of Agar. 
 
 Exile, by Brandyface out of Phenice. 
 
 Marengo, by Alteruter out of Young Urganda. 
 
 Minotaure, by General Mina out of Pulchra. 
 
 Nuncio, by Plenipotentiary out of Folly. 
 
 Orphelin, by Napier out of Mademoiselle Duparc. 
 
 AT BESANCON. 
 
 Petrarque, by Caravan out of Lauretta. 
 
 Wanton, by Napoleon or Jeroboam out of Danae. 
 
 AT BLOIS. 
 
 Attorney, by Brocardo out of Mazzia. 
 
 Bind, by Prince Caradoc out of Molina. 
 
 Buckthorn, by Venison out of Lelia. 
 
 Constellation, by Lanercost out of Moonbeam. 
 
 Minotaur, by Taurus out of Lyrnessa. 
 
 Ronald, by Polecat out of Regatta. 
 
 Saint Germain, by Attila out of Currency. 
 
 Velox, by Velocipede, dam by Whisker. 
 
 AT BRAISNE. 
 
 Bataclan, by Lanercost out of Basinoire. 
 
 Delegate, by Nuncio out of Loisa. 
 
 Elthiron, by Pantaloon out of Phryne. 
 
 Fagus, by Elthiron out of Discretion. 
 
 Faust, by Loutherbourg, dam by Rambler 
 Firstborn, by Nuncio out of Biens< 3 ance. 
 
 AT CHARLEVILLE. 
 
 Napier, by Polecat out of Bella. 
 
 Rabelais, by Royal Oak out of Emelina. 
 
48 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 AT CLUNY. 
 
 Fitz Touchstone, by Touchstone out of Rose of Sharon. 
 Lutino, by Nuncio out of Discretion. 
 
 Marlborough, by Tragedian out of Urania. 
 
 Profil, by Nelson out of Silhouette. 
 
 Tragedian, by Sir Isaac out of Fanny Kemble. 
 
 Yalbruant, by Nuncio out of Wirthschaft. 
 
 Young Lanercost, by Lanercost out of Io. 
 
 Zephyr, by Young Emilius out of Miss Tandem. 
 
 AT LAMBALLE. 
 
 Avron, by Nuncio out of Coquette. 
 
 Craven, by Giraffe out of Mab. 
 
 Duguesclin, by Caravan out of Midsummer. 
 
 Electrique, by Young Emilius out of Kermesse, 
 
 Geranium, by The Emperor out of Anemone. 
 
 Horace, by Mameluke out of Bellone. 
 
 Nautilus, by Cadland out of Yittoria. 
 
 Punch, by Paradox out of Marionette. 
 
 Ulyssd, by Elis out of Deception. 
 
 AT LANGONNET. 
 
 Antithdse, by Napoleon out of Delphine. 
 
 Artenay, by Polecat out of Camelia. 
 
 Cassique, by Young Emilius out of Cassica. 
 
 Croque-en-Bouche, by Lottery out of Margarita. 
 
 Diamant, by Prince Caradoc out of Opale. 
 
 Lieutenant, by Royal Oak out of Lydia. 
 
 Mars, by General Mina or Dangerous out of Folia. 
 
 Prince, by Napoleon out of Moselle. 
 
 Yricix, by Prospero out of Iris. 
 
 AT LIBOURNE. 
 
 Artisan, by Lanercost out of Skilful. 
 
 Black Brown, by Nunnykirk, out of Tanais. 
 
 Brocard, by Brocardo out of Lac Dye. 
 
 Cataract, by Hornsea out of Oxygen. 
 
 Felix, by Accident, dam by Mameluke. 
 
 Gogo, by Terror out of Kate Nickleby. 4 
 Lugarto, by Crispin out of Yenus. 
 
 Mors-aux-dents, by Napier out of Curl. 
 
 Saucebox, by St. Lawrence out of Priscilla Tomboy. 
 
 Tdl^maque, by Ali Baba out of Calypso. 
 
 Yorick, by Commodore Napier out of Katinka. 
 
 Yves, by Prospero out of Dulcin4e. 
 
 Zadig, by Commodore Napier out of Jocaste. 
 
 AT MONTIER-EN-DER. 
 
 Buzzard, by Napier out of Teresina. 
 
 Croissant, by Caravan out of Discrete. 
 
 Eremos, by young Emilius out of Agar. 
 
 Saint Leger, by Attila out of Cassandra. 
 
 Sword, by Gladiator out of Defy. 
 
 Wagram, by Napoleon out of Bellona. 
 
 AT NAPOLEON VENDEE. 
 
 Arc-en-Ciel, by Brocardo out of Iris. 
 
 Bretignolles, by Caravan out of Margaret. 
 
 Dash, by Polecat out of Aline. 
 
 Florist, by Fancy Boy out of Malay. 
 
 Frohsdorff, by Copper Captain out of Alm6e. 
 
 Johann, by Young Emilius or Garry Owen out of Miss Jenny. 
 Monsieur de Saint Jean, by Commodore Napier out of Jocaste, 
 Schamyl, by Redshank out of Currency. 
 
 Sir Benjamin, by Lanercost out of Queen of Beauty. 
 
 The Rou£, by Claret out of Roulette. 
 
 Tippler, by Tipple Cider out of Emelina. 
 
LIST OF FRENCH STALLIONS IN 1858. 
 
 AT PARIS. 
 
 The Baron, by Birdcatcher out of Echidna. 
 
 Cossack, by Hetman Platoff out of Joannina. 
 
 Ion, by Cain out of Margaret. 
 
 Priasse, by Terror out of Miss Scheneitz-Hoeffer. 
 Womersley, by Birdcatcher out of Cinizelli. 
 
 AT PAU. 
 
 Ali Baba, by Holbein, out of Cloton. 
 
 Astre, by Ali Baba out of Stella. 
 
 Baladin, by Commodore Napier out of Nymphsea. 
 Caen, by Mr. Waggs out of Destiny. 
 
 Capharnaum, by Touchstone out of Sweetlips. 
 Fitz-Carolus, by Charles XII. out of Revival. 
 
 G^los, by Ali Baba out of Celina. 
 
 Gibbon, by Skirmisher out of Mademoiselle de Brie. 
 Iron, by Sting out of Margaret. 
 
 Jumeau, by Terror or Eylau out of Lily. 
 
 Make Haste, by Ionian out of Mademoiselle Rejart. 
 Marc Antoine, by Mameluke out of Cleopatre. 
 Memory, by Nuncio out of Pamela. 
 
 M^t^ore, by Jocke out of Jessica. 
 
 Napier, by Gladiator out of Marion. 
 
 Nelson, by Garry Owen out of Zamira. 
 
 Op6ra, by Terror, dam by Waverley. 
 
 Pasha, by Ibrahim II. out of Melissa. 
 
 Papillon, by Gladiator out of Effie Deans. 
 
 Prince Eugene, by Young Emilius out of Adamantine. 
 Sampson, by Young Emilius out of Belladonna. 
 
 Tibi, by Eylau out of Silvie. 
 
 Tic Tac, by Caravan out of Miss Rainbow. 
 
 AT LE PIN. 
 
 Bolero, by Y. Emilius out of Doria. 
 
 Brocardo, by Touchstone out of Brocade. 
 
 Dirk Hatteraick, by Van Tromp out of Blue Bonnet. 
 Eperon, by Sting out of Maid of Fez. 
 
 Faugh-a-Ballagh, by Sir Hercules out of Guiccioli. 
 
 Fitz Pantaloon, by Pantaloon out of Rebuff. 
 
 Lanercost, by Liverpool out of Otis. 
 
 Lully, by Tipple Cider out of Pecora. 
 
 Mastrillo, by Sylvio out of Miss Anna. 
 
 Prince Colibri, by Sylvio out of Fraga. 
 
 Ramsay, by Sylvio out of Emelina. 
 
 Schamyl, by Rough Robin out of Kate Kearney. 
 Stoker, by Steamer out of Motley. 
 
 Tipple Cider, by Defence out of Deposit. 
 
 AT POMPADOUR. 
 
 Alpha, by Caravan out of Emerande. 
 
 Baba, by Commodore Napier out of Merc£d£s. 
 
 Brocard, by Brocardo out of Maltzia. 
 
 Commodore Napier, by Royal Oak out of Flighty } 
 Garry Owen, by Saint Patrick out of Excitement. 
 Ionian, by Ion out of Malibran. 
 
 Mokanna, by Gladiator out of Zenobia. 
 
 Malton, by Sheet Anchor out of Fair Helen. 
 Nunnykirk, by Touchstone out of Beeswing. 
 Point-et-Virgule, by Brandyface out of Sylvandire. 
 Quaker, by Napoleon out of Follette. 
 
 Uriel, by Nunnykirk out of Opale. 
 
 Victor, by Mr. Waggs out of Destiny. 
 
 Yedo, by Commodore Napier out of Venezia. 
 
50 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 AT RODEZ. 
 
 Brandy face, by Inheritor out of Tiffany. 
 
 Lodin, by Terror out of Eugenia. 
 
 Moka, by Frivole out of Mddine. 
 
 Philosopher, by Voltaire out of Mina. 
 
 Sledmere, by Sleight of Hand out of Hamptonia. 
 
 William the Conqueror, by Charles XII. out of Emerald. 
 
 AT ROSIERES. 
 
 Backgammon, by Prince Caradoc out of Poulette. 
 
 Chesterfield J unior, by Chesterfield, dam by Glaucus. 
 
 Hasard, by Chance out of Filagree. 
 
 My theme, by Caravan out of Miss Rainbow. 
 
 Peu-d’Espoir, by Sting, the Baron, or the Emperor out of Belvideie. 
 Tender, by Strongbow out of Miss Tarrare. 
 
 Yatagan, by Ionian out of Jocaste. 
 
 Young Caravan, by Caravan out of Olinga. 
 
 AT SAINTES. 
 
 Accroche Coeur, by Malton out of Jocaste. 
 
 Alerte, by Brocardo out of Belle Poule. 
 
 Babiega, by Atila out of Essler. 
 
 Emilien, by Royal Oak out of Corysandre. 
 
 Meriadde, by Prince Caradoc out of Fretillon, 
 
 Nathaniel, by Mr. Waggs out of Nativa. 
 
 Pedestal, by Commodore Napier out of Sylvina. 
 
 Ronconi, by Sting out of Lydia. 
 
 Scarborough, by Ratan, dam by Muley Moloch. 
 
 Sir Charles, by Sleight of Hand, dam by Macbeth. 
 
 Soulouque, by Beggarman out of Molokine. 
 
 Topinamboor, by Ionian out of Eugenie. 
 
 Ulric, by Terror out of Luna. 
 
 AT SAINT LO. 
 
 Adolphus, by Royal Oak out of Anna. 
 
 Assault, by Touchstone out of Ghuznee. 
 
 Ballinkeele, by Birdcatcher out of Perdita. 
 
 Bravo, by Sylvio out of Belle de Nuit. 
 
 Debardeur, by Young Emilius out of Donar Pilar. 
 
 Don Quichotte, by Sylvio out of Moinar. 
 
 Eylau, by Napoleon out of Delphine. 
 
 Guignolet, by Gladiator or Sting out of Discrete. 
 
 Isolier, by Nunnykirk or The Baron out of Deception. 
 
 Jocko, by Harlequin out of Priestess. 
 
 Marengo, by Napoleon out of Cloris. 
 
 Omar Pasha, by Brocardo out of Cochlea. 
 
 Penkam, by Caravan out of Mariquita. 
 
 Royal Quand-meme, by Gig&s out of Eusebia. 
 
 Sharavogue, by Freney, dam by Skylark. 
 
 Tais-toi, by The Emperor out of Serenade. 
 
 The Caster, by Emilius out of Castaside. 
 
 AT SAINT MAIXENT. 
 
 Alcide, by Nunnykirk out of Tanais. 
 
 Arnac, by Brocardo out of Didon. 
 
 Clubstick, by Royal Oak out of Vesper. 
 
 Incertain, by Tipple Cider out of Emerald. 
 
 Saint Simon, by Gladiator out of Sweetlips. 
 
 Sans Fapon, by Morok — Symmetry. 
 
 AT STRASBOURG. 
 
 Bon Voyage, by Malton out of Fringanto. 
 
 Clovis, by Tipple Cider out of Danaide. 
 
THE FLEMISH HORSE. 
 
 61 
 
 Coustranville, by Gladiator out of Beeswing 
 Cupidon, by Nelson out of Vesper. 
 
 Landry, by Young Emilius out of Miss King. 
 Lizard, by Cai'avan out of Polyxene. 
 
 Quadrilatere, by Mameluke out of Noemi. 
 
 Young Talisman, by Garry Owen out of Skirmish. 
 
 AT TARBES. 
 
 Assassin, by Taurus out of Sneaker. 
 
 Beaucens, by Sting out of Eccola. 
 
 Canton, by Cain, dam by Bustard. 
 
 Collinwood, by Sheet Anchor out of Kalmia. 
 Corazon, by Swinton out of Duet. 
 
 Coucron, by Caravan out of Penance. 
 
 Ethelwolf, by Faugh-a Ballagh out of Espoir. 
 Farfadet, by Saint Francis out of Samphire. 
 
 Flight Away, by Gladiator out of Flighty. 
 
 Fragile, by Y oung Emilius out of Eloa. 
 
 Fulger, by Young Emilius out of Candida. 
 
 Saint Bernard, by Napoleon out of Midsummer. 
 Grey Tommy, by Slight of Hand, dam by Cornus 
 Kremlin, by Napoleon out of Danae. 
 
 Lindor, by the Emperor out of Suavita. 
 
 Mardain, by Slane out of Mis&re. 
 
 Marly, by Attila out of Maria. 
 
 Morok, by Beggarman out of Vanda. 
 
 Moustique, by Sting out of Essler. 
 
 Premier Aout, by Physician out of Princess Edwis. 
 Prospectus, by Camel out of Jenny Vertprd. 
 
 Slane, by Royal Oak out of Naiad. 
 
 Sting, by Slane out of Echo. 
 
 The Ban, by Don John out of Young Defiance. 
 Toison d’Or, by Prince Caradoc out of Honeymoon. 
 Vendredi, by Cain out of Naiad. 
 
 Zoile, by M d’Ecoville. 
 
 AT VILLENEUVE. 
 
 Aramis, by Royal Oak out of Chim&re. 
 
 Clown, by Commodore Napier out of Hoerna. 
 Epervier, by Caravan out of Emilia. 
 
 Lilliput, by Sting out of Miss Lot. 
 
 Lamartine, by Epirus out of Grace Darling. 
 
 Philip Shah, by the Shah out of Philip’s dam. 
 
 Sir Roland de Bois, by Touchstone out of Falernia. 
 
 THE FLEMISH HORSE. 
 
 The Netherlands have a great advantage over most of tne countries 
 into which the continent of Europe is divided, in the possession of exten- 
 sive meadows which are not hooded, and in which the fine clovers, so 
 requisite to the development of the horse, are produced in tolerable 
 abundance. For this reason chiefly, I believe, the Flemish horses have 
 long enjoyed a high reputation, second only to our own, and to them we 
 owe many useful crosses among our dray and heavy agricultural draught- 
 horses. Both their light and hea^y breeds are remarkable for high crests, 
 small heads, somewhat narrow across the eyes, heavy shoulders, and round, 
 powerful, but very drooping quarters. Their hocks are comparatively 
 small but clean, and their legs light and free from hair. Their worst 
 point lies in the feet, which almost always have flat and thin soles, 
 unfitting them for fast work on hard roads. Just prior to the introduction 
 of railroads the English system of coaching was introduced intifr Hefei lim, oV 
 
 ILLlNnic 
 
52 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 and I have sat behind several teams of mares drawing a heavy diligence 
 more than ten miles within the hour. We now possess a class of animals 
 in our heavy omnibuses, a pair of which will draw the enormous weight 
 of four tons at the rate of six or eight miles per hour ; but they do not run 
 more than six miles in one stage, nor, as far as I am aware, does any 
 omnibus travel nearly as fast as the crack Belgian diligences which were 
 running between 1830 and 1840. Indeed, I hardly think any horses 
 could have been found in this country at a price suited to coaching work, 
 which would have done the work of these Flemish mares. Almost all 
 were bay with black points, and their legs were nearly as clean and free 
 from hair as those of our thoroughbreds.* They were extraordinarily good- 
 tempered, and suffered their attendants to “ put them to ” altogether, being 
 all attached to a splinter-bar, which was turned over the quarters of the 
 wheelers. In this way the change was effected even in less time than by 
 our crack coaches, when one and a half minute was considered the out- 
 side time to be allowed. All that was necessary was to pull up nearly 
 close behind the four horses standing ready for the change, then unhooking 
 the bar of those just come in it was turned over their quarters, and they 
 were taken forwards till they cleared the pole, when they were in a body 
 turned on one side. The four fresh horses were then quickly backed to 
 their places, a wheeler passing on each side the pole, the bar was dropped 
 to its place and hooked, the reins in the meantime being taken out of 
 the territs by the coachman, and the change was effected in less than a 
 minute. 
 
 THE HANOVERIAN" HORSES. 
 
 Every one who has seen Her Majesty’s black carriage-horses must 
 be familiar with this breed. Some are also brought over to this country 
 for the use of the undertaker, but they are more costly than the Flemish 
 and Holstein horses, and are only used by the most fashionable houses in 
 that trade. They are remarkable for the length and beauty of their manes 
 and tails, and for their brilliant black colour. This is specially developed 
 in the entire horses, which are therefore used for purposes of show. They 
 have neat heads and well arched necks, but have very light middle pieces 
 badly ribbed up. Their shoulders are somewhat upright, and their arms 
 and thighs are lighter than in any other European breed of the same size 
 and beauty. The action of these horses both on the walk and trot is high 1 
 and proud, yet tolerably fast, and I believe in their native country they 
 make useful troopers and light harness horses. Here the hard macadamized 
 roads forbid their being employed for any purposes but those to which I 
 have alluded. 
 
 THE RUSSIAN HORSE. 
 
 The native Russian horse is a small, active, and hardy animal, 
 capable of undergoing great fatigues and privations, but not possessed of ! 
 much speed in any of its paces. Of late years great progress has been 
 made in improving them by crossing the blood with that of English and 
 Arab thoroughbreds, and also by mixing with these the best Flemish and 
 French light harness horses. Throughout the vast grassy plains of the 
 interior of Russia there are the finest opportunities afforded for the 
 breeding of horses, and I believe that prior to the late Russian war these had ! 
 been taken advantage of to produce a cavalry horse equal in size to any in 
 Europe but that of our own Life Guards. But the loss of these animals was 
 so great in the march to Sebastopol that a considerable change for the worse 
 
53 
 
 HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 has been experienced, which it will take some years to recover. The 
 Cossack horses are mere ponies or galloways, and would have no chance 
 in a charge of cavalry, being reserved for lighter duties, which they are 
 admirably fitted to perform. 
 
 NORWEGIAN' AND SWEDISH HORSES. 
 
 In Norway the horses are almost all of a colour, midway between 
 cream and dun, with black manes and tails, and a black stripe along the 
 back. Several stallions of this breed were introduced into Wales about 
 forty or fifty years ago, and these peculiar markings are still prevalent 
 there. They are of good shape, very safe, and possessed of clean but not 
 very high action. 
 
 The Swedish horses are smaller than those of Norway, and of all 
 colours. They are chiefly used in harness, being driven in a carriole with 
 very long shafts, so that the body is suspended midway between the horse 
 and the wheels. This gives it a very uneasy motion, which requires some 
 time to accustom the rider to it. When larger carriages are required, four 
 of these little creatures are put to them, and they will gallop a ten mile 
 stage within the hour. 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 GENERAL HISTORY — THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED HORSE OF 1750 — HIS ORIGIN — THE 
 MODERN THOROUGHBRED — INCREASE OF SIZE AND SYMMETRY — COMPARATIVE STOUT- 
 NESS — EARLY MATURITY — OBJECT OF ENCOURAGING THE BREED— ESSENTIALS IN 
 THE THOROUGHBRED — PURITY OF BLOOD— EXTERNAL FORMATION — HEIGHT — COLOUR 
 — COAT, MANE, AND TAIL — THE THOROUGHBRED HUNTER AND STEEPLECHASER. 
 
 GENEEAL HISTOEY. 
 
 We have no record of the existence of the horse in England until the 
 time of the Eoman invasion of the island, when we know that large 
 numbers were found here ready to oppose the landing, and used both in 
 chariots and as cavalry. But this country never became remarkable for 
 her breed of horses until after the time of the Stuarts, who paid great 
 attention to this animal, and caused numbers of Arab stallions and 
 mares to be imported. In the time of Henry the Eighth, the want of 
 good horses was so much felt, that an Act was passed, forbidding any 
 entire horse of a greater age than two years, and less than fifteen hands 
 high, to be turned out in any common or waste land in the counties of 
 Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge, Buckingham, Huntingdon, Essex, Kent, 
 Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxford, Berkshire, Worcester, Gloucester, Somer- 
 set, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Northampton, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staf- 
 fordshire, Lancashire, Salop, Leicester, Hereford, Lincoln, and North or 
 South Wales. In other counties the limit was put at fourteen hands, but 
 for what reason I am not aware. Small weedy mares and foals were also 
 ordered to be destroyed ; and the owners of horses infected with a con- 
 tagious disease, who turned them out, were fined ten shillings. Still, the 
 deficiency was so great, that in the time of the threatened invasion by 
 the Spanish Armada, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, only three thousand 
 
54 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 horses could be collected for the cavalry ; and, to procure these, a serious 
 interruption was produced in the internal traffic of the kingdom, which 
 was then carried on by means of pack-horses. It appears, however, that 
 on board the Spanish ships there were a great number of the Andalusian 
 horses, which were then considered the best in Europe ; and these being 
 taken possession of by the victorious Admiral for his mistress, were of 
 great service in improving the breed. In her reign coaches were in- 
 vented, and this was another reason for encouraging the size and strength 
 of the horse ; the depth of the ruts and the steep hills on all the roads of 
 the country demanding much greater power than at present, and six 
 horses being the smallest team in use. For the purpose of carrying the 
 mail-clad men-at-arms, a powerful horse of great size had long been 
 wanted, but not of quite the same colossal proportions as was required for 
 the use of the heavy lumbering coaches which were now introduced. In 
 course of time, however, after gunpowder was invented, armour became 
 useless, and then a lighter horse was in request. Racing had long been 
 established in a few small meetings every year; but no sooner was a light 
 cavalry demanded than a double impetus was given to the amusement, and 
 Arabs, Barbs, and Turks were imported in large numbers, for the purpose 
 of breeding animals suited either to the turf or the saddle. This was in 
 the middle of the seventeenth century, during which time a number of 
 books on the management of the horse were published in France and 
 England, showing the interest which was generally taken in the subject. 
 Of these, the most celebrated is the magnificently illustrated work of the 
 Duke Newcastle, who occupied himself in writing it at Antwerp, during 
 his banishment in the time of the Commonwealth, between 1650 and 
 1660. He describes the horses of his time as follows: — “The Turkish 
 horse stands high, though of unequal shape, being remarkably beautiful 
 and active, with plenty of power, and excellent wind, but rarely possesses 
 a good mouth. Much praise is given to the grandeur of carriage of the 
 Neapolitan horse ; and, in truth, they are fine horses, those I have seen 
 being both large, strong, and full of spirit. I have not only seen several 
 Spanish horses, but several have been in my possession. They are ex- 
 tremely beautiful, and the most eligible of any, either to form subjects for 
 the artist, or to carry a monarch, when, surrounded by the pomp and 
 dignity of majesty, he would show himself to his people ; for they are 
 neither so intemperate as the Barbs, nor so large as the Neapolitans, but 
 the perfection of both. The Barb possesses a superb and high action, 
 is an excellent trotter and galloper, and very active when in motion. 
 Although generally not so strong as other breeds, when well chosen I do 
 not know a more noble horse ; and I have read strange accounts of their 
 courage — for example, when so badly wounded that their entrails have 
 protruded, they have carried their riders safe and sound out of danger, 
 with the same spirit with which they entered it, and then dropped dead.” 
 Erom the engravings in this book, the war-horse of that period closely 
 resembled the Flemish or Hanoverian blacks which we now have, but of 
 greater substance, the man in armour weighing between twenty and 
 twenty-five stone. But even supposing this to be the horse of the country 
 in the time of the second Charles, a very few crosses of Arab blood would 
 fine it down, till in appearance it would not be distinguishable from its 
 Eastern progenitor. One-eighth of cold blood is not very perceptible, and 
 this proportion would exist in the third cross, and would therefore occupy 
 only ten ox a dozen years to produce it. Gradually a breed of horses was 
 established, which has been celebrated throughout the world for the last 
 
THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE OF 1750. 
 
 55 
 
 century, for speed, stoutness, and beauty; in all which qualities the 
 present stock excels their parents on both sides. Much of this excellence 
 is doubtless due to the climate and soil of the country, which encourage 
 the growth of those fine grasses that exactly suit the delicate stomach of 
 this animal. But without care and judgment in the selection and breeding 
 of the horse, our ancestors never could have arrived at such extraordinary 
 success ; and whether this depended upon chance or preconceived theory, 
 nearly equal merit is due, for there is as much credit in seizing hold of 
 facts which upset a prejudice, as in acting upon those that support it. 
 For a century and a half we have carefully preserved the pedigrees ‘of our 
 pure bred horses, and for more than a third of that time they have been 
 recorded in the Stud-book by the Messrs. Weatherby. Besides these, we 
 have breeds suited to the various purposes for which horses can be 
 required — namely, hunting, hacking, light and heavy harness- work on the 
 road, and agricultural operations. Each of these varieties must, therefore, 
 be considered separately ; and, as the grand piece de resistance , I shall 
 begin with 
 
 THE ENGLISH THOROUGHBRED HORSE OF 1750. 
 
 In our historical records there are sundry notices of the importation 
 of Spanish and Flemish horses to serve as chargers, but there is no clear 
 account of any Eastern horse being brought into the country until the 
 reign of James the First, when Mr. Markham, a merchant of London, 
 sent for an Arabian from Constantinople, and sold him to the King for 
 500£, an enormous sum in those days. A great deal was expected from 
 this horse, but both the individual and his stock were found to be too 
 slow to race, and no other effort was made by either James I. or 
 Charles I. in the same direction. A Mr. Place, who was stud groom 
 to Oliver Cromwell, obtained possession of an Eastern horse, which 
 appears in the Stud-book as “ Place’s "White Turk,” but of his history 
 nothing is known. Fairfax’s Morocco Barb, and the Helmsly Turk, the 
 property of the Duke of Buckingham, were used to cross the blood of 
 the four Barb mares imported by Charles the Second from Tangiers, and 
 known in the Stud-book as the “ Royal Mares ; ” and for many years, that 
 is, nearly to the end of the seventeenth century, no other Eastern blood 
 was employed in the English breeding studs, with the exception of the 
 diree Hamburg mares which were taken at the siege of Vienna, and 
 nrought over in 1684. These are generally considered to be the foundation 
 of the breed of our English thoroughbred. It is quite clear, however, 
 that prior to this time we were in possession of a strain of racehorses which 
 were possessed of fair speed, for it is absurd to suppose that the Arabs of 
 these days are faster than they were two hundred years ago, and yet, 
 those imported then specially to run at Newmarket, were beaten with ease. 
 It is also highly probable that the imported horses and mares were not 
 bred from, exclusively of the native or Spanish horses already in the 
 country, for we find in almost all the old pedigrees a break-down somewhere 
 or other. Thus, in the pedigree of Eclipse there are two blanks, which, it 
 is true, may have been filled by mares of Eastern blood, but the omission 
 of the name looks extremely like a desire to hide what has since been 
 considered a blot in the escutcheon. My own belief is that the racehorse 
 of that day was imported from Spain, and bred from a cross of the Anda- 
 lusian mare with the Barb introduced by the Moors. A fresh infusion of 
 Eastern blood therefore was likely to “ hit,” as we know it did ; and by 
 
66 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 care, and taking advantage of onr climate and other natural advantages, 
 the fine breed was produced which we now possess. The Duke of New- 
 castle in his advice to breeders, after describing the sort of mare suitable 
 to breed racehorses, says : — “ Your stallion by any means must be a Barb, 
 and somewhat of the shape that I have described the mare to be of. For a 
 Barb that is a jade will get a better running horse than the best running 
 horse in England : as Sir John Eenwick told me, who had more experience 
 in running horses than any man in England. Eor he had more rare 
 running horses than any man in all England beside, and the most part of 
 all the famous running horses in England that ran one against another 
 were of his race and breed. Some commend the Turk very much for a 
 stallion to breed running horses, but they are so scarce and rare that I can 
 give no judgment of them, and therefore I advise you to the Barb, whicl 
 I believe is much the better horse to breed running horses.” 
 
 In this passage it, is clearly established that the mare used for breeding 
 racehorses in the times I am alluding to was not necessarily of Eastern 
 blood, for he says • your stallion must be a Barb ; but though minutely 
 describing the make and shape of the mare, and that as well as the most 
 skilful breeder of the present day, he does not place any limitation on her 
 breeding. Indeed, I believe that the use of the Spanish, mixed, perhaps, 
 with native English blood in the mare, was the real cause of the success 
 which attended the cross with the Barb ; the mare being of greater size 
 and stride than the horse, and giving those qualities to the produce, 
 while the horse brought out the original strain of Eastern blood, which 
 possessed the wind and endurance so peculiar to it. We may, therefore, 
 conclude that the origin of the thoroughbred horse of the present day is 
 to be laid in the following strains. 
 
 ORIGIN OE THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 1. Native mares used for racing, and bred from Spanish and English strains, the 
 
 former most probably descended from the Barbs of Morocco. 
 
 2. Markham's Arabian , imported in the time of James the First, but proved to be 
 
 good for nothing, and most probably there is now not the slightest strain of his 
 blood extant. 
 
 3. Place's White Turk, extensively used, and to him most of our best horses can be 
 
 traced, through Matchem. 
 
 4. The Three Turks brought over from the siege of Vienna in 1684. 
 
 5. The Royal Mares , imported by Charles the Second, who sent his Master of the 
 
 Horse to the Levant specially to procure them. These also are mentioned in all 
 the best pedigrees. 
 
 Various other horses and mares are mentioned in the early pedigrees 
 between the times of Charles II. and James II., when the Byerley Turk 
 makes his appearance. Of these we have no exact record, either as to the 
 date of their importation or the country from which they came, so that 
 all that can be done is to enumerate them. They are Alcock’s Arab, the 
 Morocco Barb, D’Arcy’s Yellow Turk, the White D’Arcy Turk, Leedes 
 Arab, the Brownlow Arab, Harper’s Arab, Pullen’s Chestnut Arab, Honey- 
 wood’s White Arab, the old Bald Peg Arab, and the Arab sire of Make- 
 less. Most of these occur in our best pedigrees, but the two D’Arcy 
 Turks, as we shall hereafter find, are particularly conspicuous there. 
 
 The next era in breeding is the introduction of the Byerley Turk 
 and Lister’s, or the Stradling Turk. The former was used in the Irish 
 wars between James II. and William and Mary, as Captain Byerley’s 
 charger, about the year 1689 ; and being afterwards put to the stud, wa^ 
 
ORIGIN OF THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 57 
 
 the sire of the Duke of Kingston’s Sprite, Lord Bristol’s Grasshopper, Sir 
 Roger Moys ton’s Jigg (sire of Partner, and Basto), from whom, through 
 his daughter (the sister to Soreheels), were descended Crab, the Bald Gal- 
 loway, and the celebrated Match’ em. The Lister Turk was brought over 
 from the siege of Buda during the reign of James the Second, by the Duke 
 of Berwick. He was sire of Snake, and therefore great-grandsire of Squirt, 
 from whom was descended the celebrated Eclipse. 
 
 The Darley Arabian marks another step, and must have been imported 
 somewhere between the years 1700 and 1715, his son Childers being 
 foaled in the latter. He belonged to Mr. Darley, of Buttercramb, near 
 York, who obtained him through his brother, a merchant of Aleppo. He 
 is said to have been a native of Palmyra, but this is only traditional, and 
 there is really nothing certain known of his blood. He was the sire of 
 the Devonshire Childers, and his brother, Bartlett’s Childers ; the former 
 not being now represented by any horse through the male line, but being 
 the maternal great-grandfather to Herod, while the latter is well known 
 to all horse-breeders as the great-grandsire of Eclipse. He also was the 
 sire of Almanzor, a good racehorse, Cupid, Brisk, and Daedalus, all fast, 
 and of a host of inferior runners, though he had few mares put to him. The 
 Devonshire Childers is supposed to have been the fastest horse of his day, 
 and it is recorded that he ran the round course at Newmarket (three miles 
 six furlongs and ninety-three yards) in six minutes forty seconds. Bartlett’s 
 Childers was not trained. In addition to the Darley Arabian, there were 
 also imported, between the years 1700 and 1724, when the Godolphin Barb 
 appeared, Curwen’s Bay Barb, the Thoulouse Barb, the Belgrade Turk, 
 the Lonsdale Bay Arab, Compton’s Barb, afterwards named the Sedlev 
 Grey Arab, the Cullen Arabian, the Leedes Arabian, and St. Victor’s Barb. 
 The Curwen Bay Barb was grandsire on the maternal side of Partner, and 
 with the Thoulouse Barb was presented to Louis XIV. by the King of 
 Morocco. They were purchased from the natural son of Louis by Mr. 
 Curwen, of "Workington, Cumberland, and brought over to England. The 
 Belgrade Turk was taken at the siege of Belgrade. Nothing is known of 
 the antecedents of the Lonsdale Bay Arab, but he was sire of a great 
 many good horses ; yet he is not now represented by any descended 
 through the male line. Of the others we have no record beyond their 
 names in the various pedigrees. 
 
 The Godolphin Arabian is very commonly supposed to have been the 
 last Eastern horse of any note used in the stud, with the exception of the 
 "Wellesley Grey Arab, in the early part of the present century. This, 
 however, is not true; for whereas he was foaled about the year 1724, 
 there are the following names to be seen in the best pedigrees, all of later 
 date; viz. the Damascus Arab, 1754; the Newcombe Bay Arab, 1756; 
 the Coombe Arab, 1760; and Bell’s Grey Arab, 1765. The Godolphin 
 Arabian, or Barb as he is very commonly supposed to have been, was 
 about fifteen hands high, and of a rich brown bay colour. The tradition 
 is that he was sent to France from Barbary, as a present to Louis XIV. 
 by the Emperor of Morocco ; but, like the Curwen Bay and Thoulouse 
 Barbs, he was not valued as he deserved, but being turned out of the stud, 
 was employed to draw a water-cart in Paris. From this ignoble occupation 
 he was rescued by Mr. Coke, but when brought to England he was at first 
 no better off, for he was used as teazer to Hobgoblin, and was only 
 allowed to cover Roxana on the refusal of that celebrated horse to do his 
 duty. The produce was Lath, the most celebrated racehorse of his day, 
 and reputed to be only second to Childers. This success immediately 
 
68 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 procured him plenty of mares, chiefly, however, belonging to the Earl of 
 Godolphin ; and it is not a little remarkable that before Lath could have 
 been tried, in fact, when he was only a yearling, his dam, Eoxana, was 
 put to the Godolphin Arabian again, producing Cade, the sire of Matchem, 
 who though less famous in his own day, is now much better known 
 from his greater success as a stallion. He also got Regulus, the maternal 
 grandsire of Eclipse, Blank, and Babraham, both represented in our best 
 pedigrees. The shape of the Godolphin Arabian was very remarkable, as 
 may be seen on examining the engraving of him given at page 1 6. 
 
 The Damascus Arab, imported in 1760, was said to be of pure Arab blood, 
 having been presented by the Sheik of Acria to the Pasha of Damascus, 
 who gave him to a merchant at Aleppo, and he again sold him to an 
 Englishman who was then on his travels. He is not now represented in 
 the stud, though of some celebrity in his day as a stallion. The Hew- 
 combe Bay Arabian was of considerable size and substance, resembling in 
 these respects the Godolphin Arabian more than the ordinary run of 
 Eastern horses. He, however, had very few mares. Bell’s Grey Arabian 
 was the last of the importations made during the eighteenth century, 
 being extensively used in the stud between the years 1765 and 1772, 
 when he died. He was sire of a great many good runners in his day, but 
 his blood is now entirely extinct. 
 
 During the first half of the eighteenth century, besides the two 
 Childers which have been already mentioned under the head of the 
 Darley Arabian, the following celebrated horses and mares were foaled : — 
 
 Basto, 1703 ; who was considered to be one of the best horses of his year. 
 
 Makeless, a son of the Oglethorp Arabian. 
 
 Bay Bolton, 1705 ; a great winner. 
 
 Brocklesby Betty, 1711 ; who was thought to be superior to any horse of her 
 time, and was not trained till after she had produced a foal. 
 
 Brocklesby, 1728. 
 
 Benny Black, 1715. 
 
 Buckhunter, 1715; better known as the Carlisle Gelding, being obliged to be 
 castrated on account of vice. 
 
 Fox, 1714. 
 
 Squirrel, 1719. 
 
 Miss Neasham, 1720; dam of Miss Patty, and through her granddam of 
 Captain Macheath, who travelled and raced more than 500 miles by road 
 in seven weeks. 
 
 Old Cartouche, and Bald Charlotte. 
 
 Crab, 1722. 
 
 Hobgoblin, 1724 ; by Aleppo, son of the Darley Arabian. 
 
 Fearnought, .1725. 
 
 Starling, 1727. 
 
 Partner, 1731. 
 
 Little Partner, 1731. 
 
 Miss Layton, 1736. 
 
 Lath, 1732; the cause of the Godolphin Barb coming into use. 
 
 Second, 1732. 
 
 Volunteer, 1735. 
 
 Moorcork, 1740. 
 
 Babraham, 1740 ; son of the Godolphin Arabian, out of the large Hartley mare, 
 
 Little Driver, 1743. 
 
 Silver Leg, 1743. 
 
 Othello, afterwards called Black and all Black. 1743. 
 
 Sampson, 1745. 
 
 Brilliant, 1750. 
 
 Forrester, 1750. 
 
 Marske, 1750 ; sire of Eclipse. 
 
 Snap, 1750. 
 
 Syphon, 1750. 
 
59 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 In the tear 1750, there came off at Newmarket the celebrated match 
 made by the Duke of Queensbury (then Earl of March), to get four horses 
 to draw a carriage with four wheels, and a person on it, nineteen miles 
 within the hour. The feat was performed in fifty-three minutes twenty- 
 seven seconds; and the four horses engaged, which were each ridden, 
 were Mr. Greville's Tawney, Mr. Hammond's Roderick Random, the 
 Duke of Hamilton's Chance, and Mr. Thompson's Little Dan. The 
 horses ran away for the first four miles, which were accomplished in nine 
 minutes. 
 
 Between the years 1748 and 1764, the repeated use of Arab, 
 Turkish, and Barb blood had produced the happiest effect upon our race- 
 horses, and during this period three celebrated horses were foaled, which 
 respectively carry on the blood of the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, 
 and the Godolphin Barb through the male lines. These three are Herod, 
 or as he was then called King Herod, foaled in 1758 ; Eclipse, foaled in 
 1764; and Matchem, in 1748. Mr. Goodwin, Veterinary Surgeon, of 
 Hampton Court, has published a table in which he traces all our good 
 thoroughbred horses of the present day to one or other of the three Eastern 
 roots above mentioned ; but he seems to have forgotten that in each case, even 
 prior to the time of Herod, Matchem, and Eclipse, there had been a mixture 
 with one of the other two, and since then in almost every case with the 
 third. It is, therefore, scarcely fair to attribute the excellence of Melbourne, 
 for instance, to the Godolphin Arabian, from whom he is descended in the 
 male line through Matchem, for the latter horse was also closely allied to 
 the Byerley Turk through his dam, and had moreover a second more remote 
 strain of the same blood. The same may be said of Melbourne's great 
 rival, Touchstone, who .is set down by Mr. Goodwin as a proof of the 
 value of the Darley Arabian, to whom he can readily be traced through a 
 series of sires numbering Eclipse among them. Now a glance at the pedigree 
 of this latter horse will show that though he was a great-great-grandson 
 of the Darley Arabian through Bartlett's Childers, he was a great-grandson 
 of the Godolphin Barb on the side of his dam, and therefore one remove 
 nearer to the latter. Again, Bay Middleton, the cotemporary of Touchstone 
 and Melbourne and a representative of the Byerley Turk, according to 
 Mr. Goodwin’s table, is descended through Herod from the Darley Arabian 
 on the dam's side, as well as from the Byerley Turk on that of his sire. 
 To make this clear, however, I will give the pedigree tables of the three 
 horses above mentioned, which will also serve to illustrate another point 
 which must be subsequently discussed. 
 
PEDIGREE OE HEROD, AND HIS STOCK IN THE MALE LINE 
 
 Shouting his descent from the Byerley Turk on the side of his sire , and from the Barley Arab in two lines on that of his dam . 
 
 Also showing the mixed blood of his descendants . 
 
Woodpecker (1773) Dam, Miss Ramsden , by Cade, son of Oodolphin , but descended also on the dam's side from the Darley Arab and the 
 
 | Byerley Turk. 
 
 | 
 
 
 c* 
 
 8 
 
 » o 
 
 1= s 
 
 I'l 
 
 .§>§ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 L 
 
 
 TJl 
 
 rO 
 
 1 | 
 
 -Ski 
 
 §■« 
 
 .gs 
 
 8 
 
 CQ 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 
 ■3 § 
 8 .§ 
 
 
 
 rO 
 
 <» 
 
 rO g> 
 
 fO .5 
 
 $ J 
 
 eq 
 
 Flying Dutchman Dam , Barbelle, by SandbecJc and Andover, dam by Defence. 
 
 * See Table III. 
 
PEDIGREE OF ECLIPSE AND HIS DIEECT DESCENDANTS. 
 
 Showing his descent fvom the Davley Arabian on the male side, but also that he comes fvom the Go dolphin Bavb, thvoucjh his dam. 
 
T Eddington, (1848) Dam, Miss Twickenham, by Rockingham, having two strains of Matchem. 
 
 * See Table I. t See Table III. 
 
PEDIGREE OF MATCHEM AND HIS DIRECT DESCENDANTS. 
 
 Showing his descent from the Godolphin Barb on the side of his sire, and from the Byerley Turk in two lines through the sire and dam. 
 
 Also showing the mixture of blood in his descendants. 
 
 I Morocco Barb. Old Bald Peg Arab. I i D’Arcy’s Royal Mare, i I Diamond. Sister to Merlin’s Dam. I 
 
 l ; 1 ' 1 
 
Conductor, (1767) Dam , by Snap, granddam by Cullen Arab — Snap a grandson of Childers, and also descended from the Byertey Turk. 
 
 PEDIGREE OF MATCHEM 
 
 65 
 
 
 I 
 
 A 
 
 3> 
 
 ^-3 
 
 O -o 
 ^ *3 
 
 S <50 
 
 SI 
 
 s^is 
 
 C? «c 
 
 53 3 
 
 •s 
 
 5» 
 
 3 
 
 *3 
 
 3> 
 
 3 
 
 •§< 
 
 
 "3 
 
 ^ r 
 
 P© A2 
 
 ih 
 
 00 JkJ 
 
 S5 P 
 
 £ 
 
 $5 
 
 
 <43 
 
 *3 
 
 oo 
 
 3 S 
 
 § I 
 
 -O 
 
 £ S 
 
 s ^ 
 
 if 
 
 «i § 
 
 a'^l 
 
 ^3 ?; 
 2 3 
 
 q.S 
 
 ^ rC» 
 
 s>. a 
 -o "§ 
 
 35 
 
 ■SCO 
 
 4U 
 
 s 
 
 £ 
 
 sq 
 
 3o 
 
 "3 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 >• 
 
 a 
 
 p 
 
 W 
 
 L 
 
 West Australian, (1850) .... Dam Moiverina , who combines the blood of all three of the above in several lines of each . 
 
 * See Table I, 
 
66 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 I have said that there is another point to be considered in examining 
 into the claims of these three Eastern sires, and to be estimated above all 
 others. Each pedigree, it will be seen, contains the names of other 
 Eastern sires, besides a few mares of that blood ; and it has been argued 
 that we are therefore as much indebted to the St. Victor’s Barb, P’Arcy’s 
 Yellow Turk, Curwen’s Bay Barb, the Acaster Turk, and Place’s White 
 Turk, for the success of Matchem and his descendants, as to the Godolphin 
 Barb. So also in the table which has Herod’s name at the head, we find 
 not only that he is descended from the Byerley Turk and Parley Arabian, 
 but that he has the names of the following Eastern horses in his pedigree, 
 viz. — the White P’Arcy Turk, the Leedes Arab, the Brownlow Turk, 
 Harper’s Arab, and Bethel’s Arab. Again, in relation to Eclipse, he 
 numbers the Lister Turk, the Leedes Arab, Hutton’s Grey Barb, 
 St. Victor’s Barb, and D’Arcy’s Yellow Turk among his ancestors ; and 
 why should they not have the credit of his success as well as the Parley 
 Arabian 1 ? How, some have replied to this question by asserting that 
 though it is true that their names do thus occur, yet it is only as the 
 progenitors of the various dams, as they are not represented in the male 
 line. Another argument is founded upon the accumulative evidence 
 which is afforded by the three celebrated roots of our thoroughbred stock. 
 For whereas we find the names of two out of the three in each of the 
 pedigrees given, and as we descend, the whole of them almost invariably, 
 yet, as is alleged, we have rarely more than one of the other Eastern sires 
 occurring in any of the tables. This argument requires a little careful 
 investigation, and I will therefore analyse the three tables with reference 
 to each of the sires I have enumerated, which are — 1. The St. Victor’s 
 Barb ; 2. P’Aruy’s Yellow Turk ; 3. Curwen’s Bay Barb ; 4. The Acaster 
 Turk ; 5 . Place’s White Turk ; 6. The White P’Arcy’s Turk. 7. The 
 Leedes Arab; 8. The Brownlow Turk; 9. Harper’s Arab; 10. Bethel’s 
 Arab; 11. The Lister Turk ; 12. Hutton’s Grey Barb. 
 
 1. The St. Victor's Bay Barb, as the sire of the Bald Galloway, is met with once in 
 
 the pedigree of Matchem, and also once in that of Eclipse. 
 
 2. D ’Arcy’s Yellow Turk occurs in Table 1, thrice as sire of Spanker ; in Table 3, 
 
 twice as sire of Spanker and Brimmer ; and in Table 2, as sire of Brimmer. 
 
 3. Curwen’s Bay Barb. Once in Table 1, as sire of the Sister to Mixbury, which mare 
 
 also occurs in Table 3 twice. 
 
 4. The Acaster Turk. Once only in Table 3. 
 
 5. Place’s White Turk appears only once as the sire of the great-great-granddam of 
 
 Matchem. 
 
 6. The White D’Arcy Turk, as the sire of Hautboy, occurs seven times in Table 2, 
 
 and twice in Table 1, also as the sire of that horse. 
 
 7. The Leedes Arab. Once in Table 1 ; twice in Table 2. 
 
 8. The Brownlow Turk. Once only in Table 1. 
 
 9. Harper’s Arab. Once in Table 1. 
 
 10. Bethels Arab. Once in Table 1. 
 
 11. The Lister Turk. Thrice in Table 2. 
 
 12. Hutton’s Grey Barb. Once in Table 2. 
 
 In comparing these, therefore, with the three “ great roots,” as they 
 are called, we shall find that numerically several of them are equal, and 
 some superior to the latter ; thus — 
 
 1. The Byerley Turk occurs once in Table 1, and twice in Table 3. 
 
 2. The Harley Arabian is met with twice in Table 1, and once in Table 2. 
 
 3. The Godolphin Barb appears once in Table 2, and once in Table 3. 
 
 If, therefore, the value of a particular strain descending through the 
 female line is the same as that passing through the male branches, the 
 
67 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE THOROUGHBRED HORSE. 
 
 foregoing calculation would place the two D’Arcy Turks considerably 
 ahead of all competitors. The Yellow D’Arcy Turk, for instance, 
 appears in all three of these great pedigrees (altogether six times), while 
 the White D’Arcy Turk, through Hautboy, is met with nine times in 
 two out of the three pedigrees. Mr. Hanckey Smith and other writers 
 on the horse have drawn attention to this subject, and although I have 
 on former occasions disputed the correctness of his arguments, yet on a 
 careful reconsideration I am hound to admit that there is perhaps some 
 tenable ground for the hypothesis, even if we do not accept it. But 
 though it is quite true that, as I before remarked, these horses occur more 
 frequently than any other in the three pedigrees, yet still the strains are 
 much more remote; and in the pedigree of Eclipse, for instance, the 
 whole seven, when put together, only amount to of that horse. Now 
 this is only a trifle over while the Darley Arabian makes up exactly 
 that proportion, and the Godolphin Barb twice as much, or But 
 when, in addition to these facts, it is considered that both the one and the 
 other of the last-named horses are continually being renewed as we come 
 nearer to our own times, while the re-appearance of the White D’Arcy 
 Turk is much more rare, the argument is no longer felt to be tenable. 
 Eclipse himself, I think, may very probably have owed his good qualities 
 to the numerous lines of the White D’Arcy Turk ; but taking his son 
 Pot8os and his grandson Waxy, the probability is all the other way. 
 For Eclipse, being composed of a little more than -Jg- of the White 
 D’Arcy, of -Jg- exactly of the Darley Arabian, and of the Godolphin 
 Barb, is put to Sportsmistress, possessing a trace of the White D’Arcy 
 Turk, but made up of ■§■ of the Godolphin Barb, and each of the 
 Darley Arab and Byerley Turk. The composition, therefore, of the pro- 
 duce, PotSos, will be \ Godolphin Barb, Darley Arabian, 6T Byerley 
 Turk, and r |g- of the White D’Arcy Turk. To make this calculation 
 intelligible, it is necessary to study the subject of breeding, to the chapter 
 on which my reader is referred for its explanation. Proceeding, however, 
 to the next step, we see Pot8os put to Maria, who is composed of ^3 
 D’Arcy White Turk, but then \ of her blood is that of the Godolphin 
 Barb, -fy of the Darley Arab, and -j-fg- Byerley Turk. Her composition 
 therefore becomes § of Godolphin Barb, 3^- of the White D’Arcy Turk 
 (or a little more than |-), of Darley Arab blood (or about J), and 
 Byerley Turk (or about proving, on this method of calculation, 
 the superior claims of the Godolphin Barb and Darley Arabian to those 
 of the White D’Arcy Turk, in estimating the value of the several 
 elements of which Waxy* is composed. 
 
 This arithmetical method of calculation is not to be entirely depended 
 on, for we shall find, in discussing the theory and practice of breeding, 
 that where a domestic animal (a) composed of eight several strains is put 
 to another (b) composed also of eight strains of blood, but one of them 
 being similar to one in (a), the produce shall be more than J (a) in appear- 
 ance and qualities, and this goes on increasing in proportion to the 
 number of times that the experiment is repeated. Eclipse, then, having 
 nine distinct lines of the White D’Arcy Turk, might be expected, on this 
 hypothesis, to be really composed of much more than the exact propor- 
 tionals of that horse which I have assigned to him ; and it is on these 
 grounds only that Mr. Hanckey Smith’s theory can be supported, unless 
 the preponderance of the male is admitted to be less than it is very gene- 
 rally supposed to be. The subject is one not merely historically curious, but 
 of the deepest interest to the breeder of any of our domestic animals, and 
 
6S 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 I shall again return to it hereafter. I merely mention it in this place to 
 show there are two sides to the question, and that on the value of the 
 paternal in comparison with the maternal blood depends, not only the 
 relative importance of the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the 
 Godolphin Barb, in reference to each other, but to the earlier Eastern 
 strains, and more especially the two D' Arcy Turks . 
 
 Having given the Pedigrees of these three celebrated horses, I shall 
 now allude to their characteristics and performances, as well as those of 
 one or two of their contemporaries, as detailed in the chronicles of the 
 day, which, however, I am afraid are not strictly to be depended on. 
 
 The Flying or Devonshire Childers was a chestnut horse, with a 
 white nose, and four white legs. He was bred by Mr. Childers, near 
 Doncaster, and sold by him to the Duke of Devonshire. He is pictorially 
 handed down to us as possessing the shape and action of a light showy 
 carriage-horse, but I am afraid that the animal painters of those days are 
 not much to be trusted. Fortunately two-year- old races were not then 
 thought of, and Childers did not appear on the turf till April 1721, when 
 he won a four-mile match for 500 guineas at Newmarket, beating the 
 Duke of Bolton’s Speedwell, who also forfeited the stake to him in a 
 return match made for the following October. His races were, as was the 
 custom of those days, either for four or six miles, and the weights from 
 8 stone 7 to 10 stone, under which he is said to have performed the 
 following wonderful feats; but the timing was made with ordinary 
 watches, and mistakes must undoubtedly have occurred : — About the year 
 1721, he is said to have run a trial with Almanzor and the Duke of 
 Rutland’s Brown Betty, carrying 9 stone 2 pounds, over the round 
 course (3 miles, 4 furlongs, 93 yards), at Newmarket, in 6 minutes and 
 41 seconds ; and soon afterwards he ran the Beacon course (4 miles, 
 1 furlong, 138 yards), under 9 stone 2 pounds, in 7 minutes and 30 seconds, 
 which is about the rate of speed of our modern horses, over our shorter 
 courses, and under 8 stone 7 pounds. It is therefore very doubtful 
 whether the speed has not been exaggerated, and especially as we shall 
 presently find a still higher rate is accorded to Matchem. He was never 
 beaten. His brother Bartlett’s Childers was never trained, owing to a 
 bleeding from the nostrils to which he was subject, but was at once put to 
 the stud, and was the sire of numerous winners. 
 
 Matchem was bred by Mr. John Holon of Carlisle in the year 1748, 
 but was sold as a foal to Mr. Fenwick, of Bywell, Northumberland. He, 
 like Childers, did not appear till he was five years old, when he won a 
 subscription purse at York, and had a long series of successes at New- 
 market, winning on one occasion, as it is said, a 502. plate, over the b. c. 
 8 stone 7 pounds, in 7 minutes and 20 seconds ; but this being a greater 
 performance than that of Childers, may be considered still more doubtful. 
 He was subsequently beaten over the same course for the Jockey Club 
 Plate, in three heats, the first being timed at 7 minutes 52 J seconds ; the 
 second, in 7 minutes 40 seconds ; and the third, in 8 minutes 5 seconds ; 
 which still further upsets the probability of his having performed the 
 wonderful feat above mentioned. In 1759, he won a 502. plate at Scar- 
 borough, after which he was put to the stud, his price being at first 5 
 guineas, but the success of his stock caused tins to be doubled in 1765 ; 
 and again, in 1770, when it was raised to 20 guineas ; the lapse of another 
 five years inducing his owner to limit him to 25 mares at 50 guineas 
 each. He is supposed in this way to have earned 17,0002., and in twenty- 
 thiee years his stock won upwards of 150,0002. 
 
MEASUREMENT OF ECLIPSE. 
 
 69 
 
 Herod, foaled in 1758, was a rich hay, and of very fine symmetry and 
 size. He was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, and sold to Sir John 
 Moore at his death. After a long series of successes at Newmarket, he 
 burst a bloodvessel in running for a subscription-purse at York, in 1766, 
 after which he was never quite in his previous form, and was put to the 
 stud, commencing with 10 guineas, in 1768, and ending with 25 guineas, 
 from 1774 to his death, which occurred in 1780. His stock won upwards 
 of 201,000£. besides many hogsheads of claret, whips, cups, &c. 
 
 Eclipse (so named from being foaled in the year 1764, when there was 
 an eclipse of the sun) was a chestnut horse, like Herod bred by the Duke 
 of Cumberland, and at his decease sold to Mr. Henry Wildman, a Smith- 
 field salesman, who kept racehorses at Mickleham, near Epsom. Prior to 
 the sale he must have had some private intelligence of the merits of the 
 horse, for we are told that when he arrived there in ample time, according 
 to the terms of the advertisement, the sale had been effected, but, claiming 
 that the lots already knocked down should be resold, the result was that 
 he purchased Eclipse for 7 5 guineas. In a short time he sold a moiety to 
 Colonel O’Kelly for 650 guineas, and in the following year the other 
 moiety for 1,100 guineas. In May, 1769, when five years old, Eclipse won 
 50Z. at? Epsom, and it was on the second heat of this unimportant race that 
 Colonel O’ Kelly is said to have won a very large sum of money, by laying 
 that he placed all the five horses engaged in it. Such a feat is so impro- 
 bable according to the laws of chance, that his offer was immediately taken 
 at much less than the legitimate odds, and on being called on to declare, 
 he complied with the demand by placing “ Eclipse first and the rest no- 
 where/’ winning his bet by the great speed of his horse. During the two 
 seasons which he was on the turf he won an immense number of 
 stakes for Colonel O’ Kelly, but at last his extraordinary powers were so 
 generally admitted that no owner would enter a horse against him, and he 
 was obliged to retire, never having been beaten or paid forfeit. Among 
 his victories are eleven King’s plates, the weights for all but one of which 
 were twelve stone, which now-a-days would be considered a crusher, even 
 for a mile or a mile and a half. He covered at Clay Hill, near Epsom, 
 his price being at first fixed at fifty guineas, but in 1772 it was reduced 
 to the more reasonable sum of twenty-five guineas, fluctuating between 
 which and thirty guineas he continued at the service of the public till 
 1789, when he died. He was so lame in his feet, that on being removed 
 from Epsom to Cannons in Middlesex, he was obliged to be placed in a 
 caravan on four wheels, and this was the first instance in which a van was 
 used for this purpose, though now so commonly employed. The pro- 
 portions of Eclipse have been minutely described by St. Bel, the 
 founder of the school which afterwards became the College of Veterinary 
 Surgeons, London. He took the admeasurements during life, but verified 
 them after death, and they are, therefore, as reliable as any such can 
 possibly be, but it must be remembered that they were taken when he was 
 twenty-four years old. 
 
 ST. BEL’S MEASUREMENT OF ECLIPSE. 
 
 The length of the head of the horse is supposed to be divided into twenty-two equal 
 parts, which are the common measure for every part of the body. 
 
 Three heads and thirteen parts will give the height of the horse from the foretop to 
 the ground. 
 
 Three heads from the withers to the ground. 
 
 Three heads from the rump to the ground. 
 
 Three heads and three parts, the whole length of the body, from the most prominent 
 part of the chest to the extremity of the buttocks. 
 
70 TIIE HORSE. 
 
 Two heads and twenty parts, the height of the body, through the middle of the 
 centre of gravity. 
 
 Two heads and seven parts, the height of the highest part of the chest from the 
 ground. 
 
 Two heads and five parts, the height of the perpendicular line which falls from the 
 articulation of the arm with the shoulder, directly to the hoof. 
 
 One head and twenty parts, the height of the perpendicular line which falls from th*i 
 top of the fore leg, dividing equally all its parts to the fetlock. 
 
 One head and nineteen parts, the height of the perpendicular line from the elbow to 
 the ground. 
 
 One head and nineteen parts, the distance from the top of the withers to the stifle. 
 The same measure also gives the distance from the top of the rump to the 
 elbow. 
 
 One and a half head, the length of the neck from the withers to the top of the head. 
 The same measure also gives the length of the neck from the top of the head to 
 its insertion into the chest. 
 
 One head, the width of the neck at its union with the chest. 
 
 Twelve parts of a head, the width of the neck in its narrowest part. 
 
 The same measure gives the breadth of the head taken below the eyes. 
 
 One head and four parts, the thickness of the body from the middle of the back to 
 the middle of the belly. 
 
 The same measure gives the breadth of the body. 
 
 Also the rump from its summit to the extremity of the buttocks. 
 
 Also the distance from the root of the tail to the stifle. 
 
 Also the length from the stifle to the hock. 
 
 Also the height from the extremity of the hoof to the hock. 
 
 Twenty parts of a head, the distance from the extremity of the buttocks to the stifle 
 Also the breadth of the rump or croup. 
 
 Ten parts of a head, the breadth of the fore legs from their anterior part to the 
 elbow. 
 
 Ten parts of a head, the breadth of one of the hind legs taken beneath the fold of the 
 buttocks. 
 
 Eight parts of a head, the breadth of the ham taken from the bend. 
 
 Also the breadth of the head above the nostrils. 
 
 Seven parts of a head, the distance of the eyes from one great angle to the other. 
 Also the distance between the fore legs. 
 
 Five parts of a head, the thickness of the knees. 
 
 Also the breadth of the fore legs above the knees. 
 
 Also the thickness of the hams. 
 
 Four parts of a head, the breadth of the pastern, or fetlock joint. 
 
 Also the thickness of the coronet. 
 
 Four and a half parts of the head, the breadth of the coronet. 
 
 Three parts of a head, the thickness of the legs at their narrowest part. 
 
 Also the breadth of the hinder legs or shanks. 
 
 Two and three-quarter parts of a head, the thickness of the hind pasterns. 
 
 Also the breadth of the shanks of the fore legs. 
 
 Two and a quarter parts of a head, the thickness of the fore pasterns. 
 
 Also the breadth of the hind pasterns. 
 
 One and three-quarter parts of a head, the thickness of the fore and hind shanks. 
 
 From these proportions it appears that the horse was generally long and 
 low, and that he had a remarkably low forehand as compared with his 
 hips, which were considerably higher than his withers. I have already 
 gone into this subject, however, and must refer my readers to page 13 
 for the particulars of it. The stock of Eclipse won 158,047^., being little 
 more than three-fourths of that which fell to the share of that of Herod, 
 and I believe the same proportion would be found to exist in the next 
 remove from each horse. 
 
 As an instance of the stoutness of the horses of this period, I shall 
 insert a record of the match against time won by Mr. Shafto, on the 27th 
 June, 1759. The conditions were that he should ride fifty miles, on an 
 unlimited number of horses, in two successive hours, and he accomplished 
 the task in one hour, forty-nine minutes, and seventeen seconds, with the 
 ten following horses, using four of them twice. 
 
THE MODERN THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 71 
 
 Milet. 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 4 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 3 
 
 H 
 
 Allowing the odd minutes and seconds for the fifteen changes, this 
 makes the rate exactly two minutes per mile, which was the fastest rate 
 made by Mr. Osbaldeston in any of his four-mile stages when doing his 
 200 mile match, and then only by one horse, Tranby. And thus we 
 get some definite idea of the performance of the horses of those days, 
 which we can by and by compare with those of our own. 
 
 THE MODERN" THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 To define the thoroughbred horse of the nineteenth century is easy 
 enough, because it is only necessary to adduce the law that he must 
 appear in “The Stud-Book.” Without this testamentary evidence no 
 other will be received, nor even theoretically can any other be adduced. 
 By some it is supposed that he is a horse descended from sires and dams 
 of Eastern blood, that is, either Turks, Barbs, or Arabs ; but this has 
 long been known to be a fallacy, for we find numerous gaps in almost ail 
 the old pedigrees, which th&re is every reason to believe ought to be 
 occupied with the names of native or Spanish mares. But though “ The 
 Stud-Book ” is thus received as the existing authority on this matter, it 
 is open to a question whether it may not be desirable to amend it by 
 introducing into its pages horses and mares which can be proved to be 
 stainless for a certain number of generations. The subject is a difficult 
 one, for while it is comparatively easy to keep a record year by year of 
 the foals as they are dropped, it is extremely difficult to obtain satisfactory 
 proof of similar facts which occurred six generations back, and this would 
 be the earliest period at which it could be supposed that the stain of 
 impure blood could be washed out. Eor instance, supposing a thorough- 
 bred horse is put to a common mare in 1859, and the produce is a 
 filly in I860; this filly might again breed a filly in 1864, and have a 
 grand-daugliter in 1868, and a great grand-daughter in 1872, and so on 
 to the year 1870, when the produce would still be composed of one sixty- 
 fourth part common blood and the rest thoroughbred. But twenty years 
 would elapse without any public record of the facts, and we all know how 
 difficult it is to disprove any statement made under such circumstances. 
 The safest plan, I believe, is to adopt the course now pursued, unless it 
 can be shown that it is expedient to cross the blood of our thoroughbred 
 stock with some other strain for the sake of improving it. An Eastern 
 horse is at once admitted as being supposed to be of pure blood, and 
 there is therefore no difficulty in his case, nor would there be any in the 
 other to which I have alluded if a public declaration were made before- 
 
 1. Merry Bachelor, by Tartar, which he rode . . 
 
 2. Wildair, by Cade, dam by Steady 
 
 3. Juggler, by Rib, dam Sister to Regulus . 
 
 4. Forrester, by Croft’s Forrester, dam by Surly . 
 
 5. Rover, by Brother to Bolton 
 
 6. Jack o’ Newbury, by Babraham, dam by Justice 
 
 7. Adolphus, by Regulus, out of Miss Layton . . 
 
 8. Jessamy, by Spot, out of Bay Broklesly . . . 
 
 9. Prince T’Quassaw, by Snap, out of Dairymaid . 
 
 Merry Bachelor (second time) 
 
 Wildair (ditto) 
 
 J uggler (ditto) 
 
 Rover (ditto) 
 
 10. Hambleton, by Swiss . 
 
 Adolphus (second time) 
 
72 
 
 TEE HORSE. 
 
 hand, hut for this there is now no provision. There is no doubt that 
 when half-bred races were in fashion numerous exchanges of foals took 
 place, by which thoroughbreds were made to appear as half-bred and vice 
 versd. But though the pseudo half-bred may be able to compete with the 
 winner of the Derby or St. Leger, and though his appearance may be 
 almost proof positive of the purity of his blood, yet he is excluded from 
 the “ Stud-Book ” for ever. In this way some of our half-bred stallions 
 are known to be of pure blood, and their stock is of great value in the 
 hunting-field, but no one would breed from a mare of this kind because 
 he would know that Mr. Weatherby’s pages are shut against him, and he 
 could not claim that her produce should receive the seal of purity afforded 
 by that gentleman’s pen. 
 
 INCREASE OF SIZE AND SYMMETRY. 
 
 The size and shape of the racehorse of our own days are superior to 
 those of the early part of the last century, as far as we can judge of the 
 latter by a comparison with the portraits painted by Stubbs and his 
 cotemporaries. In point of height there can be no question, for we have 
 numerous records of the number of hands which may be ascribed to the 
 celebrities of the age of Charles II. and his immediate successors. 
 
 Out of 130 winners in the middle of the last century, only eighteen 
 were fifteen hands and upwards, whereas now, a winner below that height 
 is a very great rarity indeed, even among the mares. This increase of 
 size is doubtless mainly due to the influence of the Go dolphin Barb, who 
 was himself larger than most of the Eastern sires, and got stock of a 
 still greater height. His son, Babraham, was fifteen hands high, then 
 considered an extraordinary development ; and of the eighteen winners 
 mentioned above as being fifteen hands and upwards, eleven were by the 
 Godolphin Barb or his sons. The average at present may be fixed at fifteen 
 hands three inches, as I have already shown at page 12. As far as shape 
 is concerned, the modern horse has profited by the long-continued and 
 careful selection which has been made of sires and dams. Every 
 breeder has considered good blood a sine qud non, but to this he has 
 added a frame as well adapted as possible to the requirements of the turf. 
 The improvement has chiefly been in the length and slope of the 
 shoulders, and in the length of the arms and thighs, the head also being 
 a good deal attended to, but perhaps as often improperly chosen. No 
 doubt the muzzle can hardly be too fine, but with a small one are often 
 coupled a narrow forehead, and a contracted jaw, two defects of the 
 greatest possible importance ; the one interfering with the amount of 
 nervous enei gy, and the other with good wind. There is no disputing 
 the perfection of shape of the modern English racehorse, and I believe 
 that, perhaps with the single exception of the greyhound, he is the most 
 beautiful animal in creation. Indeed, under certain conditions, he is 
 superior to his canine rival ; because he can be so excited as to induce 
 him to display his shapes better than the greyhound, and his superficial 
 veins, being more readily seen when distended, add greatly to his fiery 
 and spirited appearance. I am very doubtful whether the choice of 
 shape has always been correct, and especially in selecting shoulders and 
 quarters. Many breeders have had a fancy for the high croup which is 
 so constantly seen among the Arabs, but which I cannot help fancying 
 to be a defect. A very sloping quarter is almost equally bad, but of the 
 tfto extremes I much prefer it, Our modern trainers are quite aware of 
 
COMPARATIVE STOUTNESS. 
 
 73 
 
 this, and a “peacocky” horse, that is, with his tail set on high, is their 
 aversion. The true shape is that which is given in the portrait of 
 Saunterer, in which horse there is a fine amount of fall, without going 
 into either extreme. 
 
 COMPARATIVE STOUTNESS. 
 
 But are our modern horses as stout as those of the last century? 
 Such is the question which has been very differently answered by Lord 
 Redesdale and Admiral Rous, in their correspondence on the alteration of 
 the weights proposed by the former, who contends that while their speed 
 for short distances has been developed to a great extent, their stoutness, 
 or the power of staying over a distance of ground, has greatly diminished. 
 The arguments pro and con which each has adduced would occupy too 
 much space for me to go into them at length, especially as they have been 
 mixed up with others which bear upon the degeneracy of man rather than 
 of his slave the horse. I may however quote one extract from an article 
 in j Baity’ s Magazine of Sports, by the Admiral, which supports his position 
 in an exceedingly clear manner. He says : — 
 
 “ A very ridiculous notion exists that because our ancestors were fond 
 of matching their horses four, six, and eight miles, and their great prizes 
 were never less than four miles for aged horses, that the English race- 
 horses of 1700 had more powers of endurance, and were better adapted to 
 run long distances under heavy weights, than the horses of the present 
 day ; and there is another popular notion that our horses cannot now stay 
 four miles. 
 
 “ From 1600 to 1740 most of the matches at Newmarket were above 
 four miles. The six-mile post in my time stood about 200 yards from the 
 present railroad station, six-mile bottom, and the eight-mile post was due 
 south from the station on the rising ground ; but the cruelty of the dis- 
 tance, and interest of the horse-owners, shortened the course in corre- 
 sponding ratio with the civilisation of the country. Two jades may run 
 as fine a race for eight miles as for half a mile — it is no proof of endurance. 
 You may match any animals for what distance you please, but it is no 
 proof of great capacity. We have no reason to suppose that the pure 
 Arabian of the desert has degenerated ; his pedigree is as well kept, his 
 admirers in the East are as numerous, and his value in that market has 
 not been depreciated. In 1700 the first cross from these horses were 
 the heroes of the turf. Look at the portraits of Flying Childers, Lath, 
 Regulus, and other celebrated horses, including the Godolphin Arabian. 
 If the artists were correct in their delineations, they had no appearance of 
 racehorses ; they of course were good enough to gallop away from the 
 miserable English garrans of that era, as a good Arab or a Barbary horse, 
 like Vengeance, would run away from a common hackney in the present 
 day. Amongst the blind, a one-eyed man is a king. 
 
 “ My belief is, that the present English racehorse is as much superior 
 to the racehorse of 1750, as he excelled the first cross from Arabs and 
 Barbs with English mares, and, again, as they surpassed the old English 
 racing hack of 1650. 
 
 “ The form of Flying Childers might win now a 30/. plate, winner to 
 be sold for 40 /. ; Highflyer and Eclipse might pull through in a 50/. 
 plate, winner to be sold for 200/. This may be a strong opinion ; it is 
 founded on the fact that whereas, 150 years ago, the Eastern horses and 
 their first cross were the best and fastest in England, at this day a 
 
74 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 second-class racehorse can give five stone to the best Arabian or Bart 
 and heat him, from one to twenty miles. I presume, therefore, that the 
 superiority of the English horse has improved in that ratio above the 
 original stock.” 
 
 Granting, as demanded by the Admiral, the premises he assumes, 
 namely, that the Arab of the present day and that of 1750 are identical 
 in speed and stoutness, the argument is closed, because it is proved that 
 with the exception of Markham's Arabian, who was a failure, the imported 
 Arabs, Turks, &c. of the former period, and more especially their imme- 
 diate stock, were able to beat the native horses of that day, whereas now 
 an imported Arab is wholly unable to cope with ours. But what right 
 have we to assume that the Arab of 1700 or 1750 is identical with his 
 descendant of 1850 % Certainly there is no proof to the contrary, but we 
 must remember that during the intervening period Great Britain, France, 
 Germany, Russia, Hungary, America, India, the Cape of Good Hope, and 
 Australia, have all been draining the East, and vieing with one another 
 in their endeavours to procure specimens of her best breeds. 
 
 It is asserted that the Arab cannot be induced to part with his best 
 mares, and can seldom be tempted to sell his most highly prized 
 horses ; but when money and the pressure of political influence are both 
 brought to bear, we much question his powers of resistance. Besides, 
 even supposing that he retained his best mares, if he sold his most valuable 
 stallions the breed would still be more likely to degenerate than if he 
 kept both, as he had always previously done. Ho one can contend that 
 we are quite as well off in this country without Glencoe, Ion, the Baron, 
 Priam, The Emperor, and other valuable stallions which have been ex- 
 ported to other countries ; and if this is admitted, then by a parity of 
 reasoning, the Arab has suffered in the same way. I cannot, therefore, 
 quite see the force of the argument adduced by Admiral Rous, which 
 depends upon the admission of the identity of the Arab of 1700-1750 
 with his descendant in the present day. Hor do I think much of that 
 which is grounded upon the unracing-like appearance of “ the portraits of 
 Flying Childers, Lath, Regulus, and other celebrated horses ” (of that date), 
 u including the Godolphin Arabian.” Most of those now extant are mere 
 daubs, and of the better executed productions of Stubbs I confess that 
 I have no great opinion as correct portraits. They are all deficient in 
 that kind of minute fidelity which alone gives unmistakeable evidence of 
 a truthful imitation of nature ; and if we were left to this evidence alone, 
 I should certainly be unable to make up my mind on the subject. But 
 there is one point in corroboration of Admiral Rous’s opinion, though not, 
 1 think, warranting him in setting down Highflyer and Eclipse as common 
 platers. I have already alluded to the time in which Childers is said to 
 have run the B. C. at Hewmarket, and Matchem four miles at York ; but 
 it may be as well to recapitulate here the best recorded times of four miles 
 run near the middle of the last century, and contrast them with those of 
 the English and American horses of our own day. I must, however, first 
 show that the latter should be included in the same boat with our own, 
 and I confess that I should be reluctant to do so but that it is impossible 
 to find on our turf any recent examples of four-mile races run from end 
 to end. Moreover, we have no reason to suppose that they are stouter 
 than their English relations, though, as is admitted by Admiral Rous, 
 Prioress was, in 1859, “the best four-mile mare in England.” To avoid 
 any chance of misrepresentation, I wiL extract the passage entire. 
 
 “ Our American friends have improved their racehorses in an equal 
 
COMPARATIVE STOUTNESS. 
 
 75 
 
 degree to our own, by sticking to the same blood. They have had the 
 good sense and discrimination to buy the cream of our best stallions, — 
 Precipitate, Diomed, Priam, Trustee, Glencoe. They adhere to the prin- 
 ciples which our fathers adopted, of breeding only by stallions which 
 could stay a distance ; and very naturally, when all their great prizes and 
 matches vary from two to four miles. We played the same game until 
 the commencement of this century ; but when great stakes were made for 
 shorter distances, it was soon ascertained that the sons of the stout old 
 stallions could not win a 2,000 guineas stake against the blood of Bubens, 
 Castrel, and Selim. For the last fifty years we have been breeding from 
 our stoutest horses, but principally from large powerful horses with extra- 
 ordinary speed. The Americans have bred for stoutness ; both parties 
 have succeeded. I cannot shut my eyes to the fact that the American 
 Prioress was last year the best four-mile mare in England, and that one 
 half of the American horses brought over in the last two years to do a 
 good thing cannot last over three-quarters of a mile. Such is the lottery 
 of breeding racehorses. Venison, the best four-mile horse of his year 
 (excepting Slane), was got by a speedy jade, Partisan, out of Fawn, which 
 could not race 500 yards ; and Plenipotentiary’s dam had great difficulty 
 to run beyond five furlongs. The comparative stoutness of the American 
 and English racehorse is not yet decided. The odds in our favour ought 
 to be three to one, estimating our numerical superiority : if we beat them 
 we shall have no pretensions to crow.” 
 
 Since the time at which the above remarks were published, Mr. Ten 
 Broeck’s Umpire, who was then first favourite for the Derby, in running 
 that race showed a deficiency in the quality which we are now discussing, 
 and his case, therefore, tends to support the Admiral’s opinion. The 
 Americans themselves admit that, as far as the performances of their horses 
 in 1857 and 1858 can be considered a criterion, they “ had not proved the 
 racehorse of America to be the equal of the racehorse of the English turf;” 
 my authority being the article on “ The American Horses in England,” 
 published in the American Racing Calendar for 1859. These conclusions 
 have been arrived at after the experience of four seasons, during which 
 Mr. Ten Broeck has spared neither money, industry, nor talent, the last 
 being proved by the amount of money which he has won in stakes and 
 bets during the time. About twenty horses have been in training, and 
 among these he has had the luck to have one extraordinarily stout mare, 
 and a first-class two-year-old in Umpire ; but all the rest have been below 
 mediocrity, and have only “ paid their way ” in matches and handicaps, 
 when they certainly have not been so weighted as to lead one to suppose 
 that they are of a superior class to our own horses. I shall, however, 
 separate the performances of the three, so that the reader may not only 
 contrast the old with the modern horse, but also the English with the 
 American. 
 
 TIMES MADE BY THE HORSES OF THE MIDDLE OF THE LAST 
 CENTURY. 
 
 Hs. Min. Sec. 
 
 About 1721, Childers ran in a trial, carrying 9st. 21bs. the R. C., Newmarket 
 
 (3 miles 4 fur. 53 yds.) in 6 40 
 
 The same horse is also recorded to have run the Beacon Course, New- 
 market (4 miles 1 fur. 138 yds.) in 7 30 
 
 In 1745, Mr. Thornhill rode from Stilton to London, back, and again to 
 
 London (213 miles) in 11 13 0 
 
 In 1752, Skewball, by the Godolphin Barb, carrying 8st. 71bs., ran 4 miles 
 
 over the Curragh in 7 51 
 
76 THE HORSE. 
 
 Hs. Min. Sec. 
 
 In 1753, at Newmarket, Matchem ran the Beacon Course (3 miles 4 fur. 
 
 93 yds.) carrying 8st. 71bs. in 7 20 
 
 In 1755, Bay Bolton, at York, ran 4 miles, which was considered extra- 
 ordinary time, in 7 43 
 
 In 1759, at York, Careless, carrying 9st., ran 4 miles in 8 8 
 
 BEST MODERN ENGLISH TIMES. 
 
 In 1831, Mr. Osbaldeston, list., rode 200 miles over the R.C. Newmarket, 
 
 using 28 horses, including 1 hour 22 min. 56 sec. for stoppages, in . 8 42 0 
 
 In 1846, Sir Tatton Sykes ran the St. Leger Course at Doncaster (1 mile 
 
 6 fur. 132 yds.) in 3 16 
 
 In 1847, Cossack and War Eagle ran for the Newmarket Stakes D. I. 7 
 
 fur. 210 yds. in 1 44 
 
 In 1848, Surplice and Cymba, in the Oaks and Derby, each ran 1^ mile 
 
 over this severe course, 8st. 71b. and 8st. 31b., in 2 48 
 
 In 1853, The Emperor’s Plate at Ascot was won by Teddington, 5 years, 
 
 9st. Stockwell, 4 years, 8st. 51bs. (2 miles 4 fur.) in 4 33 
 
 In 1854, at Ascot, West Australian and Kingston ran in the Cup (2 miles 
 
 4 fur.) in ... 4 27 
 
 In 1857, for the Ascot Gold Cup, Skirmisher 3 years, German Di Yergy 3 
 years, and Saunterer 3 years, 6st. 101b. each, with Polestar 5 years, 
 
 9st., were all placed, the time being (2 miles 4 fur.) 4 29 
 
 In 1857, Blink Bonny won the Derby (1 mile 4 fur.) in 2 45 
 
 In 1859, Artless, 3 years, 5st. 21bs., and Gaspard, 3 years, 6st. 91bs., ran a 
 dead heat for the Csesarewitch (2 miles 2 fur. 28 yds.), beating Prioress, 
 
 6 years, 8st. 51bs 3 58 
 
 BEST AMERICAN TIME MADE IN AMERICA AND ENGLAND. 
 
 In 1842, Fashion, 5 years, 7st. 131bs., ran 4 miles over the U. C. Long 
 
 Island, in 7 32 1 
 
 In 1850, Hegira, 4 years, catch weight, ran 2 miles at New Orleans in . . 3 34j 
 
 In 1855, Lexington, 4 years, 7st. 5 lbs., ran 4 miles (with a running start) at 
 
 New Orleans in 7 19% 
 
 In 1855, the same horse and weight, beat Lecoinpte in the final heat of 
 
 a regular match in 7 23% 
 
 In 1855, Brown Dick, 3 years, 6st. 21bs., ran 3 miles at New Orleans in . 5 28 
 
 In 1856, Prioress, 2 years, 5st. 131bs., ran a mile over the Metairie Course, 
 
 New Orleans, in 1 45 
 
 In 1857, Prioress, 4 years, 6st. 91bs., ran a dead heat for the Csesarewitch 
 (2 miles 2 fur. 28 yds ) with El Hakim, 3 years, 6st. 91bs., and Queen 
 
 Bess, 3 years, 4st. 101bs., in 4 9 
 
 In 1858, Nicholas, 5 years, 7st. 31bs., ran 4 miles — Fashion C — Long Island 7 35 
 
 Here, then, we have data to found a calculation upon, but whether 
 reliable or not is still a matter of dispute. Of course it is quite unfair to 
 compare the speed in a short race with that displayed in a long one, hut 
 we shall find that between a mile and a half and two miles and a half there 
 is not much difference in the rate of going. The nature of the course alters 
 the time very considerably, that run over in the Derby being very hilly, 
 and therefore unusually severe, while the Caesare witch course is compara- 
 tively level, though the Newmarket trainers complain of the hill as if it 
 was as steep as the roof of a house. Much also depends upon the way in 
 which the running is made, for if the pace is very good at first, the dis- 
 tance is not run in the same time as in a race run more slowly at the start. 
 Thus Blink Bonny was scarcely extended in her race for the Derby, and, 
 being able to run the first mile at a steady pace, she made the best time 
 on record ; while at Doncaster, where she was beaten, the time was much 
 worse, being three minutes twenty-five seconds, or nine seconds behind 
 the time of Sir Tatton Sykes. On examining the three lists, we find the 
 performance of this last-named horse to be the fastest on record for his 
 
COMPARATIVE STOUTNESS. 
 
 77 
 
 age and weight, he having run at the rate of thirteen seconds and a half 
 per furlong, nearly, while Blink Bonny’s Derby time is, as near as may be, 
 thirteen seconds and three-quarters per furlong. We have no reliable 
 record of any horse having run any distance over a mile at so fast a rate 
 as this. Childers and Eclipse are said to have each run a mile in a minute, 
 but this is manifestly absurd, and if the former could only run the Beacon 
 Course, in a trial, at the rate of thirteen seconds and three-quarters per 
 furlong, and the Bound Course, in an actual race, at a still slower pace, it 
 is absurd to suppose that he could run a mile in sixty seconds, or at very 
 nearly double this rate. It has been ascertained by experience that a 
 horse loses his pace for moderately short distances if he is strained to the 
 utmost for three or four miles, and our trainers are therefore careful in trying 
 the extreme length which their horses can get. Long courses have been 
 given up almost entirely for this reason, among others, and because also, 
 in particular, it has been found that the competing horses do not really 
 race for more than half or a quarter of the distance ; consequently, we 
 have no true test in England beyond two miles four furlongs, which have 
 been run over the somewhat severe course of Ascot by West Australian 
 and Kingston, at the rate of thirteen seconds and a quarter per furlong, 
 the latter horse carrying nine stone. This feat will most triumphantly 
 contrast with any performance of ancient or modern times, either in 
 England or America, for it will be found on examination to be from three- 
 quarters to half a second per furlong faster than the recorded rate of Childers, 
 and half a second faster than Lexington, even with the advantage of a 
 running start, and carrying seven stone five pounds as a four-year-old, against 
 Kingston, five-year-old, with nine stone. We may, therefore, assume that 
 some, at all events, of our modern horses are capable of successfully contend- 
 ing with the American horses at any reasonable distance, for the latter have 
 never yet come up to the time made in this country, either here or in 
 America, and without an allowance of at least a stone they have never yet 
 had a chance, with the exception of Umpire in his two-year-old career. 
 My belief is that early training for short distances interferes with the 
 chance of any individual horse doing a long distance in the shortest 
 possible time, but the power remains in the breed, and can at any time 
 be developed in a sound horse of the stoutest blood we possess. Unfor- 
 tunately, of late years, speed has been -all in all, and we have too much 
 neglected the stout old strains of Waxy and Tramp for that of the three 
 sons of Buzzard — Selim, Castrel, and Bubens. The Jockey Club, however, 
 at the instigation of Lord Bedesdale, have it in contemplation to prevent 
 two-year-old races early in the year, and I trust that by this and other 
 regulations a stop may be put to the course of events which certainly 
 seem to have a tendency to produce the mischief which, however, is not 
 yet finally accomplished. I am afraid that there would be some difficulty 
 in now getting twenty-eight horses to repeat Mr. Osbaldeston’s feat, which 
 I have inserted as one proof of the stoutness of our modern breed ; but 
 this would be entirely a matter of price, for there are plenty of thorough- 
 bred hunters which are capable of effecting it, the value of such animals 
 being about 300Z. apiece, and few owners would therefore lend them. 
 Lord Bedesdale seems entirely to have overlooked the enormous increase 
 of this class of horses within the last forty years. Prior to that time a 
 thoroughbred hunter was only to be met with, as a rule , in the great grass 
 countries, and “ the provincials ” were contented with half-breds, which 
 were supposed to be, and really were, better able to get over the great 
 sprawling fences and other difficult jumps which were to be found at every 
 
78 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 two or three hundred yards. Fashion, however, supported by the change in 
 the agricultural management of the country, has brought the thoroughbred 
 into general use ; and with a long list of more than a hundred packs of fox- 
 hounds, each perhaps followed by, on the average, thirty reputed thorough- 
 breds, more or less up to weight, we find 3,000 horses of this class to be 
 supplied. Now the whole of the foals dropped in each year and recorded 
 in the Stud-book do not altogether come up to one half of this number, 
 and, deducting those horses which are unable to carry more than seven 
 stone, the stallions and mares which are put to the stud here and abroad, 
 and the unsound animals of both sexes, it is equally astonishing that the 
 demand should be so well supplied as it is, and that there should be any 
 horses able to stay a distance left. The owner of a horse will always do 
 with him what he considers most to his own advantage, and, whereas 
 formerly he had no choice but either to sell an aged horse as a hack, or to 
 keep him in training, he now teaches him to get over a hurdle and a few 
 fences, and he has a dozen customers ready for him at eight or ten times 
 the old hack price. I do not for a moment contend that even the most 
 valuable of these hunters are as sound on their legs as the average of race- 
 horses fifty or a hundred years ago, but that they are as stout, I think, is 
 quite clear, and the reason of their being more unsound is only that they 
 are sooner used up. A railway locomotive will only travel a definite 
 number of miles, varying in relation to the speed at which it is used, and 
 if it is brought on to the rails before it is in perfect working order, it will 
 very much sooner fail. So in the present day, from the facilities of 
 travelling from place to place, and from the length of the racing season, 
 our horses, when in training, have little or no rest, and thus, though 
 their career is a short one, “ the candle is burnt at both ends ” while it is 
 alight, and it is consumed in half the time. Look at the performances of 
 Rataplan, Fisherman, and Thormanby, and compare them with the much- . 
 vaunted feats of the Carlisle Gelding in 1720 to 1731, and of Black 
 Chance from 1736 to 1746. Even the still more celebrated Catherina, 
 who ran 177 races in ten years, did not work half so hard on the race- 
 course as Fisherman with his 120 races in five years. 
 
 
 Age when 
 first ran. 
 
 Races won. 
 
 Races lost. 
 
 Total 
 of Races. 
 
 Years on 
 the Turf. 
 
 Left the 
 Turf. 
 
 Carlisle Gelding . . 
 
 5 
 
 25 
 
 9 
 
 34 
 
 13 
 
 1731 
 
 Arthur O’Bradly . . 
 
 5 
 
 15 
 
 10 
 
 25 
 
 4 
 
 1749 
 
 Black Chance . . . 
 
 5 
 
 25 
 
 5 
 
 30 
 
 10 
 
 1746 
 
 Euphrates .... 
 
 3 
 
 42 
 
 57 
 
 99 
 
 10 
 
 1828 
 
 Independence . . . 
 
 2 
 
 40 
 
 44 
 
 84 
 
 10 
 
 1835 
 
 Catherina .... 
 
 2 
 
 79 
 
 98 
 
 177 
 
 10 
 
 1841 
 
 Rataplan . . *. . 
 
 2 
 
 42 
 
 29 
 
 71 
 
 4 
 
 1855 
 
 Fisherman .... 
 
 2 
 
 70 
 
 50 
 
 120 
 
 5 
 
 1859 
 
 Thormanby . . . 
 
 2 
 
 9 
 
 6 
 
 15 
 
 still running and 
 very sound. 
 
EARL f MATURITY. 
 
 79 
 
 In spite however of all the elaborate calculations which others as well 
 as myself have made, I cannot quite divest myself of the belief that Lord 
 Redesdale is correct in his assumption that the thoroughbred horse of the 
 present day is on the average less stout than he was of yore. That there 
 are some few which can race and also stay I firmly believe, and that many 
 which cannot race but can stay, are early drafted into the hunting-stable, 
 is also my opinion ; but that the majority are deficient in stoutness seems 
 to me to be a patent fact. Wherever speed is considered to be A 1, such 
 horses as Sultan, Partizan, and Velocipede will be used in the stud, the 
 breeder flattering himself that a cross of stout blood will put all right. 
 And so it frequently does for one or two generations, and then the strain 
 comes out, and the stock shows sometimes the speed without the stoutness, 
 and at others neither one quality nor the other. Thus, Venison was got 
 by that speedy but flashy horse, Partizan ; but the stout Pot 8 os, Sorcerer, 
 and Gohanna strains enabled him, as well as his son Kingston, to perform 
 the tasks of endurance for which they are each so celebrated. The latter 
 horse, however, seems to go back to the Partizan failing, for his stock as 
 yet have never got beyond three-quarters of a mile, though they have 
 been running all over the country for two seasons. It is also well known 
 that Lord Winchelsea has great difficulty in finding three horses on the 
 turf able to stay four miles, but this is explained by the facts to which I 
 have already alluded, and therefore does not so much bear upon the argu- 
 ment before us. It is a very difficult matter to prove, because the cir- 
 cumstances of the two periods are so different ; but I am quite of opinion 
 that, taking any number of racehorses at random in the year 1860, they 
 will not on the average bear comparison, in point of stoutness, with 
 a similar number, either of the year 1800 or of the year 1760. It is, 
 however, notorious that, during the last three or four years, there has been 
 a remarkable deficiency of good horses on the turf (and these runs of good 
 and bad animals are wholly inexplicable, though they have been constantly 
 happening), consequently it is hardly fair to select the present year as a 
 test; but, taking any one of the last ten, the same result, though not 
 in the same degree, would I think be manifested. Perhaps, if West 
 Australian, Kingston, Rataplan, and Voltigeur could be thrown in to make 
 the average as good as possible, we might have a chance ; but taking 
 twenty horses at random from the list of runners in any season within 
 the last ten years, we should find how few could race beyond a mile 
 and a half under any weight. 
 
 EARLY MATURITY. 
 
 It is an undeniable fact, as I believe, that preternaturally early 
 maturity is incompatible with lasting qualities of any kind ; but, though 
 the same rule generally holds good throughout nature, there are some 
 exceptions. Thus, the oak is more lasting than the larch, and the elephant 
 outlives the horse, but the goose and the duck, which arrive at maturity 
 in the same number of months, do not live through a corresponding series 
 of years. The forcing process in gardening is always productive of tender- 
 ness, whether the produce be the cucumber or the sea-kale, and this 
 tenderness is only another name for imperfect formation to resist decay. 
 In the days of Eclipse and Childers they were permitted to attain their 
 full growth without forcing, and, not being wanted till five years old, their 
 ligaments, tendons, and bones had plenty of time to be consolidated beforo 
 they were submitted to the strains and jerks of the extended gallop. 
 
80 
 
 THE HOllbE. 
 
 There is also reason to believe that they were not nearly so much or so 
 soon stimulated by large feeds of oats, as is now invariably the custom, 
 and that they were allowed to remain at grass, with the shelter of a hovel, 
 during the first three or four years of their lives. All this is now changed ; 
 the foal is filled with corn as soon as he will eat it, and at the end of the 
 first year he is furnished as much as the old-fashioned three-year-old. 
 One chief difficulty of the trainer now is to keep his horse sound, and, 
 unfortunately, as disease is in most cases hereditary, and too many unsound 
 stallions are bred from, the difficulty is yearly on the increase. Without 
 doubt roaring is far more common than it used to be, and the possession 
 of enlarged joints, and back sinews, is the rule instead of the exception. 
 During the last ten years, the Derby has five times been won by an un- 
 sound animal, which the trainer was almost immediately afterwards obliged 
 to put out of work, either from diseased feet or a break-down, and yet few 
 breeders think of refusing to use such horses as these. Nevertheless, good 
 legs and feet, and a hearty constitution, are no small recommendations, 
 and Mr. Merry may thank them for winning him the great prize of the 
 year 1860, with Thormanby, a son of that wonderful mare Alice Haw- 
 thorne. Thormanby, however, is not an instance of a colt having been 
 reserved till he was arrived at his growth, for there are few horses which 
 have been more used, having run fourteen times as a two-year-old ; but his 
 naturally excellent legs and feet, and the fine down on which he is trained, 
 have enabled him to pull through unscathed. Now the reliance which 
 was placed by his backers on these good qualities, proves that he is an 
 exception to the rule ; for if they were at all common, they would be of 
 comparatively little advantage. The truth really is, that the average race- 
 horse of modern times is of such forced growth, that he is unable to bear 
 the wear and tear of training as he used to do, and hence a much larger 
 per centage of unsound animals is to be met with. He is bred mainly 
 for speed, superadded to which is as much stoutness and soundness ot 
 constitution as can be procured among the most speedy horses at the 
 service of the breeder. By a perseverance in this method of selection, he 
 has undoubtedly become more speedy, and less lasting in proportion to his 
 speed, that is to say, he cannot be extended for as long a time as he used 
 to bear with impunity. But that he cannot cover as much ground in a 
 given time as formerly is, I think, an error,— for there is every reason to 
 believe that any distance may now be run in as short a time at least, as 
 either in the middle of the last century or the beginning of this. 
 
 OBJECT OF ENCOUEAGING THE BEEED OE HOKSES. 
 
 The great object of encouraging the breed of racehorses is, however, 
 lost sight of, if suitable crosses for hunting, cavalry, and hack-mares cannot 
 be obtained from their ranks. In these three kinds, soundness of the feet 
 and legs is all important, together with a capacity to bear a continuation 
 of severe work. These qualities are highly developed in the Arab, and 
 until lately were met with in his descendants on the English turf. Even 
 now a horse with a stain in his pedigree will not bear the amount of train- 
 ing which a throughbred will sustain, his health and spirits soon giving 
 way if forced to go through the work which the racehorse requires to make 
 him “ fit.” But the legs and feet of the latter are the drawbacks to his 
 use, and the trainer of the present day will generally be sadly taxed to 
 make them last through a dry summer. Our modern roads are also much 
 harder since the introduction of macadamization, and thus, in proportion to 
 
OBJECT OF ENCOURAGING THE BREED. 
 
 81 
 
 our greater demands, is the absence of the material to meet them. A hack 
 that is not pretty well bred is now neglected, except for high weights, 
 because his paces are not soft and pleasant, and he does not satisfy the eye. 
 But how many of the fashionable sort will bear constant use on the road 
 without becoming lame ? And how many sound horses are there to be 
 met with out of a hundred, taken at random from the ranks of any kind 
 tolerably well bred ? Every horse proprietor will tell you, scarcely five 
 per cent. ; and some will even go so far as to say, that a sound horse is 
 utterly unknown. In considering the principles and practice of breeding, 
 I shall again refer to this subject ; but I wish now to impress upon my 
 readers that while the race-horse of 1860 is as fast as ever, as stout as 
 ever, and as good looking as ever, he is made of more perishable materials 
 in proportion as he comes to maturity at an earlier period. Any of our 
 modern two-year-olds would probably give two stone, and a beating to 
 Eclipse at the same age, but if afterwards they were put to half-bred mares 
 for the purpose of getting hacks, chargers, or hunters, the stock of Eclipse 
 or Childers would be much more valuable than any which we have 
 at present. We are sadly in want of sound and well bred stallions for 
 general purposes, and if the government of the country does not soon 
 interfere, and adopt some means of furnishing these islands with them, we 
 shall be beaten on our own ground, and shall have to import sound useful 
 horses from Belgium, France, Hungary, or Prussia, whichever country can 
 best spare them. The old-fashioned and sound thoroughbred horse has been 
 the means of improving the above three breeds ; and even now we possess 
 horses which are perfect in every other respect but soundness, being ex- 
 cellent hacks, hunters, and light carriage 'horses, and often all in one. This 
 last kind is the perfection of the horse ; and if many such could be produced 
 it would be a great advantage, because most people would like a horse which 
 could “ make himself generally useful,” if such an animal could be obtained. 
 Without high-breeding, however, this is impossible ; and yet with most 
 of our purest strains, though it is attainable for a time, the condition in 
 which it exists does not last long, in consequence of the effect of the hard 
 road upon their soft legs or contracted feet. Consequently, as I have already 
 remarked, there is a necessity for Government interference to produce 
 such a breed of thorough-bred horses, by careful selection, as shall give us 
 the above three kinds of horses useful in civil life, from which may be 
 culled a plentiful supply of cavalry horses, whenever wanted; for the 
 very same qualities are demanded in all, and what will suit the one will 
 be equally advantageous to the other. 
 
 But even though the thoroughbred horse is well fitted to compete with 
 others in all cases where speed is the chief point of trial — as in flat-racing, 
 steeple-chasing, hunting, &c, — yet he is not so well qualified for some 
 kinds of harness- work, or for road- work of any kind, as the horse expressly 
 bred for these purposes. There is no doubt that thorough-bred horses might 
 be selected and bred expressly for this kind of work, and would excel all 
 others, because originally their limbs and constitutions were at least as 
 sound as, or perhaps even sounder than, any other class of horses ; but 
 while they are selected and bred solely for speed, without much reference 
 to these other qualities, it is useless to expect much improvement; 
 but, on the contrary, they may be expected to become yearly more 
 and more soft and yielding. Eor many purposes the Eastern horse is 
 wholly unfit — as, for instance, for heavy and dead pulls ; here his high 
 courage, light weight, and hasty temper are adverse to the performance of 
 the task, and he is far excelled by the old English, or modern improved 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 cart-horse. No thorough-bred horse would try again and again at a dead 
 pull like many of our best breeds of cart-horses ; and therefore he is little 
 calculated for work which requires this slow struggling kind of exertion. 
 The pull of the Eastern horse, or his descendant, is a snatch ; and though 
 it may to a certain extent be modified by use, yet it can never be brought 
 up to the standard of the English cart-horse, even if the weight of carcase 
 and size and strength of limb of the former could be sufficiently increased. 
 
 ESSENTIALS IN THE THOROUGHBRED. 
 
 Such then are the general qualities of the thorough-bred horse 
 and the purposes to which he can be beneficially applied. It remains 
 now to consider the formation and specific characteristics best adapted 
 to the turf, which is his chief arena; and also to the hunting-field, 
 which now absorbs a very large number of his breed. Finally, it 
 will be necessary to consider him as a means of improving other breeds, 
 such as the cavalry-charger, hack and harness horse, but these subjects 
 will fall under the respective heads here mentioned. 
 
 PURITY OF BLOOD. 
 
 In the first place purity of blood must be considered as a sine qud 
 non , for without it a horse cannot be considered thoroughbred, and there- 
 fore we have only to ascertain the exact meaning of the term “blood/’ 
 It is not to be supposed that there is any real difference between the blood 
 of the thoroughbred horse, and that of the half-bred animal; no one 
 could discriminate between the two by any known means; the term 
 " blood ” is here synonymous with breed , and by purity of blood is meant 
 purity in the breeding of the individual animal under consideration ; that 
 is to say, that the horse which is entirely bred from one source is pure 
 from any mixture with any other, and may be a pure Suffolk Punch, or a 
 pure Clydesdale, or a pure thoroughbred horse. But all these terms are 
 comparative, since there is no such animal as a perfectly purely bred horse 
 of any breed, whether cart-horse, hack, or race-horse ; all have been pro- 
 duced from an admixture with other kinds, and though now kept as pure 
 as possible, yet they were originally compounded from varying elements ; 
 and thus the race-horse of 1700, was obtained from a mixture of Turks, 
 Arabs, and Barbs. Even the best and purest thoroughbreds are stained 
 with some slight cross with the old English or Spanish horse, as I have 
 shown at page 54, and therefore it is only by comparison that the word 
 pure is applicable to them or any others. But since the thoroughbred 
 horse, as he is called, has long been bred for the race course, and selec- 
 tions have been made with that view alone, it is reasonable to suppose 
 that this breed is the best for that purpose, and that a stain of any other 
 is a deviation from the clearest stream into one more muddy, and there- 
 fore impure ; the consequence is, that the animal bred from the impure 
 source fails in some of the essential characteristics of the pure breed, and 
 is in so far useless for this particular object. Now, in practice this is 
 found to be the case, for in every instance it has resulted that the horse 
 bred with the slightest deviation from the sources indicated by the stud- 
 book, is unable to compete in lasting power with those which are entirely 
 of pure blood. Hence it is established as a rule, that for racing purposes 
 every horse must be thorough-bred ; that is, as I have already explained, 
 descended from a sire and dam whose names are met with in the stud-book. 
 
EXTERNAL FORMATION. 
 
 EXTERNAL FORMATION 
 
 Next comes the external shape or conformation of the race- horse, 
 which is a subject very much studied by those who have the selection and 
 management of them. Experienced trainers, and those who have watched 
 the performances of the celebrities of the turf for successive years, will tell 
 you that “ the horse can run in all forms, 77 and so no doubt he can as an 
 exception, but the rule nevertheless is, that there is a standard which should 
 be regarded as the best suited for the race-course, and this will vary some- 
 what according to the performance which is required of each individual. 
 There is no doubt that the most skilful selection is not always attended 
 with success, and the statistics of the turf do not lead us to believe that 
 1,000Z. invested under the advice of John Scott or John Day, in the pur- 
 chase of a yearling, will always bring a remuneration. Indeed, the con- 
 trary has so often been the case, that high-priced yearlings are generally 
 regarded with suspicion when they make their first appearance on the 
 course. The winner of the Derby of 1860 went a-begging, and was at last 
 bought for a very moderate price. So also with Butterfly, the winner of 
 the Oaks, no store was set upon her until she came to be tried ; and even 
 on the morning of the race she was not generally thought good enough to 
 win. The celebrated Blink Bonny was a mean looking mare, and would 
 not have fetched 501. at Tatter sail’s, from her appearance alone, and that 
 
 FISHERMAN, 
 
 wonderful animal Fisherman was never liked till he proved his powers. 
 Still, it cannot be denied that a good judge will select the ten best horses 
 
 g 2 
 
84 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 out of twenty, or perhaps out of a hundred; but he will possibly leave the 
 very best out of his list. The theoretical rule is simple enough, but it 
 requires great experience, and a good eye to carry it out in practice. It is 
 simply this, that, eceteris paribus, the horse which is formed in the mould 
 most like that of the greatest number of good race-horses, will run the best. 
 Thus, supposing it is found that out of fifty good horses forty-nine have 
 neat heads, light necks, deep chests, oblique shoulders, long racing hind- 
 quarters, strong hocks, &c. the presumption will be that a horse resembling 
 those forty-nine in shape, will also resemble them in speed and endurance. 
 On the other hand, it is admitted on the turf, that high-breeding is of 
 more consequence than external shape, and that of two horses, one perfect 
 in shape, but of an inferior strain of blood, and the other of the most win- 
 ning blood, but not so well formed in shape, the latter will be the most 
 likely to perform to the satisfaction of his owner on the race-course. On 
 this principle the proverb has been framed and handed down to us, that 
 “ an ounce of blood is worth a pound of bone,” and with the above ex- 
 planation such is really the case. But in spite of all this recognise^ 
 superiority of blood, it is indisputable that for the highest degree of suo 
 cess there must be not only high purity of blood, and that of the most 
 winning strains, but there must also be a frame of the most useful character, 
 if not always of the most elegant form. Many of our very best horses have 
 been plain, and even coarse-looking — as, for instance, most of theMelbournes, 
 and especially that very fast horse, Sir Tatton Sykes ; but in spite of their 
 plainness, all their points are good and useful, and the deficiency is in ele- 
 gance, not in real utility. On the other hand, there are some strains 
 which unite elegance with utility, such as the fast and stout Venisons, 
 which are remarkable for their beautiful frames and neat Arabian heads. 
 But there must always be a distinction made between what is really useful 
 and what is only agreeable to the eye. There are some characteristics 
 which, over and above their mechanical advantages, indicate high-breed- 
 ing, and as such are regarded with especial favour by purchasers. Tor 
 these a term has of late years been invented, the meaning of which is well 
 understood, but somewhat difficult to define. Thus, we hear it often re- 
 marked, that a particular horse is deficient in “ quality,” or that he has it 
 in perfection; and in proportion to the one or the other of these conditions 
 is he meant to be praised or condemned. It is not simply a word synony- 
 mous with “ breeding,” for a horse may show high breeding, and yet be 
 deficient in “ quality,” but if with a look which convinces you that lie has 
 a pure pedigree, he conjoins a perfect symmetry in all his parts, and in the 
 shapes displayed by the thoroughbred, he then comes up to the description 
 which stamps a horse in these days with the highest seal of approbation, 
 for “ he has plenty of quality.” 
 
 But what is the recognised form of the race-horse ? I must here ex- 
 plain to the tyro that the word “form” is used with two different signi- 
 fications by racing men, and like the word “box” is very puzzling to 
 foreigners. In the common acceptation it is synonymous with “ shape,” 
 and merely means the mechanical development of the individual. But in 
 the language of the turf, when we say that a horse is “in form,” we intend 
 to convey to our hearers that he is in high condition and fit to run. So 
 again, the word is used in still another sense, for we speak of a horse’s 
 “ form ” when we wish to allude to his powers on the turf, as compared 
 with other well-known animals. Thus, if it is supposed that two three- 
 year-olds, carrying the same weight, would run a mile-and-a-half, and come 
 in abreast, it is said, that “ the form ” of the one is equal to that of the 
 
EXTERNAL FORMATION. 
 
 85 
 
 other. It is necessary, therefore, in order to make a description intelli- 
 gible, when using the term in its mechanical signification, to add the 
 adjective, external, although, at first sight, it may appear to be an instance 
 of tautology, for it might be alleged that internal forms can only be ascer- 
 tained by dissection. With this explanation, I must now proceed to dis- 
 cuss what are generally considered to be the best shapes, for the purpose of 
 combining speed with stoutness, remembering that we are examining the 
 thoroughbred horse, and are not alluding to any other. As an instance of a 
 very opposite conformation to that of Fisherman at page S3, I insert here a 
 
 SAU&TUUJfiU. 
 
 portrait of Saunterer, both after careful paintings by Mr. Barraud. These 
 are generally admitted to have been the two best horses of their time, yet it 
 is scarcely possible to imagine a greater difference to exist in first-class 
 animals, than is displayed by them. Fisherman, short and strong, looks 
 more like a hunter than a race-horse ; while Saunterer, long and elegant, 
 appears incapable of carrying more than ten stone. The student will do 
 well to study these animals carefully, but it must not be omitted that the 
 portrait of Fisherman was taken after he was thrown out of training. 
 
 The Body or trunk is the grand centre of all the muscular pullies and 
 bony levers, which are used to move the horse, and it must, therefore, 
 first come under consideration, although, as a matter of convenience, the 
 horseman generally commences with the head. It is quite true that it in 
 turn receives its orders from the brain, as will be hereafter explained, in 
 treating of the nervous system, but as a mere machine it may be regarded 
 independently of that organ altogether. It must, however, be viewed in 
 three different aspects, inasmuch as it has three different offices to perform. 
 These are, first, to carry its load, and propel it by means of the levers 
 
86 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 connected witli it. Secondly, to afford room for the heart and lungs to 
 perform their functions in its “ chest,” without interfering with the play of 
 the shoulders ; and, thirdly, to lodge an efficient apparatus of nutrition. 
 The first of these divisions comprehends the back, loins, and croup ; 
 the second is the chest ; and the third may he considered under the head 
 
 of THE BACK-RIBS, FLANK, AND BELLY. 
 
 The Back, Loins, and Croup of the race-horse, as indeed of all horses 
 hut those used exclusively for draught, are generally described as neces- 
 sarily moulded more or less in the form of an arch. Every architect is 
 aware that this formation is best adapted to carry weight. A straight- 
 backed greyhound is by some experienced coursers, preferred to one which 
 has a slight arch in that part ; but in this animal there is no weight to be 
 carried beyond that of his own carcase, and, therefore, even granting the 
 superiority in him of a straight loin (which I do not), there is no analogy 
 between the two animals. Nor do I believe altogether in the received 
 theory which attaches importance to the arched loin, because of its greater 
 capacity for bearing weight from its mechanical form . Practically I con- 
 cede, as an admitted fact, that a horse with this construction of frame 
 will carry weight better than one which has a hollow loin ; but, on ex- 
 amining the skeleton of each, it will be seen that in neither are the 
 bodies of the vertebrae in this part of the spine arranged so as to form 
 an arch, or if there is one, it has its concavity, not its convexity 
 upwards, which certainly will not conduce to its weight-bearing powers. 
 The fact really is, that in the arched loin the spinous processes are 
 unusually long, and are raised into a crest like the high withers. By 
 this development of bone an extra space is afforded, for both the lodg- 
 ment and attachment of muscles, and herein is the secret of the extra 
 power. Between the pelvis and the bodies of the vertebrae a true arch 
 is formed, and according to the slope or fall of the quarters will it be 
 useful in carrying weight ; but this is quite irrespective of the loin, 
 which may be arched or flat in conjunction with either formation. It 
 is, however, most common to find an arched loin united with an inclined 
 pelvis, and when the two are found together, the horse possessing this 
 formation may be considered so far as “up to weight.” Sometimes 
 we see the pelvis inclined, but the tail set on high, and the loin hollow, 
 and then we may surely predicate that there will be a want of power in 
 these parts, and that the seven stone of Lord Eedesdale will be quite suf- 
 ficient for the animal to carry. With this objectionable shape, there is a 
 hollow on each side of the croup, which is very characteristic of the defect, 
 and which is carefully eschewed by the experienced horseman. If the 
 spine between the two supports afforded by the fore and hind extremities 
 were really an arch, length would but little affect it, for we know that an 
 arch of ninety feet span, is no stronger than one of a hundred feet, if both 
 are properly constructed ; but being nearly a straight fine, with its com 
 ponent parts kept in their proper places, by a series of levers and pullies, 
 length tells most unfavourably ; and “ a short back, with plenty of length 
 below” is the height of the horseman’s ambition to possess. Mr. Percivall 
 has fallen into a strange error in estimating the advantages of a long back, 
 as may be readily seen on an examination of the following passage : — 
 “ Regarding the dorsal portion of the spine, with its superimposed burthen, 
 as a pole or lever, supported in front by the fore limbs, and behind by the 
 back limbs, after the manner of a barrel of beer, or a sedan between its 
 bearers ; it is manifest, that the greater its length, the greater must be the 
 leverage, and consequent reduction of the weight of the burthen. On 
 
EXTERNAL FORMATION. 
 
 87 
 
 this principle, the legs of the long-backed horse are actually sustaining less 
 load than those of the short-backed horse, even though their riders or 
 burthens may be of equivalent weights, from the circumstance of their 
 operating at a greater distance from the load.” The fallacy of this argu- 
 ment is apparent to every person who has the slightest knowledge of 
 mechanical powers ; but as my readers may not at all be in a position to 
 estimate its value, I shall just make a few observations upon it, as I have 
 heard it adduced on several occasions, to support the advantage of a long 
 back. Now we will suppose a weight of 500 pounds on a plank, sup- 
 ported upon four props, two being five feet from the other two, and the 
 pairs one foot apart, resembling, in fact, the relative position of the feet of 
 a horse. Let the whole be arranged on a weighing-machine, so that only 
 the four legs touch its table and take the weight. Then remove the two 
 pairs of legs to a distance of six feet, and again take the weight. Accord- 
 ing to Mr. Percivall it ought to be less than before, but, tested by actual 
 experiment, there will not be the hundreth part of a grain variation, even 
 if the instrument is sufficiently delicate to register that weight. A. and B. 
 carry a weight between them, suspended to a pole, and they find it more 
 convenient to have that pole tolerably long, because they can shift the 
 weight from one to the other more easily than with a shorter one, but 
 they carry the same weight in either case. A. can raise it by means of 
 his long lever more easily than with a short one, but he only can effect 
 this by making use of B’s hand as a fulcrum, and for the moment throw- 
 ing the weight off himself upon it, while B. returns the compliment in 
 his turn, and both are relieved. For the mere purpose of carrying weight, 
 therefore, a short back is to be preferred ; but there is a limitation put to 
 this by the necessity for length of limb to give pace, and if the legs are 
 too long for the back, the action of the fore-quarter is impeded by the 
 hind, and vice versd. Hence, in all horses, a reasonable length is preferred, 
 and this will vary according to the occasion for weight-carrying power. 
 In the thoroughbred horse, pace is essential, and his back must conse- 
 quently be of sufficient length to allow the free use of such limbs as will 
 give stride enough to develope it. We shall hereafter find, that the cart- 
 horse may have a much shorter back, even though he has no weight to 
 carry, but he requires strong couplings of the hind and fore-quarter for the 
 former to act upon, in dragging heavy weights, and as in him pace, beyond 
 the walk, is never required, a short back may be allowed to be a great 
 advantage without any attendant evil. The most important elements of 
 strength in the back and loins are the depth and breadth of its muscles, 
 for they, and not the bones, as I have shown, are the real mechanical 
 means by which not only weight is carried but propelled. How to lodge 
 these muscles, there must be high spinous processes, wide hips, and such 
 a formation of the ribs as to give width at their upper parts. Generally 
 speaking the two last coincide, but sometimes the hips stand out in a very 
 “ ragged ” or prominent position, while the ribs are flat. This formation, 
 however, comes next to the most approved combination, and is far better 
 than the narrow hips and flat sides which we now see in too many of our 
 thoroughbred horses. In connexion with this division of the body may 
 be taken the croup, the upper outline of which is formed by the pro- 
 longation of the spine towards the root of the tail ; but the essential parts 
 are made up by the pelvis. It is very generally assumed that in order to 
 develop high speed, the pelvis must be long, and this I believe to be 
 perfectly true; but the length need not be in a perfectly horizontal 
 direction, and is I think much better if developed at an inclination of 
 
88 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 about twenty-five degrees, that is to say, with a considerable fall. 
 With this formation there may be the same length for the attachment of 
 muscles and the same leverage in their action on the thigh, for the situa- 
 tion of the hip joint (or round bone) is not altered in relation to them, 
 though it is lower and more forward in reference to the spine. Hence 
 the muscles which draw the thigh forward have more power, and also act 
 much more quickly, giving that rapid thrust of the hind legs forward 
 which is essential to good and strong action. With the perfectly 
 horizontal croup you may have a long sweeping stroke which tells over 
 such a course as Newmarket, but you very rarely meet with a quick 
 coupling and uncoupling, unless the pelvis is set on to the sacrum or con- 
 tinuation of the spine, at a considerable angle, so as to give the quarters 
 more or less droop. Most of our best horses have exhibited this forma- 
 tion, while a great number of very handsome, but utterly useless brutes, 
 might be enumerated which possess the high croup of the Arab in an 
 exaggerated condition, of which Mr. Gr at wick’s Ethiopean is a good 
 example. If the portraits of the Godolphin Barb are at all to be 
 depended on, we are indebted to him for the introduction of this useful, 
 though not particularly elegant shape, and I believe that it is in this 
 direction, and in point of size, that he has been so useful in the stud. 
 The eye is captivated by the animal, which, as the dealers say, “ has both 
 ends up and experience teaches every horseman, who will profit by it, 
 that both the stargazer and the high-crouped horse are to be avoided. In 
 selecting the thoroughbred horse, then, choose such as have a deep and 
 wide back and loin, avoiding either the “roach back,” which causes that 
 part to be inflexible, and the hollow one, which tends to give way too 
 much under weight, but regarding as most desirable such a width of ribs 
 and hips, and depth of spinous processes as shall give sufficient lodgment 
 for muscles, and looking also for a proper length of spine, not too short 
 for stride, nor too long for strength. Lastly, let the pelvis be attached 
 at such an angle as to give a slight droop to the quarters, whether the tail 
 be set on in correspondence with it or not, for the dock does not always 
 come out of the pelvis in the same position viewed in relation to that 
 part alone. Some of the above opinions are in opposition to those of 
 Mr. Percivall, who objects to a great width of hip in the race-horse, and 
 also asserts that he cannot be too lengthy and straight in his quarters. 
 He says, “although the race-horse may prove disadvantageously broad 
 across his hips, I believe he will never be found either too lengthy or too 
 straight in his quarters ; by which I mean the length and elevation of an 
 imaginary line carried from either hip to the point of his quarter, or of 
 another carried from the summit of his rump to the root of his hock. 
 Such straight formation of quarter implies small degree of inclination in 
 the position of the pelvis, the effect of which is extension of the angles 
 between the pelvis and the femoral bones, and corresponding increase of 
 the distances between the pelvis and the stifles in front, and between the 
 pelvis and hocks behind; thereby augmenting the dimensions of the 
 muscles running between these salient points, and at the same time 
 furnishing them with, under the circumstances, the greatest advantages in 
 their action. Length and straightness in the quarters must therefore be 
 regarded as characteristic attributes of the race-horse.” Of the probability 
 of meeting with too great a width of hip in the race-horse I am extremely 
 doubtful, and until I see it I shall continue sceptical. The Melbournes, 
 which have this part wider than in any other strain, are certainly not to 
 be despised, and, in spite of Mr. Percivall, I must, on the contrary, con- 
 
EXTERNAL FORMATION. 
 
 89 
 
 tinue to admire them, whenever they are to he found ; my chief regret is 
 that wide hips are so scarce among the descendents of that horse. 
 
 The second division of the body, or the chest, in the thoroughbred 
 horse, must afford sufficient room for the heart and lungs, but it must not 
 be too wide, or it will interfere with the free play of the shoulder blade 
 as it glides on the side. An open bosom is regarded as a sure sign of want 
 of pace by every racing man of experience, and I know of no single 
 exception. One of the finest two-year-olds I ever saw in every other 
 respect was Lord Standbroke’s Rose de Florence ; but I could have laid 
 any reasonable odds that she would be deficient in pace, because she was 
 made as wide as a cart-horse between the forelegs, and so she proved to 
 be on trial. A horse of fifteen hands three, or sixteen hands when in 
 stud condition should measure at least seventy-four inches, and should 
 be wide through the part where the rider’s knees come on the saddle ; but 
 below this the ribs should rapidly shelve inwards, and in this way allow 
 the shoulder points to come closer together, and the elbows to act without 
 being “ tied.” The anatomy of this part is treated of elsewhere, and I 
 am now regarding it simply in its proportion to the rest of the body. 
 Anatomically, and considered per se , a round or barrel-like chest is the 
 best, because it admits of more free expansion and contraction, but when 
 either high speed or smooth action is required, this formation is objection- 
 able for the reasons I have given above, and in all cases it is to be avoided 
 in the thoroughbred horse, while in some other breeds it must be looked 
 for with great anxiety. It has been proved that good wind may be 
 obtained from a chest possessing great depth without much width, and 
 in some cases with a very narrow bosom, as in the celebrated Crucifix 
 (dam of Priam ) ; and as the opposite proportions are incompatible with 
 speed, they must on that account be altogether rejected. The withers 
 are generally thin, and sometimes raised quite into a razor-like form, 
 which, however, is a defect, as it is attended with no advantage to 
 counterbalance the difficulty which it presents in the way of the saddler, 
 who is constantly being called on to prevent his tree hurting the horse’s 
 back. A moderate development of the spinous processes is required to 
 give attachment to the muscles which support the neck and move the 
 shoulder, but the excessive height which we sometimes see is not of the 
 slightest avail for this purpose. 
 
 The next and last component parts of the body are the back-ribs, 
 flank and belly. Here we have chiefly to consider the proper lodgment 
 of the organs of nutrition ; but there is also the junction of the fore and 
 hind quarters to come under review. For both these purposes the back-ribs 
 should be long, or, as such a formation is generally called, “ deep,” so as 
 not only to give protection to the contents of the belly, but to afford a 
 strong attachment to the muscles which connect the chest to the hips. 
 The space, also, between the latter and the last rib should not be large, 
 or there will be an element of weakness ; but if too limited, the action in 
 the gallop will be confined, and the hind legs will not be brought suf- 
 ficiently forward. About the breadth of the hand is the proper allowance 
 to make for this space in a horse of average size and make, and either 
 more or less than this may be considered a defect. To obtain this forma- 
 tion, the ribs themselves must be set wide apart, and not huddled up 
 together, as you sometimes see, leaving a great space between the last and 
 the hip. When the back-ribs are long, the lower outline of the belly 
 swells considerably below the level of the girth-place, and a very elegant 
 shape is developed, as well as one generally united with a hardy consti- 
 
90 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tution. Sometimes, it is true, the two are not combined, and now and 
 then we meet with a very good feeder and robust animal with shallow 
 back-ribs ; but the rule may he considered to he as I have stated it, and 
 the purchaser will do well to attend to it in making his selection, when 
 he knows nothing of the character of the individual. For fast road-work, 
 where the failure of the legs is generally the limit to the amount of work, 
 a very heavy carcase is an objection, as it increases the weight upon them ; 
 and an overtopped harness-horse — that is, one with a body too big for his 
 legs — is a most worthless brute ; but in the thoroughbred there is seldom 
 this formation, and the tendency is, on the other hand, to be too light in 
 the flank, rather than too deep. A light-carcased or herring-gutted horse 
 when “ set ” for the race-course or the fast hunting country looks cut in 
 two, and his performances generally correspond with his appearance. 
 
 Projecting forward with a beautiful sweep, the neck comes out of the 
 chest in this kind of horse with a most elegant outline. Of a greater 
 length than in any other, it is also proportionally thin ; but both these 
 dimensions may easily he exaggerated, a very long and thin neck being 
 objectionable, and rarely corresponding with good wind. The lines re- 
 semble greatly those of the neck of the gamecock ; and when there is a 
 decided angle about three or four inches from the jaw, the horse is said to 
 be “ cock-throppled,” and it is then generally supposed that he is more 
 than usually liable to become a roarer or a whistler. The curve of this 
 part a good deal depends upon the breaking and subsequent riding, 
 different hands producing a great variation in the carriage ; but if the 
 bones are so formed and connected together that the natural curve has its 
 concavity upwards, it is almost impossible to produce a proper bend in 
 the other direction, though still much may be accomplished by perse- 
 verance. A “ewe neck,” as this is called, is very objectionable on this 
 account ; but it is very often combined with speed, fine action, and great 
 gameness. More depends upon the junction between the head and neck, 
 than upon the latter in itself, for by long-continued perseverance, it may be 
 made so supple as to bend at the rider’s will ; but if the jaws are too 
 narrow to allow the head to bend upon the neck, no means that can be 
 applied will make any impression, and the result is that the mouth is 
 spoiled, and frequently the temper also. A large and free windpipe, that 
 is, one of sufficient diameter for the passage of air, and not tied down by 
 any bands of fascia, will be necessary for good wind; and this point 
 should specially be examined. 
 
 In the head is contained the organ of intelligence, which is also the 
 chief seat of that nervous energy which animates the whole body. Here 
 also are the eyes, and the external apertures of the breathing apparatus ; 
 so that the form of this part of the body is of great importance. Size is 
 power, and, ceeteris paribus, a large brain is to be regarded as a most 
 valuable adjunct. Hence the head should be wide above the eyes, as well 
 as between the ears, and somewhat full or projecting in the forehead also, 
 in order to give lodgment to a brain of good volume. It is the great 
 development of this organ in the thoroughbred and his Eastern relations, 
 that gives the extraordinary stoutness and fire for which they are so 
 remarkable ; and therefore a horse of this breed deficient in volume of 
 brain will be found in these respects no better than his low-bred rivals. 
 In every other part, the weight should be reduced to the minimum neces- 
 sary for carrying on the functions peculiar to it, save only the eye, a very 
 small one being generally found to be prone to disease. The thorough- 
 bred horse has a beautifully full and gazelle-like eye ; but in this organ 
 
EXTERNAL FORMATION. 
 
 91 
 
 many half-bred animals are quite equal to him — the eye of the cart-horse, 
 however, showing the opposite extreme. A very prominent or unnaturally 
 convex eye, called a “ buck eye,” is not to be regarded as desirable, being 
 an evidence of shortness of sight, and therefore not to be confounded with 
 the full and soft expression indicative of good manners, high courage 
 when roused, and soundness. Next to the eyes in importance are the 
 nostrils, which should be open, and when the horse has gallopped should 
 stand out stiffly, showing the red lining membrane, and admitting the 
 air freely. Of course, even the smallest nostrils are of larger area than 
 the windpipe ; but there is generally a coincidence between their size and 
 that of the internal passages higher up, and on that account a patent 
 nostril is to be looked for with some anxiety. I have known some horses 
 with small nostrils possess excellent wind, because in them the internal 
 conformation was of full size, and if, as I before remarked, the area of the 
 two nostrils together is always much greater than that of the windpipe, 
 they cannot in themselves offer any impediment to breathing. "Without a 
 trial, however, as the internal passages cannot be measured, the size of the 
 nostrils must be accepted as the best guide to that of the more essential parts, 
 and practically this is sufficient for general purposes, only inferior to an 
 actual trial. The ears should be moderately long, thin, and not inclined 
 to “ lop.” The muzzle should be fine ; but in those very pointed jaws, 
 which their owners regard with so much pride, as “ small enough to drink 
 out of a quart pot,” the nostrils are seldom large enough, and hence they 
 are to be regarded with great suspicion, beautiful as they undoubtedly are. 
 A slight concavity in the front line, descending from the forehead to the 
 front of the muzzle, is regarded as a mark of breeding, and, if not too 
 marked, deservedly so ; but a very deep concavity is often attended with 
 a vicious temper. Lastly, a lean and wide low^er jaw should not be omitted 
 as a grand desideratum ; the former point is merely a sign of breeding, 
 but the latter is (as I before remarked in describing the neck) essential to 
 the proper bending of the one part on the other. The experienced horseman 
 always passes his fingers between the angles, and if there is not plenty of 
 room, he knows that the head cannot be well carried, and he is inclined 
 to suspect that the larynx will be impeded in its functions, and that, con- 
 sequently, respiration will be affected either by roaring, whistling, or 
 some or other of the many forms of “making a noise.” With all these 
 dimensions, which may, comparatively, readily be described, there should 
 be combined a cheerful and airy expression of countenance, without 
 any appearance of vice. The thoroughbred horse is not often too sluggish, 
 and it is not in that direction that we should look for infirmities of 
 temper; nor is it easy to describe the marks or signs by which vice 
 of any kind can be at once recognised from the mere expression. Still 
 the horseman will do well to study the countenance of this as well as 
 other breeds of horses, and he will find, in course of time, that no little 
 assistance will be derived from it. 
 
 The Shoulder-blade is, like the head, peculiarly formed in the 
 Eastern horse, having greater obliquity in its position, and a superior 
 length and breadth, as compared with all others. For the reasons which 
 may be alleged for the desirability of these characteristics, I must refer to 
 pages 8 — 9, where I have already given them. Suffice it to observe, that an 
 obliquely -placed and broad blade, well clothed with muscles, is the desirable 
 formation of this part, added to a well-developed “point,” as the pro- 
 minence at the joint between the blade and true arm-bone is called by the 
 horseman. If this is too level and smooth, the muscles which are attached 
 
92 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 to it have not sufficient leverage ; while if it is very ragged and prominent, 
 it is a mark of diseased or excessive growth of bone, and is generally 
 attended with a stiffness of the part. Indeed, in examining a shoulders 
 blade, freedom of action is to be regarded much more than its exact 
 position when at rest ; for if you have the desired effect, it matters not 
 (except for breeding purposes) wffiether it is exceptional or not ; and, as a 
 matter of course, it is better to have a freely-playing shoulder which 
 when at rest is too upright than a perfectly formed one confined to its place, 
 as we sometimes see it. The oblique shoulder-blade is specially required 
 in all horses which come down upon their fore legs after a spring, whether 
 this is in the gallop, or the leap, or the trot, for the use of it is by its 
 elasticity to break the jar which is thereby occasioned. The upright form 
 is stronger, as the weight is placed more directly over the column which 
 bears it, but it allows of less elasticity under the sudden shock given by 
 the impetus of the body as it approaches the earth, and for this reason is 
 only suited to the slow work of the cart-horse, or heavy machiner. Tn 
 conjunction with the oblique, and therefore long blade, is always found a 
 long true arm, which is sometimes so extended backward as to place the 
 elbow absolutely in the way of the girths, and then perhaps may be con- 
 sidered as too long, especially as it throws the weight of the fore-quarter 
 much in front of the fore legs, and tends to make the horse possessing 
 it somewhat unsafe unless his action is particularly free. This part also 
 should be well clothed with muscles. 
 
 The fore arm or arm, as it is generally called, is not remarkable 
 for any great peculiarities, but it is somewhat larger in proportion to the 
 cannon bone than in other breeds. 
 
 The knee is broad and deep, from before backwards, and the leg below 
 the knee is peculiarly free from that contraction or u tying in” which in the 
 cart-horse and allied breeds is so objectionable, being an element of weak- 
 ness when the joint is exposed to the strains incidental to fast work of any 
 kind. So also a bending backwards of the joint called the “ calf-knee,” 
 common in the cart-horse, is condemned in the race-horse for the same 
 reason. 
 
 The bone of the leg both in the fore and hind-quarter is small, but of 
 compact substance, while the suspensory ligament and back sinew are so 
 large, and stand out so freely, as to appear to form quite one-half of the 
 leg. The fetlock joints are clean and of good size, the pasterns long and 
 elastic, and the feet though small as compared with other breeds, yet large 
 enough for the weight they have to carry, their horny covering being also 
 tough and compact. 
 
 In the hind-quarter the Eastern horse and his descendants excel all 
 others in symmetry and in the length of the various parts composing it. 
 Comparing the cart-horse with the subject of the present investigation, one 
 is struck with the greatly increased length of the thighs of the latter, 
 approaching almost to the proportions of the greyhound. In the cart- 
 horse, when walking, the stifle joint can hardly be seen, while in the race- 
 horse it is brought out prominently at every step. This gives the stride 
 necessary for pace, and the fast strain of blood known as that of Selim, and 
 his brothers Castrel and Rubens, possesses this peculiarity in a marked 
 manner, though from the high position of the stifle in them, and their 
 straight hocks, many people lose sight of this peculiarity. With regard 
 to the hocks of a racehorse, they should be of full size, clean, and as a matter 
 of course, free from curbs or spavins. They are also generally considered 
 to require very long points, that is to say, the projecting lever to 
 
HEIGHT A BD COLOUR. 
 
 93 
 
 which the ham-string is attached should he long. From an examination 
 of many racehorses I am satisfied that for speed this may he over-done, 
 for though power is gained by it, quickness is sacrificed ; and a very long 
 point to the hock is apt to give long, dull, and dwelling action, entirely 
 opposite to quick pace, though perhaps telling over a long flat. All are 
 agreed that the gaskin or lower thigh must be muscular, and both for 
 beauty and effect this is a most important point. In other respects, the 
 hind-quarter of the thoroughbred should resemble that of any other variety 
 of the species. 
 
 The whole of these points should be in proportion to one another — 
 that is to say, the formation of the horse should be “ true/’ He should not 
 have long well developed hind-quarters, with an upright, weak, or confined 
 fore-quarter. Hor will the converse serve, for however well formed the 
 shoulder may be, the horse will not go well unless he has a similar forma- 
 tion in the propellers. It is of great importance, therefore, that the race- 
 horse should have all his various points in true relative development ; and 
 that there shall not be the hind-quarter of a long racing-like horse with the 
 thick confined shoulder which would suit a stride less reaching in its 
 nature. A remarkable instance of the advantages of such a formation is 
 exhibited in Saunterer, whose frame is not characterised by power or any 
 other special perfection, but being perfectly true in his formation he was 
 one of the best, if not the very best, horse of his year, as he proved by his 
 various achievments. At page 85 will be found an engraving of him, 
 copied from one of the best portraits I ever saw, by Mr. H. Barraud, 
 which should be carefully examined. 
 
 * HEIGHT. 
 
 In height the racehorse varies from fifteen hands to sixteen and a 
 half, or even seventeen hands ; but the general height of our best horses 
 is about fifteen hands three inches. Few first-class performers have 
 exceeded the height of Surplice, who is sixteen hands one inch, as is also 
 another Derby winner, Wild Dayrell. Sir Tatton Sykes was fifteen 
 and a half hands ; and between his height and that of Surplice may be 
 ranged every great winner for the last ten or twelve years. This average, 
 therefore, may fairly be laid down as the best height for the racehorse, 
 though it cannot be denied that for some small and confined courses — as, 
 for instance, that of Chester, a smaller horse of little more than fifteen 
 hands height has a better chance, as being more capable of turning round 
 the constantly recurring angles or bends. 
 
 COLOUR. 
 
 The colour of the thoroughbred horse is now generally bay, brown, 
 or chestnut, one or other of which will occur in ninety-nine cases out of a 
 hundred. Grey is not common, but sometimes appears, as in the recent 
 case of Chanticleer and many of his stock. Black also occasionally makes 
 its appearance, but not more frequently than grey. Roans, duns, sorrels, 
 &c., are now quite exploded, and the above five colours may be said to 
 complete the list of those seen on the race-course. Sometimes these colours 
 are mixed with a good deal of white, in the shape of blazes on the face, or 
 white legs and feet ; or even all these marks may occur, and the horse may 
 have little more than his body of a brown, bay, or chestnut. Most people, 
 however, prefer a self colour, with as little white as possible; and 
 
94 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 nothing but the great success of a horse’s stock would induce breeders to 
 resort to him if they were largely endowed with white. Grey hairs 
 mixed in the coat, as in the Venison’s, are rather approved of than other- 
 wise ; but they do not amount to a roan, in which the grey hairs are equal, 
 or even more than that, to those of the other colour mixed with them. 
 
 COAT, MANE, AND TAIL. 
 
 The texture of the coat and skin is a great proof of high breeding, 
 and in the absence of the pedigree would be highly regarded ; but when 
 that is satisfactory it is of no use descending to the examination of an 
 inferior proof ; and, therefore, except as a sign of health , the skin is seldom 
 considered. In all thoroughbred horses, however, it is thinner, and the 
 hair more silky than in common breeds ; and the veins are more apparent 
 un^er the skin, partly from its thinness, but also from their extra size and 
 number of branches. This network of veins is of importance in allowing 
 the circulation to be carried on during high exertions, when, if the blood 
 could not accumulate in them, it would often choke the deep vessels of the 
 heart and lungs ; but by collecting on the surface great relief is afforded, 
 and the horse is able to maintain such a high and long-continued speed 
 as would be impracticable without their help. Hence, these points are not 
 useful ns a mere mark of breed, but as essential to the very purpose for 
 which that breed was established. 
 
 The mane and tail should be silky and not curly, though a slight 
 wave is often seen. A decided curl is almost universally a mark of 
 degradation, and shows a stain in the pedigree as clearly as any sign can 
 do. Here, however, as in other cases, the clear tracing of that all-powerful 
 proof of breeding will upset all reasoning founded upon inferior data. The 
 setting on of the tail is often regarded as of great importance, but it is 
 chiefly with reference to appearances ; for the horse is not dependent for 
 action or power upon this appendage. Nor is strength of dock of any 
 certain value as a sign, for I have known some very stout horses with 
 flaccid and loosely pendent tails but still it may be accepted as a general 
 rule, that when the muscles of the tail are weak, those of the rest of the 
 body are likely to be so also. 
 
 THE THOROUGHBRED HUNTER AND STEEPLECHASER. 
 
 Hitherto we have considered the thoroughbred horse as intended to be 
 tested “ over the flat,” that is to say on our ordinary race-courses, but, as I 
 have before mentioned, the hunting-field is also largely supplied from the 
 same source, and in addition the steeplechase is now almost entirely carried 
 on by means of thoroughbred animals. It is found that many horses which 
 are too slow, when tried as two or three-year-olds over our ordinary courses, 
 and therefore discarded from the racing stable, are able to beat all others 
 over a country, either with hounds or in the steeplechase. Whether this 
 improvement in form is owing to the greater distance, or to increased age, 
 or to the addition of fences, such is undoubtedly the fact, as might be 
 proved by innumerable well-known instances. Sometimes perhaps one, 
 sometimes another, of these may effect the change, and perhaps, occa- 
 sionally, all three may combine to produce it, but undoubtedly the first 
 hope of the owner of a slow racehorse is that he may yet become a good, 
 and therefore fast, hunter or steeplechaser. In the palmy days of steeple- 
 chasing, when 1,000£. was a common price for a first-class horse suited to 
 
half-breds. 
 
 * 95 
 
 But L,, in spite of the T ' 2 ftT 1 **"* 
 ment of aristocratic and national hnr/™ •+ i s P°. rt b ytlie establish- 
 one would dream of ^ and 110 
 
 purchase. All that is wanted is a racffo^uffi^^ hae ? a e « 
 eleven or twelve stone and wHR i OT1 t sufficient power to carry 
 take to jumping. Without these courage to make him 
 
 much witha ^ lt “ unless to attempt to do 
 
 hands of a determLdlcho^ thou S h in the 
 
 will never he to he depended on tl 7 ! made to J um P< J* he 
 to fad. So also Sh aciw mnsT he will be sure 
 
 daisy-cutting style than is reqxdred on the fiTf* laVS less of the 
 sure to fall hr passing over the S an, I nti ’- ^ ° herwise he will be 
 to encounter. If therefore a^low rneeR beP “ ec i ua hties which he has 
 manners and comage, and L ^ssed ofT/^ U °° d > has good 
 stand the shocks of the steeplechase ? sufficiently strong frame to 
 
 f o»»d i, fit to bSTto SrSlTh 8 ; ^Ti be tw ? V ™ th. 
 
 by becoming a firsirate ^former™™ . couS, “? °™ 
 
 the character of the blood, for there are somp !+{* * 1 h ^T e , s P eciall y noted 
 on with far more certainty than others fnr fi * ams w ^ lc ^ ma J be relied 
 Ob w«y, for instance, * K8 ^“ ta 
 
 eient size and substance are most valuable • iJL taL ^u' 1 ' 1 , ” f suffl - 
 Selims are too flashy as a rule thoimh nJ + the ot h er hand the 
 Ratcatcher may be instanced as exceptions °T) Sons , of Hhmael and 
 rate steeplechasers than any stallion of hi« ^ 7 t°“’ who S ot “ore first- 
 Standard-Guard, Yict^ aL Sve^l oth r 7 ,’ bemg sire of Bomton > 
 
 son of Orville, out of Prirna Donna hv <s ^ n ° te ’ Was by hluley, 
 
 He was not himseffi successful on the grand -dam by Waxy, 
 
 but his stout blood, good temper and £ oo/f ^ g , 0t a good ^orse, 
 
 exactly suited to the task required of steenlfchpf 6 and 1 constitution, were 
 The thoroughbred him fir fo o' *i ?^ ec ^ asers and hunters, 
 chaser, but in him “good manners a3 ri? externa * ^ ori11 to the steeple- 
 » high weight is to be ISTtaf"' So also when 
 
 eleven stone or twelve stone of the stoo^chS'co'^T 1 ” 1 ”^ f " th * 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HALF-BEEPS, cobs, AND ponies 
 
 TI ^‘ * 
 library 
 
 OIS- 
 
 HIAGE, BROUGHAM, OR ™ L E T ° HoC-THru 1 ; 0 ^ 18 ’ 
 
 HORSE THE GIGSTER, OR EAST TROTTER MACHINER— THE PHAETON 
 
 Axl the varieties included in +v,;„ ■. , 
 
 nfusion of Eastern blood, inasmuch as ^h^l r6qUire a consider able 
 
 mrses are not caUed on to travel very fasTvS ^r 1116 ° f the hamess- 
 
 mve to draw, their efforts are S t 7 * TH the weights they 
 
 r&rSv-tS 
 
 iiles within the hour, including Z ££5 
 
96 THE HORSE. 
 
 he will knock up before he reaches the end of his first journey, when 
 called upon to draw his share of four tons at that pace. The Exmoor 
 ponies have a strong infusion of Eastern blood in them, and the light 
 and elegant head of the Shetlander in itself would almost warrant us 
 in including him in the list. It is well known that the blew Forest 
 ponies in the last century were repeatedly supplied with an Eastern cross, 
 and the celebrated Marske, sire of Eclipse, is said to have covered several 
 of the mares of this breed, while standing at Eistern, near Ringwood, in 
 Hampshire, in 1767—1768, for want of mares of a superior character. 
 This chapter, therefore, will include a description of every English horse, 
 but the thoroughbred and the heavy draught horses used for agricultural pur- 
 poses, and the moving of heavy goods. The term “half-bred” is a misnomer, 
 for it is generally applied to those horses which have a much larger propor- 
 tion of Eastern blood than half, and, in many cases, they possess fully 
 thirty-one parts out of thirty-two, or even more. Mr. Apperley (Nimrod) 
 advocated' the first cross between the cart-mare and the thoroughbred 
 horse for hunting purposes, but the plan has not been found to answer, 
 and is now entirely abandoned from a long experience of the want of 
 symmetry in the produce, and from their deficiency in staying powers over 
 a distance of ground. Even for fast road-work their legs do not stand, 
 but throw out splints, side bones, or spavins, so soon and so frequently, 
 that they are never chosen for the purpose by good judges on that account 
 alone. 
 
 THE HALF-BRED HUNTER. 
 
 The Hunter in our fast countries, such as Leicestershire, Northamp- 
 tonshire, parts of Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire, is generally selected 
 (if the purse will permit it) with a pedigree entirely contained in the 
 Stud-book. There are, however, few true thoroughbreds . that can carry 
 twelve stone across country, that is to say, as compared with tne number 
 of hunting men of that weight, and consequently their price is raised to a 
 height that can only be reached by a long purse. A “ made hunter of 
 this class is worth from 2501 . to 5001 . according to his “ manners —for 
 as many of them have been broken for the racing stable and have passed 
 through that mill, they are liable to be somewhat inclined to pull, and to 
 exhibit other failings incidental to that school. In cramped countries, the 
 thoroughbred horse is not so well calculated as the half-bred to get over 
 standing jumps, for his hind legs are not so well under him ; and from the 
 absence for generations of practice in any paces but those required for 
 racing, he has lost in some measure the power to put his fore and hind 
 feet wherever they are wanted to be, which is so constantly in demand in 
 “ provincial countries.” Where, however, pace is the chief desideratum, 
 and where hounds go so fast that without that quality in the horse, also, 
 his rider is soon thrown out, the thoroughbred horse alone can be sure ot 
 keeping a front place, and for that reason is in such great demand. . He 
 can undoubtedly carry any weight up to twelve stone, or even sometimes 
 sixteen stone, over a wider brook or double post and rails, than the hail- 
 bred but I know of no instance in which a pure thoroughbred has ever 
 got over any very high jump, such as a six-foot stone wall or piece of 
 timber. Chandler and Proceed, who cleared thirty-seven feet and thirty- 
 nine feet respectively, were both thoroughbred, though not in the btud- 
 book, and no half-bred horse has ever come near to these performances; 
 but if a match was made to get over a high wall no one would select a 
 thoroughbred horse for that purpose. Hence, the half-bred hunter has 
 
THE HALF-BRED HUNTER. 
 
 97 
 
 still many admirers, and, on the average, nine-tenths at least of the horses 
 which appear at the covert side throughout the kingdom must he included 
 in this class. Many have fully seven-eighths of pure blood, and perhaps 
 few have less than that proportion, but there is a distinct stain in the 
 third or fourth generation which entitles them to affix h.b. to their names 
 if they are entered’for any race where there is an allowance for half-breds. 
 There is always great difficulty in obtaining the bones and joints in a 
 thoroughbred of sufficient size to stand the shocks of the hunting field, 
 and for weeds of this class there is a very limited sale. Hence, the 
 breeder naturally avoids the risk, especially as he must go to a very high 
 price for his mares if he is 'to obtain them of such a size and substance as 
 he will desire. A half-bred mare may be purchased for 20 1. or 30 1. with 
 big legs and joints, and she therefore is chosen, often without knowing 
 her pedigree or even where she was foaled. The consequence is that the 
 country is deluged with colts of all shapes and characters, some of which 
 may be thoroughbred without the knowledge of their breeders, but most 
 are really what they are said to be, namely, half-bred, which I have 
 explained as meaning the possession of more or less stain of nondescript 
 blood. I have described the shape and characteristics of the thoroughbred 
 horse so fully that it is needless for me to return to the subject ; but as far 
 as his powers for hunting purposes are concerned, it was necessary to 
 allude to them here as I have done. 
 
 In choosing the half-bred hunter, regard must be had to the weight he 
 has to carry and the country he has to cross — for the lighter the weight 
 and the more open the country, the more highly bred should he be. 
 A man of eighteen stone must generally be contented with an active 
 cart-horse, but sometimes a remarkably strong colt is reared possessing a 
 good deal of blood, for his shape , and he is worth a large sum, when 
 taught the trade which he has to carry on. In any case, however, the 
 hunter should have the free use of his legs, and should be able to gallop 
 over rough ground without a mistake. It is here that the training for the 
 race-course so often tells unfavourably, for every training-ground is kept 
 as level as possible, and the racing colt has had no necessity for picking 
 his way. From his earliest days he has been either turned out in a level 
 paddock or he has been in a loose box, and hence he has had little occa- 
 sion to look where he is going. On the other hand, the half-bred is turned 
 out till he is four years old, and the fields which he runs over are com- 
 posed of every variety of ground, often crossed by roads with deep ruts, or 
 containing such other inequalities of surface, that if he does not take care 
 he will fall over them. The breaker, likewise, if he knows his business, 
 takes him over undulating ground, and thus he learns to avoid mistakes 
 which might break his own or his rider’s neck in the hunting field. No 
 fall is so dangerous as one occurring from the horse putting his foot into 
 a blind drain, which a clever animal will seldom do, while a racehorse 
 will rarely avoid it for any length of time if ridden over ground con- 
 taining these dangerous traps without great care on the part of the rider. 
 
 The points essential to the hunter are chiefly the following : — First 
 and fc^emost, he must have a good shoulder-blade, placed obliquely to 
 sustain easily the shock of falling from a height, and enable the horse to 
 get away again quickly from it. It should also be particularly well 
 clothed with muscles, or the part will soon tire, and after getting over the 
 first few fences in good style a fall will occur. The muscularity of the 
 fore arm is likewise of great importance for the same reason, for this part 
 also soon tires if not sufficiently powerful. Next to the shoulder and arm 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tome the hind -quarters, which should he powerful in proportion to the 
 weight which is to he carried. In this class of horses still more than in 
 the racehorse a straight quarter is my aversion, and I never yet saw a 
 perfect hunter with this kind of shape in the fullest degree. The Irish 
 hunter, which is remarkable for cleverness, has almost invariably a low 
 croup, as we shall presently see ; and the shape which is represented in the 
 frontispiece is the one which I believe to be perfection for the purpose we 
 are now considering. The horse of which this is a most faithful portrait is 
 supposed to be by Irish Birdcatcher, and was imported from Ireland with 
 that pedigree. He is nearly thoroughbred, and in my belief can carry 
 twelve stone against anything in this country, with the most beautiful 
 action in the world ; but belonging to a gentleman who eschews the 
 steeplechase course, he has never been publicly tried, and I only judge his 
 qualities from his performances in private, which are to my own know- 
 ledge such as to entitle him to the character which I have given him. 
 The likeness is most faithful, and does Mr. Barraud the greatest credit; 
 the engraving is on that account to be regarded as doubly valuable. 
 Indeed, if we could obtain plenty of such horses, there would be nothing 
 further to desire; but he is an exception, and can only be considered as 
 the standard or type to be aimed at in breeding the hunter to carry twelve 
 stone or fourteen stone. Wide hips are especially necessary in the hunter 
 intended to carry weight, and even ragged ones are to be preferred to the 
 narrow weak hips which give a good side view, but look like a deal board 
 from behind. Large and muscular haunches and gaskins (or thighs) can 
 alone give propelling power, but if these exist with small or diseased 
 hocks the power will be thrown away. In the hunter far more than in 
 the racehorse, the hocks should be well bent, and the stifles high and 
 wide, or the action will be disunited, and the power of shifting the 
 fore feet so as to avoid holes, &c. will be wanting. Below the hocks and 
 knees the caima bones should be large, and the suspensory ligaments 
 and tendons strong, clean, and free, while the pasterns should be strong 
 and shorter than in the racehorse, terminating in feet large enough to 
 avoid sinking in deep ground. In the middle-piece a greater width is 
 desirable than in the racehorse, where excessive speed compels, to some 
 extent, a sacrifice of “ bellows’ room,” and a chest slightly wider than in 
 that variety may be admitted as perfection, though still not too wide and 
 open. The back and loins must be strong, and well united to the hips 
 by the back-ribs, being deep and close up, so as to bear the strain given 
 by the superincumbent weight in coming to the ground after a leap. 
 This kind of horse also has great demands upon his stamina, for he is 
 sometimes kept out for a whole day without food, and has generally an 
 empty stomach from nine o’clock in the morning till five or six in the 
 afternoon, which is double the interval best suited to his constitution. 
 Hence a full middle-piece is a desideratum, and in no class of half-bred 
 horse is it so much required, for no other is exposed to such calls upon 
 the digestive organs. The racehorse even when deprived of his hay by 
 “ setting ” is allowed plenty of corn a very short time before running, but 
 the hunter may leave his stable at eight or nine o’clock in the morning, 
 and after being out for hours either drawing coverts blank or perhaps 
 getting a moderate run, a fresh fox is found at three o’clock, and he must 
 nevertheless go to the front or his master will despise him. Such a tax 
 can only be borne by digestive organs which have plenty of room, and 
 therefore it is that deep back ribs are so specially looked for by the 
 hunting man of any experience. 
 
THE IRISH HUNTER. 
 
 99 
 
 In height tlie hunter may vary from fifteen hands one inch to sixteen 
 hands two inches, the former being the lowest limit which as a rule will 
 give size and power sufficient to get over a big place. Exceptions have 
 occurred, such as in Mr. Ye vers’ Little Tommy, who was not more than 
 fourteen hands and a half, and yet both in the steeplechase and hunting 
 field was very nearly A 1, and could carry eleven stone seven pounds with 
 great ease. Eew men, however, like to be mounted on ponies ; and unless 
 your nerve is very great, a big fence looks still bigger when you look up 
 to its top than when you can look down upon it in riding towards it. 
 On the other hand, an overgrown animal is seldom able to do more than 
 carry himself, and frequently he cannot do that for any distance. Here, 
 also, exceptions are met with, and Sir Piers Mostyn’s Seventy-Four, who 
 was seventeen hands and an inch, is a case in point, being a splendid 
 hunter, and though not a winner of any great steeplechase, yet running 
 a good second once or twice. 
 
 Manners make the man, but still more the hunter; and without 
 " good manners” no horse can be considered fit for a gentleman to ride to 
 hounds. A strong puller may make an excellent steeplechase horse, as I 
 have already said, but even then he will not be equal to the more com- 
 posed yet equally high-couraged animal who takes nothing more out of 
 himself than is absolutely requisite for the task he has to perform. And 
 no one who could afford to pay for what he regards as perfection would 
 willingly ride a pulling horse to hounds, and one that is also irritable at a 
 check is still morn objectionable. Some horses will not wait for their 
 turn at a gap or gate, but, in spite of bit and heel, will rush at some part 
 of the fence, and thus jeopardize their riders. Such propensities are 
 extremely disagreeable, and condemn their possessors in the opinion of all 
 men of experience. Good manners generally are displayed when the head 
 is well formed and the expression of countenance is good, but an expe- 
 rienced eye alone can jndge of these particulars. 
 
 Lastly, a good mouth should never be overlooked, and as the setting 
 on of the head is essential to perfection in this respect, a purchaser should 
 not omit to notice that fact, in selecting a hunter without a trial. Many 
 a horse’s mouth is spoiled from attempting to alter the shape of the neck 
 by its means ; while, again, a too supple neck gives way so much that it 
 is difficult to get a mouth sufficiently dull to bear the slightest handling. 
 It should always be remembered that an over-tender mouth may easily be 
 altered for the better, while a dull one will remain so in spite of all the 
 expedients which may be adopted. The only sure way to arrive at a 
 knowledge of this point in any individual horse is to ride him under the 
 same circumstances as he will be required for. Some will display an 
 excellent mouth when ridden singly on the road, while with hounds they 
 will pull one’s arms off ; others, again, will be pleasant enough if allowed 
 to sail along at best pace, but cannot be kept away from the hounds 
 without showing temper and disregarding the bit. It is, therefore, not 
 only necessary to ascertain the nature of the mouth when the animal is 
 not excited, but also to try it when he is wound up to the highest pitch ; 
 and a disregard of this precaution is constantly leading to disappointment. 
 
 THE IRISH HUNTER. 
 
 Between the English and Irish Hunter there are several slight points 
 of difference. Thus the latter is remarkable for a particularly neat head, 
 almost too narrow across the forehead, but full between the ears. The 
 
 h 2 
 
100 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 muzzle is small, "but with good nostrils ; jaws open, and head well set on. 
 The shoulders are particularly sloping and powerful, middle-piece well 
 ribbed hut slightly flat, hips wide and powerful, the loins also being mus- 
 cular and well united to the hack. The croup is almost always sloping, 
 and the tail set on low. Legs and feet clean and sound. With these 
 external characteristics a sour temper is often combined ; hut the consti- 
 tution is almost always hardy, and the powers of jumping are of a high 
 order, displayed in height rather than in width. When an Irish hunter 
 can he obtained possessed of good manners, he is very valuable indeed, 
 hut there is so much doubt on this point that a careful trial should always 
 he obtained. 
 
 THE CHAEGEE AND TEOOPEE. 
 
 It cannot be said that any particular breed of horses merits this name, 
 but there are some characteristics which must always be looked for in a 
 horse intended for this purpose. Between the officer* s charger and the 
 troop-horse of the private soldier the only difference is in the degree of 
 perfection to which the above points are carried, for there is no doubt that 
 the same qualities which are desirable in the one are also required in the 
 
 THE CHARGER. 
 
 other. In the one caso, however, there is a limit put to the price by Govern- 
 ment, varying from 24 Z. to 3 51 ., while in the other the purse of the officer 
 is alone the measure of the extent to which the market may be searched. 
 Two points are specially desirable, namely, sufficient size and power to 
 carry the heavy weight of a dragoon or lifeguardsman triumphantly against 
 opposing cavalry ; and, secondly, so much handiness at all paces that 
 complete control of the horse may be maintained with the bridle-hand, 
 while the sword, lance, or carbine is used by the other. An officers 
 
THE COVERT-HACK 
 
 101 
 
 charger is usually sixteen hands high, and of power proportioned to the 
 weight he has to carry. His hind legs ought to be well under him, and 
 his shoulders must he sloping and powerful, with a head and neck well 
 put together, and rising out of the chest so as to give effect to the bridle. 
 Such a horse is well displayed in the engraving, which is from a painting 
 of a well-known charger belonging to an officer in the 1st Life Guards, by 
 Mr. Barraud, who has kindly placed it at my service. Unless the hocks 
 are well bent and the stifles forward it is almost impossible to teach a 
 horse the military manege to its full extent, and hence this point is care- 
 fully insisted on by cavalry officers. Occasionally, a thoroughbred horse 
 is met with possessing this formation, but generally that breed is deficient 
 in it, in consequence of the different style of going which is adapted for 
 racing. Nearly all the chargers used in the cavalry are therefore half- 
 bred, and a large proportion of them come from Lincolnshire, where, 
 indeed, almost all of the Life Guards' troop-horses are bred specially 
 for that purpose, being the produce of the black Lincolnshire cart mare 
 crossed with the thoroughbred. These are sent up as three-year-olds to 
 the three regiments, at 35£. apiece, but of late years there has been a diffi- 
 culty in procuring sufficient numbers to fill up the gaps made by disease 
 and death. The troop-horses of the dragoons and lancers are bought as 
 four-year-olds, and are obtained from various sources throughout England, 
 Ireland, and Scotland, Messrs. Phillips and East, of London, having the 
 command of the market. 
 
 THE COVERT, ROAD, AND PARK-HACK. 
 
 By the word hack is understood a horse specially intended for the 
 saddle, and to be used on some kind of road, which may be the cross roads 
 in the way to covert, or the ordinary turnpike, or, lastly, the loose 
 gravelly roads of our parks. The same class of animal is used in all, but 
 there are some slight differences between the three kinds, as we shall 
 presently see, corresponding with the purposes for which they are seve- 
 rally used. 
 
 The covert-hack is required to carry his master to the meet of the 
 pack of foxhounds to which the hunter or hunters have been sent on. 
 The object of this arrangement is to save time to the rider, and also to 
 allow the hunter to be taken quietly to the fixture by the groom, who 
 exchanges the one for the other just before the hounds are thrown into 
 covert. Hence this kind of hack must be fast as well as stout, and it is 
 expected that he shall be able to carrv any ordinary weight from twelve 
 to sixteen miles within the hour, to do which he must maintain a fast 
 hand-gallop over all sorts of ground, and occasionally “ do ” a little fence 
 or two to cut off a corner. In days of yore, our grandfathers breakfasted 
 at daybreak, or sometimes rode ten miles on an empty stomach to the 
 house of a friend near the appointed meet ; and they were contented to do 
 this at a pace wffiich would not turn a hair of their hunter's coat, even 
 though that was perhaps not quite so silky and short as it is expected 
 now to be. Such a practice would now be voted slow, even though the 
 breakfast-hour might easily be appointed for eight a.m., leaving an hour 
 and a half or two hours to ride quietly to covert. But, no, the fast man 
 must ride fast, and make his appearance on his blood-hack, galloping 
 sixteen miles an hour, and with his overalls bespattered with mud. He 
 leaves his house at half-past nine or ten a.m., and reaches the meet just in 
 time to put off his outside skin of dirt, and appear without a blemish on 
 
102 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 his boots and leathers. For this purpose the hack must be a galloper, 
 capable of keeping up a fast hand-gallop all the way from point to point ; 
 he should be an easy goer at this pace, safe, and clever enough to take 
 any moderate fence which may interfere with a short cut from one point 
 to another. Green lanes are often very deep, and it would be impossible 
 to get along them at the desired pace ; the only alternative therefore is to 
 turn out on the adjoining sound ground, and get over or through the 
 fences as well as the hack is capable of doing them. If he is a perfect 
 covert-hack he will creep or jump in hand, or get across the country in 
 some way, according to the weight he has to carry ; and he should there- 
 fore be a miniature hunter, with the additional requisite of being a good 
 hack on the road. Many a horse is a pleasant and safe goer on soft 
 ground, but if he is set going on a turnpike-road he will roll over his rider 
 in the first half-mile. This is what the covert-hack should not be ; what 
 he should be is, a clever and safe galloper. A trotter is tiring, in the first 
 place ; and in the second, is not suited for the green sides of a road or the 
 green lanes which can generally be met with in reaching the meet. About 
 fourteen hands is the best average size for these hacks, whatever the rider 
 may be ; if for sixteen stone or upwards, the hack must be a cob ; but if 
 for much less, he may be blood-like, or even quite thoroughbred, if he can 
 be obtained of that breed with sufficient action. Most covert-hacks, how- 
 ever, are under-sized hunters, the produce of mares intended to breed 
 something more valuable in the market ; but not growing into the con- 
 templated proportions, the breeder is obliged to sell them as hacks; and 
 when fast and clever enough, they are devoted to the purpose now under 
 consideration. Action is the main point ; not too high, so as to throw 
 time and space away, but a fast stealing-away kind of style, which gets 
 over the ground without distressing either horse or rider. If the hack 
 can get along in this way, safely over all sorts of ground, and can last at 
 his three-quarter pace for ten or a dozen miles, he is a good covert-hack, 
 let his appearance be what it may ; but most men prefer good looks in 
 addition, especially as these hacks are available during the summer for 
 other purposes. A neat head and neck, with a general outline calculated 
 to please the eye, are therefore eagerly looked for ; and the consequence 
 is that one of fourteen hands, or a little more, tolerably well-bred and 
 good-looking, which is capable of carrying from twelve to sixteen stone 
 comfortably, and at a fast pace for the distance above specified, is wortli 
 from 501. to 100£., according to his looks and action. A good judge will 
 of course suit himself for one-half the lower sum ; but in London, or any 
 of the best hunting countries, such an animal is worth as much as I have 
 stated. It must be recollected that he requires all the good qualities of 
 the horse, except fiying* speed and great size; and that he must possess 
 beauty of form and good temper, safe and fast action, cleverness, and 
 above all good sound feet and legs to stand the battering of the roads over 
 which he must often be ridden at his three-quarter pace. Now, many 
 scores of hacks, so called, may be looked over before a good judge could 
 select one corresponding in all points with the above description, and con- 
 sequently when one is found it is fair to expect that his value will be 
 estimated accordingly. Such animals fetch long prices even at the 
 hammer ; and when Mr. Tattersall has one before him, with a known 
 good character, it more frequently reaches above the first-named sum than 
 drops below it. 
 
 The road-hack varies from the foregoing in being necessarily more 
 of a trotter than a galloper, inasmuch as he is intended for use on 
 
THE HOAD-HACK. 
 
 103 
 
 Macadamised roads, many of which, are made of granite or flint, and are, 
 therefore, as hard as iron. To gallop much on such a surface is to lame 
 your hack; and even a fast trot is not to he indulged in for any distance, 
 or on successive days, for fear of the same results. The Americans drive 
 their trotters in their own country, and do not ride them, by which a 
 faster pace may be obtained without injury; but in England the roads, 
 being so much harder, soon compel a moderation of the fast trot, even in 
 the imported horses, whose legs and feet are undoubtedly very sound and 
 good, but still not capable of sustaining the Wear and tear of granite roads 
 at the rate of sixteen miles an hour. Hence, on our roads, we give up 
 the gallop in favour of the walk and trot, which must be done cleverly. 
 The former pace, especially, should be carefully inspected in selecting a 
 hack, for nothing is so unpleasant and trying to the rider as an unsafe or 
 rough walker. The fore foot should be well lifted and put down again on 
 its heel with a corresponding action of the hind leg, by which, on the one 
 hand, “ knuckling over ” is avoided, from reaching the ground too soon ; 
 and, on the other, “ over-reaching,” from the opposite extreme. A good 
 hack should walk nearly or quite five miles an hour, and though some 
 will do considerably more, it is seldom by anything but a kind of shuffle, 
 which is not pleasant to the rider, nor elegant to the spectator. The trot 
 should be of that character that it may be brought down to eight miles an 
 hour, or extended to fourteen ; and this is the perfection of the pace, for 
 few horses can do both well, being either too close to the ground in the 
 former for safety, or toe set and lofty in their action for the latter. Ho 
 defect is worse than the unsafe action, which results from a weakness of 
 the extensor muscles of the arm, and in which the trot is pretty good as 
 long as the horse is not tired, but after a few miles the leg is not lifted 
 with power enough, and the toe is constantly striking against some 
 inequality of the ground, from which it is not recovered . This marks the 
 defect; for it must not be confounded with habitual stumbling, which is 
 as likely to occur at starting as at any other time, and which is always 
 easily detected by watching the mode of putting down the foot in the 
 naturally unsafe trotter, where the toe touches the ground first, and the 
 heel then follows, as is evidenced by the state of the tip of the shoe. 
 Here a trip may occur often, and yet no fall follow, because the extensors 
 are strong, and effect a recovery after the mischief has been nearly done. 
 But when the extensors are weak, the toe, which has been well raised at 
 first, after a few miles touches the ground, and, not being rapidly recovered , 
 a fall ensues of the most severe character. For this reason it is necessary 
 to ride a horse some distance before his action can be pronounced upon, 
 and only then can it be said that he is fit for a timid or bad rider. As 
 we shall hereafter find in discussing the mode in which the several paces 
 are performed, the trot of our horses is somewhat different from that of 
 the Americans, the knee in ours being more rounded, and the foot there- 
 fore reaching the ground with a greater tendency to “toe” it. With 
 regard to shape, though, as in the racehorse, there is a particular formation 
 which is more likely to give good hacking powers than any other, yet 
 experience teaches every horseman that it cannot be relied on either 
 negatively or positively. E r0 m a stable full of hacks no one would dream 
 of making a selection without seeing them out, for it would be a hundred 
 to one that the same animal would not be fixed on before and after a 
 trial. Every butcher’s boy who has been a year or two in the trade will 
 tell you that hacks, still more than racehorses, go in all shapes, and though 
 oblique shoulders may be desirable, yet many a good hack is without 
 
104 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 them. Action is the sine qud non , united to stoutness, temper, and 
 soundness both of wind and limb, as well as of the eyes. A horse with a 
 thick-loaded shoulder often makes a good hack, while a very thin one is 
 not suited for long-continued journeys, its muscles soon tiring, and a trip, 
 or series of trips, being the result. There are, however, one or two essen- 
 tials in the shape of a good hack which should never be overlooked, let 
 the action be what it may. Firstly, the shoulder-blade must be wide 
 enough at its upper part and sufficiently clothed with muscle behind it to 
 keep the saddle in its place, which may readily be ascertained by the most 
 inexperienced person by putting one on and riding a mile or two, partly 
 down hill. The horseman knows at once whether the shape of this part 
 is suitable, but practice is required for this, and unless it has been 
 obtained, it is better to leave nothing to chance, but to take the trouble 
 to ascertain the fact. Secondly, the jaws should be wide, and the head 
 and neck so put together that they can be bent into proper form, without 
 which the mouth cannot remain good, and no hack can be considered 
 perfect. This, however, I have previously enlarged upon at great length, 
 and therefore I need not repeat what I have written. I have alluded to 
 the walk, trot, and gallop in mentioning the paces of the hack, but have 
 said nothing of the canter, because it is not much used by gentlemen, on 
 account of its wearing the off leg out more than the trot, from the great 
 stress laid upon that limb. Even if the lead is continually changed, more 
 mischief is done by 10,000 hard blows than by 20,000 comparatively 
 gentle, and therefore, excepting on the turf by the side of the road, the 
 canter should not be indulged in by the male sex. 
 
 The park-hack should be the road-hack I have described with the most 
 showy form within reach ; but as this last is the point which is the most 
 attended to, an animal is often selected of the most worthless kind in other 
 particulars, either from some deficiency of constitution or infirmity of legs. 
 There are every year some scores of useless brutes turned out of the racing- 
 stables with legs which will not stand a preparation, in consequence of 
 their tendency to inflame and become unsound, blow, these horses are 
 often barely up to eleven stone, and also unfit for the hunting-field, from 
 defective hocks, or from some peculiarity of temper which prevents their 
 taking to jump. They are “ well topped” — that is, well formed about the 
 head, neck, and body ; and to the inexperienced eye are very taking. 
 They may also have high action, and sometimes particularly so ; for the 
 higher it is, the more likely to occasion inflammation of the legs. These 
 animals are put by, cooled down, and blistered, and are then brought out 
 as showy hacks, for the use of gentlemen who merely require a short 
 constitutional airing every fine day of an hour or an hour and a half ; and, 
 as fine days do not average above four per week, many horses even with the 
 most infirm legs can accomplish that amount of work, if ridden quietly over 
 hard ground . Many such animals are exhibited daily in Hyde Park, where 
 the soft ground of Rotten Row exactly suits them ; but there are others to 
 be seen there of the most perfect description, capable of standing as much 
 work as any butcher’s pony. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that the 
 great majority of our park-hacks, even if they are specially bred for the 
 purpose, are incapable of doing as much work over hard ground as the 
 coarser-bred and more common-looking brutes in use among the butchers 
 and general dealers who attend country fairs from long distances. Eastern 
 blood is a great advantage in most respects, and no doubt when the animal 
 possessing it is sound, he will bear the shocks of the road with impunity ; 
 but there is no question in my mind that he fails in the matter of enduring 
 
THE PARK-HACK. 
 
 105 
 
 daily concussion on the road, and that a Welsh pony or Norman horse will 
 stand nearly twice the amount of this work without showing its effects 
 This is the weak point in the breed, partly arising from original want of 
 size in the bone and joints, but chiefly, I imagine, from the constant use 
 of stallions for inferior stock which have themselves suffered from inflam- 
 mation of the legs and its consequences ; hence, in process of time, a breed 
 of horses is formed, which has legs more than usually prone to lameness, 
 in consequence of being the produce of sires and dams that have been 
 turned out of the racing stable for this very infirmity, which is sure to be 
 transmitted to the offspring. That Eastern blood is not necessarily prone 
 to inflammation of the legs and feet is tolerably manifest from our experi- 
 ence of modern Arabs and their descendants in this country, as well as 
 abroad. Since the Crimean war, the number imported into Great Britain 
 has greatly increased, and though most of them have been selected almost 
 at random, they are certainly not defective in their legs, though perhaps 
 not coming up to the degree of wiriness which is possessed by the Welsh 
 pony. I have myself owned an Arab as well as a grandson of an Arab, 
 which would bear any fair amount of hammering uninjured, and from 
 these facts, and others not within my own knowledge, I am led to conclude 
 that the cause is not inherent in the breed, but is accidentally introduced 
 by the use of rejected stallions for farmers’ purposes. These get good- 
 looking colts, which fetch high prices, and therefore suit the breeder’s 
 purpose just as well as the sounder horse, who would perhaps cost twice 
 as much for his services. The farmer seldom tries the legs much, and it 
 is only when put to work that the weakness is discovered, which to the 
 eye is not by any means perceptible. From a long experience in my own 
 case, and in that of others, I am convinced that legs cannot be selected by 
 the appearance or feel. I do not mean to say that out of forty horses the 
 twenty with the best-looking legs will not beat the others, but that it is 
 impossible for any judge, however good, to pronounce with anything 
 like certainty whether a certain leg will stand or not, without knowing 
 anything of the possessor of it. In so many instances have I seen a leg, 
 pronounced by several good judges to be undeniably good, go to pieces 
 directly, and a bad one stand, that I can only come to the conclusion that 
 no certain opinion can be formed from a mere inspection. This is a great 
 source of loss to the dealer who buys his horses after a long rest, and with 
 their legs looking fine and sound ; for even the necessary “ showing out” 
 will make many give way, and lameness ensues of a character which will 
 not warrant a “ return,” yet sufficient to prevent a profitable sale. A 
 horse sore from work is cooled down, physicked, and put into a loose box ; 
 he is then blistered, and kept without more than quiet exercise till he is 
 to be sold, and by that time his legs are as fine as the day he was foaled. 
 Now, I defy any one, however skilful, to detect the inherent weakness ; 
 but there it is, and on the first week’s severe work the inflammation 
 returns as bad as ever. The park-hack not requiring legs to stand severe 
 work, his place is well filled by any horse of good temper, safe, and showy 
 action, and of elegant shape. Good temper is necessary, because as these 
 horses are not worked hard, they speedily become unmanageable if they 
 are naturally of a vicious disposition. Work will quiet almost any horse ; 
 but in order to have a horse pleasant to ride at all times, whether fresh or 
 stale, he must be of a very tractable temper indeed Many horses which 
 will come out of the stable, when fresh, in a state of fiery and hot 
 impatience, rearing and kicking like mad animals, will, when in good 
 work, be as quiet as donkeys ; and hence it is not always wise to reject 
 
106 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 one showing these qualities, nor yet is it prudent for a bad horseman to 
 mount one without previous riding, although he may know him to be quiet 
 enough when regularly worked. 
 
 THE LADIES’ HOESK 
 
 This variety op the horse should he a perfect park-hack such as I 
 have already described, but moulded in somewhat longer proportions, so 
 as to give room for the habit to spread without quite eclipsing the animal. 
 Many a hack looks extremely well under a man, but when a side-saddle 
 and habit are on him, he shows nothing on the near side from the point 
 of the shoulder to the hip, and hence is not adapted in appearance to a 
 lad/ s use. A back too long to carry the weight of a man above nine 
 stone is yet strong enough for a lady of average proportions, who seldom 
 weighs, even with an eighteen pound or twenty pound saddle, more than 
 ten stone, and many not near so much. This formation also gives a softer 
 canter, and therefore possesses every good quality desired for a lady’s use 
 without any drawback. To be in proportion to this increased length of 
 body, the neck should also be long, and thus an animal is well chosen for 
 a lady which would be rejected by most male judges for their own use. 
 In point of soundness, mouth, and temper, he must be unimpeachable, for 
 the legs are far more tried by the canter than by any other pace, and 
 ladies generally choose the cleanest, and therefore the hardest part of the 
 road, and ride the faster there, because they can do so without splashing 
 their habits. In wind also there should be no defect, as a gallop is not 
 avoided whenever turf is at hand, and sometimes when this is not to be 
 obtained, it is taken on harder ground. The mouth of a lady’s horse should 
 be light and level, and the neck so easily bent that there is not the slightest 
 tendency to throw the head up, even when the hands are held so high as they 
 necessarily must be from the nature of the lady's seat. There is a popular 
 idea that a horse does not pull as much with a lady as with a gentleman, 
 which is very erroneous. The hands of most men are bad enough, but for 
 one good pair of female hands there are a dozen possessed by men, and this 
 is irrespective of the greater number of riders among the male sex, but 
 calculated in proportion, that is to say, the per centage of good hands is 
 far greater among men than among women. Of course we do not see the 
 same severe hanging on the bit displayed by ladies, because they have 
 neither the same weight nor the same strength as their brothers, fathers, 
 or husbands ; but as far as they can, they spoil their horses’ mouths, with 
 some few occasional exceptions. Erom the nature of the lady’s seat, the 
 hands cannot be held low over the withers, and if the horse’s mouth 
 absolutely requires the hands to be kept down below the level of the knee, 
 they must be divided, and a rein taken in each. This generally gives an 
 inelegant seat, but a year or two ago it was the fashion, and wherever it 
 could be adopted it was : in order to maintain an upright position of the 
 body, the hands must be brought almost back to the hips, and no shifting 
 of the rein from one to the other can be effected without raising them 
 above the knee. It follows, therefore, that the lady’s position causes great 
 difficulty in the management of an awkward mouth, and that, therefore, a 
 very perfect one should be chosen for her use. In addition to good legs, 
 length of body and neck, and a perfect mouth, the ladies’ horse should be 
 of a fine temper, and not too lazy, or he will need the spur ; nor too hot, 
 or he will get beyond her control. In height he should be between fifteen 
 and sixteen hands, less than the former being objectionable on account of 
 
107 
 
 COBS, GALLOWAYS, AND PONIES. 
 
 the splashes on the habit which is caused by too low a horse, and a greater 
 height being generally attended with a rough and therefore unpleasant 
 action. The walk and canter are the absolutely essential paces, but a 
 good and even trot should, if possible, be superadded, for the sake of giving 
 useful exercise to the rider, and at the same time saving the legs of her 
 horse, which are tried far less in this pace on hard roads than in the 
 canter. 
 
 COBS, GALLOWAYS, AND PONIES. 
 
 The Cob is merely a thick and strongly made hack about fourteen 
 hands in height, and suited to carry from fifteen to twenty stone. All the 
 points are therefore such as are required in the ordinary hack, but they 
 must be strong in proportion to the weight to be carried. The twenty 
 stone cob is in fact a compact and active little cart-horse, with canna 
 bones as large as in that variety, and generally with the same tendency to 
 throw out bony growths. In those up to less weight more breeding may 
 be displayed, but even in them the cart-horse generally predominates with 
 all his attendant disadvantages. Eew breeders take any pains to obtain 
 the cob, and his occurrence is chiefiy accidental, being a dwarf among 
 those colts intended for hunters, or an unusually well-shaped and active 
 little cart-horse. The former is the more valuable by far, as his action 
 will be cleaner and less heavy, while his limbs will stand fast work much 
 better, and if wanted for the gallop his wind will be far more lasting. 
 
 As to the Galloway, the term itself as well as the animal it represents 
 are quite out of date. Originally, the word was confined to the full-sized 
 ponies which were bred in the south of Scotland, and which showed more 
 Eastern blood than the Highlanders. They seldom exceeded fourteen 
 hands, and are described as possessing all the attributes of a clever hack. 
 The distinct breed, however, is now lost, and the name is quite excluded 
 from the horseman’s vocabulary. 
 
 Among modern ponies there is great variety, but the breeds are seldom 
 kept distinct. It may, however, be said that the following are sufficiently 
 so to be considered as sub-varieties of this division — namely, those of 
 Wales, the New Eorest, and Exmoor, in the South; and the Highland 
 and Shetland pony in the North. 
 
 The Welsh pony is a strong useful animal, averaging about thirteen 
 hands in height, and possessed of a neat head, good shoulders, a capital 
 back, and most enduring legs and feet. Many of them are of a cream or 
 dun colour, and if the latter, marked with a dark stripe down the back, 
 which colour extends to the mane and tail. These peculiarities are sup- 
 posed to be derived from Norwegian sires which some years ago were 
 introduced into the district in the hope of improving the breed, which 
 was then very small and weedy, with a remarkable preponderance among 
 them of “cat hams.” The cross has proved useful ; but either from it or 
 from the original breed, the Welsh pony is extremely disposed to be 
 obstinate ; but as man is very apt to convey his own qualities to the dumb 
 creatures about him, and as obstinacy is notoriously prevalent among the 
 biped inhabitants of the province, it seems probable that Norway is 
 altogether innocent. These ponies are bred in considerable numbers by 
 the farmers, and suffered to run on the hills till they are three years old, 
 when they are collected and either sold by auction on the spot, or sent in 
 droves into England, where they are readily disposed of at prices varying 
 from 51. to 15 1. The Eev. T. Williams of Tyr-y-cwm, near Swansea, is 
 one of the most celebrated of these breeders, and I have seen some of his 
 
108 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 ponies, especially a stallion ridden by bimself, of very fine symmetry and 
 action. 
 
 The N ew Forest pony will shortly be as seldom met with as the red 
 deer in that district, that is to say, running wild, for the whole forest is to 
 be broken up into farms, and as the land is valuable it will scarcely be 
 devoted to breeding ponies. The breed is not much sought after, being 
 more useful than ornamental, and not too highly gifted with the former 
 quality either. The head is large and coarse, the sides flat, and the feet 
 and legs by no means what they should be, if appearances are to be taken 
 as the guide. Nevertheless, they stand work better than might be ex- 
 pected, and I have known several which were tolerably good-looking as 
 well as extremely safe and pleasant hacks. 
 
 The Exmoor pony is said to be particularly hardy, and his short thick 
 middle would lead one to suppose that this character is well deserved. 
 Most of them are capital jumpers, and it is said that they will carry a 
 heavy man up and down the Devonshire hills in a most astonishing way. 
 I have seen many of these ponies, but have never had an opportunity of 
 judging how far report has exaggerated their powers. They are remark- 
 able for a peculiarly light bay colour of the muzzle and legs. Mr. Knight, 
 of Simonsbath Lodge, and his agent, Mr. Smi|h, have taken great pains 
 to improve the breed, and have crossed the native Exmoor mares with 
 good thoroughbred English stallions, as well as with trotters and Arabs. 
 The result is the production of many good-looking ponies annually 
 brought to the hammer, but the prices realized are scarcely such as to 
 warrant a continuance of the experiment. 
 
 The Highland pony is remarkable for his docility and general good 
 manners, by which circumstance he makes the best shooting pony in the 
 world, and can be taught almost anything, except perhaps to gallop with 
 the racehorse. These ponies have, like the old Welsh breed, the forma- 
 tion of hind-quarter called “ cat hams,” but this only gives a greater power 
 of using them and especially of creeping over broken ground, in which they 
 are unapproachable. Their intelligence also is so great that it is almost 
 impossible to get them into a bog ; and if by chance they find themselves 
 sin kin g, they avoid the struggles which are instinctive in other breeds, and 
 manage either to creep quietly out, or else wait patiently till assistance 
 comes. In size they vary from twelve hands and a half to thirteen and a 
 half, and in shape they present little to be remarked except their neat 
 heads and cat hams. They are able to carry considerably more weight 
 than their frames would lead one to expect, and sometimes a six-foot 
 brawny Scotchman may be seen on one of them without causing any 
 apparent distress, and with difficulty keeping his legs off the ground. 
 
 Lastly, the Shetlander comes under review. He is the smallest 
 variety of the British horse, and his appearance is well delineated in the 
 annexed engraving. His head, almost concealed by his rough shaggy 
 mane and forelock, looks smaller than it really is, while his neck 'is ex- 
 tremely well formed, and his shoulders are slanting, muscular, and full of 
 liberty. In fact, these little animals have powers proportionally as great 
 as that of a dray-horse, and appear to carry with ease a man of eleven or 
 twelve stone, if only he can arrange his legs so as to avoid walking and 
 riding at the same time. They vary in height from nine to eleven hands, 
 or sometimes a little more, and hence they are admirably calculated in this 
 respect for the use of children, while their tempers are generally so good 
 that they may be pulled about with as much impunity as a Newfoundland 
 dog. Their colours are chiefly bay, brown, or rusty black, chestnuts and 
 
THE CARRIAGE, BROUGHAM, OR CAB-HORSE. 10i> 
 
 greys being extremely rare. Large numbers are imported into England 
 every year by the steamers from the North, and sold at prices varying 
 from 5 1 . to 301 . according to appearance and action. 
 
 THE SHETLAND PONY. 
 
 THE CAEEIAGE, BEOUGHAM, OE CAB-HOESE. 
 
 Most of our best-shaped carriage-horses are now bred in Yorkshire 
 and Lincolnshire ; but some few, and those not the worst, come from 
 Shropshire and the borders of the adjacent counties, among which last 
 may be mentioned with honour the celebrated bay of Count Bathyany. 
 These horses are chiefly the result of a cross between the old Cleveland 
 horse (now nearly extinct) and the thoroughbred Eastern horse, the pro- 
 portion of the latter blood being difficult to ascertain, as in most instances 
 the pedigrees of the stallions and mares cannot be traced with any cer- 
 tainty for more than two or three generations, in spite of the assertions to 
 the contrary of their breeders. Grand figure and high action, rather than 
 pace, are the objects aimed at, especially for the use of the cabriolet, in. 
 which extravagant knee-action is considered essential to a perfect turn-out. 
 The original from which my illustration of this variety is taken was for 
 some months in the possession of Mr. Anderson, of Piccadilly, and sold by 
 him at a long price to go abroad. He was painted by Mr. Barraud as a 
 fine specimen of his class, and certainly the artist has conveyed to his 
 canvas with great success the characteristic action of the cab or carriage- 
 horse, which it will be seen differs from that of the fast American trotter 
 represented at page 34 in its roundness and in the high elevation of the 
 knee. Hence, it is more showy, or “ gaudy ” as the dealers say, and much 
 less fast, ten miles an hour being the outside pace of these horses, and 
 even this being too much for their legs and feet on our roads. At the 
 time when Count Bathyany was so celebrated for his carriage-horses, 
 
110 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 whose action was splendid, he always “ threw by” each pair at stated 
 intervals, so as to reduce the inflammation of the feet and legs caused b 
 the hammering on the road, before it had had time to leave any organi ■ 
 mischief. Being at least sixteen hands in height, with round barrels on 
 which flesh is always loaded for the sake of show, their legs and feet have 
 a good deal of weight to carry, and even with moderate action these soon 
 wear out, if they are of bad form or materials. Hence, they are never 
 used till they either are, or are supposed to be, five years old ; but to 
 make them handy and safe in London they must be driven about the 
 streets in the break for some months before they will stand a crush at the 
 opera, or any other similar trial of steadiness and nerve. Some hundreds 
 of pairs of these horses are jobbed in London by Mr. East, Messrs. 
 Wimbush, and other jobmasters of less note, while nearly as many more 
 
 THE CARRIAGE, BROUGHAM, OR CAB HORSE. 
 
 are- kept by their owners for their own use. The engraving I have given 
 will convey the characteristics desired in this horse better than any 
 written description; but though it will serve to show the external 
 form and action, it is on too small a scale to indicate in a reliable 
 way the wiry and clean legs which are indispensable, and without 
 which work soon causes lameness of some kind or other. The head 
 is particularly good for so mixed a breed, and indicates the care which 
 has been paid for many years to the selection of sires and dams. But the 
 neck is the main feature in point of show, being of a most elegant forma- 
 tion ; and the head being well set on gives that beautiful rainbow sweep, 
 which is shown in the portrait of Mr. Anderson’s horse. Much of this is 
 produced by careful breaking ; but without a naturally good formation of 
 the bones, all the breakers in the world cannot make a horse bend himself 
 
THE HEAVY MACHINER. 
 
 Ill 
 
 into the beautiful outline so frequently displayed in Hyde Park. Oblique 
 but muscular shoulders, short backs, and long though strong quarters, 
 vith a great deal of ground covered below, constitute the remaining points 
 haracteristic of this horse, and leave nothing to be desired except that 
 lore of the same sort should be annually bred. The broughams of London 
 take those of inferior shape and action, but some of them are furnished 
 with horses of nearly as much fashion and action as the cabriolets and 
 carriages of the most aristocratic houses. Still, on the whole, there is no 
 doubt that the latter take off the cream of this variety of horse. 
 
 THE HEAVY MACHINEE. 
 
 Our omnibuses and vans are supplied with a most wonderfully active 
 yet strong kind of horse, which is in some measure obtained from the 
 breeders of the last variety, being too plain in appearance, and sometimes 
 too heavy in action, for private use. Their price is so low, averaging 
 about 30 L when sound and five or six years old, that no one would 
 be remunerated by attempting to breed them exclusively for the purpose 
 to which they are finally put, and hence they are to be considered as the 
 V blanks in the breeder’s lottery planned for other and more valuable kinds, 
 such as the carriage horse or hunter, or as agricultural stock which have 
 paid for their keep since their second year. Thirty or forty years ago 
 such a class of animals was quite unknown, and there was no medium 
 between the coach-horse or poster and the true cart-horse. Of late, 
 however, as our roads have been improved, it has been discovered that by 
 placing heavy goods on springs they may be moved at the rate of six 
 miles an hour in as great weights by these horses as were formerly drawn 
 by the dray-horse at two and a half or three miles per hour. The pair- 
 horse omnibus also is a modern invention, and many are now drawn 
 eight miles within the hour conveying twenty-six passengers, besides 
 the coachman and conductor, whereas sixteen used to be the full comple- 
 ment for four horses, and with the use of a lighter vehicle. In those 
 districts where the soil is light and G.O. ploughs are in vogue, the agricul- 
 tural horses are so active that a selection from them will give a number 
 of useful heavy machiners ; and some horses which refuse to work steadily 
 at plough, will take to faster work with comparative kindliness. This last 
 sort, however, do not bear a fast pace, but up to six miles an hour they 
 can perform extremely well. The action of our omnibus horses is re- 
 markably good for all useful purposes, being so safe that one rarely sees 
 a mistake, and when a fall occurs it is almost invariably from a slip and 
 not from a stumble. Much of this improvement in action is due to the 
 absence of the bearing-rein and the general use of the snaffle, leaving the 
 animal at liberty to move without the dreadful restraint which was 
 formerly so indiscriminately imposed. 
 
 THE PHAETON-HOESE, GIGSTEE, OE EAST TEOTTEE. 
 
 Between the Norfolk and American trotters, which may be taken 
 as the types of the two kinds of trotting developed in the horse, there is 
 a very considerable difference. I have already described the latter, but it 
 remains for me to say a few words about his English rival. In both there 
 must be a considerable infusion of Eastern blood, not for the purpose of 
 giving pace, but endurance. Many a low-bred animal can trot a mile in 
 pretty fair time, but he cannot keep his pace up ; and indeed when very 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 il2 
 
 fast time is to be made, as, for instance, wbat tbe Americans call “ low in 
 the two-thirties,” that is, a mile in little over the two and a half minutes, 
 blood is almost equally in demand for that distance as for a longer, and 
 the distress is nearly as great as in running a mile over the flat at New- 
 market. Norfolk has long been celebrated for her breed of trotters, and 
 these are still in considerable demand for our gigs and phaetons, but their 
 trot is not soft enough to make them desirable hacks, and they are little 
 used for that purpose. The same applies to the American trotters, which 
 are kept to their waggons all over the States. The action of the Norfolk 
 trotter is more showy than that of the American, chiefly because the eye 
 is the sole test applied in this country, no purchaser caring for a faster 
 pace than fourteen or fifteen miles an hour, and most contenting them- 
 selves with twelve, whereas, on the other side of the Atlantic, the time-test 
 is applied in all cases and the value of a horse is in proportion to what he 
 can do with the stop-watch in the hand of his examiner. The action of 
 our best trotters resembles that of the carriage-horse displayed at page 
 110, but in the smaller animals it is somewhat shorter and sharper. 
 The foot is not thrust forward so much as in the American, either before 
 or behind, and hence there is more time lost in each step. In point of 
 appearance and breeding, our gigsters and phaeton-horses are of all kinds, 
 from the pure thoroughbred to the strong but undersized carriage-horse. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL AND DRAT HORSES. 
 
 THE OLD ENGLISH BLACK CART-HORSE — THE SUFFOLK CART-HORSE — THE IMPROVED 
 LINCOLNSHIRE DRAY-HORSE — THE CLYDESDALE HORSE — OTHER MIXED BREEDS. 
 
 THE OLD ENGLISH BLACK CART-HORSE. 
 
 From time immemorial this country has possessed a heavy and com- 
 paratively misshapen animal, the more active of which were formerly used 
 as chargers or pack-horses, while the others were devoted to the plough, 
 and, as time wore on, to the lumbering vehicles of the period of Queen 
 Elizabeth and her immediate successors. In colour almost invariably 
 black, with a great fiddle-case in the place of head, and feet concealed in 
 long masses of hair, depending from misshapen legs, he united flat sides, 
 upright shoulders, mean and narrow hips, and very drooping quarters. 
 Still, plain as he w^as, he did his work willingly, and would pull at a 
 dead weight till he dropped. This last quality was necessary enough 
 at the first introduction of wheel carriages, for the roads were so bad that 
 the wheels were constantly buried up to their naves in the deep ruts cut 
 into them at the bottom of every hill, or wherever there was not a clear 
 course for the water to run off. True pulling was, therefore, considered 
 the first and most essential attribute of the cart or heavy carriage horse; 
 and as without it the traveller or carter would be constantly left in the 
 “ Slough of Despond,” it is not to be wondered at that such was the case. 
 The figure of the war-horse, as represented in the Duke of Newcastle's 
 celebrated treatise, was common enough fifty years ago among the agricul- 
 tural horses of any district but that immediately north of the estuary of 
 
OLD ENGLISH BLACK CART-HORSE. 
 
 113 
 
 the Thames, where the Suffolk Punch had been produced at an earlier 
 period, and perhaps a limited extent of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Such 
 an animal is represented in the annexed engraving, which may, however, 
 be regarded as, in some respects, exaggerating its characteristics. The 
 short quarter looks still plainer from being foreshortened, and the shoulder 
 
 is rendered more upright from the position adopted in grazing ; but the 
 coarse head, the hairy legs, the small comparative girth^ and the general 
 mean appearance, are well rendered, and are by no means unfavourable to 
 the animal as he really existed. 
 
 I 
 
114 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 THE SUFFOLK CAKT-HOKSE. 
 
 In the latter part of the eighteenth, century the agriculturists of 
 Norfolk and Suffolk were far more enterprising than their brethren 
 throughout the remainder of England. Among other subjects to which 
 they paid special attention was the cart-horse, which, though said by Mr. 
 
 Culley to be a plain horse, was far more level and symmetrical than the 
 aboriginal horse of the country. The Suffolk: horses of the early part of 
 the present century were thus described by the above observer : — “ Their 
 merit probably consists more in constitutional hardiness than fine shape, 
 being in general a very plain horse. Their colour is mostly yellowish, 
 or sorrel, with a white ratch or blaze on their faces. The head large, ears 
 wide, muzzle coarse, fore-end low, back long, but very straight sides flat, 
 
 IMPROVED SUFFOLK. 
 
THE IMPROVED LINCOLNSHIRE DRAY-HORSE. 
 
 115 
 
 shoulders too far forward, hind quarters middling, but rather high about 
 the hips, legs round, and short in the pastern, deep barrelled, and full in 
 the flank. Here, perhaps, lies much in the merit of these horses, for we 
 know from observation and experience that all deep-bellied horses carry 
 their food long, and consequently are able to stand a longer and harder 
 day’s work.” This variety is now quite extinct ; the improved Suffolk is 
 lighter and quicker than the old breed, with a low powerful shoulder, and 
 very drooping croup. The legs also are very clean and wiry. A good 
 example will be found in the engraving, drawn by Mr. Harrison Weir 
 from a celebrated prizeholder at the agricultural shows of 1859. 
 
 The Suffolk now shares with the Clydesdale pretty equally the appro- 
 bation of the farmers throughout Great Britain, the former being generally 
 preferred in the south, and the latter in the north. It is supposed, how- 
 ever, by many breeders of experience that the northern horse is gradually 
 gaining on his competitor, and that in the course of a few years the 
 Suffolk will be as scarce as the dray-horse. On the other hand, his 
 admirers maintain that no other horse is so hardy, and that he will do 
 more work in the same time, and on the same amount of food , than any 
 other. The testing of such a matter is not so simple as it may appear, for 
 it would be necessary to try the experiment with a number of horses of 
 each kind, and carry it on for months together. A less severe and 
 complete trial would be of little use, and could not by any means be con- 
 sidered as definitive, nor would it be so even conducted as I have said it 
 ought to be unless it was under the actual superintendence of unpreju- 
 diced observers. 
 
 THE IMPROVED LINCOLNSHIRE DRAY-LIOESE. 
 
 About the same time the farmers of Lincolnshire were employed in 
 producing, partly for their own heavy clay lands, but chiefly for the use 
 of the London drays, a large and magnificently-shaped animal, generally 
 known as the Dray-Horse. Many of these stand from seventeen to 
 eighteen hands high, with bodies of enormous girth, and legs, if not in 
 proportion, yet of greater size than in other breeds. 
 
 They are the produce of a cross between the old English black and the 
 Flemish horse ; but the former had previously increased in size and sub- 
 stance, from the nature oi the grasses of the district, which seem peculiarly 
 adapted to develop the growth of this animal. Unfortunately, both sire 
 and dam are slow, and the produce, from its increased bulk, is rendered 
 still slower, being wholly unfit for agricultural operations in competition 
 with the Suffolk or the Clydesdale horses, and only well adapted to move 
 heavy brewers’ drays, which cannot from their weight be expected to travel 
 very rapidly. Even here, however, a quicker horse is rapidly displacing 
 him, and, except in a few of the old established breweries, the true dray- 
 horse is now rarely seen. Thirty years ago in a walk along Cheapside 
 and Comhill, two or three teams of splendid dray-horses were certain 
 to be found ; but now we may often go from one end of the city to the 
 other without seeing one. The spring- van, with its heavy machiners, has 
 monopolized all the cartage but that of the heaviest barrels, and the dray- 
 horse is gradually going out of use. As these horses can only be reared on 
 rich pastures, they are bred in a very limited locality, and are sold, at two 
 years old, at an average of about 40/. a-piece to the farmers within a short 
 distance of London, some few of whom in Wiltshire and Berkshire breed 
 them themselves. Whether obtained by breeding or purchase they work 
 
 J 2 
 
116 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 them moderately, and feed them highly for the two seasons between their 
 second and fourth years, when they are put into a loose box, and made 
 up with oil-cake or linseed, barley, and clover hay, till they are as fat as 
 bacon hogs : after which consummation they are fit for the London 
 
 market, and fetch from 70Z. to 120Z. each. It is no wonder, therefore, 
 that their naturally thin and large soles become convex, or that side-bones 
 are thrown out, attended by lameness, which makes so many of them 
 utterly useless. These horses are of all colours, except chestnut. 
 
 THE DRAY HORR 
 
THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. 
 
 117 
 
 
 THE CLYDESDALE HORSE. 
 
 The Clydesdale is intermediate in size between tbe Suffolk and the 
 dray-horse, bnt more active than either. He is supposed to be bred from 
 a cross of the Dutch or Flemish horse, imported by the Duke of Hamilton 
 in the latter part of the last century, with the active descendants of the 
 
 4 
 
 pack-horses, which were retained in use longer in the north than in the 
 south. He has an extremely neat head, a light neck, and a round middle- 
 piece, which is nevertheless very deep in the girth-place. A well-shaped 
 horse of this breed, though higher than the Suffolk, appears to be on 
 shorter legs, as is shown in the engraving, which represents a horse 
 
 THE CLYDESDALE CART- HOUSE. 
 
118 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 sixteen hands two inches high, the property of Prince Albert, and pur- 
 chased by him for 5001. The long stride, which is characteristic of the 
 breed, is partly dependent upon their greater length, and partly upon 
 habit and training. These horses are said to he able to draw heavier 
 loads in single carts than any others, and hence they are specially adapted 
 to that kind of work, which consequently prevails throughout the lowlands 
 of Scotland, where the Clydesdales are universally employed. They are 
 generally docked, and their comparatively short tails will serve to dis- 
 tinguish them to the eye of the unskilled observer, irrespective of those 
 marks of breeding which an experienced hand will readily detect. A 
 great many inferior animals were formerly bred, which were objectionable 
 from their light bodies and long legs, hut these faults are now compara- 
 tively rare, great attention having been paid to the breeding of the Clydes- 
 dale horse during the last thirty years. Still they are supposed to require 
 a good deal of nourishing food, and though a pair of them will undoubtedly 
 plough a great breadth of land in a given time, it is not settled whether it 
 is done economically or the reverse. 
 
 OTHER MIXED BREEDS. 
 
 The Cleveland, if it ever existed as a variety of the cart-horse, cannot 
 now he found, and it is probable that the original breed was employed as 
 a pack-horse solely, being too light for the heavy plough work of our 
 ancestors. At present he is a coach-horse, and cannot therefore he classed 
 among those which I am now describing, though he is still claimed by the 
 breeders in the district of Yorkshire from which he takes his name as a 
 distinct variety. It is true that he is sometimes used for agricultural 
 purposes, resembling the Suffolk horse in quickness, yet not being equal 
 to him in constitution. But he is chiefly sought after for the carriages of 
 the aristocracy, to which his rich hay colour, and clean legs, often of a 
 jet black, are well suited. I do not myself believe in the purity of the 
 breed, nor can I find from the Yorkshire men themselves any signs by 
 which it can be distinguished. 
 
 Throughout England and Ireland cart-horses of every shape and 
 size are met with, possessing no peculiarity whicli can entitle them to he 
 considered as separate breeds, and indeed being produced from working 
 mares put to stallions selected at random from those offered in the imme- 
 diate neighbourhood. Some of these sires are individually very perfect 
 animals in shape, and can compete with the best Suffolks or Clydesdales ; 
 but they cannot generally be depended on to the same extent for getting 
 stock as good as themselves. This is caused by their being the produce of 
 various strains ; hut when the breed to which they belong has been kept 
 pure for some generations, as is the case in certain families and districts, 
 this remark does not apply to any extent. Most farmers now, however, 
 who are particular about their horses, either use the pure Suffolk or 
 Clydesdale, or put their cross-bred njpres to stallions of one or other of 
 these breeds. 
 
119 
 
 CHAPTEK IX. 
 
 ON THE LOCOMOTIVE ACTION IN THE VARIOUS PACES. 
 
 NATURAL AND ACQUIRED PACES — DISTRIBUTION OP WEIGHT — ATTITUDE ASSUMED IN 
 STANDING — MODE OF PROGRESSION — THE WALK — TROT — CANTER — HAND-GALLOP — 
 EXTENDED GALLOP— THE AMBLE — RACKING, PACING, AND RUNNING — THE PACES OF 
 THE MANEGE — LEAPING. 
 
 NATURAL AND ACQUIRED PACES. 
 
 In a state op nature it is probable tbat the horse only possesses two 
 paces, namely, the w T alk and the gallop ; but when he is the produce of a 
 domesticated sire and dam, even before he is handled, he will generally 
 show a slight tendency to trot, and sometimes to amble, rack, or pace, if 
 any of his progenitors have been remarkable for these artificial modes of 
 progression. In this country, however, it may be assumed that the horse, 
 without being taught, walks, trots, and gallops, more or less perfectly, 
 according to his formation and temperament. 
 
 DISTRIBUTION OF WEIGHT. 
 
 Except in the gallop and canter, in the fast trot, and m leaping, 
 the weight of the horse is borne by two or more of the legs, and we shall 
 find that in consequence of the projection forwards of the head and neck, 
 the larger moiety is sustained by the fore leg (or legs) than by the hind. 
 This can easily be demonstrated in the act of standing ; but the same rule 
 which applies to that position will also serve for any other. 
 
 It is important to the horsemaster to ascertain the circumstances which 
 will change these proportions, because he finds practically that, in road 
 work, the fore legs wear out faster than the hind, and consequently any 
 means by which the weight on them can be reduced will be a gain to him 
 in a pecuniary point of view. M. Baucher placed a horse with his fore 
 and hind legs on separate weighing machines, and found that a hack mare 
 when left to assume her own attitude, weighed on the fore scales 210 
 kilogrammes, while her hind quarters drew only 174, the total weight of 
 the animal being 384 kilogrammes, each of which is equal to 21bs. 
 2ozs. 4drs. 16grs. avoirdupois. By depressing the head so as to bring the 
 nose to a level with the chest, eight additional kilogrammes were added to 
 the front scales, while the raising of that part to the height of the withers 
 transferred ten kilogrammes to the hindermost scales. Again, by raising 
 and drawing back the head, in a similar way to the action of the bearing 
 rein, eight kilogrammes were transferred from the fore to the hind scales, 
 and this should not be forgotten in discussing the merits and demerits of 
 that much-abused instrument of torture. M. Baucher then mounted the 
 mare, when it was found that his weight, which was sixty-four kilogrammes, 
 was placed in the proportion of forty-one kilogrammes on the fore quarters 
 to twenty-three on the hind. A considerable change was of course pro- 
 duced by leaning backward, and by using the reins in the manner of the 
 bearing rein, the former transferring ten kilogrammes from the fore to the 
 hind quarters, and the latter act adding eight more. 
 
*20 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Every practised horseman knows that his horse’s fore legs will suffer 
 in proportion to the weight which it thrown on them, while their relief is 
 an additional source of strain to the hind legs. The spavined, and more 
 especially the curby-hocked horse, i elieves these parts by using his fore 
 legs to carry more than their proper proportion of weight, while the 
 animal affected with any painful disease of the fore limbs carries almost 
 all the weight of his body on his hind legs, which are advanced under 
 him in the most peculiar manner. The value of artificially changing the 
 natural carriage of the horse, so as to make his hind legs come forward 
 and carry more than their own share of weight, is chiefly felt in chargers, 
 hacks, and harness horses, while, on the contrary, it is injurious to the 
 hunter and the racehorse, whose hind quarters bear the greatest strain. 
 
 THE ATTITUDE ASSUMED IlST STANDING. 
 
 Standing may be considered under two heads, the first comprising the 
 attitude naturally assumed by the horse when inclined to rest himself, and 
 the second that forced upon him by education, for the sake either of 
 appearances, or to keep him ready to start at a moment’s notice, as in the 
 cavalry horse. When standing free or naturally the horse always rests 
 one leg, and that generally a hind one, changing from one to the other as 
 each becomes tired in its turn. In the forced attitude all four are on the 
 ground, and each supports its share of the superincumbent weight. In 
 either case the different joints are kept from bending, by the almost 
 involuntary combined action of the flexor and extensor muscles, which will 
 keep him standing even in sleep, in which respect he differs from the 
 human subject. The oblique position of the pasterns affords a considerable 
 aid, but without the semi-involuntary support afforded by the muscles, the 
 stifle and hock joints behind, and the shoulder and elbow before, w mid 
 inevitably give way. 
 
 MODE OE PROGRESSION. 
 
 In moving forward, whatever the pace may be, the hind quarters are 
 the main propellers, and thrust the body forward on the fore legs, which 
 serve as imperfect segments of wheels, each in its turn making a revolution 
 forwards and backwards through a segment of a circle, like a pendulum. 
 This forward motion is either effected by one hind leg at a time, as in the 
 walk, trot, amble and rack, or by the two, nearly if not quite synchronously, 
 as in the canter, gallop, and leap. In any case, the hind legs (or leg) must 
 be drawn forwards under the body, or the body thrust backwards upon 
 them, when a contraction of various muscles tends to straighten them, and 
 as they are fixed upon the ground, which acts as a fulcrum, the body 
 must give way, and thus passes forward with a speed and force propor- 
 tionate to the muscular power exerted. In the various paces this mecha- 
 nical action is differently effected in detail, but the principle is the same 
 in all those contained in each class to which I have alluded. In the first, 
 the weight is borne by the hind and fore quarters between them, while 
 propulsion is effected by one side of the former ; but in the second, it is 
 taken at intervals by the fore and hind limbs, the latter propelling it with 
 great force, and the former serving as props to it when it comes to the 
 ground from the air, and also causing it to rebound for another interval of 
 time. 
 
THE WALK. 
 
 121 
 
 THE WALK 
 
 There are two questions involved in this pace which have led to dis- 
 cussions without end. Firstly, there is that connected with the order of 
 sequence in which the feet are moved. Secondly, that relating to the part 
 of the foot which first touches the ground. Of each of these, therefore, 
 I must enter into a particular description. 
 
 In examining the order of sequence in which the feet are taken off 
 the ground, it appears to me that a very simple matter has been converted 
 into a complicated one. Ho one with a grain of observation can dispute 
 that all the four legs in this pace move separately, and not, as in the trot 
 and amble, by twos of opposite or the same sides. Solleysell, however, 
 says that “ in a walk the horse lifts the near fore leg and far hind leg 
 together ,” and Percivall, in quoting this passage, calls him “this true 
 observer of Nature but, nevertheless, the latter author goes on to 
 disprove the correctness of the very passage he has just quoted, though 
 he does not seem very clear upon the subject. His description is as 
 follows : — “ At the mandate of the will to move forward, the fore leg is 
 first put in motion, the order of succession in the walk appearing to be 
 this : — supposing the right or off fore leg to move first, that is no sooner 
 carried off the ground than the left or near hind foot is raised, the former 
 being placed upon the ground prior to the latter. The two remaining feet 
 move in respect to each other, in the same order of time, the left or near 
 fore after the off hind, the right or off hind after the near fore ; it being 
 observable that as each hind foot follows in the line of movement of its 
 corresponding fore foot, the latter would very often get struck by the 
 former, did it not quit its place immediately prior to the other being 
 placed upon, partly or entirely, the same ground.” Can anything be more 
 confused than this jumble of words, which is solely so because it is desired 
 to make the horse begin with a fore foot in preference to a hind one. 
 Any one who examines the action of the feet of one side only will have no 
 difficulty in perceiving that the hind foot is raised from the ground and 
 moved forward for half its stride before the fore foot is disturbed, the 
 same order being observed on the other side in succession. Hence, if the 
 horse is started from the standing position with all the feet on the ground, 
 it follows that he must begin with a hind foot, because with whichever of 
 the sides he starts he lifts the hind foot half a pace before the fore foot, as 
 is admitted by Percivall himself, for he says, “ the latter (fore foot) would 
 often get struck by the former (hind foot) did it not quit its place imme- 
 diately prior to the other being placed upon, partly or entirely, the same 
 ground.” It is very difficult to convey a correct idea of this fact by 
 illustration, because the eye has become accustomed to the erroneous view 
 which is conventionally received by artists. However, with the assist- 
 ance of Air. Zwecker. who has himself studied the subject carefully, I am 
 enabled to present the following engraving, which, though apparently 
 awkward and ungraceful, is literally correct. Here the near hind foot (1) 
 is just about to be placed on the ground, on the spot which the near fore 
 foot (2) has just left. The off hind foot (3) will follow next in succession, 
 and lastly the off fore foot (4) will complete the cadence. Put if each 
 fore foot leaves the ground just as the corresponding hind foot is finishing 
 its stride, it follows as a matter of necessity, if the action is carried on 
 throughout in the same way, that in starting from a point of rest the hind 
 foot of one side or other is the one to begin the walk. Next follows the 
 
122 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 STARTING FOR THE WALK. 
 
 fore foot on the same side, then the opposite hind foot, and lastly the fore 
 foot of the opposite side. The order of progression, be it observed, is the 
 same, whether the description commences with the hind or fore foot, and 
 
 RECEIVED INTERPRETATION OF THE WALK. 
 
THE WALK. 
 
 123 
 
 the argument is after all of little consequence ; but the truth is really, as 
 was observed by Borelli, that the hind foot is the first to move when the 
 horse starts into a walk from a state of rest in which all four feet are 
 placed as in ordinary standing. There may be positions in grazing where 
 the fore foot advances first ; but then the pace cannot be considered as 
 the customary w T alk. 
 
 In the accompanying outline the horse is represented in the manner 
 usually accepted by artists, with the near fore foot (2) in the air, and 
 apparently leading off. But if, as I have endeavoured to show, the hind 
 foot must of necessity start first, although this engraving affords to the 
 eye of the observer the most graceful and striking position which is taken 
 up in the walk, yet it is not the one with which the horse commences 
 that pace. Here the near hind foot (1) has already been brought forward 
 and placed on the ground, on or near the spot occupied by the fore foot, 
 which is in the air; the off hind foot (3) is just about to leave the ground, 
 having expended its share of progressive force, and the weight of the body 
 is borne by the off fore foot and the near hind one. Whenever a fore foot 
 starts first (which, as I have already remarked, may occasionally occur, as, 
 for instance, in grazing, or when the weight is unnaturally thrown upon 
 the fore quarters), the attitude is most constrained, and the proper 
 sequence, or cadence, if the animal is forced into a quicker pace, is not 
 fallen into without a most grotesque degree of rolling, which conveys to 
 the eye a full idea of the forced nature of the pace. Mr. Zwecker has 
 endeavoured to fix this upon paper in the annexed engraving, but though 
 I fully admit that the drawing is correct, I confess that I am not satisfied 
 with the result of his labours. However, it may serve to convey to my 
 readers the fact which I wish to impress upon the mind, viz. that a walk 
 in which either fore leg commences the cadence is unnatural, or, at all 
 events, exceptional 
 
 EXCEPTIONAL MODE OF STARTING. 
 
124 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 I have thus endeavouhed to show (and it may, I think, be considered 
 as the most simple mode of describing the pace) that, as a rule, when the 
 horse is starting from a state of rest into a walk he commences with one 
 of the hind feet, the particular one chosen being that which at the time 
 bears the least weight of the body upon it. JSText follows the fore foot of 
 the same side, then the opposite hind foot, and lastly the fore foot also of 
 the opposite side. When once it is shown that the hind foot almost 
 touches the heel of the foot which precedes it, before the latter is raised, 
 of which a moment’s observation will satisfy any careful observer, the 
 order of sequence becomes clear enough, and, as I set out with observing, 
 a subject which is generally made extremely complicated becomes as simple 
 as possible. In nine hundred and ninety-nine cases out of a thousand the 
 horse starts on the walk with a hind foot, and the only exception is when 
 he is, from circumstances, at the time in an unnatural attitude. 
 
 The second question in dispute to which I have alluded is that involv- 
 ing the part of the foot which first touches the ground in this pace. In 
 this country veterinary writers have generally considered that in the 
 sound foot the toe first reaches the ground, and undoubtedly Mr. Percivall 
 is no exception, for he says at page 143 of his Lectures, “To the eye of 
 the observer there is the slightest perceptible difference between the toe 
 and heels coming to the ground in favour of the former, a difference that 
 need not disturb the horseman’s good old rule, that a horse in his walk 
 should place his foot fairly and flatly down” This theory has, as far as I 
 know, never been admitted by practised horsemen, and in the year 1855, 
 in describing the perfect hack, at page 526 of “British Rural Sports,” I 
 wrote as follows : “ The walk should be safe and pleasant, the fore foot 
 well lifted and deposited on its heel.” The first veterinary surgeon, 
 however, who combated the opinions of his brethren, was Mr. Lupton (a 
 disciple of Mr. Gamgee), who, early in the year 1858, inserted in the Edin- 
 burgh Veterinary Review the following “ Physiological Reductions on the 
 Position assumed by the Pore Poot of the Horse in the varied Movements 
 of the Limb ” : — 
 
 “ 1. The foot of a living horse in a state of rest remains firmly on the 
 ground, that is, the toe and the heel are on the ground at one and the 
 same time; but if during this position the extensor muscles were to 
 contract, then the toe would be raised from the ground ; and if, on the 
 other hand, the flexor muscles were to contract, then the heel would be 
 raised from the ground. How, during progression, the first movement 
 which takes place is the contraction of the flexor muscles, by which 
 (together with the muscles of the arm) the foot is raised, the toe being the 
 last part of that organ raised from the ground. The foot is now in a 
 position to be sent forward, which is brought about by the contraction of 
 the exteitsor muscles ; the foot is then thrown out as far as the flexor 
 muscles will admit, and when at the greatest allowable point of tension, 
 the heel is brought in apposition with the ground. The flexors now in 
 their turn contract, the heel is first raised from the ground, and lastly the 
 toe, which brings me back to the point I started Rom. 
 
 “ 2. Viewing the leg of a horse as a piece of mechanism (allowing the 
 leg to be even in a state of anchylosis), and comparing it to the spoke of a 
 wheel, during the revolutions of which the posterior part of the inferior 
 extremity, or, in other words, that part which is attached to the tier, 
 comes in contact with the ground first ; if in the place of the spoke 
 the above-mentioned leg of the horse were there placed, the heel in that 
 case would come in contact with the ground first, and the toe last. 
 
TIIE WALK. 
 
 125 
 
 “ 3. As to the anatomy of the foot. 
 
 u The foot is composed of the os pedis, os naviculare, and a small portion 
 superiorly of the os corona. Between the alae of the os pedis we have the 
 frog and the fibrous frog, in fact, a beautiful elastic cushion ; and postero- 
 laterally the lateral cartilages, readily yielding on the application o\ 
 pressure. Seeing this arrangement, I naturally seek to find the cause of 
 its existence, and I suggest that it is there in order, by coming in contact 
 with the ground, first to break the concussive effect, likely, if being hard 
 and unyielding as the formation at the toe, to be productive of much cost 
 to the animal frame. 
 
 “ 4. The progress of action is from the heel to the toe. Bor example, 
 man, during progression, puts his heel to the ground first; the ox also 
 places his heels similarly on the ground first, and dogs bring their pads in 
 contact with the ground first ; does it not, then, seem undeniable, when 
 reasoning by analogy, that the horse similarly brings his heels to the 
 ground first 1 
 
 “ During progression, the body moves forward ; during which movement 
 the toe, as evident to every observer, leaves the ground last, that is, when 
 the flexors are contracting. If such be the case, then, for the toe to come 
 in contact with the ground first, as some affirm, and the heel last, is a 
 retrograde and impossible movement. 
 
 “ Three principal impressions are made on the foot during progression, 
 namely : 
 
 “ 1. On the heel, when great expansion and yielding takes place, owing 
 to the pressure on the frog, which is forced upwards, causing the ultimate 
 expansion of the walls of the hoof, &c. 
 
 “ 2. On the middle part of the foot, when the bones bear the weight of 
 the body. The flexors and extensors being, for the instant, in a state of 
 quietude, i. e. neither of them are extending or contracting. 
 
 “ 3. On the toe, when the animal gives a push, by which an impetus is 
 given to send the body forwards. 
 
 “ The foot comes on the ground nearly flat, I admit, but the heel is for 
 an instant on the ground before the toe. 
 
 “ I humbly assert, in conclusion, that the progress of action is from the 
 heel to the toe, and not from the toe to the heel.” 
 
 It appears to me that argument is here thrown away, for as it is 
 admitted by both sides that the toe and heel are each in certain cases 
 placed on the ground first, it is manifest that either may be in all. 
 Observation, therefore, and not theoretical argument, must determine 
 under what circumstances the foot is deposited with its toe on the ground, 
 and vice versd. Mr. Spooner, and nearly the whole of t'he London school, 
 say that the toe touches first in all cases but in the disease known as 
 laminitis ; Mr. Lupton, Mr. Gamgee, and the Edinburgh new school, 
 assert, on the contrary, that, as a rule, the heel touches the ground a 
 shade the first. Their assertions reach to all paces ; but here I think a 
 mistake is committed, for I am confident that in trotting the toe touches 
 the ground slightly before the heel in a large proportion of cases. In the 
 walk I am quite satisfied that Mr. Lupton and his followers are right, and 
 that the heel is presented to the ground in all good walkers, but so slightly 
 first as to escape the notice of careless observers. If the toe is not raised 
 it is apt to tip the inequalities of the ground, and we have that disagreeable 
 sensation of insecurity in the walk which a bad hack invariably gives. 
 Many horses go very close to the ground, but if the extensors turn the toe 
 well up in bringing the leg forward, however closely to the ground it is 
 
126 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 carried, it is safely deposited on it. On tlie contrary, a high action, with 
 the heel raised, is never safe, either on the walk or the trot. It is quite 
 contrary to the experience of horsemen out of the veterinary profession to 
 assert that either toe-action or heel-action is invariably met with in sound 
 horses, and I believe the facts to be as I have stated them. That in 
 laminitis the toe is raised in an exaggerated form no one will deny, but 
 the extent is far greater than any one supposes to exist in a healthy foot. 
 I have possessed one or two horses which, though perfectly sound, would 
 wear out the heels of their shoes before their toes, and one of them was a 
 high-stepping mare with remarkably good feet. How the friction in all 
 cases after the foot is put down must be greater on the toe than the heel, 
 because it scrapes the ground, more or less, as it leaves it. When, there- 
 fore, the heel is worn out first, it proves that this part touches the ground 
 first, though the converse does not hold good, for the reason which I have 
 given. 
 
 Having discussed these two questions, I come now to examine what is 
 done in each movement of the legs, independently of the order of their 
 going, and of the above toe and heel controversy, and shall proceed to 
 consider in what the good walk differs from the bad. 
 
 Writers on the horse divide each movement of the leg into three acts, 
 consisting of the lift, the swing, and the grounding. In the first act, the 
 foot is raised ; in the second, it is thrust forward ; and in the third, it is 
 firmly but lightly deposited on the ground. But these may severally be 
 well performed, and yet the horse be a bad walker, because his body is 
 not well balanced on the legs in contact with the ground while the other 
 or others are moving. A good walker should take short quick steps, with 
 his hind legs well under him , and then he will be able to plant his fore 
 feet firmly but lightly on the ground in succession. If his stride is too 
 long, his hind legs cannot be always well under him, because they must 
 be wide apart when both are on the ground ; and the body cannot then 
 be balanced securely, because there is too long an interval elapsing while 
 the one hind leg is passing the other. Hence, in such a horse, there is a 
 waddling movement from side to side, so often seen in the thoroughbred 
 horse, whose full tail shows it very manifestly, but whose rider feels the 
 inconvenience much more clearly than it is seen by the uninterested 
 looker-on. The clever hack, on the contrary, moves forward without his 
 body deviating a hair’s breadth from the line in which it is progressing, 
 neither undulating to the right and left nor up and down. The rider of 
 a first-rate hack should be able to carry a full glass of wine in his hand 
 for any distance without spilling a drop ; and if the action on the walk is 
 not smooth enough for this, it cannot be considered as approaching to per- 
 fection. Many horses step short and quick, and yet do not walk well, 
 because their shoulders have not liberty enough to thrust their arms 
 forward during the act of swinging the leg ; and hence the pace is slow, 
 for the foot is put down very near to the spot from which it was lifted. 
 In choosing a good walker, therefore, see that his feet are lifted smartly, 
 that they are well thrust forward, and placed firmly but lightly on the 
 ground. Look at him well from behind, and observe whether he hits 
 himself on the fetlock joints as one foot passes the other; and at the 
 same time examine whether, as he lifts his fore feet, he turns them out, or 
 “ dishes,” which is a very serious fault, in consequence of the loss of time 
 which it occasions. In most horses the hind foot oversteps the place from 
 which the corresponding fore foot has been removed ; but in a good hack 
 this should not exceed an inch, or the pace will not be smooth and smart, 
 
THE TROT. 
 
 127 
 
 ns 1 have already observed. Very few walkers actually touch one foot with 
 the other, as in the trot, nor do they overreach with violence so as. to 
 injure their heels ; the only objection, therefore, is to the length of stride, 
 which I have shown to produce an uneasy effect upon the rider. But 
 whenever the horse appears to move as if his fore feet are in the way of 
 the hind, he will rarely, even with the best tuition, become a pleasant 
 and safe hack. 
 
 The rate of walking is very seldom quite five miles an hour, though 
 horses are to be found which will accomplish the distance in that time, or 
 even less. Many will do a mile in twelve minutes and a half ; but to get 
 beyond this is a very difficult task. Indeed there are few horses which in 
 their walk will bear pressing to the utmost speed of which they are capable, 
 without breaking. It may, I think, be assumed, that the average pace of 
 good walkers is about four miles and a half to four miles and three-quarters 
 per hour. 
 
 THE TROT. 
 
 This pace may be described under three heads, namely, the jog trot, 
 the true trot, and the flying trot. In all three the diagonal limbs move 
 exactly together, but in the first the time during which each foot is on 
 the ground is much greater than that in which it is in the air. In the 
 second the contrary is the case ; while, in the third, the horse is carried 
 completely off his legs for a considerable space of time, between the 
 several bounds which are made by the two feet of opposite sides as they 
 touch the ground in succession. The jog trot seems to come naturally to 
 the horse when he is first mounted ; and as long as he is fresh and fiery, 
 the colt will maintain this pace, unless he is permitted to exceed it. He 
 will prefer it to the walk for a long time ; and it is only by good hands, 
 combined with patience, that a spirited colt can be made to walk ; for he 
 can generally jog quite as slowly, and often much more so. Farmers are 
 very apt to accustom their young horses to the jog trot, because they find 
 by experience that it does not injure their legs or feet ; but to a rider un- 
 accustomed to this pace it is by no means an easy one. In the true trot, 
 as exemplified below, the feet are on the ground a comparatively short 
 space of time, the body being carried so rapidly forward that they are moved 
 off almost as soon as they are deposited on it. By examining this outline, it 
 will be seen that the position of the fore and hind limbs of the two oppo- 
 site sides exactly corresponds, and this will be the case, whatever may be 
 the period of the action in which the observation is made. As in the 
 walk, each step may be divided into three acts ; but I see no advantage 
 in thus attempting to separate or analyse what must be considered in its 
 totality, if it is to be regarded with any advantage to the observer. In 
 the flying trot, which is well shown in the portrait of Flora Temple, at 
 page 34, all the legs are for a very short period of time off the ground, as 
 is there delineated, but still there is always an exact correspondence 
 between the position of the fore and hind legs of opposite sides. The 
 chief difference between these three varieties of the trot consists in the 
 rapidity of the propulsion which is going on. This in the first is very 
 slight; and the more elastic the fetlock joints, the better and softer i s 
 this pace. The feet are raised, and the legs are rounded or bent ; buj the 
 body is not thrust forward, nor are the shoulders moved in the same 
 direction to any appreciable extent. The consequence is, that the. feet are 
 deposited again very close to the spot from which they are takej 1? and the 
 pace is as slow as the walk. In the true trot, if it is well performed, the 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 128 
 
 hind legs must he moved as rapidly as, and with more force than, the for 
 legs, because they have more work to do in propelling the body, the latter 
 having only to sustain it during the operation. Good judges, therefore, 
 regard the hind action as of even more importance than that of the kiees 
 and shoulders ; for if the former do not drive the body well forward, good 
 pace cannot be obtained, nor will it be easy and rhythmical. In this kind 
 
 ACTION IN THE TRUE TROT. 
 
 of trot elastic fetlocks are fatal to speed, as they prevent the instantaneous 
 effect upon the body of the muscular contractions of the hind limbs, and 
 cause the action to be dwelling and slow. Very fast trotters are, therefore, 
 rough in their “ feel ” to the rider, and are not suited for the purposes of 
 pleasure. Indeed, no one would mount one of them from choice; but 
 when they possess good mouths, they are pleasant enough to drive. In 
 examining trotting action, regard should be paid to the plane through 
 which each limb passes, for if this is not parallel with that of the median 
 line of the body the action is not true and smooth, and there is great risk 
 of one limb cutting the other. This is best seen by watching the trot 
 from behind as well as before, which gives an opportunity of investigating 
 the movements of both pairs of limbs. Every horse should be so made 
 that, when he stands, his fore canna bones should be quite parallel; 
 but in order to be so, as they stand closer together than his elbows, they 
 must form a slight angle with the arm at the knee ; and hence, rs this 
 Dart is bent, there is always a slight tendency to turn out the foot, the 
 \\aggerated form of which is called “ dishing.” The observer will, there- 
 * do well to ascertain the extent to which this should be carried, or 
 h r wn con ^ emn a perfect goer as a “ disher,” from finding that 
 
 , , \s out his toes in bending the knee, though only in the trifling 
 
 de ree^ru^ ne< ^ na ^ ure * ^ ki bending by the hand the fore foot to 
 the^lbow ^ nner keel of the shoe is in contact with the outside of the 
 
THE CANTER. 
 
 129 
 
 arm, there will not be too much turning out of the foot, and the purchaser 
 need not he afraid of this defect existing in the horse he is examining. 
 Provided the fetlocks and canna-bones are not actually touched or 
 “ hit ” in trotting, the fore-legs cannot be moved too closely together ; 
 but if they pass very near to one another in a fat dealer’s horse, it may 
 be suspected that when he is reduced in flesh to a proper working condi- 
 tion, boots will be necessary. A practised eye is required to judge of this 
 correctly, and, if there is any doubt, one had better be consulted. In 
 London, for park-riding and driving, very high and round action is the 
 fashion, and fabulous prices are given for well-shaped animals which can 
 “ pull their knees ” almost up to their noses. Pace is sacrificed ; and 
 many of the most highly-prized London trotters are unable to do ten 
 miles an hour. A favourable specimen of this kind of trotting action is 
 shown in the cab-horse at page 110, in which the shoulders are so well 
 formed that although the knee is remarkably well bent and raised, the 
 whole limb is well thrust forward, and the action of the hind legs also is 
 so propulsive that a faster pace than usual is obtained. 
 
 The Norfolk trotter of the present day has very perfect action, inter- 
 mediate between the pointed and flying trot of the American horse, and 
 the round high knee-action of the London park-horse. Even he, however, 
 is not nearly so pleasant to ride as the thoroughbred, when the latter can 
 trot at all ; but many of this breed have been so long accustomed to the 
 gallop, that their trot is a most imperfect pace. When they do perform 
 it properly, it gives a most delightful feel, and no rider for pleasure, if 
 money is at his command, should “throw his leg” over any but a 
 thoroughbred, or one nearly pure in blood. 
 
 The canter is a thoroughly artificial pace, at first extremely tiring to 
 the horse, and generally only to be produced in him by the restraint of a 
 powerful bit, which compels him to throw a great part of his weight on 
 his haunches. It is very difficult to describe or define this pace, either in 
 a pen-and-ink sketch or by the aid of the painter. Indeed it is often 
 quite a matter of opinion to decide whether a horse is cantering or 
 galloping. Many writers, and among them Mr. Blaine, have attempted 
 to draw a distinction, by confining the canter to the pace which is exe- 
 cuted without the feet ever leaving the ground altogether ; but this defini- 
 tion is not generally admitted and followed, and many a horse whose 
 canter would be readily allowed by all horsemen to be true, may be seen 
 to leave the ground entirely for a certain interval of time, however small 
 it may be. There is so great a variety in the modes adopted by different 
 horses for performing the canter, that no single description will suffice, 
 nor indeed is it easy, as I before observed, to define any one of them. 
 Sometimes the carriage is extremely elegant, the hind legs well under the 
 body, and all moving like clockwork, with the head bent on the neck, and 
 the n mth playing lightly on the bit. When such a pace is performed 
 with the right leg leading, the canter is exactly adapted for the female, 
 seat, in which the right shoulder is of necessity slightly advanced, and it is 
 therefore the object of the breaker to obtain it. But it is only in those 
 horses which combine a free use of their limbs with fine temper and good 
 mouths, that such a pace can be developed, and if any one of these quali- 
 ties is deficient it is useless to attempt to teach them. On the other hand, 
 the pony or galloway will often canter without throwing any extra weight 
 
 K 
 
 THE CANTER. 
 
130 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 on his hind legs, with a loose rein and extended neck. This kind of pace 
 may be detected by the ear on a turnpike road, by the quick pat-ter-ring 
 sound which is evolved. It is extremely easy to the horseman, but is not 
 so well adapted to female equestrianism, as it jerks the body in an un- 
 graceful manner. The true canter, as adapted for ladies, is indicated below, 
 
 THE CANTER. 
 
 though it is so difficult to represent, that it is not so clearly done as might 
 be wished. When the off leg leads off, the near one has to bear more than 
 its share of work, and hence, unless a change is occasionally made, the 
 fetlock joint of that leg is almost sure to suffer. Ladies should therefore 
 either trot for a part of their daily rides, or teach themselves and their 
 horses to change the lead from that with the off leg to that with 
 the near. 
 
 THE HAND GALLOP. 
 
 Between the canter and the true gallop there intervenes a pace 
 which may be easily confounded with either, unless Mr. Blaine’s defini- 
 tion of the canter is accepted, when the hand gallop can easily be 
 distinguished from it. This pace is merely a slow and measured gallop, 
 in which for a very short period all the legs leave the ground, but in 
 which the propulsion is steadily given, and not with those snatches or 
 jerks which are necessary to develop the high speed of the extended 
 gallop. The body also is not nearer the ground than in the act of stand- 
 ing, and this may be considered as one of the best distinctions between 
 the hand gallop and the extended stride of the faster pace. The French 
 writers distinguish between the two by asserting that in the hand gallop 
 
THE GALLOP. 
 
 m 
 
 there are three beats, while in the flying gallop two only are performed ; 
 but in practice there is no such variation. 
 
 THE EXTENDED GALLOP. 
 
 According to most observers, this pace is a succession of leaps, 
 smoothly and rhythmically performed, but Mr. Percivall has shown that 
 there is a considerable difference between the two actions. He says in 
 
 RECEIVED INTERPRETATION OF THE GALLOP. 
 
 his lectures, — “In galloping a horse, in hunting, for example, the rider needs 
 no person to tell him of the moment when his horse is taking a leap, however 
 trifling it may be ; his own sensations inform him of every grip or furrow 
 his horse leaps in his course, and should he have occasion to make a 
 succession of such jumps, the rider’s sensations in his saddle are of a very 
 different — very uneasy — kind, compared to such as he experiences during 
 the act of galloping. This arises from two causes : from the spring or 
 movement of the body necessary to produce the leap being more forcible 
 or sudden than that required for the gallop, and from the latter being 
 created and continued rather by the successive action of the two hind feet 
 at one moment, and of that of the two fore feet at the next moment, 
 than from the synchronous efforts of either biped, as happens in the leap. 
 The two .great propellers of the animal machine — the hind feet — are in 
 the leap required to act simultaneously , to make one grand propulsory 
 effort ; not so in the gallop, that being a movement requiring maintaining, 
 not by synchronous exhausting efforts of the hind feet, but in swift 
 succession, first by one, then by the other ; and the same as regards the 
 office performed by the fore limbs, which latter probably amounts to 
 little more in effect than the sustentation of the fore parts of the body. 
 The vault into the air required for the leap is only to be effected by 
 extraordinary subitaneous effort, but the stride of the gallop, requiring 
 frequent repetition, does not exact this effort — amounts, in fact, to no 
 more than a sort of lift from the ground, multiplied into a reiteration of 
 
 k 2 
 
132 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 forcible bearings forward, maintaining, increasing, or diminishing the 
 momentum of speed, effectuated by throwing the hind feet as far forward 
 underneath the body as possible, plunging them one after the other with 
 inappreciable rapidity into the earth, and thus by two strenuous thrusts 
 against the ground, one in aid of the other, working the animal machine 
 in its fleet — almost flying — course. In the gallop as in the trot, no 
 
 sooner is a certain momentum acquired, than by each successive propul- 
 sion of the hind feet the body is sprung or lifted off the ground, flying 
 as it appears in the air, and the greater the speed, the more this volitation 
 becomes apparent. Hence the appellation given to the pace, manifestly 
 the utmost speed, of flying gallop. Even this, however, according to 
 my judgment, is an action different from leaping. When a horse leaps or 
 jumps in his gallop, — which he will do sometimes when he is beany and 
 has but just emerged out of his stable, — he is said to buck, because his 
 action then resembles that of the deer, in whom the gallop might with a 
 great deal more propriety be called a succession of leaps : even the deer, 
 however, cannot continue this bucking action after being driven into his 
 speed, or in a state of fatigue, showing that in him it is to be regarded 
 rather as a gambol than as his proper working onward action. And that 
 the hind and fore feet in pairs are not grounded synchronously, I think 
 admits of a demonstration in two ways : first, by the position they assume 
 one in advance of the other in the gallop ; secondly, by the clatter the 
 steps of a horse in the gallop are known to make upon hard or resonant 
 ground, and which may be heard either by a spectator or by the rider 
 himself. Whence we probably derive the phrase, a rattling gallop.” 
 
 But while I agree with Mr. Percivall that there is a difference between 
 the act of leaping and galloping, as performed by the horse, I do not 
 quite see that it is an abuse of terms to describe the gallop as a " succes- 
 sion of leaps ” — that they are not precisely similar to those made in over- 
 coming an obstacle does not necessarily make them other than leaps. The 
 word leap is not defined in our dictionaries so as to confine its meaning 
 beyond that appertaining to its synonym, spring, and probably even Mr. 
 Perceval would not deny that in the gallop, the horse, as well as the deer, 
 makes a succession of springs. The dispute is founded, as is so often the 
 case, upon a want of agreement as to the meaning of a word, and not on 
 a difference of opinion as to the essence of the act itself. Blaine, Perceval, 
 and every careful observer of the horse in action, well know that in the 
 act of galloping the horse leaves the print of his hind feet one in ad- 
 vance of the other, while in leaping he generally, in fact almost invariably, 
 makes them opposite one another. There is a contradiction apparent in 
 Percevals remarks about the deer’s gallop, which in one place he observes 
 “ might with a great deal more propriety be called a succession of leaps,” 
 while in the next sentence he says that this “ bucking action” in the deer 
 “ is to be regarded rather as a gambol than as his proper working onward 
 action.” The deer’s gallop very closely resembles that of the horse, but 
 as he is a stronger and higher leaper, especially in proportion to his size, 
 he can continue those bounds with the hind legs opposite each other 
 much longer and with more advantage than the horse, who seldom makes 
 more than two or three in succession. 
 
 To represent the gallop pictorially in a perfectly correct manner is 
 almost impossible. At all events it has never yet been accomplished, the 
 ordinary and received interpretation being altogether erroneous. When 
 carefully watched, the horse in full gallop will be seen to extend himself 
 very much, but not nearly to the length which is assigned to him by 
 
THE GALLOP. 
 
 133 
 
 artists. To give the idea of high speed the hind legs are thrust hack ward 
 and the fore legs forward in a most unnatural position, which if it could 
 be assumed in reality would inevitably lead to a fall, and most probably 
 to a broken back. It is somewhat difficult to obtain a good view of a 
 horse at his best pace, without watching him through a race-glass at a 
 distance of a quarter of a mile at least, for if the eye is nearer to him than 
 this the passage of the body by it is so quick that no analysis can be made 
 of the position of the several parts. But at the above distance it may be 
 readily seen that the horse never assumes the attitude in which he is 
 generally represented, of which an example is given at the beginning of 
 this article. When the hind legs are thrust backwards, the fore feet are 
 raised and more or less curled up under the knees, as it is manifest must 
 be the case to enable them to be brought forward without raising the 
 body from the ground. In the next act, as the hind feet are brought 
 under the body the fore legs are thrust straight before it; and so which- 
 ever period is chosen for the representation, the complete extension so 
 generally adopted must be inaccurate. It may be said that this is meant 
 to represent the moment when all the feet are in the air, and theoretically 
 it is possible that there may be a time when all the feet are extended ; 
 because, as in the fast gallop the stride is twenty-four feet long, while the 
 horse only measures sixteen from foot to foot, it follows that he must pass 
 through eight feet without touching the ground, and during that time, as 
 of necessity his legs must move faster than his body, the fore legs may 
 change their position from the curled up one described above to the 
 extended one represented by all painters as proper to the gallop. Obser- 
 vation alone can therefore settle this question ; but, as I before remarked, a 
 race-glass at a distance of a quarter of a mile enables a careful observer to 
 satisfy himself that our received ideas of the extended gallop are incorrect. 
 Nevertheless, if a proper interpretation is given, the eye at once rebels, 
 
 and on examination of such a figure as we here give, founded on perfectly 
 correct principles, the mind refuses its assent to the idea of great pace, 
 which is that which is desired to be given. These facts are well known 
 
 CORRECT VIEW OF THE GALLOP. 
 
134 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 to artists, and some of them, including the celebrated Leech, have tried 
 the experiment of drawing the galloping horse properly; but their entire 
 want of success shows the impossibility of the performance. 
 
 As in the canter so in the gallop a lead is always made of one leg 
 before the other, and as one tires the other changes places with it. A 
 good, true, and strong galloper will seldom require this relief, but a weak 
 one, especially if not completely broken, will effect the change continually. 
 Sometimes this causes the loss of a race, for it cannot be done without 
 interfering with the action, and consequently with the pace. A good 
 horseman prefers that his horse should not confine himself to one lead, 
 but he does not like him to change after he has once started, for the above 
 reason. The right leg in front is more easy even to the male rider than 
 the left, but not materially so, and except for female equestrianism no 
 horse should be taught to lead invariably with the right leg either in the 
 gallop or canter. In the change the truth or harmony of action is often 
 disturbed, and the horse jerks himself and his rider in a disagreeable 
 manner, which is another reason why the change of legs should not be 
 encouraged. 
 
 There is a great variation in the length of the stride, and in the 
 rounding or bending upwards of the foot under the knee. Sometimes 
 even in a fast gallop the distance between the prints of the same feet will 
 be no more than sixteen, feet, while in others it will measure twenty-four, 
 twenty-five, or even twenty-six feet. The first is too short for any 
 race-horse ; but a moderately short stride enables the horse to get off with 
 a quicker start, and to ascend and descend hills better than a very long 
 one. Where, however, a distance of level ground is to be covered a long 
 stride tells, and a horse possessing it has a great advantage over one whose 
 gallop is short, however quick and smart it may be. For this long stride 
 there must be length of limbs, especially of the two bones meeting at the 
 stifle joint ; and this is the perfection of the form of the racehorse, as I 
 have already described at page 92. 
 
 THE AMBLE. 
 
 Like the trot, this pace is performed by two legs alternately moving 
 in exact correspondence with each other. Instead, however, of these 
 being of opposite sides, they are of the same side, and one lateral half of 
 the body is moved forward while the weight of the whole is supported on 
 the other. The pace is altogether unnatural to the wild horse, but in 
 some domestic breeds it has become naturalised, and the foal will in them 
 display the amble long before it is taught anything by the hand of man. 
 In the cameleopard the amble is the only kind of progression, whether 
 the animal goes slowly or fast ; and in dogs, especially in pointers, grey- 
 hounds, and Newfoundlands, this pace is occasionally displayed. For- 
 merly an ambling palfrey was in great request for ladies’ use, but in the 
 present day the pace is not regarded with favour by any of the inhabitants 
 of the British Isles. 
 
 BACKING, OB PACING, AND BUNNING. 
 
 In this country no other paces are recognised than the five which I 
 have already described, but in America a fast kind of amble is distinguished 
 by the name of racking, or pacing. It is performed by two legs of the 
 same side acting synchronously as in the amble, but they are moved with 
 much more rapidity, and the result is a speed greater than that of the 
 
135 
 
 THE MANEGE. 
 
 fastest trot, by several seconds in tJie mile. This will be apparent on con- 
 sulting the record of the best performances of the American horses, at page 
 32, where Pocahontas, a pacer, is set down as doing a mile in 2 minutes 17| 
 seconds, while their fastest mile trot on record occupied 2 minutes 19f 
 seconds. Running is an indescribable kind of trot, in which the limbs 
 do not move regularly together, but each seems to act independently as 
 in the walk. The consequence is that it is impossible for the rider of 
 a running horse to rise in his stirrups, but the action being very easy there 
 is no occasion for this relief. It is not capable of being performed at a 
 slow rate, and it is generally produced among horses which are ridden 
 without a saddle, and in which as a consequence the riders do not relieve 
 themselves and their horses by rising in it. 
 
 THE PACES OF THE MANEGE. 
 
 In the military schools op riding a variety of paces are taught even 
 in the present day, but the old riding masters adopted many more, which 
 are now discontinued. Some of them are intended to enable the soldier 
 to use his sword or spear with double advantage, as the volte and semi- 
 volte, but the majority of those still retained are for the purpose of 
 carrying out the combined evolutions necessary to cavalry. The “ passage/' 
 for instance, is a side movement, that enables a number of horses to be 
 changed from close to open order, which would be a difficult task to per- 
 form with horses not taught to perform it. Backing is likewise necessary 
 for similar purposes ; but this should always be taught to every horse, 
 whether used by the military or by civilians. A minute description, 
 however, of the several paces of the manage would occupy too much 
 space here, and is only useful to the cavalry soldier, who will learn their 
 nature much better from practical instruction by the riding-master of his 
 regiment. 
 
 LEAPING, OR JUMPING. 
 
 The description of this act given by Percivall is most unsatisfactory. 
 He says, “ The leap is either a sudden spring into the air, in which the feet 
 quit the ground simultaneously, or else it is an act compounded of an 
 imperfect rear and kick in quick or slow succession, according to the 
 manner in which it is performed. The leap can hardly be regarded as an 
 act of progression ; commonly it being in a forward direction, undoubtedly 
 progress is made by it, but it is possible for it to amount to no more than 
 a jump or a bound off, and upon the same ground, as is the case when a 
 horse is said to ‘ buck ' in his leaping, that is, to come down upon or near 
 to the spot from which he arose." Now in this sentence, short as it is, I 
 maintain that several misstatements are made ; as I shall proceed to show. 
 To begin with the latter part. If a horse is properly said to “ buck ” in 
 his leaping, it is evident that the two cannot be synonymous, or there 
 would be no occasion for the distinction, and therefore if “ bucking" 
 means jumping up and coming down on the same ground, which is the 
 general acceptation of the term, leaping cannot mean the same, which it 
 is said sometimes to do by Mr. Percivall in the quotation which I have 
 adduced. When a horse simply “ bucks ” in his play he does not leap 
 forward, but springs into the air, and even then he generally makes some 
 progression. When he “ bucks ” in his leaps, he must progress, because 
 he begins on one side of the obstacle to be overcome and finishes on the 
 other. It is not meant that he then acts exactly as he does in play, or 
 
136 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 when viciously trying to dislodge his rider, hut that his action resembles 
 to a considerable extent this true bucking, in which little or no progression 
 is made. I therefore hold that Percivall’s exception is not founded in 
 truth; and that the act of leaping necessarily implies progression, for 
 without it the perpendicular spring into the air is properly distinguished 
 by the term bucking, as admitted by Percivall himself. Then, turning 
 hack to the first sentence, I think every careful observer will admit that 
 in the leap, whatever may he its kind, the feet do not quit the ground 
 simultaneously. Manifestly in the standing or slow leap the fore feet rise 
 first, unless the horse “bucks/’ when all rise almost hut not quite at the 
 same moment. A careful examination of the mechanism of the horse 
 will show that this must he the case, because, as the fore legs are straight 
 to the last, there is no spring in them, and if they were not first raised by 
 the action of the loins and haunches, as in rearing, they would remain on 
 the ground until they were dragged by the hind quarters turning a 
 somerset over them. In the human body, as the legs are ordinarily kept 
 straight, they must he bent before a spring can he taken, for even the 
 angular ankle joint requires a bent knee to enable it to act upon the toes. 
 In the horse the fore leg resembles that of man in this respect, hut the 
 hind leg in the standing position is bent at the stifle and hock, and is 
 then exactly like a man’s when he is prepared to take a standing jump. 
 As a consequence of this the fore quarter of the horse when he is standing 
 must be raised by the hind, since it has no angles to give a spring with, 
 and if so it must leave the ground first, as I have already shown. The 
 flying leap may readily he seen to be accomplished by the fore feet leaving 
 the ground first, and no one I believe disputes this, so that it is unneces- 
 sary to discuss it. 
 
 It may, therefore, I think, he asserted with truth that the leap is always 
 made by the horse raising his fore quarter, and then suddenly and power- 
 fully straightening his hind limbs; with the ground as a fulcrum he propels 
 his whole body forwards, and more or less upwards, according to the 
 height of the obstacle to be overcome. In descending from the height to 
 which the whole body has been raised, there is a considerable variation in 
 the relative periods of time at which the fore and hind feet touch the 
 ground. Sometimes the fore feet come down almost perpendicularly, and 
 so far before the hind that they have to bear the whole force of the united 
 momentum and gravity before the hind ones reach the ground, and then 
 a very slight mistake will occasion a fall. At others they come down “all 
 fours,” that is,, all the feet touching the ground at the same moment, 
 occasioning a great shock both to horse and rider, and also a considerable 
 loss of time in getting away again into the stride. In the best style the 
 horse touches ground with his fore feet first, but being well extended they 
 are in a position to do no more than act as a spring to break the shock, 
 and the hind legs coming down immediately afterwards bear nearly the 
 whole force of momentum and gravity, which the fore legs are unable to 
 do safely, as I have already shown. 
 
 Mr. Percivall is also in error as to the width of ground which horses 
 have been known to clear ; for he gives twenty- two feet as an extraordi- 
 nary effort in a steeplechase, whereas such a distance is covered by any 
 hurdle-jumper in ordinary practice, as I have twenty times proved by 
 careful measurement. I have myself seen thirty-two and thirty-three feet 
 cleared by steeplechasers, and it is well known that Proceed and Chandler 
 covered respectively thirty-seven and thirty-nine feet in two separate 
 steeplechases. So a jump six feet in height is a very great performance. 
 
THEORY 0>F GENERATION. 
 
 137 
 
 being eight inches higher than the withers of a horse of sixteen hands. 
 Something more than this has however been done, and I myself once saw 
 a horse clear a stone wall two or three inches above six feet high, with 
 the slightest possible touch of one stone with a hind foot, but sufficient to 
 dislodge it. Very few horses, however, can be relied on to cover more 
 than twenty- five feet in width, and four feet, or four feet six inches in 
 height, and an average hunter will not often do so much, especially if au 
 all tired by a long run, or if without tho excitement attendant on the 
 chase. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING APPLICABLE TO THE HORSE. 
 
 THEORY OF GENERATION — IN-AND-IN BREEDING— CROSSING, ADVANTAGES AND DISAD- 
 VANTAGES ATTENDING ON EACH PLAN — CAUSES OF A “HIT” — IMPORTANCE OF HEALTH 
 OR SOUNDNESS IN BOTH SIRE AND DAM — BEST AGE TO BREED FROM — TIME OF YEAR 
 BEST SUITED TO EACH VARIETY OF THE HORSE — INFLUENCE OF SIRE AND DAM 
 RESPECTIVELY — CHOICE OF SIRE AND DAM — SELECTION OF BLOOD IN EACH CLASS — 
 THE KIND OF HORSE MOST LIKELY TO BE PROFITABLE TO THE BREEDER — CON- 
 CLUDING REMARKS ON BREEDING. 
 
 THEORY OF GENERATION. 
 
 The importance of understanding the principles upon which the 
 breeding of the horse should be conducted is so great that every one who 
 superintends a stud, however small, should study them carefully. To do 
 this with advantage, he must investigate the changes which take place 
 after the union between the sexes, and must endeavour to ascertain the 
 influence which the sire and dam respectively exert upon their offspring. 
 
 In the year 1855, while engaged in preparing the article on the breeding 
 of the horse in “ British Rural Sports,” I carefully drew up the following 
 epitome of the laws which govern the generation of the mammalia. Since 
 then, the subject has constantly been before me; but, in spite of the 
 numerous investigations carried on by other observers, I have seen no 
 reason to modify, in any material degree, what I then wrote; and I shall, 
 therefore, to prevent confusion, insert it entire, what slight additions may 
 be necessary being included within parentheses. 
 
 1. The union of the sexes is, in all the higher animals, necessary for 
 reproduction; the male and female each taking their respective share. 
 
 2. The office of the Male is to secrete the semen in the testes , and 
 emit it into the uterus of the female, (in or near which organ) it comes in 
 contact with the ovum of the female — which remains sterile without it. 
 
 3. The Female forms the ovum in the ovary , and at regular times, vary- 
 ing 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. 
 
 4. The Semen consists of two portions — the spermatozoa , which hive 
 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 forming the 
 embryo. 
 
138 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 5. The Ovum consists of the germ-cell , intended to form part of the 
 embryo, — and of 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 
 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. 
 
 6. The Embryo, or young animal, is the result of the contact of the 
 semen with the ovum, immediately after which the sperm-cell of the former 
 is absorbed into the germ-cell of the latter. Upon this a tendency to 
 increase or “ grow ” is established 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 absorbs its nourishment 
 by the intervention of the placenta. 
 
 7. As the Male and Female each furnish their quota to the forma- 
 tion of the embryo, it is reasonable to expect that each shall be repre- 
 sented 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 exter- 
 nals and general character there is retained a facsimile, to a certain 
 extent, of him. 
 
 8. 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 mammalia 
 the placenta conveys nourishment from the internal surface of the uterus 
 to the embryo during the whole time which elapses between the entrance 
 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-gestaiion . 
 
 9. 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 (as in the rutting of the deer). 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 (with the single exception 
 of the genus Dimana). 
 
 10. The Semen retains its fructifying power for some days, if it is 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 then 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 (or in the fallopian tubes) uninjured until the descent of 
 the ovum. 
 
 1 1 . 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 
 the sperm-cell, but also in great measure upon the effect exerted upon the 
 nervous system of the mother by him. Hence, the preponderance of one 
 or other of the parents will, in great measure, depend upon the greater or 
 less strength of nervous system in each. Ho general law is known by 
 which this can be measured, nor is anything known of the laws which 
 
THEORY OF GENERATION. 
 
 139 
 
 regulate tlie temperament, bodily or mental power, colour or conformation, 
 of the resulting offspring. 
 
 12. 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 is free from bad 
 points, as well as furnished with good ones. It is known by experience 
 that the good or bad points of the progenitors of the sire or dam are 
 almost as likely to appear again in the offspring as those of the immediate 
 parents in whom they are dormant. Hence, in breeding, the rule is, that 
 like produces like, or the likeness of some ancestor . 
 
 13. The purer or less mixed the breed the more likely it is to be 
 transmitted 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. 
 
 14. 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 
 gregarious animals (such as the horse), among whom the strongest male 
 retains his daughters and grand-daughters until deprived of his harem by 
 younger and stronger rivals. Hence, in those of our domestic animals 
 which are naturally gregarious, 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. How, 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 conclu- 
 sion has been arrived at 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 accordance with the practice of our most successful (early) 
 breeders. 
 
 15. The influence of the first impregnation seems to extend to the 
 subsequent ones; this has been proved by several experiments, and is 
 especially marked in the equine genus. In the series of examples 
 preserved in 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. 
 
 16. When some of the elements of which an individual sire is com- 
 posed are 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. 
 
 These principles, together 'with the observations following upon them, 
 have been quoted verbatim, at great length, by the late Mr. Herbert, in 
 his elaborate quarto work on “The Horse of America,” with the very 
 flattering testimony that he had done so “ not for the purpose of avoiding 
 trouble, or sparing time, but because he conceives the principles laid down 
 to be correct throughout, the reasoning logical and cogent, the examples 
 
140 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 well taken, and the deductions such as can scarcely be denied.” In 
 support of this opinion, he adduces several instances in which a “hit” 
 has occurred in America by carrying out the last axiom in the preceding 
 list. Thus he says, at page 260 of his second volume, “ I think myself 
 that it is made clear by recent events, and that such is shown to be the 
 case by the tables of racing stock given at the close of the first volume,* 
 that, previous to the last quarter of a century, the American turfman was 
 probably breeding in too much of the old Virginian and South Carolina 
 ante-revolutionary stock, and that the American racehorse has been 
 improved by the recent cross of modern English blood. It is also worthy 
 of remark, that every one of the four most successful of modern English 
 stallions in this country which have most decidedly hit with our old stock 
 — Leviathan, Sarpedon, Priam, and Glencoe — all trace back to several 
 crosses of Herod blood ; Glencoe and Priam not less than three or four 
 several times each to crosses of Partner blood, and directly several times 
 over to the Godolphin Barb, or Arabian, which are the very strains from 
 which our Virginian stock derives its peculiar excellence. It is farther 
 worthy of remark, that two stallions have decidedly hit with the imported 
 English mare Peel, as proved by her progeny, Lecompte and Prioress, 
 respectively to Boston and Sovereign. How Peel, through Glencoe, 
 Catton, Gohanna, and Smolensko, has herself no less than seven distinct 
 strains of Herod blood. Boston, as every one knows, traces directly 
 through Timoleon, Sir Archy, Diomed, Elorizel, to Herod. Sovereign, 
 also, through Emilius, his sire, has Herod on both lines as his paternal and 
 maternal g.g.g. sire ; and Tartar, the sire of Herod, a third time, in one 
 remove yet farther back. How this would go to justify Stonehenge’s 
 opinion that the recurrence to the same original old strains of blood, when 
 such strains have been sufficiently intermixed and rendered new by other 
 more recent crosses, is not injurious, but of great advantage ; and that, on 
 the whole, it is better, coeteris paribus, to do such than to try experiments 
 with extreme out-crosses.” 
 
 IH-AHD-IH BBEEDIHG. 
 
 When ant new breed of animals is first introduced into this country, 
 in-and-in breeding (by which is to be understood the pairing of relations 
 wdthin the degree of second cousins twice or more in succession) can 
 scarcely be avoided ; and hence, when first the value of the Arab was 
 generally recognised, the breeder of the racehorse of those days could not 
 well avoid having recourse to the plan. Thus we find, in the early pages 
 of the Stud-book, constant instances of very close in-breeding, often carried 
 to such an extent as to become incestuous. The result was our modern 
 thoroughbred ; but it does not follow that because the plan answered in 
 producing that celebrated kind of animal, it will be equally successful in 
 keeping up the breed in its original perfection. In “ British Pural Sports,” 
 I have given a series of examples of success resulting from each plan, 
 which I shall not now repeat, merely remarking that the opinion which 
 I formed from an attentive examination of them remains unchanged. This 
 opinion was expressed in the following words : — 
 
 “ If the whole of the pedigrees to which I have drawn attention are 
 attentively examined, the breeder can have no hesitation in coming to the 
 conclusion, that in-breeding, carried out once or twice, is not only not a 
 
 * These tables I have extensively drawn upon at pages 37 et seq ., correcting them 
 where they required it. 
 
OUT-CROSSING. 
 
 141 
 
 tad practice, but is likely to be attended with good results. Let him ask 
 what horses have been the most remarkable of late years as stallions, and, 
 with very few exceptions, he will find they were considerably in-bred. It 
 has been remarked, that the Touchstone and Defence blood almost always 
 hits with the Selim ; but it is forgotten that the one was already crossed 
 with that horse, and the other with his brother Rubens. On the other 
 hand, the Whisker blood in the Colonel has not succeeded so well, it 
 being made up of much crossed and more distantly related particles, and 
 therefore not hitting with the Selim and Castrel blood, like his cousins, 
 Touchstone and Defence. It has, however, partially succeeded when 
 in-bred to the Waxy and Buzzard blood, as in Chatham and Fugleman, 
 who both reunite these three strains. The same applies to Coronation, 
 who unites the Whalebone blood in Sir Hercules with that of Rubens in 
 Ruby; but as Waxy and Buzzard, the respective ancestors of all these 
 horses, were both grandsons of Herod, and great-grandsons of Snap, it 
 only strengthens the argument in favour of in-breeding. This conclusion 
 is in accordance with the 14th and 15th axioms, which embody the state 
 of our present knowledge of the theory of generation ; aud if they are 
 examined* they will be seen to bear upon the present subject, so as to lead 
 one to advise the carrying out of the practice of in-and-in breeding to the 
 same extent as has been found so successful in the instances which I have 
 given. Purity of blood is intimately connected with the practice, because 
 the nearer it is to one standard, the more unmixed it is, and by con- 
 sequence the more fully it is represented in the produce. Hence, it is 
 doubly needful to take care that this pure blood is of a good kind ; because 
 if bad, it will perpetuate its bad qualities just as closely as it would the 
 good, or perhaps still more so.” 
 
 I have nothing to add to these remarks ; and if I were to adduce the 
 few instances in their support which can have occurred since 1855-6, 
 when they were written, I should add little to the mass of evidence which 
 I have already collected. An appeal to the past can only be answered in 
 the way which I have recorded ; for the evidence of repeated success in 
 resorting to the practice of in-breeding is too strong to be gainsaid. We 
 will now consider whether the effects of an out-cross are of superior or 
 equal value. 
 
 OUT-CROSSIHG. 
 
 Between in-and-in breeding, which I have defined as the pairing of 
 animals within the relationship of second cousins, and the opposite 
 extreme of uniting those which are not at all allied in blood, there are 
 many degrees ; but as, in the thoroughbred horse, there are scarcely two 
 in the Stud-book which cannot be traced back to the same stock in one 
 or more lines, we do not generally understand “ a cross ” to demand abso- 
 lute distinctness of blood. For instance, Teddington is generally con- 
 sidered as the result of as marked a cross as we ever meet with in the 
 modern Stud-book. For five generations, the same name never appears 
 in the pedigree tables of his sire and dam ; but in the sixth, we find the 
 name of Sir Peter occur three times on the side of his sire, and twice on 
 that of his dam, besides six other lines of Herod blood on the part of the 
 sire, and eight on that of the dam. Here, therefore, there was a return 
 to the original lines of blood, which had been in-bred twice each, after five 
 successive departures from them as far as could be effected in this par- 
 ticular kind of horse. These last are called u crosses,” though not being 
 exactly the reverse of in-breeding, for the reason, as I before remarked, 
 
142 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 that an absolute freedom from relationship is not to be found, or, if so, 
 extremely rarely. Breeders very often fancy that they put two animals 
 together which are without any corresponding lines or strains of blood in 
 their composition ; whereas, in point of fact, the relationship exists only 
 four or five degrees off. The horse and mare are, perhaps, fourth or fifth 
 cousins, often second or third; but, in examining the Stud-book, the 
 blood of the sire, grandsire, and great-grandsire is apt to be forgotten, 
 because it is not given, the name only being mentioned. In the book to 
 which I have already alluded, I have inserted a long series of pedigree 
 tables, drawn out to the sixth generation, with a reference also to the 
 earlier pedigrees ; by which, at one glance, the breeder may see how con- 
 stantly, in going back, the same names occur in every table. Eclipse, 
 Herod, and Conductor, the three contemporary descendants of the Darley 
 Arab, the Byerley Turk, and the Godolphin Barb, or one of their imme- 
 diate descendants, will be seen in the fifth, sixth, or seventh remove of all 
 our thoroughbred horses, and often the names of all three will be found 
 repeated four, five, or six times apiece ;. yet the horse itself whose pedigree 
 is being examined, as in the instance of Teddington, is considered to be 
 the produce of a cross, and is not, therefore, said to be in-bred. 
 
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH PLAN. 
 
 Having thus explained the meaning of the two terms, and having, in 
 “ British Rural Sports/' 7 collected a series of examples of success in cross- 
 ing nearly equal in number to those adduced in which in-breeding had 
 been resorted to advantageously, I shall now proceed to say a few words 
 upon the probable advantages to be derived from each plan. In the first 
 place, it may be laid down that nearly an equal number of good horses 
 have lately been bred by adopting either mode of proceeding ; but no 
 first-rate horse has appeared whose parents were incestuously allied. In 
 the second place, it may be gathered from experiments with horses and 
 other domestic animals, that very close in-breeding, continued for any 
 length of time, is apt to develop the weak points in the constitutions of 
 the breed in which it is adopted. The cautious breeder, therefore, will 
 do well to avoid running this risk, and will strive to obtain what he wants 
 without having recourse to the practice, though, at the same time, he will 
 make up his mind that it is unwise to sacrifice a single point with this 
 view. Experience tells us that it is useless to expect to develop a new 
 property or quality in the next generation, by putting a female entirely 
 deprived of it to a male which possesses it even in a marked degree. 
 Some instances of success will attend the adoption of this course, but as a 
 rule it cannot be relied on in the majority of instances. Thus, a slow, 
 stout mare, containing no lines of fast blood in her pedigree, will not be 
 likely to breed a fast colt, though put to a flying stallion, whose blood is 
 not stout in a considerable proportion of his ancestry. Two or three 
 consecutive crosses with the same or similar blood will almost of a surety 
 effect the object; but the first will rarely do so. Again, we know, if we 
 put two animals together, equally in-bred or equady crossed, the produce 
 is, on the whole, as likely to resemble the one parent as the other, though 
 there may be a difference of opinion as to particular points. But, if not 
 thus equally composed of similar elements, the more in-bred parent will 
 be represented in a greater proportion than the crossed one ; and hence it 
 follows, that if it is desired to keep up the qualities of the horse or mare 
 in his or her descendant, the mate must be selected, if possible, less 
 
CAUSES OF A “HIT: 
 
 143 
 
 in-bred than be or sbe is. West Australian bimself and bis stock are 
 excellent examples of tbis theory. His sire, Melbourne, was tbe result of 
 a series of crosses ; while bis dam, Mowerina, was in-bred to Whalebone 
 and Whisker, own brothers ; and her sire and dam were second cousins. 
 The result has been, that both in “The West” and in his stock the 
 Whalebone element has been universally manifested, and not the slightest 
 trace of Melbourne has ever appeared, as far as my knowledge of his 
 stock allows me to judge. This is in perfect accordance with the 13th 
 axiom in the epitome of the laws which govern the breeding of our 
 domestic animals. (See page 139.) 
 
 CAUSES OF A “HIT.” 
 
 A “ hit,” in breeding, is understood to mean an instance of success ; 
 but though it often occurs, the reason for it is not always very clear. My 
 own belief is that it generally results, as I have laid down in the 1 6 th 
 axiom, from the reunion of lines which have been often kept separate for 
 several generations. Thus, it is a fact (so patent that every writer on the 
 breeding of the horse, of late years, has admitted its truth), that the 
 Touchstone and Sultan blood have almost invariably hit. The reason, 
 granting the premises which I lay down, is plain enough — each goes back 
 to Selim, the former through the dam of his sire, Camel, and the latter 
 being son of that horse. Many other examples of a similar nature might be 
 adduced, though not observed so extensively as in the case of Touchstone, 
 because few horses have been put to so many mares as he has. I do not 
 mean to assert that no hit can occur without such a reunion of previously 
 separated lines, but I believe that, under other circumstances, it will rarely 
 be found to show itself ; and if, as I before observed, there is a relation- 
 ship between all thoroughbred horses, either remote or near, there must 
 be this reunion to some extent. This, however, is not what I mean ; the 
 return must be to a line only removed two, three, or four generations, 
 in order to be at all marked ; and if more than these intervals exist, the 
 hit cannot be said to depend upon the reunion, since this must occur in 
 all cases ; and what is common to all cannot be instanced as a particular 
 cause of any subsequent result. 
 
 The fact really is, as proved by thousands of examples, that by 
 putting A and B together, the produce is not necessarily made up of half 
 of each. Both parents have qualities belonging to the several members 
 of a long line of ancestors, and their son (or daughter) may possibly be 
 made up of as many as seven proportions of one parent, and one propor- 
 tion of the other. It generally happens, that if there is any considerable 
 degree of consanguinity, or even a great resemblance in form, to some ot 
 the ancestry on each side, the produce will draw together those elements, 
 and will be made up of the characteristics peculiar to them in a very large 
 proportion. This accounts for the preponderance of the Touchstone form 
 in the West Australian stock ; while the same horse is overpowered in 
 Orlando and his stock, by the greater infusion of Selim blood in the dam 
 Vulture, who is removed exactly in the same degree as Touchstone from 
 Selim and his brother Castrel ; and the two latter, therefore, have more 
 influence on the stock than the former. Here, then, we have two remark- 
 able instances, which each show a hit from the reunion of strains after two 
 out-crosses ; while, at the same time, they severally display an example of 
 two lines overpowering one in the stock of the same horse. It may be 
 argued, that in each case it is the blood of the dam which has overpowered 
 that of the sire, — West Australian being by Melbourne, out of a daughter 
 
144 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 of Touchstone ; while Orlando is by Touchstone, out of a mare descended 
 from two lines of Selim and his brother Castrel. Now, I am myself a 
 great believer in the influence of the dam over her progeny, and therefore 
 I should be ready to accept this argument, were it not that, under ordi- 
 nary circumstances, both Melbourne and Touchstone have been sure to 
 reproduce their likenesses in their several sons and daughters. Every 
 racing man who has been on the turf while the Melbournes and Touch- 
 stones were in their glory, was able, in almost all instances, to say at the 
 first glance, “ That is a Melbourne or a Touchstone colt or filly.” But, in 
 the cases of Orlando and West Australian, the resemblance to their re- 
 spective sires was not apparent; and, as I before observed, it is still less 
 visible in their stock. In the language of the stud, this is called “ going 
 back ” to a particular strain ; and it is so constantly observable, that there 
 is no necessity for dwelling further upon it. 
 
 IMPORTANCE OE HEALTH AND SOUNDNESS IN BOTH 
 SIRE AND DAM. 
 
 Our present breed of horses is undoubtedly less healthy than that 
 of our ancestors ; and this tendency to unsoundness is not marked in any 
 particular department of the animal economy, but the defect shows itself 
 wherever the strain is the greatest from the nature of the work which the 
 animal has to perform. Thus, the racehorse becomes a roarer, or his legs 
 and feet give way. The hunter fails chiefly in his wind or his hocks, 
 because he is not used much on hard ground, and therefore his fore legs 
 are not severely tried, as in the case with the racer, who often has to 
 extend himself over a course rendered almost as hard as a turnpike-road 
 by the heat of a July or August sun. The harness-horse often becomes a 
 roarer, from the heavy weights that he has to draw, especially if his wind- 
 pipe is impeded by his head being confined by the bearing-rein. The 
 hack, again, suffers chiefly in his legs, from our hard Macadamised roads ; 
 while the cart-horse becomes unsound in his hocks or his feet, the former 
 parts being strained by his severe pulls, and the latter being battered and 
 bruised against the ground, from having to bear the enormous weight of 
 his carcass. But it is among our well-bred horses that unsoundness is the 
 most frequent ; and in them, I believe, it may be traced to the constant 
 breeding from sires and dams which have been thrown out of training, in 
 consequence of a break-down, or “ making a noise/’ or from some other 
 form of disease. It is quite true, that roaring is not necessarily transmitted 
 from father to son; and it is also manifest that there are several causes 
 which produce it, some of which are purely accidental, and are not likely 
 to be handed down to the next generation. The same remarks apply to 
 the eyes ; but, in the main, it may be concluded that disease is hereditary, 
 and that a sound horse is far more likely to get healthy stock than an 
 unsound one. In the mare, probably, health is still more essential ; but 
 if the breeder regards his future success, whether he is establishing a stud 
 of racehorses* or of those devoted to any kind of slower work, he will 
 iarefully eschew every kind of unsoundness, and especially those which 
 are of a constitutional character. If a horse goes blind in an attack of 
 influenza, or if, without any previous indications of inflammation, he 
 breaks down from an accidental cause, the defect may be passed over, 
 perhaps ; but, on the contrary, when the blindness comes on in the form 
 of ordinary cataract, or the break-down is only the final giving-way in 
 a leg which has been long amiss, I should strongly advise an avoidance of 
 
BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. 
 
 145 
 
 the horse which has displayed either the one or the other. I believe that 
 a Government inspection of all horses and mares used for breeding pur- 
 poses would be a great national good; and I look forward to its establish* 
 rnent, at no distant time, as the only probable means of insuring greater 
 soundness in our breeds of horses. I would not have the liberty of the 
 subject interfered with. Let every man breed what he likes, but I would 
 not let him foist the produce on the public as sound, when they are 
 almost sure to go amiss as soon as they are worked. Ships must now all 
 be registered at Lloyd’s, in the classes to which they are entitled by their 
 condition ; and horses, as well as mares, should be registered in the same 
 way, according to the opinion which the Government inspector may form 
 as to their health and the probability of getting or producing sound and 
 useful foals. The purchaser would call for the registration-mark, when he 
 asked for the pedigree of the horse he was about to buy ; and if it was not 
 a favourable one, he would* of course, be placed upon his guard. If this 
 plan could be carried out in practice, as well as it looks on paper, much 
 good might be done, I am assured ; but we all know that inspectors are 
 but mortals, and that they are liable to be biassed in more ways than one. 
 Still, I believe that the evil is becoming so glaring, that something must 
 soon be done ; and I see no other mode so likely as this to be advan- 
 tageous to the interests of the purchaser and user of the horse. 
 
 BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. 
 
 The general opinion throughout England is, that one or other of the 
 parents should be of mature age ; and that if a very young mare is chosen, 
 the horse should not be less than eight, ten, or twelve years old. If both 
 are very young, or very old, the produce is generally small and weakly ; 
 but by adopting the plan above-mentioned, the services of young and old 
 may be fully utilized. A great many of our very best performers on the 
 turf have been got by old stallions ; as, for instance, Whisker, son of 
 Waxy, in his twenty-second year; Emilius, son of Orville, in his twen- 
 tieth ; Yoltigeur and Hewminster, whose sires were respectively twenty- 
 one and seventeen; Blink Bonny, who was got by Melbourne, in his 
 twentieth year; and Wild Dayrell, by Ion, when seventeen years old. To 
 these may be added, Gemma di Yergy, Lifeboat, and Gunboat, three cele- 
 brated sons of Sir Hercules, and all got by him after he was twenty years 
 old — the last named when he was twenty-five years of age. So, also, 
 many were out of old mares ; including Priam, whose dam was twenty 
 when she dropped him ; Crucifix, the daughter of Octaviana, when twenty- 
 two years old ; Lottery, out of Mandane, in her twentieth year; and Bru- 
 tandorf, produced by the same mare when she was twenty-two. Erom 
 these instances, the breeder may conclude that age is no bar to success, if 
 matched with youth on the other side ; but the instances of success in 
 breeding from two aged parents are rare indeed. It is next to be ascer- 
 tained what is the earliest age at which this animal can be relied on for 
 breeding ; and here, again, example is better than theory. The most 
 remarkable instance of moderate success in adopting this plan is in that of 
 The Ugly Buck, whose dam, Monstrosity, was put to Yenison when only 
 a two-year-old. The horse, also, was not more than seven, and the dam of 
 Monstrosity bred her in her fourth year. But though Ugly Buck pro- 
 mised well as a two-year-old, he failed in his subsequent career, and his 
 example is not, therefore, to be considered as at all conclusive. Still, his 
 is a most extraordinary instance, and as such it should not be lost sight of 
 
/46 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 There are many cases in which the first produce of a mare has been her 
 best ; such as, in former times, Mark Anthony, Conductor, Shuttle Pope, 
 Filho da Puta, Sultan, Pericles, Oiseau, Doctor Syntax, Manfred, and 
 Pantaloon. Nevertheless, these may be considered to be exceptions, and 
 a large majority of the brood mares in the Stud-book are credited with 
 their most successful produce subsequently to their first. The rule 
 generally adopted is to wait till the mare is three years old before breeding 
 from her, and then to put her to a horse of at least full maturity — that 
 is to say, seven or eight years old. 
 
 THE INFLUENCE OF THE SIDE AND DAM RESPECTIVELY. 
 
 I have already at page 23 alluded to this question as relating to the 
 breeding of the Arab horse in his native country, and have there shown 
 that the opinions held by Abd-el-Kader in modern days do not coincide 
 with those which have long been supposed to be general in Arabia. In 
 the passage which I have there quoted, this celebrated chief attempts to 
 define the exact part which each parent takes in producing the foal, but 
 he goes still farther in subsequent answers to the questions asked by 
 General Daumas, in relation to the value put by the Arabs on their 
 stallions and mares respectively. To these Abd-el-Kader replies as 
 follows : “ It is true that Arabs prefer mares to horses, but only for the 
 following reasons : the first is that they look at the profit which may 
 arise from a mare as very considerable. Some Arabs have realized as 
 much as 20,000 dollars from the produce of one mare. They have a 
 proverb that ‘ the fountainhead of riches is a mare that produces a mare. 
 This is corroborated by the Prophet Mahomet, who says ‘ Let mares be 
 preferred, their bellies are a treasure, their backs the seat of honour/ 
 ‘The greatest blessing is an intelligent wife or a mare that produces 
 plenty of foals/ These words are thus explained by commentators. 
 Their bellies are a treasure because the mare by her produce increases the 
 riches of her master ; and their backs are the seat of honour because the 
 pace of a mare is easier than that of a horse ; and there be those that say 
 it is sufficiently so as in time to render a horseman effeminate. The 
 second reason is that a mare does not neigh in war, that she bears hunger, 
 thirst, and heat better than a horse, and that therefore she is more useful 
 to people whose riches consist in camels and sheep. Now all the world 
 knows that our camels and sheep thrive only in the desert, where the soil 
 is so arid that Arabs drinking chiefly milk find water seldom oftener than 
 every eight or ten days, in consequence of the distances between the 
 pasturages, which are only to be found in the neighbourhood of wells. 
 The mare is like the serpent, their powers increase in hot weather and in 
 arid countries. Serpents which live in cold or watery countries have 
 little venom or courage, so that their bite is seldom mortal, whereas those 
 that live in hot countries are more irritable, and the virulence of their 
 poison is increased. Whilst the horse can less easily bear the heat of 
 the sun, the mare, doubtless from constitutional causes, finds her energies 
 increase with the greatest heat. The third reason is that the mare 
 requires less care and less nourishment. The owner can lead and turn 
 her out to graze with the sheep and camels, and he is not obliged to have 
 a person constantly watching her ; whereas a horse cannot do without 
 being highly feu, and he cannot be turned out without an attendant for 
 obvious reasons. These are the true reasons of an Arab’s preference for 
 mares. It does not arise from the foal inheriting the qualities of the dam 
 
INFLUENCE OF SIRE AND DAM. 147 
 
 rather than those of the sire ; it does not proceed from its being better at 
 all times and under all circumstances to ride a mare rather than a horse ; 
 but it is based upon material interests, and on the necessities enforced 
 by the description of life which Arabs lead. It must, however, be 
 admitted that a horse is more noble than a mare. He is stronger, more 
 courageous, and faster. That a horse is stronger than a mare is thus 
 proved. If both were struck by the same mortal wound a mare would 
 fall at once, but a horse would seldom drop until he had carried his rider 
 into safety. I saw a mare struck by a ball on the leg ; the bone was 
 broken ; unable to bear the pain she fell immediately. A horse was hit 
 in the same manner ; the broken limb hung only by the skin ; he con- 
 tinued his course, supporting himself on his sound leg, until he bore his 
 rider from the battle-field and then fell. The Arabs prefer mares to 
 horses for the reasons I have given, and those reasons are sufficient to 
 show why amongst us the value attached to the possession of a mare is 
 greater than that they attach to the possession of a horse, even though 
 the breeding of each were the same ; for whilst on the one hand the foal 
 takes more after the sire than the dam, on the other the proprietor of a 
 horse cannot gain in many years as much as the proprietor of a mare can 
 gain in one year if she throw a foal. However, when a horse has dis- 
 played any extraordinary qualities, it often happens that he will not be 
 parted with, probably producing to his master in the way of booty or 
 otherwise as much as the most valuable mare. I saw amongst the 
 Annazas, a tribe extending from Bagdad to Syria, horses so beyond all 
 price that it was almost impossible to purchase them, and certainly 
 impossible to pay ready money for them. These animals, of a fabulous 
 value, are sold on]y to the highest personages, or to rich merchants who 
 pay for them by thirty or forty instalments, or by a perpetual rent settled 
 on the vendor or his descendants. The birth of a horse can never be 
 considered a misfortune by an Arab, however much he may prefer a mare 
 for the material advantages which they procure. Mares almost always 
 produce, and it is on that account principally that they are preferred. I 
 repeat it — the birth of an animal that guarantees its master against humilia- 
 tion can never be considered a misfortune. A poet says : ‘ My brothers 
 reproach me with my debts, yet I never contracted one but for an 
 honourable purpose. In giving the bread of heaven to all, in purchasing 
 a horse of noble race, and buying a slave to attend upon me/ — j Bailey's 
 Magazine of Sports, June , 1860. 
 
 My own belief in this matter, founded upon observations made during 
 a long series of years on the horse as well as the dog, is that no rule can 
 be laid down with any certainty. Much depends upon the comparative 
 physical power and strength of constitution in each parent, even more 
 perhaps than the composition of the blood. There have been many 
 instances of two brothers being used in the stud, both among horses 
 and greyhounds, in which one has almost invariably got his stock 
 resembling himself in all particulars, not even excluding colour, while 
 the descendants of the other have rarely been recognisable as his. Thus 
 among horses the Touchstones have been mostly brown or dark bay, and 
 as a lot have shown a high form as racehorses, while the Launcelots have 
 been of all colours, and have been below mediocrity on the turf. Several 
 examples of the same nature may be quoted from among greyhounds, 
 such as Banter, Gipsey Prince, and Gipsy Boyal, three brothers whose 
 6tock were as different as possible, but the fact is so generally recognised 
 that it is not necessary to dwell upon it. How surely this difference in 
 
 l 2 
 
148 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the power of transmitting the likeness of the sire, when the blood is 
 exactly the same as it is observed to extend over large numbers, can 
 only depend upon a variation in individual power. Not only does this 
 apply to the males, but the females also show the same difference. Some 
 mares have gone on producing foals which afterwards turned out first-class 
 whatever horse they were put to, as, for instance, Phryne (dam of winners 
 by Pantaloon, Melbourne, and The Flying Dutchman), Barbelle, who 
 produced Yan Tromp by Lanercost, De Witt by The Provost, and The 
 Flying Dutchman by Bay Middleton. Alice Hawthorne, successively as 
 well as successfully put to Birdcatcher, Melbourne, Touchstone, Wind- 
 hound, Melbourne or Windhound, and Sweetmeat ; and lastly, Ellerdale, 
 dam of Ellington and' Ellermere, and Gildermire by Flying Dutclunan, 
 Summerside by West Australian, and Wardersmarke by Birdcatcher. On 
 appealing to the greyhound, also, we see some remarkable instances within 
 the last few years, of which Mr. Jardine’s Ladylike and Mr. Randell’s Riot 
 may be considered as very strong cases in point. The latter bitch also may 
 be instanced as having been extremely successful in the stud, while her 
 own brother, Ranter, in the same kennel, was a total failure. There must 
 consequently be something more than mere breeding to produce a successful 
 result, and this I am inclined to think resides in the strength of the 
 constitution possessed by the individual. 
 
 But even supposing the horse or mare displays this constitutional 
 power, there is a something which controls it, as we have seen in the two 
 cases already instanced of Orlando and West Australian. In the former 
 horse the hifluence of the sire, great as it usually has been shown to be, was 
 compelled k> succumb to the combination of the three lines traceable to 
 Selim and his brother Castrel, while in the other this same horse Touch- 
 stone prevailed (still, however, on the side of the dam) apparently only 
 because there was a combination of two very recently separated lines of 
 Waxy blood through his sons Whalebone and Whisker. The second of 
 these examples is the more worthy of note, because in tracing back the 
 lines of the sire and dam, the name of Trumpator from whom Melbourne is 
 lineally descended is met with three times in the pedigree of the former, 
 and four times in that of the latter. Here then but for the nearness of 
 the two lines of Waxy I should have expected the produce to follow the 
 Trumpator strain through Melbourne, but as I have already observed, 
 beyond the third remove this influence is very much weakened. We 
 may therefore come to the conclusion that it is not always superior 
 strength of constitution, nor the greater purity or antiquity of the blood 
 which determines the influence to be expected by either parent, but that 
 sometimes the one and sometimes the other is the cause. And as the 
 former cannot well be determined, the latter is the foundation for the 
 plans of the breeder, who will on the whole do well to follow the maxims 
 first laid down by that celebrated breeder of horses and cattle, the second 
 Earl Spencer, whose opinions were in conformity with the 13 th axiom 
 for breeders which I have inserted at page 139. 
 
 CHOICE OF SIRE AND DAM. 
 
 The necessity for health in each parent has already been insisted on, 
 but beyond this point, which is generally admitted, there are several 
 others to be attended to. Thus, since the preponderance of either over 
 the form and temper of the progeny will, in all probability, fall to that 
 one which has the superior purity of blood, it follows that if the breeder 
 
CHOICE OF SIRE AND DAM. 
 
 149 
 
 wishes to alter in any important particular the qualities possessed by his 
 mare, he must select a horse which is either better bred or some of whose 
 lines will coalesce with those of the dam’s which it is desired to per- 
 petuate. Thus, supposing a mare to he made up of four lines, two of 
 which are decidedly bad, and one which is so good as to attract the notice 
 of her owner, then let him look around and select some horse in whose 
 ‘pedigree is to be found a similar strain, taking care that the relationship 
 is not so close as to lead to disappointment on the score of the bad effects 
 attributable to in-breeding. But there are many brood mares not in the 
 Stud-book, whose pedigrees are not ascertainable, and in their case this 
 rule will not apply. Here a different plan must be pursued, and a horse 
 must be chosen whose shape, action, or temper coincides with the particular 
 quality which it is desired to perpetuate. I am strongly inclined to 
 believe that it is comparatively of little use to look about for sires who 
 possess those qualities in which the dam is deficient. Such a course of 
 proceeding has so constantly ended in disappointment, within my own 
 knowledge, that I believe I am justified in condemning it. A stallion 
 (whether horse or greyhound, the same is observable) is known to have 
 been very fast, or very stout, as the case may be, and having obtained the 
 one character or the other, breeders have supposed that they have only to 
 send mares deficient in either quality, and they would insure its develop- 
 ment in the produce. If the mare or bitch happens to possess among her 
 ancestry stout or fast lines of blood, the produce will display the one or 
 the other, if she is put to a horse possessing them ; but, on the contrary, 
 if the lines of the dam are all fast, or all stout, no first cross with a sire 
 possessing the opposite qualities will be likely to have any effect, though 
 no doubt there are some few exceptions to this, as to all other rules. The 
 instances in support of this position are so numerous within my own 
 knowledge, that I should scarcely be able to make a beginning, and every 
 one who draws upon his own experience, or who will examine the “ Stud- 
 book ” and the “ Coursing Calendar ,” will find examples without end 
 throughout every volume of each. It would be invidious to select any 
 stallion now in this country, but among those which have been well tried 
 here in the stud, and are here no longer, may be mentioned the Flying 
 Dutchman. This horse was well known to have been himself not only 
 fast, but stout, and, as a consequence, even those breeders who are aware 
 of the necessity for regarding both of these qualities were induced to 
 breed from him, expecting that the result would be to give them similar 
 stock in the next generation. The contrary, however, was the case. In 
 many cases speed was developed, but in almost every instance, without an 
 exception, that speed was not allied with staying power. The unlooked- 
 i*or result has been attributed to his sire, Bay Middleton, whose stock have 
 been notoriously flashy; but if the pedigree of Barbelle, his dam, is care- 
 fully examined, a still stronger reason may be assigned. If her lines are 
 traced back five generations, it will be seen that out of her thirty-two 
 progenitors in that remove fourteen are descended from Herod or his sire, 
 Tartar, and these in addition to the already overflowing quantum of the same 
 blood in Bay Middleton himself. How I am a great admirer of the blood 
 of Herod, and I believe him to be one of the chief foundations of the high 
 form of our modern horses ; but its peculiar characteristic is speed, not 
 stoutness, and it requires a combination with the stouter blood of Eclipse, 
 or some other horse of that strain, to make the possessor capable of 
 staying a distance. AViih these fast lines the produce of Barbelle has 
 always been fast, but it can scarcely occasion surprise that her stoutest 
 
150 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 son, Yan Tromp, should be by Lanercost, nor that Orlando, with hie 
 double lines of Selim and Castrel blood, should get a mere half-miler like 
 Zuyder Zee. The Flying Dutchman was, no doubt, a grand performer 
 himself, but bis may be regarded as a somewhat exceptional case, and this 
 opinion is supported by the failure of bis own brother (Yanderdecken) on 
 the turf, although cast in a mould which would lead one to expect a still 
 greater success. 
 
 In paying attention to the performances of the ancestry of both sire 
 and dam, regard must also be had to their size, as this element is consi- 
 dered of much importance. Neither a large nor a small sire or dam will 
 perpetuate the likeness of himself or herself unless descended from a breed 
 which is either the one or the other. It only leads to disappointment to 
 breed from a tall stallion or mare if either is only accidentally so, and not 
 belonging to a breed generally possessing the same characteristics. Many 
 a small mare or bitch has surprised her owner by producing him animals 
 much larger than herself, but on tracing her pedigree it will almost always 
 be found to contain the names of animals of above the average size. 
 Moderately small mares are generally of a stronger constitution than very 
 large ones, and on that account they will often answer the purposes of the 
 stud better than larger animals, provided they are of a sort usually cast in 
 the mould which is desired . This should never be lost sight of by the 
 breeder, and where, as in breeding thoroughbreds, the pedigree can be 
 traced far enough for this purpose, there is no excuse for neglecting the 
 circumstance. 
 
 The above precautions are sufficient in all those cases where the 
 pedigree is attainable, but there are many brood mares, as I before 
 remarked, in which nothing is known of their antecedents. Here, the 
 breeder can only act upon the general rule that “ like produces like,” and 
 cannot take advantage of the addition which I have made to the 12th 
 axiom, at page 139, of the words, u or the likeness of some ancestor .” In 
 such cases, for the reason which I have given, disappointment will con- 
 stantly attend upon the first experiments, and until the mare has produced 
 her first foal, and he has gone on to his third or fourth year, the value of 
 the dam can hardly be ascertained. Breeding is always, more or less, a 
 lottery, but when it is carried on with dams of unknown parentage, it is 
 ten times more so than it need be. Were I to commence the establish- 
 ment of a breeding stud, whether of cart or carriage horses, hacks or 
 hunters, I would never introduce a single mare whose dam and grand-dam 
 as well as the sire and grand-sire would not be produceable as good 
 specimens of their respective kinds. Beyond the second remove there 
 would always be some difficulty in going with the lower-bred mares, but 
 I would certainly go as far as this in all cases. If the sire and dam, 
 grand-sire and grand-dam, were, on the whole, of desirable form and per- 
 formances, I would choose the produce as a brood mare, but not otherwise; 
 and though, of course, I should be obliged to pass over some important 
 defects in individuals, I would not do so if they were common to all, or 
 nearly all, of the four. In this way I should expect to do more than by 
 simply choosing “a great roomy mare” without knowing her pedigree in 
 the belief that she would be sure to reproduce her likeness. 
 
 SELECTION OF BLOOD IN EACH CLASS OF HOESE. 
 
 In the race-horse the choice of blood will always greatly depend upon 
 the fashion of the day, if the produce is to be profitably disposed of, and 
 
SELECTION OF BLOOD 
 
 151 
 
 even by following this plan great risk is incurred, for what is fashionable 
 one year is often despised the next. The winner of the Derby, more 
 especially if he can also pull off the St. Leger, raises the fame of his sire 
 from twenty to a hundred per cent ; and if the next year his stock go on 
 well the value put upon them is still further advanced. These remarks 
 especially apply to the choice of a stallion, but at the onset they more 
 or less influence every person who is purchasing mares for the stud. 
 When, however, these are already procured, the investment must be con- 
 sidered in the main to be permanent, as it would be ruinous to be 
 constantly changing the blood. But beyond the reach of fashion there 
 are several broad lines of demarcation between the strains of blood which 
 are prevalent in the present day, and which it is well to notice. It* is 
 now idle to go back to the days of Eclipse, Herod, and Matchem, for their 
 descendants are so intermixed that no mare could be found possessing the 
 blood of one without that of another also, and generally of all three. We 
 must, therefore, contine our observations to strains coming much nearer to 
 our own times. 
 
 Six tears ago, in u British Rural Sports ,” I enumerated ten distinct 
 strains of blood as those at all likely to be useful in the racing stud. 
 Since that time there has been a means of testing the truth of my obser- 
 vations, and I shall therefore insert my remarks here entire, adding to each 
 strain, in a parenthesis, what may occur to me as bearing upon the question. 
 
 “ 1. The almost pure, in-bred Waxys, exhibiting, of course, a mixture 
 with other strains, but in all cases being chiefly of Waxy blood. These 
 are — Cotherstone, The Baron, Chanticleer, Chatham, Chabron, and Idle 
 Boy. This strain of blood is admirably adapted as the foundation of a 
 general breeding-stud, being likely to turn out stock which will serve him 
 as hunters or hacks, if they fail as racehorses.” 
 
 (Among these The Baron and Chanticleer had previously distinguished 
 themselves, the former as the sire of Stockwell and Rataplan ; the latter, 
 to a less extent, as having got several good second class horses. The Baron 
 has, since that time, been in France; and Chanticleer has gone down in 
 public estimation, having only been credited with twelve foals in the 
 “Calendar” for 1860. Cotherstone, Chabron, Chatham, and Idle Boy 
 have done little for the turf, but they have fulfilled my expectations as 
 sires of hunters, all having obtained considerable celebrity in that depart- 
 ment. In addition to those above-mentioned, Sir Hercules and his son, 
 Gemma Di Vergy, should not be forgotten, nor the further descendants 
 of the former — Birdcatcher (now dead) and Daniel O’Rourke.) 
 
 “2. The union of Waxy and Orville, as seen in Retriever, Drayton, 
 Ambrose, Robert de Gorham, The Hero, Mathematician, and Theon. 
 These will be almost equally useful as a general breeding-stock with those 
 included under Ho. 1 ; but I suspect will produce fewer first-class race- 
 horses.” 
 
 (These remarks have been verified to the letter. Ambrose has certainly 
 got a Cynricus, but he is far from first-rate, and the single exception goes 
 to prove the rule. On the other hand, Drayton and Theon have been 
 celebrated as sires of hunters.) 
 
 “ 3. The Buzzard blood, not of course pure, but comparatively so, as in 
 Epirus, Bay Middleton, and the Flying Dutchman. Calculated to get 
 first-class racehorses rather than general stock.” 
 
 (I believe there is no exception to this rule.) 
 
 “4. The Waxy, Orville, and Buzzard united in the following celebrated 
 horses : — Touchstone, Orlando, Surplice, Windfall, Longbow, The Libel, 
 
152 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Hobbie Noble, Windhound, Assault, and Storm. Here we have the very 
 best racing-blood in existence, varying in degrees of excellence, but all 
 more or less good.” 
 
 (The horses in this list, with their descendants, continue in as high 
 favour as ever. Touchstone is, of course, almost superannuated, being 
 now in his thirtieth year, but he is still credited with 1 1 foals in the list 
 of the past year; Orlando maintains his reputation with 21 ; Surplice has 
 4; Longbow, 6; Hobbie Noble, 8; Windhound, 13; and Storm, 3. But, 
 in addition, we find Newminster (son of Touchstone) as the sire of 39 ; 
 Teddington (son of Orlando) with 33 to his name; Annandale, Flatcatcher, 
 Lord of the Isles, De Clare, and Mountain Deer (all sons of Touchstone), 
 with 7, 7, 14, 21, and 29 respectively; and, lastly, West Australian (out 
 of a Touchstone mare) has 22 foals in the list.) 
 
 “ 5. The Orville and Buzzard strains together, as in Pompey, Cowl, and 
 Glentilt. This is good racing-blood, but not equal to Nos. 3 and 4.” 
 
 (The three horses named above have only two foals among them in the 
 “ Calendar” and there can be no doubt that I was right in ranking this 
 strain as inferior to the two already alluded to.) 
 
 “ 6. The Waxy and Buzzard, as in Coronation, Pyrrhus I., Stockwell, 
 Safeguard, Newcourt, Pitsford, and Bessus. Very good, stout, and fast 
 blood, but requiring the dash of Orville to make it equal to No. 4, and, 
 for this reason, suitable for crossing with mares descended from that 
 horse.” 
 
 (At the time when these remarks were written Pyrrhus I. was at the 
 zenith of his reputation, his daughter Yirago having just proved herself 
 the best of her year. Since then, however, he has verified my prognosti- 
 cations, having been generally pronounced to be inferior to many horses 
 of the strains numbered under 3, 4, and 5, and latterly he has been esti- 
 mated so lightly that he has been among those sold to go abroad, at the 
 usual price for that purpose. Coronation has done nothing at the stud. 
 Stockwell and his brother, Eataplan, are, however, in high force, the 
 former having nineteen and the latter sixteen foals in the list. With the 
 single exception of Newcourt, who has one foal, these two horses are the 
 only ones of this strain which are at all fashionable among breeders.) 
 
 “ 7. The Blacklocks, represented by Hetman Platoff, Tearaway, Neasham, 
 and Eatan. This strain has been lately quite out of favour; but the 
 extraordinary success of Wild Dayrell, a descendant of Blackloek on both 
 sides of his pedigree, may possibly restore it to its former position.” 
 
 (A mistake was here committed in the pedigree of Wild Dayrell, who 
 is descended from Blackloek only through his dam, a great grand-daughter 
 of that horse. Yoltigeur had also been favourably mentioned at page 435, 
 and his stock, together with that of his son, Yedette, as also of his 
 brother, Barnton, and Fandango, son of the last-named horse, now rank as 
 high as any others in the opinion of breeders. Thus in the “ Calendar ” 
 Yoltigeur has 30 foals, Yedette, 26; Barnton, 32; and Fandango, 33.) 
 
 “ 8. The Tramp blood, now only to be met with at all unmixed in 
 Weatherbit, Lanercost, and Collingwood, and of doubtful utility.” 
 
 (Of late years Weatherbit (owing to the handicap successes of Weather- 
 gage and the Epsom victory of Beadsman, who was, however, out of 
 Mendicant by Touchstone) has come into fashion, and last year had 26 
 foals to his name. With his exception, however, the blood is not fancied, 
 Yan Tromp and Collingwood being the only horses descended from Tramp 
 in the male line who have had much chance allowed them, and they have 
 been almost total failures.) 
 
SELECTION OF BLOOD. 
 
 153 
 
 “ 9. The Partisans and Filho da Putas, seen in Venison and his sons, 
 Alarm, Kingston, and Vatican; also in Sweetmeat, Colwich, and Giovanni 
 Nothing can exceed the beauty of form resulting from these combinations 
 of the Waxy and Sir Peter blood ; and it seems to be perpetuated in all 
 the descendants, which are remarkable for blood-like frames, with Arabian- 
 looking heads, fine muzzles, full eyes, light necks, and good shoulders, and 
 also for wiry and lasting legs and feet. This latter peculiarity is perhaps 
 owing to their light girth, and consequent want of weight for their legs to 
 carry; but nevertheless they are almost all stout enough, and especially 
 the Venisons.” 
 
 (Curiously enough, the stock of Kingston and Sweetmeat have been 
 remarkable rather for pace than stoutness, but this is probably owing to 
 the number of mares put to them which were deficient in the latter 
 quality. Nevertheless they are both still fashionable, Kingston having 
 33 and Sweetmeat 19 foals; Alarm also has 12, but Vatican has only 1.) 
 
 “ 10. The Sorcerer blood, now chiefly to be depended on in Melbourne 
 (almost worn out in the service), and his sons, West Australian, Sir 
 Tatton Sykes, and Oulston. The first of the three is more Waxy than 
 Sorcerer, the second is mixed with Orville and Cervantes, and the third 
 is very much the same combination as that of Sir Tatton. I have fully 
 commented on these horses at paragraph 272. Large, fast, and loose, 
 they require room to display their peculiar powers, which are calculated 
 to shine over a fiat, or any straight course, rather than a small and 
 confined one. Pew of this blood are neat, and some are peculiarly coarse 
 and gaunt, like the Melbournes, but yet so well proportioned and truly 
 made as to catch the eye of the connoisseur. With large heads, roomy 
 frames, big legs and joints, united to great useful hocks and powerful pro- 
 pellers, they are fit for any work but turning corners, where they are 
 undoubtedly out of their element. Such were the Soothsayers, Comuses, 
 Kevellers, Humphrey Clinkers, and Melbournes ; together, also, with the 
 last horse’s celebrated sons, Sir Tatton Sykes, West Australian, and 
 Oulston. All are fast enough for anything, but require time to fill up 
 their fine frames, and should have been reserved till five years of age, if 
 justice could have been done them. On the whole, this blood may be 
 considered as inferior to none but the three first described strains, in 
 which it is surpassed in persistence of good qualities for a series of years, 
 though, taking any single horse against him, Melbourne will perhaps 
 make a good fight for superiority.” 
 
 (I have nothing to unsay here, and I may specially call attention to the 
 fact that prior to the appearance of West Australian’s stock I had 
 remarked that he is more Waxy than Sorcerer. Many other descendants 
 of Melbourne in the male line are known in the stud, but there are none 
 of any great promise at present.) 
 
 Turning now to the blood most suitable for getting hunters, I may 
 be pardoned for again inserting what I have already written in “ British 
 Rural Sports ,” comprised in the following words, to which I have now 
 nothing to add, and in which there is little or nothing which I should 
 wish unsaid : — 
 
 “For this kind of breeding, nothing answers better than a cross of the 
 Waxy, Orville, and Sorcerer blood, or of the two former with any of the 
 descendants of Sir Peter or Woodpecker; but in all cases provided they 
 have good shoulders , and are sound. Thus, Drayton has been remarkable 
 in this way, as also is Windfall, and Retriever promises to be equally 
 useful. Of all others, the Waxv blood seems to be most telling in hunting 
 
154 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 stock; and if only it is joined to sufficient size, both of bone and frame, is 
 almost always produces a hunter. The temper, constitution, action, and 
 heart are all good in this strain, and nothing is wanted but the above- 
 named element. Defence is the progenitor of a great number of good 
 hunters, both directly, and through Safeguard and Bath, his sons. Chat- 
 ham, Cotherstone, Annandale, Weathergage, Hewminster, John o’ Gaunt, 
 Theon, The Hero, Chanticleer, Harkaway, Connaught Banger, Footstool, 
 Fugleman, Idle Boy, Newcourt, Bavensbone, and Bussborough, are of the 
 very best blood for getting hunters, with the chance of an occasional race - 
 horse among them , if put to stout, thoroughbred mares of a sort which is 
 usually large-boned, and of good-size. Small-boned horses are not to be 
 thought of for this purpose ; and hence the Epirus strain is objectionable 
 on that score, they being smaller in the bone even than the Waxys, and, 
 in addition, less lasting. All the sons of Venison are suitable, but espe- 
 cially those crossed with the Orville or Whisker blood — as, for instance, 
 the Fallow Buck and Bed Hart ; also Vatican, but that I believe his 
 temper is somewhat ungovernable ; and they generally make good hunters, 
 but not with very high action. The Lottery and Tramp strains I have 
 also already mentioned as being valuable for the purpose of getting hunters 
 and steeplechasers ; and the following stallions descended from them 
 should be prized when within reach, especially such as are also crossed 
 with Waxy or his descendants — as Birkenhead, Sir Peter Laurie, Foot- 
 stool, Meteor, Sweetmeat, Tearaway, and his son Kingstown. These also 
 are almost all likely to get good hacks ; but the Buzzard and Whalebone 
 blood seems to suit in this way better than most others, except in the case 
 of the Touchstones, which are by no means good in this respect. Defence, 
 on the other hand, who is similarly bred, but without the Orville cross, is 
 famous for getting good hacks, and many of his stock have been very fast 
 and fine trotters — as, for instance, Safeguard and Bector. The former of 
 these horses, though blind, could, when in his prime, bend himself and 
 trot with any thoroughbred horse in the world ; and the latter could do 
 his sixteen miles an hour, carrying twelve stone.” 
 
 I would strongly advise the breeder to select, for the purpose of getting 
 hunters, those horses, whether thoroughbred or otherwise, whose action 
 before is unexceptionable. So many of our race-horses now are full of 
 Touchstone blood, that they are defective in this respect, and are totally 
 unfit for any other purpose. 
 
 When Carriage Horses are bred for the special purpose to which 
 they are afterwards devoted, a particular class of stallions is used which 
 is generally only to be met with in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. These 
 are put to large mares of the same breed, or the latter are sometimes 
 crossed with the thoroughbred. Hacks and light harness horses are bred 
 in small numbers only by farmers, and are generally the result of a cross 
 between small chance mares and second or third rate thoroughbred 
 stallions, or they are the weeds culled from racing or hunting studs, being 
 too small and light for either one or the other purpose. 
 
 THE KIND OF HOBSE MOST PBOFITABLE FOB THE 
 BBEEDEB TO CHOOSE. 
 
 When a person makes up his mind to bestow his attention on the 
 breeding of horses as a speculation, it behoves him to consider what kind 
 is best suited to the nature of his land and the length of his purse, as well 
 as to his own knowledge of horses. Unless he has plenty of fine upland 
 
CONCLUDING REMARKS. 
 
 155 
 
 grass and a command of money, it is quite useless for him to think of the 
 race-horse; nor will he do well, without these concomitants, to dabble in 
 hunters. Cart-horses, now-a-days, pay well when there is work for them 
 to do up to their third or fourth year; and carriage-horses are likewise a 
 good speculation, when the land is suitable to their development. No one, 
 however, should turn his attention to the breeding of hacks on a large 
 scale, since they will almost inevitably cost more than they will fetch at 
 five years old. The farmer who keeps one or two “ nag ” mares i-s the 
 only person who can he said to rear hacks without loss ; and he only does 
 .so, because he begins to use them for his own slow work as soon as they 
 are three years old. Even in his case, however, I much doubt whether 
 the same food which has been given the colts would not have been turned 
 to greater profit if given to horned cattle ; and the only thing which can 
 be said in favour of the former is, that they eat coarse grass which the 
 latter will refuse. To make the breeding of the horse turn out profitably, 
 the hack and inferior kind of harness-horse ought to be the culls from a 
 lot of colts intended for the hunting-field, and then, the one with the 
 other, they may be made to pay. 
 
 CONCLUDING REMARKS ON BREEDING. 
 
 The angry discussions which have taken place in the year 1860, 
 between Lord Redesdale and Admiral Rous, indicate plainly what is the 
 general opinion on the subject of the diminution in the stoutness of our 
 horses. Breeders^ therefore, should turn their attention to this point, and 
 should be doubly careful to avoid weedy or diseased sires and dams. It 
 cannot be denied that our modern thoroughbreds possess size and speed ; 
 but they certainly do not shine in staying powers, as I have already more 
 than once remarked. But there are some strains particularly free from 
 this defect, and these I have endeavoured to point out. It should not, 
 moreover, be forgotten that though the thoroughbred horse will bear more 
 work, especially at high speed, than any other kind, yet he can only do 
 this if well fed and warmly housed. Being a native of a warm and dry 
 climate, he requires to be protected from the weather; and the young 
 stock must be well reared in all respects, or they will never pay. If, 
 therefore, the breeder is not determined to put up warm hovels in every 
 paddock, and if he is stingy of his corn, he had far better let his stud of 
 mares be composed of lower bred animals. If a thoroughbred horse and 
 a donkey are both fed upon the lowest quantity and quality of food which 
 will keep the latter in condition, the donkey would beat its high-bred 
 antagonist over a distance of ground — that is to say, supposing the expe- 
 riment to be continued long enough to produce a permanent effect upon 
 the two animals. A cart-horse colt, or one of any kind of low blood, will 
 do well enough if reared, till he is put to work, upon grass and hay ; but 
 a race-horse or hunter, of high breeding, would show a badly- developed 
 frame, and be comparatively worthless for his particular kind of work, 
 if he were not allowed his corn from the time that he is weaned. 
 
156 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE BROOD MARE AND HER FOAL. 
 
 THE HOVEL AND PADDOCK — GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE BROOD MARE — TREATMENT 
 
 WHEN IN FOAL — AFTER FOALING EARLY MANAGEMENT OF THE FOAL — WEANING — 
 
 CASTRATION. 
 
 Having already alluded to the principles which should guide the 
 breeder in the choice of his mares, I need not further allude to them 
 beyond the remark, that independently of those which I have indicated, 
 he must take care that they are each possessed of a frame suitable to carry 
 a foal, and of a constitution hardy enough to sustain the drain upon the 
 system caused by the young animal, both before and after birth. If the 
 pelvis and back ribs are not large and deep, the foetus will not have room 
 to be developed and brought into the world; and unless the mare is a 
 good feeder, and is also furnished with an udder which will give sufficient 
 milk, she will not afford enough nourishment to her foal, which will, 
 therefore, be weakly and badly developed in its proportions. The shape 
 may be easily detected beforehand, but the constitution and milking 
 properties cannot so well be predicated, though the experienced eye and 
 hand of the stud -groom will enable him to give a tolerably correct guess. 
 
 HOVEL AND PADDOCK. 
 
 If the breeder is about to undertake the production of a number of 
 horses of any kind, he must establish a regular stud-farm, which for all 
 horses should be on sound upland, with a subsoil of chalk or graveL The 
 presence of fine white clovers is in itself almost sufficient to show that the 
 soil will be suitable to the horse; but, if possible, there should be an 
 absolute practical knowledge that the situation has agreed with the animal, 
 before any heavy investment is made. If the surface fall is good, draining 
 may not be necessary, but in most cases the herbage will be greatly 
 improved by the introduction of tiles. Low, marshy situations may serve 
 during the autumn months to freshen up a stall horse, but they are utterly 
 unfit for the rearing of young stock, and should be carefully avoided. If 
 the stud is highly bred, and the feeding is to be good, the colts will be 
 very mischievous, and unless care is taken to make the fences safe, they 
 will break bounds, or injure themselves in the attempt. Deep ditches are 
 very unsafe, for the mare as well as her foal are very apt to get cast in 
 them, with a serious or fatal injury as the result. Posts and rails answer 
 well enough, where timber is plentiful, but, in the long run, they are 
 expensive from the necessity for constant repairs. Banks with thorn 
 hedges on the top are the very best of all means for enclosing the 
 paddocks, and are even better than stone walls, which, however, are 
 excellent for the purpose if they have the soil raised against their bases, 
 without which the foal is liable to slip up against their surface, and thus 
 sometimes blemish his knees. There is a great difference of opinion as to 
 the size necessary for the paddocks, and the number of mares which 
 should be allowed in each. In some well conducted stud-farms, as, foi 
 
HOVEL AND PADDOCK. 
 
 157 
 
 instance, in that belonging to the Bawcliffe Company, near York, the 
 enclosures are very large, and a dozen, or even as many as eighteen, mares 
 and their foals are turned out together as soon as the weather permits, 
 and the spring grass grows high enough. In others, as at the Hampton 
 Court and Middle Park establishments, the paddocks are each only calcu- 
 lated to take three or four mares and their foals ; and the yearlings, also, 
 are never allowed to exceed four in any one paddock. Mr. Martin, the 
 clever and experienced manager of the first-named stud, is of opinion that 
 colts should have room enough to gallop, and thus early accustom their 
 joints and sinews to bear the strains which they must, sometime or other, 
 be subjected to. On the other hand, the argument is held that in a small 
 paddock the foal gallops quite as much as in the larger one, and puts his 
 joints to the strain in stopping, himself at the corners, whilst there is less 
 injury from other accidental causes, such as kicks and the jamming of a 
 lot together in a narrow gateway. On the whole, I am inclined to believe 
 that the latter plan is the best, for experience shows that a well-fed foal 
 will gallop daily, for hours together, even in a two-acre paddock. 
 
 At foaling time each mare must have a separate hovel or. loose-box, 
 but as, practically, it is found that she always gives some few hours’ notice 
 of her approaching parturition, it is the custom to bring her into the 
 close neighbourhood of the house of the stud-groom at night, so that he 
 may be at hand to render her assistance, if necessary. Any loose-box 
 answers for that purpose, if it does not open to a warm stable, which 
 would render it too hot for an animal which has been for months exposed 
 to the open air. But after foaling the mare will also require a hovel to 
 herself for six weeks or two months, when the foal will be strong enough to 
 take care of itself in running among other mares. Indeed, at all times, 
 the mares should at night be in separate hovels, even when during the 
 day they run in the same paddock with two or three others. This hovel 
 should be about twelve to fifteen feet long, and not less than ten feet 
 wide. The height may easily be too great, because in the early spring the 
 weather is often so severe that the mare cannot impart sufficient heat to 
 a very large volume of air. From eight to nine feet will therefore be 
 ample, the former being well suited to the larger area which I have given 
 above, and the latter to the smaller. It is a very common plan, when 
 economy is much studied, to build four hovels back to back, at the angles 
 formed by four small runs, by which a saving in the internal walls is 
 effected. This, however, necessitates a northerly or easterly aspect for 
 two out of the four, either of which is objectionable. Two hovels may 
 readily be placed side by side in the most desirable situation, and these 
 may be made to open Into separate runs. The walls should be built of 
 brick or stone, whichever is locally the cheaper material, or where gorse is 
 abundant they may be formed from it, being the cheapest of all. In some 
 counties what is called “ wattle and dab ” is very generally employed for 
 outbuildings of this kind, and when they are roofed with thatch, which 
 carries the water well off the sides, it answers very well. It is composed 
 of common wood quarterings, with the uprights connected together by 
 transverse bars like the rounds of a ladder, about eight inches apart. 
 When the whole framework is put together thus, some soil, which should 
 be clay or loam, is well worked together with straw and water into a 
 tenacious mixture, which is forked over each transverse bar in succession, 
 #nd the whole smoothed down till it assumes a regular and even surface. 
 Cottages and outbuildings are put up in this way in Devonshire and Dor- 
 setshire at very little expense, straw costing the farmer little or nothing, 
 
158 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 either for the walls or the roof, and the wood being also the produce of 
 his own land. The labour, therefore, is the only part which costs money, 
 and that is not paid for at a very high rate, where wages rarely exceed 
 nine shillings a week. When gorse is used, it is adopted in the following 
 way : — The door-posts and uprights are first fixed, and should be either 
 of oak — which is best — or of good sound Memel fir ; they should be about 
 six inches by four, and should be fixed six feet apart, with three feet 
 sunk in the ground. After thus fixing the framework, and putting on the 
 wall-plate and rafters, the whole internal surface is made good by nailing 
 split poles of larch, or other timber, closely together across the uprights, 
 taking especial care to round off the ends when they appear at the door- 
 posts. Thus the whole of the interior is tolerably smooth, and no accident 
 can happen from the foal getting his leg into any crevice between the 
 poles, if care is taken to nail them securely, and to leave no space between 
 them. When this internal framework is finished, the gorse is applied 
 outside, as follows : It is first cut into small branches, leaving a foot-stalk 
 to each, about twelve or fifteen inches in length : these branches are 
 arranged in layers between the uprights, the stalks pointing upwards and 
 inwards, and the prickly ends downwards and outwards. When, by a 
 succession of layers of these brushy stalks, a height of eighteen inches has 
 been raised, a stout and tough pole, about the size of an ordinary broom- 
 stick, and six feet long, is laid upon the middle of the gorse, and so as to 
 confine it against the split poles and between the uprights. The workmen 
 kneel upon this pole, and by its means compress the gorse into the 
 smallest possible compass, and while thus pressed down, and against the 
 internal framework, it is confined to the latter by five or six loops of 
 strong copper wire. When this is properly done, the gorse is so firmly 
 confined, and withal so closely packed, that neither wind nor rain can 
 penetrate, nor can all the mischief-loving powers of the foal withdraw a 
 single stalk. After fixing the first layer, a second is built up in the same 
 way, and when neatly done the exterior is as level as a brick wall; but if 
 there are any very prominent branches they may be sheared off with the 
 common shears, or taken off with the ordinary hedging bill- hook. When 
 it is desired to make the exterior look very smooth, a hay-trusser ? s knife 
 is used; but the natural ends, though not so level, are a much better 
 defence, and last longer than the cut gorse. In the interior the stalks 
 sometimes project, and if so they must be smoothly trimmed off. The 
 roof should be covered in with some material, which is cool in summer 
 and warm in winter, and for this purpose, therefore, nothing is so bad as 
 slate, or so good as thatch. Objections are sometimes made to the latter 
 material that it harbours vermin, but if the mares are well fed, I must 
 doubt their ever becoming lousy, unless these parasites are introduced by 
 some animal from without. In any case, tiles are preferable to slates, and 
 on the average they are also cheaper. Pantiles are not easily made proof 
 against the wind, but plane-tiles, when properly pointed, are quite air-tight, 
 and are far warmer in cold weather than slates, while they are also cooler in 
 summer. The door should be at least four feet or four feet six inches 
 wide, and seven feet to seven feet six inches high, with all the angles to 
 the sides and top of the frame rounded off to prevent accident from 
 striking the hip or head. The door, of oak or elm, should be cut in half 
 across the middle, so as to allow the lower half to be shut, while the 
 upper, being open, admits a free supply of air. A small window should 
 be inserted in the wall, for light and ventilation when the door is closed. 
 When straw is abundant it is usual to leave the floor in its natural state, 
 
GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE BROOD MARE. 
 
 159 
 
 the litter absorbing all that falls from the mare and foal, and being 
 changed often enough to keep the place dry. In. case, however, this 
 cannot be done, the flooring should be similar to that for ordinary stables, 
 that is to say, laid with bricks or pebbles, clinkers being much too expen- 
 sive for such a purpose. Where chalk is abundant, it forms an excellent 
 floor, if a drain is cut all round the building, and the soil being taken o'&t 
 to the depth of nearly a foot, the chalk is filled in to a little above the 
 level of the natural surface, and is then well rammed down, a drain and 
 trap being inserted in the middle. The last point which requires consi- 
 deration is the kind of manger which is best adapted to the use of the 
 mare and her foal, if the latter is to be fed in the way proper to thorough- 
 bred stock. In any case, a wooden manger of the ordinary kind should 
 be fixed, with a staple for the rack-chain to fasten her up. A hay rack 
 should be so arranged that it can be filled from the outside without diffi- 
 culty ; which is easily managed by building a little wooden excrescence on 
 to one of the outer walls, leaving a hole in the latter for the mare to feed 
 herself through. A wooden lid, covered with zinc, lifts up and permits 
 the introduction of the fodder without the necessity for carrying a fork 
 into the hovel, which will sometimes injure the mare or her foal. Well- 
 bred young animals of this species are so mischievous that when shut up 
 they will jump into any place which can possibly hold them, and many a 
 broken leg or back has ensued from an open hay-rack, placed near the 
 ground, attracting the gambols of a foal. A few wooden bars nailed across 
 the opening effectually prevents this, while the addition of a low manger 
 in another corner provides for the feeding of the foal with kibbled oats, 
 if such should be the plan adopted, and the fourth is occupied by a water- 
 tank. External to the hovel the only provision necessary is a yard, which 
 may be omitted if the paddock is always dry from the land being well 
 drained. Unless this is the case, however, the yard should always be 
 provided, as there are many days throughout the year when the weather 
 is fine enough overhead to allow of the foal being turned out of doors with 
 advantage, if it can be protected from the wet grass or wetter soil. A 
 yard is, therefore, truly valuable in the absence of a dry soil, and it should 
 be paved with bricks, stones, or pebbles, well covered with a layer of 
 litter, to prevent slips and strains. 
 
 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OE THE BROOD MARE. 
 
 When it has been decided to breed from a mare, if she is not already 
 thrown out of work, it will often be necessary to cool her down, by turn- 
 ing her out to grass and taking away her corn, before she wfill become 
 stinted. Thorough-bred mares are not, as a rule, allowed to take the horse 
 while in work ; but sometimes they are so constantly “ in use,” that no 
 other means will enable the trainer to go on with his work of preparation. 
 There is a wonderful difference in this respect: some animals are rarely 
 “ in use,” once or twice a year being the outside ; while others are so 
 every nine days throughout the spring, — the average, perhaps, being in 
 that state at about intervals of two or three months from the time of shed- 
 ding their coats till the beginning of autumn. Again, some are not upset 
 in their work by this natural process ; while others refuse to feed, lose 
 condition, and cannot be depended on for half their usual exertions. 
 Either extreme requires a change of feeding ; for, on the one hand, the 
 cool temperament is excited by the freedom of a run at grass, and on the 
 other, the warmer one, is benefited by losing the heating qualities of her 
 
160 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 corn. At a)R events, it is found, in practice, that though the majority of 
 maiden m^ es will become stinted while at work, yet that a large number 
 require /a run a t grass before they will become in foal. As I before re- 
 mark^? thorough-bred mares are generally entirely devoted to the stud 
 f r0 Tm the time that they are put to the horse ; but there are many others 
 r jf lower breeding which their owners desire to work on for some months 
 afterwards. It is often apparent that the legs of a hack or harness-mare 
 are wearing out, and her owner decides upon having a foal from her, but 
 wishes to avoid the expense of keep from the spring, when he puts her to 
 the horse, till the next January or February, varying, of course, with the 
 time of foaling. All mares are the better for slow work up to within two 
 months of foaling ; but they should not be ridden or driven so fast as to 
 occasion exhaustion. Cart-mares are generally used to within a few days 
 of their time, taking care to keep them at light work and to avoid strain- 
 ing them. With these precautions, if the legs keep tolerably sound, a 
 mare may be made to earn her keep for nine months out of the eleven 
 which are the duration of her pregnancy. 
 
 The time of sending the mare to the horse will vary with the purposes 
 for which her produce is intended. If for racing, it is desired that she 
 shall foal as soon as possible after the first of January; and as she carries 
 her foal about eleven months, the first time of her being " in use ” after 
 the first of February is the period chosen for her. All other horses take 
 their age from the first of May ; and as this is the time when the young 
 grass begins to be forward enough for the use of the mare, the breeder is 
 not anxious to get his half-bred foals dropped much before that time. As, 
 however,, mares are very uncertain animals, he will do well to take advan- 
 tage of the first opportunity after March, as by putting off the visit to the 
 horse, he may be disappointed altogether, or the foal may be dropped so 
 late, that winter sets in before it has acquired strength to bear it. These 
 remarks apply to maiden mares only ; those which have dropped a foal 
 are generally put to the horse nine or ten days afterwards, when almost 
 every mare is in season. For this reason, valuable thorough-bred mares 
 are often sent to foal at the place where the sire stands who is intended to 
 be used next time. The travelling to him so soon after foaling would be 
 injurious to both the dam and her foal, and hence the precaution I have 
 named is adopted. The mare then remains to be tried at intervals of 
 nine days, and when she is stinted, the foal is strong enough to bear 
 any length of journey with impunity. Mares and their foals commonly 
 travel by road twenty miles, or even more, for this purpose ; but they do 
 not often exceed that distance, and about fifteen miles a day is quite as 
 much as a nine days’ old foal can compass without injury, and that done 
 very quietly, the mare being led at a slow pace all the way. 
 
 TREATMENT WHEN IN FOAL. 
 
 When the mare is in foal, if not intended to be kept at work, she 
 should be turned out in good pasture ; but it should not be so rich and 
 succulent as to disagree with her stomach, or make her unwieldy from fat. 
 The former mistake is a constant cause of miscarriage, the bowels be- 
 coming relaxed from the improper nature of the food. On the other hand, 
 if it is not sufficiently good, the mare will become thin, and will starve 
 her foal in its growth. Mares that have been corned highly all their 
 lives should have a feed or two daily, after they are six months gone, and 
 especially if the autumnal grasses are not rich and plentiful. Most half- 
 
. TREATMENT AFTER FOALING. 
 
 161 
 
 bred animals, however, do very well till about Christmas ; after which, 
 hay and corn, with a few carrots, should be liberally given them, still 
 allowing them to pick up what grass they can find in their paddocks. 
 Excessive fat is a state of disease, and interferes with the due nutrition of 
 the foetus , while it is very dangerous at foaling-time, when it not only 
 interferes with the process, but also tends to produce fever. Supposing 
 the mare to be at work, she should have some kind of green food — lucerne 
 being the best, and vetches, perhaps, the worst for the purpose, the latter 
 being too heating, especially to the organs contained within the pelvis. 
 Any of the grasses or clovers answer well ; and, after they are done, 
 carrots form an excellent succedaneum, given sliced in a bran mash every 
 night. By adopting these articles of food, the mare is kept free from 
 inflammation, and yet the foal is well nourished, which are the two essen- 
 tial points to be considered. 
 
 Excitement of evert kind is a fertile source of “ slipping ” the foal ; 
 and everything which is at all likely to have that effect should be carefully 
 avoided. The smell of blood is said to have a very prejudicial influence 
 in this way; and there is no doubt that one mare miscarrying will in 
 some mode affect others in proximity to her. Possibly the same cause may 
 act on all ; but it seems to be generally concluded that the act is really 
 contagious, either from what is called sympathy, or in some other as 
 inexplicable way. If a mare has “ slipped ” a foal in a previous preg- 
 nancy, double care should be taken, as she will be far more likely to do so 
 again than another which has hitherto escaped the accident. It occurs 
 most frequently about the fourth or fifth month, therefore extra care 
 should be taken at that time. The suspected individual should be kept 
 quiet by herself ; but it is better to allow her the run of a small retired 
 paddock, than to confine her to her hovel, where, for want of exercise, she 
 will become restless and anxious. Purging physic should not be given, 
 unless it is absolutely necessary; and if the bowels are so confined as 
 to require some stimulus of this kind, and bran mashes and other changes 
 in the food fail to produce any effect,, choice should be made of the mildest 
 aperient which is likely to answer the purpose. With regard to the 
 management of the mare in parturition, I shall leave its consideration to 
 my colleague, who will, doubtless, be of the same opinion as myself, that, 
 if assistance is demanded, it is safer to have recourse at once to a properly 
 educated veterinary surgeon. Stud grooms who have had much expe- 
 rience will sometimes be able to aid Nature with advantage ; but, in the 
 long run, they will probably do more harm than good, if they attempt any 
 serious interference. 
 
 TREATMENT AFTER FOALING. 
 
 In a healthy state, the mare very soon recovers the efforts which she 
 has made in bringing forth the foal ; and, in fine weather, she may be 
 allowed to enter her paddock on the second day afterwards, which is 
 generally soon enough to suit the strength of the foal, though occasionally 
 the young animal is very active within six hours after it comes into the 
 world. For a couple of months, or perhaps less in some cases, the mare 
 and foal are better kept in a paddock by themselves ; but in a large stud 
 this is difficult when the foals come very quickly; and then several mares 
 of quiet temperament are put together, still keeping separate those which 
 are shy or vicious. Until the mare can get plenty of grass, she should 
 have carrots, bran mashes, and a feed or two of oats, which at first are 
 
162 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 better given in tbe shape of gruel — the water with which this is made 
 having the chill taken off. Eye-grass is cultivated and cut for the mares 
 daily by those who have early foals ; but, though it is better than hay, 
 it is not equal to good upland clover-grass. Lucerne is excellent, but it 
 cannot be grown so early as rye. I have already described, at page 1 60 , 
 the proper time for again putting the mare to the horse, so that I need 
 not enter into that subject here. During the remainder of the time of 
 suckling, no special treatment is required, except to see that the mare is 
 well fed and protected from the weather. At weaning-time, she some- 
 times requires a dose or two of cooling medicine ; but generally she is so 
 nearly dry, that no interference is required. 
 
 EAELY TEEATMEHT OE THE FOAL. 
 
 If the young animal is well formed and healthy, it will require no 
 attention beyond that which I have specified as necessary for the dam. 
 There are, however, several accidents to which it is liable ; such as rup- 
 ture either at the navel or flank, inversion of the feet, &c. ; all of which 
 will be treated of in their proper places. About the time of the mare 
 being “ in use,” the foal is generally purged a good deal, and a warm 
 drench will often be required. At the end of a month, or sometimes 
 earlier, the foal will eat bruised oats ; and highly-bred young stock are 
 generally allowed, from this time, first a single quartern, and then by 
 degrees two quarterns of oats. Half-breds, and even cart-horses, would 
 be the better for this stimulus to development; but if it is begun, it 
 should be continued ; and, unless the foal shows such promise that it is 
 expected to turn out extraordinarily well, the extra expense will not be 
 reimbursed. The half-peck of oats cannot be put down as costing less 
 than six pounds a year ; and thus, at five years of age, the colt will have 
 cost thirty pounds more than if he had been fed on hay and grass alone. 
 How, between a racehorse reared on corn, and another confined to hay and 
 grass, the difference in value would be a thousand per cent. ; and in first- 
 class hunters, though not so great as this, it would be very considerable. 
 But among inferior horses, on the average, it would scarcely reach the 
 sum I have named as the prime cost of the oats ; and, therefore, though 
 in the depth of winter a quartern or half a peck is generally given with a 
 little bran, yet, when there is good grass, this is neither necessary nor is 
 it economical. Shelter from the weather should, however, be afforded to 
 colts of all classes during the winter season ; and unless they have this, 
 they soon grow out of form and lose flesh, however well they may be fed. 
 It is now fully recognised that warmth and protection from the rain 
 encourage the growth of all our domestic animals ; but in none are they 
 more influential than in the one which I am now discussing. A colt neg- 
 lected in its first winter never recovers its proper shape, nor does it grow 
 into the size and strength of body and limbs which naturally appertain to 
 its breed. Independently, therefore, of the cruelty in exposing the young 
 animal to a climate for which it is not fitted, the plan does not pay; and 
 on the latter account, if not on the former, even the most heartless, who 
 consider their own interests, will make suitable provision for protecting 
 their young horse-stock from the inclemency of our winter climate. 
 
 The foal should be handled from the very first week of its existence ; 
 but there is no occasion to use it roughly in accustoming it to the pressure 
 of the hand on all parts of its body and limbs. If this process is very 
 gradually commenced, no resistance will at any time be offered, and the 
 
WEANING. 
 
 1G3 
 
 foal will allow its feet to be picked up, and its bead and ears to be rubbed, 
 without taking offence. Grooms are sometimes in the habit of showing 
 off their powers in this way, by taking the foal up in their arms ; but this 
 can do no good, and may possibly lead to injury of the walls of the 
 abdomen. About the fourth or fifth month, and before weaning is com- 
 menced, a light head-collar should be put on ; and after the foal is accus- 
 tomed to its pressure, by repeatedly handling the part on successive days, 
 a leading-rein should be buckled on, and the young thing enticed to follow 
 the groom without any absolute coercion. At the same time, it must be 
 made to feel that resistance is useless ; and if it begins to pull, it must on 
 no account be allowed to get away, the groom yielding as long as the foal 
 pulls straight back, but coercing it gently with a side strain. A carefully 
 handled foal will rarely give any trouble in this way; but there is an 
 astonishing variation in the power which different men have over the 
 animal creation. Some will gain control without using the slightest vio- 
 lence, while others will be always fighting with their charge, and after all 
 will not be able to do nearly as much with them as their more quiet and 
 clever rivals. The latter class should never be allowed to have anything 
 to do with young horses ; and though there may be occasional exceptions 
 which require severe measures, yet if once a man is found resorting to 
 violence with a foal which he has had the management of from the first, 
 he should, in my opinion, be removed from his post ; or, at all events, he 
 should be carefully watched, and a repetition of the offence ought to be 
 considered as a notice to quit. Long before the coming among us of 
 Mr. Earey, this was recognised amongst the most extensive breeders of 
 horses in this country; and though cruelty was not unknown among 
 them, any more than it is now, it was fully recognised as not only an 
 unnecessary but an unsatisfactory means of mastering the horse. 
 
 THE WEANTFTG AKD AETEE TEEATMENT OF THE FOAL 
 
 The usual age for weaning the foal is about the end of the sixth 
 month, that time being selected because the dam is generally about 
 “ half gone ” with her next foal, and cannot bear the double drain upon 
 her system. NTor does the foal benefit much by the milk after this age, 
 the teeth and stomach being quite strong enough to crop and digest the 
 succulent grasses that are to be had from August to October, those being 
 the months during which the several breeds attain the middle of their 
 first year. If the autumn is a dry one, and grass is scanty, a few steamed 
 turnips or carrots may be mixed with bran and given to the foal night and 
 morning; but, as a rule, unless it is to be highly forced into its growth 
 for the purpose of early racing, it will require only the grass which it can 
 pick up when it is turned out. Three or four foals are generally placed 
 together in the same paddock for company, and in this way they miss 
 their dams far less than if confined by themselves. Care should be taken 
 that nothing is left within their reach which can do injury, every fence 
 and gate being carefully examined to see that no projecting bolt, nail, or 
 rail is likely to lay hold of their bodies or limbs as they gallop about in 
 their play. Foals of all ages are mischievous animals, and the better fed 
 they are the more inclined they seem to lay hold of anything which 
 attracts their notice. 
 
 Besides the shelter of a hovel, which I have already insisted on, the 
 foal requires throughout its first winter good feeding proportioned to its 
 oreeding and the purposes for which it is intended. Eacing colts are 
 
 m 2 
 
164 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 allowed three or four feeds of bruised oats with steamed carrots oi 
 turnips, and sometimes steamed hay ; but the general plan is to give as 
 much as they will eat of the best upland hay, in its natural state, after 
 they have finished their allowance of corn. Young stock intended to be 
 sold as hunters and first-class carriage-horses are always allowed half a 
 peck of bruised oats, and a few carrots and turnips will not be thrown 
 away upon them. Hacks, and inferior young stock of all kinds, get 
 through the winter upon hay and barley-straw, part being sometimes cut 
 into chaff, and mixed with a quartern of bran, daily ; and if they are very 
 low in flesh, a few oats being added. During severe frosts the straw-yard 
 is the best place for the foal, on account of the hardness of the ground in 
 the fields, and here he will easily keep himself warm and dry, and he can 
 be attended to according to his wants. Let the breeder, however, con- 
 stantly bear in mind that a check given to the growth in the first winter 
 is never afterwards entirely recovered, and that if the colt which has 
 experienced it turns out well he would have been still better without it. 
 
 CASTRATION. 
 
 The operation for converting the horse into the gelding is usually per- 
 formed just before weaning, in the autumn of the first year, upon such 
 colts as are intended for any purposes but those of the racecourse. Much, 
 however, will depend upon the development of the individual, it being 
 ascertained that the longer a colt remains uncut the more is the fore 
 quarter developed, and especially the head and neck. If, therefore, these 
 parts, as well as the shoulders, are already forward in their growth, the 
 operation should be performed early ; while, if the contrary state exists, it 
 should be deferred till a later period ; but it is seldom desirable to postpone 
 it beyond the age of twelve months. As to the operation itself, the pre- 
 paration necessary, and the subsequent treatment, lull directions are given 
 at page 577, et scq . 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE BREAKING OF THE COLT. 
 
 MR. RAREY’S PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE — ORDINARY METHOD OF BREAKING FOR THE 
 SADDLE — SUPERIORITY OF THE LATTER WHEN PROPERLY CARRIED OUT — BREAKING 
 TO HARNESS — DR. BUNTING’S BREAK. 
 
 The -year 1858 will ever be memorable in the annals of the English 
 stable for the success of Mr. Rarey and his partner, Mr. Good enough, iu 
 extracting 25,000Z. from the pockets of English horsemen by the promise 
 of a new method of breaking and training the animal which they all loved 
 so well, but so often found not quite obedient to their wills. The plans 
 by which obedience was to be ensured were kept a profound secret, but 
 to prove Mr. Rarey’ s power, the French coaching stallion, Stafford, the 
 English thoroughbred, Cruiser, and a grey colt in the possession of Mr. 
 Anderson, of Piccadilly, all notoriously vicious, were privately subdued, 
 and afterwards exhibited in public. Subscribers were invited to pay ten 
 guineas each, with the engagement that as soon as five hundred names 
 
MR. RAREY’S MODE OF BREAKING. 
 
 16*5 
 
 were put <3 own. the American would teach them in classes, each subscriber 
 binding hiimsel', under a heavy penalty, to keep the secret. The result 
 was that elevesc hundred ladies and gentlemen paid their money, and kept 
 their promise so well that until the appearance of a small shilling volume, 
 published by Messrs. Eoutledge and Co., which detailed the whole process, 
 in the very words given to the American public some years before by Mr. 
 Rarey, no one but the subscribers had any certain knowledge of the secret, 
 although it subsequently appeared that it had oozed out, and had been 
 propounded in several directions as a rival scheme of much older date. 
 However, it is not now my intention to attempt the discovery of the 
 inventor of the system generally known as Rarey’s, my sole object being 
 to ascertain its real worth in breaking young stock, and in remedying or 
 curing the vices to which older horses are occasionally subject. It will be 
 seen hereafter that though I think the plan of great service in some cases, 
 I doubt its utility as an aid to the breaker; but, having cost the country 
 far more than 25,0001., and having received the approval of hundreds of 
 experienced horsemen, it would ill become me to pass the subject over 
 without giving reasons for the conclusions to which I have arrived. I 
 was not one of the original subscribers, but I have seen Mr. Rarey exhibit 
 his extraordinary powers over the horse more than a dozen times, so that 
 I am in a position to form an opinion upon the whole process as compared 
 with our ordinary English methods, with which I have also long been 
 practically acquainted. 
 
 In his public demonstrations Mr. Rarey always commenced by some 
 introductory remarks on the natural history of the horse, in which there 
 was nothing to impress the auditor with any great respect for his powers. 
 At the end of this act, which was evidently intended to kill time, we were 
 put in possession of the three fundamental principles of the new theory of 
 the proper management of the horse, namely : — 
 
 First, “ That he is so constituted by nature that he will not offer resist- 
 ance to any demand made of him which he fully comprehends, if made in 
 a way consistent with the laws of his nature.” 
 
 Secondly, “ That he has no consciousness of his strength beyond his 
 experience, and can be handled according to our will without force.” 
 
 Thirdly, “ That we can, in compliance with the laws of his nature, by 
 which he examines all things new to him, take any object, however 
 frightful, around, over, or on him, that does not inflict pain, without 
 causing him to fear.” 
 
 Ho one will, I believe, dispute the first two of these principles, which 
 have certainly nothing very novel in them. The third, when promulgated, 
 was more opposed to our experience, and a demonstration of its truth was 
 naturally enough required before it was accepted. To comply with this 
 demand horse after horse was submitted to an exhausting and painful 
 proof, which I shall presently describe, and then certainly anything which 
 did not inflict pain was borne without apparently producing fear. This, 
 therefore, was proving the letter of the third principle ; but was the spirit 
 of it established ? The words just quoted, if they mean anything, signify 
 that it is only necessary to allow a hoxse to examine the drum and he will 
 show no fear of it. Eut is this the real fact h I trow not. Before a high- 
 couraged horse will allow a drum to be beaten on his back he must either 
 submit to a long course of training under the old system, or he must go 
 through the royal road of Mr. Rarey, of which nothing whatever is said 
 in the three principles alluded to. Take an ordinary hunter after he is 
 exhausted by a long run, and he will bear the noise of a drum, or any 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 im 
 
 other alarming agent, to which he would, when fresh and a ctive, show the 
 greatest objection. Why, then, should we be astonished that a shorter 
 method of exhausting the nervous energy should have tlf$ same effect, 
 even if it is shown in a still more remarkable manner, as we shall presently 
 see it is? As far, therefore, as Mr. Rarey’ s principles are concerned I 
 have little to say against them, except that if the third is meant to apply 
 to the exhibition of the drum beaten on the backs of his several subjects, 
 it is not very ingenuous in the language which is used. 
 
 Before Mr. Rarey came to England he had, as I have already 
 remarked, published in America a little pamphlet which described his 
 several plans for driving a colt from pasture ; — driving into a stable and 
 haltering, and the kind of halter used, &c. If &Lso contained an account of 
 an experiment with a robe, showing that the horse, as soon as he discovers 
 by his senses that an object has no power or will to hurt him, goes up to 
 it, and soon becomes regardless of its presence. All these remarks, how- 
 ever, have no interest for my readers, as they are of no utility whatever, 
 and the sole remaining contents of the pages which were published by 
 Messrs. Routledge, and received with so much interest in this country, 
 were the directions for throwing the horse, and afterwards handling, oi 
 “ gentling ” him, as the American operator calls the stroking the limbs, 
 which he always puts into practice after the horse is down. If this little 
 book had been published a few months earlier it would have entirely 
 destroyed the pecuniary prospects of the partners, but coming late as it 
 did, it prevented the payment of any more ten guinea subscriptions, 
 and reduced the charge for the sight of the process to guinea and half- 
 guinea tickets for seats at the Alhambra. I shall, therefore, proceed 
 to describe the casting process, as witnessed by myself, and then 
 examine into its nature and effect upon the horse, whether in breaking 
 or taming him. 
 
 The apparatus which is required is, first of all, an ordinary snaffie or 
 straight bit in the mouth, without which nothing could be done with any 
 vicious horse ; and if any animal is to be “ Rareyfied,” the preliminary 
 operation is to get this into the mouth. Stafford was brought to Mr. Rarey 
 with the aid of guide-ropes, which were fastened to his head and held by 
 grooms on each side. In him, therefore, this first essential point was 
 accomplished. Cruiser also had a halter, strengthened with iron, and in 
 him also there was a means of laying hold of the head, which was eagerly 
 seized by the operator. The plan adopted in his case was to fix an iron 
 staple to the door-post, and then running through this a strong leather 
 strap, to which a spring hook was attached, the opportunity was seized 
 when the horse came open-mouthed to the door, and he was securely laid 
 hold of and drawn up to the staple, so as to compel him to allow the 
 introduction of a bit. The grey colt at Mr. Anderson's was bitted; but 
 the zebra was loose in his cage, and I do not at all know how the gag in 
 which he w^as exhibited was forced into his mouth, but I believe it was 
 effected by a rope thrown round his neck and drawn up to the bars of 
 his cage. 
 
 The second part of the apparatus is the leg-strap for the near fore leg, 
 being very similar to a stirrup death er, which, with the addition of a 
 strong loop, can be made to answer the same purpose very well. Before 
 applying this strap, which at once makes the horse harmless for offence, 
 he must be rendered approachable, which, in ordinary animals, is effected 
 merely with the aid of the bridle. In Stafford, however, as I before 
 remarked, guide-ropes were used; and in the case of Cruiser, he was 
 
THE LEG STRAP. 
 
 167 
 
 enticed up to a waggon loaded with hay, under which was Mr. Earey, and 
 through the wheel of which this leg-strap was quietly and cautiously 
 
 buckled on his leg. As soon as this is done the horse is innocent of all 
 mischief except with his teeth, for he cannot kick on three legs, and even 
 his mouth may be kept away from the operator by drawing on the off 
 
 rein. To bring him speedily to submit to the power of the operator, the 
 other leg must also be confined, which is effected by first buckling 
 on a surcingle, as represented in the last engraving, and then catching 
 the off fetlock in the running noose of leg-strap No. 2 , which is made 
 in the annexed form. Provided with this second strap in his pocket, 
 and having already applied the leg-strap No. 1, and the surcingle as 
 shown above, the subject under manipulation is either induced to drop 
 his off foot into the noose, or it is slipped round his ancle, while the 
 
168 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 off rein is held by the other hand to keep the teeth off the operator. 
 As soon as this loop is firmly drawn round the leg, the other end 
 
 is slipped through the surcingle under the belly, and entire control of 
 the horse is only a work of time. The arrangement of these straps is 
 well shown in the engraving, where Cruiser is sketched ready for the final 
 
 CRUISER IN THE POWER OF HIS MASTER. 
 
 struggle. IJp to this time, almost every horse will be tolerably quiet and 
 unresisting, some squealing when any approach is made to their elbows to 
 tighten the surcingle, and others when the strap Uo. 2 is slipped through 
 it. Few, however, plunge much ; and if they are made to hop on three 
 legs, they are able to go on for so long a time, without producing the 
 necessary amount of fatigue, that the operator would be tired before his 
 
169 
 
 THE HORSE BOUNDING ON PIIS HIND LEGS. 
 
 pupiL It is at this stage — that is to say, with the use of the leg-strap 
 No. 1 — that the predecessors of Mr. Rarey stopped, and they consequently 
 failed to gain the absolute control which he has invariably obtained with 
 the slight, but really important, additions which he has made, and which 
 he uses in the ingenious manner which I shall now describe. It may be 
 observed that, with a violent horse, it is always better to let him feel his 
 want of power for doing mischief with the near fore leg strapped up, and 
 the slight degree of fatigue which a few minutes’ hopping will produce, 
 before the second strap is called into play, especially if the operator has 
 not acquired great skill in the use of the apparatus. When this is done, 
 and the second strap ’s applied, and slipped through the surcingle, as 
 shown at page 168, taking care to put a stout glove on the right hand, 
 the left rein is taken in the left hand, and gently jerked — using, if 
 necessary, the usual slight stimulus with the tongue, to make the horse 
 
 move, which he can only do by raising the off fore leg off the ground in 
 the action known as hopping. The moment this begins, the right hand 
 fhrmly draws the off leg up to the surcingle, and keeps it there, when the 
 horse must either bound into the air on his hind legs, or he must go down 
 on the ground, supported from falling on his side in the attitude of 
 kneeling. To avoid mischief, therefore, the loose-box or yard where the 
 operation is carried on should be thickly bedded with straw; for no knee- 
 caps are stout enough to protect the joints from injury on hard ground; 
 nor, if they escape being bruised, will the shock to the body on falling 
 be at all safe. Even straw can hardly be relied on, if the floor beneath is ' 
 of brick, stone, pebbles, or hard natural soil ; for it is apt to give way 
 during the struggles of the horse, and allow the knees to reach it without 
 the intended protection. When, therefore, there is no tanned riding- 
 
170 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 school, or other similar surface, at command, a good solid bed of manure 
 (which is always to be had wherever horses are) should be spread a foot 
 thick at least, and over this clean straw may be laid. To return to the 
 subject of the operation, whom we left with the alternative of bounding 
 in the air on his hind legs, or falling on his knees in the annexed attitude, 
 the chief art in managing this part of the process is to keep firm hold of 
 the strap attached to the off leg close to the surcingle ; the hand being 
 protected by the glove, can easily prevent it from slipping through during 
 the struggles of the horse, and at the same time serves as a point dlappui 
 for the operator, so that he can follow the movements of the bounding 
 animal in whatever direction he may progress. The operator must on no 
 account attempt to stand away from his patient, nor must he advance 
 before the girth-place ; but keeping close to this, he is in no danger, pro- 
 
 THE HORSE ON HIS KNEES, ABOUT TO FALL ON HIS SIDE. 
 
 vided he has the sense and tne ability to give way if the horse should 
 throw himself down towards his side. The rein, being still held in 
 the left hand, prevents the horse falling away from the operator, and is 
 also used by him as a means of guiding the animal, if he happens to pro- 
 gress in a direction which is not desired. Nothing else is to be attempted 
 till the horse has quite exhausted all his energies, which those possessed 
 of high courage will soon do ; but low-bred animals are very apt to turn 
 sulky, and, refusing to plunge, remain on their knees, in spite of every 
 kind of stimulus which can be given them short of severe punishment 
 with the whip, which is to be avoided, as opposed to the principles on 
 which the whole process is founded. By taking time with these brutes, 
 they may always be made to tire themselves, for the kneeling position is 
 very irksome to them, and the most stubborn will give a plunge now and 
 
HINTS TO OPERATORS. 
 
 171 
 
 then to relieve themselves, though they will not follow up one with 
 another as speedily as a thoroughbred. Sooner or later (the time varying 
 from ten minutes to two or three hours), the tail begins to tremble, the 
 flanks heave, and a profuse perspiration breaks out, which are signs that 
 the horse of himself desires the recumbent position, and will lie down of 
 his own accord, if not pulled over by the right hand of the operator. Mr. 
 Rarey, in his public exhibitions, has never, as far as I am aware, waited 
 for this to take place, but, perhaps to prevent wearying his audience, has 
 always pulled his patient over on his side as soon as he could accomplish 
 the feat. In many cases, this impatience has led to a partial failure ; the 
 horse, not being tired out, has refused to submit, and it has only been 
 after repeating the process once or twice that complete control has been 
 obtained. Those gentlemen, therefore, who wish to try the experiment 
 for themselves will do well to avoid any risk of a repetition, which they 
 may not be able to manage with the dexterity of the great American 
 tamer. Let them wait till the horse is thoroughly tired, and then only 
 interfere to such an extent as to keep him leaning towards their side, 
 by laying hold of the right rein instead of the left, as shown in the 
 engraving at page 169; and drawing the head away from themselves. 
 Mr. Rarey generally used the right hand for this purpose, when he wished 
 to throw his patient before he was exhausted, because he could in that 
 way employ more force ; and, at the same time, his dexterity was such, 
 that, if a bound was made, he was always ready to hold the strap attached 
 to the off foot before the horse could get fairly on his hind legs. In 
 whichever way the task is accomplished, the effect is apparently the same 
 — the horse lies extended on his side, panting and sweating, in the most 
 exhausted condition ; but, of course, showing more of these symptoms of 
 distress the longer he has been kept resisting the restraints put upon him. 
 Now comes the test of the practical ability of the operator; for whereas 
 before he had only plain directions to carry out, he has at this stage to 
 judge how far his efforts are successful. If he takes off the straps too 
 soon, the patient is patient no longer, but rises rapidly, and perhaps 
 rewards him by planting a severe blow on his ribs. It is here that Mr. 
 Rarey displayed his great skill to perfection. Apparently by intuition, he 
 knew when his pupil was mastered; but, as he was always ready to 
 explain, it was really by two symptoms that he judged whether he had 
 gained the mastery or not. One of these was the expression of the eye, 
 which it would be difflcult to describe, and which experience alone could 
 adequately convey to those who wish to understand it ; but the other, being 
 readily tested, is within the reach of every one. This consists in the 
 entire flaccidity of the muscles of the neck and limbs ; and until this is 
 ascertained to have been obtained, the straps should not be entirely 
 removed. Mr. Rarey’ s plan of proceeding at this stage was the following. 
 A second or two after the horse went down, he let him raise his head, and 
 then dragged it down again to the ground by the mane. On repeating 
 this once, twice, or thrice, the animal would give in as far as that part 
 was concerned ; and being rewarded with a pat of the hand, the head 
 remained still on the ground, and that part was “gentled.” Next re- 
 moving the leg straps, the fore legs were separately gently rubbed down- 
 wards ; and on being lifted, and let fall, as if dead, they also were passed 
 as in a similar satisfactory state. The operator then going round by the 
 back, proceeded to gentle the hind limbs ; and though, in vicious horses, 
 he sometimes had narrow escapes of being kicked, yet, by his great activity 
 and clever mode of seizing his opportunity, he always succeeded in keeping 
 
172 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 out of harm’s way. Finally, the operator passed in front of the legs, 
 and performed all the usual “ clap-traps ” of putting his head between 
 them, knocking the hind and fore shoes together, standing on the body, 
 &c. While in this state, the horse lies in the attitude and with the 
 expression which is very well represented in the accompanying sketch, 
 and there he will gladly lie as long as he is permitted to do so. But he 
 is not to be allowed to recruit his powers ; and as soon as he had gone 
 through the tricks which I have described, Mr. Rarey made him rise, and 
 then showed that the power which he had gained was not lost as soon as 
 the animal stood on his legs again. Calling for a saddle, it was in every 
 case shown to the horse, and put first on his head, then on his neck, 
 and finally in its proper place. The animal then always submitted to be 
 mounted, and even allowed the dangerous plan recommended and adopted 
 by Mr. Rarey, of standing close to the hind-quarter while putting the foot 
 
 in the stirrup, to be carried out without kicking, which before the “ Rarey- 
 fication ” most of the vicious brutes operated on in public would probably 
 have done. 
 
 By this plan, it is indisputable that any active man, of good temper, 
 but possessed of firmness and courage, and accustomed to deal with horses, 
 may gain such a control over even the most vicious, that he can do what 
 he likes with them in-doors. hTo one who has examined into the matter 
 can doubt Mr. Rarey’ s power, nor can he refuse him the merit of im- 
 proving upon the old system of controlling the horse, by the addition of 
 the second leg strap, which adds so much to the power of the human 
 arm, that the most violent and muscular horse has no chance whatever,; 
 The secret lies in two essential features ; first, that the horse must never 
 be coerced or resisted unless the man is certain of success in controlling 
 him ; and, secondly, that when the former is thoroughly convinced of his 
 
CONCLUSIONS. 
 
 173 
 
 powerless condition, and Lis muscles are tired out, the latter interferes 
 and relieves him of his trammels, “ gentles ” him, gives him kind words, 
 and at length encourages him to rise. The effect is marvellous — the most 
 vicious brute, who would previously tear any man to pieces, after he is 
 thus first coerced, and then “ gentled ” and relieved, appears to grow fond 
 of his master, and follows him about like a dog. Clearly, therefore, Mr. 
 Rarey may be considered as having been eminently successful in pro- 
 pounding a system of horse- taming; but it by no means follows that his 
 process is equally, or even at all, useful in hoi'se-breaking. There are 
 other questions, also, which remain to be considered in relation to the 
 method which I have described. First, Is it permanent quoad the indi- 
 vidual who has carried it out ? secondly, Does the vicious horse who has 
 been subdued and “ gentled ” by one man, show the same absence of vice 
 towards others ? and thirdly, Is he injured in any way by the operation 1 
 On the first of these points there appears to be strong evidence that, if 
 the operator gives occasionally a very slight reminder of his powers, the 
 effect of one, two, or three lessons, repeated at short intervals, will con- 
 tinue for at least a year or two. There are numerous instances which 
 have come to my knowledge of horses resuming their vicious habits 
 within two or three months of receiving such a lesson from Mr. Rarey 
 that they would allow him to do what he liked with them ; but in the 
 case of the savage Cruiser, there is reason to believe that he never once 
 rebelled against his master from the time that he first gave in. In his 
 case, however, the operation was repeated hundreds of times ; and there- 
 fore it does not go so far as I have stated to be the rule, but others might 
 be adduced which keep strictly within it ; and there are also private indi- 
 viduals who have practised on horses which have never been exhibited in 
 public who have kept up their control unimpaired. The evidence in 
 favour of the lasting nature of the controlling power, when exercised by 
 the operator himself, is too strong to be gainsaid ; and the first question 
 may, I think, be safely answered in the affirmative. But in reference to 
 the second, the evidence is all the other way ; and on putting Cruiser into 
 the witness-box, he would tell us that he has several times turned against 
 his groom, and put his life in danger. Still, it must be remembered that, 
 prior to his treatment by “ Rareyfication,” no man dared enter his box ; 
 and on comparing his two states, before and afterwards, it may be truly 
 said, that though not absolutely cured of his vicious propensities, he is 
 comparatively so. Probably the same conclusion may be arrived at in 
 those cases which are related of relapses from virtue to vice ; but, at all 
 events, such instances are numerous enough, and attested in a manner so 
 respectable, that every possessor of a coerced horse should be always on 
 his guard. The last question is somewhat difficult to answer, because the 
 injury, if real, is not apparent. The chief means of testing the effect is on 
 the powers of racehorses, several of which have felt Mr. Rarey’ s straps, 
 and been controlled by his master hand. Row, I believe there is no 
 instance of a horse which had gone through the operation, doing any good 
 subsequently on the turf. All have shown either a waut of speed or 
 heart; and whatever has been the cause of this, they have run behind 
 those animals whose form was considered by good judges to have been 
 previously inferior to them. Thus, Mr. Merry's Miss Finch, when she 
 first appeared, beat several fields of first-class two-year-olds ; and it was 
 generally believed, when she afterwards was beaten, that it was only 
 because her temper was so bad. Yet when this defect was so far remedied 
 by the process I am considering, that Mr. M. Dawson could ride her con- 
 
174 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 stantly as a hack without much inconvenience, she never recovered heT 
 racing powers, and neither in private (as I have been informed), nor in 
 public certainly, did she ever exhibit any approach to her former speed. 
 
 On the whole, therefore, it may fairly he concluded that Mr. Rarey’s 
 plans are well adapted for the control of vicious horses, supposing they 
 are not subsequently wanted for the turf, in which case the utility of the 
 process is very questionable. As, however, all our horses are not vicious, 
 and as by the casting and gentling nothing more is effected than a general 
 control, it remains to be considered how far this is useful in breaking 
 colts for general purposes. My own belief is that it acts by producing 
 in the horse a compound feeling of fear and gratitude, the former being 
 the result of his fruitless efforts to get rid of the controlling hand of man, 
 and the latter being established from finding that hand relieve him of his 
 straps and then caress and “ gentle ” him. If, therefore, any horse, even 
 without vice, is required to exhibit to his master or mistress any relations 
 more intimate than those which are usually practised in this country, 
 great advantage will result from the establishment of this fear and grati- 
 tude. With the exception, however, of cavalry and circus horses, we 
 generally content ourselves with that amount of intercourse which is 
 acquired in the saddle, and we do not want our hacks to exhibit tricks, 
 nor do we require them to follow us about at liberty like our dogs. It 
 has been attempted to show that this particular plan gets rid of a great 
 deal of cruelty to the horse, but this is altogether unfounded, for long 
 before the great American trainer made his appearance, writers on the 
 horse had denounced its use, and though many cruelly severe breakers 
 and grooms existed, as they still exist, yet they were exceptions to the 
 general rule. Cavalry horses, especially when on service, are required to 
 submit to the control of the men in many ways which are never in demand 
 for hacking or hunting, and the mere power of compelling the horse to 
 lie down and remain on the ground is worth a great deal of trouble to 
 acquire. As far as they are concerned, I think the use of Mr. Rarey’s 
 straps most valuable ; and it must be remembered that this was all that the 
 Canadian military authorities certified in their recommendations which 
 Mr. Earey brought with him across the Atlantic. The clever management 
 of his partner, Mr. Goodenough, and the profound secrecy maintained for 
 so long, carried the public away far beyond this, and, as in the fable of the 
 fox who had lost his tail, all those who had spent their ten guineas were 
 anxious to place their friends in the same predicament. This is the only 
 way in which I can account for the extraordinary conclusions to which so 
 many practised horsemen arrived in 1858. Since that time, it is true, 
 the fashion has subsided, and a more temperate view has been taken, the 
 general opinion of good judges being, I believe, pretty much in accordance 
 with those which I have always held publicly and privately, and which I 
 have here endeavoured to convey to my readers. 
 
 Before proceeding to inquire into the merits of Mr. Rarey^s plan as 
 compared with our own mode of breaking, it will be well to describe 
 what the latter is, and then ascertain which is the best mode of carrying 
 out our object. No horseman in this country would dream of using 
 the animal he intends to ride or drive without the control of a bit, 
 and although ho may aid this powerful instrument with his voice, his 
 leg, his whip, or his spur, yet it always has been, and still is, the 
 chief agent in the management of the horse. Again, no colt is to be 
 considered as broken until his rider or driver has altered his paces, 
 and given him such an action in the walk, trot, canter, and gallop, or 
 
ORDINARY ENGLISH METHOD. 
 
 175 
 
 in some two or three of these paces, that he has become pleasant and 
 safe. Now the plans which I have just described do not effect either 
 of these objects, indeed their tendency is rather to interfere with the 
 making of a good mouth, for the bit will sometimes cut the angles of the 
 lips^ and in this way tend to make it afterwards dull. I do not mean to 
 assert that this is necessarily carried far enough by Mr. Rarey to make his 
 plan objectionable on that account, but merely that if anything is done 
 towards breaking a colt, it is injurious rather than beneficial, with the 
 single exception of the establishment of a mental control, which, as I shall 
 presently show, is not wanted in more than one or two per thousand of 
 our horses. 
 
 THE ORDINARY ENGLISH METHOD OE BREAKING FOR 
 THE SADDLE. 
 
 In this country the breaker of the hack is not only supposed to produce 
 in his pupil what is called a good “ mouth,” but also to teach him the use 
 of his legs, so as to give a pleasant feel to his rider in the walk, trot, and 
 gallop, and in the canter, where specially required. The racehorse is 
 only “mouthed” and “backed,” his subsequent education being confided 
 to the trainer; and the hunter, in addition to these developments, is 
 taught to get over the various fences which he is likely to meet with, in a 
 clever manner. Each class must, therefore, go through the same prelimi- 
 nary process, which consists in producing a good mouth, and in making 
 the colt bear his rider patiently in the saddle. To effect these objects 
 when the colt is running at large he must be caught and haltered, and I 
 shall now proceed to show how the matter is effected ab initio. In doing 
 this it will be necessary to examine into the best apparatus for carrying 
 it out. 
 
 The halter, which in this country is generally first used, is the ordi- 
 nary one, made of hemp-webbing, for the head, with a running eye in the 
 back of the nose-piece, in which runs a stout rope attached to the head. 
 Thoroughbred colts are always made to carry a light leather head-stall 
 from the end of their first year, and so, indeed, are all well-bred yearlings 
 of any value. The large mass of colts run unhaltered till they are to be 
 broken, which is generally commenced when they are three-year-olds. 
 Ponies and small hacks are then often taken into use, the latter being 
 quietly ridden by the breeder for his own purposes till they are four or 
 five years old, when they are sold. Mr. Rarey recommends for all pur- 
 poses a leathern halter, made like an ordinary head-stall, but rather 
 lighter. This is at once put on the colt, and by buckling a leading-strap 
 to the nose-band, either before or behind, anything may be done which is 
 required, short of mounting. Two small billets and buckles attach any 
 bit which may be selected to the rings which connect the cheek pieces to 
 the nose-band, and thus the halter is converted into a very useful breaking 
 bridle. It wants, however, the stiff padded nose-band of the cavesson, 
 but this is only required with very violent and determined colts. The 
 annexed engraving represents Mr. Rarey’s halter-bridle, with his ordinary 
 breaking bit. 
 
 The bit which is usually employed in England for colts is a heavy 
 smooth snaffle, with a tongue-piece and keys depending from its central 
 link. For racing colts a very excellent bit has lately been extensively 
 introduced, consisting in a mere smooth ring of iron, with a loop on 
 the upper part for attachment to the head-stall, in the same way as in 
 
176 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Mr. Rarey's bridle. In front of this loop the ring is introduced into the 
 mouth, and the back of the circle takes the leading rein, which is thus 
 allowed to slip on either side, and keep a secure hold of the jaw however 
 much the colt may pull at it. I have a dislike to the snaffle for colts 
 because I have found it constantly pressing on one corner of the mouth 
 more than the other, the animal putting his head on one side, and leaning 
 upon that half of the mouthpiece, so as to relieve each side of the jaw 
 alternately, instead of allowing the two divisions of the snaffle to bear 
 equally on the angles of the mouth. I much prefer a bit made with an 
 
 anjointed mouthpiece, curved in a segment of a circle, with the usual 
 tongue-piece and keys attached to the middle by a roller. This curved 
 mouthpiece should have smooth rings turned upon it, which will prevent 
 the horse from rubbing his lips from side to side, and tend to form a very 
 pleasant and delicate mouth. I have known it used with great success in 
 breaking hundreds of colts, and I have myself found its advantages in 
 a great number of horses, young as well as old. These, together with a 
 martingale, buckling on to the bit, are all that are required for making 
 the mouth. 
 
 In addition to the apparatus for this part of the colt’s education, arrange- 
 ments must also be made for accustoming him to bear the weight of the 
 
BREAKING. 
 
 177 
 
 rider, and for attaching the bit to some part of the body. In commencing 
 the breaking it is customary to put on merely a roller with a leathern 
 surcingle over it, kept in its place by a crupper, which, for facility of putting 
 on, should have a buckle on one side. In front of the surcingle, on each 
 side, two buckles are stitched, serving to attach the reins either high up, 
 or even crossed over the withers, or low down, or sometimes both high 
 and low. Until within the last thirty or forty years, what is called a 
 dumb jockey was always attached to the roller, but this is generally now 
 dispensed with, though with the elastic reins introduced by Mr. Black- 
 well I think it may be made very useful. Lastly, to the crupper long 
 hanging straps are attached, so as to accustom the young animal to the 
 pressure of the coat or habit. Provided with this apparatus, and with a 
 long leading rein of webbing, the breaker is prepared to subdue the 
 wildest colt. 
 
 The first thing to be done is to get a halter or headstall on, which is 
 only to be effected either in a stable or similar enclosed place, or among a 
 herd of other horses, when the colt is so closely packed in that he cannot 
 move. Every one must have seen the Welsh and Irish drovers rush into 
 the middle of a herd, and seizing an unbroken colt round the neck, hold 
 him till a halter is slipped over his head. The same plan greatly facili- 
 tates the haltering of any colt; but a couple of steady horses are quite 
 enough to keep a colt steady in any building or small yard. The breaker 
 arranges so as to have one on each side, and then going up between them, 
 he has the colt held for him while he very slowly and quietly insinuates 
 his hand, with the head of the halter in it, over the neck, just behind the 
 ears. With a little dexterity, this is soon done, and then the nose-band 
 being slipped into its place, a good hold can be secured. Every horseman 
 must, however, agree with Mr. Rarey, that the rope halter with a running 
 noose is most improper, and that a leathern headstall should always be 
 chosen. It is quite true, that a single turn of the cord of the halter into 
 a half-hitch prevents all mischief, and this is done by good breakers ; but 
 the headstall or cavesson should be put on as soon as possible, and the 
 former may be worn constantly till the breaking is complete. With the 
 leading-rein attached to the nose-band, the breaker can now restrain the 
 colt from getting away; and, by kind words and gentle treatment, the 
 young animal soon becomes accustomed to his presence, and will allow 
 him to approach and handle him all over. When this is borne easily, he 
 may be led out about the fields, and green lanes if there are any ; but 
 while he continues to resent the approach of moving objects by violent 
 bounds, nothing should be put in his mouth out-of-doors. If he is very 
 wild and ungovernable, he may be made to trot gently round and round 
 in a circle on some soft ground, the breaker at first following him up, but 
 soon being enabled to “longe” him while standing in the centre. After 
 a day or two, the breaking-bit already described may be slipped into his 
 mouth, and attached in the way shown in the engraving at page 176. It 
 should, however, only be allowed to hang there without reins at first, and 
 it may either be kept on while the colt is being led about, or for an hour 
 or two daily while in the stable. In this way the jaw and lips become 
 accustomed to the pressure of the bit, and lose the painful sensation which 
 it at first occasions. If, on the other hand, the reins are at once buckled 
 on, and are then strained tightly back to the surcingle, or dumb-jockey, 
 the delicate mucous membrane becomes sore, and even ulcerated, and the 
 foundation is laid for that dull, unyielding mouth which is so objection- 
 able on every account. 
 
17E 
 
 THE HORSE* 
 
 It should never be forgotten, that the mouth is the foundation upon 
 which all the subsequent proceedings are to be conducted. A horse may 
 naturally have fine action, and he may be so framed that, if he were pro- 
 perly bitted, he would be a delightful hack or hunter; but if his mouth is 
 spoiled in breaking, his fine action is thrown away, because it cannot be 
 regulated and controlled by such a trifling exercise of strength in the 
 hand and arm as is consistent with riding for pleasure. Many a pulling 
 brute has won a steeplechase, or shown to advantage in the hunting-field, 
 with a professional “ up/’ which would not be ridden for ten minutes by 
 an amateur who could afford to make his own selection. Hence, the first 
 thing which the breaker has to set about is the formation of a good mouth ; 
 and this is exactly what Mr. Rarey's plans fail to provide, and, indeed, it 
 is what they interfere with in a great degree, as I have observed at 
 page 175. Well, then, let us examine into the received mode of obtaining 
 a good mouth in England. M. Baucher has carried the European prin- 
 ciples of producing it to a very high degree, and it will be necessary to 
 allude to his plans also ; but, on the whole, I cannot but think them 
 superfluous for ordinary purposes, and should be perfectly content with a 
 horse broken in the best English methods, which now combine the “ sup- 
 plings ” of the great French breaker with the old dead pressure adopted 
 in the methods of our ancestors. The difference between the two is 
 mainly this, that we in England content ourselves with confining the head 
 by the reins in a position which, while it does not compel the horse to 
 lean upon his bit, yet makes him try to avoid its pressure by bending his 
 neck, and thus rendering its muscles supple. M. Baucher, on the con- 
 trary, prefers that the whole of this suppling shall be performed by the 
 pressure of the breaker's hand ; and, doubtless, his is the best plan, if the 
 man employed is competent to the task, and the time thus devoted can 
 be afforded. It takes a fortnight or three weeks to “make” a horse's 
 mouth, so far as to fit him to bear the hands of his rider, in either way ; 
 but as less than two hours a day during that time will not suffice, and as 
 in the one case the horse supples himself, while in the other a man must 
 effect the change, M. Baucher’s method costs twenty-eight hours of skilled 
 labour, in addition to subsequent breaking, and it is therefore very ex- 
 pensive. The course of proceedings which good English breakers now 
 adopt is as follows. The bit having been allowed for some days to remain 
 in the mouth without reins, as already described, the breaker next pro- 
 ceeds to attach a rein to it in the ordinary way, and to buckle this loosely to 
 the surcingle or dumb-jockey, whichever he may employ. Mr. Blackwell’s 
 india-rubber reins are thought very highly of by some for this purpose ; 
 but, as far as I have tried them, I prefer plain leather, because I object to 
 constant pressure, however slight, upon the mouth. A drop of water 
 falling constantly and regularly upon a stone will wear it away sooner 
 than the same quantity dashed at once upon it ; and, in the same manner, 
 permanent gentle pressure upon the mouth is more irksome than a more 
 severe occasional pull. The great art consists in shortening the reins so 
 gradually, that the pressure can always be avoided by bending the neck, 
 and this the horse soon learns to do ; and thus, at one and the same time, 
 he gains control over his muscles, and inures his jaws and lips to the bit. 
 It is generally necessary, while the “ bitting” is going on, whether in the 
 stable or at exercise, to fix the head down by a martingale, buckled to 
 each side of the bit ; for without this the horse, in his struggles to get rid 
 of his restraints, will often toss his head so high as to do himself a serious 
 injury. If the mouthing is conducted in the stable, the horse is either put 
 
BREAKING. 
 
 17 $ 
 
 into a eoose-box (which is the best plan), or he is turned round in his stall, 
 and kept in that position by buckling the ordinary pillar reins to each 
 side of the bit. At first, the reins should hardly confine the head at all 
 beyond the position in which it is naturally carried when the horse is 
 excited ; but each day a hole or two may be taken up, until such pressure 
 is made, that the horse has a tendency to relieve his neck and shoulders 
 by advancing his fore legs and rounding his neck. The best plan is to 
 put on the breaking tackle for an hour in the stable, then loose the reins 
 for a quarter of an hour ; after which the colt may be led out for his 
 regular daily exercise, and may be “ longed ” with the reins buckled more 
 or less tightly, according to the experience of the breaker and the con- 
 dition of the mouth. In most cases, the process is hurried far too much ; 
 the breaker contracts to do all that is required for a given sum, varying 
 from one guinea to three, and it is his object to spend as little time over 
 each of his pupils as will serve to make them barely rideable. This is 
 objectionable in principle, though it is very difficult to know how to 
 improve upon it without running the risk of extortion ; but when a colt 
 is to be broken for the use of the owner, or any of his family, he will do 
 well to see that plenty of time is devoted to the formation of the mouth, 
 and this I have already said should extend to a fortnight. If the breeder 
 has a lot of colts which are to be placed in the breaker’s hands, the latter 
 can, with the assistance of a few lads, go on with a dozen at the same 
 time, and in that way too great an outlay of money is avoided ; but if 
 there is only one in his hands, he can hardly do justice to his employer at 
 the ordinary rate. Hitherto I have only alluded to longeing, without 
 describing it or alluding to the object with which it is adopted. I must 
 now, however, say something more about it, because in this stage it 
 becomes an important element of success. It may be remembered, that I 
 have laid down a fortnight as the least interval which should elapse from 
 the commencement of breaking before the colt is fit to be backed with 
 safety to the breaker or his assistant. Not that he may not be ridden in 
 much less time than this, but that if he is, it will be at the expense of his 
 mouth. Longeing is a means of at once giving exercise in a short space 
 of time, and also of accustoming the colt to use his limbs while some 
 degree of pressure is made on the mouth by the bit, without giving him- 
 self pain from moving the head. How, the act of keeping this part still 
 necessitates an even and smooth style of going, and so all things work 
 together to produce the pleasant feel which is given to the rider by a 
 perfect hack. A good mouth may be acquired in the stable, but it is soon 
 spoiled out-of-doors, either by longeing in a hurried manner, or by the 
 bad hands of the rider, whether breaker or subsequent user. To keep it, 
 great care is required at every stage of breaking; and none but a man 
 possessed of head, temper, seat, and hands can finish a colt as he should 
 be turned out. Longeing, therefore, I hold to be a most important part 
 of the art of breaking; and its absence from Mr. Earey’s principles and 
 practice shows that he has taken the dull pulling mouth of the American 
 horse as his model, and not the beautifully yielding, ;yet steady one of the 
 English hack. In the United States, where Mr. Itarey acquired his ex- 
 traordinary powers, riding is little practised; and those horses which are 
 us^d have leathern mouths, and are ridden with three legs, rather than 
 with a pair of legs and a pair of hands, as with us. We need not, there- 
 fore, be surprised that he has altogether overlooked the importance of 
 acquiring a fine mouth, and has regarded the mere control over the horse, 
 in some way or other, no matter how, as the sole object to be desired in 
 
 n 2 
 
180 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 breaking. At length, when the breaker is satisfied that the colt has 
 gained the power over his limbs at all paces, which he will have gradually 
 given him in his daily longes, by increasing the tightness of the reins and 
 accelerating the pace, (taking care to change the direction of the circles,) 
 he thinks it time to give his pupil the finishing lessons, which can only 
 be done in the saddle. Before mounting, however, he is enabled to teach 
 the colt the meaning of each pressure of the rein, which at first is utterly 
 unintelligible. By taking both in each hand, and pressing backwards, 
 he causes him to back; and by drawing them forward, to proceed in 
 that direction. The right hand moved to the right, makes the colt move 
 his head, and afterwards his body, towards that side, and vice versd 
 with the left hand. In this way, all is prepared for the mounting, which 
 should be first attempted when the colt is somewhat tired after a long and 
 steady longe. The breaker should, during the last week’s daily exercise, 
 put on a saddle instead of a roller and surcingle, keeping it in its place by 
 loose girths and a crupper. Every day he should bear occasionally upon 
 the stirrups, smacking them against the saddle, and thus accustoming the 
 colt to noises, and also to pressure on his back. When all is ready, he 
 has only to put his foot in the stirrup, standing with his back to the 
 shoulder, and then, after partially rising two or three times, and coming 
 down again, he finally plants himself firmly in the saddle. Most careful 
 breakers have a roll of cloth buckled firmly in front of their saddles ; and 
 with this precaution, even if the colt bucks or kicks, it is almost impos- 
 sible for him to dislodge them. When thus mounted, the breaker should 
 be in no hurry, but let the colt get accustomed to the intruder. Let him 
 wait till the pupil has somewhat recovered from the shock, and then only 
 let him urge him forward at as slow a pace as he likes. If all has been 
 conducted well throughout the preliminary stages, and the colt is good- 
 tempered, he will walk away quietly enough, and generally no trouble 
 will be given for a day or two ; when, probably, there will be some slight 
 fight, which may be either in causing the pupil to go where he does not 
 want to go, or in making him face some object which frightens him. At 
 first, neither whip nor spur should be used, for the object of neither is 
 understood ; and if the colt will not readily move forward, he should be 
 led or driven by an assistant, and not whipped or spurred by his rider. 
 In process of time, however, he is made gradually to understand these 
 signs by the tact of the breaker; and then if he offends, he must be 
 punished accordingly, but it must always be remembered that the fault 
 must be met immediately, or not at all. 
 
 The amusing and experienced author of “ The Horse and his Eider ” 
 has drawn attention to the misconception of the differences in character 
 between a wild horse and a tame one, which is entertained in this 
 country. He says : “ It is generally conceived that in the difficulty of 
 sticking on to the back of a horse there exist three degrees of comparison, 
 namely : — 
 
 “ 1. That it is rather difficult to ride a horse that has been broken in. 
 
 “ 2. That it is exceedingly difficult to ride a tame one that has not 
 been broken in. 
 
 “ 3. That it must be almost impossible to mount and ride a wild horse 
 just caught, that has never been broken in. 
 
 “We will, however, humbly venture to assert that, in certain instances, 
 the three steps of this little ladder might be reversed. 
 
 “ 1. In a state of nature the horse is such a zealous advocate of onr 
 popular principle of ‘self-government/ he is so desirous to maintain his 
 
BREAKING. 
 
 181 
 
 * independence/ that although he will allow almost any quadruped, even 
 wolves and lions, to approach within a certain distance, yet the moment 
 he sees a man, though on horseback, he instinctively turns his tail towards 
 him, and, when followed, gallops away. 
 
 “ If, consequently, by the triumph of reason over instinct, he he caught, 
 saddled, and if all of a sudden, to his vast astonishment, he finds sitting 
 astride his hack, with a cigar in his mouth, the very human being he has 
 always been avoiding; his first and almost only feeling is that of fear , and 
 accordingly, if he he retained by the bridle, instantaneously, by a series of 
 jumps on all four legs, he makes impromptu his first hurried, untaught, 
 unpractised effort to dislocate a rider. But if, instead of being as it were 
 invited to perform these unsophisticated antics, he he allowed, or rather 
 by whip and severe spurs, he propelled to do what he most ardently 
 desires, namely, run away, his power of resistance is over, and his subjec- 
 tion inevitable. Bor at the top of his speed, just as when swimming, a 
 horse can neither rear, kick, nor plunge, and accordingly at his best pace 
 he proceeds on his sure road to ruin, until not only all his wind is 
 pumped out of him, but after that, until twisted hide-thong and sharp 
 iron have converted his terror of man into an ardent desire to be obedient 
 to his will. In fact, like a small nation that has unsuccessfully been con- 
 tending against a great one, he wishes to put an end to the horrors of 
 war, and to sue for the blessings of peace. 
 
 “2. If a domestic horse that has never been broken in be suddenly 
 saddled and mounted, the rider has greater difficulties to encounter than 
 those just described : for the animal is not only gifted by nature with all 
 the propensities of the wild horse to reject man, but, from being better 
 fed, he has greater strength to indulge in them ; besides which he 
 enjoys the immense advantage of being in a civilized, or, in plainer terms, 
 an enclosed country. Accordingly, instead of being forced to run away, 
 his rider is particularly afraid lest he should do so, simply because he 
 knows that the remedy which would cure the wild horse, would probably 
 kill him. In fact, the difference to the rider between an open and an 
 enclosed field of battle is exactly that which a naval officer feels in 
 scudding in a gale of wind out of sight of land, and in being caught 
 among sandbanks and rocks in a narrow channel. 
 
 “ 3. Of all descriptions of horses wild and tame, by far the most diffi- 
 cult to ride is that young British thorough-bred colt of two or three years 
 old that has been regularly 6 broken in 5 by himself without giving the 
 slightest warning, to jump away sideways, spin round, and at the same 
 moment kick off his rider. This feat is a beautiful and well-arranged 
 combination of nature and of art. Like the pugilistic champion of 
 England — Tom Sayers — he is a professional performer, gifted with so 
 much strength and activity, and skilful in so many quick, artful tricks 
 and dodges, that any country practitioner that comes to deal with him is 
 no sooner up than down, to rise from his mother earth with a vague, 
 bewildered, incoherent idea as to what had befallen him, or ‘ how he 
 got there/ 
 
 “ If a horse of this description and a wild one in hie own country were 
 to be mounted there simultaneously, each by an equally good rider, both 
 the quadrupeds probably at the same moment would be seen to run away ; 
 the Briton for ever, to gain his liberty; the other quadruped, just a3 
 surely, to lose it ! ” 
 
 Nothing can better convey to the reader the difficulties which the 
 English horse-breaker has to contend with, than this extract from the 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 102 
 
 pages of Sir F. B. Head, who has had ample opportunities of judging 
 both the varieties of the species which he describes. It shows the neces- 
 sity for the cautious proceedings which I have endeavoured to describe as 
 the proper mode of breaking our young horses, and which I am satisfied 
 will enable the breaker to perform his task in a way which will he satis- 
 factory to his employer. It may, however, be worth while to examine 
 into the methods adopted in the French school, as first introduced by 
 M. Baucher. 
 
 His “ Method of Horsemanship ” was published nearly twenty years 
 ago, and has been generally received on the continent, where the prin- 
 ciples of the manege have always been more highly prized than in this 
 country. The author tells us, as his first principle, “ that all the resist- 
 ances of young horses spring from a physical cause, and that this cause 
 only becomes a moral one by the awkwardness, ignorance, and brutality 
 of the rider. In fact, besides the natural stiffness peculiar to all horses, 
 each of them has a peculiar conformation, the greater or less perfection of 
 which constitutes the degree of harmony that exists between the forces 
 and the weight. The want of this harmony occasions the ungracefulness 
 of their paces, the difficulty of their movements — in a word, all the 
 obstacles to a good education.” To remove these defects, M. Baucher 
 adopts certain methods of suppling the neck, in which he considers the 
 chief obstacle to perfect action resides. Without going into the long 
 details of the various supplings, it will be sufficient to describe the general 
 division of the work which the author considers necessary. This, he 
 thinks, must extend to two months, divided into one hundred and twenty 
 lessons of half an hour each, two being given each day. During the first 
 series of eight lessons, the breaker will devote twenty minutes to the 
 stationary exercise for the flexions of the jaw and neck, which can hardly 
 be efficiently described without the illustrations given in the book itself. 
 During the remaining ten minutes, he will make the horse go forward at 
 a walk, without trying to animate him ; applying himself all the time to 
 keeping the horse’s head in a perpendicular position. In the second 
 series, comprising ten days, the first fifteen minutes will be occupied in 
 stationary supplings and backings, followed by an equal time devoted to 
 moving straight ahead in the walk and trot. The rider, while taking care 
 to keep the head in good place, will commence a slight opposition of 
 hand and legs, in order to give regularity to the paces. The third series, 
 making up twelve days, will combine the previous supplings with 
 'pirouettes; while the fourth and fifth series, making up the whole time, 
 will go on to develop the various elementary paces of the manege . How, 
 in all this, it appears to me that we have only our best English modes of 
 breaking carried out to excess; and I am yet to learn that any great 
 novelty has been introduced by this standard authority of the French 
 school. 
 
 SUPERIORITY OF THE ORDINARY METHOD. 
 
 It will readily be gathered from what I have already written that 
 for breaking the average colt I greatly prefer the methods which have 
 been in use for many years in this country. Mr. Rarey is entitled to 
 every credit for introducing a novel mode of controlling a vicious horse, 
 which is also of service in training cavalry and circus horses. Beyond 
 these departments, however, his plans effect no good as far as my judgment 
 goes, and instead of improving the mouth they have a tendency to injure 
 it. I have shown that time and patience are grand elements of success 
 
BREAKING TO HARxVESS. 
 
 183 
 
 in horsebreaking, and that it is a disadvantage to hasten the process, 
 which is all that Mr. Rarey pretends to effect. We do not want to 
 manage our horses without reins, hut on the contrary to guide them and 
 stop them with the slightest possible touch consistent with the equi- 
 librium to be maintained in the saddle. Hence the first object is the 
 formation of a good mouth, and as this requires a considerable time to 
 develop, there are ample opportunities for gradually accustoming the colt 
 to the presence and control of his master while it is being produced. If 
 several breakers were to be pitted against each other as to which should 
 first ride a high-spirited unbroken colt, undoubtedly Mr. Rarey would come 
 off victorious; but, on the other hand, I would back against any horse 
 broken by his method, another which had been submitted to a good 
 breaker on the old English plan, if the palm was to be given to that one 
 which should prove to have the most perfect mouth and action. 
 
 BREAKING TO HARNESS. 
 
 The early proceedings in breaking a colt to harness are exactly the 
 same as for the saddle, and indeed it is well in all cases to make him 
 handy to ride before he is put into the break. We may therefore assume 
 that this has been done, or at all events that a good mouth has been made, 
 and the colt handled and accustomed to bear the hip-straps hanging 
 loosely over his sides prior to putting him in harness. 
 
 There is some difference of opinion among breakers as to the best 
 plan of conducting this operation. Some contend that for every kind of 
 harness the horse ought to be pnt in with another, who will compel him 
 to move or stop at the will of the driver. Others assert that on the 
 contrary, every young horse should be put in first by himself, and then if 
 he refuses to move he can be allowed to wait till he is tired of inactivity, 
 which practically he soon is. My own opinion is founded upon more 
 than twenty years’ experience with all sorts of horses, and I am persuaded 
 that by far the safest and best method is to put every horse into double 
 harness first. Many farmers break their colts in by putting them to 
 plough between two other horses, but the pull at this work is too dead 
 for well-bred colts, and many jibbers are produced in this way. Every 
 high-couraged horse has a tendency to jump forward on the first impulse 
 to do so, and feeling the restraint of the collar he is irritated to increase his 
 pull, whereby his shoulders are galled, causing him to dislike his work 
 from the pain which he suffers. It is quite possible to break in a colt of 
 average good temper for single harness without putting him first into 
 double, but the plan is always attended with danger to both horse and 
 driver, and I should strongly caution my readers against it. Even after 
 two or three lessons in the double break, which have been quietly sub- 
 mitted to, the colt often turns restive when put in by himself, but still 
 by that time he knows what he has to do and is not made sulky by being 
 punished without cause. 
 
 The apparatus necessary for breaking to harness consists of, 1st, a 
 set of strong double and single harness, made in the ordinary way 
 except that the crupper for the colt should buckle on one side ; 2dly, 
 a double break of the ordinary construction ; but it is a safe plan to have 
 the whole space between the fore carriage and the splinter-bar made up 
 with iron rods so close together that if a horse kicks he cannot get his 
 legs hung over the bar ; 3dly, a single break, to be hereafter described. 
 
 Before the colt is put to draw he should be accustomed to the pressure 
 
184 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 of the harness, and as a matter of course in any case he must have this 
 put on him. Every groom ought to know how to do this, but at the 
 same time in a colt he should be cautioned to proceed slowly and quietly 
 so as not to frighten him. Mr. Bare/s plan of showing the horse every- 
 thing which is to be put on him is a very good one, and taking advantage 
 of it, before the collar is slipped over the head a little time may be allowed 
 for the future wearer of it to smell it and examine it with his eyes also. 
 Many breakers, to avoid the danger of alarming their pupils by putting 
 the collar over their heads, have this part made to open at the withers, 
 where a buckle secures it after it has been slipped up under the neck. 
 But collars made in this way are not so firm as when constructed in the 
 ordinary mode, and are more liable to punish the shoulders, so that what 
 is gained in one way is lost in the other. A quiet and handy man can 
 always slip a collar over a horse’s head if he will take time, and especially 
 if he has previously handled the animal and made him accustomed to his 
 presence. As soon as this part of the harness is in its place the pad and 
 crupper must be gently put on the back, and then quietly raising the tail 
 with every hair gathered and firmly grasped in the left hand the right 
 slips the crupper under it, and as soon as this is done the left drops the tail 
 and assists the right to buckle the two parts together. In the previous 
 breaking the colt has been accustomed to the crupper so that there is no 
 occasion for extra care in this part now. The pad is then drawn forward 
 to its place, the bellyband buckled, and the rest of the harness being put 
 on in the ordinary way, the colt is allowed to feel it for a few minutes and 
 should then be led out in a yard or other convenient place for an hour. 
 The general practice is after this to put him to at once, but it is far better 
 if the colt is at all shy to take off the harness and postpone the com- 
 mencement of actual breaking till the next day. 
 
 The actual putting to is managed differently in double and single 
 harness, but as I have endeavoured to show that the former should always 
 precede the latter, I shall commence by describing it. In breaking to 
 double harness a steady old horse should be provided, usually called a 
 break-horse. All that is wanted is an animal of good courage and free 
 from vice, who will draw steadily off on the slightest notice and will stop 
 firmly when required. Some old horses which have had a great deal of 
 practice in the break will assist their masters in a wonderful manner. If 
 a colt kicks over the pole they will press against the intruding leg and 
 cause him so much pain that he remains quiet till he is relieved. Indeed 
 it matters not what the attempt is, they defeat it by some counter 
 manoeuvre, but these horses are rare and fortunately are by no means 
 essential to success. Before attaching the colt the break-horse should be 
 put to, and it is usual to place him on the near side. Then, having the 
 break conveniently situated for starting, the colt is brought out with a 
 halter on and the cord knotted to his tracebearer so as to give a good hold 
 in case he plunges or kicks. The pole-piece is then loosely buckled up, 
 after which the inside trace is slipped over the roller bolt, and then 
 the breaksman pushing the quarters forcibly inwards the outside trace is 
 carefully adjusted and the pole-piece buckled up to its proper length. 
 Quickly but quietly and without fuss the reins are crossed and buckled, 
 and the ends being taken by the breaker he mounts to the box, gives the 
 word to the break-horse to move, and the break is quietly started without 
 any notice to the colt, or effort on his part. In the great majority of 
 instances no resistance is made, and all goes on smoothly for some time. 
 The break should be driven slowly for three or four miles, and then the 
 
DR. BUNTING’S BREAK. 
 
 185 
 
 breaksman who assists the breaker going to the side of the colt pulls him 
 round by the halter as the breaker drives the break-horse in a wide circle 
 for turning. In returning the horses should be stopped and started again 
 several times, and if the colt is pretty handy the turning may be 
 repeated once or twice, but more than an hour’s drive should not be 
 attempted for fear of galling the shoulders, to prevent which the inside 
 of the collar should be well oiled on all occasions just before starting. 
 When taking the young horse out the process of putting to should be 
 exactly reversed. A repetition of this lesson, and constant turning into 
 narrow lanes and crowded streets, together with uphill and downhill work, 
 will soon make the young horse handy in double harness, though for 
 town work a considerable time must elapse before he can be depended on 
 in a crush, especially without a steady companion. No horse should be 
 depended upon until he has been roused either by accidental circum- 
 stances, or, if these do not present themselves, by an application of the 
 whip, for it often happens that a colt will go quietly enough while his 
 temper is unruffled, but when it is once upset he shows fight until he 
 is conquered or himself gains the victory. Now it is far better that this 
 should occur while in the hands of the breaker than after he is sent home 
 as thoroughly perfect in harness. 
 
 When the colt has had five or six lessons in double harness, and has 
 been made to show the nature of his temper in the way I have just 
 described, he may safely be put in the shafts, but not till then. The 
 single-break is a stoutly-built two- wheeled vehicle, with strong and straight 
 ash shafts. It should be so high as to preclude the possibility of the 
 horse kicking over the drawing-bar; and though occasionally it will happen 
 that a cjever animal will kick very high indeed, yet there are few that will 
 get over a bar three feet from the ground. A kicking-strap and safety-rein 
 should always be used, for fear of accidents ; and a breaker of experience 
 generally uses the driving-rein in the cheek and the safety-rein in the 
 lower bar; both being held in the same way as for four horses. No bearing- 
 rein should be employed ; and the tugs should be made open above, so as 
 to drop the shafts into them. With these precautions, there is no difficulty 
 in putting a colt into single harness ; but, if at all stubborn, he may not 
 be easily made to start, having no break horse to take him off. Usually, 
 however, when five or six lessons in double harness have been given, the 
 colt walks off quietly enough ; but, after one or two lessons, he discovers 
 that what is to be done must be done by him unassisted, and he is then 
 very apt to give himself airs, if his temper is at all inclined to be bad. 
 Kicking may be kept under by the kicking-strap ; running away may be 
 restrained by the bit; but jibbing in single harness is very difficult to get 
 over. If necessary, an outrigger may be applied to the break, and a 
 second horse put on; but it is better to exercise the patience by quietly 
 sitting still, when, after a short time, the jibber generally moves on of his 
 own accord. Beyond these expedients, nothing more is required than 
 time and practice. 
 
 DR. BUNTING’S BREAK. 
 
 About two years ago, a plan for breaking to harness was introduced 
 to the notice of the chief jobmasters of London, which was adopted at 
 once by several of them, and has since been used with great advantage. 
 It consists in the employment of an apparatus like the moving power of a 
 horse thrashing-machine, with the addition of a wheel at the end of each 
 pole, and of a pair of shafts to connect them. The inside shaft is very 
 
186 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 strong, and is securely framed and bolted to the pole behind and "before 
 ifo; while the outside is made moveable, so that the horse can be led into 
 his place, poled up to the bar in front of him, and then, the outside shaft 
 being fixed, he is perfectly secure. A trace on each side serves him to draw 
 as usual; a strong belly-band keeps him from throwing h im self down, 
 and sometimes a second is buckled under the flank, which totally prevents 
 that act. The addition of a strong back-band and kicking-strap will con- 
 fine the most violent horse ; and when one is fixed in the way I have 
 described, and the poles and shafts are of tough ash, it is quite impossible 
 for any kicker to free himself. Dr. Bunting exhibited his apparatus on 
 the premises of Mr. Joshua East, in Curzon Street, May Fair, in my pre- 
 sence ; the horse operated on being certainly the most unruly brute I ever 
 saw. At each step, he kicked so strongly as to lift the wheel attached to 
 the pole behind him off the ground ; but, nevertheless, he was perfectly 
 powerless, and soon submitted to be driven quietly by Dr. Bunting, who 
 followed him up inside the circle, driving him with a long pair of reins. 
 This plan is admirably calculated for breaking and exercising a large 
 stableful of job horses, without the risk and expense attendant on their 
 going out into the streets. Five or six may do their work at the same 
 time, just as in a thrashing-machine, and the oat-bruising and chaff-cutting 
 machine may be worked in this way. The worst part of the plan is, that, 
 like Mr. Rarey’s, no effect is produced upon the mouth ; and though the 
 horses are made to draw gently, they are not rendered handy, nor can they 
 be made to draw together, as they must do when two are put alongside 
 each other. Dr. Bunting’s break will not, therefore, entirely supersede 
 the ordinary machine, and will be quite useless to any but the wholesale 
 breaker and jobmaster, or to any large establishment where a similar 
 number of harness horses are kept. 
 
 CHAPTER XT IT. 
 
 STABLES. 
 
 < 
 
 SITUATION AND ASPECT — FOUNDATIONS — SUPERFICIAL AREA AND HEIGHT REQUIRED — 
 STALLS Versus LOOSE BOXES — HAY CHAMBER AND GRANARY — BEST MATERIALS FOR 
 WALLS, FLOORS, DOORS, AND WINDOWS— DRAINAGE AND WATER SUPPLY— VENTILATION 
 AND LIGHTING — FITTINGS — HARNESS ROOM — COACH-HOUSE — SERVANTS’ ROOMS — PLANS 
 OF STABLES — NECESSITY FOR AIRING NEW STABLES. 
 
 In discussing the various questions connected with the size, form, and 
 arrangements of the stable, it must not be forgotten that we may have to 
 deal with an animal whose varieties extend from the Shetland pony to the 
 racehorse. A stable which suits the one, will be quite out of character 
 for the other; and hence, before we begin to consider the formation of a 
 stable, we should settle what variety of the horse it is intended for. 
 
 In addition to the kind of horse to be accommodated, regard must 
 be had to the work which is to be performed. If the horse is to be kept 
 for pleasure only, and is not regularly exercised on those days when he is 
 not wanted, he will, in course of time, get out of health, whatever may be 
 the management indoors. Moreover, a horse so used requires a much 
 greater area of stable, and more complete ventilation, even for preserving 
 
SITUATION AND ASPECT. 
 
 187 
 
 him in moderate health, than another of the same breed and constitution 
 who does a proper amount of work from day to day. I have often known 
 gentlemen possessed of a couple of horses, well housed, express their sur- 
 prise that they could not keep them so free from disease as a lot of cab OT _ 
 coach horses which were kept near them, in some dark, close stable, per- 
 haps underground. The reason is obvious enough : the overfed and 
 under- worked horse is stimulated by his food to such an extent, that some 
 organ is sure to become inflamed r and if the lungs, stomach, or bowels do 
 not show disease, the heels crack, or the joints enlarge, and, after a single 
 day’s work, lameness shows itself in a most severe form. On the other 
 hand, the hard-worked horse is in the fresh air for a great part of his 
 time ; and thus the mischief which is done to his blood indoors, is 
 remedied when he is out. His food is all properly expended in nourishing 
 and repairing his muscular system, and there is no surplus to go to form 
 the foundation of disease. Darkness also is grateful, because the moment 
 the feeding is over, sleep is to be desired. Hence it follows that, of 
 necessity, private stables must be very carefully proportioned to the 
 number of horses which are to be placed in them, and their lighting and 
 ventilation should be of the most unobjectionable character. In the fol- 
 lowing pages, when no specific directions are laid down, it may be con- 
 sidered that my remarks apply to the hacks and carriage- horses of private 
 gentlemen. Race-horses and hunters demand a different treatment in 
 many respects ; and as to ponies, they are so hardy, that they may be 
 lodged without difficulty. 
 
 I am quite aware that what I have just written is in opposition to the 
 opinions expressed in “ Stewart’s Stable Economy,” an authority for which 
 I have the highest respect ; but my opinions are formed from a long 
 experience of the evils attending upon the horse kept for pleasure, and 
 I am quite confident that my conclusions are correct. It may be that the 
 stables for cab and omnibus horses are now better managed than they 
 were when Mr. Stewart’s remarks were written ; but, on this point, I only 
 refer to these two kinds of horses as lodged in the middle of the present 
 century. The managers of large establishments are now fully aware of 
 the importance of cleanliness, which can only be maintained by drainage; 
 and the free air of heaven is cheap enough, so that there is no reason why 
 they should not introduce it as soon as they are convinced of its utility. 
 
 SITUATION" AND ASPECT. 
 
 The two most important points to be regarded in the choice of a 
 situation, are, first, the power of excluding damp ; and, secondly, the best 
 means of keeping up a tolerably even temperature in winter and summer. 
 It is seldom that the stables are fixed without regard to the convenience 
 of the inmates of the house itself, the corner most out of sight being the 
 one usually selected as good enough for them. It should not, however, 
 be forgotten, that the horse is a native of a dry country, and cannot be 
 kept in health in a damp situation either in-doors or out. Nothing, except 
 starvation, tells injuriously so soon upon the horse as damp when exposed 
 to it — he loses all life and spirit ; work soon tires him ; his coat stares ; 
 he will scarcely look at his food, and he becomes rapidly emaciated, severe 
 disease, often in the shape of some prevailing epidemic, showing itself-- 
 after a short time, and generally soon ending in death. Grease and cpacked 
 heels, swelled legs, hide bound, inflamed eyes, and coughs and ehds, are 
 the evils which attend damp, when exhibited only in a slight ’degree ; but 
 
188 
 
 7 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 these < XLe su ffi c i erL t to interfere with the nse of the horse, and, irrespective 
 of cvtfie-r reasons, as domestic comfort is greatly dependent on the carriage 
 ^ elI g always at command, the stables should not be sacrificed, as they too 
 °ftn are, to a fancy for keeping them out of sight. 
 
 In choosing the situation, therefore, a spot should be looked out 
 which will be high enough to allow of perfect drainage at all seasons of 
 the year. ]STo periodically overflowing brook should ever be allowed to 
 discharge its contents into the foundations, for even if the floor of the 
 stable itself is kept above the water, yet the soil underneath will be 
 saturated, and acting like a sponge, will allow the damp to creep up the 
 walls incessantly. Sometimes, in order to keep the stables well out of sight, 
 a hollow is chosen, and the floor is then excavated below the level of the 
 surrounding surface. The consequence is, that even in a summer-storm, 
 the rain-fall of the surrounding land finds its way — either into the stable, 
 or around it ; and the effect is equally injurious, in either. Concrete 
 under the floor, and courses of slate at the bottom of the walls, will do 
 something to meet the evil ; but it is better to avoid it altogether by 
 choosing a site at least two or three feet out of the way of all flood- water, 
 and with a good fall into a sewer or adjacent running stream. 
 
 As to the aspect, there is some difference of opinion whether it 
 should be northerly or southerly, all being adverse to a direction either due 
 east or west ; the former being too cold, and the latter too hot. As far 
 as I know, all writers on the subject have preferred a southerly aspect, 
 until the recent appearance of Mr. Miles’ “ General Remarks on Stables,” in 
 which valuable work an opinion is expressed that “ the prevailing desire 
 to have the front of the stable due south is a mistake.” The reasons for 
 coming to this conclusion are grounded upon the fact, which is undeniable, 
 that a more even temperature can be maintained if the situation is suffi- 
 ciently sheltered from the stroke of the wind. ITSTo doubt, a southerly 
 aspect allows the sun to enter with great power in the summer ; but my 
 experience does not lead me to believe that flies are less likely to get in 
 through a door or window open to the north, than through similar openings 
 looking south. Mr. Miles even objects to the heat of a winter’s sun, 
 w r hich, he says, in the middle of the day makes the stable almost as hot 
 as in the summer ; the heat being often suddenly succeeded by a degree 
 of cold approaching the freezing point. Here, again, I certainly cannot 
 follow him, and I should hail with pleasure any beams of the sun which 
 show themselves between November and March, either in the stable or 
 kennel. Animal life is always benefited by the direct rays of the sun, 
 although, when the heat produced by them is intense, the mischief done 
 is so great as to counteract the advantage. Still, in the winters of this 
 country, such a thing is not, in my opinion, to be dreamt of, as a properly 
 ventilated stable becoming too hot, and I look upon Mr. Miles’ conclusions 
 as being considerably strained when he is arguing in favour of a northerly 
 aspect. I do not mean to assert that, on the whole, he is wrong, but 
 that his arguments are based upon certain assumed facts which I hesitate 
 to accept. It should not be forgotten that his own stable, which is 
 undoubtedly a pet one, was accidentally built to face the north ; and, there- 
 fore, while, on the one hand, his experience of the advantages of this 
 aspect should be accepted with all respect ; on the other, it may be 
 conceded that he naturally has a tendency to overlook the disadvantages 
 
 becSfi thQ y are inevitable. 
 
 I 
 
SUPERFICIAL AREA AND HEIGHT REQUIRED. 
 
 189 
 
 FOUNDATIONS. 
 
 In most cases stables are not built of more than the basement story, 
 with a loft over, which is generally, almost entirely, constructed in 
 the roof; the walls, therefore, are not high, and do not require deep 
 foundations, even if they are built on clay, which is more liable to 
 cause cracks, &c. than any other species of soil of a uniform character. 
 It is a very common plan, on this account, to lay the foundations of 
 any kind of coarse and stony material; but if this is done, a course 
 of broken slates should be laid in cement a little above the level of the 
 ground; or, instead of this, a course or two of hard bricks should be 
 laid in the same material, so as to prevent the damp from striking up the 
 walls by capillary attraction. A neglect of this precaution has, in several 
 instances within my own knowledge, kept stables damp in spite of atten- 
 tion to drainage and a resort to all sorts of expedients which could be 
 carried out subsequent to the building of the walls. 
 
 SUPERFICIAL AREA AND HEIGHT REQUIRED. 
 
 The horse, like all the higher animals, requires a constant supply of 
 pure air to renovate his blood, and yet it must not be admitted in a strong 
 current flowing directly upon him, or it will chill the surface and give 
 him cold. Artificial means of warming stables are objected to on account 
 of their costliness, and of the constant and careful supervision which they 
 demand, so that the horse is dependent upon his own heat-producing 
 powers for keeping up the temperature of the air in which he breathea 
 Hence, it is a matter for experimental research to ascertain what number 
 of cubic feet of air can supply him with what he wants for the purifying 
 of his blood, without reducing the temperature of the stable generally, and 
 without the necessity for admitting blasts of cold air. By common consent 
 it is allowed that no stable divided into stalls should give to each horse 
 less than 800 or 1,000 cubic feet, and a loose box should not contain less 
 than 1,300 to 1,500 cubic feet. An inexperienced person may perhaps 
 fail to discover the reason why a loose box should provide more air for its 
 inhabitant than a stall ; but those who are accustomed to use horses, will 
 see at once that the air is more or less changed in a large stable every 
 time the door is opened, which act is repeated a great many times in the 
 day, while the door of the loose box is often kept closed, with the excep- 
 tion of the hours of feeding and dressing. Much will depend upon the 
 thickness of the walls, the nature of their materials, and the exposure of 
 their outer surfaces to the weather ; for a fourteen-inch brick wall wil] 
 retain the heat within its inclosure much more completely than one of 
 nine inches built of the same materials, and this remark applies still more 
 strictly in the case of a wall built of absorbent stone, or inferior bricks. 
 If a substantially-built stable is kept properly clean, and its ventilation is 
 well arranged, my own opinion is that a comparatively limited area is 
 better for its inmates than an extravagantly large one. A " very airy ” 
 stable generally means one which is so high that it cannot be kept warm, 
 and in such I have generally seen staring coats and heard coughs per- 
 petually going on. I have myself tried different stables, allowing an area 
 of 750, 850, and 950 cubical feet per horse, extending to three or four 
 stalls ; but I confess that my leaning has been rather to the lowest than 
 the highest of these numbers. The most healthy on I ever used scarcely 
 
191 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 allowed so much, as 750 feet per horse, and in it for ten years I scarcely 
 ever had a case of illness, irrespective of legs and feet, consequent upon 
 Lard work. This space may be divided in the way most convenient, as 
 we shall hereafter see. 
 
 With regard to the number of stalls or loose boxes which should 
 be grouped together in one apartment, there is little difference of opinion 
 now-a-days among practical men, that more than from four to six horses 
 should not he allowed to stand together. The former number is the 
 better ; but sometimes there may be circumstances which will excuse the 
 latter being adopted ; as, for instance, when this number are kept, and 
 the space occupied by a partition- wall is an object. Even then, however, 
 a boarded partition may be introduced, and as it will not occupy any addi- 
 tional room, there is no objection on that account. When a larger number 
 of horses are stabled together, there is great difficulty in keeping up an 
 even temperature, unless, as in the case of omnibus and cab horses, the 
 same number are nearly always absent at work. In private stables, how- 
 ever, all or nearly all the horses are often out at once, and then in a large 
 space the temperature is reduced so much, that when they return, two or 
 three at a time, followed by others, and compel the doors to he con- 
 stantly opened and shut, there is, first of all, danger of chilling each as he 
 comes in, and if he escapes this, of producing that injurious effect 
 when the next horse comes home. Practically it is found that the long 
 row of stalls does not conduce to the health of the horses, and although 
 it may please the eye of the master to look down a long line of 
 valuable animals, this arrangement is by no means to be recommended. 
 Either two stalls with a loose box at one or both sides, or, perhaps, as I 
 said before, even four stalls with a similar arrangement of loose boxes, 
 should be the aim of the builder of a stable for general private work, and 
 in this, as well as in all other cases, appearances should be sacrificed to 
 utility. 
 
 STALLS versus LOOSE BOXES. 
 
 Of late years there has been a great demand for loose boxes, and every 
 private horse-keeper who could afford the extra space, has adopted the 
 plan, at all events for a large proportion of his stud. Eor hunters and 
 racehorses, when they are doing severe work, there can be no doubt that 
 the quiet and liberty allowed in a box are far preferable to the restraint of 
 a stall, where the horse is constantly liable to be disturbed by the ingress 
 and egress of men and horses. In the stall, also, there must be a slope 
 (though not necessarily a great one), from before backwards, so as to 
 provide for surface drainage ; and this compels the horse who is tied to 
 the manger to stand with his hind feet lower than his fore, which is a 
 tiresome position if continued for any length of time, and which therefore 
 induces so many to stand back to the full length of their reins. But the 
 horse is a social animal, and does not like solitary confinement any more 
 than the dog ; indeed, some which will do well when placed in a stall, 
 will even refuse their food, and actually lose condition, if removed to a 
 loose box, out of sight of companions. If therefore the quiet and com- 
 parative liberty of a loose box can be combined with the society of the 
 stall, the only objections to each are got rid of, and the best kind of 
 accommodation for the horse is provided, though even in a loose box it 
 is not always desirable to leave the inmate loose. 
 
 In large stables intended for business purposes, such as for omnibus, 
 cab, and waggon horses, loose boxes are out of the question, on account 
 
191 
 
 I1AY CHAMBER AND GRANARY. 
 
 ol the area which they require, extra width being necessary for the horse 
 to turn round in, inasmuch as he cannot in them put his head over the 
 travis, as he always does while turning in a stall. A full-sized animal 
 must have his box at least 10 feet wide by 12 long, which gives an are^ 
 of 120 superficial feet, instead of 80 or 85, the area required for a six-foot 
 stall, including the gangway. Indeed, the above dimensions are scarcely 
 large enough for a box, a roomy one being from 15 to 18 feet long by 
 at least ten feet wide. Again, the consumption of straw in a box is much 
 greater than in a stall, the droppings of the horse not being deposited in 
 any one place, as in the latter, but scattered all over the surface, and 
 spoiling the litter whereon they may happen to lie. For these reasons 
 loose boxes are not introduced into any stables but those for racehorses, 
 hunters, and in a certain proportion for hacks and carriage horses. In 
 every large establishment a small number must be set aside for the sick 
 and lame, but I am now solely discussing their merits as applied to horses 
 doing work. 
 
 HAY CHAMBER AND GRANARY. 
 
 In every stable conducted economically, whether in town or country, 
 a space should be allotted for storing hay, straw, and corn. In London 
 and the large provincial cities and towns, the corn-chandler frequently 
 supplies the stable by contract, at a fixed sum per horse, and in that case 
 of course room for a week’s consumption only is required ; but, as I shall 
 hereafter show, the plan is an expensive one. At present I shall take 
 this for granted, referring my readers to the next chapter for proof of 
 what I lay down as an admitted fact among horsekeepers of experience. 
 Hay and straw are either sold by the ton or by the load, which is two 
 cwt. less, and on that account the loft should always hold at least a ton 
 of hay, and the same quantity of straw, because if a smaller bulk is pur- 
 chased, it cannot be obtained at the regular market price. Now a ton of 
 hay cut into trusses will nearly occupy the space over an ordinary loose 
 box, supposing that the walls of the loft are not carried up far above the 
 floor, and every additional yard in height of wall allows stowage for 
 another ton. Straw occupies more space by nearly one-half, and it may 
 be calculated that a loft formed entirely in a tiled roof of the usual pitch, 
 must have an area equal to two roomy loose boxes, or two stalls and a 
 box, to stow away a ton of hay and a ton of straw, and even then there 
 will be little space for any other purpose. To find room for a corn- 
 bruiser and chaff-cutter, as well as for a stock of oats and beans, a granary 
 with an area at least as large as a loose box should be arranged, and with 
 these conveniences a stable may be said to be complete — that is to say, 
 with dry and airy stowage-room, somewhere, amounting altogether to about 
 2,000 cubical feet. If the number of horses kept is larger than three or 
 four, the hay-chamber need not generally be increased to any great extent, 
 because the hay and corn are purchased by the ton or load ; but it is 
 often a great convenience to have accommodation for two or three months’ 
 provender, and therefore it is always well to be provided with space enough 
 for that purpose, if it can be so arranged. 
 
 With these calculations to guide him, the builder has next to 
 consider where he shall fix the stowage-room which I have said will be 
 necessary. Formerly a loft was almost always provided over the stable, 
 in which the provender was kept ; but in those days, when high racks 
 were in vogue, a trap-door was left over them to keep them supplied, and 
 the consequence was, that, in the first place, the horses were continually 
 
VJ2 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 annoy^H with the dust falling through, and, in the second, the hay was 
 injured by the vapour from the stable reaching it through the same opeu- 
 On these accounts a great outcry was raised against placing the loft 
 An this situation ; and s table-architects insisted upon a hay chamber , as it 
 was called, being built on the ground-floor, or at all events in some other 
 situation than that usually allotted to it. There was great sense in this 
 precaution, and for a time credit was due to the promoters of the improve- 
 ment ; but on the subsequent introduction of low racks ( which the grooms 
 did not object to when they had to bring their hay in through the stable-door), 
 and the simultaneous dismissal of the openings over them to the loft, the 
 objections to the old situation of the latter were done away with ; and the 
 objections of the grooms having been removed, no opposition could be 
 offered by them, and thus it has come to pass that in most of our best 
 stables low racks are established without openings over them, and with 
 the hay and straw stowed in a loft overhead, perfectly protected from 
 injury from the stable emanations, by means of a sound floor and a good 
 ceiling beneath it. The fodder so placed does good instead of harm, in- 
 asmuch as being a bad conductor of heat it tends to keep the stable cool 
 in summer and warm in winter. Arrangements are easily made for throw- 
 ing it down through a shaft in some convenient spot, clear of the horses ; 
 and as it can more readily be filled from the cart or waggon through the 
 window than a chamber on the ground, labour is economised also. On 
 the whole therefore it may be laid down that if low racks are adopted, 
 which I shall hereafter show are the best on every account, the loft should 
 be placed over the stable, while even if high ones are preferred, it may be 
 fixed in the same situation, provided no openings which will allow the 
 passage of dust and steam are left above them. 
 
 The construction of the hay chamber should be such as will provide 
 for getting the hay and straw into it ; for the daily supply of these articles 
 out of it into the stable can always be easily managed without mechanical 
 assistance. Mr. Miles, in the work which I have already quoted, suggests 
 the introduction of a spout leading down from the loft to the manger, so 
 as to convey the corn and chaff into it ; but I have a great objection to 
 any plan which allows of a direct communication from the one to the 
 other, and as neither corn nor chaff is a bulky article, it is easy for the 
 groom to carry them in his sieve. Moreover, each feed of corn should be 
 sifted and examined for stones, which cannot so well be done in the bulk. 
 I should therefore strongly advise the planner of a stable to avoid all such 
 premiums upon laziness, and to keep the ceiling of his stable perfectly 
 intact, except for the purpose of carrying off the noxious gases which are 
 the product of respiration. 
 
 The granary, however, will require several fittings ; and, in the first 
 place, it should be so constructed as to be mice-proof. If the walls are 
 soundly built, no mice can gnaw through them, but even if they are 
 soft materials, a lining^ of Roman cement will exclude mice altogether. 
 This article also keeps the corn dry, and forms an excellent floor, as well 
 as a lining for the walls. If the granary is on the ground, instead of 
 using boards, which harbour vermin of all kinds, lay a course of bricks 
 edgeways upon concrete, and then upon the former have an inch of Roman 
 cement carefully laid, and take care to allow time for it to harden. When 
 this is done, corn may be stored without fear of loss by mice, and all that 
 is necessary is to turn it over every fortnight if at all new, or once a 
 month if dry. Few grooms are to be trusted with an unlimited supply of 
 oats, as they will almost all waste them in some way or other. It is better 
 
MATERIALS FOR WALLS. 
 
 193 
 
 therefore to shut off a part of the granary with open lattice or wiro-work, 
 admitting a free current of air, but not allowing anything large enough to 
 contain corn to pass. At stated intervals the allowance of corn may.be 
 taken out and kept in the other part of the granary till wanted. Here 
 also should be fixed a corn-bruiser and chaff-cutter, and also a bin for oats, 
 beans, and chaff. 
 
 In the next chapter on stable management, I shall enter upon the 
 advantages of chaff-cutters and oat-bruisers ; but at present I must beg 
 my readers to take it for granted that they are essential to every well- 
 conducted stable, and shall here only go into the room they occupy, and 
 their prime cost. It is needless, also, to describe their appearance or 
 mode of acting, as they are so generally used, that they may be seen in 
 every stable, and the real thing is much more easily understood than 
 either an engraving or a written description. Every agricultural imple- 
 ment maker sells both, and most of the chief of these establishments 
 have a pattern of their own, but in principle all are alike. I have ob- 
 tained the price lislf of the St. Pancras Iron Works, where, I believe, these 
 and other stable fittings may be obtained of the best quality, and at as 
 reasonable rates as are consistent with this. The oat-bruisers may either 
 be screwed to wooden pillars, or may stand upon iron frames. Ho. 1 
 and 2 in the following list are on the former plan, and the remainder on 
 the latter. Of course, the choice will depend upon circumstances ; but I 
 may remark, that when a good strong wooden upright can be fixed to the 
 floor and ceiling, or roof, the bruising-machine works more steadily than 
 if standing on an iron frame. 
 
 Improved oat-bruisers, made at the St. Pancras Iron Works, Old 
 St. Pancras (N.C.), London : — 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 No. 
 
 1. 
 
 1 b Bushels per hour— 
 
 can be worked by a boy . . 
 
 , 2 
 
 7 
 
 6 each 
 
 No. 
 
 2. 
 
 2 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto . , 
 
 . 2 
 
 16 
 
 0 
 
 it 
 
 No. 
 
 3. 
 
 3 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto . , 
 
 . 4 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 if 
 
 No. 
 
 4. 
 
 4J 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto 
 
 by a man . , 
 
 . 5 
 
 12 
 
 6 
 
 a 
 
 No. 
 
 5. 
 
 6 
 
 ditto 
 
 ditto 
 
 by a man and a boy . , 
 
 . 7 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 a 
 
 Horse or steam power can be applied to the two largest machines, with 
 loose and fast pullies, at an extra cost of 305. each. The machines will 
 then be capable of crushing a bushel more per hour. 
 
 The chaff-machines made at the same establishment, with two knives, 
 are sold at the following prices : — 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 No. 1. Cutting 1^ trusses, or 84 lbs. per hour; the chaff § of 
 
 an inch long — can be worked by a boy . . . . 2 15 0 each 
 
 No. 2. Cutting 2 trusses, or 112 lbs. per hour ; the chaff § of 
 
 an inch long — can be worked by a boy .... 4 4 0 „ 
 
 No. 3. Large machine on Corne’s principle, cutting 4 trusses, 
 or 224 lbs. per hour, lengths of f or J inches — can 
 be worked by a man 10 10 0 „ 
 
 If applied to horse power, w‘th loose and fast pullies, 305. extra. This 
 will increase the quantity 1 truss, or 56 lbs. per hour. 
 
 BEST MATERIALS EOR WALLS, FLOORS, DOORS, 
 
 AND WINDOWS. 
 
 The walls of stables, if economy is studied, must be built of the 
 material used in the district, whatever that may be. In some parts of 
 England, bricks are plentiful and cheap ; but in others, where there is no 
 
 o 
 
194 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 clay to be obtained near at band, the carriage alone from the brick-kilns 
 amounts to a prohibitory sum. But, in all cases, when they can be had, 
 well burnt and free from salt, they should be selected as at once the most 
 convenient, the dryest, and the least absorbent of all building materials. 
 In some districts, the clay and sand are so bad, that they burn into a 
 porous sponge, than which nothing can be worse, if exposed to the rain 
 without and the exhalations from the horse within. Even these, how- 
 ever, will make good walls, if they are cemented inside and out; but no 
 precaution short of this will suffice. Bough stone seldom makes a dry 
 stable, on account of the quantity of mortar which it takes to fill up the 
 interstices ; for as lime is always an expensive article, the filling in is not 
 sufficiently attended to, and the wet is allowed to enter, more or less. Of 
 course, attention to the proper performance of his work by the stonemason 
 will obviate these objections ; and some supervision of this kind is re- 
 quired, whether brick or stone is selected as the material for the walls. 
 In any case, a good thickness should be allowed, in orcl^er to keep an even 
 temperature ; and for walls much exposed to the east or north, less than 
 fourteen inches should never be adopted as the dimensions. 
 
 Stable floors are laid in some one of the following materials, of which 
 I give the prices, as nearly as they can be calculated, since these will 
 depend, in each case, upon circumstances varying in every county : — 
 
 1. Common stock bricks may be laid edgeways, so as to last for a few 
 years ; but though their low prime cost makes them the cheapest material 
 (except pebbles, in certain localities), yet in the long run they are dear, as 
 they so soon wear through. Moreover, unless very hard and well-burnt 
 bricks are carefully picked, they absorb the urine, and the stable laid with 
 them can never be kept quite sweet, nor can it be as dry as it should be. 
 A yard (super.) of bricks, laid edgeways, without mortar or cement, will 
 take about fifty-six ; but if laid in cement, fifty will be about the number, 
 varying with the thickness of the joint. In every case, unless the natural 
 soil is very dry, and especially if it is composed of clay or loam, about 
 a foot of concrete should be first put in ; upon this a couple of inches of 
 sand, and then the bricks. In levelling the sand before laying the bricks, 
 a, fall of about two inches should be allowed from the head to the drain 
 at the back, which is amply sufficient. The usual plan in stable floors is 
 to lay the bricks edgeways dry, running them across the stalls, and care- 
 fully breaking the joints — that is, avoiding the placing of each joint 
 opposite the one in the row above and below it. After the whole space is 
 thus laid, some recently-mixed mortar is reduced to the thickness for 
 grouting, and well worked into the joints by a stout besom. The floor is 
 then left for several days to set ; after which it may be used. The price 
 of stock bricks averages about 25 s. to 285. per thousand ; and therefore 
 the prime cost of this kind of floor, simply laid in sand and grouted, is 
 very low — sometimes not exceeding 25. per yard. The concrete adds 
 greatly to the cost, and with these common bricks it will hardly be of 
 much use, as they absorb so much moisture themselves from above, that 
 they can hold very little in addition. Nothing but limited means can 
 justify the use of these bricks. I have recently known a floor laid with 
 them wear almost through in a single year. 
 
 2. Pebbles are even cheaper than bricks in the immediate neighbour- 
 hood of the localities where they are found. They make an excellent and 
 dry floor, if carefully laid, as they neither wear away by friction, nor do 
 they become decomposed in course of time ; while, being pure flint, they 
 do not absorb a drop of water. It is difficult, however, to keep their sur- 
 
MATERIALS FOR FLOORS. 
 
 195 
 
 face tolerably level for any length of time ; but, even when they wear 
 into holes, the expense of taking them up and relaying them is not great. 
 Every one, therefore, who is about to build a stable, should ascertain the 
 price of pebbles in his own locality; and if they are cheap, he cannot 
 do better than adopt them ; taking care to put in a good bed of concrete 
 beneath, and to lay them in sand, carefully grouting them afterwards, as 
 I have described for common bricks, and finishing with the paviour’s 
 hammer, just as in street paving. In some places, pebbles may be ob- 
 tained for little more than the labour of loading, carting, and unloading ; 
 while in others they are worth as much as bricks. No estimate can, 
 therefore, be given which would be of the slightest possible use. They 
 are quickly laid, the labour coming to about 6d. a yard (super.), more or 
 less, according to circumstances. 
 
 3. Broseley, or other hard bricks, make an excellent floor, than which 
 nothing is better, the material being extremely hard, and quite impervious 
 to moisture. They are made a trifle larger than stock bricks, and about 
 forty-eight will lay a yard (super.), without cement. To do them justice, 
 a good bed of concrete should be laid, on which should be two or three 
 inches of sand, and then the bricks should be laid either in cement, or 
 if the expense is objected to, they must be laid dry and well grouted, as 
 before described. I have known floors of these bricks last in good con- 
 dition for twenty and even thirty years, requiring no repairs whatever. 
 They are, however, not easily to be obtained far from the localities where 
 they are made, as their weight is considerable, and the cost of carriage is 
 therefore high. A peculiar clay is required for their manufacture, which 
 is only obtained in the red sandstone districts. The price per thousand is 
 about 505. to 56s. near the kilns; but a very short distance soon raises 
 their cost to a prohibitory sum. At the above price, a superficial yard of 
 stable flooring will come to about 5s. to 5s. 6d., including sand and grout- 
 ing ; a bed of concrete, and the setting in cement, costing nearly as much 
 more, but this is not more than half the cost of Dutch clinkers, and these 
 hard bricks answer quite as well, or even better. 
 
 4. Dutch Clinkers and Adamantine Clinkers may be taken together, 
 the two being nearly allied in size and shape, as well as in their hardness 
 and resistance to absorption. They are intermediate in size between the 
 pebble and the brick, resembling the latter, however, in their proportions. 
 Nothing can possibly answer the purposes of a stable floor better than 
 clinkers, as they give a capital foot-hold to the horses, and yet are per- 
 fectly dry within a few minutes of being washed. They are laid on a 
 concrete foundation, in sand and cement; but the pattern varies greatly, 
 according to the fancy of the architect or builder. As far as I know, there 
 is little choice between the Dutch and English clinkers, as the latter are 
 now made ; the price, on the average, being nearly the same. A square 
 yard will require from 110 to 150 clinkers, according to their size; but 
 no one should attempt to purchase clinkers and lay them by the hands of 
 ordinary bricklayers, as they require some management, founded oil expe- 
 rience. The best plan is to contract with some respectable house to lay 
 the kind selected at a certain sum per yard. If the pattern is a plain one, 
 the price will generally be about 11 5. per yard (super.), which will include 
 cutting, when necessary, for the ordinary drains. 
 
 5. Concrete is made of fresh-burnt lime and gravel, with the addition, 
 sometimes, of broken brick. Where a thick bed of it is laid for high 
 buildings, the lime is ground ; but, for the purpose we are now consider- 
 ing, this is labour and. expense thrown away. The proportions will vary 
 
 o 2 
 
196 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 a good deal, according to the nature of the lime ; but, on the average, a 
 bushel will suffice for six or seven of well- washed coarse gravel, which, as 
 I said before, may be mixed with half its bulk of bricks, broken into 
 pieces not larger than a walnut, and the dust riddled out. An iron 
 cistern being provided, such as is used by plasterers and bricklayers, the 
 lime is first slacked with water till it is ready to crumble to powder; 
 then, measuring each carefully, the respective bulks are put into the 
 cistern, carefully mixing them together ; after which water is added till 
 it will just cover the surface when fully stirred up ; and then the men, 
 filling their buckets, throw it with force along the surface to be covered ; 
 the whole being done in successive layers as quickly as may be. Of 
 course, it takes some days to become hard or “ set/’ and until then no 
 attempt should be made to work upon it. The price of concrete, laid in 
 large quantities, varies from 5s. to 8s. per cubic yard, according to the 
 price of lime, gravel, and labour. 
 
 6. An attempt has recently been made to revive the old plan of laying 
 an open or perforated wooden floor so as to allow the urine to pass 
 through, and thus keep the litter dry. Mr. Haycock, in his “ Gentleman's 
 Stable Manual,” is a strong advocate for this plan, but I cannot say that 
 I am impressed with his arguments in its favour. That it may save 
 the litter to some extent is clear enough, but it only does so at the 
 expense of cleanliness, for as the wood absorbs a great deal of the urine 
 in its descent, ammonia is constantly being given off, and the stable is 
 never sweet. Tor this reason these floors were abandoned in the early part 
 of the present century, when they were extensively tried, and I should much 
 regret their general re-introduction. It may be laid down that no material 
 should be used for stable floors which absorbs the urine, but to select one 
 which in itself is liable to decomposition is doubly wrong. 
 
 The doors of stables are generally made of yellow, or, as it is called in 
 the midland districts, red deal. Sometimes elm is used, but it is very 
 liable to cast or warp. Unless the proprietor is very particular about 
 appearances, what is called a “ledge door” is considered sufficient, the 
 rails being of inch-and-half stuff, and the boards which are only nailed 
 on, from three-quarters of an inch to one inch thick. The ordinary 
 thumb-latch is very apt to catch in the skin of the horse as he passes 
 through, causing often a severe wound, and on that 
 account a sunk catch is preferred which drops into 
 a recess made for it in the door-frame, but this is 
 not adapted for a “ledge door,” a frame at least 
 two inches in thickness being necessary to allow 
 of the lock being let in. For loose boxes a door 
 may be made with the upper half of open iron work 
 as in the annexed engraving, but these are expen- 
 sive and can only be adopted when money is not 
 considered. In a door of this construction the 
 hinges are so arranged that with a rounded edge to 
 the frame there is no sharp projection and even 
 when wide open the hip of the horse passing through 
 cannot possibly be injured. Common ledge doors 
 door for loose box. 0 £ q ea i ma y ^e hung with ordinary iron hinges 
 and thumb latches for about 30^. to 3 5s. each, 
 while framed doors will run up to 51. and 61. a-piece. Ho door should 
 be less than three feet six inches wide and seven feet high, and the outer 
 door is better if made three feet nine or even four feet in the clear. 
 
DRAINAGE AND WATER SUPPLY. 
 
 197 
 
 All stable windows should be of iron, and if they are cast with iron 
 bars six inches apart from centre to centre, no horse will break the glass. 
 Every other bar may be made to project so as to form the framework for 
 the glass, and in this way serve a double purpose. In building new 
 stables I should always prefer to place the windows close to the ceiling 
 and above the mangers, so as to give the horse the fresh air where he 
 wants it. If they are made to open in a valvular form, as represented 
 below, on the same principle as has long been adopted in church windows, 
 and as I have for years recommended for lighting and ventilating kennels, 
 there is no down draught, and every advantage is obtained from the fresh 
 air without the disadvantage which ensues wdien it blows down upon the 
 back or loins. In the engraving (a) represents the window perfectly 
 
 c 
 
 VENTILATING WINDOWS. 
 
 closed, in the state admitting light but no air ; (b) shows the same window 
 opened as far as the framework will allow, intermediate degrees being 
 regulated by the ratched rod (c), which is fixed to the upper edge of the 
 frame, and catches on the top rail of the sash. Iron frames of this 
 shape may be obtained by order of any iron-founder, or they may be made 
 of wood. The glass must be guarded with bars either fixed to the sashes 
 themselves or to the framework. It will be seen in the figure (b) that I 
 have indicated with an arrow the direction which the air inevitably takes 
 as it enters the stable. Of course these windows may be fixed in any 
 wall other than that at the head of the horse, but I prefer the latter as 
 being the nearest to the nostrils where the air is wanted for the purpose of 
 respiration. The size should be about two feet square. The additional 
 cost is very trifling when it is considered that no other openings need b6 
 provided for the admission of air. 
 
 DRAINAGE AND WATER SUPPLY. 
 
 Next in importance to the choice of the situation and aspect, is the 
 method to be adopted in draining the stable. The former cannot well be 
 altered, but the latter may, and therefore I have placed it second. To 
 ensure the perfect performance of the office of cleansing the stable, 
 the first thing to be done is to provide a means of receiving the 
 liquid which constantly must fall upon the flooring, consisting partly of 
 
198 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the urine of the horses, and partly of the water used in keeping them 
 clean. Several plans are adopted for this purpose, some of which are 
 founded upon true principles of economy, while others are wasteful in the 
 extreme. In towns and cities provided with sewers and water pipes, 
 liquid manure is seldom worth the cost of removing it, and hence in them 
 there is no choice and the whole of the liquids flowing through the drains 
 must pass off into the common sewers. Even here, however, a catch pit 
 should he provided somewhere outside the stable, without which the traps 
 will either become clogged if made gas-tight, or they will admit the foul 
 emanations from the common sewer if they are so arranged as to allow of 
 the free flow of drainage from the stable into them. Such a pit as that 
 represented below will serve all the purposes required, and if it is regu- 
 
 larly cleaned out once a week by the groom there will never be an 
 overflow, while in no case can any gas pass through it from the seweiu 
 It is merely a square pit lined with brick or stone and cemented. The 
 size must depend on the number of horses, but if made on the calculation 
 of one cubical foot per horse up to four horses, and half an additional foot 
 for each horse beyond this number it will fulfil all the conditions required. 
 The principle on which it acts is as follows : — The liquid drainage enters 
 from the stable at (a), and falls into the inner half of the pit, marked (b), 
 which is separated from the other half by an iron partition ( c ). This is 
 fixed above in a stone or iron lid ( d ), which, being fitted in a frame at the 
 top of the pit, effectually closes it except when taken up by the groom for 
 the purpose of removing the solid contents at (b). The sides of the iron 
 partition (c) should run in grooves cut in the cement lining the pit, which 
 it should pretty accurately fit, but only so as to keep all solid matter from 
 passing through. A space of from two to four inches according to the 
 size of the pit is left beneath the iron partition and the bottom or floor, 
 and through this the liquid passes, filling the outer half ( e ) and over- 
 flowing through the pipe (/) as fast as it has run in at (a), the same level 
 being always maintained in the two halves of the pit. With this simple 
 apparatus properly constructed all internal stench traps may be done 
 away with, and the iron surface-drains which I shall presently describe 
 alone introduced. An examination of the engravings of ordinary stench 
 traps which I here append will show how easily they are choked and how 
 badly they fulfil their office. The larger one (a) represents that in com- 
 mon ustj when surface drainage is rendered as good as possible by intro- 
 
DRAINAGE. 
 
 199 
 
 during wrought iron gutters, which enter on the same level as the grating. 
 The smaller one is intended to be set in the centre of the stall with- 
 out the iron gutters, and its section ( b ) shows the small size of the trap and 
 
 STENCH TRAPS. 
 
 consequently how easily it chokes, thereby stopping the ready flow of 
 urine. The first thing in all stables is to provide for the rapid removal 
 of any fluid which falls upon the litter, whether it be urine or water used 
 in washing legs or floor. Without this damp arises and the health of the 
 inmates suffers in proportion. Foul gas such as is given off from decom- 
 posing matters in sewers is no doubt prejudicial, but damp is still more 
 so ; and while I would be careful to guard against the former I would still 
 more cautiously attend to the exclusion of the latter. Hence it is that I 
 would exclude all internal traps ; and every one who has watched, the 
 proceedings of his own stablemen will have seen how constantly, if they 
 know their business, they are obliged to clean out the stench traps if they 
 are furnished with them, or on the contrary how slowly these articles 
 allow the fluids to pass off if they are not thus attended to. Even the 
 old-fashioned simple plan of making the stalls to fall rapidly to an open 
 gutter, and carrying this straight behind the horses through an opening in 
 the wall to the manure hole, will answer better than neglected stench 
 traps; and as it is always wise to count upon the occasional carelessness 
 of the men, it is expedient to arrange on this basis if it is practicable, 
 which I know by experience it is, by the adoption of the catch pit I 
 have described. In the country such a pit may be interposed between a 
 liquid manure tank and the stable, or it may simply be placed outside, 
 taking care that the drain (/) has some safety valve to allow of the escape 
 of any gas which is generated beyond it either in the liquid manure 
 cistern or in the drain which carries away its contents whatever they may 
 be. Ho trap will prevent the passage of gas if the pressure is greater 
 than that of the atmosphere, and in many cases decomposing animal 
 matter at a high temperature evolves gas under one considerably greater. 
 The best stench trap will then be offensive, but a bad one choked with 
 solid matter will be doubly so. By thus doing away with all internal 
 traps, and simply using wrought-iron gutters of the annexed form, which 
 
 IRON SURFACE GUTTER. 
 
 are provided with moveable covers, that allow of their being regularly 
 cleaned out with a common besom, such perfect drainage may be attained 
 that the stable neither smells badly nor feels at all damp. It will be seen 
 
200 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 that angular joints are forged so as to connect the stall drains with those 
 at the backs of the horses, and in this way there is no difficulty whatever 
 in keeping the litter perfectly dry excepting just at the spot where the 
 urine or water first falls. If the drain at the backs of the horses is a very 
 long one it must be sunk beneath the surface and carried on by means of 
 glazed earthenware or iron pipes, with grated openings behind each horse 
 (not trapped), but the iron gutters above described are quite sufficient to 
 provide for three or four horses. This will be more fully alluded to when 
 the exact formation of the stalls and loose boxes is entered upon. The 
 price of the various articles, as manufactured and sold by the proprietor 
 of the St. Pancras Iron Works, is as follows:— 
 
 s. d. 
 
 Patent wrought-iron stable guttering, according to the pattern 
 
 engraved, per foot 26 
 
 Angles for ditto, each 3 6 
 
 T’s for ditto, each 3 6 
 
 An open guttering is made at Is. 1 Od. per foot, rounded at the top, but 
 it is not nearly so efficient as that which I have described. 
 
 The prices of stench pots or traps are as follows : — 
 
 s. d . 
 
 Large traps (a), page 199, each 120 
 
 Inlets, each, extra 13 
 
 Small traps (fi), page 199, 10-inch 6 0 
 
 „ „ 12-inch 8 0 
 
 Plain stable gratings and frames, 8-inch, 2s. 6d, 10-inch, 35. 3a., 
 12-inch, 4s. 9 d., 14-inch, 75. 6d, 16-inch, 105. 6d., each. 
 
 Water-pipes, where there is no pump, must be laid in the ground 
 so as to be out of the reach of frost, and should be furnished with a 
 good-sized cistern in or near the saddle-room, where it can be kept 
 from freezing. The system of laying on water pipes to the mangers, by 
 which they may be readily filled, is a good one, but it costs money and is 
 by no means necessary. If the iron surface drains which I have de- 
 scribed are used no flushing is required, a besom easily cleaning them out, 
 but pipe drains are certainly the better for a good flushing now and then. 
 Hard pump water is not so good for drinking as soft or river water, but in 
 many situations nothing else can be obtained. When soft water is 
 within reach it may easily be conducted into a cistern in the saddle-room, 
 where its temperature will be always nearly that of the stable 
 
 VENTILATION AND LIGHTING. 
 
 I have already entered to some extent upon the best form of windows 
 for stabling, and have shown how far they may be applied to the purpose 
 of supplying air from without. Sometimes, however, there are already in 
 the building windows of the ordinary construction ; and in that case it 
 will be necessary to introduce ventilators, of some shape or other, to admit 
 the external air. In all cases, some provision should be made for pre- 
 venting any draught falling upon the horses, and for regulating the amount 
 of air. The common round tube, with a bend at a right angle down- 
 wards on the outside of the wall, is the cheapest form in which this can 
 be done ; but it is very apt to be rendered totally inefficient by being 
 stuffed with hay in cold weather, and left in this state ever afterwards. 
 Several patents have been lately taken out for getting a down-draught by 
 the side of the up-draught tube; of which Mr. Moir’s four-sectioned 
 
VENTILATION. 
 
 201 
 
 plan is, perhaps, the best. In this a large tube of iron is made to descend 
 from the apex of the roof to the stable ceiling ; and being divided into 
 four tubes by iron plates, which rise above the top, the wind always 
 descends through one or two of these tubes whenever there is the slightest 
 air moving. Unfortunately, however, it happens that when it is most 
 wanted, it is totally inactive — namely, in the hot, calm days of summer. 
 Ventilation is always easy enough when there is a wind blowing; and, 
 indeed, the difficulty then is to moderate it; but it is when there is no air 
 moving that stables become so hot and close. I have known these down- 
 current tubes tried in all sorts of places, including stables, kennels, work- 
 rooms, cigar-divans, &c. ; but I have always found that, without the power 
 of moderating the down-draught by closing-valves placed at the bottom 
 of the tubes, they are not only useless in calm weather, but highly dan- 
 gerous in a wind. , Now, horses have not the sense to close valves, when 
 a wind rises in the night, and grooms are absent from 8 o'clock p. m. till 
 6 a. m., during which time a whole stableful of horses may be chilled to an 
 alarming extent. Hence, if adopted, I should never venture to leave 
 these ventilators open during the night, and this would take away from 
 their efficiency sufficiently to forbid their use. I greatly prefer the valvular 
 window which I have described at page 197, for the introduction of air, 
 and a plain ventilating shaft, such as I shall presently allude to, for car- 
 rying off the foul air. Failing the window from any cause, nothing is 
 better than a latticed ventilator, like the following, which should be fixed 
 
 in the head wall, or in either of the side walls, near the head. The louvres 
 should be moveable, so as to moderate the draught ; and the usual plan is 
 to make them open and shut by pulling a cord. The price is, for the size 
 twelve inches by eight, 9s. 6d. f or fourteen inches by ten, 13s. 9 d. A 
 small ventilator is sometimes required, like one or other of the annexed, 
 
 which may be fixed in any part of the stable where air is wanted. These 
 also open and shut, but they require the hand itself, or some intermediate 
 agent, such as a shovel-handle, and cannot be arranged to move by a cord. 
 The usual prices are as follows : — s d 
 
 Square, to open and shut 9 inches by 9 inches ..40 
 
 Ditto ditto 12 inches by 12 inches ..60 
 
 Ditto ditto 15 inches by 15 inches ..90 
 
 Oblong, to open and shut 13 inches by 4| inches ..30 
 
 Ditto ditto 16 inches by 4J inches ..40 
 
 Large Hound, to open and shut . . 22 inches . 17 6 
 
$02 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Ha'V ing thus provided for the admission of fresh atmospheric air, the 
 next thing to do is to carry it off, when it has been used for the purposes 
 of respiration. As I before remarked, it is not safe to depend upon the 
 wind for this purpose ; and the only remaining agent is the diminution in 
 its specific gravity when air is warmed by respiration. By taking advantage 
 of this principle, the foul air is carried off from the upper parts of the stable 
 if a shaft is fixed there for its passage. Sometimes a small shaft is intro- 
 duced over the head of each horse ; but in practice it is found that one 
 large shaft, about a foot square, will purify a stable containing four or five 
 horses. It is better to fix this about the middle of the stable, as regards 
 
 its length, but near the heads of the horses, as shown in the above section 
 of a stalled stable. The tube may be made of wood — and, indeed, this 
 material is better than iron, because it does not condense the steam as it 
 ascends nearly so much as metal, and there is less dropping of water from 
 it. The upper end of this shaft should be guarded from down-draughts, 
 either by a cowl which will turn with the wind, or by a covered ventilator 
 of galvanized iron fixed on the ridge of the roof, the price of which will 
 
 HEAD OF SHAFT. 
 
 depend on the size. At the bottom, a sheet of iron, considerably larger 
 than the shaft, should be fixed about three inches below T the mouth, so as 
 to prevent any down-draught striking the horses, and also to catch any 
 drip from the condensation of the steam of the stable, as it comes in 
 contact with the interior of the shaft. This, however, will be almost 
 
STABLE FITTINGS. 
 
 203 
 
 entirely avoided by making tbe shaft of wood, as 1 have already men- 
 tioned. Loose boxes must be ventilated separately, if they are not open 
 to the stable ; but if they are, the same shaft will take off their foul 
 air as is used for the stalls, provided there are not more than four or five 
 horses in the same space. A shaft about six inches in diameter is amply 
 large enough for one box ; and this, with the ventilating window or the 
 separate ventilator I have described, wull keep any box in a healthy con- 
 dition, if its drainage is properly attended to. There is a very common 
 notion that no ascending shaft will remove the carbonic-acid gas, which is 
 one of the results of respiration, because its specific gravity is so great that 
 it lies close to the floor. This, however, is a fallacy in practice, though 
 perfectly correct in theory, because all gases have a tendency to mix 
 rapidly together; and hence, although the weight of pure carbonic-acid 
 gas is so great that it may be poured from one glass into another, yet, as 
 it is given gradually off by the lungs, it does not remain separate, but 
 mixes with the bulk of air in the stable, and is carried off with it. Fol 
 this reason, there is not the slightest necessity to admit the fresh air near 
 the bottom of the stable, as is sometimes contended for. If it is attempted, 
 nothing can prevent a draught falling upon the bodies of the horses when 
 they are lying down, and they inevitably catch cold. If the upper 
 regions are kept pure, the whole air soon mixes ; and thus, when the 
 openings are fixed near the ceiling, as I have described, all the good 
 which is wanted from them is obtained without any risk of draught. 
 
 STABLE FITTINGS. 
 
 Under this head may be included 
 all the internal additions which are made 
 to the walls in the shape of partitions 
 between the stalls, mangers, racks, &c. 
 
 It will therefore be necessary to consider 
 each of these subjects separately. 
 
 There are two modes of separating 
 stalls from each other; that most com- 
 monly adopted in private stables being 
 the travis, whilst in cavalry and cab 
 stables the hanging bail is used for the 
 sake of economy of money and space. 
 
 The latter being considerably cheaper 
 than the former, I shall describe it first. 
 
 All that is necessary is a strong pole of 
 ash, oak, or elm, which is fixed about — 
 three feet from the ground between the 
 horses, one end being attached to the 
 manger by a strong iron hook and eye, 2:1 — 
 
 and the other being either suspended 
 from the ceiling by a chain or attached 
 to a post, reaching from the ground to 
 the ceiling in such a way that, if the 
 horse gets fixed under or over it, he 
 can readily be relieved by striking 
 upwards the ring (a) which liberates the 
 hook ( b ), and allows the bail (c) to fall to the ground. A better plan is to 
 use a plank of elm instead of a pole for the bail, and the difference of cost 
 
204 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is not very great. I have myself adopted this plan with advantage in a 
 two-stalled stable which is too narrow for a travis, the whole width for 
 two horses being barely ten feet. Here, of course, two stalls would be 
 unsafe, for no horse can be accommodated properly with less than five 
 feet six inches from inside to inside of stall-posts, and this would require 
 eleven feet six inches, being eighteen inches more than I had to do with. 
 I find that a plank of elm, one inch and a half in thickness and eighteen 
 inches deep, will protect a horse very effectually from the kicks of his 
 neighbour ; and as I happen to have had an inveterate kicker in one of 
 the stalls for six months, without injury to her fellow, the trial has been 
 a pretty severe one. The hangings at each end are just the same as for 
 bails, a chain, in my stable, descending from the ceiling, and no tail- 
 post being used on account of the propensities of the mare in question. 
 She would have demolished any fixed post behind her in a single night ; 
 but the hanging plank of elm not being a fixture, gave way to her blows, 
 and she soon left it alone. If the horse is tied up with one rein only, he 
 can bite his neighbour with great facility over the bail, but two reins are 
 just as efficient with hanging bails as with a travis, and these should never 
 be neglected. 
 
 The tkavis may be either of wood or iron, or partly of each material. 
 If cheapness is an object, all that is necessary is to fix a head and tail post, 
 and connect these by three strong rails ; inch elm-boards are then nailed 
 perpendicularly, and cut at the top to the proper sweep, or “ramp,” as it 
 is called, after which a thin fillet of elm#is bent to the shape and nailed 
 on to the top. Most travises, however, have an ornamental tail-post, and 
 a framed top rail, rebated on the lower edge to receive the boards. In 
 the present day iron, however, is substituted for wood ; but as, when cast, 
 it is very liable to break, it should be wrought for the posts and cills. The 
 following are the prices of these articles, varying with the degree of orna- 
 mentation : — 
 
 £ s. d. £ s. d. 
 
 Wrought-iron stable posts, with ornamental cast tops, 
 
 each from 1 4 0 to 2 7 0 
 
 If with rings for pillar reins, additional 1 0 to 5 0 
 
 Cast-iron ramp, each from 120 to 150 
 
 Ventilating ramp with patent bars 2 7 6 to 3 0 0 
 
 Wrought-iron cill, each from 76 to 126 
 
 Intermediate rail, each from 76 to 126 
 
 Thus a plain iron frame-work, consisting of wrought-iron post and cill, 
 with cast-iron ramp, may be obtained for about 21. 4s. to which must be 
 added the expense of boarding both sides, which will come to about 10s. 
 in deal or elm, exclusive of the labour, being fully double the cost of 
 wooden posts and rails, put up in a correspondingly plain way. The 
 length of the travis should never be less than six feet six inches, and if 
 the stable is fourteen feet deep, which it ought at least to be, the travis 
 may be seven feet long with advantage. Beyond this length it should 
 not extend except in very roomy stables, as there is danger of straining 
 the back in turning out of a narrow gangway into the stall. No travis 
 should be less than seven feet in height at the head, and four feet six, or 
 five feet at the tail-post. If lower than this, the horses can bite each 
 other over the head, or kick over the tail, and so become hung, from 
 which latter accident serious mischief may ensue. The tail-post is gene- 
 rally made only to reach high enough to take the ring for the pillar reins, 
 but it is far firmer if carried to the ceiling. When the stable is to be 
 built flora the ground, the tail-posts may be made to economise wood in 
 
STABLE FITTINGS. 
 
 205 
 
 the flooring-joists above, as they diminish their length by one-half. A 
 moderately stout beam, say eight inches by four, is carried from end to 
 end, and into this the posts are framed, while the joists, running in the 
 direction of the stalls, are only seven feet long each, for which a very 
 small scantling will suffice, even if heavy weights of hay and straw are 
 placed in the loft. This is a great consideration, as the floor of the loft 
 requiring to be made strong, the joists, when fourteen or fifteen feet long, 
 should be at least ten inches deep. If wooden posts are sunk into the 
 ground, which they must be if short, they soon decay, whereas, when they 
 reach the ceiling, as I have advised, they may be dowelled into a stone 
 rising above the floor, and thus escape destruction. Charring the part 
 buried is the usual expedient adopted to prevent decay, but though it acts 
 beneficially to some extent, it does not long put off the decomposition of 
 the woody matter by the damp of the floor. 
 
 A gangway bail is sometimes used in stables, when valuable horses 
 are kept in stalls, such as hunters and race-horses. It is merely a strong 
 piece of oak wffiich is dropped into a mortice in the stall-post at one end, 
 and into another made in the wall opposite ; so that, if either of the 
 horses gets loose, he cannot reach his neighbours. It also serves to 
 prevent two horses from hanging back and kicking at each other, which 
 vicious animals will sometimes do. 
 
 The mangers and racks are now almost invariably made of the an- 
 nexed form, whether of wood or iron ; the addition of a separate cavity 
 
 IRON MANGER AND RACK. 
 
 for water, bran mashes, or gruel, being a modern invention. With the 
 single exception of Mr. Miles, I am not aware of any recent authority on 
 the subject who has written in favour of the old high rack, and after 
 about fifteen years’ experience of each in my own stables, I can confidently 
 recommend the low position for its manifold advantages both to the horse 
 and his master. The above-named writer gives as the reasons for his 
 preference of the high rack, “ that besides the chance there is of a horse 
 getting his feet into a low rack, when he is either frolicsome or alarmed, 
 it is open to the objection that he is constantly hanging his head over his 
 food, and breathing on it while he is feeding, which renders the undermost 
 portion of it moist and warm, and makes him reluctant to consume the 
 whole.” Now the first of these objections may be tenable, for, no doubt, 
 a horse can get his feet into a low rack, but so he can into his manger, 
 and as this must be placed low, no farther harm is done in the one case 
 
20 6 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 than in the other. Moreover, the rack being placed in the corner is not 
 so likely to receive the feet as the manger in the middle. Eut, in either 
 case, if the bottom is strong enough to bear the weight, which it ought to 
 be, no mischief is done, and the horse gets down again when he likes. The 
 second objection I contend to be wholly without foundation, and I do this 
 after carefully trying the experiment for a month, with the same four horses, 
 tended by the same men, and doing the same kind of work. It so happened 
 that in the year 18451 required two additional stalls ; and at that time having 
 high racks in my own three-stalled stable, I hired one of two stalls close 
 adjoining. In this I placed two of the three horses for a month, and carefully 
 weighed the hay which was consumed by them during that period, at the 
 same time weighing that eaten by the other three horses in the three-stalled 
 stable. At the end of the month I changed the two horses for two of 
 those in the three-stalled stable, and again weighed the hay consumed by 
 each. The result was, in round numbers, a saving of ten pounds of hay 
 per week per horse, and this was done without any further limitation than 
 the judgment of the head groom, who, moreover, was prejudiced in favour 
 of high racks. I immediately introduced low racks into my own 
 stables, and have used them since with the greatest satisfaction and ad- 
 vantage. Such is the result of my own experience, and I find that all 
 those of my acquaintance who have tried the low racks, are strongly 
 impressed with their advantages, nor have I ever known an accident result 
 from them. The only place where they are dangerous is in the loose box 
 of the brood mare with her foal, where the latter may damage itself by 
 getting into the manger, but against this risk I have cautioned the breedei 
 at page 159. In those stables where a long wooden manger is fixed, the 
 alteration of a part to form the low rack is easily accomplished, and the 
 saving in hay will soon pay for the trifling outlay. 
 
 With regard to the material of which the racks and mangers 
 should be made, I am not quite so settled in my convictions. Wood is 
 undoubtedly the cheapest, and it has the advantage in its favour that the 
 horse, in laying hold of the cap with his teeth, when he is being dressed, 
 which most higli-couraged horses do, wears them out much less rapidly 
 than with the iron manger. This objection is met by making the cap so 
 wide that the horse’s jaw will not embrace it, and with this modification 
 I have nothing to allege against the metal but its price, — while it has the 
 advantage that mice cannot gnaw through it, and that it does not become 
 decomposed by remaining constantly damp, which is the case with wood. 
 The iron is generally lined with enamel, but as I believe that its oxide is 
 absolutely advantageous to the health of the horse when taken into the 
 stomach with his food, I do not care whether this additional expense is 
 incurred or not. The enamel always looks and is clean, which is in its 
 favour, but, as I said before, this is its only real advantage. With these 
 preliminary observations, I shall describe each, and give their cost price 
 in addition, so that in fitting up a stable the proprietor may take his 
 choice. 
 
 (1.) Wooden mangers may be economically made in part of elm or 
 deal, and in part of oak, which latter wood should always be used for the 
 capping, on account of the wear occasioned by the teeth, and for the 
 bottoms, to prevent decay. The top of the cap should be from 3 ft. 3 in. 
 to 3 ft. 6 in. from the ground, and the manger itself should be 13 inches 
 wide at the top and 9 inches at the bottom ; depth 1 1 inches. The caps 
 should be 4 inches deep and 3 inches wide, and these should be firmly 
 wedged into the wall or travis at each end. The bottoms may be of inch 
 
STABLE FITTINGS. 
 
 207 
 
 oak, and the backs, ends, and fronts, of inch elm, or, if deal is used, they 
 should be a little stouter. Supposing low racks to he introduced also of 
 wood, they should be 2 feet wide, and should project 5 inches beyond the 
 manger, making them 1 8 inches deep inside. An oak post must he dropped 
 into the floor at the junction of the two, so as to give strength at this 
 part, and the two caps may be strongly nailed or bolted to the top of 
 this. The rack is generally made from 2 ft. to 2 ft. 3 in. deep outside, 
 which leaves a space below sufficient to ensure the free passage of seeds 
 and dust. 
 
 (2.) Iron mangers are made of the same dimensions as tb# above, hut 
 in general the capping of the rack is continuous with that of the manger, 
 as shown in the engraving at page 205. Both are five inches wide, to 
 prevent the horse laying hold of the iron and thus wearing down his 
 teeth. A water-tank occupies one end of the space at the head of the 
 stall, the manger the middle, and the rack the other end, — the two former 
 being generally enamelled inside. The addition of the tank is in favour 
 of iron as a material ; for water remaining in wood soon rots it, and hence 
 even if wooden mangers are preferred, the tank, if adopted, must he of 
 iron. There is a great variety of patterns sold, suitable to stables of all 
 kinds and sizes, hut I know none more adapted to the average private 
 stable than the one I have figured. Iron-founders are very apt to fix both 
 the rings for the head-stall-reins near the middle, which is a great mis- 
 take, as the advantages of the double rein are thereby lost. Gentlemen, 
 therefore, who are giving their orders, should see that they are placed as 
 in the engraving at page 205. 
 
 In comparing the prices of wood and iron, it may be assumed that 
 a wooden manger and low rack will cost about a pound, including labour 
 and materials. The following are the prices of iron : — - 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 Corner manger, with, water trough, but no rack, 3 feet long, plain . 15 0 
 
 Ditto ditto enamelled 1150 
 
 Improved ditto, 4 feet 3 inches long, plain 1100 
 
 Ditto ditto enamelled 2100 
 
 Brass plug and washer, extra 3 6 
 
 Wrought-iron circular rack, 2 feet 6 inches long .... 9s. to 136 
 
 Ditto ditto 3 feet long 10s. to 14 0 
 
 Patent manger, rack and water trough, plain, with guard roller, 
 
 brass plug and washer, each 300 
 
 Ditto ditto enamelled 3176 
 
 Patent halter guide and rein, extra 100 
 
 Seed box 6 0 
 
 Patent manger and rack, without trough, plain 2 7 6 
 
 Ditto ditto enamelled 300 
 
 Halter guide and rein 100 
 
 Self-acting rack, extra 1140 
 
 Cart-horse manger and rack, plain 2176 
 
 Ditto ditto enamelled 3176 
 
 Corner manger racks and troughs for loose boxes, plain . . . . 2 12 6 
 
 Ditto ditto with patent enamelled top plate . . 3 12 6 
 
 The only remaining fitting yet to be described is the enamelled tiJe^ 
 which is now very generally introduced in first-class stables at the heads 
 of the stall above the mangers. I cannot say that I see any great ad- 
 vantage in them, as a coat of sound Roman cement will be as impervious 
 to all kinds of diseased secretions as the best enamel, — that is to say, 
 when each is washed. Nevertheless, I have shown these tiles in the 
 annexed engraving of a couple of stalls and a loose box, which is taken 
 
208 
 
 THE HORSE 
 
 from the pattern plan exhibited at the St. Pancras Iron Works. Here all 
 the iron fittings which I have already described are introduced, and my 
 reader may judge for himself of their appearance, which is certainly, in my 
 opinion, extremely neat and well adapted to the requirements of the horse. 
 
 The stalls show the iron manger, rack, and trough, and the wrought-iron 
 posts to the travis, with iron ramp as described at page 204. The floor is 
 laid with blue paviors, cut to fit the wrought-iron gutters alluded to at 
 page 199. The loose box is lined with inch deal, and the partition from 
 the stalls is of open iron- work. This also shows the corner manger-rack 
 and trough suitable for a loose box. The only objection that I know to 
 these very complete fittings is on the score of expense. 
 
 Projections of all kinds are sometimes to be carefully avoided, either 
 with crib-biters or very mischievous horses. In such cases, a concealed 
 manger and rack on the following plan is adopted, which is admirably 
 
 CONCEALED MANGER FOR CRIB-BITERS. 
 
 calculated for the purpose. On the left-hand side the manger is seen in 
 the position which it occupies when turned out for feeding, while the 
 right gives a view of it when closed. The whole- forms a solid frame, 
 
HARNESS-ROOM. 
 
 209 
 
 hinged at the bottom near the floor, and prevented from coming further 
 out by a check. The groom, therefore, has nothing to do but to pull the 
 whole out (as shown at a), feed his horse, and leave it out till he has eaten 
 his corn, as well as hay, when this is given him ; after which the frame is 
 pushed back to the position shown at ( b ), when it is flush with the wall. 
 The objection to the plan is, that it does not prevent a horse from crib- 
 biting when feeding, and that he must wear a muzzle in addition ; for it is 
 while he is eating his hay and corn that the habit is indulged in to the 
 greatest extent. Besides which, it compels the groom, after he “ beds up ” 
 at night, to return to the stable, after he has allowed time enough for the 
 horse to feed, without which precaution the concealed manger is useless. 
 On the whole, therefore, I cannot recommend the plan, and crib-biting 
 must be met by some other expedient. 
 
 I have already said that I object to corn and chaff-shoots arranged 
 so as to open into the manger, on account of the dust which they bring 
 down. If the corn and chaff are kept upstairs, a shoot may be arranged 
 so as to deliver them at or near the gangway, the particular spot chosen 
 depending on circumstances, which will vary with almost every stable. 
 A granary, or corn-room, on the ground floor, does not admit of a shoot. 
 
 The walls of a stable should be lined, wherever they come in contact 
 with the horse, with inch elm or deal. Without this, in cold weather, 
 the brick or stone, whether plastered or not, is too cold, and if a delicate 
 horse lies down with his loins against it, he will probably be attacked with 
 rheumatism, or perhaps with inflammation of the kidneys. Usually, 
 also, as I have already observed at page 207, the head wall above the 
 manger is lined either with boards or enamelled plates, which have lately 
 been introduced as being cleaner than boards, as they undoubtedly are. 
 They are either of enamelled iron, nailed on to boarding, or of vitrified 
 plates set in cement, the latter being cheaper and having nearly the same 
 appearance. They are made of all shapes, square, octagon, hexagon, &c., 
 and they vary in price from Is. 7 d. per foot for the vitrified plates of a 
 white colour, to 2s. 6d. for the enamelled iron, which may be had white, 
 French grey, or granite. 
 
 HARNESS-ROOM. 
 
 Every Harness-Room should be provided either with a stove or open 
 fireplace, in order to dry the saddles, harness, and clothing, when they 
 
 come in wet. If, also, it can be so arranged that a supply of hot water 
 can be obtained, by fitting a boiler to the back of the fire, the groom 
 
 p 
 
k 2i0 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 will be always provided with what he most occasionally obtain from some 
 source or other. No establishment can be considered complete which 
 does not provide plenty of hot water when wanted ; and if it is heated in 
 the saddle-room, so much the better. 
 
 The next thing to be done is to give the groom the means of drying 
 Ills saddles and harness by the heat of his fire. The former are easily 
 deprived of the moisture arising from the sweat, by putting them in front 
 of the fire, spread on an airer of the annexed form, which is an excellent 
 contrivance for the purpose, and may be obtained of any large saddler, in 
 wood, for a few shillings. In addition to this, what is called a “ saddle 
 horse ” is required, wdiich may either be of wood or iron. If the former, 
 it should have a drawer or two, to hold small articles in common use. 
 The following is the form of those made of iron, resembling in general 
 
 IRON SADDLE HORSE. 
 
 plan the wooden horse, but being lighter in appearance, though really 
 quite as heavy, if not more so. The same horse is useful for cleaning 
 harness upon, the pad or saddle being put over the top, and the bridle 
 hanging at either end, while it is being cleaned. 
 
 When the saddles and harness are cleaned, they must be put away 
 till wanted; and here they must be protected from injury, either in the 
 shape of scratches, damp, or dust. Harness and saddle brackets are made 
 either of wood or iron ; the former being the cheaper, but the surface they 
 present being necessarily larger, they do not allow the stuffing to dry so 
 well as non braciieus oi the annexed form, which are made to turn up and 
 
 SADDLE BRACKETS. 
 
 form a hook below, on which bridles may be hung. This is a capital plan 
 where space is scanty, but otherwise it is not to be recommended. Where 
 a long cupboard can be separated off by hanging doors, either of glass or 
 
COACH nOUSE. 
 
 211 
 
 panel, the harness and saddlery can be kept in very nice order; and even 
 a curtain of cloth or canvas will serve a similar purpose, when drawn 
 across in front of them. In addition to the brackets, bridle hooks, either 
 single or double, like the annexed forms, must be attached to the walls, to 
 
 BRIDLE HOOKS. 
 
 hang the bridles, stirrup leathers, &c., to. Masters who are particular 
 about their stable arrangements have many other fittings, such as wheels 
 for whip-lashes to hang over, &c. &c. ; but those which I have enumerated 
 are the essentials for a harness-room intended for use rather than show. 
 A double hook suspended from the ceiling, where it can be used to hang 
 dirty harness on while washing it, is extremely useful ; but any groom 
 who understands his business will suggest something of the kind, accord- 
 ing to circumstances. The prices of brackets, hooks, &c., made of iron 
 are as follows : — 
 
 PATENT 
 
 SADDLE BRACKETS, 
 
 , ETC. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Plain. 
 
 Galvanized. 
 
 Covered. 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 Gentlemen's 
 
 
 6 
 
 10 
 
 0 
 
 15 
 
 0 each. 
 
 Ladies’ 
 
 ... 10 
 
 0 
 
 12 
 
 Cy 
 
 19 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Bridle Bracket 
 
 . . . 0 
 
 10 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Stirrup 
 
 ... 2 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 9 
 
 4 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Girth 
 
 ... 2 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 9 
 
 5 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Hein Hook 
 
 . . . 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 
 6 » 
 
 PATENT HARNESS 
 
 FITTINGS. 
 
 
 
 
 A single set, consisting of- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Plain. 
 
 Galvanized. 
 
 Covered. 
 
 
 S. 
 
 d. 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 S. 
 
 d. 
 
 Collar Bracket 
 
 ... 2 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 6 each. 
 
 Pad ditto 
 
 ... 3 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 8 
 
 o „ 
 
 Bridle ditto 
 
 ... 2 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Rein Hook 
 
 . . . 0 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Crupper Bracket .... 
 
 ... 2 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Iron Stable Hooks .... 
 
 ... 1 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 0 
 
 5 
 
 o „ 
 
 Bridle Hook (single) . . . 
 
 ... 0 
 
 5 
 
 0 
 
 7 
 
 1 
 
 6 „ 
 
 „ (double) . . . 
 
 ... 0 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 0 
 
 o 
 
 6 „ 
 
 Harness Bracket (small) . . 
 
 ... 1 
 
 o 
 
 1 
 
 9 
 
 4 
 
 9 „ 
 
 „ (large) . . 
 
 ... 2 
 
 6 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 70 
 
 9 „ 
 
 COACH HOUSE. 
 
 
 
 
 
 In the coach house mere standing room is all that it is necessary to 
 provide if the harness-room stove is made to answer the double purpose 
 of airing both, which should always be managed. Open carriages may ho 
 kept in tolerably good order without any stove, but the lining of close 
 carnages soon becomes mouldy unless heat in some form or other be 
 applied. 
 
 SEEVANTS’ EOOMS. 
 
 Little need be here said of the servants’ rooms, but I certainly agree 
 with Mr. Miles in his objection to placing them over the horses. Quiet 
 is essential to the sleep of these animals, and if grooms are to be walking 
 over head at all hours their sleep must necessarily be disturbed. It is 
 
 p 2 
 
212 
 
 1HE HORSE. 
 
 always well to have a groom’s room within hearing of his horses, so that 
 if any of them get cast, or are taken ill, he may be able at once to go to 
 their assistance, but this can readily be done without placing any lodging 
 rooms over the stalls or boxes. 
 
 GROUND PLANS OP STABLES. 
 
 In deciding on the best ground plan for stabling a great deal must 
 always depend upon the kind and number of horses to be placed in it. 
 In the following plans I shall consider the two extremes afforded by those 
 for racehorses or hunters on the one hand, and on the other by the hack 
 or harness stable for two or three horses where space is a great object. 
 As a general rule racehorses and hunters require a loose box each, because 
 they are often greatly distressed, and must then have entire rest and quiet 
 to enable them to recover themselves. They are also a great many hours 
 together in the stable, and being called upon for great exertions when out 
 they ought to have plenty of air when indoors. The best proportions for 
 their boxes are sixteen to eighteen feet long by twelve feet wide and nine 
 or ten high, but these are perhaps a little above the average. Neverthe- 
 less I have given these in the annexed plan of a 
 
 RACING OR HUNTING STABLE. 
 
 It is divided into four separate stables thirty-six feet long and eighteen 
 wide, in which three or even four loose boxes may be separated by partitions 
 nine feet high with open iron tops, as shown at page 208 , or one or more 
 may be divided by travises into six stalls each six feet wide. I have already 
 
213 
 
 NEW STABLES. 
 
 alluded to the fittings for each, and therefore I need say nothing more 
 here beyond alluding to the plan itself. 
 
 The architect employed by the St. Pancras Iron-works has designed a 
 plan by which a loose box and two stalls may be arranged in a space only 
 sixteen feet by fifteen, as shown in the following cut, which is drawn on 
 a scale of one-sixth of an inch to a foot. Undoubtedly it may sometimes 
 happen that such an area may be at hand, and at the same time being 
 incapable of alteration, it may be desirable to lodge three horses within it, 
 which can scarcely be done in any other way. But while I give him 
 
 credit for his ingenuity, I would strongly object to the general adoption 
 of the plan when it can be avoided, on account of the danger of injury 
 from kicking caused by the proximity of the heels of two of the horses to 
 one another. The loose box moreover is very small, but still we cannot 
 expect to place three horses without crowding them in such a limited space 
 as this. Pour feet more in length (that is eighteen feet) and one foot less 
 in breadth (or fourteen feet) will give three good stalls, and the area is 
 only increased by fourteen superficial feet, which can generally be obtained 
 in some way. A loose box should, as I have already observed, be always 
 thirteen or fourteen feet long and eight or nine feet wide, and if it is less 
 than this I Should prefer an open stall, on account of the danger of injury 
 to the back in turning round 
 
 plan op stable por three horses. 
 
 NECESSITY POE AIEING NEW STABLES. 
 
 To put horses into new stables without airing them is to give them 
 •old or rheumatism. Indeed those which have been merely uninhabited 
 
214 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 for some months are not fit for horses that are accustomed to be kept 
 warm and dry, without taking the following precautions. If the walls 
 are very new some open stoves should be kept burning for at least a week, 
 not with the windows and doors shut, as is often done, but with a good 
 current of air blowing through the whole building. In the absence of 
 regular stoves loose bricks may be built up so as to allow a good draught 
 of air through the coals or wood burnt in them, and thus to give out as 
 much heat as is wanted. Eor stables that have merely been closed for a 
 month or two a fire kindled on the floor and kept burning for a few hours 
 will suffice, but when the horses are first brought in, their beds should 
 previously be made up ready for them, and then the doors, windows and 
 other ventilators should all be shut till the stable becomes thoroughly 
 warmed by the natural heat of their bodies, which it soon is. When this 
 is accomplished, if the weather is warm, the ventilators should be opened 
 as usual, and the windows also if necessary; but it is better to err on the 
 safe side, and not to do this till the groom is perfectly satisfied that his 
 charge are all comfortably warm. 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 STABLE MANAGEMENT. 
 
 THE COACHMAN, GROOM, AND HELPER— STABLE IMPLEMENTS, CLOTHING, ETC. — FOOD 
 
 AND WATER— THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING BEDDING DRESSING OR 
 
 GROOMING— CLIPPING, SINGEING, AND TRIMMING USE AND APPLICATION OF BANDAGES 
 
 — MANAGEMENT OF THE FEET EXERCISE. 
 
 In the following pages, my attention will be specially directed to the 
 management of private stables ; and therefore the racehorse, the omnibus 
 and cab horse, and the poster, will not pass under review. Those who are 
 engaged in their superintendence make it their business to ascertain what 
 is best to be done ; and, whether they do or not, each of them fancies that 
 he knows better than any one else how to effect his object. 
 
 THE COACHMAN, GROOM, AND HELPER. 
 
 The coachman is generally understood to be a servant in charge of a 
 horse or horses, drawing either a close carriage or an open one of some 
 importance, and attending to their management, indoors and out. To 
 perform these duties thoroughly, he must possess all his faculties; and 
 should have had considerable practice in driving, if he is wanted for 
 “ town ” work. If he has more than two horses under his care, he must 
 have a helper ; for each of them requires at least two hours’ work daily 
 indoors ; and to clean a carriage and harness, about three hours more will 
 be occupied. Thus seven hours are accounted for in the stable ; and a 
 carriage is seldom engaged less than four more, which is quite enough 
 work for any man to do well. I have certainly known more than one 
 coachman turn out three horses and a carriage extremely well ; but on 
 the average it ill not be efficiently done ; and it must be remembered 
 that top-boots are not kept in nice order without some little trouble. 
 Good and careful driving is the first consideration ; for without this, the 
 
CLOTHING. 
 
 <215 
 
 inmates of the carriage are in constant danger. But unless the coachman 
 knows how to dress and feed his horses, and also to manage their slight 
 ailments, they will be constantly lame or sick ; and hence a few additional 
 pounds in wages are well bestowed upon a first-rate servant. The wages 
 of coachmen vary from 1 8s. to 25 s. per week out of doors, or from 18L to 
 451. yearly indoors. 
 
 Under the word Groom are comprehended all servants having the 
 entire charge of horses, with the exception of those who habitually drive 
 a carriage of full size. There are many grooms who occasionally drive 
 their masters’ phaetons, and some who are regularly in charge of small 
 carriages, but viio, on that account, do not obtain the name of coachman. 
 As a general rule, however, the office of the groom is to take charge of 
 hunters, hacks, and phaeton horses, both indoors and out ; and if the 
 latter he should be able to drive well enough to handle the reins with 
 safety in the absence of his master. The stud -groom has charge of more 
 horses than he can manage without assistance, and has help in proportion 
 to their numbers. So, also, the hunting-groom may or may not require 
 assistance ; but if he has more than three horses to look after, he cannot 
 do them well himself. Two horses, and a gig or dog- cart, are quite 
 sufficient for a groom, and they will give him eight or nine hours’ hard 
 work daily in the stable-yard and harness-room, besides what he has to 
 do out of doors, in attendance on his master. The wages of a good groom 
 vary from 12s. to 20s. weekly out of doors, or from 1 51. to 351. yearly 
 indoors. 
 
 The helper is merely a strapper, and is only required to use his hands, 
 and not his head. His wages vary from 10s. to 14s. per week, according 
 to the locality. 
 
 CLOTHING, STABLE IMPLEMENTS, &c. 
 
 The various accessories required in the stable are of two kinds ; 
 first, those intended to confine and clothe the horse ; and secondly, the 
 implements with which he is dressed, and otherwise attended to. 
 
 Whether in a stall or loose-box, every horse must have a head- 
 collar, which should always be made with a front-piece, as without this 
 the mane is soon worn away for four or five inches behind the ears, instead 
 of two. Nothing so effectually spoils the appearance of the horse as a 
 shabby mane ; and the trifling outlay necessary to procure a front-piece is 
 never regretted by those who care about looks. One or two rope halters 
 are also required, by which the horse is tied up, or led out of doors when he 
 is being dressed after his work, or while he is being cooled when he comes 
 home in a sweat. The price of the leather head-collar is from 5$. to 
 8s. 6d. ; that of a rope halter varying from 6d. to Is., according to quality. 
 In addition to this, two head-collar reins must be provided for each horse, 
 costing 7s. 6d. per pair, and a sinker, or weight, for each, to keep them 
 always out of reach of the horse’s legs, costing Is. In all private stables, 
 the former are made of leather, with a billet and buckle, by which the 
 head-collar is attached on each side. The sinker must be heavy enough for 
 the work which it has to do ; and if not of iron, it should be made of 
 some hard wood. If these reins and sinkers are so arranged that when 
 the horse is standing comfortably near the manger, the weight is just 
 taken by the floor, they will be no annoyance to the animal, and will 
 prevent the serious accidents which follow upon getting the leg over 
 the rein. 
 
216 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Horse-clothing varies in make, quality, and price, from tlie small rug, 
 costing about 6s., to the complete suit of body-clothes, which will be 
 charged for by first-rate saddlers at the rate of about six guineas or seven 
 guineas. Rugs are made of the same materials as our household blankets, 
 dyed according to taste ; and between the quality of those used by small 
 dealers or liverymen, on the one hand, and in well-appointed private 
 stables on the other, there is as much difference as between a workhouse 
 blanket and a “ best Witney.” The former are small, thin, and light, easily 
 torn, and soon wearing out; while the latter are large, warm, and tolerably 
 stout and enduring, though not being twilled, like the serge used for body 
 clothes, they tear much more readily. An undyed coarse serge is now used 
 in many livery stables, which is cheap, strong, and enduring; but it shows 
 every stain, and is not calculated to please the eye. If rugs are used, they 
 will be found to last much longer when bound with strong galloon; and 
 it is an excellent plan to have them made, as they now frequently are, 
 with a projecting piece on the off side in front, which wraps round the 
 breast of the horse, and buckles over the near side, so as to protect this 
 part of the horse, both indoors and out. A roller, well padded, to keep 
 the pressure off the backbone, completes this kind of clothing; but 
 in well- managed stables, it is customary to keep two rugs* one for the day 
 and the other to be put on at night. The object of this is not only for the 
 sake of appearances, but to enable the groom to keep the inside as well as 
 the out dry and clean. A rug which is constantly on the horse soon 
 becomes matted with hair, scurf, and sweat, which must occasionally be 
 brushed, or even washed off ; for without this the insensible perspiration 
 constantly thrown off by the horse's skin has not a sufficient means of 
 escape. The suit of body clothing is made of thick, strong, and warm 
 serge, and consists of a quarter-piece, a breast-piece, and a hood. The 
 quarter-piece is cut so as to cover the body of the horse, and the two sides 
 do not meet in front, so that an open space is left to be covered by the 
 breast-piece, which somewhat resembles a short man’s apron in its form, 
 and is buckled to the quarter-piece on each side of the withers, where the 
 latter has a strong piece of leather stitched on, to enable it to stand the 
 drag. The hood is cut to the shape of the head and neck, having holes 
 for the eyes and coverings for the ears, resembling those organs in shape. 
 The muzzle is uncovered for about six inches, and a strap and buckle con- 
 fine the hood to this part; while a number of strings tie it under the 
 angle of the jaw and below the neck, in such a way as to let it loosely 
 overlap the quarter-piece and breast-piece. All these three divisions are 
 •neatly bound, and the whole looks well upon the horse, when nicely put 
 on with the roller buckled smoothly over the quarter-piece. A cord is 
 sometimes used to confine the quarter-piece behind, when there is much 
 wind. It is simply attached on each side, so as to lie beneath the tail 
 across the quarters of the horse. Body clothing is made of different 
 degrees of stoutness, according to the time of year when it is to be worn. 
 Racehorses, which are not intended to be trained during the winter, do 
 not require such stout clothing as hunters, and their sheets in the summer 
 are made of very light serge. Brown-holland is not fit for any season, for 
 even in our summer the nights are often unexpectedly cold. The follow- 
 ing are the prices at which good rugs and clothing may be obtained fit foi 
 
 private use : — £ s d 
 
 Horse Blankets, 9 quarter, extra heavy 0180 
 
 Ditto, cut out at neck 110 
 
 Ditto, ditto, 8 quarter, extra heavy 0160 
 
STABLE IMPLEMENTS. 
 
 217 
 
 £ s. d. 
 
 Best Body Boilers, extra strong 0126 
 
 Complete suit of Superfine Kersey Horse Clothing, bound and 
 edged with Superfine Cloth, stitched throughout with Silk, 
 
 Initials, &c., all complete 4 15 0 
 
 Complete Suit of Summer Horse Clothing, stitched throughout 
 
 with Silk, Initials 1250 
 
 Complete Suit of Blanket Horse Clothing, with Hood, full Breast 
 
 Cloth, Roller, Initials, &c., extra heavy, all complete ... 3 10 0 
 
 Sweating Hoods, lined throughout 126 
 
 Sweaters are merely warm rugs or blankets which are kept for that 
 especial purpose, and are shaped according to the part they are intended 
 to cover, being kept in their places by the body clothing. Thus if the 
 neck is too heavy, as it often is, especially in entire horses, and it is 
 desired to reduce this part more than any other, one, two, or three old 
 hoods, according to circumstances, with the ears cut away, are put on 
 under the regular hood, and the horse is then sweated, with or without 
 additional body sweaters, as may be decided on. If old hoods are not at 
 hand, a rug is folded and placed over the neck, confining it in its place by 
 a. temporary string across the forehead, and by the aid also of a hood over 
 all. So again a rug may be arranged to sweat the bosom by folding it 
 cornerwise like a woman's shawl and drawing the ends up over the 
 withers, crossing them beneath the saddle. Sweaters for the body are 
 simply rugs used for that purpose, which may be one, two, or three 
 beneath the quarter-piece, according to the amount of wasting which is 
 intended. The saddle keeps all in place instead of the roller, which is 
 not taken out of doors excepting for those horses which are only led in 
 hand. Sweaters must be carefully freed from the dried sweat by washing. 
 
 The stable accessories for cleaning and otherwise attendmg to the 
 horse are the following, to which I have appended the average price, 
 which will vary to some extent according to quality, and also to the 
 fashionable nature of the establishment at which they are sold : — 
 
 
 £ 8. d. 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 Currycomb, best 4 knocker . 
 
 1 3 
 
 Leathers, each . 1,9. 6d. to 
 
 2 
 
 0 
 
 Mane comb . . . 
 
 
 1 0 
 
 Ru bbers, or dusters, each Is. to 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 Body brush . . . 
 
 
 5 0 
 
 Buckets, each 
 
 6 
 
 0 
 
 Picker for pocket 
 
 
 1 6 
 
 Corn sieve 
 
 2 
 
 6 
 
 Scraper ... . 
 
 
 1 0 
 
 Measures, each 
 
 Trimming scissors, bent and 
 
 1 
 
 G 
 
 Water-brush . . . , 
 
 
 4 0 
 
 
 
 Pitchfork .... 
 
 
 1 6 
 
 straight 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 Shovel 
 
 
 2 6 
 
 Singeing lamp 
 
 10 
 
 6 
 
 Stable besoms, each . 
 
 6d. to 
 
 2 0 
 
 Oil brushes, each .... 
 Bandages, woollen, per set 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 Sponges, per lb. . 11. 
 
 Is. to 1 
 
 5 0 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Manure basket . . 
 
 . . • 
 
 2 0 
 
 Ditto, linen, ditto 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 Stopping box . . . , 
 
 
 2 0 
 
 
 
 The currycomb is intended to remove the scurf or scales of the scarf 
 skin which are constantly produced from the true skin, and if allowed to 
 remain at the roots of the hair have a tendency to confine the sweat, and 
 thus inte fere with the relief to the circulation which is afforded by that 
 natural pi ocess. When a horse’s skin is once put into good order it may 
 be kept chan without the use of the currycomb, but a dirty coat cannot 
 well be got right by any other means. The body brush does not penetrate 
 deeply eno lgh unless the coat of the horse is very thin and short, and no 
 amount of whisping will be of the slightest use. The currycomb there- 
 fore must 1 e provided for every groom, and indeed it is wanted not only 
 to cleanse ihe skin, but also to remove the dust from the brush. But the 
 
218 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 less it is used the better, and the thoroughly good groom will chiefly 
 employ it for his brush. There are several patterns in use, but the chief 
 point to be attended to is the depth of the teeth, which should not be cut 
 more than the eighth of an inch deep, and should only be on alternate 
 rows of the comb itself. There is a great difference in the modes of hand- 
 ling this comb adopted by good and bad grooms. The former sweep it 
 lightly over the skin, just effecting their object without absolutely scratch- 
 ing the surface, while the latter bear heavily upon it, and punish the horse 
 to such an extent as often to cause even a naturally good-tempered animal 
 to use his teeth or heels most savagely. So also a light thin-coated horse 
 even when very dirty and full of scurf, as it will inevitably be after lying 
 by in a loose-box or at grass, does not require the comb to be pressed 
 hard upon the skin, yet the stupid and ignorant groom makes no dif- 
 ference in his favour, but works away just as he would if dressing the 
 woolly winter coat of a cart-horse. During the time when a horse is 
 shedding his coat the currycomb should be banished from the stable, for 
 neither it nor the brush should be employed at that time. 
 
 The mane comb is merely a strong horn, iron, or compressed india- # 
 rubber comb, with teeth of a suitable degree of coarseness. 
 
 Body brushes are made of hog’s bristles, of an oval shape, about nine 
 inches long by four and a half wide, with a strap of webbing across the 
 back to hold them firmly to the hand. They are wanted at all times but 
 during moulting, when their use makes the next coat come on coarser 
 than it otherwise would. This arises from the fact that the brush brings 
 off the old coat too soon, thereby chilling the skin and stimulating the 
 glands which secrete the hair, to develop it more stoutly and of greater 
 'ength than they would otherwise do. To produce a beautiful new coat 
 die old one should be kept on as long as possible, just as we find in the 
 sheep which is not shorn, but allowed to shed its wool, the next growth 
 will be much shorter and lighter. 
 
 The picker is merely a blunt hook for clearing away the gravel which 
 gets between the shoe and the foot of the horse while at work. It is 
 better made to fold up like the pocket button-hook for our own use. 
 
 Water brushes are either made of split whalebone or of a kind of 
 reed, which is cheaper but does not last so long. They are intended to 
 wash off the dirt from the legs and feet, and out of the soles of the latter. 
 
 The use of the pitchfork and shovel is too well known to need 
 description here. 
 
 Stable brooms are either made of birch or of split whalebone, the 
 choice being dependent upon price, which varies according to the locality. 
 Either will answer the purpose well, and where birch can be readily 
 obtained, its price is so low as to beat whalebone out of the rnarke' , good 
 besoms of this make being in many parts of England to be bought at 3 d. 
 or 4 d. apiece without the handle, which will last out an ir definite 
 number. In London, however, whalebone will compete with them in 
 economy, birch brooms being sold there at Is. apiece, while whalebone, 
 which will last out three or four of them, may be obtained for 3 ?. 
 
 Sponge is an expensive article in the stable, for as it is constantly in 
 use it soon decays. To employ it to the best advantage a dou ole supply 
 should always be on hand, one of each of the sizes wanted being in use for 
 a week, and then put by to dry for a similar period. In this way a soft, 
 flabby, and nearly worn-out sponge recovers its texture in a marvellous 
 manner, and sponge carefully treated on the plan I have described will 
 last fully three times as long as if it is constantly kept wet bum first to 
 
STABLE IMPLEMENTS. 
 
 219 
 
 last. Few grooms, however, will carry out economical principles to this 
 extent without the constant interference of the master, and if the experi- 
 ment is tried it should be really ascertained that the alternate periods of 
 use and renovation are rigidly adhered to. In ordinary stables one large 
 piece of sponge about eight or nine inches square when wetted, another 
 live or six inches square, and a still smaller piece, will be sufficient. 
 
 The manure basket is either of the ordinary brown willow work, or it 
 is made, where willows are scarce, of split wood, interlaced on the same 
 principle. No good stableman should be unprovided with this accessory, 
 which enables him to save litter, and also to keep his horse clean and 
 comfortable. 
 
 The stopping box is an oblong box of oak or elm about fifteen to 
 eighteen inches long, nine wide, and six deep. This is filled with fresh 
 cowdung, mixed with an equal quantity of clay, to which some stablemen 
 add one-fourth or less of pitch ointment, but the dung is the essential 
 ingredient, its use consisting in its great tendency to keep moist and also 
 to moisten the surface to which it is applied. This is so great that a 
 thin sole or a fungous frog may be readily made to waste away by decom- 
 position if the stopping is applied constantly to them. As much 
 harm is often done by overdoing the stopping as by omitting to use it 
 altogether. 
 
 Leathers are used of the full size sold in the shops, to finally dress 
 over the coat of the horse, and also to wipe the saddlery. Like the 
 sponge they form an expensive item in the accounts of the groom. 
 
 Lubbers or dusters, as they are sometimes called, are made of coarse 
 linen, which should be twilled if economy is studied. Calico does not 
 answer the purpose. From six to twelve rubbers, each about two feet 
 square, will be wanted, the number depending upon the extent of 
 the stable. 
 
 Two buckets at the least must be provided for each groom, one being 
 kept for clean water, and the other for washing legs and feet, dirty 
 saddlery, &c. None but well-made oak buckets should be admitted into 
 any stable. 
 
 The corn sieve is employed to get rid of the dust, which all corn con- 
 tains, more or less, and also to expose a large surface of it, so that any 
 stones in it may be readily discovered. One only is wanted in each stable, 
 the head-groom alone being entrusted with the feeding of the horses. 
 
 A quartern and a half-quartern measure will be indispensable, 
 both being wanted for oats, and the latter for beans. 
 
 Trimming scissors are necessary, with straight as well as curved blades, 
 to keep down those hairs which cannot be got rid of by pulling; as, for 
 example, a few of the strongest in each fetlock. They should never be 
 used where the hand, aided by powdered resin, is able to draw the 
 hair out. 
 
 A singeing lamp, to be used either with naphtha or gas, should form a 
 part of every list of stable implements ; for even if the groom is not com- 
 petent to singe the body of the horse, he should, at all events, use it 
 occasionally to keep down the long and loose hairs which keep growing 
 about the jaws, neck, quarters, and legs. If a horse is singed ever so well 
 in October, and even if the operation is repeated in November, he will be 
 rough to the eye in the ibllowing month, and in January he will be quite 
 unfit for a gentleman’s use. Any groom, however, who has the slightest 
 skill in the use of his hands, can avoid this by skimming over these parts 
 with the lamp ; and, indeed, most head-grooms in the present day are 
 
220 
 
 THE HORSE. . 
 
 able to do without the aid of the professed singer and clipper, by repeated 
 applications of the lamp. 
 
 Oil brushes are required, and also a small can of either neat’s-foot or 
 fish oil, to apply to the outside of the feet before going out of the stable, 
 and the former also to dress the saddlery and harness when required. 
 
 Bandages are of two kinds ; firstly, of flannel, for the purpose of keep- 
 ing the legs warm, when they have been washed, or during illness ; and, 
 secondly, of linen, cotton webbing, or unbleached calico, to give support 
 to the vessels, and keep the legs and feet cool. Both should be about 
 seven inches wide and five or six yards long, and should finish off by 
 turning the corners down to a point where two strings are sewn, which 
 tie round the leg, and prevent the last turn becoming loose. The strings 
 are rolled inwards, so as to come out last ; and the whole should be firmly 
 and smoothly rolled up some hours before they are to be applied, so as to 
 get rid of the creases left during the last application. 
 
 FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 In Great Britain and Ireland horses are chiefly fed upon grass 
 (green or dried into the form of hay), corn, chaff (which is hay cut up with 
 straw into short lengths), and roots of various kinds ; but in addition may 
 be mentioned the following kinds of green food — namely, clover, tares or 
 vetches, lucerne, rye-grass, saintfoin, green oats, gorse or furze, and, lastly, 
 the various stimulating mixtures which have lately come into fashion, 
 being sold under the name of Thorley, Henri, &c. 
 
 Grass is undoubtedly the natural food of the horse, though in his 
 native plains the same species of plants are not met with as form the 
 green surface of our own fields. English horses, however, may now be 
 said to be thoroughly accustomed to our grasses, which seem to agree with 
 these animals so well as to be one main cause of their superiority. The 
 water grasses, which constitute a large proportion of the herbage found in 
 our lowland meadows, are not suited to the constitution of the animal; 
 and he will not take them, unless forced to do so by the absence of other 
 and preferable food. On our uplands, clover (either white or red) is gene- 
 rally more or less mixed; and in proportion to their presence will the 
 pasture suit the horses turned out to graze upon them. A sound and 
 moderately young animal gets fat during the summer and autumn months, 
 when turned out on a good upland meadow ; but he is not able to undergo 
 long-continued exertion, especially at a fast pace, partly because the 
 amount of fat accumulated in his internal organs interferes with his wind, 
 but chiefly from the fact that grass does not supply sufficient muscle- 
 making materials for the wear and tear of his frame. If the horse is 
 allowed as much oats as usual, and has regular exercise, he will be able to 
 do a good day’s work while at grass ; but he will sweat profusely, and on 
 that account, if he is required to repeat his task often, he will lose flesh 
 and become jaded in his spirits. For these reasons, grass is not commonly 
 used as food for the horse, excepting for the purpose either of keeping him 
 cheaply and conveniently, while he is undergoing treatment for some 
 accident or disease, or to afford a renovating change after a long-continued 
 course of hay and corn. For the former of these purposes, the horse is 
 generally turned into the fields ; but for the latter, he is very often sup- 
 plied with cut-grass, or some other kind of green food, in his stall or box. 
 The effect of grass, when given by itself, is apparent in its action on the 
 bowels, which is at first very marked, and also on the kidneys and skim 
 
FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 221 
 
 These increased secretions subside in the course of a few days to a con- 
 sideraole extent, but continue, more or less, as long as the grass continues 
 to he the sole article of food. This will, of course, account for the cooling 
 effect always remarked on horses at grass, in which inflamed joints and 
 swelled legs rapidly subside, and inflammatory diseases of most kinds have 
 a tendency to abate. The amount of nourishment contained in grass is 
 small as compared with its bulk, and hence the belly of every horse 
 enlarges considerably while at grass, because of the necessity for a larger 
 quantity being contained within it, so as to afford a sufficient means of 
 nutrition. Winter grass, which contains no clover, from this plant not 
 being of a nature sufficiently hardy to stand the frost, is so void of 
 nourishment, that the horse confined to it alone speedily becomes very 
 poor, and will almost starve if he has not some hay or corn. 
 
 Hay is not merely grass cut when most full of nourishment — that is, 
 just when the seeds are ripening — but it is also subjected to a degree of 
 fermentation, which converts some of the starch into sugar. Until this 
 change has been fully gone through, the hay is not wholesome ; and 
 hence new hay has obtained a character for producing worms, which is 
 not without some foundation ; the reason being that the stomach and 
 bowels are put out of order; and this being a necessary condition pre- 
 vious to the development of the ova of parasitic animals, it is a natural 
 consequence that worms should be more frequently met with in horses 
 fed upon new hay, than in those whose digestive organs are strengthened 
 by the healthy stimulus of sound old hay. Of course, fodder of all kinds 
 may be too old, as well as too new; but well-made hay does not begin to 
 lose its good qualities till after the second winter, and remains perfectly 
 fit for ordinary purposes during at least another twelvemonth. There are 
 several varieties of hay grown and sold throughout the country, which 
 may be divided into three principal growths ; viz. upland hay, in which 
 no water grasses are met with, and which generally contains a large pro- 
 portion of clover ; meadow or lowland hay, made up of the various kinds 
 of water grasses and plants fond of wet soils ; and clover hay, which is 
 made from the common red clover, without any admixture of grasses. Of 
 these, upland hay is alone fit for horses used at high speed ; and no other 
 should ever be admitted into the stables of the private gentleman, except 
 clover intended to be cut into chaff. 
 
 Good old Upland Hay is known by its peculiarly sweet and grateful 
 smell, and by being made up of fine dry bents of grass with the seeds well 
 developed, mixed with a small proportion of white clover. The colour 
 should neither be a bright green nor a dark brown, an intermediate shade 
 of brownish green being the best, and showing by its green cast that the 
 hay has not been lying out in the rain, and by the absence of any deep 
 blackish brown tint that it has not been put together too soon and thereby 
 become heated. A rick of good hay may be entirely spoiled by a want of 
 proper caution in getting it in, and many a one has taken fire from this 
 omission, or if not absolutely burnt it has been so heated that it cuts quite 
 black and is unfit for food. If the hay is dusty it is either from having 
 been flooded, which marks its lowland character, and in which case the 
 dust is of a mineral nature ; or the vegetable material becomes powdery 
 from being overheated, — and thereby rendered brittle, and easily broken 
 down by the slightest friction. Experience alone can enable the purchaser 
 to select exactly the proper kind and condition of hay, but if once a good 
 sample is carefully examined by the eye and nose it can scarcely be 
 forgotten. When hay has been burnt it is not always at first refused 
 
2 * 2*2 
 
 T11E HORSE. 
 
 even by the most dainty horse, but in a day or two he finds it disagrees 
 with his stomach, and he will then leave the contents of his rack 
 untouched. Of course there are many degrees of “ mowburn,” but unless 
 the hay is only slightly affected it is better to avoid using it, as it may 
 produce irreparable injury on the stomach or lungs. Half rations of good 
 food are far better than an unlimited quantity of bad hay and corn, and 
 this the horsemaster soon learns by experience, but often not until he has 
 paid for it by the production of some serious disease. The staying powers 
 of the horse are dependent upon the quantity and quality of the corn he 
 has eaten, but his health is chiefly affected by his hay. This is an 
 important consideration to every stableman, and of its truth I am con- 
 vinced from thirty years’ experience with my own horses as well as 
 numberless others. Such are the qualities and evidences of good hay; 
 let us now examine into those belonging to this kind of food when it is 
 of an opposite nature. 
 
 Musty hay may be detected by its peculiar smell, by its dark colour 
 and mouldy appearance, which last is produced by the fungous growths 
 that are the seat of the mischief. Sometimes these fungi have been de- 
 veloped without any heat, which generally occurs when the hay has been 
 left out in bad weather, and has been got in at last pretty well dried in 
 the main, but with a few damp patches mixed in with the rest. These 
 are not sufficient to develop the fermentation, of which excessive heating 
 is the result ; but, remaining damp, they give rise to fungi instead. No 
 hay is so unwholesome as this, and it is instinctively refused by all horses 
 until they are driven to eat it by starvation. Salt is often used to induce 
 horses to eat it, but, though it will have that effect to a certain extent, it 
 scarcely makes it at all less unwholesome, and the groom must not fancy 
 that his charge will escape the ill effects which result from musty hay in 
 every shape. It is also often cut into chaff with straw ; but this plan also 
 has no advantage ; and in every way musty hay may be considered as a 
 poison to the horse, and not a very slow one. 
 
 Weather-beaten hay is that which has lain out in the rain for many days 
 before it could be got in dry. It is generally but not necessarily musty, 
 but if not so, it is devoid of nourishment, the soluble matters fit for food 
 having been mostly washed out of it. It may be known by its faint, 
 sickly smell, by its sapless and withered appearance, by the absence of 
 seed, and by the presence of dust. The colour varies greatly, depending 
 upon the management ; for if the hay has not been put together in cocks 
 during the making, it does not blacken, but remains of a pale, dirty, olive 
 green. No one who cares for the health and condition of the inmates of 
 iiis stable should use such hay in it ; for he will find it not nearly sc 
 nou^shing as good barley straw, while it will assuredly disagree with the 
 stomachs of his horses, and then not only do no good to them, but prove 
 positively injurious. 
 
 The quantity of hay which is required, if given alone, will average about 
 1-| cwt. per week for a horse of middle size and good constitution. This, 
 however, is but an approximation to the truth ; for in half-a-dozen horses 
 there will be scarcely two which will require the same quantity of food to 
 keep them in health. Hay alone is poor food, and, unless corn is given 
 with it, the stomach refuses to digest enough for the nourishment of the 
 body. Some low-bred animals are like donkeys in their constitutions, 
 and will thrive upon hay alone ; but these are exceptions to the rule, and 
 they are only to be met with among horses which have been brought up 
 on this poor diet. I have know r n one stable in which the carriage-horses 
 
FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 2*3 
 
 were kept on salted hay, without ever tasting corn at home ; hut though 
 they looked fat enough, and were certainly full of life, they were unable 
 to do fast work, and indeed they were only used for short distances at 
 any time. If a proper allowance of corn is made, from ten to fourteen 
 pounds of hay per day will he ample, the quantity varying with the constitu- 
 tion of each horse and with his allowance of corn. Sometimes clover hay is 
 cut into chaff in' addition to the meadow hay, which is put in the racks, 
 and then an allowance should he made, as there is more nourishment in 
 the clover than in the ordinary grasses. In well-managed stahl es, each 
 horse of average size will consume from two tons to two tons and a half 
 of hay in the course of the year, and this will cost on the average from 
 10/. to 13/. 
 
 Horse corn consists of oats and heans, to which may he added peas 
 and Indian corn, the last kind of food having recently been used to some 
 extent in farm stahles, in imitation of the Americans. Barley and wheat 
 have occasionally been tried, especially the former when malted ; hut 
 they have not been found to possess any advantage, and, on the contrary, 
 they have generally disagreed with the stomach to a very appreciable 
 extent. Wheat bran is in very general use, and also linseed. 
 
 Oats contain a large amount of nutriment as compared with hay, hut 
 they have a thick husk, which is sometimes so considerable in proportion 
 to the mealy kernel that a bushel may uot weigh more than thirty 
 pounds. Oats should not weigh less than thirty-nine pounds per imperial 
 bushel, but, if they are sweet , I prefer, for ordinary work, laying out the 
 money which is considered sufficient for the purpose in a moderately 
 light oat, rather than in a heavy one, which latter always bears a very high 
 price. Thus, selecting two samples, equally sweet and of the same age, 
 one of which weighs forty- three pounds per bushel and the other thirty- 
 eight pounds, it will be found that the heavy oats will fetch about one- 
 third more money than the lighter sample, though the additional weight 
 is barely one-eiglith. This arises from the scarcity of the best oats, which 
 are eagerly sought after by the trainers of racehorses, and by hunting- 
 grooms, as well as by all those who cater for their stables regardless of 
 expense. It is found by experience that horses will only consume a 
 certain bulk of oats ; and as the quantity of this kind of food which is 
 eaten is generally considered to be the measure of condition, grooms and 
 trainers come to the conclusion that if they can get their horses to take 
 three bushels of heavy oats during the week instead of the same bulk of 
 lighter ones, they will have benefited to the extent of the difference in 
 weight between the one sample and' the other. As far as those horses are 
 concerned which are allowed as much corn as they will eat, this calcula- 
 tion is perfectly correct, and hence the high price of heavy oats is perfectly 
 in accordance with reason and experience ; but the same argument for 
 their adoption with hacks and harness-horses does not hold good. Very 
 few of these latter animals are allowed an unlimited quantity of oats, 
 which indeed would do them absolute harm, as the work they do seldom 
 demands it. Onmibus and cab horses are worked to the utmost extent of 
 which their powers are capable, and on them a heavy oat or good sound 
 bean will always be well bestowed ; but hacks and private-carriage horses 
 are not so worn down by muscular exertion, and, if they were fed like the 
 cab and omnibus horse, they would soon become diseased, and in the 
 meantime would often be quite unmanageable. Hence, supposing each of 
 these private horses is allowed three quarterns of heavy oats per day, 1 
 contend it will do him more good to give him a peck of light ones 
 
224 
 
 l'HE HOBSE. 
 
 costing tlie same money, only taking eare that they are equally sweet and 
 sound. Three and a half quarterns of the one will, probably, about equal 
 the three quarterns of the other; and thus a slight saving may be 
 effected, the former costing about threepence less than the latter, making 
 a difference of nearly two shillings per week. I have tried this plan for 
 a series of years, and found it to answer well ; my horses having always 
 been full of condition, and costing me, on an average of years, nine 
 shillings and a fraction of a penny per head for food and litter. Oats 
 should never be given while they are new, and until the March winds 
 have dried the last year’s crop it is seldom fit for horse food. Indeed, 
 this is, on the average, too early a period to begin using oats as a rule, 
 especially for horses consuming large quantities of them ; but for hacks 
 and harness-horses they do not hurt by that time. Good oats may be 
 known by their plump look, and full, hard feel to the touch, by their 
 sweet smell and taste, by their bright straw colour, and by the absence of 
 dust and stones. As before remarked, they should weigh from thirty-nine 
 to forty-one pounds per bushel. They will keep good for two or three 
 years in the rick. 
 
 New oats are indigestible, and act prejudicially on the bowels and 
 kidneys. As a natural consequence, the horse eating them becomes 
 flabby in his flesh, sweats profusely, and often throws out the eruption 
 known as “ surfeit.” If it is necessary to use them at once, they should 
 be kiln-dried ; and this plan is always resorted to for oats which are im- 
 ported into this country, to prevent the heating which would occur in the 
 hold of the vessel from the bulk which is lodged there, and which would 
 soon make damp new oats musty. They may be recognised by their soft- 
 ness to the touch, and by the white substance within each grain being 
 pulpy and quite unlike flour, as it ought to be in old oats. English oats 
 are considerably heavier than those of either of the sister kingdoms, and 
 generally bring a much better price to the grower. Irish and Welsh oats 
 are sweet, but light, and they contain a large number of stones, which 
 must be carefully removed in the sieve. When they are bruised, these 
 stones are very apt to injure the teeth of the mill, and should be carefully 
 picked out before putting them into the hopper. A great many black 
 oats are grown both in Ireland and Wales, and there is no objection to 
 them on account of colour alone ; but it is apt to make the grower careless 
 in getting them in, as they do not lose in appearance by damp so much as 
 the white oat. The Scotch oat is particularly sound and good, being often 
 as heavy as the English oat, and of a better quality; so that the Scotch 
 oatmeal is superior to all other. 
 
 When oats are kiln-dried they are said by some fanciful stablemen to 
 produce diabetes, but it does not appear that any prejudicial effect fol- 
 lows merely from the artificial drying. Many of the oats so treated are 
 previously damaged, and then of course they are like]y to produce an 
 injurious effect upon the stomach, but not from the mere drying itself. 
 It is also a common practice to sulphur them at the same time for the 
 purpose of improving the colour, and this may add to the diuretic effect. 
 But there is very little, if any, injury done by small quantities of sulphur, 
 and on that account alone an otherwise good sample of oats should not 
 be rejected. 
 
 Oats are either given whole , or converted into meal, when they are used 
 in the shape of gruel, or they are bruised (sometimes called “ kibbled ”). 
 The entire oat is not always crushed by the grinders of the horse, and it 
 then often passes through the digestive canal without losing its nutritive 
 
FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 225 
 
 materials, indeed, it is by no means uncommon to see a large quantity of 
 oats vegetating on a manure heap. Hence there is a great loss, for unless 
 the oats swallowed are digested, they are quite useless in imparting 
 nourishment, and to avoid this defect it is now very usual to bruise all the 
 oats before they are put in the manger. I have already alluded to the 
 oat-bruising machine as a necessary appendage in every stable, and I may 
 only here remark, that the saving is supposed to be nearly one-fourth of 
 the consumption. This estimate is in my opinion too high for young and 
 vigorous horses, but for old ones it is accurate enough. There is a vast 
 difference in horses, in respect to their power of digesting oats, and if the 
 droppings of a number of these animals are carefully examined, this will 
 be very apparent. Sometimes a whole oat can scarcely be found in a large 
 mass, while in other cases nearly fifty per cent, will be evidently undis- 
 solved. Many people, and especially trainers of racehorses, have an idea 
 that bruising oats interferes with the wind of the horses to which they 
 are given, but this is purely imaginary, and cannot for a moment be sup- 
 ported either on theoretical or experimental grounds. The bruising is always 
 advantageous, but not to the same extent; still it cannot be denied that 
 the labour of working the oat-bruisers is well bestowed. The grains 
 should not be more than crushed, so as to readily admit the gastric juice to 
 the floury kernel, all beyond this being more or less injurious. The 
 quantity of this kind of food which is required depends upon the nature 
 and amount of the work to be done, and upon the constitution and breed 
 of each horse. Racehorses are now often induced to eat eight and even 
 nine quarterns of oats daily, and hunters in a like proportion, but hacks 
 and harness-horses seldom get more than from three to four quarterns 
 daily, a bushel and a half per week being about the average, costing about 
 45. 6d For ponies and horses doing very little work a proportionate 
 reduction is made. 
 
 Gruel is made from oatmeal, either with hot or cold water, in the latter 
 case hardly deserving the name, but being the form in which it is too 
 often given by ignorant and careless stablemen. To make it properly, one 
 pound of good oatmeal should be carefully stirred up with sufficient cold 
 water to form a thin mixture of the consistence of cream, which will take 
 nearly a quart. This is then stirred into three quarts of boiling water, 
 and the whole kept stirred over the fire till it thickens, when it is to be 
 set on one side to cool, being given when about lukewarm, or, if the horse 
 is very much exhausted, a little warmer. It is an excellent restorative for 
 a tired and exhausted hunter, and careful grooms provide it ready-made 
 against their master’s return from hunting. Raw gruel should only be 
 given when time is an object, as, for instance, on a journey, when half 
 an hour cannot be devoted to a regular feed. A pint of oatmeal may then 
 be stirred up in some cold water, and given from a pail, affording as much 
 nourishment as a feed of corn. 
 
 Beans and Peas may be taken together, inasmuch as the nutritive 
 matter contained in them is very nearly the same. Both are extremely 
 stimulating to the horse, rendering him prone to inflammation when 
 given in inordinate quantities, and always producing more or less 
 flatulence. They each contain more than twice as much gluten as oats, 
 the proportions, according to Professor Johnstone, in 100 parts, being 
 11 in oats, 26 in beans, and 24 in peas. From this cause beans and peas 
 supply the waste in the muscles produced by hard work, more completely 
 than oats, and the former are therefore extensively used by cab and 
 omnibus proprietors, as well as by farmers, who find them cheaper than 
 
 Q 
 
226 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 oats. I shall hereafter he able to make a comparative estimate of the 
 value of the various articles of horse-food in muscle-making ingredients, 
 from which it will be seen that they are right in their conclusions. For 
 private horses, beans are generally too stimulating, and as they also have 
 a tendency to produce constipation, they should he used with caution. 
 Old horses, and those exposed to the wet, require them, and the effect oi 
 a few in restoring condition, when it has been lost during wet and cold 
 weather, is sometimes quite marvellous. Almost all horses are passion- 
 ately fond of beans, and those which have been long used to them will 
 hardly touch oats alone. In private stables, when beans are given, they 
 are generally mixed with three or four times their weight of oats, half a 
 quartern of beans daily being sufficient, when split, for most horses, when 
 mixed with their usual allowance of oats. Of course this addition must 
 be met by a diminution of the oats'; and thus a horse which has been 
 allowed a peck of oats daily, if he has a quartern of beans may be reduced 
 to three quarterns of oats in addition. Wherever the feet or legs are in- 
 clined to inflame, or there is any tendency to thick wind or broken wind, 
 beans are very injurious, and should be carefully avoided. Indeed, for 
 private work, I should never recommend them, excepting for old horses, 
 or for those which are much exposed to the weather, and especially in 
 standing about at night. In such cases beans are extremely valuable, 
 always supposing that there are none of the diseases which I have in- 
 stanced as aggravated by them. Many washy, light-carcased horses, which 
 could not be made to do any work without beans, may by their aid 
 be rendered serviceable ; and although they are liable to great abuse, 
 they are a very valuable adjunct to the stableman. Beans should never 
 be used till they are nearly a year old, and after they are thrashed they 
 require turning every ten days to keep them from becoming musty. 
 They are very prone to the ravages of the weevil ; but so long as they are 
 sweet and old the damage done by this larva is only from the loss ot 
 substance, which they cause by scooping out the middle of the bean. 
 Peas produce nearly the same effects as beans on the horse, but they are 
 scarcely so digestible, and being more adapted for human food they bear 
 a higher price in the market, so that they are comparatively seldom used. 
 Thirty years ago many trainers regularly used peas in their final prepara- 
 tions, but neither one nor the other of the articles I am here describing 
 are now introduced into the racing stable, except in some very rare cases. 
 Beans and peas weigh from sixty to sixty-five pounds per bushel ; the 
 price varying from thirty -five to sixty-five shillings for that quantity. 
 
 Indian Corn has long been used in America as the ordinary food 
 of horses, and it is said to suit them well. There is, however, a pre- 
 judice against it in this country, which has prevented its being tried long 
 enough to enable us to form a good opinion of its merits, as it takes some 
 time to accustom any animal to a change of food. For a long time it 
 was said to be unfit for hounds and other dogs, but it is now admitted to 
 be useful enough, excepting where the nose is required to be kept very 
 cool, as in the hunting season. Cobbett recommended its use for horses, 
 but Bracy Clarke, and other writers of his day, opposed the innovation, 
 alleging that it clogged the stomach, and had a tendency to produce 
 founder. I have myself known harness-horses fed upon it for six months 
 at a time, without any manifest disadvantages, and with a considerable 
 saving of money, oats being in the year the experiment was tried un- 
 usually high as compared with other corn. No one should attempt to 
 give it, in the present state of our knowledge of its properties, to horses 
 
FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 227 
 
 V- * 
 
 intended for fast work, but for road work it is worth trying whenever oats 
 are proportionably dear. According to the following report, contained in 
 the Transactions of the American Institute for 1855, and made to it by a 
 member of the Farming Committee, from fourteen to twenty pounds of 
 Indian meal is sufficient for the daily ration of the omnibus horses of New 
 York ; whereas ours eat on the average from forty to sixty pounds of 
 beans and oats. In the report the rate of travelling is said to be four 
 miles per hour, but this must surely be a mistake, as no omnibus goes at 
 so slow a rate. The rations seem extremely small, the highest being only 
 thirty-four pounds of hay and corn together, which would in this country 
 be quite inadequate for an omnibus horse, and thus the presumption is 
 raised, that Indian corn is well suited to the digestive organs of the 
 American horse, and most probably to our own, as there is little difference 
 between the two breeds. 
 
 “ REPOET ON THE MANAGEMENT OF OMNIBUS HORSES IN 
 
 NEW YORK. 
 
 STAGE LINES. 
 
 No. of animals. 
 
 Miles of daily travel. 
 
 Pounds of cut hay 
 daily fed. 
 
 Pounds of corn 
 meal daily. 
 
 Pounds of salt per 
 month. 
 
 Increase of meal 
 for recent severe 
 term of travelling. 
 
 Red Bird Stage Line 
 
 Spring Street ditto 
 
 Seventh Avenue ditto .... 
 
 Sixth Avenue Railroad j Mules'* * 
 New York Consolidated Stage Co. 
 
 116 
 
 105 
 
 227 
 
 117 
 
 211 
 
 335 
 
 17 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 17 
 
 17 
 
 214 
 
 14 
 
 14 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 10 
 
 8 
 
 18 
 
 20 
 
 18| 
 
 14 
 
 7 
 
 17 
 
 14 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2-9 
 
 H 
 
 n 
 
 n 
 
 “ It is the object of the stage proprietors to get all the work out of 
 their teams possible, without injury to the animals. Where the routes 
 are shorter, the horses consequently make more trips, so that the different 
 amounts and proportions of food consumed are not so apparent when the 
 comparison is made between the different lines, as when it is made also 
 with the railroad and livery horses. The stage horses consume most, and 
 the livery horses least. 
 
 “ The stage horses are fed on cut hay and corn meal wet, and mixed in 
 the proportion of about one pound of hay to two pounds of meal, a ratio 
 adopted rather for mechanical than physiological reasons, as this is all 
 the meal that can be made to adhere to the hay. The animals eat this 
 mixture from a deep manger. The New York Consolidated Stage Company 
 use a very small quantity of salt. They think it causes horses to urinate 
 too freely. They find horses do not eat so much when worked too hard. 
 The large horses eat more than the small ones. Prefer a horse of 1,000 
 to 1,100 pounds’ weight. If too small, they get poor, and cannot draw a 
 stage ; if too large, they ruin their feet, and their shoulders grow stiff and 
 shrink. The principal objection to large horses is not so much the in- 
 creased amount of food required, as the fact that they are soon used up by 
 wear. They would prefer for feed a mixture of half corn and half oats, if 
 
 Q 2 
 
228 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 it were not more expensive. Horses do not keep fat so well on oats alone, 
 if at hard labour, as on corn meal, or a mixture of the two. 
 
 “ Straw is best for bedding. If salt hay is used, horses eat it, as not 
 more than a bag of 200 pounds of salt is used in three months. Glauber 
 salt is allowed occasionally as a laxative in the spring of the year, and 
 the animals eat it voraciously. If corn is too new, it is mixed with an 
 equal weight of rye bran, which prevents scouring. Jersey yellow corn 
 is best, and horses like it best. The hay is all cut, mixed with meal, and 
 fed moist. Ho difference is made between day and night work. The 
 travel is continuous, except in warm weather, when it is sometimes 
 divided, and an interval of rest allowed. In cold weather the horses are 
 watered four times a day in the stable, and not at all on the road. In 
 warm weather, four times a day in the stables, and are allowed a sip on 
 the middle of the route. 
 
 “ The amount that the company exact from each horse is all that he 
 can do. In the worst of the travelling they fed 450 bags per week of 
 meal, of 100 pounds each. They now feed 400. The horses are not 
 allowed to drink when warm. If allowed to do so, it founders them. In 
 warm weather a bed of sawdust is prepared for them to roll in. Humber 
 of horses, 335. Speed varies, but is about four miles an hour. Horses 
 eat more in cold weather than in warm, but the difference cannot be 
 exactly determined.” 
 
 From this report it may be gathered that it is possible to keep horses 
 doing hard but slow work upon hay and Indian meal, and as in this 
 country the former article is very superior to that made in America, there 
 is every reason to believe that the latter might be used to greater advan- 
 tage when mixed with it. 
 
 The price of Indian corn per bushel in this country is generally a trifle 
 higher than that of the best English oats, and, therefore, unless it went much 
 further it would be no economy to use it. As, however, it appears from 
 the above report that from fourteen to twenty pounds will suffice to keep 
 a hard-working omnibus horse, it follows that its use is very economical 
 if it can be made to answer the purpose equally well with our English 
 corn. 
 
 Barley and wheat are generally too costly to compete with oats and 
 beans in feeding horses ; but sometimes the former is malted, and in that 
 state it is found to fatten farm horses, even if it does not contribute to 
 the support of their muscular systems. Horses greedily devour wheat 
 either in the shape of grain or made into bread, but in the former state it 
 is very indigestible. It is so seldom that wheat is cheaper in proportion 
 to its weight than oats, that unless some great advantage could be clearly 
 shown to accrue from the use of it, no one would dream of employing it 
 to feed horses, and as there is every reason to believe that it is not even 
 nearly equal to them, we may dismiss it from our consideration. The 
 husk separated from the meal in the shape of bran is a very important 
 article in all stables, having a cooling effect from its laxative properties 
 when made into a mash with water. Dry bran is often given with sliced 
 carrots, with which it makes an excellent food for slow working horses ; 
 but there is not any great amount of nourishment in it by itself. Bran 
 mash is made either hot or cold. In either case a bucket is half filled 
 with bran, and then as much water as it will absorb is poured upon it, 
 and if hot it is put by till nearly cold, being closely covered up in the 
 meantime. All horses which are not inclined to scour should, when they 
 are kept on hay and corn, have a mash once a week, selecting the night 
 
ROOTS. 
 
 229 
 
 before the most idle day in it. The effect is a gentle action on the bowels 
 without purgation, by which all tendency to mechanical stoppage is pre- 
 vented without weakening the horse. On the evening when the mash is 
 given the usual feed of corn is omitted, the hay being given in slightly 
 reduced quantity, unless the bowels are very confined, when a bucketful 
 of mash may be given by itself ; but few horses will eat more than half 
 a bucket of bran. 
 
 Linseed, like bran, is chiefly used medicinally, that is to say, to produce 
 certain effects upon the body which are not required to be permanent. 
 These are, first, to increase the fatty matter deposited in the flesh ; and 
 secondly, to soothe the air passages or the mucous membranes generally. 
 For the former purpose half-a-pint or a pint of linseed is scalded and set 
 to simmer by the fire till it has become a glutinous mass, when it is mixed 
 up with a quart of bran, and is given every night till the desired change is 
 produced. To produce an effect upon the mucous membrane, the linseed 
 should be boiled slowly in two quarts of water, and this should be mixed 
 with a quart of bran, and given as warm as the horse will eat it. 
 
 Hempseed is occasionally given to entire horses, but it cannot be con- 
 sidered as a regular article of food. 
 
 Chaff is composed of hay and straw, or clover hay alone, or sometimes 
 barley straw by itself, cut into short lengths. It is given mixed with the 
 corn, the object being to induce the horse to masticate this thoroughly. In 
 many large cab and omnibus stables, as well as those where horses stand 
 at livery, no hay is given excepting what is cut up with straw in the 
 shape of chaff. Here the object is to induce the horse to grind his corn 
 well and quickly , so that his whole body, but especially his legs, will be 
 refreshed in the recumbent position. The plan seems to answer well 
 under the peculiar conditions in which such horses are placed, but there 
 can be no doubt that it is unsuited to produce the highest condition of 
 which the horse is capable. Moreover, it is a great object to amuse the 
 animal when he is not worked very hard, and this is far better done by 
 giving him some portion of the hay in his rack for him to play with, than 
 by cutting all of it up into chaff. For these reasons the practice in 
 private stables is to cut up about two bushels of chaff for each horse 
 weekly, thus allowing about a peck a day to mix with an equal quantity 
 of corn. This is quite enough to induce him to grind his oats and beans, 
 if he has any, without depriving him of his amusement in picking his 
 hay out of his rack. I am quite aware that in large establishments 
 economy is practised by cutting all the hay into chaff, tjut the saving per 
 head is small, and is not worth attention for private horse-keepers, if it 
 can be shown that it affects the health or comfort of the horse in the 
 slightest degree. In London clover-hay is extensively used by itself as 
 chaff, but elsewhere throughout England the practice is to cut up equal 
 quantities of barley or wheat straw, with some of the hay that is provided 
 for the racks. These are placed in alternate layers in the chaff-cutting 
 machine, and they are thus sufficiently amalgamated to prevent the horse 
 from picking out the one and leaving the other. If the master has not 
 obtained a machine, there are in all towns men who go about with one to 
 cut the chaff once a week at a small sum per bushel. 
 
 ROOTS. 
 
 Carrots and Parsnips are the only roots which are readily eaten by 
 the horse, and no others seem to agree with him well. The effect of each 
 
230 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is nearly the same, proving slightly aperient and diuretic at first, and 
 then serving to cool the system. After a short time they fatten him, and 
 may he continued for months together without inconvenience. It is 
 supposed that two pounds of carrots are about equal in nourishment to 
 one pound of oats, but they do not possess the same amount of muscle- 
 making material, and are therefore only suited to slow work. Parsnips 
 are not often given in this country, but in France they are a very common 
 kind of horse-food. Mangold- wurzel and common turnips are altogether 
 
 refused by the horse, and he has no great fancy for Swedes, but by a 
 little starvation he will eat them in small quantities. Whenever, there- 
 fore, a change is desired during the winter, carrots alone supply the want, 
 and they can only be given with advantage to those horses which are not 
 doing hard work. They are made up chiefly of starch and sugar, and 
 afford little gluten and albumen as compared with oats. 
 
 GREEN FOOD SUITABLE FOR SOILING HORSES. 
 
 The object in giving green food to horses in the stable is generally to 
 afford them a temporary change for their unvarying rations of hay and 
 corn without losing their condition entirely as they do when turned out. 
 All the articles which are used for this purpose, and which I have 
 enumerated at page 220, slightly purge the horse when first given, and 
 act beneficially in that way for some two or three weeks. After this, 
 however, they fatten him rapidly, and then, instead of doing the legs 
 good, as is generally the intention, they make them more stale by increas- 
 ing the weight of the carcase, as soon as the horse is put to work. 
 
 Clover is greedily devoured by all horses, and fattens them quickly, but 
 it is not suited to those cases where a cooling diet is wanted to relieve 
 inflamed joints. 
 
 Tares or Vetches when young are very relaxing, and they also act 
 powerfully on the kidneys. As soon as the seed is nearly ripe in them, 
 they are nearly as stimulating as corn, and at that time only are they fit 
 for horses at work. This ought to be known to all horse-masters, or 
 they wfil be apt to make the mistake of giving young vetches to horses at 
 work, and old ones to those which are put by to be freshened up. 
 
 Lucerne is a good kind of green food, being neither so relaxing as 
 young vetches, nor so stimulating as old ones. 
 
 Rye-grass is chiefly to be recommended as coming very early in the 
 year, when no other kind of green food can be obtained. 
 
 Sainfoin is very similar to clover in its effects upon the horse, but is 
 not quite so fattening. 
 
 Green Oats are only given where the land is so poor that it will 
 not produce clover or vetches. The crop is a very light one, and in an 
 economical point of view it is not to be recommended, excepting for the 
 reasons given above. 
 
 Gorse, Furze, or Whin makes a good food for horses that are not 
 doing fast work, and in those situations where it can be procured it is 
 most economical. As a change it acts quite as beneficially as any other 
 green food, and sometimes it is the only kind which can be procured. 
 The following is the method of using it : — It is cultivated by sowing it 
 with a crop of barley or oats, and it is fit to cut the second autumn after 
 planting. It is then mown every year during the winter, as required, 
 with a common scythe, close to the ground. A tolerably good soil, dry 
 enough for this plant, will cut from seven to ten tons per acre ; and the 
 
ARTIFICIAL CONDIMENTAL FOODS. 
 
 231 
 
 same land has been cut for fourteen years without loss of quantity or 
 quality, hut after that time it required to be given up and a fresh planta- 
 tion made on other land, as the roots became decayed. The plant best 
 adapted for the purpose is very common in England, but is called the 
 French furze, and it grows well upon an old woodland, stocked up, such 
 as is often useless for other purposes ; but it must be dry. Half an acre 
 of this land is, on the average, enough to keep a horse twenty weeks ; on 
 rich, loamy, dry land a quarter of an acre will serve for the same period, so 
 that an acre of land may be made to keep two small cart-horses for more 
 than a year, though it is better to give them grass in the summer. On 
 the larg£ scale, the mowing, carting, cutting, and bruising cost not quite 
 a penny a bushel ; but for small stables the expense would of course be 
 greater. As, however, this item is generally a part of the groom's daily 
 work, it is seldom taken into the calculation. The quantity of seed 
 required is 201b. per acre, sown broadcast ; but it should be drilled as 
 near in the rows as will admit of hand-hoeing for the first year or two, if 
 the land is inclined to run to grass. It is not necessary to manure it, 
 though in its consumption it creates a great deal. When once sown and 
 well rooted, it yields a great quantity of food for cattle, at no other expense 
 but the cutting, bruising, &c. In those districts where winter food is 
 short, it answers well to mow it as soon as the grass is gone, and then it 
 lasts till grass comes again. If there is a threatening of snow, it is 
 necessary to mow some quantity beforehand, as it will keep for some days 
 unbruised. 
 
 ARTIFICIAL CONDIMENTAL FOODS. 
 
 During the last five or six years various artificially prepared foods 
 have been introduced to the notice of the public, under the names of 
 Thorley s Food for Cattle, , Henri's Horse and Cattle Food , &c. &c. The 
 advertisements of the patentees would lead to the belief that their horse 
 and cattle foods contain more real nourishment than the various kinds of 
 food which have hitherto been given to horses and cattle ; but chemical 
 analysis shows the incorrectness of these statements. The following 
 observations in The Field of the 18th of February, 1860, put the matter 
 in its true light, and show that, as a mere article of food, these prepara- 
 tions are far from economical : — 
 
 “It is not surprising, when artificial foods should thus come to be 
 adopted as so much fattening power, that various mixtures should be em- 
 ployed largely impregnated with stimulating substances. They are thus 
 made extremely palatable to the animal, who naturally enough thrives 
 upon the good things provided for him. We will not now stop to inquire 
 how far this stimulus may be permanently beneficial, even admitting the 
 temporary advantage ; our object is simply a cash account. If the price 
 of cake, ranging at about 10£. a ton, forms the limit from which any ordi- 
 nary return can be expected, how can an article sold at a price realising 
 from 300 to 400 per cent, on the cost price of the materials of which it is 
 composed, ever bring any return at all h Such savoury condiments, dished 
 up at from iOl. to 501. a ton, have no more fattening powers than the 
 ordinary cakes and meal, of which indeed their bulk is principally com- 
 posed. Locust-beans, the different oil-cakes, and Indian corn form the 
 basis of these cattle foods so often paraded before the public, with which 
 sundry stimulants, making a kind of curry-powder concoction, are mixed 
 up. This, though it may be highly agreeable, yet at the price above 
 stated forms a most costly addition to the ordinary feeding cost, and an 
 
232 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 animal once pampered on such material can hardly fall back on ordinary 
 food ; hence the price of fattening is greatly enhanced, but without any 
 increase of the saleable carcase, for there is a natural limit in. this direc- 
 tion. A compound at 40 l. a ton will make no more flesh than oil-cake 
 at 10 l. ; but if the farmer approves of and will have the compound, let 
 him simply mix the materials himself. There is no secret in the compo- 
 sition, for the test is at hand in a simple analysis. The following is an 
 ordinary formula : — 
 
 “to make one ton op meal. 
 
 Locust Bean, finely ground, at 61. a ton 
 
 Indian Corn, at 71. a ton 
 
 Best Linseed Cake, at 10£. a ton . . . 
 
 Powdered turmeric, at 8<i. a lb. . . . 
 
 Sulphur, at 2d. a lb 
 
 Saltpetre, at 5d. a lb 
 
 Liquorice,, at Is. a lb 
 
 Ginger, at 6d . a lb. 
 
 Aniseed, at 9 d. a lb 
 
 Coriander, at 9 d. a lb 
 
 Gentian, at Sd. a lb 
 
 Cream of Tartar, at Is. Sd. a lb. . . . 
 
 Carbonate of Soda, at 4 d. a lb. . . . 
 
 Levigated Antimony, at 6d. a lb. . . 
 
 Common Salt, at ±d. a lb 
 
 Peruvian Bark, at 4s. a lb 
 
 Fenugreek, at 9d. a lb 
 
 Total 
 
 Cwt. qrs. lb. Price. 
 
 6 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 
 £1 
 
 16 
 
 0 
 
 9 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 — 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 — 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 40 
 
 — 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 0 
 
 0 40 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 0 
 
 0 20 
 
 — i 
 
 0 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 0 27 
 
 — 
 
 1 
 
 7 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 10 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 6 
 
 8 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 6 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 2 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 6 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 30 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 4 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 16 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 22 
 
 — 
 
 0 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 20 
 
 0 
 
 0 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 18 
 
 5 
 
 “ Looking at this composition, it will be evident at a glance that the 
 chief ingredients are the ordinary commercial locust bean, Indian corn, 
 and oil-cakes. These form its bulk, and constitute nine-tenths of the 
 whole ; the remainder being made up of condiments and stimulants, the 
 sulphur and antimony being intended to act upon the skin in the produc- 
 tion of a fine coat, and the fenugreek forming a kind of mucilage to pre- 
 vent any ill effects that might arise from the stimulating character of the 
 food. These ingredients have no doubt been selected with skill, and an 
 animal may be expected, and not unreasonably, to thrive upon such 
 savoury substances. For this precious article (which it unquestionably is) 
 the modest sum of about 42s. a cwt. is demanded, or at the rate of 42 £. a 
 ton, or upwards of 200 per cent, on the cost price, even taken at the 
 valuation given above, which for the one-tenth or stimulating portion 
 might be considerably reduced, if the several materials were bought at 
 wholesale prices. We prefer, however, to take the ordinary trade valua- 
 tion, in order to give the widest margin possible for the cost — this, after 
 all, being the simple point at issue. If a farmer wishes for the article, the 
 use of which, containing as it does so much stimulating matter, is very 
 questionable, and chooses to pay from three to four times the intrinsic 
 value, it is of course at his option to do so ; but as the whole question of 
 farming is one of paying, we will put it plainly : Can it pay to feed 
 animals on substances costing from 4Q£. to 501. a ton 1 A knowledge of 
 the constituent elements of these foods may induce a pause before the 
 outlay is made. Some supposed great secret has no doubt with a few 
 acted as a charm, on the principle of omne ignotum pro magnijico; but th^ 
 analysis at once dispels this illusion, and nothing remains but the cost and 
 its result, mere matters of ordinary calculation.” 
 
FOOD AND WATER. 
 
 233 
 
 But though, this view of artificial condimental foods is quite correct, 
 it is also true that as an occasional stimulus to a feeble stomach, they 
 are highly useful. I have known horses terribly out of condition 
 brought round by Thorley's food in an incredibly short space of time ; 
 and used in this way, I believe it to be highly beneficial. But no stomach 
 will go on for ever answering to the same stimulus, and therefore, as a 
 constant article of food it is perfectly useless. I can confidently recom- 
 mend it for the former purpose, but for the latter it is dear even at the 
 reduced rate at which it has been lately sold. 
 
 Salt is the only kind of seasoning which has stood the test of experi- 
 ence in this country, and even it is by no means generally employed. 
 Some grooms give an ounce of common salt in the water daily, others 
 give it by sprinkling it on the hay, while a third set leave a lump of rock 
 salt constantly in the manger for the horse to lick. The last is the only 
 really safe and useful mode of using this article, and I am persuaded that 
 all horses will thrive better if they are allowed a lump of rock salt con- 
 stantly within their reach. The quantity which is thus taken is by no 
 means large, for rock salt does not easily dissolve by the mere contact of 
 the moist tongue. It is only to be procured in certain localities, where it 
 is found in the earth in large quantities, the salt mines of Cheshire afford- 
 ing the chief supply for England and Scotland. A lump weighing two or 
 three pounds is placed in the manger, and it will generally be found that 
 a pound will last nearly a month, but there is a great variation in the 
 quantity consumed by different horses. 
 
 The water which is given to the horse will materially affect his con- 
 dition if it is not suitable to him in quality or quantity, or if he is allowed 
 to take it when heated by work. Thirst is most distressing to this animal, 
 and if he has not his water regularly when his stomach demands it, he 
 will not only refuse his solid food, but he will drink inordinately when he 
 has the opportunity, causing colic or founder to supervene. For this 
 reason it has lately been the fashion to provide iron tanks on a level with 
 the manger, which are intended to be kept constantly full, and indeed 
 some are arranged with cisterns and ball-cocks for that purpose. But 
 those who contend for this constant supply have overlooked the fact that 
 every horse when he first comes into the stable is unfit to be allowed to 
 “ take his fill ” of water, and yet he will be sure to do so if the water 
 tank is open to him. Undoubtedly for horses which are never heated by 
 work the tank is perfectly safe, because as they never become thirsty, 
 since they prevent the full development of the appetite by drinking small 
 quantities as it arises, so they are neves induced to do themselves an 
 mjury by imbibing large quantities of water at any time. On the other 
 hand, working horses are kept out of the stable without water for five or 
 six hours on the average, and when they come in they are not only very 
 thirsty, but they are generally in a state in which a full draught of 
 fluid will seriously injure them. For this reason I think the tank 
 unsuited to the ordinary private stable, though of course it is easy to 
 prevent mischief by taking care either to have a cover over it, which 
 is kept down till the horse is cool, or to let off the water for a similar 
 period. The question is one involving a choice of evils incidental to 
 carelessness, and it is doubtful whether in the long run the horse is more 
 likely to be injured by being allowed to fill himself with water at the 
 time I have alluded to, or by being deprived of his proper allowance of 
 it at regular intervals. Nothing is more easy for the master to detect, 
 when he visits his stable (as he should do at uncertain hours), than a state 
 
234 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 of tliirst. Few horses are alowed as much corn as they tfill eat, and the 
 rattling of the sieve or bin will make every occupant of a stall place 
 himself in an attitude of expectation. But if the lifting of a bucket pro- 
 duces the same eager look, and especially at any hour but the usual time 
 of watering, it may at once be concluded that the horse is not regularly 
 and sufficiently supplied with fluid, and it will generally be found that 
 his condition suffers accordingly. It is astonishing how little water will 
 suffice if it is given at regular intervals, and it is the neglect of this 
 periodical supply which produces the craving that leads to dangerous 
 repletion. If it is decided to adopt the tank, provision should also be 
 made for emptying it readily, without calling upon the groom to bale it 
 out with a teacup, which I have actually seen done in one particular 
 stable, the owner of which prided himself on the perfection of his *arrange- 
 ments. If the water only came into contact with the iron, no great harm 
 would ensue, because the oxyde formed by the union of the oxygen in 
 the water with the metal itself, in the shape of common rust, is by no 
 means prejudicial to health. But no iron manger containing water will 
 long remain free from decomposing vegetable matter, unless it is regularly 
 scrubbed out daily, because the horse, as he holds his head over it during 
 his feeding, drops particles of hay, corn, &c. into the water, and this 
 being raised in temperature to that of the stable, soon dissolves the starch 
 and other ingredients which are prone to decomposition. The conse- 
 quence is that the sides of the tank become foul, being covered with a 
 thick slime, which not only renders the water nauseous to the horse, but 
 also makes it prejudicial to his health. For this reason a waste-pipe and 
 stop-cock are absolutely essential, for by their aid alone can the groom be 
 expected to do his duty. 
 
 The quantity of water which will be imbibed by horses varies even 
 more than that of their solid food, yet ignorant grooms are too apt to give 
 all alike. The most strenuous advocate for the continuous supply would 
 doubtless make an exception at those times when horses are just about to 
 be severely galloped, as in hunting or racing ; and on the other hand, 
 almost all grooms who know their business allow their charge to fill 
 themselves at night, and also give them a liberal allowance when they 
 have done their work and are dressed and cooled down after it. I have 
 found in my own stable, in measuring the actual quantity of water drunk 
 by the horses, that even among those which are doing the same amount 
 of work and eating similar food both in quantity and quality, the water 
 will vary from two buckets a day to nearly five. If salt is given, it will 
 produce considerable thirst at first, but after a time this effect ceases, and 
 I have not found it in the long run make much difference. Green food 
 will also make less alteration in the desire for water than might be 
 expected, which may be accounted for by the fact that it increases the 
 secretions of urine and perspiration, and also acts gently on the bowels ; 
 so that, though more fluid is taken into the system with the green food, 
 yet a proportionably large quantity passes off. It is, however, necessary 
 to be cautious in the allowance of water to horses which have just begun to 
 eat grass or vetches, for if given in the usual quantity on a stomach full of 
 green food, it will very probably bring on an attack of colic. As a rule, no 
 horse should go to any moderately fast work with more than half a bucket 
 of water in him, and that should have been swallowed at least an hour. 
 This subject, however, will be better considered under the next head. 
 
 The quality of water best suited to the horse is one moderately soft, 
 but it should not be rain water collected in tanks, which soon becomes 
 
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING. 
 
 235 
 
 full of decomposing vegetable matter. I have known the health of a 
 whole stable full of horses seriously injured by using rain water, as was 
 proved by the fact that its filtration through charcoal, gravel, and sand 
 soon restored the animals to a fair state of health, without any alteration 
 in their solid food or work. On the other hand, very hard water disagrees 
 almost to an equal extent, often producing the state of the skin known 
 as “ hide-bound/’ and sometimes affecting the bowels in the form of 
 serious diarrhoea. But in course of time most sound horses become 
 accustomed to hard water, and then a change to that which is soft must 
 be carefully avoided whenever work is to be demanded of them. Thus 
 in sending hunters or harness-horses used in fast work from home, when 
 they have been accustomed to either kind of water, it often happens that 
 their health is upset, and this is quite as likely to occur when the change is 
 from hard to soft, as from soft to hard water. Trainers of valuable racehorses 
 are so aware of this fact, that irrespective of the risk of poisoning, which 
 they thereby avoid, they take water with them, knowing the injurious 
 effects likely to be produced by a sudden change. Hard water, if it con- 
 tains large quantities of carbonate of lime, may be made to deposit it to 
 some extent by boiling, but the sulphate of lime (or gypsum), which is 
 a far more common ingredient, is as soluble in hot water as in cold. 
 Evaporation by boiling causes the deposit of a large quantity of it on the 
 sides of the vessel used to contain the water, but the fluid remaining 
 still holds as much gypsum per gallon, and is not therefore benefited in 
 the slightest degree. 
 
 The proper temperature of the water given in the stable is a 
 matter of serious importance, and the effect of a bucketful of cold water 
 to a horse just come in from his work is very serious. Even in a state of 
 rest cold water will often produce cramp or colic, so that careful grooms 
 never give it by any chance without warming it, either by the addition of 
 a little hot water, called “ chilling ” it, or by letting it stand for some 
 hours in the stable or saddle-room. If the former method is adopted, it 
 should not be made to feel actually warm, for in that state it nauseates 
 a delicate feeder, but it should merely have the chill taken off, so that in 
 dipping the hand into it, no sensation of cold is produced. 
 
 THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING. 
 
 In adapting the quantity and quality of horse-keep to the wants of 
 each horse, regard must be paid first of all to the small size of this 
 animal's stomach, which affects all alike ; secondly , to the work for which 
 he is designed ; and thirdly , to the peculiar constitution of each individual. 
 From the first of these causes the horse must never be allowed to fast for 
 any long period if it can possibly be avoided, it being found from expe- 
 rience that at the end of four hours his stomach is empty, and the whole 
 frame becomes exhausted, while the appetite is frequently so impaired if 
 he is kept fasting for a longer period that when food is presented to him 
 it will not be taken. Previously to the introduction of railroads harness- 
 horses were often required to do long distances in the day, and it was 
 found that if the whole journey must be performed without stopping to 
 bait, it exhausted the horse less to increase the pace up to nine or ten 
 miles an hour than to dawdle over the ground on an empty stomach. I f 
 two horses are driven or ridden fifty or sixty miles under similar condi- 
 tions as to the weight they have to draw or carry, and the one is taken at 
 the rate of six miles an hour which will keep him fasting from eight and 
 
236 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 a half to ten hours according to the distance, while the other is travelled 
 fast enough to do it in six or seven hours, the latter will he less exhausted 
 than the former, though even he would be all the better for a feed in the 
 middle of the journey, the time devoted to this act being easily picked up by 
 the increased energy which would be given by the corn. No horseman of 
 experience is ignorant of these facts, and after a long day the hunting 
 man who knows what he is about will always be seen on the look out for 
 a feed of corn or a pint of oatmeal for his hunter, before he attends to his 
 own wants. The human stomach will bear hunger far better than that of 
 the horse, and if the rider feels his appetite pretty keen, he may be satis- 
 fied that the animal which carries him is still more in want of food. The 
 kind of work which the horse is intended for affects not only the quantity 
 of food required, but also its quality. Thus very fast work, as in racing and 
 hunting, strains the muscular system as well as the heart and lungs to the 
 utmost, and therefore the food which is best fitted for the development of 
 the former to the highest degree consists of those kinds which present the 
 elements contained in the muscular tissue in the largest proportions con- 
 sistent with the due performance of the digestive powers. These are found 
 in oats and beans, but nature herself teaches every animal instinctively to 
 keep within such limits as are safe, and hence it is found that though 
 every horse will greedily devour a peck or a peck and a half of corn daily, 
 yet he will not go beyond this quantity even though it is not sufficient for 
 his wants, and in spite of his being deprived of every other kind of food. 
 The demands of his muscular system are supplied by the corn, but there 
 are certain saline matters in hay which are not found in the former, and 
 being necessary for the performance of several important functions the 
 stomach receives its warning through the appetite and no more corn is 
 received into it. On the other hand, the hard-worked horse fed on hay 
 alone craves for corn, and will greedily devour almost any quantity put in 
 his manger until he upsets his digestive powers, when the appetite for it 
 ceases. It is found by experience that a certain proportion of hay and 
 corn is best adapted to each horse according to the work he has to do, and 
 his own particular constitution, so that in laying down rules for feeding 
 it is necessary first of all to ascertain what demands will be likely to be 
 made upon the system. Few owners of carriage-horses would like to see 
 them driven to the door with their muscles showing the lines between them 
 as they ought to do in a racehorse when fit to run. Such a state of high 
 training as will put the latter in condition would be impracticable for the 
 former without wearing his legs out, and not only destroying his rounded 
 and level appearance but taking away the air of high spirit and life which 
 tends so much to gratify the eye. Hence the feeding suited to give the 
 one nothing but muscle is not fitted for the other, who must have more 
 hay and less oats, as well as less work. So also in deciding upon the 
 proportion, if any, of oats and beans, regard must be had to the amount 
 of work which is demanded, for there can be no doubt that while admitting 
 the good effects of beans in large quantities upon the severely tried cab 
 or omnibus horse, they are injurious to the carriage horse, whose blood 
 soon becomes heated under their constant use. Lastly , the peculiar con- 
 stitution of each horse must be studied before it can be known whether the 
 average quantity and quality of food which will suit the majority of horses 
 doing the same kind of work, will be enough or too much for him. Some 
 washy animals pass their food through them so quickly that they do not 
 absorb from it one half of the nutritive elements contained in it. These 
 must be fed largely if they are kept at work, and those articles of food 
 
237 
 
 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING. 
 
 must "be selected for them which have a tendency rather to confine 
 the bowels than to relax them. Independently of this extreme case it 
 never can with certainty be pronounced beforehand what amount of food 
 will keep an untried horse in condition, but in a large stable an average 
 can easily be struck, and it is this quantity alone which can be estimated 
 here. In the following pages, therefore, I shall give a description of the 
 several alimentary wants of the horse, and then show in what propor- 
 tions they are found in the varieties of keep which have already been 
 described, so as to enable the horsemaster to make his selection according 
 to circumstances. All these substances are found in the blood, but the 
 composition of this fluid does not enlighten us as to the wants of the 
 system, because it is continually receiving and giving off its various 
 elements. The blood of a horse fed on highly nitrogenized food does not 
 differ on analysis from from that of another which has been kept on the 
 opposite kind of diet. Physiological research, however, tells us that 
 muscle is chiefly composed of fibrine, and that every time a bundle of its 
 fibres contracts a certain expenditure of this material is made, calling for 
 a corresponding supply from the blood, which cannot be afforded unless 
 the food contains it. Hence the badly fed horse if worked soon loses his 
 flesh and not only becomes free from fat, but also presents a contracted 
 condition of all his muscles. And thus science is confirmed by every-day 
 experience, and the fact is generally admitted that to increase the muscular 
 powers of a horse he must have a sufficient supply of nitrogenized food. 
 As I have remarked above, the nutrition of muscle requires fibrine — but 
 in addition the brain and nerves must be supplied with fatty matter, 
 phosphorus, and albumen. The bones demand gelatine and earthy salts, 
 and the maintenance of heat cannot be effected without carbon in some 
 shape or other. But it is chiefly with nitrogenized food that we have to 
 deal in considering the present question, there being plenty of the other 
 substances I have mentioned in all the varieties of food which are not 
 largely composed of fibrine. It may therefore be taken for granted that 
 the hardly worked horse requires oats or beans, or both mixed together in 
 varying proportions, together with such an amount of hay as will supply 
 him with the starch, gum, sugar, fat, and saline matters which his system 
 requires, while on the other hand the idle animal does not use his mus- 
 cular system to any extent, and therefore does not require much or any 
 oats or beans. The following table exhibits the proportions of these 
 various elements in the several kinds of horse food most frequently used 
 in this country: — 
 
 r 
 
 
 
 
 Woody 
 
 Fibre. 
 
 Starch and 
 Sugar. 
 
 Fibrine & 
 Albumen. 
 
 Fatty 
 
 Matter. 
 
 Saline 
 
 Matters. 
 
 Water. 
 
 Oats . . . 
 
 
 
 
 20 
 
 53 
 
 11*4 
 
 •6 
 
 2*5 
 
 12-5 
 
 Beans . . . 
 
 
 
 
 14*5 
 
 40 
 
 26 
 
 2*5 
 
 3 
 
 14 
 
 Peas . . . 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 48 
 
 24 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 14 
 
 Barley . . . 
 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 52 
 
 13*5 
 
 2-5 
 
 3 
 
 15 
 
 Indian Corn . 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 62 
 
 12 
 
 5 
 
 1 
 
 14 
 
 Old Hav . . 
 
 
 
 
 30 
 
 40 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 7 
 
 14 
 
 Clover Hay . 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 
 40 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 14 
 
 Barley Straw 
 
 
 
 
 46 
 
 34 
 
 1*5 
 
 0 
 
 6*5 
 
 12 
 
 Oat Straw . 
 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 31 
 
 r 
 
 a trace 
 
 5-5 
 
 12*5 
 
 Wheat Straw 
 
 
 
 
 55 
 
 27 
 
 •5 
 
 0 
 
 5*5 
 
 12 
 
 Bran . . . 
 
 
 
 
 54 
 
 2 
 
 20 
 
 4 
 
 7 
 
 13 
 
 Linseed . . 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 35 
 
 20 
 
 20 
 
 6 
 
 10 
 
 Carrots . • 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 1*5 
 
 0 
 
 1*5 
 
 84 
 
238 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Racehorses are fed upon the best upland hay, of which about six to 
 eight pounds are given to each on the average daily, and from fifteen to 
 twenty pounds of the best oats, in some cases beans being substituted for an 
 equal weight of the latter. The quantity of hay varies according to the 
 constitution, gross feeders being allowed less, and delicate, light- carcassed 
 horses more than the above. The limit to the oats is the appetite, the 
 trainer taking care not quite to satisfy the horse, which would produce 
 satiety and disgust, but giving him as much of this food as he can without 
 this effect. One-third of the hay is given in the morning after exercise, 
 and the remainder at night. The oats are divided into four feeds, one 
 being given the first thing in the morning, the next on coming in from 
 exercise, the third at four o’clock in the afternoon, and the last at seven 
 or eight in the evening, when the stable is closed for the night. Yery little 
 water is allowed in the morning, two or three “ godowns ” being all that 
 is usually given, about half a bucket on coming in from exercise after the 
 horse is dressed and fed, the same quantity in the afternoon, and a full allow- 
 ance at night. Once a week, if required by the state of the bowels, a bran 
 mash is given, but this is omitted when the time of trial is approaching. 
 
 The Hunter is fed nearly in the same way as the racehorse, the chief 
 difference being that a little more hay is allowed, and consequently less 
 corn. Few hunters get more than five or six quarterns of oats, and 
 indeed there are not many which will eat more; for in order that the 
 appetite for this kind of food shall be as highly developed as in the race- 
 horse, the animal must have been reared on oats from the earliest period, 
 which few hunters but those bred for the racecourse have been. The 
 allowance, therefore, is generally about ten pounds of hay, and five or six 
 quarterns of oats, or five quarterns of oats and half a quartern of beans. The 
 hay and corn are given at the same times as in the racing stable, and the 
 water also in the same proportions. Gruel is given when the hunter 
 comes home after a hard day, as it restores the tone of the stomach after 
 long fasting better than oats, which, moreover, the exhausted horse gene- 
 rally refuses till he has had something to give his stomach a fillip. A 
 bran mash should be given once a week, or every ten days, unless there is 
 a tendency to purge, when of course it is not wanted. No change of 
 food is required during the hunting season, but after this is over it is 
 necessary to decide whether the hunter shall be turned out for the summer, 
 or soiled in-doors. The advocates for the two proceedings are warm in 
 support of their several opinions, which will be treated of hereafter under 
 the head of Summering . 
 
 Hacks require from three quarterns to a peck of oats, and ten to twelve 
 pounds of hay daily. The latter is given in two portions, one at night, 
 and the other in the morning, the former being divided into four feeds, 
 which are put into the manger at six or seven a.m., ten a.m., four p.m., 
 and seven or eight p.m. In most stables some of the hay is cut up with 
 an equal quantity of straw, into chaff, and of this about a peck a day is 
 given with the corn, the object being to induce the horse to masticate it 
 thoroughly. The plan is so generally adopted now that I need not insist 
 upon its advantages, which may be accepted as indisputable. If these 
 horses are much exposed to the weather during the winter and early 
 spring, a few beans in place of some of the oats may be used with decided 
 benefit, especially if they have been accustomed to them in previous sea- 
 sons. It must always be remembered, however, that they have a tendency 
 to produce inflammation, especially in the feet and eyes ; and, therefore, 
 in those animals which have a weakness in either of the organs named, 
 
THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FEEDING. 
 
 239 
 
 beans should carefully be avoided. Generally speaking, hacks are of small 
 size, and they do not, therefore, require more than an average allowance 
 of food, on which footing I have calculated their hay and corn ; but if it so 
 happens that any of my readers have a hack of full size, he must make 
 allowance accordingly. These horses are now very commonly allowed a 
 water tank, constantly supplied with water, and in that case there is no 
 necessity for doing more than to see that it is daily cleansed, and that the 
 ball-cock acts properly. When they are watered from the bucket, the 
 groom generally gives it them in moderate quantity early in the morning 
 and in the afternoon feed, finishing with a full allowance at night. 
 
 Harness Horses are fed much in the same way as hacks, but if they 
 are used for a close carriage and are of full size they must have more hay 
 than I have named, by fully a quarter of a hundredweight weekly. 
 
 Ponies may be kept with very little corn, one or two quarterns a day, 
 according to size, being al*l that is generally allowed. They will eat from 
 sixty pounds to seventy-five pounds of hay weekly, and they are as much 
 benefited by chaff as larger horses. 
 
 Farm Horses are treated very differently in different localities, inde- 
 pendently of the various fancies indulged in by individuals : their work 
 also being subject to great changes, according to the seasons, it is necessary 
 to apportion their food in the same ratio. Again, it happens sometimes 
 that oats or beans are scarce and dear, and the farmer, if he grows them, 
 will be inclined to sell them and use some cheaper kind of food for his 
 horses, or, if he has to buy, he will still more carefully look out for a sub- 
 stitute at a lower price. The following are the most usual modes of 
 feeding these horses, as far as I have been able to ascertain. 
 
 Plan 1. — Adopted throughout the Midland counties. Weekly allow- 
 ance per horse in November, December and January — £ s $ 
 
 1^ bushel of oats, 1 peck of beans, and 1 cwt. of hay, costing for three 
 
 months 600 
 
 Ditto through February, March, and April — 
 
 2 bushels of oats, 1^ peck of beans, and 1 cwt. of hay, costing 7 0 0 
 
 Ditto May, June, and July — 
 
 3 pecks of oats, 1 peck of beans, and vetches or lucerne, costing .... 5 0 0 
 
 Ditto in August, September, and October — 
 
 1 bushel of oats, J bushel of beans, clover, pea straw, &c. costing ....600 
 
 Total yearly cost 24 0 0 
 
 In districts where oats are scarce, bran or pollard is mi-xed with beans, 
 and given as follows : — 
 
 Weekly allowance in the autumn quarter — £ s ^ 
 
 bushel of oats, 2 pecks of split beans, and 1 cwt. of hay, costing for 
 three months 7 10 0 
 
 Ditto in the winter quarter — 
 
 2\ bushels of pollard, 2 pecks of split beans, 561bs. of swedes, and barley 
 
 or pea straw, costing for the three months 5100 
 
 Ditto in the spring quarter — 
 
 2 1 bushels of pollard, 2 pecks of split beans, and 1| cwt. of hay, costing . 7 10 0 
 
 Ditto in the summer quarter — 
 
 2 bushels of bran, 1 peck of split beans, clover, vetches, or tares, costing .500 
 
 Total yearly cost 25 10 C 
 
240 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Sometimes cut straw, steamed potatoes, and the meal of oats and beans 
 are given, as being the most economical kind of food. The horses are fed 
 three times a day, each time receiving fifteen pounds of food, thus — 
 
 In the morning at 6 o’clock, 41bs. of oat and bean meal, lllbs of chaff. 
 
 At noon, 31bs. of oat and bean meal, 121bs. of chaff. 
 
 At night, 21bs. of oat and bean meal, 21bs. of chaff, and lllbs. of steamed potatoes. 
 
 In Scotland these horses are kept out-of-doors, or soiled in-doors till 
 October, when they are put upon hard food, receiving 1 cwt. of hay and 
 a bushel and a half of corn weekly till December, when the hay is re- 
 placed by straw, and the oats are reduced one half. In February 1| cwt. 
 of hay, and a bushel and a half of oats are again given, and this is con- 
 tinued till June, when they are fed on grass with a small allowance of 
 corn. 
 
 BEDDING. 
 
 The bed is generally composed of wheat straw, of which that thrashed 
 by hand is by far the most durable, lasting nearly twice as long if pro- 
 perly kept clean as the same quality thrashed by machine. Barley straw 
 is eaten by most horses almost as readily as hay, and, therefore, it is kept 
 as fodder for farm horses and cattle. It is excellent for cutting into 
 chaff, especially when there is much clover grown with it. Besides wheat 
 straw, sand, saw-dust, tan, forest leaves and bean straw are used either 
 where economy is studied, or for some particular reason. I shall, there- 
 fore, have something to say about each of these materials. 
 
 Wheat Straw is by far the most general material for the horse’s bed, 
 and in private stables it may be considered as the only one used. It 
 should be selected for its length, and the size and stoutness of its stalks, 
 taking care that it is quite dry, but not so much so as to be brittle. It is 
 tied up in trusses, or “ boltings,” as they are called in the Midland dis- 
 tricts, which weigh about thirty-six pounds each. Two of these ought to 
 serve for a week, after the bed is once made, which will require from two 
 to three trusses, according to the size of the stall or loose-box. Unless 
 the straw is properly shaken up and smoothly laid, the horse is not made 
 comfortable, but lies with uneven lumps under him, which he cannot 
 scratch into shape, like a dog. Hence, the good groom takes great trouble 
 with his horses’ beds, and having first laid the old litter smoothly all over 
 the stall, as far as the back drain, he spreads on the surface with his fork 
 either the cleanest part of the former night’s bed, or a fresh truss, according 
 to circumstances. The straw should be raised against the travis or wall 
 on each side, so that the horse in lying down has his back protected by it, 
 the sharp spinous processes of the vertebra being uncovered by anything 
 but skin, and causing considerable pain when pressed against the hard 
 wood or iron. The straw is also turned under at the lower end, so as 
 to present a neat appearance to the eye, as well as to afford comfort to the 
 horse. In the morning the wet and dirty parts are forked out, and the 
 remainder turned back and pressed tightly under the manger, or it is put 
 into some other convenient place, where it can be dried, which latter plan 
 is an excellent one in point of economy and comfort. When the litter is 
 thus disposed of, the whole surface of the floor is carefully swept, the dirt 
 being shovelled back into the gangway, and finally removed from the 
 stable. A little clean straw is then thinly spread over the stall, and left 
 with a level edge behind the heels of the horse, where natty grooms put 
 a border of plaited straw. During the day the droppings are collected in 
 
BEDDING. 
 
 241 
 
 a basket, and removed as soon as they are perceived by the groom, by 
 which the litter is kept clean, and the hind feet of the horse are prevented 
 from contracting foul thrushes, which many are apt to do, if they are 
 allowed to be constantly crammed full of moist droppings, as they often 
 are by careless grooms. On the average of seasons country straw may be 
 bought for about 21. per ton, in which there are about sixty trusses, each 
 therefore costing 8d., and, on the calculation of two trusses per week, the 
 horse’s bed will cost Is. 4 d. for that period, without estimating the value 
 of the manure, which varies greatly. In the neighbourhood of very large 
 towns, where the supply of manure is greater than the demand, it is 
 almost a drug, and will scarcely pay for the labour of removal, but in 
 agricultural districts it is worth 5s. per ton, and then an arrangement is 
 often made by the farmer to supply straw on condition of receiving back 
 the manure made with it. It may, generally, be calculated that an allow- 
 ance of one-third or one-fourth of the cost of the straw may be made for 
 manure, and the litter may then be estimated as costing Is. per week. 
 
 Sand is said to answer very well as bedding, and to have the great 
 advantage of keeping the feet cool. I have never seen it used, but I am 
 told, on excellent authority, that, excepting in very cold weather, it is a 
 very valuable substitute for straw. The fine dry sand of the seashore is 
 that which is usually employed for the purpose, but inland sand would do 
 just as well if collected and stored in a dry condition. It requires a well 
 drained floor, the chief objection being that it clogs the openings to the 
 drains ; but if the iron gutters are used which I have described at page 
 199, they may be readily swept out, and there being none permanently 
 covered, there is no difficulty whatever. Indeed, if the sand is changed 
 as soon as it becomes saturated with moisture, which it ought always to 
 be, the drains are not wanted at all ; but occasionally it will happen that 
 the urine falls in or near the gutter, and then it is an advantage to have 
 them in working order. The sand is laid about six inches deep, and 
 every day the soiled parts are removed, and fresh sand, in proportion, 
 spread over all, so that a very neat surface is maintained. The cost in 
 sandy districts is very trifling, but of course elsewhere the plan would be 
 prohibited by the charge for carriage. When sand is thus used, the feet 
 must be stopped with cowdung more frequently than in the case of straw, 
 or they soon become hard and brittle. 
 
 Sawdust is seldom employed as litter, its cost being quite as great as, 
 and often more than, straw. It is only in or near saw mills, where there 
 is an unusually large supply of sawdust on the premises, that it can be used 
 advantageously. During the summer months it answers well enough if 
 laid down as I have described under the head of sand, but like that ma- 
 terial it is too cold for use in our winters. It has the disadvantage, as 
 compared with sand, that it soon heats when wetted with urine, and am- 
 monia is then given off profusely, so that great care must be exercised to 
 change it as soon as it becomes soiled. 
 
 Defuse Tan is very commonly introduced as a bedding for horses 
 while being summered, in the belief that it is much cooler to the feet 
 than straw. It has all the disadvantages of sawdust, without the advan- 
 tages of sand, and if the latter can readily be obtained, it should by all 
 means be substituted for it. I have often seen a box in which tan had 
 been left for weeks without change, the groom expecting that it would 
 retain the urine of the horse without decomposition, although his nose 
 ought to have convinced him to the contrary. It is a capital material if 
 it is kept dry, but every one who has seen the heat which is given out by 
 
 R 
 
242 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 it in a hothouse, will understand that it is not to be allowed to come in 
 contact with fluid, and especially urine, or decomposition will quickly 
 supervene. The cost is seldom more than that incurred in carting it, 
 which will depend upon the distance from the nearest tan-yard. 
 
 Forest Leaves are not readily procurable except in some very few 
 localities, and I may therefore dismiss them with the remark that there 
 is no objection to their use with which I am acquainted. Ponies at all 
 events may be comfortably bedded with them. 
 
 Bean Straw is far too hard and unyielding to make a comfortable 
 bed, and if it must be used I should prefer cutting it into chaff rather than 
 employing it in this way. 
 
 DRESSING, OR GROOMING. 
 
 By the term Dressing is generally understood the purification of the 
 skin which the horse requires. He is never in the highest health unless 
 the pores are kept free from the scurf which forms on them whenever he 
 sweats, and the object of the strapping which he receives at the hands of 
 his groom is to get rid of this mechanical obstruction, as well as to brace 
 the nerves of the surface by the friction of the brush or whisp. This 
 dressing must be renewed daily, even if the horse has not been sweated, 
 and each time that he comes in from work it is necessary to repeat it. 
 The former operation is or should be conducted in the same manner every 
 day, but the latter will vary according to the state of the animal when he 
 comes in, that is to say, depending upon whether he has been sweated 
 and is cool again, or if he is still wet, or has been in the rain with or 
 without exercise enough to warm him, or lastly, if he has been ridden or 
 driven through dirty roads or over a deep country. Each of these condi- 
 tions will therefore require a separate consideration. 
 
 The usual morning's dressing is commenced either as soon as the 
 horse has done his early feed, or on coming in from exercise, if such 
 is allowed or enjoined. The utility of grooming after work cannot 
 be denied, for it would be absurd to contend that a horse coming in wet 
 and dirty should be left in that state till the next day ; but it is perhaps 
 necessary to explain to the idle groom that it is not a mere polishing of 
 the surface of the coat which is wanted, but a deep -steady pressure of the 
 brush into the roots of the hair, so as to remove all the scurf which 
 collects around them and clogs the pores, through which the sweat ought 
 to be allowed to exude freely. Practically it is found that an hour's good 
 strapping daily, not only gives a polish to the coat, but it causes the 
 secretion of a fine oil, which has a tendency to throw off water, and thus 
 may save the horse exposed to the rain from catching cold. Moreover, it 
 certainly stimulates the nerves so as to enable them to bear exposure to 
 the weather, which would otherwise tell injuriously on an animal which 
 is covered up with thick clothing in-doors, and stripped of everything, 
 even of the long coat which nature gives him, when he is submitted to the 
 “ pelting of the pitiless storm.” When the horse is turned out to grass, 
 he is washed by every shower of rain, and though his coat continues to 
 look dirty on the surface, yet the skin itself is braced by the winds and 
 cleansed by the waters of heaven. Not so, however, in-doors. Here his 
 clothing keeps his coat short, and keeps up a continual state of insensible 
 perspiration, the watery particles of which pass off through the woollen 
 rug or serge, leaving the salts and animal matters behind, as is apparent on 
 
243 
 
 DRESSING, OR GROOMING. 
 
 examining the internal surface of any clothing which has been worn for 
 any length of time without washing, when it will be found to be lined 
 with scurf, and matted with oily animal matters. There are many drugs 
 which will give a gloss to the skin, but they will diminish instead of 
 increasing its capability to bear exposure, and hence their use is altogether 
 forbidden by those who know their injurious effects. The horse which is 
 little used requires dressing to take the place of exercise, and if he has 
 plenty of good strapping, his coat will look like satin ; but the hunter 
 and the hack or harness-horse, exposed to all weathers, must be carefully 
 groomed and receive plenty of elbow grease, or his coat will look hollow 
 and stand out like “ the quills of the fretful porcupine ” whenever he is 
 allowed to stand for a few minutes in a cool wind. 
 
 The first thing which the groom does in commencing his morning’s 
 task is to turn the horse round in his stall, and fold the quarter piece back 
 upon itself, so as to expose the whole of the fore quarters. Then, taking 
 his brush in the hand nearest the head, whichever side he begins with, he 
 works away at the head and face till he has thoroughly cleansed those parts, 
 carefully clearing out the dust and dirt from the roots of the ears, where 
 it is very apt to lodge, and continually cleaning his brush with the curry- 
 comb held in the other hand. Next proceeding to the neck, he works at 
 that part in the same way, turning the mane over to the other side, and 
 then going to the shoulders, bosom, and legs, and finishing off with a 
 whisp of hay slightly damped instead of the brush. Having thoroughly 
 worked at this half of the body, the horse is turned round in his stall, 
 and the hind quarters and flank treated in the same way, the clothing 
 being removed entirely while this is going on. In the spring and autumn, 
 when the coat is being shed, the brush should never be used, and the 
 whisp alone should be depended on. Nothing spoils the look of the new 
 coat so surely as the brush, except perhaps the currycomb ; but this 
 latter should not under any circumstances touch the skin of a horse when 
 it is in proper order, and it is scarcely necessary to forbid its use when 
 the coat is being shed, at which time it would be positively cruel, as well 
 as injurious to the appearance. The brush and whisp having effectually 
 cleansed the skin, and given the hair itself a certain amount of polish, 
 the finishing stroke is put to the dressing by means of the linen rubber, 
 with the addition, in well-managed stables, of the leather. Either or both 
 of these in succession are steadily passed over the surface in the direction 
 of the hair of each part, and then the quarter piece or rug, as the case 
 may be, is replaced, taking care to throw it lightly in front of its proper 
 place, and then to draw it steadily backwards, so as not to disturb the 
 proper position of a hair. The roller is smoothly put on, being first laid 
 on the back double, and then the off side is turned over into its place, 
 when the straps being laid hold of under the belly, it is properly tightened 
 and the quarter piece smoothed beneath it. This completes the dressing 
 of the body, but there are several minor points still to be attended to. 
 A clean sponge is squeezed out, and with it the nostrils, eyes, and anus 
 are sponged clean, and if necessary, the mane is damped, so as to enable 
 the groom to comb and brush it smoothly down on its right side. The 
 tail also is carefully combed out, beginning at the lower end if it is a 
 full one, and not touching the top until the bottom is smoothly arranged. 
 Lastly, the legs and feet are attended to, the stopping, or whatever may 
 be in the latter, being picked out, the legs washed if stained, and then 
 carefully rubbed dry. Many grooms, when they have white legs to keep 
 clean, begin the dressing by was hin g them, and then putting on flannel 
 
 R 2 
 
244 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 bandages, they leave them on till they have done the body, when they 
 are taken off and the legs rubbed with the leather and linen rubber till 
 they are quite dry, finishing with plenty of hand rubbing if they are at 
 all inclined to fill. All this being done, the litter is put straight, and the 
 horse is ready to have his second feed. A good deal of muscular exer- 
 tion, and laid out in the right way, is necessary for the due performance 
 of the groom’s daily task. There is no royal road to make a horse’s coat, 
 when in work, really look well, and not less than an hour’s hard strapping 
 will suffice for this daily. White and light grey horses will take up even 
 more time than this, as with all the care that can be exercised the thighs 
 and legs will occasionally become stained by lying in the dung dropped 
 during the night. Soap and water laid on warm, and well rubbed, will 
 get rid of a great deal of the brown colour left, and if it is not suffered to 
 increase by successive layers, it may be removed with comparative ease. 
 The slight tinge which remains may be got rid of by the aid of washer- 
 woman’s blue, a bag of which is to be dipped into clean water and the 
 skin washed with this after the soap has been got rid of. A little experi- 
 ence is required to ascertain the exact amount of blue, but one or two 
 experiments will soon teach an intelligent groom. 
 
 Whenever a horse is wanted to go out, he must again be whisped 
 over before his saddle or his harness is put on. The groom strips the 
 whole of the clothes off, turns him round in the stall, and carefully clears 
 all the dust away from the ears and head with the rubber ; then, pro- 
 ceeding regularly backwards, the whole body is smoothed over, and the 
 saddle and bridle or harness put on. Lastly, the feet are picked, and an 
 oil-brush is rubbed over the outside of the hoofs, to give them a neat 
 appearance, when the pillar reins are buckled to the bit on each side, and 
 the horse is left till he is wanted. 
 
 Dressing after work depends upon the state in which the horse is 
 returned to the stable, when he may be cool and clean, or in a profuse 
 sweat still going on, or with his sweat dried in, or completely smothered 
 with dirt, or wet from rain, but chilled rather than too hot ; or lastly, 
 when exhausted from a severe run or other hard work. 
 
 When the horse returns cool and clean, the groom throws his rug 
 lightly over his quarters, and, taking a bucket and a brush, he proceeds 
 to pick and wash out the feet, standing on the near side, with his back to 
 the horse’s head, so that he can use his left hand to hold the feet, and his 
 right for the brush. If the legs are quite clean, there is no necessity for 
 washing them at all ; but most grooms do so as a matter of course, and if 
 they are properly dried’ afterwards, there is no objection to the plan. 
 Hunters, and valuable horses of all kinds, are immediately protected by 
 flannel bandages ; but in ordinary stables the legs are merely partially 
 dried with a rubber, and are left in that state till the horse is dressed 
 Dver. If the work has been continued for more than four or five hours 
 without feeding, it will be well to put on flannel bandages, and let the 
 horse have a feed of corn ; but, otherwise, it is better to finish the dress- 
 ing first. The cloth being removed, a whisp of hay is taken in the 
 hand, and first the head and neck, and then the body, is dressed over; 
 finishing off with the rubber, as previously described. The clothing is 
 then put on, the legs thoroughly dried, the litter put straight, and the task 
 is finished. 
 
 When brought in still sweating profusely, if the weather is warm, 
 the horse must be led about in the shade, with the saddle on , till he is nearly 
 or quite dry; for if he is put into the stable before he is cool, he will breaK 
 
245 
 
 DRESSING, OR GROOMING. 
 
 out again as badly as ever, and if the saddle is removed the back will become 
 sore. A hemp halter is cooler and more handy than a head-collar, and it 
 is usually employed out of doors for all purposes connected with cleaning. 
 In the winter, this exposure to the air out of doors is not necessary; and, 
 indeed, it would often be dangerous, the stable being generally cool enough 
 to stop all tendency to sweat, even with a light rug on. At this season, 
 therefore, after the legs are washed and the bandages put on, which they 
 should be whenever the horse is in a sweat, the dressing may be con- 
 ducted in the usual way, in the expectation, which will seldom be disap- 
 pointed, that at the end of half an hour’s strapping, the skin will have 
 become quite cool, and will look all the better for the profuse cleansing 
 which it has received by means of the watery fluid given off by it. A 
 scraper will be necessary, which may be either of wood or iron ; and with 
 this all the superfluous moisture is at once scraped from the surface, which 
 greatly facilitates the process of drying. Two men ought then to set to 
 work, each taking a side, and working first at the head, and then gradually 
 backwards. In this way, no part is allowed to chill, and the moisture is 
 removed as rapidly as possible. In the use of the whisp, the rubbing 
 need not always be hard ; and it should be chiefly against the direction of 
 the hair till it is nearly dry, when the proper direction is again taken. 
 There is a good deal of art in drying a sweating horse, and nothing but 
 experience and practical teaching will give it. As a general rule, it takes 
 two men nearly three-quarters of an hour to thoroughly dress a horse 
 coming in profusely sweating, supposing the weather to be only moderately 
 warm. In very hot weather, such an attempt would be quite fruitless, 
 and the only resource is to wait patiently till the effects of exercise are 
 abated sufficiently to allow of the ordinary clothing being worn. Expe- 
 rience soon tells the groom how soon he can venture to begin, and no rule 
 can possibly be laid down which will supply the place of this valuable 
 power. Even when the horse is taken in, he must not at first be clothed, 
 but he must be dressed without anything on him ; and in summer he must 
 often be left for some time afterwards in a naked state. When there is a good 
 'open yard shaded from the sun, the dressing should be done out of doors ; 
 and when this can be managed, it may be commenced much sooner than 
 in the stable, unless this is a very cool one. Slight muscular action, either 
 by walking, or in some other shape, is necessary to prevent congestion of 
 blood in the internal organs ; but it matters not whether it is effected by 
 simply leading the horse about, or by stirring him up, as is always the 
 case in dressing even the dullest animal. In other respects, there is no 
 difference from the plan last 'described. 
 
 When the sweat is completely dried in, the hair is full of powdery 
 matter, which must be thoroughly brushed out, before the skin will look 
 well or the horse be properly dressed. To do this, nothing more is 
 required 4,han the use of the brush previously to the whisping over ; but 
 a good deal of time must be spent in getting rid of all the foreign matters 
 left behind on the evaporation of the watery particles of the sweat. There 
 is an amount of grease in it, which makes the powder stick to the hair, 
 and nothing but hard labour will get it away. For this reason, many 
 grooms adopt the plan of washing their horses all over with soap and 
 water, when they come home in this state ; and although I prefer dry 
 rubbing, I would rather have water used than let the skin remain full of 
 dry sweat. A common water brush is generally used, or, if the coat is 
 thin, a sponge will be far better. No time must be lost in the operation ; 
 and unless two men can be spared, the rug must be thrown on as soon as 
 
?46 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the water is scraped off with the scraper, and the skin is just partially 
 dried. In this state he may be left for a few minutes ; attention, in the 
 meantime, being paid to the thorough drying of the head and neck, which 
 cannot well be clothed advantageously. These parts soon dry ; for in 
 washing them, there is no occasion to wet the mane, which may be turned 
 over to the other side while each is being cleaned, and the ordinary coat of 
 the head and neck holds very little water. After they are made comfortable, 
 the cloth is turned partly back over the loins, and the shoulders, ribs, and 
 bosom are dried with the whisp and rubber ; after which the whole is 
 stripped off, and the hind-quarters thoroughly dried. 
 
 A horse smothered in dirt is by careless grooms too often left to dry 
 with it all on ; and then it is brushed out, or, if idleness reigns triumphant, 
 a besom is taken in hand for the purpose. Where the particles of mud 
 are few and far between, and are already dry, or nearly so, there is no 
 objection to their being removed by friction alone ; but if they are wet 
 and (as they generally are) in large masses, water must be used to get rid 
 of them; and the whole of the legs, belly, Hank, and tail will often require 
 a good slushing with a brush and water before the dirt is removed, — the 
 tail being placed in the bucket itself, if it is a long one, and thoroughly 
 cleansed in that way. A scraper is then employed to get rid of the water, 
 the legs are superficially rubbed and then bandaged, the clothing is 
 thrown on, and the dressing may be commenced as usual. 
 
 In case the skin is wet from rain, whether the work has been fast or 
 not, it is seldom necessary to provide against a continuance of the moisture, 
 for the chill of the rain will generally prevent any tendency to break out 
 in a sweat. The horse is, therefore, at once taken into the stable, and, if 
 very wet, he is scraped ; after which he is rubbed over, and his clothing 
 put on while his legs are being attended to, by washing, bandaging, &c. 
 The dressing is then conducted as in the case of the horse coming in 
 sweating in cool weather. 
 
 An exhausted horse demands all the resources of the groom’s art, 
 without which he w T ill suffer in more ways than one. An extreme case 
 seldom occurs, except in hunters, who require the greatest care to bring 
 them round after a severe run. On coming into the stable, if their powers 
 have been taxed to the utmost, and their ears are cold and drooping, the 
 first thing to be done is to get these warm by friction ; an assistant, in the 
 meantime, preparing some gruel, while another puts some warm flannel 
 bandages on the legs. It is wonderful what a restorative is found in the 
 friction of the ears, after a few minutes of which, a moderately tired horse 
 will look quite a different animal, evidently enjoying the process, and 
 dropping his head to the hands of the groom with the most perfect air of 
 enjoyment. Where, however, there is only one groom for the whole task, 
 the bandages should be put on first — that is to say, as soon as the clothing 
 is thrown on ; then the gruel should be given, and as soon as this is 
 swallowed, the ears should be warmed by friction. Ho attempt at dress- 
 ing should be made till the gruel is taken and the ears are warm ; and if 
 they cannot be restored to their proper temperature, a warm cordial of ale 
 and spices should at once be given. Usually, however, there is no occa- 
 sion for this ; and, after getting the stomach attended to, the skin of the 
 body begins to recover its natural temperature, and the extremities become 
 warm again. In the course of an hour, the dressing may generally be 
 effected ; but no time should be lost in it, and the skin must not on 
 any account be chilled. After it is done, a feed of oats and a few split 
 beans may be given, if the appetite seems inclined to return ; but some- 
 
CLIPPING. 
 
 247 
 
 times, when the exhaustion is excessive, no solid food can be taken with 
 safety till the next day; and gruel, with cordials, must he resorted to as 
 the only kind of support which the stomach will bear. 
 
 CLIPPING, SINGEING, AND TRIMMING. 
 
 The coat of the horse is changed twice a year, the long hair of winter 
 coming off in April and May, or sometimes earlier when the stables are 
 warm and there is no exposure to severe cold. A slight sweat hastens 
 this shedding, as every horseman knows by experience, and even in 
 harness the hairs are cast in the face of the driver to his great annoyance 
 on a windy day. Clipped horses are longer than others in shedding their 
 coats, and present a most disagreeable mottled appearance, which makes 
 the state still more noticeable. The long hair on the legs is about a 
 month later in coming off, and indeed it will not fall till Midsummer, 
 unless some more violent means than are used in ordinary dressing are 
 adopted. With some breeds and individuals the winter coat is not very 
 much longer and coarser than that of the summer ; but all, save blind 
 horses, show more or less difference in favour of the summer coat. 
 Curiously enough, horses which are totally deprived of sight, have almost 
 invariably a good winter’s coat, often better than that which they show 
 at other seasons ; but why this is so no one has ever been able to explain, 
 though I have never known the fact disputed. About the middle of 
 October, or early in November, the summer coat is thrown off ; but some 
 of the hair appears to remain as a sort of undercoat, among which the 
 long, coarse hairs of winter make their appearance. These continue 
 growing for six weeks or two months if they are clipped or singed, and 
 even after Christmas, if the weather is cold and the skin is much exposed, 
 there will be an evident increase in length of some of the hair. In 
 accordance with the growth of this on the body is that of the hair on 
 the legs, which become feathered all the way down below the knees in 
 the fore legs, and half way down the backs of the canna bones in the 
 hind legs. Low-bred horses have more hair on these parts than thorough- 
 breds ; but even these latter, if they are not stabled tolerably warmly, 
 exhibit a great deal of hair on their legs. Those who can see no possibility 
 of improving on Nature come to the conclusion that this long hair is a 
 defence against the cold, which ought not to be removed, and they argue 
 that clipping and singeing are on that account to be rejected altogether. 
 But these gentlemen forget that the horse in his native plains has always 
 a short coat, and that the winds and rains, which cause him here to 
 throw out an extra protection, are not natural to him. Moreover, if the 
 animal is left to follow his own impulses, even when turned out in this 
 country, he will be all the better for his long coat, for while it has the 
 great advantage of protecting him from the cold, it is not wetted by 
 sweat, because he does not voluntarily gallop long and fast enough to 
 produce that secretion. The natural protection is therefore undoubtedly 
 good for the horse when left in a state of nature ; but when man steps in 
 and requires the use of the horse for such work as will sweat him severely, 
 he discovers that a long coat produces such great exhaustion, both during 
 work and after it, that it entirely forbids the employment of the horse for 
 hunting, or any fast work. I have myself many times found it impossible 
 to extend a horse for any distance on account of his long coat, which dis- 
 tressed him so much as to make him blow directly, whereas on removing 
 
248 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 it with the clipping scissors he could gallop as lightly as a racehorse, and 
 be able to go as fast and as far again as before. When this happens in 
 the course of the week following the previous failure, the only change 
 made being in the coat, there can be no mistake made, and a constant 
 repetition of the same result leaves no room for dispute as to the bene- 
 ficial effects of removing the hair. But, say the opponents of the plan, 
 “ All this may be true, yet it is unsafe to expose the clipped horse after 
 he has been warmed, or indeed at any time.” Experience tells a very 
 different tale, and informs us that so far from making the horse more 
 liable to cold, clipping and singeing render him far less so. Suppose one 
 of ourselves to be exposed to a cold wind, should we rather have on a 
 thin dry coat or a thick wet one ] Assuredly the former, and undoubtedly 
 the wearer of it would be less liable to cold than he who has the wet one 
 on. So with the horse. As long as his winter coat can be kept dry he is 
 protected by it, and the slow worker, who is not made to pull such heavy 
 weight as to sweat him, will be all the better for its protection, but the 
 moment the pace is sufficiently accelerated to warm the skin the sweat 
 pours forth, and is kept up in-doors by the matted mass of moist hair 
 with which the horse is covered. In former days I have had horses wet 
 for weeks together, from the impossibility of getting them dry in the 
 intervals of their work. They would break out afresh when apparently 
 cool, and by no possible means could they be thoroughly dried. This of 
 course wasted their flesh to a frightful extent, but on clipping them it 
 was soon put on again, showing the great advantage of the plan. A 
 chronic cough almost always accompanies this state of constant sweat, 
 and it will b lucky for the owner of a horse so treated if it does not 
 become acute and put an end to the miserable existence of the poor ill- 
 treated brute. The case is not always fairly put, as for instance by 
 Stewart in his Stable Economy , at page 120, where he says, “ A long coat 
 takes up a deal of moisture, and is difficult to dry ; but whether wet or 
 dry it affords some defence to the skin, which is laid bare to every breath 
 of air when deprived of its natural covering. Everyone must know from 
 himself whether wet clothing and a wet skin, or no clothing and a wet 
 skin, is the most disagreeable and dangerous. It is true that clipping 
 saves the groom a great deal of labour. He can dry the horse in half the 
 time, and with less than half of the exertion which a long coat requires ; 
 but it makes his attention and activity more necessary, for the horse is 
 almost sure to catch cold, if not dried immediately. When well clothed 
 with hair he is in less danger, and not so much dependent on the care of 
 his groom.” How, I maintain that this passage is full of fallacies and 
 Biisstatements. The comparison is not between wet clothing and a wet 
 skin, and no clothing and a wet skin ; but, as I have before observed, 
 between a wet long coat and a dry short one. The clipping removes the 
 tendency to sweat, or if this secretion is poured out it ceases directly the 
 exercise which produced it is stopped. But taking Mr. Stewart on his 
 own terms, who has not experienced the relief which is afforded by 
 taking off wet gloves and exposing the naked hands to the same amount 
 of wind and cold] This is exactly the case as he puts it, and tells 
 directly against his argument; but it is scarcely worth while to discuss 
 the subject at any length, for I know no horseman of experience in the 
 present day who does not advocate the use of the scissors or the lamp, 
 whenever the winter coat is much longer than that of summer. That 
 horses are occasionally to be met with which show little or no change in 
 the autumn I know full well ; but these are the exceptions to the rule. 
 
249 
 
 ‘CLIPPING AND SINGEING. 
 
 being few and far between. The vast majority would have their hair 
 from one to two inches long if left in its natural state, and they would 
 then be wholly unfit for the uses to which they are put. We may there- 
 fore consider that it is admitted to be the best plan to shorten the coat in 
 the autumn, and all I have to do is to discuss the best modes of effecting 
 the purpose, with a view to decide w T hether clipping or singing is to be 
 preferred. 
 
 Clipping is seldom performed by any but the professed artist, inasmuch 
 as it requires great practice to make the shortened coat look even and 
 smooth. When a horse is well clipped his skin should look as level and 
 almost as glossy as if he had on his ordinary summer coat ; but inferior 
 performers are apt to leave ridges in various directions, marking each cut 
 of the scissors. It should not be done till the new hair has attained nearly 
 its full length, for it cannot be repeated at short intervals like singeing. If 
 it is attempted too soon the new coat grows unequally, and the skin in a 
 fortnight’s time looks rough and ragged. A comb and two or three pairs 
 of variously curved scissors are all that are required, with the exception 
 of a singeing lamp, which must be used at last to remove any loose hairs 
 which may have escaped the blades of the scissors. Two men generally 
 ■work together, so as to get the operation over in from sixteen to twenty 
 hours, which time it will take to clip an average-sized horse properly. 
 These men were formerly in great demand at the clipping season, and it 
 was extraordinary how little rest sufficed for them, but now the use of 
 the gas singeing-lamp has nearly superseded that of the scissors, and 
 clippers are not so much sought after. While the process is going on, 
 the horse ought to be clothed as far as possible, careful men removing 
 only as much of the quarter piece as is sufficient to expose the part they 
 are working at and no more. As soon as the whole body is gone over as 
 well as the legs, the singeing lamp is lightly passed over the surface, which 
 will leave the hair burned to such an extent as to require either washing 
 or a sweat, which latter is generally adopted, in the belief that it has a 
 tendency to prevent cold. My own opinion is that this is a fallacy, and 
 that soap and water used quickly and rapidly, followed up by a good 
 strapping and the use of plenty of warm clothing, is far less likely to 
 chill the horse than the exhaustion consequent upon a sweat. I have 
 tried the plan repeatedly, and known it tried by others still more fre- 
 quently, but I have never heard of any ill effects resulting. Very often 
 a sweat is exceedingly inconvenient, either from the difficulty in getting 
 ground, as happens in towns, or from the infirm state of the legs. But soap 
 and water can always be obtained, and if carefully used there is not the 
 slightest danger attending them. Of course after the removal of a long 
 coat the skin requires an extra protection in-doors in the shape of a 
 double allowance of clothing, and it will be necessary to avoid standing 
 still out of doors, though, as I before remarked, on the whole the risk of 
 taking cold by horses worked hard enough to sweat them is less if they 
 are clipped than if they have their long coats on. 
 
 Singeing requires less practice than clipping, but it cannot be done 
 without some little experience of its difficulties, and a novice generally 
 burns the skin as well as the hair. To keep a horse’s coat in good order 
 it must be singed several times in the course of the autumn, beginning as 
 soon as the new growth has attained a length of half an inch beyond 
 what is usual. The singeing-lamp is then passed lightly over the whole 
 body, and soap and water being used, as I have described under the head 
 of clipping, or a sweat given if that plan is preferred, the coat is left fox 
 
250 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 a fortnight or three weeks till it has grown another half-inch, when the 
 process is repeated, and again a third, and even a fourth time if necessary. 
 On account of these repeated applications of the lamp, the professed 
 singer is not so often employed as the clipper, especially as the former's 
 work is not so difficult to perform as that of the latter. 
 
 The lamp now in common use is attached to a wide copper comb made 
 like a rake in principle, and so arranged that the teeth raise the hair and 
 draw the ends into the flame. Where gas is procurable the comb is 
 attached to the gas pipe by a flexible tube, and the lamp consists merely 
 in a number of holes perforated along the edge of the comb, so that a 
 series of jets of gas are lighted, and burn so strongly, that the coat is com- 
 pletely removed as near the skin as the teeth of the comb raise it. If gas 
 cannot be obtained, a wide wick of cotton is inserted in a flat holder, and 
 the ends protruding to the level of the teeth, while a reservoir filled with 
 naphtha supplies them with that inflammable fluid, a constant flame is 
 maintained, but not nearly equal in strength to that from gas. As the 
 coat is not allowed to grow so long before it is singed, so the clothing need 
 not be much increased after its removal, and, indeed, in well regulated 
 stables there is little or no change required. Singeing is performed in less 
 than one quarter the time of clipping, and a shilling's worth of naphtha is 
 enough for one horse, unless his coat is unusually long. 
 
 Shaving was introduced some years ago to a limited extent, but it 
 requires so long a confinement of the horse after it is performed, that it 
 was soon abandoned. The hair is lathered and cut off with the razor as 
 closely as from the human chin, and unless this is done exactly at the 
 right time, the growth subsequently is too short or too long. Instances 
 have been known in which horses have remained naked until the next 
 spring, and were thereby rendered perfectly useless, as they were chilled 
 directly their clothing was removed. The only advantage in shaving over 
 clipping is to be found in the reduced labour required ; a good razor, or 
 rather set of razors, soon going over the surface. But the invention of 
 singeing did away with this superiority, and the shaving of horses is there- 
 fore one of the fashions of a day which have now disappeared. 
 
 Trimming. The jaws, nostrils, ears, legs, mane, and tail, are all more 
 or less subjected to the care of the groom, who removes superfluous hairs 
 from each or all by various means, as follows : — 
 
 The jaws , nostrils , and ears are singed, the last named not being touched 
 inside, as the internal hairs are clearly a protection of the delicate lining 
 membrane of the ear from the cold and wet. The long bristles of the 
 nostrils may either be cut off, pulled out, or singed off, but the first plan 
 is the easiest and the most humane. There are, also, some bristles about 
 the eyes which are generally removed, but it is very doubtful whether 
 many an eye would not be saved from a blow in the dark if they were left 
 untouched. Fashion, however, dictates their removal, and her orders must 
 generally be complied with. The hair which grows an inch or more in 
 length beneath the jaw, being of the same nature as the rest of the coat, 
 can only be singed off with advantage, and it should be done as fast as it 
 grows, especially if the singeing is not universal, or there will be a different 
 colour presented in these parts. Nothing gives a horse such a low-bred 
 appearance as a goatlike beard, and the trimming of this part alone will 
 completely alter the character of the animal where the hair has been at all 
 long. The legs are trimmed partly by singeing, and partly either by clip- 
 ping or pulling out the hairs. Great dexterity is required to manage 
 this performance in a workmanlike manner, so as to avoid the stale and 
 
TRIMMING. 
 
 251 
 
 poster-like appearance which is presented by a leg clipped all over (without 
 a corresponding clipping of the body), and at the same time to remove all, 
 or nearly all, the superfluous hair. In the summer, a clipped leg is totally 
 inadmissible, and even from the legs of a badly bred horse the hair may 
 be pulled by gradually working at it for a little time every day with the 
 fingers, armed with powdered resin. This prevents the hair slipping 
 through them, and by its aid such a firm hold may be obtained that, as I 
 said before, perseverance will enable the groom to clear the legs entirely, 
 with the exception generally of a strong lock of hair behind the pastern. 
 When this is very obstinate, it is allowable to use the scissors to clear 
 away the hair below the horny growth which is found there, but there 
 should always be left a slight fringe round this, so as to avoid the sharp 
 and stiff outline presented by the clipped leg. In the winter, the arms 
 and backs of the knees, as well as the bosom and the insides of the quarters, 
 will generally want singeing, whether the body is submitted to the lamp or 
 not ; but in the summer, even if any long hairs are left there, they are 
 easily removed by the hand armed with resin. Unless general clipping 
 or singeing is practised, the front surfaces of the legs do not require 
 trimming at any season of the year. 
 
 The mane is not now usually cut, but formerly it was a very common 
 practice to “ hog ” it, that is, to cut it to a sharp-pointed ridge, sticking 
 straight upwards from the crest, and giving that part the appearance of 
 extraordinary height. Sometimes, however, the mane is very thick, and 
 then for the sake of appearances it is necessary to thin it, which is done by 
 twisting a small lock at a time round the comb, and pulling it out ; this 
 gives some little pain, but apparently not much, and evidently not more than 
 the trimming of the legs, and not so much as in pulling out the feelers or 
 bristles growing from the nostrils. A small lock of the mane is generally 
 cut just behind the ears where the head of the bridle rests, as it would 
 otherwise lie beneath that part in an untidy manner. 
 
 In trimming the tail various methods are adopted, when it is cut square ; 
 for if the hairs are allowed to grow to the full length, no interference is 
 necessary beyond an occasional clipping of their points to prevent them 
 from breaking or splitting. A square tail, however, whether long or short, 
 demands the careful use of the scissors or knife, without which the horse 
 to which it belongs is sadly disfigured. Two modes are practised, — in the 
 first the tail is carefully combed out, and then allowing it to fall in its 
 natural position, it is gathered up in the hand just above the part to be 
 cut off, and here a sharp knife is drawn across it backwards and forwards 
 without notching it, till it passes clean through. The tail is then released, 
 and any loose hairs projecting are removed with the scissors. The second 
 mode is not so easy, but when well carried out is more satisfactory to the 
 eye, inasmuch as it is capable of giving a sharper and more defined edge 
 to the square tail. As in the first method, the tail is carefully combed 
 out ; it is then held by an assistant’s hand, placed beneath the root of the 
 dock, as nearly as may be in the position which it assumes in the animal 
 out of doors. While thus poised the operator takes a pair of sharp 
 scissors, and holding the blades horizontally open, he insinuates one of 
 them through the middle of the tail at the place to be cut, passing it 
 straight backwards, and cutting the hair quite level from the central line 
 to the outside on his own left. Then reversing the blades, and keeping to 
 the same level, he cuts towards the right, and if he has a good eye and 
 can use his hands in accordance with its dictates, he will have presented 
 a very prettily squared tail. On the other hand, if these organs are defec- 
 
252 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tive, or if lie wants experience, lie will have notched the end of the tail 
 in a most unsightly manner. If the groom wishes to try his hand in this 
 operation, he should get hold of a long tail, and begin far below the point 
 where the squared end is intended finally to be. This will afford him five 
 or six experimental cuts, and if he cannot satisfy himself, as he nears the 
 proper length, that he will be likely to succeed, he can still call in the 
 aid of a more skilful operator before it is too late. The hair of the tail 
 grows so slowly, that two or three months are required to remove the 
 disfigurement which is sometimes caused in this way/ and consequently 
 it behoves the groom to be doubly careful, for his own sake as well as his 
 master’s. 
 
 To make the mane lie smoothly on its proper side, which it sometimes 
 obstinately refuses to do, it must be plaited in small locks, and the ends 
 loaded with lead, if it cannot be made to lie down without. An expe- 
 rienced groom, however, will generally succeed in so managing the plaits 
 that they lie close to the neck, which is all that can be effected by the aid 
 of lead, but sometimes the hair is so obstinate that nothing else will effect 
 the object in view. 
 
 USE AM) APPLICATION OF BANDAGES. 
 
 Bandages are applied to the legs of the horse for three different pur- 
 poses. First, to give support to the blood-vessels ;and synovial capsules ; 
 secondly, as a vehicle for applying cold lotions ; and thirdly, for drying 
 and warming them. 
 
 For the mere purpose of support either linen or flannel bandages may be 
 put on, according to the weather, and the tendency to inflammation. The 
 legs of seasoned old horses are seldom so prone to become hot as those of 
 young ones, and excepting in very warm weather, flannel bandages seem to 
 suit them better than linen. On the contrary, if flannel is applied to the 
 legs of a colt, even if they are not inclined to inflame, they will become 
 hot and uncomfortable, and he will learn to tear them off, in which some 
 horses become perfect adepts. Whichever kind of bandage is put on, it 
 should be previously tightly rolled with the strings inwards, iben taking 
 it in the right hand, and unwrapping about six inches, they are laid 
 against the canna bone on the side nearest to the groom, so that the folds 
 shall have a tendency to unrol from him and not to him. While the left 
 hand keeps the end from slipping, the right passes the roll of bandage 
 closely round the leg till it meets the left, when the latter, -still pressing 
 the end against the leg, lays hold of the roll, and allows the right to be 
 brought baok to meet it on the other side. After which the coils are 
 repeated till the whole bandage is run out and the leg encased, one row 
 being slightly above or below the level of the next, as may be required. 
 The great art consists in avoiding unequal pressure, and yet giving 
 sufficient to accomplish the purpose for which bandaging is designed. 
 From the projection backwards of the pastern-joints it is impossible to 
 make the folds lie perfectly smooth, and there must be loose parts, which 
 however are covered over by the next turn. No written description, 
 however, will suffice to teach this little operation, and the young groom 
 should watch a good bandager, and imitate him as exactly as he can. The 
 strings at the end serve to tie the bandage on, and these also must neither 
 be so tight as to cut the leg, nor so loose as to allow the bandage to fall 
 down. 
 
MANAGEMENT OF THE FEET. 
 
 253 
 
 When cold lotions are to be applied by means of bandages, linen is the 
 proper material, as flannel is too bad a conductor of beat, by evaporation, 
 for the purpose. The whole bandage, after being rolled up moderately 
 tightly, should be dipped in cold water, or in the lotion which may be 
 recommended, and then while quite wet it is to be applied in the way 
 which I have just described. The following lotion is useful for the 
 purpose : — 
 
 Take of Tincture of Arnica a wine-glassful. 
 
 „ Nitre | oz. 
 
 „ Sal ammoniac 1 oz. 
 
 „ Water half a bucketful, 
 
 Mix and use by dipping the bandages in before applying them, and by wetting 
 them with this solution afterwards by means of a sponge. 
 
 If the groom is careful, he may remove inflammation of the legs bettei 
 by means of dipping them in cold water, or the above lotion may be 
 applied with a sponge every half-hour, holding each leg over the bucket, 
 than with the aid of bandages. A cold douche by means of a forcing 
 garden engine is also extremely beneficial to the legs, but it must be 
 used out of doors, as it will wet the litter and the walls of the stall if the 
 water is splashed over them within doors. 
 
 For Drying and Warming the Legs when the horse is being dressed, 
 flannel is the only proper material for bandages. Its mode of application 
 is not of much consequence, provided the bandages are put on moderately 
 loosely, for tight pressure has a tendency to prevent the return of natural 
 heat, w T hich is so much desired. After wetting the legs the bandages 
 should be applied somewhat more tightly, so as to absorb the moisture as 
 much as possible. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF THE FEET. 
 
 In the stabled horse the feet require constant care, for they are not 
 only artificially shod, but they are allowed to stand on a material which is 
 a much worse conductor of heat than the surface of the earth, by nature 
 designed to bear them. Hence, if neglected, they either become hard and 
 brittle, or they are allowed to be constantly wet, and then the soft covering 
 of the frog is decomposed, and emits a disagreeably smelling discharge, 
 which soon wastes it away, leaving no other protection to the sensible 
 organ beneath, and constituting what is called an ordinary thrush. Again, 
 it is found by experience, that not only must the shoes be renewed as they 
 wear out, but even if no work is done, and consequently they are not 
 reduced in size, they no longer fit at the expiration of about three weeks, 
 and they must then be removed, to allow of a portion of the sole and crust 
 being cut away before they are again put on. The groom must therefore 
 attend to the following points : — First , to prevent the feet from becoming 
 too dry ; secondly , to take measures against their becoming thrushy 
 from wet ; thirdly , to see that the shoes are removed at the end of every 
 three weeks, or more frequently if necessary ; and fourthly , to examine 
 carefully every day that they are securely nailed on without any of the 
 clenches having started up from the surface, so as to endanger the 
 other leg. 
 
 Dryness of. the feet is prevented by the use of what is called stopping, 
 which is composed either of cow-dung alone, or cow-dung and clay mixed, 
 or of cow-dung and pitch. The 'first is by far the most powerful applica- 
 tion, but it moistens the sole too much if employed every night, and then 
 
254 
 
 TEE HORSE. 
 
 produces the opposite evil in the shape of thrush. A mixture of equal 
 parts of cow-dung and clay may he used every night with advantage, and 
 this I believe to be the best of all stoppings. It should he kept in a 
 strong box of wood, about a foot long and eight inches wide, with a 
 handle across the top, and it should he applied the last thing at night to 
 the soles of the fore feet only, by means of a thin piece of wood, a foot 
 long and a couple of inches wide, with which the space within the shoe is 
 completely stuffed. If the feet are obstinately dry, in spite of repeated 
 stoppings with cow-dung alone, which will rarely be the case, a table- 
 spoonful of salt may be added to the cow-dung, and this will never fail. For 
 most horses stopping with cow-dung alone once a week is sufficient, but 
 the groom can judge for himself, by their appearance, of the number of 
 stoppings required. If three parts of cow-dung and one of clay are used, 
 the feet may be stopped twice a week, or, perhaps, every other night, and if 
 equal parts of each are adopted as the composition, almost any feet will 
 bear being stopped every other night, with the exception of flat or 
 pumiced soles, which should never be stopped at all. On the night before 
 shoeing, every horse, even if he has flat soles, will be the better for having 
 his feet stopped, the application softening the horn so as to allow the 
 smith to use his knife to slice it without breaking it into crumbling frag- 
 ments. Several patents have been taken out for felt pads, to be soaked 
 in water, and then inserted in the hollow of the shoe, but they do not 
 answer nearly so well as cow-dung stopping, which has far more emollient 
 qualities than mere water. I believe nothing has yet been discovered 
 which has qualities at all equal to this old-fashioned natural remedy. 
 
 Thrushes are prevented by keeping the frogs free from ragged layers 
 of the elastic substance of which they are partly composed, and at the 
 same time by maintaining a dry state of the litter on which the horse 
 stands. I am not now considering the management of the horse at grass, 
 where thrushes are generally produced when the weather is very wet, or 
 when the pasture is of too marshy a character, but the frogs of the stabled 
 horse, which ought never to be allowed to be so moist as to become 
 decomposed. Some ulcerated conditions of the frog which are still 
 considered to come under the general denomination “ thrush,’’ are due to 
 severe internal disease of the bones of the foot, and are not caused by 
 moisture at all. Still these are rare exceptions, and the ordinary thrush 
 of the stable may be considered as invariably caused in the latter way. 
 Cases are also occasionally to be met with, in which, from general gross- 
 ness of the system, the sensible frog throws off part of its horny covering, 
 and secretes a foul matter instead. The management of these diseased 
 conditions comes within the province of the veterinarian, and I shall 
 therefore not enter upon its consideration ; but the prevention of the mere 
 decomposition of the external surface by moisture is a part of the duties 
 of the groom, and so is the application of the proper remedies for it, as 
 soon as the nature of the case is clearly made out. Here antiseptic 
 astringents, which are quite out of place in inflammatory thrush, are the 
 only useful applications, and by their means alone can the decomposition 
 be stopped. Of these Sir W. Burnett’s solution of chloride of zinc is the 
 best, but in mild cases, Condy’s fluid, which is the permanganate of potass, 
 will answer well, and is not so poisonous in its nature if carelessly left 
 about. Friar’s Balsam, with as much of the sulphate of zinc dissolved in it 
 as it will take up, is the old-fashioned grooms’ remedy for thrush, and a very 
 good one it is if carefully insinuated into the cleft of the frog on a piece 
 of tow wetted with it. The grand principle, however, is to prevent thrush 
 
DAILY EXERCISE. 
 
 255 
 
 rather than to cure it, hut when horses are bought, or come home from 
 grass with it, the curative method must be carried out. 
 
 The removal of the shoes at regular intervals, whether they are worn 
 out or not, is a most important part of the duties of the groom. On 
 examining the shape of the foot it will be seen that the diameter of the 
 circle in contact with the shoe is greater than that of the coronet, and 
 hence as the shoe is forced away from its original position by the growth 
 of the horn it confines the walls to the extent of the difference between 
 the diameter of the foot at its old position and that of the part which it 
 now occupies. For if two lines from the surface of the coronet on each 
 side were continued through the outside surface of the crust to the new 
 seat of the shoe, they would be far from parallel, and yet the shoe nails 
 must have been carried on in perfect parallel lines on account of the 
 unyielding nature of iron. For this reason a shoe, when it has not been 
 removed at the end of a month, will be found to lie within the heel of 
 one side or the other, by which to some extent contraction is prevented, 
 but at the expense of the heel, into which the corresponding part of the 
 shoe has entered. This is a frequent cause of corns, and horses which 
 have once been subject to that disease should have their shoes removed 
 once a fortnight. 
 
 One of the most annoying accidents to the horseman is the loss of a 
 shoe, whether it happens in the hunting field or on the road. Some 
 horses can scarcely be prevented by any care of their grooms from pulling 
 off a shoe in hunting when they get into deep ground, but on the road 
 there is no such excuse, and the frequent loss of a shoe by the hack or 
 harness-horse is sufficient to condemn the groom of carelessness in this 
 particular. Every morning when the feet are picked out it is easy to look 
 the shoes over and feel if they are tight. The clenches also ought to be 
 examined, and if they are not raised at all it may safely be predicated that 
 the day’s journey will be completed without the shoe being lost. A raised 
 clench may severely cut a horse on the inside of the other leg, and in 
 those who are predisposed to “ speedy cut ” it may cause severe injury, 
 and perhaps occasion a fall of the most dangerous character. 
 
 DAILY EXERCISE. 
 
 Without regular exercise no horse can long be kept in health, and 
 I believe that as far as this point is concerned even those which are hard- 
 worked would be the better for half an hour’s airing every morning as 
 soon as they have been fed and before they are dressed. But those 
 masters who are particular about the mouths of the animals they ride or 
 drive, find that the hands of their grooms are generally so heavy that they 
 spoil the delicate “ feel ” on which the comfort and pleasure of riding and 
 driving so much depends. Hence in such cases the poor horse is con- 
 demned to confinement in his stable, not only on the day when he is to 
 be ridden or driven, but on those also when he is to be idle. The health 
 of the body is sacrificed to the maintenance of that delicate condition of 
 the mouth which is so highly prized by good horsemen and accomplished 
 whips, and I confess that I plead guilty to having for a long series of 
 years acted on this principle. A fair share of health may be maintained 
 without exercise if the work is never interrupted for more than a single 
 day, and at the same time there being only one pair of hands to interfere 
 with the mouth, its delicacy is not impaired, that is to say if they are not 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 25fi 
 
 as bad as those of the groom. Sometimes a large and smooth snaffle is 
 allowed as an exercise bridle, in the hope that it cannot injure the mouth, 
 but even this will do mischief if the weight of the rider is thrown upon it, 
 as is too often the case. Leaving out of the question this objection to the 
 adoption of exercise, there can be no doubt that a daily walk out of doors 
 for half an hour or an hour, especially if it can be managed on turf, will 
 be of the greatest service to the horse’s health. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 STABLE MANAGEMENT CONTINUED. 
 
 RECAPITULATION OP DAILY DUTIES — PROPER TEMPERATURE — REMEDIES FOR STABLE 
 
 VICES AND BAD HABITS — PREPARATION FOR WORK — ORDINARY SWEATING THE 
 
 TURKISH BATH — PHYSIC FINAL PREPARATION TREATMENT AFTER WORK — SUMMER- 
 
 ING— A WINTER’S RUN — THE STRAW-YARD — CARE OF SADDLERY AND HARNESS. 
 
 In the last chapter I have entered at length upon the consideration 
 of the several duties of the groom ; I shall now recapitulate them, so as to 
 enable the master to see at a glance whether his servant is at any parti- 
 cular time doing what he ought to do. 
 
 RECAPITULATION OF STABLE DUTIES. 
 
 a.m. 5 to 6. Feed, and give a few “ go-downs ” of water ; while the corn is being 
 eaten put the stable straight, by separating the soiled part of the 
 litter and forking it back into the gangway, while the rest is tucked 
 up under the manger. Then sweep out the stall quite clean, and 
 carry the dirt as well as the foul litter at once out of the stable. 
 
 6 to 7. Put exercise saddle and bridle on, take the horse out for half-an-hour 
 
 or an hour, or more, according to the work he has to do. Bring 
 him home, take off saddle and bridle, shake down a little litter, 
 and go to breakfast. 
 
 8 to 8.30. Dress each horse for an hour; put all straight; feed, and water lightly; 
 
 rack up if going out to work, if not allow horse to lie down, 
 arranging a light bed for the purpose ; put on bandages when worn. 
 P.M. 3 to 4. Feed again and give half a bucket of water ; remove droppings. 
 
 7 to 8. Remove droppings ; bed up ; water and feed ; stop feet on those nights 
 
 when required ; take off bandages. 
 
 These hours will vary according to circumstances, but in private stables 
 they are the most convenient that can be arranged for hacks and harness- 
 horses. Hunters are sometimes fed once more, — that is, at six, nine, 
 twelve, five, and eight ; but I believe four times a day often enough to 
 give any horse food. When one man has to do three horses, he cannot 
 of course finish them all by the hour named, and even if he begins at 
 five o’clock, he cannot complete all he has to do before eleven or twelve 
 o’clock. 
 
 PROPER TEMPERATURE OF THE STABLE. 
 
 There is scarcely any point upon which there is so much difference of 
 opinion, as in relation to the temperature of stables; Some contend for an 
 amount of heat which would raise Fahrenheit’s thermometer to 65° or 70°, 
 while others would never have their stables, if they could help it, above 
 45° So much depends upon the kind of horse in them, and the work 
 
REMEDIES FOR STABLE VICES. 
 
 257 
 
 he has to do, that is to say, whether he is much exposed to the cold or 
 not, that no rule can be laid down which is applicable to all stables, 
 but I believe it may be asserted that none should be above 60°, or below 
 50°, if it can be avoided. There are days in the summer season, when 
 the air out of doors in the shade stands at 90° or 95°, and, of course, in 
 such weather, it is impossible, even with the doors and windows wide 
 open, to keep the stable at a lower degree, or even within several 
 points of those above stated. So also, with a thermometer scarcely above 
 zero, it will be difficult to keep the air wholesome, and yet to prevent its 
 temperature falling lower than 45°, which, at such seasons, feels very 
 warm to those who come in from the external air. But, with these excep- 
 tions, I think the rule which I have laid down is a good one. The 
 warmer the stable, the better the coat looks, till it is exposed to the 
 weather, and even if it is so, it will take no injury if the horse is kept 
 moving, but if not, it soon becomes chilled, and not only does the general 
 health suffer, but the appearance also. There is, however, another, and 
 very serious objection to hot stables, consisting in their ill-effect upon 
 the legs and feet, which inflame much more readily in a warm atmos- 
 phere than in a cool one. I have often known horses stand severe rat- 
 tling for months together, while standing in a stable which was so cold 
 as to make their coats as rough as badgers, but when removed to warmer 
 quarters, they have at once gone “all to pieces/’ their legs or feet 
 becoming inflamed from missing the refrigerating effect of cool air after 
 their daily work. The body may easily be kept warm enough by extra 
 clothing, and, if necessary, a hood and breastplate may be worn all day 
 and all night, but not even wet bandages will cool the legs if they are 
 surrounded by hot air. On the whole, therefore, for the private gentle- 
 man’s stable, including those for hunters, hacks, and carriage torses, I 
 should advise a regular temperature to be preserved as near 55° of Fahren- 
 heit as possible. In coming in from the external air this will appear very 
 warm to the sensations, but it is far below the high state of heat at 
 which many of our stables were kept, until within the last few years. I 
 have often known 70° to 7 5° of Fahrenheit insisted on as the lowest which 
 would suffice to get a hunter into condition, but practice proves the reverse, 
 and that with plenty of clothing he will do in a cool stable of the tem- 
 perature I have recommended, far better than in one possessing a 
 higher range. The celebrated “ Nimrod” (Mr. Apperley) was a great 
 advocate for a hot stable, which he thought ought never to be reduced 
 much below 70° or 75° ; but his opinions, valuable as they undoubtedly 
 are in the main, cannot be looked upon as in all points to be relied on. 
 
 REMEDIES FOR STABLE YICES AND BAD HABITS. 
 
 Crib-biting is a diseased condition of the stomach, for which there ha s 
 never yet been a cure discovered, except on the principle of restraint. It 
 may, therefore, be considered under the present head. In crib-biting the 
 teeth are applied to some fixed object — generally the manger, so as to 
 afford a fulcrum for the muscles of the neck to act from, and by pre- 
 venting this, or by contriving so that the contraction of the muscles of 
 the neck shall give pain, the vicious habit is got rid of for the time. The 
 most common method is to buckle a leather strap so tightly round the neck, 
 just behind the jaw, that when the horse attempts to crib, he tightens the 
 muscles of that part, and these being pressed against the strap, occasion 
 such pain that the act is not completely carried out, and even if it is on the 
 
258 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 first occasion, the attempt is not repeated. The strap is buckled suffi- 
 ciently tight to do this, without much impeding the act of swallowing, or 
 the flow of blood from the head, through the jugular veins to the body; 
 but in confirmed cribbers no ordinary pressure will suffice, and then the 
 head often becomes affected from the impediment which is caused to the 
 return of the blood from the brain to the heart. To remedy this defect 
 Mr. Cook, Saddler, of Long Acre, two or three years ago, invented a 
 neck strap, containing a number of prongs, which pass through holes in a 
 spring guard, and unless this is strongly pressed, they do not touch the 
 skin. It is applied by throat straps to an ordinary head collar, and in 
 slight cases it is found to answer most perfectly, but when the vice has 
 become confirmed, and the desire to indulge in it is very strong, the pain 
 occasioned by the prongs is endured, and no effect at all is produced. It 
 is not therefore of much use, as the common strap does no injury in 
 those cases where Mr. Cook’s is effectual, and the latter will not avail 
 when the plain strap is forbidden, on account of the extreme pressure 
 required. I cannot, therefore, recommend any plan but such as will 
 totally prevent the prehension of the manger, and this is accomplished by 
 one of two ways. In the first of these, the manger itself is either 
 concealed, on the principle shown at page 208 , or the corn and hay are 
 placed on the ground, in a space slightly separated from the rest of the 
 stall by a row of bricks, or other similar bodies, which cannot be laid hold 
 of. To the concealed manger and rack there is the objection, that while 
 the horse is feeding, he can go on cribbing without interruption, and as 
 this is the time chiefly chosen for the act, success is only partly achieved. 
 Placing the food on the ground is entirely successful in stopping the 
 habit, but it leads to some waste of provender, as the horse is apt to tread 
 upon it, after which he will refuse to eat it. By far the best preventive, 
 in my opinion, is the bar muzzle, consisting in an iron frame work 
 covering the lips and nose, and suspended from the head by a leather 
 
 BAR MUZZLE FOR CRIB-BITERS. 
 
 head collar, so that the lips can reach the corn or hay, but the teeth are 
 too wide to pass through the bars and seize the manger. This mechanical 
 contrivance is entirely harmless, and perfectly effectual, the sole objection 
 to it being the fact that it proclaims the wearer to every one who looks into 
 
259 
 
 REMEDIES FOR STABLE VICES. 
 
 the stable as a cribber. This may be a valid reason for rejecting its use 
 for dealers' horses, but in a gentleman's stable, utility and humanity 
 ought to have precedence of such a feeble argument. The price of the 
 bar muzzle is 15$., which to a poor man is a consideration, as compared 
 with the plain leather strap to be obtained for Is. 6d. When the bar 
 muzzle is adopted, it should always be kept on, excepting, of course, when 
 the bridle replaces it for work or exercise, or while the head is being 
 dressed. 
 
 Kicking the wall or stall post is sometimes a very annoying trick, 
 and though not always done in a vicious manner, it is objectionable, 
 because the ldcker is liable to lame himself, or one of his neighbours. 
 In mares it is often of a sexual nature, and in them it is much more 
 common than in geldings, — the extent to which it is carried by them being 
 generally greatest at the beginning and end of their being “ in use." At 
 such times some mares go almost mad, if they have an irritating neigh- 
 bour, who keeps smelling them, and I once had one who kicked herself 
 to pieces in a paroxysm of this kind, which nothing but tying up the 
 fore-leg could restrain. There are several remedies in common use, but 
 none can be relied on in all cases. Foremost among these is the use of 
 gorse, nailed to the stall-post, which will almost invariably quiet a low 
 bred animal, especially if a gelding, but high bred mares will sometimes 
 kick at it all the more, for the punishment they receive. A padded 
 leather strap, buckled round the canna bone, with a common sinker 
 attached to it, or, instead of this, a few links of heavy chain, will gene- 
 rally keep the horse from kicking, because in making the attempt he gives 
 his coronet and pastern a heavy blow. If, however, this plan is unsuc- 
 cessful, it is liable to cause lameness, from the inflammation produced by 
 the blows, and, therefore, the effect must be carefully watched. Few 
 horses kick out with both legs, and a pair of hobbles buckled round the 
 hind fetlocks will, in a vast majority of cases, put an end to the trick as 
 long as they are worn, without any risk, or producing any serious annoy- 
 ance, save only what is inseparably connected with the prohibition of the 
 indulgence in the desire to kick. A narrow strap buckled round the part 
 just above the hock, so as to confine the ham string, will have the desired 
 effect, by giving intense pain when any attempt to strike out is made, but 
 it is a most annoying infliction to the horse, and generally prevents his 
 lying down, from the necessity which there is for bending the hock, in 
 reaching the ground. I should, therefore, give the preference to the 
 bunch of gorse, or if that is not readily procurable, to the sinker of wood 
 or iron suspended to a strap round the leg. 
 
 In scratching the ear with the hind foot, the horse is very apt to 
 get his leg over the collar rein, if the sinker is not heavy enough to keep 
 the rein tightly strained between the head collar and the ring in the 
 manger. Impatient animals, also, which are continually pawing at their 
 litter, will sometimes get one of their fore feet over it, but this is not so 
 serious an accident. To prevent the mischief occasioned in either case by 
 the struggles to get free, especially when the hind leg is thus caught, the 
 rings for the collar reins are sometimes made to draw down with a spring- 
 catch, which releases them when pulled in that direction, but in no other. 
 When, however, the sinker is properly weighted, it is almost impossible 
 for such an accident to occur ; and this simple invention has now become 
 obsolete. 
 
 Tearing the clothes off is by no means an unusual stable habit, 
 and it is one very difficult to cure. There are two effectual preventives, 
 
260 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 however : one of which consists in the regular employment of a rough 
 horsehair cloth, made like that for hops, outside the rug, and which is so 
 disagreeable to the teeth, that no horse will attempt to tear it ; the other 
 is carried out by means of a pole of ash, about three-quarters of an inch 
 in diameter, with an iron eye attached to each end. One of these is 
 fastened, by means of a short leathern strap and buckle, to the side of 
 the roller-pad, while the other has a strap or chain about a foot long, 
 which attaches it to the head collar. The pole should reach about fifteen 
 inches beyond the point of the shoulder, and it should be fixed on the 
 side which is generally uppermost when the horse lies down, so as not to 
 be under him in that position. It is a very simple and cheap apparatus, 
 and any village blacksmith can make and apply it. The following 
 engraving will illustrate my meaning better than the most detailed 
 description without it. 
 
 Weaving is a mark of an irritable nervous system, beyond which it is 
 harmless, but quite incurable. It consists in a perpetual moving of the 
 head from one side of the manger to the other, with an action like that of 
 a wild beast in his den. The constant friction soon wears out the collar- 
 reins when there are two, and on that account a single rein may be 
 adopted in this particular instance with advantage. 
 
 Eating the litter is a peculiar appetite, which chiefly occurs either in 
 those horses which are kept short of hay on account of their tendency to 
 fatten, or when the animal possessing it has been stabled for a very long 
 time together and requires a change. In the former case nothing but 
 the muzzle will be of the slightest service, but in the latter a run at grass, 
 or soiling indoors for a month or two, will remedy the disorder of the 
 
PREPARATION FOR WORK. 
 
 261 
 
 stomach. Rock salt in the manger will sometimes have the desired effect, 
 producing a degree of thirst which will make dry litter distasteful. 
 
 Kicking and biting savagely are marks of actual vice, and scarcely 
 come within the limits of the present section. Still the groom must 
 know how to guard against them in the best way, so as to save himself 
 from danger without unnecessarily punishing the horse. There are 
 some animals which cannot he effectually restrained without severity, 
 but on the average, kindness and firmness united will overcome any 
 horse. Sometimes it is necessary to put on the muzzle while the dressing 
 is going on, hut this is chiefly because the skin is so irritable that the 
 brush or whisp excite sensations which lead to the use of the teeth or 
 hind legs to prevent their recurrence. In such cases as these Mr. Rarey’s 
 method of subduing a savage horse is extremely valuable. 
 
 PREPARATION FOR WORK. 
 
 I have already observed that these pages are not intended to serve 
 as a guide for the trainer of the racehorse, and that they chiefly apply 
 to the management of the hunter, hack, and carriage-horse belonging to 
 the private gentleman. The description of the mode of preparation for 
 work will therefore include the mode of fitting the hunter for his duties, 
 and of getting the hack and carriage-horse into condition, from the state in 
 which they are usually first brought into the stable, either from grass or 
 the dealer’s hands. 
 
 In the present day, the hunter is prepared almost as carefully as 
 the racehorse or steeplechaser, when he is intended for any of the grass 
 countries. Nothing short of a regular preparation will enable a horse to 
 go through a fast thing in Northamptonshire or Leicestershire, and no 
 man in his senses would ride a horse there in the front rank, unless he 
 was thoroughly fit. The stud-groom, therefore, requires for his purpose a 
 training-ground where he can give his horses their sweats, without which 
 it would be impossible to get them into condition. A very large space is 
 not necessary, but a very small one will not suffice, the constant turning 
 incidental to a limited gallop producing a great strain upon the joints. 
 If possible a gallop measuring at least a mile and a half or two miles in 
 circumference should be obtained, and with this length, including a mode- 
 rate rise in its extent so as to open the horse’s pipes well at the finish of 
 the sweat, it is the groom’s fault if his charge is not brought out thoroughly 
 fit when the hunting season commences. Of course, when making this 
 assertion, I am calculating that he has been allowed sufficient time, which 
 will depend greatly upon the state in which he finds his horses in August. 
 If they have been at gfass, it is almost impossible to get them ready by 
 the middle of November, but a well summered horse soiled in a loose-box 
 with a proper allowance of corn, may be thoroughly prepared by that 
 time if he is set to work by the middle of August. This will allow of 
 two clear preparations, with an intervening week for cooling physic. 
 Should the horse be up from grass, another month or six weeks at least 
 will be required, which must be employed in giving him nothing but 
 walking exercise, with a dose of physic at the beginning, and repeated at 
 the end of three weeks or a month. Horses at grass in the summer are 
 seldom allowed any corn, and the change from grass to the more stimulat- 
 ing food of the stable must be made gradually, or some of the important 
 organs will assuredly fail. Hence the necessity for extra time, and the 
 addition which I have made to the calculated period for conditioning a 
 
262 
 
 THE HORSE, 
 
 hunter summered indoors, is barely sufficient for this purpose, when he 
 is full of grass or of the fattening food which is given to make him up 
 for the dealers. In either case great care and some experience are neces- 
 sary in altering the entire management of the animal, so as to give him 
 corn and exercise enough to prepare his frame gradually for the strains 
 which it will have to hear in the hunting field, without producing inflam- 
 mation. "With all the objections which I hold to physic, I must confess 
 that here I think it to be indispensable ; and invariably, as soon as a raw 
 horse is settled in the stable, I should get him thoroughly cleaned out 
 before I began to give him hay and corn. I have always found it advan- 
 tageous just to allow a couple of days to elapse before giving the physic, 
 which will serve to fill the large bowels with the new kind of food. A 
 mash should then be administered at night, and repeated if necessary till it 
 has had the desired effect in softening the dung, when the physic may be 
 given. Two or three days will elapse before it has set sufficiently to 
 allow of walking exercise ; but as soon as this can be ordered with safety, 
 the horse should be walked out -twice a day for an hour and a half each 
 time, or two hours in the morning and one in the evening, whichever may 
 be preferred. The division of the exercise into two periods is far better 
 than keeping the green horse out for so long a time as three hours, which 
 will make him weary ; whereas, the shorter period will not tire any 
 horse, and a mid-day rest will restore his whole frame, and enable him to 
 go out again in the evening as cheerfully as ever. I need scarcely observe 
 that the shoes should be attended to, and the feet put in proper order, for 
 three hours’ walking exercise in ill-fitting shoes will do great harm, espe- 
 cially to feet that are not accustomed to their pressure. By persevering 
 with steady slow work, and feeding on a moderate allowance of hay and 
 corn, the latter not exceeding two feeds at first and three at the end of 
 the month, the horse will be ready by the middle of August to have a 
 second dose of physic, after which he may commence in earnest his first 
 real preparation. This also is chiefly confined to slow work, but if the 
 horse is gross he may have in the course of the four or five weeks to 
 which it extends one or two sweats of moderate length and speed. Great 
 caution must always be exercised by the groom at this time ; on no ac- 
 count should any fast work be given, unless he is satisfied that his horse 
 is in perfect health and in good spirits. Every increase in the food and 
 work should be carefully watched, and its effects noted, so as to guide him 
 in deciding whether he can venture to take another step. It must be 
 remembered that hitherto the feeds of corn have been only three quar- 
 terns of oats daily, and the exercise has not extended beyond a walk ; 
 but during the next few weeks the former must be doubled, or nearly so, 
 and the latter must go on into a daily slow trot of two or three miles on 
 turf, with an occasional steady gallop in place of this, and, as I have 
 before remarked, one or two sweats if the system is overloaded with fat 
 But unless the hunter is very fleshy, nothing more than slow trots ana 
 canters will be required until after the next dose of physic. The increase 
 in the quantity of corn will seldom tend to put on fat, and as the amount 
 of hay should be small, not exceeding 1 0 lbs. a day, unless the horse is 
 gross in his nature, he will have put on muscle, and lost some of the 
 internal fat which is so prejudicial to condition. 
 
 The object oe the sweating pbocess is to remove superfluous fatty 
 matters, which act prejudicially in a twofold manner. In the first place 
 the fat itself is so much dead weight to carry, and on the calculation that 
 seven pounds are equal to a distance in an average length of race, it may 
 
PREPARATION FOR WORK. 263 
 
 readily "be understood that the huge quantity of adipose tissue, which is 
 carried by a fat horse, will, by its weight alone, retard any attempt at high 
 speed. But, not only is fat to be objected to on this score; for it is also 
 known by experience, that its pressure on the important internal organs, 
 when it is deposited around them, interferes with the proper perform- 
 ance of their several functions. The muscles of the limbs, when they are 
 marbled with fat, as we see them in the slaughtered ox and sheep, are 
 unable to contract vigorously, but when a similar condition occurs in 
 the muscular tissue of which the heart is composed, violent exertions are 
 interdicted, or, if they are attempted, they are attended with dangerous 
 and often fatal results. Again, it is ascertained that sweating has a local, 
 as well as a general effect, and that, by producing a copious discharge of 
 fluid from the skin covering any particular part, there will be a removal 
 of any superfluous fat which may be lodged beneath it, before the rest of 
 the body is perceptibly acted on. Hence, when the groom thinks that his 
 horse is loaded with fat about the heart, he puts on extra “ sweaters” 
 over that part, or on the contrary, if his object is to unload the ridge of 
 dense adipose membrane, which constitutes a high crest, he puts on two 
 or three extra hoods, and sweats chiefly in that region of the body. The 
 local effect of these partial sweats is, perhaps, a good deal overrated, but 
 undoubtedly there is some foundation for the general belief. The use of 
 clothing for sweating is not nearly so frequent as it used to be, even in 
 racing stables, and horses are not now drawn so fine, by a great deal, as 
 they were twenty or thirty years ago. At that time runners in the Derby, 
 or in any other great race, when they were saddled, looked like living 
 skeletons, and to an eye unaccustomed to the hard lines presented by their 
 limbs, the beauty of their forms was entirely gone. How a different 
 system prevails; the object is not to reduce the horse as much as he will 
 bear, but to bring him out as big as he can be, consistently with good 
 wind. The celebrated trainer, John Scott, has shown what can be done 
 in this way, and his example is now generally followed. So also with 
 hunters, although they are often required to do more, perhaps, than any 
 other variety of the horse, and in the grass countries are made as fit as if 
 they were going to run in a steeplechase, yet they are brought to covert 
 looking big and full. of muscle, without any pretensions to be considered 
 as drawn fine. Still the sweat, either in clothes or without them, must be 
 occasionally carried out, or the internal organs will continue loaded with 
 fat, as is natural to them when they have been for some time in a state of 
 rest, coupled with high feeding. The use and amount of sweaters must 
 be proportioned to the constitutional peculiarities of the individual ; in 
 one horse a slow gallop will produce a perfect lather on the skin, while 
 in another treated in all respects in the same way, there shall be hardly a 
 hair turned. So also the effect of apparently the same degree of sweating 
 on different horses is very variable, producing a great relief in one 
 case, and scarcely any in another. The groom must not attempt to carry 
 out any fixed rule, but must watch the effect of each day ; s work, and 
 increase or diminish the amount next day according to circumstances. 
 As I before remarked, a sweat may be with clothes or without, the 
 object in each case being not so much to do a certain amount of work, 
 but to get rid of a fixed quantity of superfluous fat and humours. On 
 the other hand, a gallop has quite the opposite end in view, being in- 
 tended to brace the muscles, heart, blood vessels and lungs, by stimulating 
 them to act in an extraordinary degree, but without any view to reduce 
 the weight of the body or any part of it. In a sweat, therefore, the 
 
264 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 pace is slow and long continued ; no exertion is made to render it smart, 
 or to develop action in any shape, the whole attention of the groom being 
 devoted to the single object which is connected with the removal of fat. 
 It is usnal, therefore, to send the horse along at a slow, steady, hand gallop 
 for four miles, or in very gross animals for five or six, the last half mile 
 only being done at anything like a fast pace, and even then the horse 
 should not he extended to the utmost, on account of the great extra weight 
 he has to carry, if he has two or three sweating blankets on. It is quite 
 necessary to hear in mind this special objeet of the sweat, inasmuch as it 
 has lately become the fashion to sweat without either clothing or exercise, 
 by means of the Turkish hath. The opponents of this practice contend 
 that it can never supersede the old plan, because, though it will get rid of 
 superfluities, it will not develop muscle ; but they forget that it is not 
 used for the latter purpose, but is solely confined to the one object, which 
 by the employment of sweating blankets out of doors is accompanied with 
 considerable risk. The Turkish bath is, in fact, a means to one end only, and 
 must not be employed for any other. dSTo horse could have his muscles 
 and heart, his wind and limbs, made more wiry and enduring than before 
 by any number of baths ; but he may be put into a condition which shall 
 fit him for being so, without the risk to the legs and feet which a number 
 of sweats in heavy clothing will always cause. No wonder, therefore, 
 that trainers eagerly resort to the use of the bath, especially as every 
 year their horses seem to be getting more and more liable to break down. 
 It is quite true that the old. fashioned sweat combines muscular exercise 
 with the process of unloading the system, but in so doing, the time of the 
 groom is the only thing saved, and no one would take that into the calcu- 
 lation, as being worthy of consideration. In the new mode, when he is 
 too gross, the horse is sweated on one day, and on the next he may be 
 galloped if necessary, the bath producing so little fatigue, that he may 
 have any amount of exercise directly after it, to which he is accustomed. 
 Newmarket trainers are not very easily induced to adopt a novelty, but 
 many of them have made up their minds as to the advantages of the 
 bath, and several of those who are to be regarded as the highest 
 authorities, have erected one on their premises. Indeed, so strong is 
 the desire to carry out the new system fully, that an offer has lately been 
 made to one of the Turkish Bath Companies by some of the trainers of 
 Newmarket, to take shares to the extent of 1,200 1. if the Directors would 
 build a public bath there. In resorting to the bath at first the attempt 
 was made to save doubtful legs only, but the good effect was soon found 
 to extend beyond this, and in almost all cases where there would be any 
 necessity for sweats and clothing, the Turkish bath is adopted instead, by 
 those who have the means at their disposal. I shall, therefore, describe 
 each of these plans in detail. 
 
 ORDINARY SWEATING. 
 
 W hen the old fashioned sweat is intended to be given, and it is not 
 proposed to reduce any part in particular, it is usual to put on an old rug 
 next the skin, or, in large stables, a sheet kept expressly for the purpose, 
 and hence called a “ sweater then an old hood and breast-cloth, next a 
 second quarter-piece is put on, and even a third in some cases, and lastly, 
 a complete set of clothing over all, the saddle, as usual, completing the 
 arrangement. If any special part is to be reduced, as for instance, the 
 brisket or bosom, an extra cloth is folded like a shawl, and the ends being 
 
ORDINARY SWEATING. 
 
 265 
 
 crossed over the withers, it is kept in its place under the breast-cloth, by the 
 pressure of the saddle; or a rug may be folded and placed round the chest, 
 without extending to the loins, in case the heart is supposed to be oppressed 
 with fat. All these points of detail will call upon the groom for an exercise 
 of ingenuity and tact, and if he possesses these qualities, he will have no diffi- 
 culty in placing his sweaters where they will be required. When they are 
 all securely fixed the horse is ridden out, and after walking for a short time 
 to empty himself, he is started off to go his sweat, which is generally four 
 miles, doing three-quarters of the distance at a slow pace, and then being 
 set going, a little faster, and at last brought out to his top-speed, if in 
 full training, or nearly so if in his second preparation. Dy his top-speed, 
 however, is not to be understood the very outside pace which can be got 
 out of the horse, but only such a speed as is short of that by so much as 
 mil preserve his stride in full vigour, and prevent that over-pacing which 
 leads to the rupture of muscular or tendinous structure. In his first pre- 
 paration he should seldom be extended, and it is better to increase the 
 distance rather than to accelerate the speed beyond the steady gallop ; but 
 few horses refuse to sweat at a slow pace in this stage of training. As soon 
 as he has finished the distance, the trainer examines his state, and either 
 directs him to be walked or trotted on to the rubbing place, which should 
 be a box set apart for the purpose, either on the training-ground or at the 
 usual stables ; or if the ground is at a distance from any available 
 stable, the shelter of a haystack or high hedge should be sought 
 for. The full benefit of the sweat is not obtained unless the fluid is 
 scraped off before it has had time to be re-absorbed, which is the result, 
 if it is allowed to remain on the skin after this has ceased to give out 
 any fluid. Its vessels in that case, instead of perspiring, adopt the oppo- 
 site extreme, and appropriate the sweat by their own power of absorption ; 
 thus doing away with the chief benefit which was expected and desired 
 from the sweat itself. When the hand of the groom, applied to the 
 shoulder of the horse under his breast-cloth, tells him that the sweat is 
 coming kindly, the horse may have a couple of rugs heaped upon him, 
 and be suffered to give out fluid for a very few minutes only ; but if 
 it does not break out at once, three or four must be put on him, and he 
 must wait a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes before he is fit to scrape. 
 If he sweats freely, the groom in charge of his head may rub his ears and 
 wipe his eyes, so as to refresh him slightly ; but if there is any difficulty 
 in bringing on the sweat this will only retard the process, and he may be 
 allowed to stand quite quietly,, and without any attempt to refresh him by 
 the above little attentions, or by rubbing his legs, or wiping his thighs or 
 bosom. As soon as the groom is satisfied, the hood is taken off, and the 
 head and neck rapidly scraped, together with the bosom, from which 
 the breast-cloth is removed, and the rugs and quarter-piece turned back so 
 as to expose the whole neck and the points of the shoulders. One or two 
 strappers may be employed in scraping and afterwards drying this part, 
 besides the one holding the bridle ; but if the horse is quiet enough, this 
 may be removed, and the head dressed all the more effectually. A very 
 few minutes suffice for drying this half of the horse, when the bridle 
 should be readjusted, and the quarter-piece and sweaters wholly turned off 
 over the croup ; upon this the strappers again set to work with their 
 scrapers and rubbers, they soon get rid of every particle of sweat, and 
 have the coat perfectly dry and smooth. Much depends upon the stage 
 of training ; in the early part, the sweat is profuse, thick, and soapy, and 
 takes more time to dry ; while in the latter stages, when the horse is getting 
 
266 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 fit, it is watery and scanty, the horse will scarcely scrape, and dries with- 
 out the slightest trouble. This is a good sign of condition, and the neces- 
 sity for a repetition of the sweat may generally be gathered by the 
 appearance of the fluid, which, when thick and lathery, shows that there 
 is much gross fat in the system requiring removal ; but, nevertheless, it 
 also shows that great care must be taken in the process, lest mischief 
 should be done, by calling upon nature too rapidly while the animal is in 
 this fat state, and liable to inflammations of all kinds. After rubbing 
 all the coat dry, and smoothing it down with the leather rubber, the usual 
 clothing should be put on, and the horse allowed his exercise, which 
 he may have as usual, care being taken that he does not catch cold if the 
 weather is severe. The reason why the horse is taken out again is, that if 
 he were left in the warm stable he would break out into a second sweat, 
 and if he were placed in a cool one he would surely take cold. Walking 
 exercise, therefore, with a short canter, is adopted as a means of avoiding 
 both of these injurious conditions ; but he should not continue it longer 
 than to put him into a cool state, and restore his nerves and blood-vessels 
 to their usual condition. The length of ground and pace for sweating 
 vary with the age, condition, and purpose for which the horse is trained, 
 the maximum length being six miles, and the minimum two to three, with 
 a speed varying with every individual case, and depending upon the age, 
 breed, and action of the horse, as well as his constitution and legs, and 
 the state of preparation in which he is. Sweats are given at periods 
 varying from once a week to once a fortnight after the first preparation, 
 but seldom so often during that time. When sweats are given without 
 clothing, they are in other respects just the same as described above, and 
 the strappers are required in a similar way to dry the horse at once ; but the 
 quantity of sweat is not nearly so great, and two good hands will generally 
 suffice for the purpose. In almost all cases, even where clothing is not 
 used, it is heaped on when the horse is taken into the stable, in order to 
 encourage the flow of perspiration, (For “ Sweaters/’ see page 217.) 
 
 THE TURKISH BATH. 
 
 The Turkish bath when employed for horses, requires two boxes to be 
 prepared, contiguous to each other, and, if economy is an object, to the 
 saddle-room also, in order that one fire shall serve for all. The annexed 
 plan has been carried out on this principle, the fire-place A being 
 placed in the saddle-room, and heating it, as well as a boiler for hot water. 
 It is sunk eighteen inches beneath the floor of the saddle-room, so as to 
 allow of the commencement of the flue at B entering the bath-room, with 
 its bottom two feet from the floor of that apartment, and to pass beneath 
 the final exit of the flue, as it leaves to enter the chimney at F. The 
 flue is supported on arches, clear of the wall, from B to C rising two 
 inches in the foot, so that when it reaches the corner C, its bottom is four 
 feet from the ground. It is built exactly like the usual flue of a hot- 
 house, with dampers, and all the arrangements peculiar to that apparatus. 
 From C to D it may be either on arches, or supported on slate built into 
 the wall, as the heat is from this point not sufficient to crack that 
 material. At D the bottom is about six feet high, and when it reaches the 
 mtrance B, it will give plenty of head room for a horse to pass beneath. 
 On this side it is built in the wall, but still on arches so as to expose as 
 large a radiating surface as possible, and serves to heat the other box H 
 to the temperature required to prepare the horse for his sweat. Finally, 
 
THE TURKISH BATH. 
 
 267 
 
 it passes along the upper part of the fourth wall, in which also it is huilt 
 in the same manner, and makes its exit over the part where it entered, 
 at F. Here the hues are so arranged by dampers, that the current of 
 warm air may either he directed along the hue B C D E F, or it may he 
 turned off into the chimney F, entirely or partially. Ventilators must 
 be introduced freely in the walls, so as to give plenty of fresh air 
 
 when it is required, o* to shut it off completely, to raise the temperaturo 
 to the proper degree before the horse is admitted. One or two valves, in 
 addition to the door I, all capable of being opened and closed at will, 
 must also be fixed in the wall, between the boxes G and H, and by their 
 means, added to the heat given off by the hue in it, this preparatory box 
 may be heated to 80° or 90° of Fahrenheit, so as to bring on a gentle 
 
268 
 
 THE HORSE 
 
 action of the skin, before the horse is introduced to the actual sweating- 
 box — G. The preparatory-box, H, may be fitted up like a common loose- 
 box, and may be used as such, whenever the bath is not required, but the 
 latter should have no manger or any other projecting body of metal, for 
 when the heat is raised to 160°, the contact with the teeth and tongue is 
 by no means pleasant. Tan forms the best material for the floor, or, if 
 this cannot readily be obtained, sawdust will answer nearly as well, if the 
 wetted parts are changed after each bath. A brick floor feels too warm to 
 the feet, and when the bath is given very hot, it may injure them, if un- 
 covered by some non-conductor of heat, so that it is better to avoid all 
 risk, by using tan or sawdust. With this apparatus in working order, 
 and the fire lighted in the stove A, the box H is heated to 80° or 90° 
 of Fahrenheit, by robbing G of its warm air through the open door I, and 
 the valves in the wall between the two to which I have already alluded. 
 As soon as this is prepared, the horse is brought into it with his clothing 
 on, and allowed to remain for a short time, which may be twenty minutes, 
 half an hour, or an hour, according to the state of his skin, and the 
 warmth of the box. As soon as he is settled in it, the clothes may all be 
 removed, and here he may remain, with a whisp of hay in the rack, to 
 amuse him, and chilled water in the tank, till his skin shows evident 
 symptoms of breaking out, and the bath is prepared, that is, until the 
 latter is raised to a temperature of 140° at the least. To effect this the 
 door I and the adjacent valves may have been closed, if necessary ; for a 
 small box once raised to 80° or 90°, will keep its temperature with the 
 horse in it for the time which is required. The groom must be careful 
 not on any account to take his charge into the bath till his skin is begin- 
 ning to sweat, for if he does, the blood may be driven too forcibly to the 
 brain, without the relief which is afforded by the natural discharge from 
 the skin,, and dangerous mischief may be produced. On being taken into 
 the bath G, a bucket of chilled water is placed within reach, and he is 
 tied up with his head in the corner nearest the entrance door, which 
 must be left open, so as to allow him plenty of fresh air. In about a 
 quarter of an hour the sweat begins to pour out in large volumes, and 
 this should be encouraged by friction with the hand, which may be 
 guarded with horsehair gloves. As it becomes very profuse, a scraper 
 may be applied occasionally, but two grooms, each with horsehair gloves 
 on, will be able to remove it by keeping up continuous, deep, and steady 
 pressure upon the skin, so as at once to squeeze out the watery particles 
 from the hair, and to remove any scurf and other tenacious matters which 
 accumulate there. According to the amount of reduction which is re- 
 quired to be made in the fatty deposits, and to the action of the skin, will 
 be the time required to be devoted to this operation, but in general it is 
 completed in half an hour. Some horses, however, have been kept sweat- 
 ing for a full hour, as I am informed, without apparent injury, and have 
 afterwards gone out to exercise as full of life as ever. Indeed, it is said 
 that the effect is usually to increase the spirits and liveliness of all the 
 horses submitted to it. During the operation of the bath, the prepara- 
 tor} r room should have had its doors and windows thrown freely open, and 
 it should be left in this state when the horse returns to it, some grooms 
 liking to have a strong draught through it while the horse is being cooled. 
 In this process there is a considerable variation in the practices adopted in 
 those stables where this novel kind of sweating is introduced. Some 
 grooms wash the horse all over with cold water ; others dash the water 
 over the whole body the moment he comes from the bath, while a third 
 
PHASIC. 
 
 269 
 
 set content themselves with the free admission of a current of cold air to 
 the skin. Time must determine which of these plans is the best, hut I am 
 told on excellent authority, that they have all been tried with advantage. 
 The fact is that when the skin is sweating freely under the stimulus of 
 heat, and before its vessels are beginning to flag in their action, cold in 
 any shape may be applied, so long as it is not continued long enough to 
 reduce the pulse below its natural standard. Again, there are some 
 grooms, who, after they have applied cold water, return the horse to the 
 bath for a few minutes, the air in it being reduced to about 100° of 
 Fahrenheit, and on bringing him out, take him at once to his box or stall, 
 when he is dressed as usual, till he is perfectly dry, after which he is 
 clothed and fed. 
 
 As may naturally be expected, “ the stable mind ” is very much 
 agitated by this innovation on established usages. On the one hand, it is 
 argued by the thick-and-thin supporters of the bath, that, with the aid of 
 walking exercise alone, and without a single gallop, a horse may be got 
 into perfect condition, either for the racecourse or the hunting-field. I 
 have been told by a gentleman whose authority is fairly to be relied on, 
 that he has ridden a stableful of horses thus prepared, in the front ranks 
 of the crack countries, and that he never was so well carried in his life. 
 None of them were galloped, except by himself ; and until the season 
 (1860-1) began, not one of them had been taken off a walk, as far as he 
 knew, and he said he had the greatest confidence in his groom. On the 
 other hand, the opponents of the bath hold that it only removes fat and 
 fluids of all kinds, and that fast work must be given to the same extent 
 as without it, the additional sweat produced by the former exhausting the 
 horse very materially, to the prejudice of his condition. As far as my own 
 opinion goes, I am inclined to believe that the truth lies between these 
 opposite extremes ; and that though a horse may be made light and airy 
 by means of the bath and walking exercise alone, his muscles cannot 
 be braced and rendered bigger, as they are by actual fast work. In- 
 credible as it may appear, I have been told on very high authority, that a 
 horse sweated twice, or even three times in the week, will do as much 
 work, and as fast too, as if he had not gone through the process. If the 
 bath has removed all fat and humour, he will not sweat in his gallops ; 
 and if any of either is left, it will do him no harm to get rid of it. In- 
 deed, after all, the difference from the old plan of sweating in the stable 
 without exercise is not very great in principle ; and that was always 
 found to be of service when the legs or feet were unsound. Under that 
 plan, the horse was heavily clothed, and being just gently trotted, was 
 taken back to his box, loaded with more clothes until he sweated freely, 
 and was thus relieved of his fat without being galloped. 
 
 PHYSIC. 
 
 In my previous remarks I have alluded to physic as necessary for the 
 purpose of getting rid of the food which the horse may have been taking, 
 before he comes into the stable, without injury, but the effects of which 
 are somewhat in opposition to the condition required for hard work. In 
 addition to this object, however, physic is given with several other pur- 
 poses in view ; but these may be said to bring it within the province of 
 the veterinarian rather than of the groom. Thus, in the horse recently 
 brought up from grass, it will often be necessary to expel worms ; and 
 though the experienced groom may be ’able to do this without risk, yot 
 
270 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 it is scarcely safe to recommend the young hand to attempt the task. At 
 all events, if he does, he must he guided by the directions given in another 
 part of this book ; and I shall merely direct my attention to the effects of 
 physic — firstly, in getting rid of injurious food ; secondly, in cooling the 
 stomach and general system, and thus enabling the latter to bear the 
 increased stimulus afforded by extra food; and thirdly, to get rid of 
 internal fat and humours in conjunction with sweating. 
 
 To THE EFFECTS OF PHYSIC IN GETTING RID OF INJURIOUS FOOD, I have 
 already alluded ; but I may here mention two or three circumstances 
 which will serve to modify the dose, or to forbid it altogether. Curiously 
 enough, when a horse comes in from grass, his bowels being in the usual 
 loose state which accompanies that kind of feeding, he will generally 
 require more aloes than when fed upon dry food. The reason of this 
 seeming paradox is simple enough : his bowels have become accustomed 
 to the stimulus presented by grass to their lining membrane, and are not 
 easily roused to action by aloes, which is only a vegetable, still more 
 stimulating, it is true, but simply in degree. A man accustomed to drink, 
 will not be so much affected by swallowing a pint of brandy, even if he is 
 already half drunk, as a perfectly sober man would be, if he had not pre- 
 viously been inured by long usage to its effects. The groom must not, 
 therefore, fancy that a physic-ball of three drachms, or even sometimes 
 four drachms, will be sure to act on a horse of average size and constitu- 
 tion, just up from grass ; for he will find from four and a half to five and 
 a half drachms more likely to serve his purpose. Unless he knows the 
 constitution of the animal, he had better content himself with the former ; 
 but generally this quantity will not have much appreciable effect beyond 
 a very gentle clearing out of the bowels. No mash is necessary, because 
 the grass has already prepared the bowels quite sufficiently. Of course, 
 if the horse is already too low in flesh, no physic should be given at 
 this time. 
 
 The cooling powers of physic are those which render it particularly 
 valuable in aiding the preparation of the horse for fast work. If at any 
 time the legs become hot, a dose will carry off the plethoric condition 
 which shows itself in this way, and the rest which must be given after it 
 will assist in relieving them. At this time, a mash should always precede 
 the physic ; and a second on the following night will often be necessary 
 before the dose can safely be given. The same effect would be produced 
 by permanently taking away some of the corn ; but this would put an end 
 to the preparation altogether, and it is to avoid this alternative that the 
 physic is given. The old plan was in all cases to give a course of three 
 doses, at intervals of nine days, to every horse when first taken into 
 work ; but if plenty of walking exercise is used, and the corn is gradually 
 increased, with an ounce of nitre in the mash every Saturday night, this 
 routine is quite unnecessary, and a couple of doses at the intervals I have 
 fixed will suffice. Yery gross, lusty horses will, perhaps, require one, or 
 even two additional doses; and, on the contrary, light herring-gutted 
 animals will do without any. The art of the groom consists in fixing 
 upon the proper quantum, beyond or below which he ought not to go. 
 
 The third object of physic is that which is superseded by the use of 
 the Turkish bath, with much less injury to the system. Both act by 
 removing superfluous fluids from the body, through the agency of the 
 blood-vessels, absorbents, and secreting organs ; all of which must co- 
 operate in either case. The fluids lie stored up in the meshes of the 
 cellular membrane, either in the shape of oily or watery matters. To 
 
FINAL PREPARATION. 
 
 271 
 
 remove them, the blood in circulation must first be called upon to part 
 with some of its corresponding materials, which it does either through 
 the mucous membrane of the bowels, when physic is given, or by means 
 of the skin, when sweating is adopted. This sudden drain from the blood 
 is then made up from the store which has been previously taken from it, 
 and laid by in case of such an emergency ; and thus, though the external 
 means employed are very different, the real effect is the same. Both drain 
 the blood of large quantities of water, containing certain soluble matters ; 
 and this sudden call upon the vital fluid compels its vessels to fall back 
 upon the stored-up materials which are lodged around the heart and other 
 internal organs, and which it is the grand object of the training-groom to 
 remove. 
 
 But the effects of physic are not always so simple and innocent as 
 those to which I have alluded. A strong horse is sometimes over-purged 
 by a very mild dose, and a weak one will occasionally die from this cause. 
 Hence, this agent should not be idly used ; and not only is it actually 
 dangerous to life in some few cases, but it weakens the tone of the 
 stomach in many more. Still, in the majority of horses, a well-mixed 
 physic-ball, carefully given, and followed by proper management, will 
 freshen the digestive organs rather than weaken them, and may be re- 
 garded as a most valuable addition to the resources of the groom. 
 
 FINAL PREPARATION. 
 
 To get a hunter thoroughly fit, he must not only have gone through 
 the preparatory work which I have described, but he must undergo a 
 further winding up, according to the old-established rule on the subject, 
 and irrespective of the vexed questions connected with the Turkish bath, 
 which may be considered to be yet in abeyance. Having had a gentle 
 dose of physic at the end of his first preparation, he is proceeded with as 
 follows : — Every day he is walked out for three or four hours, either at 
 one or two periods of the day. If he is thorough-bred, he will bear some 
 brisk gallops and one or two sweats, with or without clothing, every week ; 
 but half-breds do not stand much fast work, and are better confined to 
 walking and trotting exercise, with an occasional spirt of half a mile. 
 These low-bred animals cannot bear any liberties to be taken with their 
 systems ; and I am told that with them the Turkish bath is far more 
 effectual than with the horse of pure Eastern blood. I can easily imagine 
 this, as I know how badly the former class bear reduction, and yet how 
 important it is to clear their wind. The feeding should be confined to 
 oats and hay, with a bran-mash on Saturday night. About five quarterns 
 of oats will, on the average, suffice ; but no rule can be laid down, nor 
 can it be positively asserted that no beans should be given. In some 
 cases the appetite is so bad, that without them enough corn will not be 
 taken ; and this is especially true with reference to those old horses which 
 have been accustomed to beans for many years. When the feet and legs, 
 as well as the wind, are all sound, beans may be allowed without fear; 
 but when there is a screw loose in any of these departments, they produce 
 inflammation there, and should be carefully avoided. Ten pounds of hay 
 may also be laid down as the average quantity of this article suited to the 
 hunter ; but here, also, no absolute rule can be carried out. Some horses 
 would “ drop in two,” as the grooms say, if only allowed ten pounds of 
 hay daily; while others would look quite lusty with that quantity. A 
 nandful of chaff with each feed of corn is all that should be given of this 
 
272 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 article, as more than this is apt to fill the horse out in the middle of the 
 day. Towards the end of this period, which may extend to five or six 
 weeks, the horse gradually gets into high condition, and at any time, on a 
 day’s notice, he may be ready for the hunting-field. All that is required 
 is to give him no hay on that morning, but to feed him twice on his usual 
 allowance of corn, with a few go-downs of water only each time. The 
 hunter does not require to be “ set ” overnight, like the racehorse, and he 
 may advantageously be given his usual weight of hay at the bedding him 
 up the night before ; but if he has any tendency to eat his litter, it is 
 prudent at all times, but more especially then, to put a muzzle on bim 
 late at night, when he has eaten his hay. 
 
 Hacks and Harness-horses demand nearly as much time and care to 
 prepare them for their work, especially in relation to the amount of corn 
 which is allowed them. They seldom want so much as five quarterns daily ; 
 but whatever quantity they may require, it should not be given them until 
 they are gradually accustomed to its use. So also with regard to the 
 hammering of their feet and legs on the road, it will be found that these 
 demand seasoning as much as their wind and muscles. If this is not 
 attended to, the best formed legs and feet will become inflamed, and a 
 valuable horse may be lamed, when, with proper care, he might be made 
 to do his work with ease. Our own bodies, when untrained to bear the 
 blows of the fist, show the marks of the glove clearly enough ; but in the 
 course of time, when the skin has gradually become inured to the stimulus, 
 even the terrible right hand of Tom Sayers would fail to leave its mark 
 upon the ribs of a well-trained opponent. This difference in the result of 
 the application of physical force arises partly from the tendency to inflam- 
 mation being subdued by temperate living and abundant exercise, and partly 
 from the nerves and vessels of the skin becoming habituated to the blows 
 which they receive. So also with the hack and harness-horse ; when first 
 they are brought into the stable, their vessels are full of gross humours, 
 and their feet and legs have long been accustomed only to the soft and 
 elastic turf upon which they have been reared. They are, therefore, 
 prone to inflammation in every way ; and until their systems have been 
 hardened by plenty of exercise, and their legs and feet have been gradually 
 inured to our hard roads, they should be kept from every kind of 
 fast work. 
 
 TREATMENT AETER WORK. 
 
 After work the horse requires to be treated according to its nature 
 and the extent to which it has been carried. Thus the hunter may 
 demand remedies for exhaustion, blows on the legs, thorns in the legs, 
 overreaches, cuts, &c. ; but the hack and carriage-horse will only need the 
 ordinary grooming, which has been described at page 242 ; that is to say, 
 provided the feet are not in pain from ill-fitting shoes. 
 
 Exhaustion is sometimes so great that before any food can be taken a 
 cordial must be given, in the shape either of a warm ball, or a quart cf 
 warm spiced ale. Generally, however, some gruel, made according to the 
 directions given at page 225, will suffice, when aided by a warm box and 
 the other comforts which are afforded by the groom, including dressing, 
 clothing, bandaging, &c. 
 
 Blows on the legs are reduced by hot fomentations, continued for half an 
 hour at a time, and repeated at intervals of one, two, or threo hours, in propor 
 tion to the severity of the mischief. Cold applications Ve too apt to relie v 
 
TREATMENT AFTER WORK. 
 
 273 
 
 the skin and cellular membrane beneath it at the expense of the joints, 
 and I have never seen them of much service. Nothing, I believe, is so 
 valuable in all blows received in the hunting field as hot fomentation, but 
 it should be thoroughly carried out, and not done by halves, as it too often 
 is by careless grooms. It no doubt has a tendency to increase the swelling 
 for a time, but in doing this the blood is drawn to the surface, and. internal 
 mischief is often prevented. I have had young horses come home with 
 their knees and shins terribly bruised, over timber and stone walls, but 
 though the fomentation with hot water has enlarged the knees to a frightful 
 size, there has been no lameness on the next day; and the swelling has 
 gradually disappeared, leaving the joints as free as ever at the expiration 
 of forty-eight hours. On the other hand, I have tried, cold wet bandages 
 for similar injuries, but I have invariably found that they gave present 
 relief to a slight extent, but left the limbs stiff and rheumatic often for 
 the next two or three weeks. The addition of a little tincture of arnica 
 to the water for fomentation is a great improvement when it is at hand, 
 and I should always advise the hunting groom to keep a stock of it by him 
 during the season. A wineglassful is enough for half a bucket of hot water. 
 
 Thorns are most troublesome to the groom,, and it is often a question of 
 great doubt whether to persevere in the endeavour to remove them, or to 
 leave them alone until they clearly manifest themselves by the inflamma- 
 tion they produce. When the hunter comes home, his legs should be 
 carefully examined while they are wet (that is to say, if his exhausted 
 condition does not forbid the loss of time) ; and if the hand clearly detects 
 any projection, search should at once be made with a view to the removal 
 of the foreign body. Usually, however, the thorn has buried itself, and 
 it is only when it has produced some considerable degree of inflammation 
 that attention is drawn to the spot. When lameness is shown in any of the 
 limbs on coming home from hunting, the groom always is inclined to suspect 
 a thorn as the cause of mischief, and I have known the penknife used in 
 half-a-dozen different places to cut down upon what was supposed to be a 
 buried thorn, which was never discovered, for the plain reason that no 
 such matter was present in the leg. 
 
 Overreaches must be dried up as quickly as possible, and should not 
 be treated like common wounds, for the reason that the horny substance of, 
 the foot, when it becomes softened and decomposed by the matter flowing 
 from a wound near it, acts like a poison upon the ulcerated surface. It is 
 better, therefore, to apply a little friars balsam, or some other astringent, 
 such as sugar of lead, rather than to use wet bandages or bran poultices, 
 which I have sometimes known to be applied. 
 
 Simple as well as contused cuts are far better treated in. the horse 
 with hot fomentations than by any attempt to heal them at once. Unless 
 they are very extensive or deep, the only point in which they are to be 
 regarded is with reference to the blemish which they may leave. Some- 
 times the edges gape so wide, that a stitch or two must be inserted, but in 
 such a case it is better to entrust the operation to a competent veterinary 
 surgeon. 
 
 SUMMERING. 
 
 Until Mr. Apperley first drew attention to this subject, forty years 
 ago, at which period those horses which were not required to work through 
 the summer, w r ere invariably turned out to grass, hunters, as a regular 
 rule, were stripped of their clothing in April, and sent to grass on or 
 about the first of May, that is, as soon as the first young blades showed 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 themselves, this kind of food being supposed to be particularly advan- 
 tageous to them, from its cooling powers. The sudden change from a warm 
 stable to the cold nights often met with in May frequently produced in- 
 flammation of the lungs or bowels, and this alone was sufficient to cause 
 the plan to be looked on with great suspicion as soon as it was shown that 
 it was by no means absolutely necessary. But not only was this danger 
 incurred; for even if the hunter remained in good health during the 
 summer, yet when he came up in August he was so fat and unwieldy 
 from eating the succulent grasses of that season, that he was quite unfit to 
 be ridden, and had to go through a series of severe sweats, which he was 
 ill able to bear. Considering the slow pace at which hunting was carried 
 on in the eighteenth century, a horse recently up from grass, if he had 
 been allowed corn while out of doors, as was generally done, was able to 
 go through a run, though it might be at the expense of the coat tails worn 
 by his rider, which were liberally lathered with soapy sweat. But in the 
 present day, when the hunter requires to be as fit as a race-horse, he must 
 have the same amount of preparation; and we all know what sort of 
 chance a horse would have of winning a race in November if he is eating 
 nothing but grass in August. Indeed a fast run in Leicestershire is even 
 more trying to condition than an ordinary race, because, though the pace 
 is not quite so good, it is more true, and lasts four or five times as long. 
 Hence the old plan has been almost universally given up, and the hunter 
 is summered in a loose box, where he is generally “soiled” on vetches, 
 lucerne, and clover. Moreover, it is found by practical experience, that 
 far more good may be done in renovating the legs in-doors than out at this 
 season of the year. In the winter, cold, starvation, and soft ground 
 all combine to restore the legs to a cool and healthy state; and a run 
 from October to May will do far more good than the same time passed in 
 a loose box. But during the summer the ground is hard, the sun shines 
 fully upon the legs, so as to inflame them if they have any tendency that 
 way, and the grasses are so succulent that the body becomes heavy and 
 the blood full of gross humours, both of which last conditions tell with 
 double force upon the legs and feet. Again, the flies which are so tor- 
 menting to horses in June, July and August, cause them often to gallop about 
 in the most frantic manner, and thus not only is another obstacle presented 
 to their improvement, but it very often causes these parts to become worse 
 than in the season. But some will say that much of this risk may be avoided 
 by turning the hunter out into the marshes, where the soil is always cool, 
 soft, and moist. This is quite true ; nevertheless, the gain to the legs is 
 at the expense of the general system, which is so completely upset by 
 moist grasses, that instead of eight or nine weeks it will require as many 
 months to eradicate their ill effects. As far as the hunter is concerned, 
 there can be no question in my mind that a loose box is the proper place 
 for him during the summer; and that he should be allowed a yard to run 
 into if it can possibly be so arranged admits of little doubt, but if this is 
 inconvenient, the Nimrodian plan of confining him in the ordinary loose 
 box is to be accepted in its entirety. The hack or harness horse does not 
 'receive so much injury from a summer’s run as the hunter, but if he 
 requires rest for his legs, it is far better to turn him out in the winter 
 season than during the opposite division of the year. Nevertheless, as 
 there are still some advocates of the summer’s run at grass, I shall give 
 directions for it, as well as for the soiling in the stable, as advised by 
 “ Nimrod.” 
 
 Soiling is conducted as follows : — At the conclusion of the hunting season 
 
SOILING. 
 
 275 
 
 the horse is gradually cooled down, either by removing his clothing in the 
 stable, and letting him first stand there naked for two or three weeks, or 
 by putting him with it on into a moderately warm loose box, and after he 
 has been there a day or two taking it away by degrees. At the same time 
 he is deprived of his corn, and fed upon hay only ; but this change also 
 must not be too sudden, demanding a month for its complete carrying out, 
 which will bring the time on to the beginning or middle of the month of 
 May. A large airy loose box should then be provided, the floor being covered 
 with six inches of tan or sand, and the door being so arranged that in warm 
 weather it may be left open, a chain being drawn across from post to post. 
 Here the horse is left for a few days till he is thoroughly accustomed to 
 his new berth, and his coat is full of dust and scurf, when he may have a 
 dose of physic, and while under its effects, his legs may be blistered, or 
 dressed with iodine ointment, or some of the many applications which are 
 used for the purpose of producing absorption of the morbid deposits which 
 have been thrown out during the winter. After the physic is set, green 
 food of some kind may be commenced, consisting of Italian rye grass, 
 young vetches, or. lucerne, or, if these cannot be obtained, of ordinary 
 meadow grass. At first an equal quantity of hay must be allowed for old 
 hunters, or the change from dry food to green will produce too great an 
 effect on the bowels. Young and hearty horses will, however, be none the 
 worse for this ; and, indeed, when they are turned out, all have to bear the 
 change in its fullest extent. I am not fond of vetches for soiling horses, 
 as they either purge them when they are young, or heat them too much 
 when their seed-pods are fully developed. For working horses the latter 
 condition is especially suited, as they have the effect of beans, and when 
 green food is wanted merely to renovate the stomach without depending 
 on its soiling properties, I see no objection to them. But for hunters when 
 soiled heating food is to be avoided, and on that account I cannot see the 
 advantage of vetches to this kind of horse. As there is no galloping over 
 hard ground the shoes may be removed altogether, and even tips may be 
 dispensed with. The feet should be pared out nicely, the blacksmith re- 
 moving all broken fragments of horn, and inspecting them afterwards at 
 least once a month. Now is the time to attend to any early symptoms of sand 
 crack, seedy toe, &c., prompt measures at this season oiten leading to a 
 prevention of these annoying evils. If the horse is not more than ten or 
 twelve years old, his corn may be stopped altogether while he is eating 
 green food in June and July, but a favourite old hunter should be indulged 
 with a couple of quarterns daily, or he will probably lose flesh to a great 
 extent. The young horse is always prone to inflammation, which a cooling 
 treatment will remove, but the old one is more seasoned, and he will get 
 more harm from being lowered in his general system than the benefit to 
 his legs will repay. By the month of August all these plans will have co- 
 operated to produce the desired effect; the legs are cool and fine, and the 
 lumps and bumps incidental to the hunting-field have entirely disappeared. 
 If they have been very extensive, two or three doses of physic should 
 have been given, but in general one dose as ordered at the beginning of 
 the soiling, and another at the end, when the commencement of training 
 takes its turn, will be sufficient. I have now brought the horse to the 
 middle of the month of August, at which time the preparation for work, 
 described at page 261 , et sequitur , must be commenced in earnest. 
 
 Turning out to grass, or pasturing, demands some little attention, 
 which however horses seldom receive. Ex cepting in the height of sum- 
 mer it is a very dangerous practice to turn a previously warmly clothed 
 
 t 2 
 
276 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 and stabled animal into the fields without gradually accustoming him to 
 the change of climate. The average temperature of our spring nights is 
 not more than 40° of Fahrenheit, and frequently this degree of cold is 
 united with a keen wind and sharp rain. Even if a hovel is provided, 
 the horse is almost sure to get wet before he betakes himself to its pro- 
 tection, and its door being necessarily open the wind can enter freely. It 
 is therefore found that at all other seasons but the summer quarter two or 
 three weeks at least must be devoted to the hardening of the skin to bear 
 the climate out of doors. This is done by first of all removing the clothes 
 by degrees, avoiding all attempts at dressing, so as to allow the scurf to 
 accumulate and protect the skin, and then changing the warm stable for a 
 cooler box;, which may be closed at first, and day by day left more and 
 more open to the weather by admitting the air through its various aper- 
 tures. If the horse is of a delicate constitution, and the weather is cold 
 and wet, the turning out should be delayed till there should be a change 
 for the better, or if it is decided on at all risks the precaution should be 
 taken for the first two or three nights to bring him under some dry shelter, 
 avoiding, of course, a warm stable, as doubly injurious. 
 
 In the choice of a run regard should be paid to the object for which 
 it is intended. Sometimes this is for the purpose of removing inflamma- 
 tion from the legs and feet, at others it is intended to renovate the general 
 health ; while, again, the most frequent reason for pasturing is to save the 
 greater expense incurred in the stable. Different kinds of pasture and 
 seasons of the year are best fitted for each of these intentions, as we shall 
 presently see after examining into the nature of the former. 
 
 Upland pasture may consist of fine dry enclosures out of floods’ ways, 
 where clover and other plants, exactly suited to the constitution of the 
 horse, grow in profusion, mixed with the best grasses. In the early 
 summer season these are generally put up for mowing, and it is not until 
 the aftermath makes its appearance that they are available for grazing. 
 Cattle and sheep must be fed somewhere, and a certain portion of grass 
 land is kept for them each spring ; but, as a rule, the bulk of adult horses 
 are stabled ; and when they are turned out for any particular reason, such 
 a time is chosen as will enable the owner to effect his object with the 
 least expense. To turn a horse out. between May 1st and July 1st, in a 
 good upland pasture, costs, in most districts, twice as much per week as 
 to do so after the latter date ; and, as a consequence, very few leave their 
 stables during those two months. Until that time there is no grass for them 
 after Christmas, and, if a horse is turned out, he must starve, or be fed on hay. 
 It may, therefore, be said, that on uplands the grazing time is from the end 
 of the hay harvest, which in the south is generally over in July, and even 
 in the north does not extend far into August, to, Christmas. In very 
 dry seasons there is little growth of aftermath, and when the bite left by 
 trie scythe is eaten off, the ground is as hard as a turnpike road, and 
 there is no “keep” on it. At such times the whole intention of pasturing 
 is frustrated ; and not only is the stomach pinched, but the legs and feet 
 are damaged by being battered on the dry soil. The feet of wild asses and 
 even native Arab horses may be able to bear the blows and friction of the 
 wastes over which they travel, but those of English horses are, un- 
 doubtedly, not formed of such strong and tough materials, so that it is 
 utterly unwise to leave them exposed to the risk. If circumstances 
 compel the owner to leave his horse at grass in a dry season on an upland 
 pasture, he should have his fore feet carefully provided with tips ; and 
 even then he will find that if they are at all unsound, he will come home 
 
PASTURING. 
 
 277 
 
 staler tlian lie went out. In moist autumns, on tlie contrary, the after- 
 math soon grows to a height of several inches, and the animals grazing on 
 it become as fat as prize bullocks, their increase of hulk often trying their 
 legs when the joints or hack sinews have previously failed. 
 
 In the autumn, also,, the flies are extremely troublesome, and the poor 
 horse may he seen constantly stamping with his fore feet or kicking at 
 his flanks with his hincl, both of which actions do no good to inflamed 
 joints, sinews, or feet. On the whole, therefore, it may be said,, that 
 those animals which are unsound, or even only weak in their understand- 
 ings, should not be turned out on uplands before the end of October or 
 beginning of ^November. This kind of grass is, however, the very best for 
 renovating a worn-out constitution ; and almost any horse in a good 
 upland pasture will become fat and fresh in August and September. 
 
 Meadow land in floods’ way, when the soil is of a gravelly nature, 
 or if it is well drained, will produce many excellent grasses, and contain a 
 good deal of clover ; in which case it is almost as well suited to the horse 
 in dry seasons as the finest upland. But too often it is either constantly 
 flooded or so badly drained that it is full of water-grasses, which the 
 stomach of the horse does not relish, so that in the latter case it is not at 
 all adapted to pasture him. The worst of it is, that there is seldom any 
 happy medium in this kind of land, being either baked hard in dry 
 seasons, or flooded in 'wet. The same remarks as to the times at which it 
 is available for grazing apply to this kind of land as to the last. 
 
 Marshes, whether salt or fresh water, should only be selected as 
 grazing land for those horses whose legs or feet are so damaged by work 
 that they either will not bear harder ground or are so bad as to require 
 the restorative action of constant moisture and cold applied to them. 
 There is no great difference in this power between the salt and fresh 
 water marsh ; but the former seems to suit the constitution the better of 
 the two, and on that account is to be preferred. Where a summer’s run 
 is desired for horses with unsound legs or feet, a salt marsh is the only 
 proper situation for carrying out the intention ; for, as I before observed, 
 sound upland is seldom to be obtained, and, if it is, its hardness forbidr 
 its use at that season for horses so circumstanced. I have often known a 
 salt marsh agree extremely well even with a delicate animal, but I have 
 also found it in other cases completely upset the health. The same may 
 be said of all kinds of grass ; as it is a very common occurrence for a 
 horse to go out sound, and come home with his wind broken, or “ making 
 a noise,” owing to inflammation contracted during his run. I confess 
 that I have no great partiality for marshes, and I should far prefer soiling 
 a horse indoors, if expense is not considered ; but, at the same time, I am 
 bound to admit that I have known very great benefit result from their 
 adoption in some cases. 
 
 When unsoundness of the feet or legs is the inducement to turn 
 out, and the time at which it is desirable to do this is the summer season, 
 as I have before remarked, the choice should fall upon a marsh. Hard 
 ground will increase the mischief, and, between July and September, 
 although it may be soft just at one particular time, it cannot be expected 
 to remain so long. In any case some precaution should be taken against 
 the horse galloping about on his first being let loose, which, from the joy 
 he experiences at getting his liberty, he almost invariably does. To 
 prevent this, the legs should be blistered a few days before, so as to s< !ze 
 the opportunity when they are swollen, stiff, and sore, and when, as a 
 natural consequence, a gallop would be so extremely painful as to be 
 
273 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 altogether out of the question. A cradle must be kept on to prevent 
 blemishes, but this is no more objectionable out of doors than in. In 
 almost every case this application would be necessary for the diseased con- 
 dition of the extremities, whether the horse was turned out or not ; but 
 it is better to seize the opportunity while the legs are still stiff and sore. 
 Fetters or hobbles may be put on the fore-legs with the same object, if 
 the feet only are the seat of mischief; but to inflamed joints or back 
 sinews they are not so well suited, from the pressure they produce on the 
 former, and the strains which they cause to the latter. After a few days’ 
 liberty, the tendency to gallop will be lost, and as the legs gradually 
 recover their elasticity the horse is not so prone to overdo himself in his 
 exercise, and will generally remain content with a moderate pace ; or, if 
 the legs are very unsound, the blister may be repeated. 
 
 The renovation of the health, when this has been broken down 
 by disease or hard work, is best effected on good sound uplands. The 
 herbage on salt marshes will sometimes agree with the horse even better 
 than ordinary meadow grass, but this forms the exception to the rule, and 
 is not to be relied on in general. In selecting a run in such a case care 
 should be taken that the herbage is of the desired nature, the best proof 
 of which is that it has agreed with horses in previous seasons. Ex- 
 perienced judges can generally pronounce upon the probability of the 
 desired result after inspecting the situation, but on the whole their 
 opinion, however well founded, is not so much to be relied on as the fact 
 that horses have actually become fresh while turned out there. 
 
 When the saving of expense is the principal object, a good aftermath 
 may generally be chosen, on which horses will be “ tacked” at 45. or 5s. 
 per week from August to December. In large parks they are often taken 
 in at even lower rates, but there are many objections to these, such as the 
 increased danger of contracting infectious diseases, and the greater risk of 
 accident among a large number of horses and cattle ; and to these must 
 be added very often the poorness of the herbage. There is also generally 
 a difficulty in superintending the feet, &c., owing to the difficulty of 
 catching the horses in a large park, so that the plan is not to be recom- 
 mended whenever a run in a comparatively small enclosure can be 
 obtained. 
 
 The fore feet should always be protected by “tips,” which are 
 merely short shoes reaching only two-thirds of the way to the heels, 
 which are then left uncovered. The object is to avoid the risk of break- 
 ing away the toes, which is incurred whenever the foot is battered on 
 hard ground, as it often is when it is stamped continually, as horses are 
 very apt to do, on the bare surface which is kept dry beneath a sheltering 
 tree. Here the flies are very apt to collect around the horses, and to get 
 rid of their annoyance the legs are constantly in motion. If the full 
 shoe is left on, the hind toe is very apt to catch its heel in deep ground, 
 and tear it wholly or partially off ; and, moreover, it is too often neglected, 
 and either the heels press into the sole, producing corns, or they confine 
 the frog, and lead to disease of that important organ. Tips may safely 
 be left on without removal for two or three months, whereas shoes require 
 attending to every three or four weeks. The hind shoes are always taken 
 off, partly because the hind feet are not so liable to be broken at the toes, 
 but chiefly because they would be dangerous to other animals if they 
 were left on from the severe damage which is done by a kick with an 
 armed heel. 
 
 Horses whose jugular veins have become obliterated from adhesive 
 
A WINTER’S RUN. 
 
 279 
 
 inflammation following bleeding, are unfit to be turned out in conse- 
 quence of the difficulty which is presented to the return of the blood 
 from the head by its low position in grazing. So also those which have 
 recently suffered from staggers should not be sent out to grass, for fear of 
 the position causing a return of the disease. 
 
 A WINTER'S RUN. 
 
 There are only two causes that can ever influence an owner in 
 turning his horse out to grass during the winter, one being a desire to 
 restore his legs or feet to a state of health, and the other the diminution of 
 expense. The former is a perfectly valid reason, for experience teaches 
 us that the comparative starvation and cold incidental to a winter's run, 
 however they may try the constitution of a horse previously accustomed 
 to the stable, are highly beneficial in reducing the effects of inflammation. 
 I have frequently known a horse remain all the summer out of doors 
 without the slightest benefit to his legs, but after a month’s cold they 
 have shown a marked improvement, and by the spring they have been 
 wonderfully restored. The hardship of this treatment is very great, and 
 to an old. horse especially so, but where milder measures are of no avail 
 there is a legitimate excuse for trying the experiment, and when the skin 
 is gradually prepared for the cold of winter it is not so much felt. When 
 it is necessary to turn an animal out after Christmas, there must be a very 
 cautious cooling down of the system on the plan which I have described 
 at page 275 , but continued for a still longer tima Without this the effects 
 of cold and wet are so severely felt that although the legs and feet may be 
 cured, it is at the expense of a complete breaking up of the constitution, 
 The saving of expense in turning a horse out in the winter is absolutely 
 nothing, for as he must be kept on hay, it may just as well be given under 
 cover. It is quite true that there is generally some little grass to be found 
 in January and February, but the exposure to the cold causes a greater 
 demand for food to be made on the system, and in practice it is found 
 that the same hay must be given whether the horse is out or in. The 
 advantage of warmth in saving food is now universally admitted even in 
 sheep and cattle, which bear exposure to the weather better than the 
 horse, and in him it is so great that he will require one-third more food to 
 keep him in good condition wdien turned out in the winter than he would 
 do if kept up in a loose box. Whenever, therefore, this convenience can 
 possibly be obtained, it is more economical to feed the horse in it on hay, 
 with a little corn if necessary, than to turn him into the fields, where he 
 will require a still larger amount of the same food. 
 
 THE STRAW YARD. 
 
 The advantages and disadvantages of the straw yard, as a place 
 for wintering the horse, will to a certain extent depend upon its manage- 
 ment. Generally the proper term for it would be a manure tank, for 
 though there is almost always a thin coating of straw on the surface, yet 
 the horse’s feet sink through this and reach the wet mass of manure 
 which is gradually allowed to decompose beneath it. In point of economy 
 there is much to lose by the straw yard, for, as in the case of the winter’s 
 run, more food is demanded by the system than in a loose box. The only 
 excuse for it is to be found in the beneficial effects of cold and wet upon 
 the legs, which are restored by the straw yard to the same extent as in 
 
280 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the fields ; but on the other hand the feet suffer terribly, the frogs 
 becoming thrushy almost invariably, and their horny coverings frequently 
 having quite disappeared when the horse is brought into the stable. 
 When the straw is liberally used, and the manure is raised into a heap in 
 the middle of the yard as fast as it is made, which is the proper arrange- 
 ment, the frogs may remain tolerably sound, and the objection on this 
 account is to a certain extent removed. Nevertheless it is a wretched 
 place for a horse accustomed to the luxuries of a warm stable, and 
 when barley-straw without hay is the only provender allowed, it is not to 
 be wondered at if he comes out in the spring a complete skeleton. 
 
 CARE OF SADDLERY AND HARNESS. 
 
 The management of saddlery must have a treble object. First, the 
 groom should take care that he does nothing which shall injure the horse. 
 Secondly, he must have a due regard to his master’s comfort in using it. 
 And, thirdly, he must please the eye. I must therefore show how each 
 of these purposes can best be effected. 
 
 To avoid injuring the horse the groom should begin when he first 
 comes in from work, and before he removes the saddle or collar. It is 
 ascertained by experience that if these are taken off when the skin 
 beneath them is hot and sweating, inflammation will almost surely follow, 
 while by leaving them loosely in their places for a short time no injurious 
 effect is perceived. If a groom who is master of his business is watched 
 when his horses come in, he will be seen to loosen their girths and lift the 
 saddles .from their backs for a second, replacing them loosely, and leaving 
 them there while he takes off the bridles and makes his arrangements for 
 dressing. In harness-horses everything but the collars may be taken 
 off, and after turning them to remove the harness and traces, they may be 
 replaced and left as near to the shoulder as the position of the horse with 
 his head in the manger will allow. This rule should be invariably fol- 
 lowed whenever horses come into the stable after having done any 
 amount of work. If they have merely gone out for a short airing, and 
 the skin beneath the saddle or collar is not even damp, there is no occa- 
 sion for the precaution, and the saddle or collar may at once be removed. 
 The next thing to be done to the saddlery in reference to the horse’s 
 comfort is to dry the lining carefully before it is again used. Even the 
 lining of harness-pads should be attended to, and in the winter this 
 cannot be done without placing each before the fire. At page 209 I have 
 inserted an engraving of the best form of saddle airer, in which the 
 saddle is securely fixed in such a position that the fire only reaches the 
 interior of the lining. Without some such machine there are two risks 
 incurred, for by placing the saddle on the ground the edges of the leather 
 covering the tree are worn away, and the flaps are liable to be curled 
 inwards, presenting their outer surface to the fire, which dries them till 
 they become hard, and are then liable to crack. The expense of one of 
 these airers is soon saved in diminishing the wear and tear of saddles, 
 and no well-managed harness- room should be without one. After the 
 serge lining is dry, it is an excellent plan to beat the stuffing with a 
 stick, so as to remove the powdery particles left by the sweat, which 
 soon clog up the interstices and form a matted cake with the woollen 
 materials used if they are allowed to remain. 
 
 In attending to the comfort of the master the groom must take 
 care to keep all the leather which comes in contact with the hands or 
 
CARE OF SADDLERY. 
 
 281 
 
 egs perfectly supple, yet so clean that no stain is left behind. Nothing 
 s more annoying than to get off the saddle for the purpose of paying a 
 morning call, and find the insides of a light pair of trousers s tained all the 
 way down. This is perfectly inexcusable, and its occurrence marks the 
 ignorance and carelessness of a servant in the most unmistakeable manner. 
 The same remark applies to the reins, which- never ought to soil a pair 
 of white gloves. Whenever blacking is applied to harness it is impos- 
 sible altogether to prevent the tendency to leave a stain, but if it is care- 
 fully put on, and well brushed, as long as it is kept dry it may be lightly 
 handled with impunity. If buckles are to be altered, the gloves must 
 suffer, and for this reason, when gentlemen drive their own horses, they 
 generally prefer brown driving reins, which may be treated in the same 
 way as riding reins, and kept clean accordingly. The following directions 
 for cleaning saddles and riding bridles, and also for brown driving reins, 
 or any other parts of the harness made of undyed leather, will serve the 
 purpose extremely well. As long as the leather remains dry and clean it 
 needs no attention, but when it is wetted, either by rain, or by the water 
 necessary for cleaning it from road dust, it becomes hard and stiff, and 
 must be softened with some kind of oily matter. Neat’ s-foot oil is that 
 usually employed, but for saddles it is rather of too greasy a nature, being 
 apt to leave a mark on the trousers if it has been liberally applied. The 
 best application is deer’s suet, which should be gently warmed and rubbed 
 in before the leather is quite dry again, after being wetted ; that is to 
 say, while it remains limp, for if it is held to the fire long enough, all wet 
 leather becomes hard and stiff. A very little oil or suet will suffice, if it 
 is used as soon as the leather is nearly dry, after each wetting, but when 
 leather has been left for days in a dry place after being thoroughly wet, 
 it becomes so stiff that nothing but a good soaking with oil will restore its 
 pliability, and even with this it remains stiff to a certain extent, unless it 
 is very slightly damped, in conjunction with the use of the oil. Vege- 
 table oils, with the single exception of castor oil, are too much inclined to 
 become hard to suit leather, and none but the latter should ever be em- 
 ployed. Its nauseous smell is an objection to it, but otherwise it will 
 answer the purpose almost as well as neat’s-foot. Horse fat, if used care- 
 fully, and in very small quantities, is a capital application, but one liberal 
 dressing with it spoils the look of leather, giving it a sodden appearance, 
 which it never recovers. 
 
 To make saddlery and harness look well to the eye, several re- 
 ceipts, and directions for using them, are necessary ; including the follow- 
 ing, for avoiding injury from chemical decomposition : — ■ 
 
 (1.) Do not allow brass or plated furniture to be within reach of the air 
 of the stable; for the ammonia given off from the urine will tarnish them. 
 Gas, also, is prejudicial; and if it is burned in the harness-room, it should 
 be contained within a glass chamber, which has a ventilating shaft, so as 
 to carry off the products of combustion into the external air. Gas stoves 
 are particularly prejudicial; and, indeed, so are all stoves which allow the 
 fumes given off by the coals to pass into the room. 
 
 (2.) As soon as possible after the harness is taken off, if the weather is 
 fine, take a leather, kept specially for the purpose, and wipe off the dust; 
 sponging with a damp sponge those parts which are soiled with sweat. If 
 the traces, belly-band, &c., are splashed with mud, wash them at once ; 
 on no account soaking them in water, or using more of it than is necessary. 
 Dry them, as far as possible, with the leathers, and put to the fire on the 
 horse represented at page 210. If the black dye with which the leather 
 
282 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is stained lias come off to any serious extent, a little of a solution of green 
 copperas may be used, but this is not often necessary. Unbuckle the bits 
 Irom the bridle, put them in clean water for a short time, then take them 
 out, and remove every particle of dirt from them. Dry with the leather, 
 and rub a very little neat’s-foot oil on them. Before they are used again, 
 they must be polished with the dry leather, aided by a little silver sand, 
 if they have become at all rusty. The curb-chain will always want rub- 
 bing loosely in the hand with a little silver sand, finishing with the 
 leather. 
 
 Black harness must be kept constantly polished by hand-brushing it 
 with some composition specially prepared for the purpose. This must be 
 of a greasy or waxy nature, to prevent the rain from dissolving it, and 
 washing it off upon the coat of the horse. One or other of the following 
 compositions will answer the purpose ; but neither will quite come up in 
 appearance to some of those sold by Clark, of London, and other vendors 
 of similar preparations : — 
 
 RECIPES FOR HARNESS BLACKING. 
 
 NO. 1. 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine . 1 pt. 
 
 Beeswax 4 oz. 
 
 Prussian Blue 1 oz. 
 
 Lamp Black | oz. 
 
 Slice the wax very thin, put it in a jar and pour on the turpentine. Let it stand 
 twenty-four hours, then grind the other ingredients together on a stone or marble 
 slab, and mix carefully up. It must be kept in a covered tin box. 
 
 No. 2. 
 
 Take the above compo and add the following, which improves the polish : — 
 
 Spirit Varnish 1 pt. 
 
 Gum Benzoin 2 oz. 
 
 Soft Soap 1 oz. 
 
 Melt together in a water bath, and when thoroughly incorporated mix all together 
 on a stone and cover up directly. 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 RIDING AND DRIVING. 
 
 SADDLES — BRIDLES — MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING —THE SEAT — MANAGEMENT OF THE 
 REINS — USE OF SPURS — MODES OF STARTING THE HORSE INTO HIS VARIOUS PACES — 
 RIDING TO HOUNDS— OUT-DOOR VICES AND BAD HABITS — HARNESS — DRIVING A 
 SINGLE HORSE — A PAIR — FOUR-IN-HAND. 
 
 SADDLES. 
 
 There is a fashion in saddles, as in everything else which admits of 
 alteration. Eor the last fifty years it may be said that no real improve- 
 ment has been made in our English saddles, and we have simply gone 
 from plain flaps to padded ones, and back again. Up to the beginning of 
 the present century the trees were made too heavy and clumsy, and a 
 hunting saddle of less weight than fourteen pounds was never thought of, 
 while the majority would turn the scale at sixteen pounds. But when 
 the pace of the hunter was increased the attention of the saddler wa3 
 
SADDLES. 
 
 283 
 
 directed to the diminution of the weight of the tree without loss of 
 strength, and certainly with an excellent result, as is shown in a first-class 
 nine- pound saddle, roomy enough to carry a man of sixteen stone with 
 moderate comfort. "Whether his horse can do his work proportionately 
 better for this saving of five pounds admits of some question ; but there 
 can he no doubt that wherever a very light saddle is used in the hunting- 
 field the greatest care is necessary that it fits to a nicety, and it can seldom 
 be adapted to more than one horse in a stud without altering the stuffing 
 of the pannel. The attempt should never be made to reduce the size of 
 the tree, for although the rider may be willing to put up with the want 
 of roominess, yet the horse will suffer in his back from the weight not 
 being sufficiently distributed. Forty years ago a tree was introduced 
 with the pommel cut back two or three inches, so as to avoid all risk of 
 pressure on the withers, and thus increase the facility of fitting it to 
 almost any back ; but the extra strength and weight incurred soon drove 
 it out of use, besides which it was found that it did not fit both a narrow 
 and a thick shoulder equally well. For these reasons it is now admitted 
 that in the tree itself there is little variety for choice, and that the 
 saddles of the best London makers only differ in their peculiar cut from 
 one another, while in this point alone (excluding of course workmanship 
 and material) are they superior to the worst specimens made in our country 
 towns. I have alluded to the change from plain flaps to padded ones, 
 and it will be necessary here to discuss the merits of each. In “ The 
 Shires ” the fashion now is to adopt the revived plain flap, and the reason 
 which is given is that the padding arrests the knee when the horse comes 
 down after his leap, thereby throwing the strain upon the muscles of the 
 inside of the thigh instead of on the seat of honour. That such strains 
 have been of late years very general is a well known fact, but their 
 increase of frequency cannot be said to be coincident with the introduc- 
 tion of the padded flap, which is at least fifty years old. Why therefore 
 the one should be connected with the other is hard to say, and I certainly 
 am very incredulous on the subject. Padded flaps were in general use for 
 forty years before this objectionable quality was discovered, and even now 
 they are preferred by a large majority of hard riders in provincial countries. 
 A thin man with a large knee depends for his seat chiefly on the grip 
 which this gives him of the saddle, and there are many riders so made 
 that they can scarcely touch the saddle with the muscles of the thigh, or 
 of the calf of the leg. In them a padded surface is indispensable for the 
 bone of the knee to act upon, as the smooth plain flap is too hard and 
 slippery for it to lay hold of. Hence, although the muscular rider may 
 well have his choice, and indeed will often do better with a plain flap, 
 this will not suit others differently formed, and the fashion should not 
 therefore be indiscriminately followed. The plain flap costs about fifteen 
 shillings or a pound iess than its rival ; but to hunting men this difference 
 in price is not often the reason for its selection, although the wear and 
 tear of saddles is by no means an unimportant article in their expenditure. 
 In choosing a saddle where the maker has not a well known reputation, 
 the peculiar marks on the surface by which pigskin is distinguished from 
 horse or cow hide should be carefully examined, as an imitation is now 
 fraudulently carried out by means of copper-plates taken by the electro- 
 type process from real pigskin. A horse or cow hide is stretched upon a 
 slab and wetted, when the heated plate is pressed by steam power upon 
 it, and every mark existing in the real skin is transferred to the imitation 
 hide. The fraud may, however, be detected by the want of depth in the 
 
284 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 holes, which all show a bottom, whereas the real skin is perforated to a 
 depth beyond the reach of the eye. Consequently, instead of a cul de sac , 
 there is a fine valvular opening visible. 
 
 The girths of ordinary saddles are still made in pairs, and buckled 
 up to two straps fixed on each side to the tree ; but for hunting a new 
 plan has lately been introduced, which is perhaps an improvement • at all 
 events, it is considered so in the grass countries. This is the Fitzwilliam 
 girth, double the width of the ordinary one, and somewhat stouter in its 
 web. It has two buckles at each end, which are fastened to the usual 
 straps ; but in addition a narrow girth is provided, lying outside in loops 
 stitched to the broad girth, and keeping it in its place if by any chance 
 both the buckles should break. The Fitzwilliam girth is alone depended 
 on for fixing the saddle, and the narrow one is merely intended to keep 
 it from dangling, and the saddle from actually falling off if the former 
 should burst, either in its webbing or at the buckles or straps. 
 
 The breastplate is provided for hunting saddles in order to avoid 
 tight girthing, which interferes sadly with a horse’s wind by confining 
 the ribs, and thus preventing a full dilatation of the chest. Besides this, 
 many horses have a way of blowing themselves out while the groom is 
 girthing them up, and if they start with their saddles firmly on, they 
 soon have them so loose as to be dangerous in going up hill. Very many 
 well-bred horses when fit to go are so light in their back ribs that their 
 saddles easily slip back if not kept in their places by their breastplates, 
 and hence the general adoption of the latter in the hunting-field. 
 
 BftIDLES. 
 
 There is an almost infinite variety in the make of bits, but nearly 
 all may be reduced to three leading principles — namely, the snaffle, the 
 curb, and the combination of the two in one bit, as in the Pelham, whether 
 of the ordinary or Hanoverian kinds. The double-reined bridle may 
 either be fitted with a snaffle and curb, or with a Pelham. 
 
 Among the various kinds of snaffles, with the exception of the gag, 
 which I shall presently describe, all are intended to bear chiefly on the 
 jaw, slightly relieved by the angles of the mouth. When, however, the 
 jaws are so narrow that they cannot be bent on the neck, or when the 
 rider’s hands are carried so high that the line of the reins is across the 
 angles, these latter parts take all the bearing, and the horse yaws about 
 with his mouth wide open. Without good hands the tendency of the 
 snaffle is always to get the head up with the nose out, and with them this 
 bit never offers any obstacle to the straight carriage of the neck which is 
 wanted to admit of free respiration at high speed. Hence the snaffle is 
 universally employed in racing and hunting, for even when a Pelham is 
 used, the one rein acts upon the bit exactly as in the common snaffle 
 The difference between this and the curb consists in the fact that the 
 former can rarely be made to interfere with a horse’s action either in the 
 gallop or the leap, while the latter should never be employed at a fast 
 pace except to keep the animal from over-tasking himself, since it always 
 has a tendency to bend the neck too much for the development of high 
 speed or jumping power. Hence the snaffle may with many sober horses 
 be used alone, but as a rule the curb should never be so employed. In 
 the hunting-field no one who is not possessed of great strength of arm 
 should trust any but a horse whose sobriety of temper is well known, 
 without a double-reined bridle. It is true that there are many which will 
 
BRIDLES. 
 
 285 
 
 go well in a snaffle on smooth turf or light arable land where there are no 
 ridges, but when they come to deep ground or high ridges, or when it is 
 necessary to jump into an orchard or plantation, a means of holding the 
 horse well together is required in the former case, while in the latter, if 
 it is not possessed, a dangerous or fatal blow may easily be received before 
 the horse can be stopped after coming down from his leap. In defining 
 the snaffle, it may be described as consisting of a ring on each side the 
 mouth to which the rein is attached, connected together by one or two 
 mouthpieces, which may be variously jointed in the middle, or may be 
 without any break, which last is not always called a snaffle, but bears the 
 name of a straight bit. Thus it is subdivided into the following 
 
 1. The plain snaffle. 
 
 2\ The twisted snaffle. 
 
 3. The snaffle with double mouthpiece. 
 
 4. The chain snaffle. 
 
 5. The double-jointed snaffle. 
 
 6. The double ring snaffle. 
 
 7. The gag snaffle. 
 
 8. The unjointed snaffle. 
 
 1*. The plain snaffle is the most simple form of all, with the exception 
 of the straight bit, consisting merely of the two rings with the mouth- 
 piece of smooth steel, jointed in the middle. The rings, when the bit is 
 to be used alone, are generally guarded from slipping through the mouth 
 by light bars projecting up and down. This bit is made of all sizes in 
 point of substance, from the very light racing snaffle no larger than a 
 goose quill to the heavy breaker's bit in which the mouthpiece is as large 
 as a man's thumb. The size of this part should be proportioned to the 
 delicacy of the horse’s mouth, wdiich can only be judged of by an actual 
 trial; but the proper substance of metal may generally, though not always, 
 be ascertained by putting one in the mouth and pressing upon the jaw, • 
 when, if it produces such an effect as to cause the horse to back readily, 
 it will in most cases be sufficiently severe. There are, however, some 
 tempers which do not show themselves until they are excited, and in 
 those animals possessing such as rhese a bit which will act in a stable- 
 yard is perfectly useless in company. 
 
 2. The twisted snaffle differs only from the preceding in the mouthpiece, 
 each of the two halves being made square instead of round, and twisted 
 more or less on themselves, so as to present sharp edges to the mouth, 
 and thus produce more pain on pressure. This effect is not fully developed 
 by a steady pull; but when the snaffle is sawed from side to side, as is 
 sometimes necessary before a pulling horse can be stopped, the sharp 
 twisted edges act severely upon the delicate membrane covering the jaw 
 and lips, and as the horse gets his head into the air to take the pressure 
 off the most sensitive part* he is almost compelled to pull up by being 
 thrown out of his stride. Tor this reason some high-couraged animals 
 will go better in a smooth snaffle than in a twisted one, the latter madden 
 ing them by the pain which it occasions ; but with the ordinary run of 
 horses a moderate twist properly used is not objectionable, and the smooth 
 mouthpiece is scarcely sufficient. 
 
 3. The snaffle with double mouthpiece is made with two mouthpieces 
 attached in the usual way, but one above the other, to the ring. The 
 joints in the middle are, however, not opposite each other, and thus when 
 the reins are pulled the jaw is embraced in a narrower vice than in the 
 single snaffle. It is. however, very apt to cause the mouth to be opened 
 
286 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 widely, as there is a greater breadth of the bit at the angles. Nevertheless* 
 I have known it very effectual in a puller which would not bear a curb. 
 
 4. The chain snaffle has a mouthpiece made of a steel chain, the links of 
 which may be made large or small, open or close, according to the nature 
 of the mouth. It is a very light kind of bit, and many irritable horses 
 which fight at more severe kinds will go kindly in it. Sometimes the 
 chain is covered by leather to give the mouth still more ease. 
 
 5. A double-jointed mouthpiece is merely a modification of the chain, 
 which it resembles in its effect. The celebrated Dick Christian's bridla 
 has a snaffle of this description. 
 
 6. The double ring snaffle is not so much used for riding, as for harness- 
 work, in which it is now very generally employed for horses which are 
 not likely to be too fresh, as for instance those in omnibuses and cabs. 
 It is very difficult to ascertain in what particular the merits of this bit 
 consist, but that it has many advantages over the ordinary snaffle I can 
 speak from long experience, which is supported by its general adoption 
 among practical men. That it is far more severe is manifest, and when 
 suddenly pulled sideways through the mouth in leading a horse, the pain 
 occasioned is so great as often to make him run back. I believe that this 
 is sometimes occasioned by the pinching of the lip between the mouth- 
 piece and the ring, but this cannot always happen, nor can it take place 
 during the ordinary use of the bit in riding or driving. 
 
 7. The gag syiaffle resembles the ordinary twisted form in all but one 
 respect, which consists in the different mode of attaching the ring to the 
 bridle. Where it is used without a curb, it is customary to have two reins 
 on each side, one of which is stitched on to the ring in the ordinary way, 
 and when this is pulled, the effect is similar to that of the common snaffle ; 
 the other is made round for about twelve inches, and, passing through 
 two pulley-like holes in the ring, is attached to the check-piece of the head 
 of the bridle. When this is drawn upon, the power is greatly increased by 
 the pulley ; and as the direction is changed by the drag being partly from 
 the check-piece, the effect is the same as if the hands were raised very 
 considerably. Tor this reason, it is well suited to those horses who get 
 their heads down, and bore upon their bits ; while, on the contrary, it is 
 prejudicial to pullers who have a tendency to carry their heads in the air, 
 in the attitude which is familiarly known as “ star-gazing.” The gag 
 snaffle is particularly well adapted to the double-reined bridle intended 
 for pulling horses carrying their heads too low, which the curb has a 
 tendency rather to increase than diminish. The combined use of the two, 
 however, corrects this fault, and a pleasant as well as safe carriage of the 
 head may be effected. 
 
 8. The unjointed snajjle is merely a mouthpiece without any joint, and 
 it may be either slightly curved forwards, or straight. Sometimes, also, it 
 is smooth, and at others with rings turned on it. Very light-mouthed 
 horses go well in this bit on the road ; but it is not suited for hunting or 
 racing. 
 
 The curbbit is always a lever, in which the inside of the mouth is 
 the fulcrum, while the increase of power afforded by this mechanical 
 arrangement is brought to bear upon the outside of the jaw through the 
 medium of the curb-chain. The leverage may be long or short, but the 
 principle is the same in all cases, varying in the mode of its application. 
 In some curb-bits, the mouthpiece is curved in the middle, rising more 
 or less into an arch, which is called “ the port,” and which presses upon 
 the roof of the mouth when the lever is pulled. If the horse is allowed 
 
BRIDLES. 
 
 287 
 
 to open his mouth wide, this pressure cannot he made, and the port is 
 useless ; but the addition of a noseband of leather, buckled tightly round 
 the jaw, closes the mouth, and keeps the roof in apposition with the port. 
 Thus, in estimating the power of all curb-bits, we must take into consider- 
 ation — 1st, the length of the lever; 2d, the tightness of the curb-chain, 
 which may be adjusted at pleasure ; 3d, the height of the port; and 4th, 
 whether used with a noseband or not. 
 
 The varieties of curb-bits in common use are as follows : — 
 
 1. The ordinary curb-bit. 
 
 2. The Pelham. 
 
 3. The Hanoverian Pelham. 
 
 4. The Chifney. 
 
 1. The ordinary curb-bit does not differ from the general type which I 
 have already described; and I need not, therefore, allude to it further 
 than to caution the inexperienced horseman against leaning heavily upon 
 it. The pain occasioned in this way is at first excessive ; but, in course of 
 time, the parts pressed upon become callous, and the mouth is irretrievably 
 spoiled. Thus, a rider with a heavy hand may begin with a mouth which 
 is too light, and in a month or two he may find it so dull as to be quite 
 unpleasant, in spite of a tight curb-chain and noseband, a high port, and a 
 long lever. All these should be as easy as will suffice to control the horse 
 for which they are adapted, and no more use should be made of them 
 than is absolutely necessary. 
 
 2. The plain Pelham combines the snaffle and curb, and requires no 
 addition of the former to make it a double-reined bridle. The mouth- 
 piece is jointed in the middle, just like a snaffle ; and, like this, it may be 
 smooth or twisted. There is a ring opposite this for the one rein, and the 
 other is attached to the end of the lever, as in the ordinary curb-bit. This 
 is an extremely useful bit for general purposes. 
 
 3. The Hanoverian Pelham is similar in principle to the plain one ; but 
 it has two joints in the mouthpiece, united by a high port, and the sides 
 of the mouthpiece are covered with rollers, which prevent the horse from 
 grasping them with his teeth, and thus interfering with the action of the 
 port and curb-chain. Tor hard-pulling horses this bit is very useful, but 
 it is a very severe one. 
 
 4. The Chifney bit is provided with a joint at the junction of the lever 
 and mouthpiece, so that the action of the former is not confined by the 
 head of the bridle. But though in theory this is all very pretty, in prac- 
 tice it is found to be of no service whatever. 
 
 There are many other kinds of curb-bits, but those which I have 
 described comprehend all in general use. 
 
 The Bucephalus noseband is a great addition to the curb-bridle in- 
 tended for a pulling horse. It is merely a stitched leather strap, long 
 enough to encircle the jaw, and cross behind it to be attached to the hook 
 of the curb-chain. I prefer it made of a chain in the part which lies 
 behind the bit, so that it may be taken up shorter, or let out, just like an 
 ordinary curb-chain, which is not wanted to be used with it. This nose- 
 band is not really more powerful than the ordinary one when tightly 
 buckled, the whole of its efficiency depending upon its keeping the mouth 
 closed, and thus allowing the port to have its full power on the roof of the 
 mouth. The advantage is, that when the rein is not pulled, the noseband 
 slackens, and the mouth may then be relieved, which it cannot be with an 
 ordinary tight noseband. 
 
288 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING. 
 
 The celebrated Earey has recently given us a new light upon the 
 subject, which is quite at variance with those directions which have 
 hitherto^ been considered to be the correct ones in this country. Thus, 
 Captain Eichardson, in his valuable work on Horsemanship, advises as 
 follows: — “Stand opposite the near fore-foot of the horse, place the left 
 hand on the neck near to the withers, having the back of the hand to the 
 horse’s head, and the reins lying in front of the hand. Take up the reins 
 with the right hand, put the little finger of the left hand between them, 
 and draw them through until you feel the mouth of the horse ; turn the 
 remainder of the reins along the inside of the left hand, let it fall over 
 the fore-finger on the off-side, and place the thumb- upon the reins. Twist 
 a lock of the mane round the thumb or fore-finger, and. close the hand 
 firmly upon the reins. Take the stirrup in the right hand,, and place the 
 left toe in it as far as the ball ; let the knee press against the flap of the 
 saddle, to prevent the point of the toe from irritating the side of the 
 horse; seize the cantle of the saddle with the right hand, and springing 
 up from the right toe, throw the right leg clear over the horse, coming 
 gently into the saddle by staying the weight of the body with the right 
 hand resting on the right side of the pommel of the saddle ; put the right 
 toe in the stirrup.” Now this is in the main applicable to a man of five 
 feet ten inches or six feet, but to a shorter individual attempting to mount 
 a horse of fifteen hands three inches, it is an impossibility, simply because 
 he cannot reach the cantle from the same position which enables him to 
 hold the stirrup in the left hand. The Captain is also wrong, in my 
 opinion, in directing that the body should be raised into the saddle directly 
 from the ground, with one movement. This will always bring the rider 
 down into the’saddle with a very awkward jerk; and the proper direction 
 is to raise the body straight up till both feet are on a level with the 
 stirrup-iron, and then with the left leg held against the flap of the saddle 
 by the left hand on the pommel, the right leg is easily thrown over the 
 cantle, and the body may be kept in the first position until the horse is 
 quiet, if he is plunging or rearing. A short man can generally place his 
 foot in the stirrup while held in his hand, but it should be known that all 
 cannot do this, because I have seen young riders much vexed at finding 
 that they could not possibly do what is directed. Most of our writers on 
 horsemanship are of the military school, and endeavour to cut every one’s 
 cloth by their own coats. They are able to do certain things easily, and 
 so are their men, because they are mostly of the height already specified, 
 but as sportsmen and civil equestrians are of all heights, I shall endeavour 
 to accommodate my remarks to all heights and classes* In all cases the 
 rider should stand at the shoulder, though with a short man it is much 
 easier to mount a tall horse from the himUquarter, but the danger of 
 kicking is very great; and even in mounting with “a leg,” in the jockey 
 style, I have known the thigh very nearly broken by a kick. If the hand 
 can steady the stirrup it should do so, but if the person is too short, the foot 
 can be placed in the stirrup without its aid; then taking the reins between 
 the fingers, much as directed in the passage already quoted, and grasping 
 a lock of the mane with the finger and thumb, the body is raised till the 
 right foot is brought to a level with the left, when the right hand seizes 
 the cantle, and with the left grasping the pommel, the body is steadied for 
 a short time, which, in the ordinary mount, is almost imperceptible, but in 
 
THE SEAT. 
 
 289 
 
 a fidgety horse is sometimes of considerable length. The leg is now 
 thrown gently over the saddle, and as it reaches the cantle the hand is 
 withdrawn, after which the body sinks into the saddle in an easy and 
 graceful manner. The right foot is then placed in the stirrup, with or 
 without the aid of the right hand holding it. 
 
 Such is the English method. Mr. Rarey, in opposition to this plan, 
 advises that the right hand and arm shall be thrown over the saddle, the 
 horseman standing with his back to the quarters, and thus incurring the 
 chance of being severely kicked. 
 
 THE SEAT. 
 
 The position of the rider in the saddle, called “ the seat,” admits of 
 several variations according to the purpose to which he is devoted, but it 
 is mainly influenced by the length of the stirrups. In the military style 
 these are so long that the weight of the body is conveyed to the saddle 
 by the inside of the thighs, or “fork” alone, while in that adopted in the 
 East this part scarcely touches the saddle, and the breech and feet distri- 
 bute the weight between them. Colonel Greenwood, who is the only 
 military writer on horsemanship that can be taken as a guide for the road, 
 tells us — “ There is one direction which I think applies to all seats. Turn 
 the thigh from the hip, so as to bring the hollow to the saddle ; this 
 places the foot straight to the front, with the heel out and the toe in. 
 Trotting without stirrups on the thigh only, with the heel down and the 
 toe up, shoulders back, a snaffle rein in each hand like a rough-rider, is 
 the best possible position for sitting.” Now the latter part of this is quite 
 true, but the former is not quite consistent with my own experience, for 
 if the short stirrups of the Eastern horseman are adopted, the hollow of the 
 thigh cannot be brought to the saddle, yet this style he admits is “ ad- 
 mirable in its way.” Dismissing then the military seat for which Colonel 
 Greenwood’s directions may suffice, I may assert that, in the ordinary 
 English style, there are four points necessary to be considered ; namely, 
 (1) the position of the weight, which will be mainly influenced by (2) 
 the position of the knees well forward on the flap, (3) the proper length 
 of the stirrup-leathers, and (4) the carriage of the body. If the weight is 
 not laid upon the middle of the saddle, which is the axis of the “ see- 
 saw” motion made in the gallop, it has to be raised at every stride, and 
 thus additional labour is thrown on the horse. With long stirrups in the 
 military style this is of necessity done; but, with short stirrups, the 
 knees are often placed on the flaps behind the leathers, and then the 
 breech remains close to the cantle and sometimes almost overlapping it. 
 To get the length of leather adapted to most men, though there are occa- 
 sionally exceptions, the rider should sit well on his fork, and then the 
 stirrups should be taken up or let down till they just touch the ankle bone. 
 For road riding this enables the hollow of the thigh to touch the saddle, 
 because the ball of the foot being on the stirrup, the heel is down an inch 
 and a half below it ; whilst, in the hunting-field, as the stirrup is worn 
 “ home,” the knee is carried higher and more forward on the saddle, and 
 the weight is distributed between it, the breech, and the foot. With re- 
 gard to the carriage of the body, all the directions in the world will not 
 make it easy, and without the supervision of a master, or a friend, to point 
 out defects, no one can be sure that he is sitting in a good, much less an 
 elegant style. It is not possible even to know that the shoulders are 
 square, or that the body is not carried on one side, defects which I have 
 
'290 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 known persisted in for years without the slightest consciousness of them 
 on the part of the rider, who would gladly have rectified them if he had 
 known of their existence. One rule may, however, be given, namely, that 
 no effort should be made to move in any direction, and that, on the con- 
 trary, every endeavour should be directed to keep the body and legs as 
 still as the action of the horse will allow, bearing in mind that the 
 opposite extreme of stiffness is almost equally bad. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OE THE BEINS. 
 
 There are three distinct modes of holding and managing the reins. 
 In the first, adopted by the military school, the left hand does all, with- 
 out any assistance from the right, which is occupied with the sword, 
 lance, or carbine. In the second, the left hand holds the reins, aided 
 occasionally by the right ; and in the third, or “ two-handed method,” the 
 reins are permanently held one in each hand. The first of these is only 
 needed in the manege , and I therefore shall not allude to it ; while the 
 last requires no description, further than to mention that it is the mode 
 adopted by the colt-breaker, and that it gives far more control over the 
 mouth than either of the others. As single and double reins are differently 
 placed in the hand, a description of each will be necessary. 
 
 The single rein is held by placing all the fingers but the first between 
 the two leathers, and then, making both turn over that one, they are firmly 
 held by pressing the thumb against it. This gives a firm grasp, and at the 
 same time allows of either being pulled tighter than the other by turning 
 the wrist. To shorten the grasp, the right hand has only to lay hold of the 
 loose part of the rein, and then the left, sliding forwards towards the neck, 
 can close wherever it may be desired. In order to be sure that the elbow 
 is held against the side, the thumb should always point towards the 
 horse’s ears; and the nearer the little finger can be carried to the pommel 
 of the saddle the better. In using the single rein, the management of the 
 mouth, if a good one , is easy enough; nevertheless, there are various 
 directions for the purpose adopted in different schools, which are de- 
 pendent upon altogether conflicting principles. Every tyro knows tliat 
 the horse turns to the left by pulling the left rein, and to the right by 
 pulling the opposite one ; and the problem to be solved is to do this by 
 one hand only. Now, this with the single rein is easily effected by raising 
 the thumb towards the right shoulder, when the right rein is to be pulled, 
 or by drawing the little finger towards the fork for the left ; in both cases 
 by a turn of the wrist, without lifting the whole hand. But over and 
 above this action on the mouth, and in many cases independent of it, is a 
 movement which, in trained horses, is capable of much greater delicacy, 
 and which depends upon the sensibility of the skin of the neck for its 
 due performance. It is effected by turning the whole hand to the right or 
 left, without any wrist action , so as to press the right rein against the 
 neck, in order to cause a turn to the left, and the left rein against the 
 neck for the opposite purpose ; at the same time rather slackening the 
 reins so as not to bear upon the mouth by so doing. In this way a horse 
 may be turned with a much greater degree of nicety and smoothness than 
 by acting on the corner of his mouth. But highly-broken horses, such as 
 the military troop-horses, are often too much used to their bits to answer 
 to this slight and delicate manipulation ; and therefore it is eschewed by 
 Captain Bichardson, as well as by Colonel Greenwood, but, strangely 
 enough, for opposite reasons, and each attempting to substitute a very 
 
THE USE OF SPURS. 
 
 291 
 
 different process for it. I an> well aware that some horses can never be 
 taught it, hut must always have a bearing made on the mouth before they 
 will turn ; yet, when it can be inculcated, it makes the animal so tractable 
 and agreeable to ride, that it is a highly desirable accomplishment ; and I 
 cannot, therefore, join in condemning its use, but should rejoice if it could 
 in all cases be fully developed. 
 
 The double rein is usually held by those who ride for pleasure in this 
 country as follows : — Begin by taking up the snaffle-rein, and place the 
 fore and middle fingers between its two portions ; then lay hold of the 
 curb-rein, and either hook it loosely on to the little finger, if not imme- 
 diately wanted, or draw it up to the requisite degree of tightness and turn 
 it over the fore finger, when it will lie upon the snaffle-rein, and, together 
 with it, will be gripped by the thumb. By adopting this plan, the curb- 
 rein is always at the command of the right hand ; and it may be shortened 
 or let out in a moment, which is of constant occurrence in every day's 
 ride. The hand is held as with the single rein, with the thumb pointing 
 to the horse's ears ; in turning, however, there is much less power of 
 bearing on either side of the bit by raising the thumb or lowering the 
 little finger, because the distance between the snaffle-reins is only half 
 what it was, and therefore the mode of turning by pressure upon tlie neck 
 is doubly desirable ; and hence its general adoption in those cases where 
 double-reined bridles are used, as in the field and on the road. Some- 
 times, to obviate this objection, the snaffle-reins are placed as in the 
 single-reined bridle, outside the little finger, and then the curb is hooked 
 over the ring-finger, between the snaffle-reins, so as to allow of the full 
 manipulation of the mouth by the hand, without bearing upon the neck. 
 But the objection to this is, that the curb cannot be shortened without 
 releasing the snaffle ; and therefore the horse must either be ridden on the 
 curb alone while this process is being effected, or his head must be loosed 
 altogether; whereas, in the other mode, his mouth is still under the 
 control of the snaffle all the time that the curb is being let out or 
 taken in. 
 
 The attainment of “ good hands," by which is to be understood a light 
 and delicate handling of the reins, is, or ought to be, the aim of every rider. 
 The most delicate mouth in the world is soon spoilt by bearing heavily on 
 it, as is too often done by grooms, and, indeed, by the average run of our 
 horsemen. So also in hunting, if the horse is not allowed his head in 
 making his effort, he will be almost sure to fail in exactly doing what he 
 meant, and will hit timber, if he is put at that class of fence, or will drop 
 his hind legs into the ditch, if there is one. Bad riders use the reins as a 
 means of balancing themselves in the saddle, and this is especially done 
 in the hunting-field, where they would be utterly unable to maintain 
 their seats without the aid thus afforded to the proper grip and balance. 
 Every one in learning to ride ought to be taught to go through all the 
 paces, and to jump the bar without any reins in his hand ; and when he 
 finds he is able to do without them, be will learn to use them only in the 
 way for which they are intended. 
 
 THE USE OF SPUES. 
 
 Spurs are employed for three distinct purposes, which are — first, to 
 stimulate the energies of the flagging or idle horse ; secondly, to punish 
 the vicious or refractory animal ; and thirdly, to induce him to improve 
 his pace without accelerating it, — from which last office they are speciallv 
 
 u 2 
 
292 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 termed “ persuaders.” Sir Francis Head lays it down as a rule, that all 
 horses in this country are so generous, as to he excited by every carriage 
 or rider that passes them ; hut though this is certainly the rule, there are 
 numerous exceptions to it, and to ride a “ slug ” without spurs on the road 
 would, be a nuisance, and in the hunting-field a service of extreme danger. 
 That they may he abused is true enough; and that they often are so, is 
 equally correct; but that is no reason why they should not be worn by those 
 who can be trusted with them. On the road, they are only required for 
 sluggish or vicious horses; but in the hunting-field, it is never safe to be 
 unprovided with them, as a prick at the right moment has saved many 
 a fall. 
 
 MODES OF STARTING THE HORSE INTO HIS VARIOUS 
 
 PACES. 
 
 To make a horse start off in a quick walk, when he is not inclined to 
 do so, either from being too fresh or too raw, is by no means an easy task. 
 I have often ridden one for several days in succession, before I could 
 make him settle down to a fair walk, and even then the slightest excite- 
 ment would upset all my apparent previous progress. This is especially 
 true of those horses possessed of such elastic joints, that they could “ jog” 
 at a rate much slower than they could walk. Here restraint by the 
 bridle is out of the question, and any excitement by the voice or heel 
 increases the jog into a full trot, without passing through any intermediate 
 stage. The difficulty consists in the fact that for a perfect walk the head 
 jnust be at liberty, and when this is allowed to a generous horse, he is 
 inclined to go off at a rate faster than suffices for the pace in question. The 
 only plan, therefore, is to ride such horses quietly, till they are leg weary, 
 whatever the number of hours may be required, and then it is possible to 
 loose their heads without their taking advantage of the liberty to go off 
 “ at score.” Indeed, in the walk, the head should never be much con- 
 fined, and yet the rider should not entirely leave it uncontrolled ; the 
 finest possible touch is enough, so that on any trip the hand is at once 
 informed of it by the drop of the head, when, by a sudden jerk of the 
 bridle, not too forcible, it rouses the horse, and prevents his falling. It is 
 not that he is kept up by pulling the rein, but that he is roused by it and 
 made to exert himself, for many horses seem regardless of falls, and would 
 be down twenty times a day if they were not stimulated by the heel 
 and bit. Confinement of the head in the walk is absolutely injurious, 
 and more frequently causes a fall than saves one. A good walker will go 
 on nodding his head to each step, more or less as it is a long or a short 
 one ; and if this nodding is prevented by the heavy hand of the rider, the 
 fore-foot is not properly stretched forward, the step is crippled, and very 
 often the toe strikes the ground ; when, if the head were at liberty, it 
 would clear it well. In horses which are apt to stumble in the walk, 
 I have generally found that a loose rein, with the curb held ready for a 
 check, is the safest plan; and then the horse soon finds that he is 
 punished the moment he stumbles, and in a very short time he learns to 
 recover himself almost before he is reminded. I do not like the spur or 
 the whip so well, because the use of either makes the horse spring forward, 
 and often blunder again in his hurry to avoid this kind of punishment. 
 The check of the curb, on the other hand, makes him recover himself 
 without extra progress, or rather by partially stopping him, and thus he is 
 better able to avoid his falL The body is allowed to yield slightly to the 
 
29 b 
 
 STARTING THE TROT. 
 
 motions of the horse, hut not to waddle from side to side, as is sometimes 
 seen. Some horses do not stir the rider at all, while others throw him 
 about and fatigue him greatly ; and this may generally be foretold when 
 the tail sways much from side to side in the walk, which is caused by the 
 over-long stride of the horse, a very desirable accomplishment in the race- 
 horse or hunter, but not in the hack. 
 
 The jog trot is a pace that there is seldom any difficulty in effecting, 
 and on the contrary, as I have just observed, the rider is often engaged 
 for hours or days in breaking the young horse of it. 
 
 The regular trot is generally easy to produce, but sometimes when 
 the canter has been much adopted, it is not so readily effected. The 
 best plan is as follows : — Take hold of both the reins of the snaffle, and 
 bear firmly, but steadily, upon the mouth, lean slightly forwards in the 
 saddle, press the legs against the horse's sides, and use the peculiar click 
 of the tongue, which serves as an encouragement to the horse on all occa- 
 sions. If properly trained, he will now fall at once into the trot, but if 
 he breaks into a canter or gallop, he must be checked, and restrained into 
 a walk, or a “ jog-trot.” Where the horse has been much used to canter, 
 and can go at that pace as slowly as he walks, there is often great diffi- 
 culty in making him trot, for no restraint, short of a total halt, will pre- 
 vent the canter. In such cases, laying hold of an ear will often succeed, 
 by making the animal drop his head, which movement interferes with the 
 canter, and generally leads to a trot. The rising in the stirrups is gene- 
 rally practised in civil life, as being far less fatiguing to both horse and 
 rider ; but in the military schools the opposite style is inculcated, because 
 among a troop of horse it has a very bad effect if a number of men 
 are bobbing up and down, out of all time. If it were possible for all to 
 rise together, perhaps the offence against military precision might be par- 
 doned ; but as horses will not all step together, so men cannot all rise at 
 the same moment, and the consequence is that they are doomed to bump 
 upon the sheep-skins in a very tiresome manner, fatiguing alike to man 
 and horse. This rising in the saddle of itself encourages horses which 
 have been accustomed to it to trot in preference to any other pace, and 
 they understand the faintest indication of it as a sign that this particular 
 pace is to be commenced, and trot accordingly. The civilian’s mode of 
 riding the trot is as follows : — At the precise moment when the hind and 
 fore legs are making their effort to throw the horse forward in progression, 
 the body of the rider is thrown forcibly into the air, in some horses to 
 so great an extent as to make a young rider feel as if he never should 
 come down again. After reaching the utmost height, however, the body 
 falls, and reaches the saddle just in time to catch the next effort, and so 
 on as long as the trot lasts. In this way the horse absolutely carries no 
 weight at all during half his time, and the action and reaction are of such 
 a nature that the trot is accelerated rather than retarded by the weight. 
 Ho horse can fairly trot above twelve miles or thirteen miles an hour 
 without this rising, though he may run or pace in the American style, so 
 that it is not only to save the rider’s bones but also to ease the horse that 
 this practice has been introduced, and holds its ground in spite of the want 
 of military sanction. It is here as with the seat ; utility is sacrificed to appear- 
 ances ; and whenever the long and weak seat of the barrack-yard is sup- 
 planted by the firm seat of the civilian, I shall expect to see the rising in 
 the trot abandoned, but certainly not till then. The military length is not 
 now what it was thirty years ago ; and perhaps some time or other soldiers 
 may adopt the rise, but 1 am afraid not until they have produced many 
 
294 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 thousands more sore backs than they need haye done if they had never 
 practised it. In the trot, the foot should bear strongly on the stirrup, 
 with the heel well down, and the ball of the foot pressing on the foot- 
 piece of the stirrup, so that the elasticity of the ankle takes off the jar, 
 and prevents the double rise, which in some rough horses is very apt to 
 be produced. The knees should always be maintained exactly in the 
 same place, without that shifting motion which is so common with bad 
 riders, and the legs should be held perpendicularly from the knee down- 
 wards. The chest should be well forward, and the waist in, the rise nearly 
 upright, but slightly forward, and as easily as can be effected without 
 effort on the part of the rider, and rather restraining than adding to the 
 throw of the horse. 
 
 Good hands and a quiet seat only, with the aid of a curb bit properly 
 adapted to the mouth, are required to develop the canter, by restraining 
 the gallop ; but to make a horse start off at once, with a lead of either leg 
 as desired, is altogether another matter. To do this, the canter with 
 either leg leading must first be completely taught, so that there is no diffi- 
 culty in making the horse display that particular pace at any time. Then 
 just at the moment before starting, pull the rein, and press the heel on 
 the side opposite to the leg which it is desired the horse should lead. 
 The reason of this is obvious enough ; every horse in starting to canter 
 (and many even in the canter itself) turns himself slightly across his line 
 of progress, in order to enable him to lead with that leg which he thereby 
 advances. Thus, supposing a horse is going to lead off with the off fore- 
 leg, he turns his head to the left and his croup to the right, and then 
 easily gets his off-leg before and his near-leg behind into the line 
 which is being taken. hTow, to compel him to repeat this action, it is 
 only necessary to turn him in the same way, by pulling his head to the 
 left, and by touching him with the left heel, after which he is made to 
 canter by exciting him with the voice or whip, whilst at the same moment 
 he is restrained by the curb. When once this lead is commenced, the 
 hold on the curb and pressure on the legs may be quite equal ; but if, 
 while the canter is maintained, it is desired to change the leading leg, the 
 horse must be collected and roused by the bit and voice, and then 
 reversing the pull of the reins and the leg-pressure from that previously 
 practised, so as to turn the horse in the opposite way to that in which he 
 was started, he will generally be compelled to change his lead, which is 
 called “ changing his leg.” The seat in this pace is a very easy one, 
 the knees taking a very gentle hold of the saddle, the feet not bearing 
 strongly upon the stirrups, and the body tolerably upright in the saddle. 
 The hands must not be too low, but should keep a very gentle but con- 
 stant pressure upon the bit, and should, if there is the slightest tendency 
 to drop the canter, rouse the mouth by a very slight reminder, and also 
 stimulate the spirits by the voice or whip. 
 
 The gallop being generally, though not always, his fastest pace, the 
 horse may be forced into it readily enough by the stimulus of the voice, 
 whip, or spurs. Sometimes very fast trotters cannot gallop so fast as they 
 can trot, but these are rare exceptions, and need not be considered in any 
 other light. It is therefore useless to describe the mode of starting this 
 pace ; but some allusion may advantageously be made to the best method 
 of riding it. There are two seats adopted, the ordinary one being to sit 
 down into the saddle and keep as close to it as possible, but another being 
 also practised called standing in the stirrups. The former is the usual 
 seat, and it is only in racing or in the very fast gallop at other times that 
 
HIDING TO HOUNDS. 
 
 295 
 
 the latter is adopted. In sitting down the feet may be either resting on 
 the ball of the toe, as in the other paces, or with the stirrup “home” to 
 the boot, as is common in all field-riding. The body is thrown easily and 
 slightly back, the knees take firm hold, the rider being careful not to grip the 
 horse so tight as to distress him, which fault I have known very muscular 
 men often commit. The hands should be low, with sufficient pull at the 
 mouth to restrain, but not to annoy and make him “ fight;” and if he is 
 inclined to get his head down too much, or the reverse, they must be 
 raised or lowered accordingly. When the standing in the stirrups is to be 
 practised, the weight is thrown upon them, steadying it with the knees 
 and thighs, which should keep firm hold of the saddle. The seat of the 
 body is carried well back, while at the same time the loin is slightly 
 arched ; but by this combined action the weight is not hanging over the 
 shoulder of the horse, as it would be, and often is, when the breech is 
 raised from the saddle and brought almost over the pommel, with the 
 eyes of the rider looking down his horse’s forehead, or very nearly so. If 
 a jockey of more than seven or eight stone, with a good seat, is watched, 
 it will be seen that his leg does not descend straight from the knee, but 
 that it is slightly thrown back from that line, and consequently that his 
 centre of gravity is behind it, so that he can, by stiffening the joint, carry 
 his body as far behind it as his stirrup is, without ceasing to stand in it. 
 Very light jockeys adopt a somewhat different seat, riding with longer 
 stirrups and throwing their weight greatly on the muscles of the thigh, 
 while they raise the breech entirely from the saddle, but only for a com- 
 paratively small distance. This gives them a strong hold of their horses, 
 without which, being so small, they could not ride them. Standing in the 
 stirrups cannot long be maintained without fatigue to the rider, and it is 
 only adopted in racing or in short gallops over bad ground, as in hunting, 
 when there is a deep piece of fallow, or a steep hill, or any other kind of 
 ground calculated to tire the horse. 
 
 HIDING TO HOUNDS. 
 
 The kind of seat generally adopted in riding to hounds has been 
 already described, and I need not therefore allude to it again. I may, 
 however, remind the tyro that the less he depends upon balance, and the 
 stronger hold he can get of the saddle with his knees and calves, the more 
 likely he will be to avoid a fall without his horse coming down also. If 
 this accident happens, a loose seat sometimes befriends the rider by 
 causing him to be thrown out of the way of the horse, but in the long 
 run the man who has a strong grip of his saddle will fare the best. Good 
 hands and judgment are equally necessary, and the combination of these 
 three qualities makes up the finished performer across country, always 
 supposing the presence of nerve in addition. 
 
 There are certain rules adopted in all hunting countries, which must 
 be stringently carried out in order to ensure the safety of the hounds and 
 horsemen, and avoid those disputes which would otherwise constantly 
 occur between riders jealous of each other’s prowess. These may be 
 summed up in the following plain directions : — 
 
 * When near the hounds keep to the right or left of them, and not 
 directly behind, where you are always in danger of riding over some of the 
 tail hounds. So also when the pack are crossing a thick fence, when 
 there is often only one gap weak enough to allow of their getting over, 
 avoid its proximity, and take a place at least a dozen yards off. 
 
296 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Independently of hounds, every rider should take a line of his own, or 
 if he is unable to do this and must follow a leader, let him keep such a 
 distance behind that if a fall takes place he can avoid jumping upon him. 
 In a large held of horsemen, every one cannot possibly take a different 
 line, nor is it easy to keep always at a safe distance ; but at big places 
 there is generally some hesitation, and a proper interval can be maintained. 
 N o one should attempt to pass his neighbour either on the right or left 
 of the line he has chosen, when near a fence ; but of course this is not 
 to deprive him of his chance of taking the lead in the middle of a large 
 enclosure, when a little racing can do no harm. By the adoption of this rule, 
 jostling and crowding at a weak place are avoided, which without it would 
 be sure to lead to serious accidents. 
 
 Use your judgment in saving your horse in deep ground, making up 
 for the apparent loss by putting him along whenever a sound headland or 
 good turf can be obtained. It is not going straight over sound land that 
 distresses a horse, but the making use of him over deep ground, and at 
 the wrong time. Many men seem to know no difference between sound 
 turf and rotten or wet arable, and will kick their horses along over high 
 ridge-and-furrow in a wet clay district, at a pace which no horse can bear 
 for more than a mile or two in such a country. A workman would look 
 out for headlands or footpaths, &c. ; and would, by a slight detour , gain 
 upon those who disdained to leave the line even for a few yards. Wet 
 and sticky ridge-and-furrow tires a horse dreadfully, and the consequence 
 is, that if he is pushed over it he speedily loses his powers and wind, and 
 falls in a very ugly way at the first fence he comes to of a size above the 
 average. Hence, every man who aspires to go well to hounds must learn 
 to be “ a judge of pace,” and should endeavour to make out the signs of 
 distress, and the best way of avoiding it. So much depends upon condition 
 and* breeding, that it is very difficult for a man with a strange horse to 
 know what liberties he may take with him. Some well-bred ones will be 
 blown, yet if nursed they will come again and again, while the dunghill- 
 animal will give up when once he has lost his wind, and is gone for that 
 day at least. In ascending steep banks, a careful and active horseman 
 will dismount and lead his horse up, and by so doing often gains a mile or 
 two upon his less humane and cautious antagonist. In ascending hills it 
 is often expedient to make a zigzag ; but in descending you can never go 
 too straight, as the opposite course often leads to a dangerous slip on the 
 side, with a crushed knee or ankle as a consequence. Few horses fall 
 forwards, and they always manage to save themselves by slipping down on 
 their haunches. This is a point of great importance, and should always 
 be strictly attended to. 
 
 There are two general directions, which will serve for almost all 
 descriptions of fence. These are, that if a height is to be overcome, the 
 horse should be taken slowly up to it, in a collected manner, with his 
 haunches well under him. On the other hand, width requires impetus, and 
 the pace should be forced during the last few strides up to a very high 
 rate. Under the former head may be classed timber (in all the varieties of 
 gates, single posts and rails, stiles, and palings), walls, strong pleached 
 fences, and banks. To the latter belong water in all shapes, double posts- 
 and-rails, bullfinches, and those fences with a ditch on both sides, as well 
 as those which have a ivide one on the landing side. In addition to these 
 there are the actual standing leap, seldom practised in the present day, the 
 creeping style, the “on and off” leap, and the “ drop,” which is a variety 
 of the standing leap. 
 
RIDING TO HOUNDS. 
 
 297 
 
 In collecting the horse, and properly putting him at his fence, there 
 is a great art, and nothing but practice will give it in perfection. Double- 
 posts-and-rails require a great deal of collecting and rousing, and the horse 
 must go pretty fast at them, as also must he at all wide jumps, including 
 water in all its forms. One essential is, that the horse shall have con- 
 fidence in his rider ; for if he thinks he may turn to the right or left he 
 will most probably do so, unless he is very fond of jumping. Nervous 
 men communicate their feelings to their horses, and though it may be 
 difficult to explain how it is done, there is no doubt of the fact. It is 
 remarkable how soon horses find out what kind of man they carry, and 
 how they alter under different hands. This is partly owing to a mis- 
 management of the mouth, but in great measure also to the trepidation of 
 the rider. Unless, therefore, he has full confidence in his own courage, he 
 need never expect his horse to go steadily and straight at his fences. The 
 collecting is much easier than the management of the bit at the leap itself, 
 for there are two opposite things to be done, and the delicate point is to 
 hit the moment of change from one to the other to a nicety. The first is 
 to “ catch hold of the horse’s head,” as it is called — that is, to bear more 
 or less upon the mouth, pull the horse on his haunches and rouse him, 
 either by voice, heel, or whip. This lasts till the moment of the effort 
 made to rise over the obstacle, when the head should be released, so that 
 the horse may have all his bodily powers at his command. If the head is 
 confined the haunches do not act fully, because in making the spring the 
 head is protruded, and pain is given by the bit if it is still held fast ; and 
 hence, to avoid the pain, the extension does not take place, the leap is not 
 made with sufficient spring or power, and the horse alights too near the 
 ditch, if there is one, or possibly in it. But in releasing the head 
 judgment is required, for if the rein is too loose the horse is apt to alight 
 in such a position that he is “ all abroad,” and without great help he will 
 often fall ; hence, most good performers, though they do not absolutely 
 confine the head, yet they keep a very gentle and delicate hold of the 
 mouth, and not only thus prevent the horse over-extending himself, but 
 are also prepared to assist him if he is inclined to fall. This is the finished 
 style of riding, and is only in the power of a man with a good seat as well 
 as good hands. Both are wanted, because without the former it is 
 impossible to avoid “ riding the biidle ” — that is, holding on by it as well 
 as by the saddle ; and without good hands that delicate management of 
 the bridle which I have attempted to describe is impracticable. What is 
 called “ lifting” the horse is sometimes attempted with the bit, but I do 
 not recognise its utility. When a horse is likely to touch the top bar of 
 a gate, or in any way to use too small an effort, a stroke of the whip down 
 the shoulder is the best lift. Bousing and collecting are quite distinct 
 from lifting, which I believe to be a myth altogether. In creeping, good 
 hands and quietness in the saddle are the chief elements of success, and 
 without them both, no one is likely to do much in this particular style ; 
 hence it is that so few men can “creep” well, even though they have 
 horses accustomed to it under other hands. When the horse has been 
 thoroughly taught to creep his head may almost be left without control, 
 merely guiding him quietly to the gap, and then letting him take his own 
 way ; but where the horse has to be made to creep, a rein should be taken 
 in each hand, and the head guided as if with a silken thread, to the right 
 or left, or wherever the animal is required to go. These remarks will per- 
 haps be useful to all who have no experienced friend ready to afford a 
 practical demonstration of the same fundamental points. One actual lesson 
 
298 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 in the field is worth all the reading in the world ; hut, in default of this, 
 the preceding observations will serve to assist the young aspirant for 
 honours in riding to hounds. 
 
 OUT-DOOR, VICES ART) BAD HABITS. 
 
 Out-door vices depend upon the temper of the individual, and include 
 shying, rearing, kicking, lying down, plunging or bucking, shouldering, and 
 running away. Bad Habits arise from a defective formation of the body, 
 and are confined to stumbling and cutting. 
 
 Shying generally arises from timidity, hut sometimes it is united with 
 cunning, which induces the animal to assume a fear of some object for the 
 sole purpose of finding an excuse for turning round. The usual cause of 
 shying is doubtless the presence of some object to which the colt has not 
 been accustomed, and if he has buck eyes, which render him short-sighted, 
 it will be difficult to convince him of the innocent nature of the novel 
 object. There are endless peculiarities in shying horses, some being 
 dreadfully alarmed by one kind of object, which to others is not at all 
 formidable. When a horse finds that he gains his object by turning 
 round, he will often repeat the turning without cause, pretending to be 
 alarmed, and looking out for excuses for it. This is not at all uncommon, 
 and with timid riders leads to a discontinuance of the ride, by which the 
 horse gains his end for the time, and repeats the trick on the first occasion. 
 In genuine shying from fear the eyes are generally more or less defective ; 
 but sometimes this is not the cause, which is founded upon a general irri- 
 tability of the nervous system. Thus, there are many horses which never 
 shy at meeting tilted waggons, or other similarly alarming objects, but which 
 almost drop with fear on a small bird flying out of a hedge, or any other 
 startling sound. These last are also worse, because they give no notice to 
 the rider, whereas the ordinary shyer almost always shows by his ears that 
 he is prepared to turn round. 
 
 The best plan of treatment which can be adopted, is to take as little 
 notice as possible of the shying, and to be especially careful not to show 
 any fear of its recurrence when a waggon appears in the distance. When 
 the horse begins to show alarm, but not till then, the rider should speak en- 
 couragingly to him, and, if necessary, with a severe tone, which may even 
 oe supported by the use of the whip or spurs, if his onward progress 
 cannot be otherwise maintained. The principle which should be carried 
 out is to adopt such measures as will get the horse to pass the object 
 at which he shies somehow or other, and this should be effected with as 
 little violence as possible, always commending in an encouraging tone as 
 soon as the purpose is gained. Nothing has so great a tendency to keep 
 up the habit as the plan so common among ignorant grooms, of chastising 
 the shyer after he has passed the object of his alarm. If he can be per- 
 suaded to go quietly up to it and examine it with his muzzle as well as 
 with his eyes, great good will be effected ; but this can seldom be done 
 with moving waggons, and heaps or stones are generally only alarming 
 from defect of vision, so that each time they assume a new phase to the 
 active imagination of the timid animal. 
 
 Rearing is seldom met with excepting among raw colts, or if it is con- 
 tinued to a later period it is generally incurable. When existing in an 
 aggravated form it is a most dangerous vice, as a fall backwards over the 
 ri ler has often led to fatal consequences. 
 
 The usual remedy for it in the colt is the ordinary running martingale. 
 
OUT-DOOR VICES. 
 
 299 
 
 which will keep down the rearer who is merely indulging in his playful 
 fancies. When, however, the vice has become confirmed, nothing short 
 of severe punishment will be of any service, and the horsebreaker generally 
 resorts to the plan of knocking the horse down as he rises by a blow be- 
 tween the ears with a loaded crop. This stuns the horse for a time, and 
 alarms him so much that he is often cured by one act of the kind ; but it 
 is attended with some danger of injuring the horse, and the rider does not 
 always escape. Another plan adopted by active breakers is to wait till 
 the horse is just on the balance, and then slipping off to the left, it is easy 
 to pull him over backwards ; but this also is often followed by severe 
 injury to the horse when the ground is hard. I have almost invariably 
 found that bad rearers have very supple necks, which increases the diffi- 
 culty of keeping them down by any kind of martingale, and probably this 
 will account for the habit having become inveterate. A stiff-necked horse 
 can scarcely rise high if his head is confined even by the running martin- 
 gale ; but when the side-straps are tightly buckled to the bit, he is 
 effectually restrained, whereas with a loose neck the head can be so bent 
 in to the brisket that no obstacle is offered. In such cases I have known 
 a cavesson with the noseband lined with sharp prickers, and the martin- 
 gale buckled to it ; a most effectual prevention, as the slightest pull opens 
 it, presses the prickers into the nose and gives acute pain. Whenever the 
 rider finds a horse inclined to rise, he should at once lean forward, and 
 after ineffectually trying the martingale to keep the horse down, he must 
 loose his head, or he will be almost sure to bring him backwards and cause 
 a severe fall. 
 
 Ton kickers, except when the habit is merely a mode of letting off 
 superfluous spirits, severity is the only remedy, and a strong application 
 of the whip down the shoulder the best means of using it. At the same 
 time the snaffle-reins ought to be firmly held, and by their means the head 
 kept up, for there is always a tendency to lower this part in the act of 
 kicking ; the gag snaffle is very effectual for this purpose. 
 
 Lying down is rare in the present day, being chiefly confined to under- 
 bred horses and Welsh ponies, which are gradually going out of use. 
 The spur is the only means likely to keep a stubborn brute up ; but in 
 some cases its application is followed by the animal throwing himself 
 down suddenly instead of gradually. 
 
 Plunging may be described as a series of bounds into the air, which 
 when they are made up and down in the same place, or nearly so, are 
 called “ bucking, 5 ’ from their resemblance to the playful antics of the deer. 
 A bucking horse is very difficult to sit, but by sawing the mouth with a 
 twisted snaffle it may generally be stopped at once. 
 
 By shouldering is understood the attempt to crush the leg of the rider 
 against a wall, which some ill-tempered horses are fond of doing. It is 
 easily avoided by pulling the horse's head round to the wall instead of 
 from it. 
 
 Running away is too well known to need description. In some horses 
 it is a species of temporary madness, and scarcely any bit, however severe, 
 will stop them. When there is room and scope enough, the remedy is 
 simple, but, unfortunately, runaway horses generally choose a crowded 
 thoroughfare to indulge their fancies in. A gallop to a stand-still, with 
 the free use of the spur or whip at the latter part of it, will sometimes 
 prevent a recurrence of this vicious act ; but where the tendency is very 
 strong it will have little effect. Punishing bits only make some high- 
 couraged horses worse, but the majority of runaways would be dangerous 
 
300 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 with a plain snaffle only, and yet there are some which will go quietly 
 enough in it, while the adoption of a curb will rouse their tempers at 
 once. Of course they can only be ridden with great care and judgment, 
 and must never be roused unnecessarily. Fortunately the mouths of horses 
 are now made so much more carefully than in former times, and their 
 management is so much better understood, that we seldom hear of or see 
 an accident from this cause, either in the saddle or in harness. The most 
 essential part of the treatment of a runaway is the proper selection of a 
 bit, which should be sufficient to control him without exciting opposition 
 from the pain it gives. For the majority of such horses I know nothing 
 better than the Bucephalus noseband, which I have already described at 
 page 287 . 
 
 Stumbling arises from a variety of causes, and the nature of any 
 particular case should be thoroughly investigated before any remedy for it 
 is attempted. Sometimes it is merely dependent upon low or “ daisy 
 cutting ” action, and then it is possible that it may not be attended with 
 danger. I have known many horses which would stumble at least every half- 
 mile, but yet they would travel for years with sound knees, the other leg 
 being always ready to catch the weight. In other cases a stumble would 
 only occur at rare intervals, but if the trip was made it was rarely 
 recovered, and a fall was almost sure to follow. Again, it happens with 
 some horses that when they are fresh out of the stable, their action is 
 high and safe, but after a few miles the extensors of the leg tire and they 
 are constantly making a mistake. Inexperienced judges are very apt to 
 examine the action of the fore legs alone, while that of the hind quarter 
 is of quite as much importance to safety, and is more so as regards the 
 ease of the rider. Lameness is a frequent source of a fall, from the ten- 
 dency to put the foot too soon to the ground in order to take the weight 
 off the other. And lastly, upright pasterns will produce stumbling, when 
 the shoulders are so formed that the foot is put down too near the centre 
 of gravity. 
 
 The best plans for remedying these several conditions are as follows. 
 If the cause is weakness of the extensors no care can be of much service, 
 all that can be done being' to be on the look out for a trip and then to 
 take the weight off the fore quarter as much as possible by sitting well 
 back, at the same time using such an amount of sudden pressure on the 
 bit as to cause the horse to exert himself, without any attempt to keep up 
 the head by mechanical force, which is an impossibility. When laziness 
 is the cause, the stimulus of the spur or whip will suffice, and it often 
 happens that a horse is safe enough at his top pace while a slower one is 
 full of danger. In lameness of course the remedy is to wait till the foot 
 or feet are sound again. 
 
 Cutting depends either upon the legs being set on too near together, 
 or on their joints not acting in a proper hinge-like manner. Many horses 
 cut when in low condition, but are quite free from the defect when in 
 flesh, and in such cases it is only necessary to let them wear a boot until 
 they have had time enough to become fresh. Wherever horses “ go close ” 
 care should be taken that the shoes do not project beyond the hoof, and 
 the clenches of the nails should be carefully watched, the groom seeing 
 that they are filed down by the smith if they stand up at all above the 
 level of the horn. Cutting may take place either on the prominent part 
 of the fetlock-joint, or midway between it and the knee, or just below the 
 latter, which is called “ speedy cutting,” and is very apt to cause a fall. 
 A boot should be fitted to the leg in either case, and worn till the part ia 
 
HARNESS. 
 
 301 
 
 thoroughly healed and all swelling has disappeared, when if any likely 
 method of treatment has been adopted the horse may be tried without it, 
 but no journey should be undertaken without one in the pocket in case it 
 may be needed. A peculiar method of shoeing, called a feather-edged 
 shoe, will often prevent this bad habit as long as it is adopted. 
 
 HARNESS. 
 
 Harness should always be chosen of the best leather which can be 
 procured, and double stitched throughout. Inferior materials and work- 
 manship are dear at any price. There is no improvement in principle 
 upon the old-fashioned collar, and the buckle which has been in use ever 
 since carriages came into fashion is still the best. 
 
 DRIVING- A SINGLE HORSE. 
 
 The harness used in driving a single horse for general purposes is 
 shown in the annexed engraving, and this form will serve either for two 
 or four wheels. A complete set consists of three parts — 1st, the drawing 
 part ; 2nd, that for holding up the shafts and backing the carriage ; and 
 3rd, that for guiding the horse. 
 
 DETAILS OP SINGLE HARNESS. 
 
 The drawing part consists of the collar (a), which is an oval ring 
 padded so as to fit the horse’s shoulders, to which two iron bars, called 
 hames (c), are buckled on each side of it by a strap at top and bottom, 
 called the hame-straps (d d). These pass through a flat eye at each end 
 of the hames, and draw the two tightly together. Towards the top of each 
 hame is a ring called the hame-terret (e), intended to confine the rein in 
 its place as it passes to the head j while a little below the middle is a 
 
302 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 metal arm, with, an eye (/) in it, to which is attached the tug of the trace, 
 a clip of iron stitched into a double piece of leather, which is fixed to the 
 buckle for the trace (g). This last is simply a long double-leather strap, 
 attached at one end to the above buckle, and at the other by an eye to the 
 drawing-bar of the gig or carriage ; or sometimes the buckle is at the other 
 end, and then the tug is stitched at once into the trace. 
 
 The supporting and backing part consists of the pad or saddle (h\ 
 somewhat similar in principle to the riding saddle, but much narrower and 
 lighter. This has two rings for the reins, called the terrets (i), and a 
 hook \J) for the bearing rein, all at the top. It is fastened to the horse 
 by a belly-band ( k ), and at the back of it there is an eye for the crupper, 
 which is a leather strap from it to the tail, round the root of which it 
 passes, and thus holds the pad from pressing forwards. Through the 
 middle of the pad passes a strong leather strap, called the back-band ( l\ 
 which is attached to a buckle and strong loop on each side, called the 
 shaft tug (m), by which the shaft is supported, and also kept back from 
 pressing upon the horse's quarters, in which latter office it is sometimes 
 assisted by a leather strap passing round these parts, and buckled on each 
 side, either to the shaft or to its tug, and called the breeehen ( n ). 
 
 The part for guiding the horse consists of the bridle and the reins, 
 the former being made up of two cheek-pieces and winkers (p and q), a 
 throat-lash (r), a noseband (s), a face-strap (t), a front-piece (u), and a 
 head-piece (v). The cheek-pieces are buckled to the bit which is gene- 
 rally a strong curb, but sometimes only a double-ringed snaffle, now very 
 commonly used in driving. The reins ( w ) are merely long and narrow 
 strips of leather passing from the bit through the hame and pad-terrets to 
 the driver's hand. Bearing-reins are additional reins attached to bridoon 
 bits, and passing through ear-rings on or near the throat-lash to the hook 
 on the pad. They are, however, now seldom used in single harness ; but 
 are shown in the plan at page 301. Where the bearing-rein is not used, a 
 long ear-ring is now sometimes suspended from the head of the bridle, 
 through which the driving-rein passes, and by which the horse is pre- 
 vented from getting the rein under the point of the shaft, an accident 
 which is very annoying to those who leave their horses standing about 
 with their servants, as, unless the rein is at once slackened, the horse is 
 made to back and upset the carriage. 
 
 The chief variations in the details of single harness are in the 
 drawing part and in the breeehen, independently of the bearing-rein to 
 which I have already alluded, 
 
 BREECHEN AND KICKING-STRAP UNITED. 
 
303 
 
 A PAIK. 
 
 The breechen is sometimes made of the form shown in the last page, 
 combining it with the kicking strap, which is intended to keep down 
 the croup, when the horse attempts to indulge in that dangerous vice. 
 The kicking-strap is made to pass over the hips, and buckles to a loop or 
 tug which encircles each shaft. To this is suspended by another buckle 
 at (o), which can be taken up or let down at will, a breechen on the ordi- 
 nary plan, but it must be made of stout leather, or it will not be stiff 
 enough to support itself. 
 
 BREAST STRAP. 
 
 In the drawing part a breast strap is sometimes substituted for the 
 collar, its shape being shown in the above engraving at (6). It is 
 merely a broad padded strap to which the traces are buckled, and it is 
 supported by a withers strap, which is likewise buckled to it. It has the 
 advantage of being lighter than the collar, but with heavy weights to 
 draw it confines the shoulders, and it is now very little used excepting 
 for “ black work” and match-trotting. 
 
 A PAIE. 
 
 Pair horse harness only differs in detail from that already described, 
 both being made on the same principle. Double harness consists, like single 
 harness, of three essential parts ; but as there is no shaft to be supported, 
 the pad is much lighter and more simple. The drawing part is similar to 
 that already described, except that the lower eyes of the hames are per- 
 manently connected by an oval piece of metal, upon the lower part of 
 which a ring freely travels, to which the pole-piece of the carriage is 
 buckled, and by which it is backed. The trace-buckles, also, are oppo- 
 site the pad, and sujjported from it by a light strap, called the trace- 
 bearer. The traces themselves either end with an eye, or, with a full 
 fold upon themselves, with an iron eye, called a roller, and intended to be 
 used upon the roller-bolt of the splinter-bar. The pad is very light, and 
 has no back-band ; sometimes a long breechen runs to the trace-buckle ; 
 but for light harness a mere supporting strap for the traces, called a hip- 
 strap, is all that is used. The bridle is nearly the same as for single har- 
 ness, except that there are no ornaments on that side which is towards 
 the pole. The reins have, in addition to the single rein which is attached 
 to the outside of each horse’s bit, another called a coupling-rein, which has 
 a buckle towards the driver running upon the driving-rein, so that it may 
 be taken up or let out at pleasure, according to the mouth of the horse 
 
304 THE HORSE. 
 
 and his tendency to do more or less work than his share. These several 
 points of difference are shown in the annexed engraving, in which a set of 
 
 DOUBLE HARNESS. 
 
 double harness, suited to a light phaeton or brougham, is shown. The 
 traces are made to slip on roller-holts, instead of having eyes as for single 
 harness. 
 
 EOUR-IN-HAND. 
 
 The harness for four-in-hand wheelers resembles that shown above, 
 excepting that it is more massive, and the terrets are double for the 
 passage of the leaders’ reins. A ring is also fixed to the top of the head- 
 piece of the bridle so as to carry the reins forward to the leaders well 
 above their croup. The leaders’ traces have eyes which slip on to the 
 bars attached to the pole. 
 
*^bk\+ 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 THE 
 
 ANATOMY OF THE HOBSE. 
 
 CHAPTER XYII. 
 
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS, AND PHYSIOLOGY OF THE 
 
 SKELETON. 
 
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIOUS ORGANS— STRUCTURE OF BONE — OF THE SKELETON 
 IN GENERAL— THE ARTIFICIAL SKELETON — NUMBER OF BONES COMPOSING THE 
 SKELETON — GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE SPINAL COLUMN — OF THE HEAD AND FACE 
 — OF THE HYOID ARCH— OF THE THORACIC ARCH AND ANTERIOR EXTREMITIES — 
 OF THE PELVIC ARCH AND HIND EXTREMITIES— OF THE TAIL — OF THE FORE AND 
 HIND EXTREMITIES CONSIDERED AS ORGANS OF LOCOMOTION. 
 
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VABIOUS OEGANS. 
 
 The body of the Horse-, like all the vertebrate animals, may be con- 
 sidered as made np of several distinct apparatuses or systems. Of these, 
 the first is a machine composed of the bony skeleton, or framework, the 
 various parts of which are united by joints and moved by muscles. 
 Secondly , there are contained within the thorax the organs which supply 
 the whole body with the means of nutrition in the form of blood, and 
 purify this fluid. Thirdly , in the abdomen are presented to view the 
 important organs which assimilate the food to the condition of the blood ; 
 while in the adjoining cavity, the pelvis, are the urinary and generative 
 apparatuses. Fourthly , the nervous system may be considered, as com- 
 prising the grand centre of the mental faculties, and, also, as presiding 
 over and controlling the whole of the functions performed by the several 
 organs; and fifthly, certain special organs, as, for example, those of sense, 
 and, likewise, the foot will complete the whole circle of systems to be 
 reviewed. Each of these groups will, therefore, be described in a separate 
 chapter. 
 
 OF THE STBUCTUBE OF BONE. 
 
 The bones are composed of a tissue peculiar to them, enveloped by a 
 membrane, the 'periosteum. They contain a semi-fluid of a fatty nature, 
 the marrow , and are pierced in various directions by blood-vessels and 
 nerves. 
 
 The proper tissue of the bones is made up of two distinct substances, 
 either of which may be removed by artificial means, leaving the other 
 entire. If, for instance, a bone is submitted to the heat of a furnace, it 
 
 x 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 306 
 
 retains its shape and rigidity, but becomes much whiter in colour, and 
 is rendered extremely brittle. In fact, the mineral salts entering into its 
 composition are left, but the animal matter binding them together is com- 
 pletely decomposed and carried off in a gaseous form. On the other hand, 
 by immersing a bone for two or three weeks in diluted hydrochloric acid, 
 the earthy salts are dissolved, while the animal matter is untouched. 
 Here the bone retains its original shape, but it is soft and flexible ; and 
 instead of presenting its usual opaque yellowish- white colour, it is semi- 
 transparent, and resembles the ordinary gelatine of the shops. According 
 to Berzilius, bone is chemically composed of the following constituents — 
 namely, cartilage, reducible to gelatine by boiling ; blood-vessels ; phos- 
 phate of lime ; carbonate of lime ; fluate of lime ; phosphate of magnesia; 
 soda and chloride of sodium. 
 
 Considered mechanically , the bones form the framework of the animal 
 machine. In the limbs they are hollow cylinders, admirably fitted by 
 their shape and texture to resist violence and support weight. In the 
 trunk and head they are flattened and arched, to protect the contents of 
 the cavities they form, and to provide an extensive surface for the attach- 
 ment of muscles. In certain situations their exterior is raised into pro- 
 jections called processes, which serve as levers for the muscles to act upon ; 
 in others they are grooved into smooth surfaces for the easy gliding of 
 tendons, when these are stretched between the fleshy part of a muscle and 
 one of its attachments. Lastly, they sometimes present a large hollow for 
 the lodgment of the belly of a muscle, as in the case of the scapula. These 
 differently shaped bones may, therefore, be classed under the following 
 three heads : — 
 
 1st. The long bones consist of the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, 
 tibia, and fibula ; the metacarpal and metatarsal bones (called, in 
 horsemen’s language, the cannon bones), the phalanges (pastern bones), 
 and the ribs. These bones are all divisible into a central cylindrical 
 shaft, and two heads or extremities. The shaft is usually of a prismoid 
 form, dense in texture, and presenting a longitudinal tube in the interior, 
 called the medullary canal, which contains marrow. The heads are broad, 
 to articulate with the next adjoining bones, and are covered with a thin 
 layer of cartilage, which will be described in the chapter treating of the 
 joints. Their outer surface is a hard osseous layer, within which is a 
 mass of cells containing red medullary matter, to be presently described. 
 
 2d. The fiat bones are composed of two layers of dense tissue, one on 
 each surface, having between them another of a cellular nature, called 
 the diploe. As a matter of course, from their shape, they have surfaces, 
 borders, and angles ; in addition to which they have projections, called 
 processes, of various shapes. They consist of the chief bones of the head, 
 the scapula, and pelvis. 
 
 3d. The irregular bones comprise the lesser bones of the head and face, 
 the vertebrae, sacrum, sternum, carpal and tarsal bones, the sesamoid 
 bones, the bones of the foot, and the patellae. They resemble the flat 
 bones in their structure. 
 
 When microscopically examined, bone is seen to be made up of a dense 
 and homogeneous substance (basis substance), in which are numberless 
 minute cells (corpuscles of Purkinje). The basis substance is partially 
 fibrous and slightly lamellated, the layers being concentric in long bones 
 and parallel in flat ; it is traversed in all directions (more especially in 
 the long axis, where there is one) by canals (Haversian canals), which 
 frequently branch and inosculate, giving passage to vessels and nerves. 
 
THE SKELETON IN GENERAL. 
 
 SOT 
 
 In certain situations the lamellae separate, and leave between them spaces 
 of various sizes, called cancelli, Besides entering into the composition of 
 the basis substance, the lamellae are collected concentrically round the 
 Haversian canals, the boundaries of which they form, generally to the 
 extent of ten to fifteen layers. Both the compact and spongy tissues are, 
 therefore, composed of the same elementary structure, the former being 
 especially intended to afford resistance to violence with as little weight as 
 is consistent with its office, for which reason it is hollowed into a tube ; 
 while the latter is enlarged as much as possible without unnecessarily 
 adding to its weight, the problem being solved by its development in a 
 cellular form. 
 
 The Periosteum is a dense fibrous membrane which covers every part of 
 the surface of the bones, excepting their extremities when they enter 
 into the composition of a joint, its place being then occupied by cartilage. 
 (See Joints.) When this membrane covers the bones of the skull it is 
 called pericranium, and when it invests the cartilages of the ribs it 
 receives the name perichondrium . It is full of blood-vessels, especially in 
 the young, and they freely communicate with those of the surrounding 
 soft parts. Hence it is extremely liable to inflammation, either caused 
 by injury to itself or to the parts which cover it. 
 
 The marrow , or medullary substance, is contained in the cavities formed 
 within the bones, being of a yellow colour and oily nature in the shafts 
 of the long bones ; and more or less red, from the admixture with blood, 
 in the flat and irregular bones, and in the heads of the long bones. It is 
 contained within the areolar meshes of a membrane, which lines these 
 cavities, answering to the periosteum, which has been already described. 
 This medullary membrane is of excessive tenuity, and is composed of blood- 
 vessels ramifying in fine cellular tissues. The use of marrow in the animal 
 economy is not very clearly demonstrated. 
 
 In the embryo , all the bones originally exist in the state of cartilage, 
 being soft and flexible. By degrees vascular canals are developed within 
 its substance, by the union of its cells in rows. These concentrate 
 towards some one or more points, which in a long bone are one in the 
 centre of the shaft and one at each extremity. Starting from this point 
 ( punctum ossificationis), fibres run out, embracing clusters of cells, and 
 sending branches between the individuals composing each group. In 
 this manner the network, characteristic of bone, is formed, the cells 
 uniting to form the permanent areolae and Haversian canals. At first the 
 contents of the cells are transparent, then granular, and finally opaque, 
 from the pressure of amorphous mineral matter. The several ossified 
 portions are quite distinct for a long time in the young animal, and may 
 readily be separated by boiling or maceration. 
 
 OF THE SKELETON - IN GENERAL. 
 
 The name skeleton has been given from the Greek word cr/ccAAco (to 
 dry), it being the only part of the body which will bear dessication without 
 change of form. In the vertebrata it is an internal bony framework, but 
 in the Crustacea it invests the soft parts, and forms an insensible covering 
 to them, while at the same time it serves the purpose of locomotion. In 
 both these divisions of the animal kingdom the skeleton forms a series of 
 arches or rings, capable of moving on each other, but so fir ml y attached 
 as to secure protection to the important organs contained within them. 
 In the horse, as in all the higher mammalia, these rings or arches are 
 
-Artificial Skeleton of the Horse. 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
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 THE ARTIFICIAL SKELETON. 
 
 double — one set, the superior, being continuous throughout the whole 
 length of the animal from the head to the root of the tail, and containing 
 the nervous system ; while the other lying below, but closely connected 
 to them, is interrupted in certain localities, being found to exist chiefly in 
 three regions : — 1st, where it forms the jaws and bone of the tongue ; 
 2d, where, by means of the ribs and sternum, it constitutes the thorax and 
 its appendages, the anterior extremities ; and, 3dly, where, in the shape of the 
 pelvic arch, it protects the organs of generation, and, through the posterior 
 extremities prolonged from it, assists in locomotion. The superior of 
 these arches, from containing the brain, and its prolongation, the spinal 
 cord, is called the neural arch. The inferior is termed the haemal arch 
 (al/jia, blood), because it protects the heart and its large blood-vessels as 
 the latter pass from the thorax towards the head and posterior extremities. 
 In all the vertebrata the neural arch consists of one continuous cavity, 
 defended from end to end by bony plates, strongly joined together; and 
 in some of the lower forms (lizards) the haemal arch is nearly as complete, 
 these animals having cervical ribs ; while the dugong and some others are 
 furnished with ribs in their tails. Consequently, it is fair to consider the 
 whole skeleton in the superior forms of the animal kingdom as composed 
 of two series of arched plates, firmly united together, but still allowing 
 more or less motion, and serving to protect the centres of the nervous and 
 sanguineous systems, from which they have received their names. 
 
 THE ARTIFICIAL SKELETOH. 
 
 The bones of the Horse, as of the other mammalia, may be preserved 
 with their natural ligamentous attachments connecting them in a dry 
 state, in which condition the skeleton is called a natural one. It is 
 usual, however, to macerate them so long that all the soft parts readily 
 separate, leaving the bones without any of the ligaments or cartilages 
 which are firmly fixed to them during life. They are then put together 
 by wires, &c., the cartilages being represented by leather and cork. In 
 this way it often happens that the proportions are not exactly preserved, 
 and, on reference to an articulated skeleton in any museum, the inex- 
 perienced eye may be greatly misled. Thus it is very common to repre- 
 sent the thorax in the artificial skeleton as much shallower than it is in 
 nature, where its lower margin is on the average about midway between 
 the top of the withers and the ground. Again, in the fresh state, the 
 intervertebral fibro- cartilage is in some parts of the spine of considerable 
 thickness ; and if the proper substance is not artificially supplied, the 
 skeleton will be too short, or if too thick a material is added it will be 
 too long. In the engraving of the skeleton occupying the opposite page, 
 which is drawn from the skeleton in the Museum of the Veterinary 
 College of London, the spine is correctly represented, but the thorax is 
 too shallow, and the scapula, together with the whole fore extremity, is 
 placed too far forward. 
 
 HUMBER OF ROHES COMPOSIHG THE SKELETOH. * 
 
 The skeleton is composed of two hundred and forty-seven separate 
 bones, which are united by joints to form the spine, thorax, pelvis, tail, 
 and fore and hind extremities. The spine is finished anteriorly by the 
 head, which is divided into the cranium and face, and contains the teeth. 
 
310 THE HOUSE. 
 
 Suspended from the head is the os hyoides, which completes the number 
 
 of bones. Thus : — 
 
 The spine consists of 7 cervical, 18 dorsal, and 6 lumbar vertebrae — 
 
 Total 31 
 
 The thorax is made up of the dorsal vertebrae, with 18 ribs on each 
 
 side, and the sternum in the middle — Total . . 37 
 
 The pelvis comprises 2 ossa innominata (or ilium, ischium, and 
 
 pubes), and 1 sacrum — Total 3 
 
 The tail contains on the average 17 bones 17 
 
 The fore extremity is made up on each side of the scapula, 
 humerus, os brachii, and 8 carpal bones, 3 metacarpal, os suffra- 
 ginis, os coronae, os pedis, os naviculare, 2 ossa sesamoidea- — Total 
 
 on both sides 40 
 
 The hind extremity has the femur, patella, tibia, fibula, 6 tarsal 
 bones, 3 metatarsals, os suffraginis, os coronae, os pedis, os naviculare, 
 
 2 ossa sesamoidea — Total 38 
 
 Bones of the cranium 10 
 
 Bones of the face and lower jaw 18 
 
 Teeth 40 
 
 Bones of the internal ear, 4 in each organ 8 
 
 Os hyoides, or bone of the tongue, made up of five sections . . 5 
 
 Grand total 247 
 
 GENERAL ANATOMY OE THE SPINAL COLUMN. 
 
 The vertebral or spinal column is the first rudiment of internal 
 skeleton seen in the lower vertebrate animals, and this constitutes the type 
 of that great division of the animal kingdom. In the horse, also, it is the 
 portion of the skeleton first developed in the embryo, and forms the centre 
 around which all the other parts are framed. At its first appearance it is 
 a cartilaginous cylinder, surrounding and protecting the primitive trace of 
 the nervous system ; but as the embryo increases in growth, points of 
 ossification are developed corresponding to each vertebra, the whole tube 
 being finally divided into distinct pieces called vertebrae , to which the 
 bones of the head are a prolongation, corresponding in their nature, 
 though differing outwardly in form. 
 
 The vertebrae are divisible into true and false, the former reaching from 
 the head to the pelvis, and the latter extending thence backward, being 
 respectively called the sacrum an^. coccyx. 
 
 The true vertebrae comprise the 7 cervical, 18 dorsal, and 6 lumbar 
 vertebrae. Each consists of a body, from which two laminae or plates 
 project upwards, terminating in a spinous process. In addition to these 
 are two lateral projections (transverse processes), which serve the purpose 
 of firmly connecting the vertebrae together by means of the muscles 
 attached to them, and also to the ribs and extremities below. Lastly, 
 each vertebra has two small surfaces before and the same number behind 
 (articular surfaces), which form distinct joints between them. The details 
 of these parts, and the peculiarities met with in each set, will be described 
 in the next chapter. 
 
 Between the body, the laminae, and the spinous process, is an opening, 
 more or less triangular in shape, in which lie the spinal cord and its 
 investments. The edges of this opening are attached to those before and 
 
THE HEAD. 
 
 311 
 
 behind by ligamentous tissues (ligamenta subflava ), which, opposite each 
 intervertebral space, are pierced by openings on each side to give exit 
 to the vertebral nerves passing out to the exterior of the body and to the 
 extremities. Opposite to these openings the bone is notched above and 
 below, and these intervertebral notches complete the parts common to the 
 whole series. Thus the vertebral or spinal column serves as a firmly 
 secured but flexible tube for the lodgment of the spinal cord, while at the 
 same time it gives passage to its nerves. By this formation it is far less 
 liable to injury, and also more useful as an aid to locomotion, than if it 
 were made of one solid piece of bone, which, from its length, would be 
 readily broken. 
 
 OF THE HEAD AND FACE, AND OF THE HYOID AECH. 
 
 Modern anatomists, following out the idea first suggested by Maclise 
 and Owen, consider the head as made up of six vertebrae ; the posterior 
 one, or that nearest to the neck, being the occipital bone, the next two 
 being made up of the temporal bone, and the ultimate vertebrae consisting 
 of the sphenoid and aethmoid bones. This is a somewhat fanciful hypo- 
 thesis, when worked out in detail ; but it is obvious that the several 
 bones of the skull subserve the same purposes as the vertebrae, and 
 resemble those parts of the skeleton in forming a series of irregular 
 arches to protect the brain, the division into separate pieces being far 
 more secure than if the whole were in one. 
 
 The bones of the face, including the lower jaw and os hyoides, 
 depend from the neural arch or brain- case much in the same way as the 
 ribs and pelvic bones posterior to them are attached to the vertebrae, and 
 though they inclose organs of less vital importance, yet they are perfectly 
 analogous to these parts in their types and in the offices which they 
 perform. 
 
 OF THE THOEACIC AECH AND ANTEEIOE EXTREMITIES. 
 
 Lying in the horse at some distance posteriorly to the three first 
 segments of the haemal arch (the bones of the face, lower jaw, and os 
 hyoides), and separated from them by the neck, where there is a hiatus, 
 the thoracic arch and anterior extremities depend from the vertebrae corre- 
 sponding to them. In many of the higher vertebrates the fore extremity 
 is firmly united by a joint to the thorax, and may be considered with it ; 
 but in the horse it is only attached by muscles, the thorax being slung 
 between the upper edges of the blade-bones by means of two broad sheets 
 of muscular fibres. Hence the collar-bone is entirely absent in this 
 animal ; and thus, while he is free from dislocations and fractures of that 
 bone, to which he would be constantly subject if it were present, he is 
 rendered more liable to strains and rheumatic inflammations of the mus- 
 cular sling, by which freedom of action is impaired. 
 
 In the articulated skeleton it is usual to consider the thorax as 
 made up by the eighteen dorsal vertebrae superiorly, the eighteen ribs 
 and their cartilages on each side, and the sternum with its cartilages 
 below. But the cavity of the thorax, as bounded by the diaphragm 
 posteriorly, is not nearly so large as would be supposed from a considera- 
 tion of the dry skeleton, for though the diaphragm is attached to the 
 twelve posterior ribs near their cartilages, yet its surface is so convex 
 towards the thoracic cavity, that a very large space within the bony 
 
312 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 thorax is really occupied by the abdominal organs. This will he hereaftei 
 more fully explained in examining these parts at page 407, et seq. 
 
 THE PELVIC ARCH AND HIND EXTREMITIES. 
 
 Behind the thorax occurs a second interval corresponding to the 
 loins, where the haemal arch is deficient ; hut at the pelvis the circle is 
 completed hy the hones of the ischium, ilium, and puhes, united to the 
 sacrum above, and having the hind extremities firmly articulated to them 
 at the hip joints. The pelvis constitutes not only a firm and solid case for 
 the protection of the large blood-vessels, and of the urinary and genital 
 organs, but it is also intimately connected with locomotion, to which the 
 posterior extremities largely contribute. 
 
 THE TAIL. 
 
 This organ appears to be intended chiefly to protect the body from 
 insects ; but it also serves to some extent as an aid in balancing the body 
 when rapidly moving in any new direction. It is made up of from fifteen 
 to eighteen bones, which will be described in the next chapter. 
 
 THE FORE AND HIND EXTREMITIES CONSIDERED AS 
 ORGANS OF LOCOMOTION. 
 
 The several bones which are connected together to form the ex- 
 tremities must be regarded, first, as organs of support, and, secondly, as 
 the primary means of locomotion. Each extremity consists of correspond- 
 ing divisions, the ilium being the analogue of the scapula ; the femur of 
 the humerus ; the tibia and fibula of the ulna and radius ; the tarsus of 
 the carpus; and, lower down, the bones of the fore and hind extremity 
 being precisely similar in their forms. There is, however, a want of 
 exact correspondence in the form and direction of the joints, which has 
 been much insisted on by homologists, and which Mr. Maclise has 
 attempted to explain in his very interesting article on “ The Skeleton,” 
 contained in the “ Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology ” edited by 
 Dr. Todd. It appears to me that this does not make matters more 
 simple, but the reverse, and that the proper point of view is to regard the 
 humerus and femur as homologous, and the tibia, with the patella, as ana- 
 logous to the ulna and its olecranon process. The intervention of the 
 ligament between the patella and tibia does not affect the use of the 
 former as a lever; and both joints being perfectly hinge-like in their 
 actions, there is no other important difference. Descending to the next 
 joint, the os calcis stands out as an important lever, and is represented in 
 the carpus by the os pisiforme (called by Percivall os trapezium), each 
 having important muscles inserted in their upper edges. It is true that 
 the one is an agent in what is called extension, while the other is engaged 
 in flexing the limb ; but this is only dependent upon the limit to motion 
 in either direction. Below the carpus and tarsus there is no necessity for 
 continuing the comparison. 
 
 Regarding the limbs as means of support, it must be remembered 
 that the fore limbs are nearer the centre of gravity, and, therefore, sustain 
 more weight than the hind. The fore quarter is suspended between the 
 bases of the two shoulder-blades, chiefly by the serrati magni, and in such 
 a way as to require no special muscular contraction. The four parts of 
 
THE EXTREMITIES. 
 
 313 
 
 which the limb itself is composed being bent at various angles, are pre- 
 vented from giving way by the muscular actions of the extensors of the 
 humerus and ulna, the carpus (or knee) having little tendency to yield, 
 and the pastern being supported by the flexor muscles and suspensory 
 ligament. The hinder limbs, though sustaining less weight, are not so 
 favourably circumstanced for this purpose, the angles between their 
 several parts being generally more acute. But if these are attentively 
 regarded, there is not so much difference as is generally supposed. Thus, 
 the first joint, the ilio-femoral, forms a less acute angle than its analogue, 
 the shoulder joint (see fig. 1, r.m.). Again, though the stifle joint is con- 
 siderably bent, it is not more so than the elbow joint, which will be clear 
 on comparing the two in the skeleton given at page 308. The chief dis- 
 advantage sustained by the hind limbs as means of support will be found 
 in the hock, as compared with the knee, the latter being nearly straight, 
 while the former is much bent ; but as it has a long lever to assist it (the 
 os calcis), and as this is kept in position by the powerful hamstring 
 muscles, each of which serves its purpose far more completely than the 
 flexor of the carpus inserted in the os pisiforme, it may readily be under- 
 stood that the hind limb is not greatly at a disadvantage in supporting 
 the weight of the body. 
 
 As agents of locomotion, the offices of the fore and hind limbs are 
 widely different. Each has been already described as consisting of four 
 sections, bent at angles on each other. In the fore limb these angles are 
 framed to serve as springs, so that when the feet touch the ground, they 
 are enabled to adapt themselves so as to avoid altering the line of progres- 
 sion of the body. In those animals which have small and short fore legs, 
 as the kangaroo and hare, the most rapid locomotion ever consists in a 
 series of curves ; whereas, in the horse at full speed, the body progresses 
 in one straight line, owing to this elastic structure of the anterior limbs. 
 So, also, in descending from an extraordinary leap, the springy action of 
 the fore limbs of the horse is so powerful that he can get off again without 
 dwelling, whereas the kangaroo and hare must depend almost entirely 
 upon their hind legs, and consequently stop for a second after their descent. 
 On the other hand, the angular formation of the hind limbs is intended 
 to enable the animal to drive its whole body forward, by first flexing all 
 the joints, and thus drawing the feet under the belly; and then suddenly 
 extending them with the feet fixed in the ground, the weight is neces- 
 sarily propelled. Or if the feet are not fixed they are lashed out back- 
 wards, developing the action so well known as “ kicking.” The difference 
 between the powers displayed by the two limbs, in straightening their 
 component parts, is well displayed in comparing kicking with the striking 
 out of the fore foot, which is common enough among vicious horses. It is 
 true that the latter will sometimes cause a severe blow ; but it could very 
 rarely break a limb, which is the least amount of mischief to be appre- 
 hended from the full force of a lash out with the hinder limb. 
 
314 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 CHAPTER XYIII. 
 
 DESCRIPTIVE ANATOMY OF THE SEVERAL BONES. 
 
 THE HEAD — BONES OP THE CRANIUM OP THE FACE— THE LOWER JAW — THE TEETH— 
 
 OS HYOIDES — CHARACTER OP VERTEBRA IN GENERAL GENERAL CHARACTER OP THE 
 
 CERVICAL VERTEBRAS — PECULIARITIES OP CERTAIN CERVICAL VERTEBR2E — GENERAL 
 CHARACTER OP THE DORSAL VERTEBRA] — PECULIARITIES OP CERTAIN DORSAL VER- 
 TEBRA! — GENERAL CHARACTER OP THE LUMBAR VERTEBRA!— PECULIARITIES OP CER- 
 TAIN LUMBAR VERTEBRA!— OS SACRUM — THE COCCYGEAL VERTEBRA! — THE RIBS AND 
 THEIR CARTILAGES — THE STERNUM — THE SCAPULA — HUMERUS — FORE-ARM — CARPUS 
 
 AND METACARPUS — THE PHALANGEAL BONES — THE PELVIS FEMUR AND PATELLA — 
 
 BONES OP THE LEG METATARSAL AND POSTERIOR PHALANGEAL BONES. 
 
 THE HEAD 
 
 Is composed of the bones of the cranium, face and jaw. 
 
 Fig. 1. — Profile View of the Head and Face. 
 
 1. Occiput. 7. Malar bone. 
 
 2. Parietal bone. ' 8. Posterior maxillary bone 
 
 3. Frontal bone. 9_H. Nasal bone. 
 
 4. Petrous portion of temporal bone. 10. Anterior maxillary bone. 
 
 5. Zygomatic arch. 11. Temporal fossa. 
 
 G. Lachrymal bone. 12, 13. Lower jaw. 
 
 BOHES OF THE CBANIUM. 
 
 The cranium, or brain case, is small as compared with that of man, and 
 occupies less than one-fourth of the whole head. It is made up of nine 
 bones, three of which are pairs and three single ones. These hones 
 are in most parts made up of two tables, with a cellular structure inter* 
 posed, called the diploe, which is in certain situations expanded into large 
 cells, as in the frontal sinuses. They are connected together by serrated 
 sutures, except where the temporal hone overlaps the parietal, and in that 
 situation, on each side the skull, one thin scale (squama) overlaps the other. 
 The two frontal hones unite to form the anterior part of the cranial cavity 
 and the upper walls of the orbits, leaving a space between them for the 
 reception of the aethmoid hone. The two parietals are situated at the 
 upper and lateral parts of the brain case, and are of an irregularly quadri- 
 lateral figure — each meeting its fellow in the median line on the top of 
 the head. The temporal bone overlaps the parietal on each side, with its 
 
BONES OF THE FACE. 
 
 315 
 
 squamous portion, while the petrous part runs in towards its fellow on the 
 opposite side, constituting a part of the floor of the brain case, and sepa- 
 rating that cavity into two. It contains within its bony structure the true 
 organ of hearing. The occipital bone occupies the back part of the cranium, 
 and makes up the base. It has a large opening (the foramen magnum), for 
 the passage of the medulla oblongata, and vertebral arteries ; and on each 
 side of this are large smooth articulating surfaces, for the attachment of 
 the atlas vertebra. The sphenoid bone is of a most remarkable shape, re- 
 sembling slightly a bat, with its wings partially expanded. The body and 
 wings complete the middle of the base of the skull, and the legs go to form 
 part of the walls of the nasal cavity and mouth. Lastly, the (Ethmoid bone 
 is made up of a cribriform plate supporting the anterior lobes of the brain, 
 and giving passage to the olfactory nerves, which spread over the cellular 
 structure, that constitutes the whole substance of this bone. Another 
 thin plate contributes to form the inner and posterior wall of the orbits. 
 
 BONES OF THE FACE. 
 
 The face is made up of the nasal, posterior, and anterior maxillary, 
 molar, lachrymal, and palate bones, the four turbinated bones, vomer, 
 and lower jaw. 
 
 Fig. 3. — Longitudinal Section of Head. 
 
 1, 2, 3. The upper walls of the cranium. 
 
 4. Frontal sinus. 
 
 5. Nasal bones. 
 
 6. Superior turbinated bone. 
 
 7. iEthmoidal cells. 
 
 8. Sphenoid bone, uniting with 
 
 9. Occipital bone. 
 
 10. Petrous portion of temporal bone. 
 
 11. Vomer. 
 
 12. Inferior turbinated bone. 
 
 13. Palatine plate of posterior maxillary. 
 
 14. Posterior maxillary bone, outer wall. 
 
 15. Anterior maxillary bone. 
 
 The nasal bones are long and thin, forming the roof of the nostrils. 
 Posteriorly they are broad, and taper gradually forwards to a sharp point. 
 The posterior maxillary bones are triangular in shape, thick behind, and 
 presenting thin edges in front. The anterior maxillary bones are of an 
 irregular shape, being connected with the corresponding edges of the 
 posterior maxillary and nasal bones, and completing with the former the 
 roof of the mouth. The malar bone has an irregularly triangular shape, 
 presenting its broad base forwards, and is connected with the temporal, 
 posterior maxillary, and lachrymal bones. The lachrymal bones form the 
 internal corners of the orbits, where they are very thin, and are hollowed 
 out to receive the lachrymal sac, and give passage to its duct. The palate 
 bones are of a very irregular shape, and are connected with the frortal, 
 sethmoid, sphenoid, posterior maxillary, inferior turbinated bones, and 
 vomer. The turbinated, bones , two in each nasal cavity, are attached to 
 its outer walls one above the other, and appear to be intended merely for 
 the purpose of extending the surface for the expansion of the olfactory 
 nerve. The vomer resembles in shape the share of the plough, after 
 which it is named, and rises up in the middle line of the back of the 
 division between the nostrils. 
 
316 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 THE LOWER JAW. 
 
 The lower jaw resembles in general shape the letter Y, the point 
 being rounded off forwards and receiving the incisor teeth, while the 
 two branches are broad, thin, and slightly curved, being surmounted by 
 the condyles for articulation with the glenoid cavity of the temporal bone, 
 and giving lodgment to the tushes and grinders. The two lines of 
 alveolar cavities are not so wide as those of the upper jaw, and conse- 
 quently the two sets of teeth do not exactly correspond. 
 
 THE TEETH. 
 
 The teeth are developed within their appropriate cavities or sockets, 
 which are found exactly corresponding with their number in the upper 
 and lower jaws, being narrower in the lower than in the upper. Before 
 birth they are nearly all in a state of incomplete growth, covered and con- 
 cealed by the gums, but soon afterwards they rise through it in pairs, the 
 first set, or milk teeth, being in course of time superseded by the perma- 
 nent teeth as in all the mammalia. The following is the formula of the 
 complete dentition of the horse : — 
 
 Incisors f, canine f, molars i|. 
 
 Each tooth is developed within its corresponding cavity in the jaw, 
 and is made up of three distinct substances — cement, enamel, and dentine. 
 The cement of the horse’s tooth (sometimes called crusta petrosa) closely 
 corresponds in texture with his bone, and, like it, is traversed by vascular 
 canals. The enamel is the hardest constituent of the tooth, and consists 
 of earthy matter arranged in the animal matrix, but contained in canals, 
 so as to give the striated appearance which it presents on splitting it 
 open. Dentine has an organized animal basis, presenting extremely 
 minute tubes and cells, and containing earthy particles, which are partly 
 blended with the animal matter in its interspaces, and partly contained 
 in a granular state within its cells. These three substances are shown in 
 the annexed sections of an incisor tooth, one of which, Fig. 4, is of the 
 natural size, while the other, Fig. 5, is shown under the microscope — 
 
 In the molar teeth the arrangement of these three substances is the 
 same, except that the cement and enamel dip down into two or more 
 cavities instead of one, and are also reflected in a sinuous manner upon 
 the sides. This inequality in the hardness of the component parts of 
 these teeth causes them to wear away with different degrees of rapidity, 
 and thus leaves a rough surface, which materially aids in grinding down 
 the hard grain which forms a large portion of the animal’s food. In the 
 upper jaw, the table presented by each molar tooth is much larger than 
 those of the corresponding lower teeth, and therefore it is easy to dis- 
 tinguish the one from the other. 
 
 The temporary or milk incisors differ in shape a good deal from 
 the permanent set. The milk teeth are altogether much smaller, but 
 especially in the neck, which is constricted in them, whilst in the perma- 
 nent set, which go on growing as they wear out, the diameter is nearly the 
 same throughout. The former are also v r hiter in colour, and have grooves 
 or indentations on their outer surfaces, running towards the gum. Lastly, 
 the mark on the table is much slighter than in the permanent teeth. The 
 temporary molars are not distinguishable from the permanent teeth of 
 that class. 
 
THE TEETH. 
 
 317 
 
 As A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT OF PARTS, the teetll, as they 
 wear down, present a different appearance according to the extent to 
 which their attrition has reached. On this fact is founded a means of 
 
 Fig. 4. — Section of Incisor. 
 
 c. Cement on external surface. 
 
 c. Cement reflected within the cavity, 
 e. Enamel also reflected. 
 
 d. Dentine. 
 
 s. Tartar, coloured black by decomposition of 
 food, contained within the cavity. 
 
 Fig. 5. 
 
 Section of a Portion of Incisor (magnified). 
 c. Cement. d. Dentine. 
 
 e. Enamel. 
 
 arriving at a knowledge of the age of the horse after he has shed his 
 milk teeth, which as a rule he does in pairs at certain fixed periods. In 
 order, therefore, to he able to estimate the age of the horse from his 
 teeth, it is necessary to ascertain, as nearly as may be, the exact time at 
 which he puts up each pair of his milk or sucking teeth, and afterwards 
 the periods at which they are replaced by the permanent teeth. Finally, 
 it becomes the province of the veterinarian to lay down rules for ascer- 
 taining the age from the degree of attrition which the permanent teeth 
 have undergone. For these several purposes, the horse’s mouth must be 
 studied from the earliest period of his life up to old age. 
 
 In horseman’s language the incisors are called nippers , the canine 
 t'eeth tushes, and the molars grinders. 
 
 By the end of the first year the colt has cut his twelve nippers 
 and sixteen grinders, which usually pierce the gums at the following 
 months. Before birth, the eight anterior grinders have generally shown 
 themselves, followed about a week after foaling by the two central nippers. 
 At the end of the first month another grinder makes its appearance all 
 round, and in the middle of the second the next nipper shows itself. By 
 the end of the second month the central nippers have attained their full 
 size, and the second are about half-grown, requiring another month to 
 
318 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 overtake their fellows. Between the sixth and ninth months the corner 
 nippers are cut, and towards the end of the first year reach their full size. 
 This first set of nippers consists of teeth considerably smaller in size than 
 the permanent teeth and somewhat different in shape. They are more 
 rounded in front, and hollow towards the mouth, the outer edge being at 
 first much higher than the inner. As they wear down, these two edges 
 soon become level, but the corner nippers maintain this appearance for 
 a long time. At six months the central nippers are almost level, with 
 the black “mark” in their middle wide and faint; and about the ninth 
 month the next nipper on each side above and below is also worn down 
 almost to a level surface. 
 
 During the second year the following changes take place : — In the 
 first month, and sometimes towards the end of the first year, a fourth 
 grinder is cut all round, which commences the set of permanent teeth, 
 the three first molars only being shed. At a year and a half, the mark 
 in the central nippers is much worn out, and has become very faint ; the 
 second is also worn flat, but is not so faint ; and the corner nippers are 
 
 Fig. 6.— Three- Year-Old Mouth. 
 
 B. Anterior maxillary bone. 3. 3. Corner milk teeth, still showing central 
 
 1. 1. Central permanent nippers, nearly full- mark. 
 
 grown. 4. 4. Tushes concealed within the jaw. 
 
 2. 2. Milk *eeth worn down. 
 
 flat, but present the mark clearly enough. In colts which have been 
 reared on corn and much hay, the wearing down proceeds more rapidly 
 tKan in those fed upon grass alone. 
 
 The third year is occupied by the commencement of the second 
 dentition, which is effected in the same order in which the milk teeth 
 
THE TEETH. 
 
 319 
 
 made their appearance. Both sets are contained within the jaw at birth, 
 the permanent teeth being small and only partially developed, and lying 
 deeper than the milk teeth. As the month grows, it becomes too large 
 for its first set of teeth ; and the roots of these being pressed upon by the 
 growth of the permanent set, their fangs are absorbed, and allow the new 
 teeth to show themselves, either in the places of the former, or by their 
 sides, in which case they are known by the name of wolf 's teeth . This 
 change proceeds in the same order as the cutting of the milk teeth, com- 
 mencing with the first grinder, which is shed and replaced by a per- 
 manent tooth early in the third year, a fifth grinder (permanent) making 
 its appearance about the same time. Towards the end of this year the 
 sixth grinder shows itself, but grows very slowly, and the central nippers 
 above and below fall out, and are replaced by permanent ones, which, 
 as before remarked, are considerably larger in size and somewhat different 
 in form. 
 
 Fig. 7.— Mouth of the Colt at Four and a Half Years. 
 
 A. Anterior maxillary bone. growth, with the edges of the cavity 
 
 1. 1. Central nippers, considerably worn down. sharp, and the mark very plain. 
 
 2. 2. The next pair, fully developed, with their 4. 4. The tushes showing themselves through 
 
 edges slightly worn. the gum, but not full-grown. 
 
 3. 3. Comer permanent nippers, in a state of 
 
 At three years the mouth presents the appearance shown on the 
 opposite page, the development of the permanent teeth varying a good deal 
 in different individuals. At three years and four or six months, the next 
 nipper all round falls out, and is replaced by the permanent tooth. The 
 corner nippers are much worn, and the mark in them is nearly obliterated. 
 About this time also the second grinder is shed. 
 
 At four tears of age, the mouth should differ from that represented 
 
320 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 in fig. 6 in the following particulars : — The central nippers begin to lose 
 their sharp edges, and have grown considerably in substance. The next 
 nipper all round has grown nearly to its full size, hut not quite, and its 
 edges are still sharp, with the mark deep and very plain. The corner 
 milk nippers still remain, unless they have been knocked out for purposes 
 of fraud, which is sometimes done to hasten the growth of the permanent 
 teeth, and give the horse the appearance of being four or five months older 
 than he is. 
 
 Between four and a half and five years, the corner nippers are 
 shed, and the tush protrudes through the gum. These changes are shown 
 at fig. 7. 
 
 At five years, the mouth is complete in the number of its teeth ; and 
 from this date it becomes necessary to study their aspect in both jaws. 
 Fig. 8 shows the upper teeth at this age, by comparing which with fig. 7 
 
 Fig. 8. — Upper Nippers and Tushes at Five Years Old. 
 
 1. l. Central nippers, with the mark still un- 3. 3. Corner nippers, with the edges very 
 
 obliterated. slightly worn. . 
 
 2. 2. Next nippers, with the mark still 4. 4. Tushes, well developed, and still showing 
 
 plainer. the groove on the outside plainly. 
 
 the slight growth in the half-year may he traced. In the lower teeth of 
 the same mouth, the edges of the central cavities are much more worn 
 away, the central nipper having only a small black speck in the middle of 
 a smooth surface, while the next is much worn, and the corner teeth, 
 
THE TEETH. 321 
 
 though showing the mark very plainly, bear evidence of having been used. 
 The tush is much grown, with its outer surface regularly convex, and its 
 inner concave, the edges being sharp and well defined. The sixth molar 
 is at its full growth, and the third is shed to make room for the permanent 
 tooth in its place. These two last-named teeth should always be examined 
 in cases where there is any doubt about the age. After five years, no further 
 shedding occurs in any of the teeth. 
 
 Fig. 9. — Lower Nippers and Tushes at Five Years Old. 
 
 1. 1. Central nippers, with their marks almost 
 
 entirely worn out. 
 
 2. 2. Next nippers, showing marks partially 
 
 worn. 
 
 3. 3. Corner nippers, with the mark plainly 
 
 seen, but the edges partially worn. 
 
 4. 4. Tushes, with the groves inside almost 
 
 obliterated. 
 
 The six-year-old mouth is the last upon which any great reliance can be 
 placed, if it is desired to ascertain the age of the horse to a nicety ; but by 
 attentively studying both jaws, a near approximation to the truth may be 
 arrived at. It is ascertained that the nippers of the upper jaw take about 
 two years longer to wear out than those of the lower ; so that until the 
 horse is eight years old, his age may be ascertained by referring to them, 
 nearly as well as by the lower nippers at six. But as different horses 
 wear out their teeth with varying rapidity, it is found that this test cannot, 
 be implicitly relied on ; and in crib-biters or wind-suckers the upper teeth' 
 wear out wonderfully soon. Fig. 10 is taken from the lower jaw of a six- 
 year-old horse, showing the marks of the central nippers almost obliterated, 
 but still presenting concentric circles, of discoloured brown tartar in the 
 middle ; next to which is the cement, then the enamel, and the dentine, 
 with a thin layer of enamel outside. Up to this age, the nippers stand 
 nearly perpendicular to each other, the two sets presenting a slight con- 
 vexity when viewed together, as seen in fig. 2, page 372. Afterwards 
 
322 
 
 THE HORSE, 
 
 the nippers gradually extend themselves in a straight line from each jaw, 
 and, in the very old horse, form an acute angle between them. 
 
 At about the eighth year, the upper nippers present the same 
 appearance as already described in the lower nippers at six years old. 
 Both tushes are considerably worn away at their points, and the upper 
 ones more so than the lower. 
 
 At nine years of age the upper middle nippers are worn down com- 
 pletely. The next pair have a slight mark left, hut their surfaces are 
 quite level, and the corner nippers have only a black stain, without any 
 central depression. 
 
 Fig. 10. — The Lower Nippers and Tushes of a Six-Year-Old Horse. 
 
 B. The lower jaw. plainly enough, but with the edges of 
 
 1. 1. The central nippers, with the marks the cavity considerably worn. 
 
 worn out. 4. 4. The tushes, standing up three-quarters of 
 
 2. 2 The next nippers, with the marks dis- an inch, with their points only slightly 
 
 appearing. bluntedl 
 
 3. 3. The corner nippers, showing the mark 
 
 After nine years the age of the horse can only he guessed at from his 
 teeth, which gradually grow in iength, and are more in a line with the 
 jaw. The section of each nipper presented to the eye becomes more and 
 more triangular instead of being oval, as seen in figs. 10 and 11 ; but after 
 about the twelfth year the triangular section disappears, and the tooth 
 becomes nearly round. In accordance with the increase of length is the 
 colour of the tooth altered, being of a dirty yellow in very old horses, with 
 occasional streaks of brown and black. The tushes wear down to a very 
 small size, and very often one or both drop out. 
 
 Allusion has already been made to the practice of removing the 
 milk nippers for the purpose of inducing a more rapid growth of the next 
 ot, which, however, is not materially affected by the operation ; but dis- 
 
TIIE TEETH. 
 
 323 
 
 honest dealers have recourse to another deception, called bishoping , by 
 which an aged horse may be passed off upon an inexperienced person for 
 a six-year-old. The plan adopted is to cut off all the nippers with a saw 
 to the proper length, and then with a cutting instrument the operator 
 scoops out an oval cavity in the corner nippers, which is afterwards burnt 
 with a hot iron until it is quite black. It is extremely easy to detect the 
 imposition by carefully comparing the corner nippers with the next, when 
 it will be seen that there is no gradation from the centre to the corner 
 nippers, but that the four middle ones are exactly alike, while the corners 
 present a large black cavity, without a distinct white edge to it, the dentine 
 being generally encroached upon without any regularity in the concentric 
 
 Fig. 11. — Upper Nippers in the Eight-Yea k-Old Horse. 
 
 A. Anterior maxillary bone. 3. 3. Comer nippers, showing the mark plainly 
 
 1. 1. Central nippers, worn to a plane sur- enough. 
 
 face. 4. 4. Tushes, more worn down than In the 
 
 2. 2. Next pair, still showing a slight remnant lower jaw of the six-year-old mouth. 
 
 of the cavity. 
 
 rings. Moreover, on comparing the lower with the upper nippers, unless 
 the operator has performed on the latter also, they will be found to be 
 considerably more worn than the lower, the reverse of which ought 
 naturally to be the case. Occasionally a clever operator will burn all the 
 teeth to a properly regulated depth, and then a practised eye alone will 
 detect the imposition. In the present day there is not so great a demand 
 for six-year-old horses as was formerly the case, and purchasers are con- 
 tented with a nine or ten-year-old mouth if the legs and constitution ai^s 
 fresh. Hence bishoping is seldom attempted excepting with horses 
 beyond the age of eleven or twelve ; and the mere use of the burning-iron 
 
 y 2 
 
324 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 without cutting off the teeth will seldom answer the purposes of the 
 “ coper.” Formerly it was very common to see mouths with the comer 
 nippers burnt to show a “good mark,” and nothing else done to 
 them ; but, for the reasons given above, the plan is now almost entirely 
 abandoned. 
 
 Irregularities in the growth of teeth are by no means uncommon in 
 the horse, often caused by the practice of punching out the milk teeth to 
 hasten the growth of the permanent set. Instead of having this effect, 
 
 Fig. 12.— Lower Nippers and Left Tush of a very Old Horse, the Right having fallen otiT. 
 
 however, the teeth are induced to take a wrong direction, and not meeting 
 their fellows they do not wear down as they naturally should. In 
 punching out the corner nipper it is very often broken off, and the fang is 
 allowed to remain in the socket. The consequence is that the picking up 
 of the food does not hasten the removal of the fang of the milk tooth, and 
 instead of accelerating the growth of the permanent tooth in the natural 
 position, it retards it and sometimes drives it to seek a passage through 
 the gums behind its proper socket. Here, not meeting the corresponding 
 nipper of the upper jaw, it grows like a tush, and has sometimes been 
 mistaken for a second tooth of that land. Some horses are naturally 
 formed with “pig jaws”- — that is to say, with the upper longer than the 
 lower — and in these cases the whole set of teeth grow to a great length, 
 and interfere with the prehension of the food. 
 
 OS HYOIDES. 
 
 The os hyoides in the horse consists of five distinct pieces, contributing 
 to the support of the tongue and larynx. One of these (the body) is 
 
THE VERTEBRAE IN GENERAL. 
 
 325 
 
 central, the other four are in pairs called the greater and lesser horns. 
 They are connected by ligaments. 
 
 The body resembles a two-pronged fork in form, having a central 
 portion flat, an appendix , or spur, which lies in the centre of the muscles 
 of the tongue, and two branches. At the sides of the central portion are 
 two little knobs for the articulation of the lesser cornua. 
 
 The horns are four in number, two short and two long ; the former 
 ascend obliquely from the sides of the bodies, and end in oblong flattened 
 smooth surfaces for the attachment of the long horns. These are much 
 larger than the short horns, constituting two long, flat, thin bones, which 
 give attachment to the stylo-hyoideus and hyoideus magnus muscles, and 
 also to the constrictors of the pharynx. The bones composing the os 
 hyoides are delineated in connexion with the larynx in the twenty-first 
 chapter. 
 
 CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRAE IN GENERAL. 
 
 Every vertebra from the head to the sacrum is made up of certain 
 parts, to the uses of which in the animal economy attention has been 
 already drawn at page 310. These are — 1st, a body, which may at once 
 be recognised as the central and most substantial part ; 2dly, projecting 
 upwards from its upper edges are the two lamince, or sides of the ring, in 
 which lies the spinal cord ; 3dly, at the upper part of the ring is a pro- 
 jection, more or less marked, called the spinous process ; 4th, projecting 
 outwards from each side of the body is the lateral process, intended to 
 give insertion to muscles, and in the region of the back affording a firm 
 attachment to the ribs. In addition to the connexion between the bodies 
 of the contiguous vertebrae by means of a thick fib ro- cartilage, there is 
 also a distinct articular surface on each side of the anterior and posterior 
 faces of the body, which is placed upon a projection called the articular 
 or oblique process. Thus, each vertebra has four oblique processes, two 
 transverse processes, a spinous process, and two laminae or sides to its 
 large foramen, in addition to its body. This last part presents an anterior 
 and a posterior surface, more or less oval, by which it is united to the 
 next adjacent vertebrae ; a superior face, which forms the floor of the 
 spinal canal, and an inferior face, which is clothed with muscle on each 
 side of a projecting rough line, called, wherever it is marked, the inferior 
 spine. 
 
 Throughout the spine no two vertebrae are exactly alike, even the sixth 
 and seventh dorsal showing a slight change of form in the inclination of 
 their spinous processes. But between the first and second cervical and 
 the last lumbar the difference is so marked, that they are not at once 
 perceived by the casual observer to belong to the same class of bones. 
 In this change the transition is gradual, the sixth and seventh cervical 
 resembling the first and second dorsal, and so on in succession from before 
 backwards. 
 
 GENERAL CHARACTERS OE THE CERVICAL VERTEBRAE. 
 
 In the horse the cervical vertebra are each very long as compared 
 with those of most of the mammalia, being, however, exceeded in this re- 
 spect by the camelopard. They present an irregularly cuboidal shape, and 
 may be distinguished from those of the back and loins by the following 
 characters : — 1st. The inferior spine of the body is strongly marked, and 
 terminates posteriorly in a tubercle (Eig. 12, lr). 2d. The head of the 
 
326 
 
 TIIE HORSE. 
 
 body which looks forward is very globular, and the corresponding cavity 
 in the posterior surface is of a cup-like shape (Fig. 12, 16 ), but larger 
 than the head, in order that it may receive the inter-articular cartilage 
 which intervenes. 3d. The spinous processes (Fig. 12, 3, 4, 5, q ) are very 
 
 slightly marked. 4tli. The transverse processes (Fig. 12, b, b, b) are un- 
 usually lengthened from before backwards and downwards, and are each 
 pierced with a hole for the passage of the vertebral artery. 5th. The four 
 articular or oblique processes (Fig. 12, 15 , 15, 15 ) project greatly, and have 
 an inclination from above downwards, backwards and inwards. Each 
 fossa for this purpose is large and deep. 
 
 PECULIARITIES OF CERTAIN CERVICAL VERTEBRAE. 
 
 The first cervical vertebra (counting from the head) has received 
 the name of atlas in human anatomy, from its surmounting all the others ; 
 aud though in quadrupeds there is no longer the same reason for the 
 
THE CERVICAL VERTEBRA. 
 
 327 
 
 appellation, it has been extended to them. It deviates more completely 
 than any of the others from the type of all, the most remarkable differ- 
 ences consisting in the almost total absence of body, and in the division 
 of the large foramen into two portions by a projecting ridge on the inner 
 side of each lamina. This ridge is not well shown in the fore view of 
 this hone (Fig. 13), where it is concealed by the articular surfaces, but 
 it is easily seen in Fig. 14. Below it the foramen is occupied by the 
 tooth-like (odontoid) process of the second cervical vertebra, which is 
 confined in its place by a ligament stretched across from one ridge to the 
 other. Upon this, as on a pivot, the atlas turns, carrying with it the 
 head, and allowing of those lateral movements which could not otherwise 
 be accomplished. On each side of the spinal foramen are the articular 
 surfaces (Fig. 13, 5), which are covered with cartilage, and form a firm 
 hinge-like joint between the atlas and the occiput. Still more externally 
 are the wings or extended lateral processes (Fig. 13, 2 ), having a hollow 
 
 1 
 
 Fig. 13.— Fore View of the Atlas. 
 
 1. Upper spine. 5. 5. Surfaces for articulation with the condyles 
 
 2. 2. Wings or alie. of the occiput. 
 
 3. Hole for the passage of the spinal cord 6. 6. Holes for the passage of the vertebral 
 
 4. Lower spine. arteries. 
 
 deeply cut in them, and ending in a small hole through which the ver- 
 tebral artery passes on each side to enter the cranium, making a sharp 
 convolution in the cavity thus formed for it. The posterior surface shows 
 the corresponding margin of the spinal foramen (Fig. 14), of which the 
 one part (6) is occupied by the odontoid process, and the other (3) by the 
 soinal cord. On each side of this are the articular surfaces, by which it 
 
 1 
 
 1. Upper spine. 
 
 2. 2. Wings. 
 
 3. Spinal foramen. 
 4 Lower spine. 
 
 4 
 
 Fio. 14.— Back View of the Atlas. 
 
 5. 5. Surfaces articulating with dentata. 
 
 6. Surface articulating with the odontoid process 
 
 of the dentata. 
 
328 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is attached to the corresponding surfaces of the second vertebra, and still 
 more externally are the alae or wings. The superior and inferior spinous 
 processes are shown at 1 and 4 in each engraving. 
 
 The second cervical vertebra, called axis from its being the centre 
 on which the atlas turns, and dentata, from its presenting a tooth-like 
 process for this purpose, approximates somewhat more nearly to the usual 
 type, but is remarkable for the process already alluded to, which is shown 
 at (4, Fig. 15). Inferiorly this part is smoothly rounded, to enable it to 
 play against the first vertebra, while superiorly it is flatter, and is in 
 apposition with the transverse ligament. The four articular processes are 
 
 5 
 
 Fig. 15. — Anterior View of the Second Vertebra, called Dentata or Axis. 
 
 1. Superior spine. 5. Inferior spine. 
 
 2. 2. Transverse processes. 6. Spinal foramen. 
 
 3. 3. Surfaces articulating with corresponding 7. 7. Foramina for the passage of the vertebral 
 
 ones on the posterior part of the atlas. arteries. 
 
 4. Odontoid process. 
 
 shown at ( 3 , 3 , Fig. 15) and ( 5 , 5 , Fig. 16). The lateral processes are well 
 shown at ( 2 , 2 ) in both engravings, and the posterioi oblique processes at 
 ( 5 , 5 , Fig. 16). In this latter engraving at ( 4 ), the large hollow cavity 
 (glenoid) is shown, by which the body of this vertebra unites with the 
 head of the third. 
 
 Fig. 16 .— Posterior View of Second Cervical Vertebra. 
 
 1. Spinal foramen. 
 
 2. 2. Transverse processes. 
 
 3. 3. Posterior view ol the anterior articular 
 
 surfaces. 
 
 4. Glenoid cavity articulating with the head of 
 
 third cervical vertebra. 
 
 5. 5. Posterior oblique processes. 
 
 6 Inferior spine. 
 
DORSAL VERTEBRJE. 
 
 329 
 
 The third, fourth, and fifth cervical vertebra closely resemble 
 the type of all ; but the third has commonly a more elevated spine, and 
 is thinner across the upper part of the body. 
 
 The sixth has no inferior spine ; its transverse processes are trifid. 
 
 The seventh vertebra is the shortest, and approaches in its charac- 
 ters to those of the dorsal region. Its body posteriorly presents two 
 semilunar hollows for the articulation of the head of the first rib on 
 each side. The superior spine is elevated and sharp, and the transverse 
 process is short and obtuse, being sometimes without the foramen for the 
 vertebral artery. 
 
 GENERAL CHARACTERS OF THE DORSAL VERTEBRAE. 
 
 The eighteen dorsal vertebra differ greatly in general appearance 
 from the cervical, though they still resemble the type of all. Thus, instead 
 of being cuboidal in shape, and without prominent processes, they have 
 each a long spinous process projecting upwards about two or three times 
 
 Fig. 17.— Dorsal Vertebras. 
 
 A. Profile view of a dorsal vertebra seen from 
 
 the left. 
 
 1. Spinous process. 
 
 2 Body. 
 
 3. Convexity on body. 
 
 4. 4. Surfaces for the articulation of the 
 
 rib tubercle. 
 
 6. Posterior oblique process. 
 
 6. Surface for articulation of the head of 
 
 the rib. 
 
 7. Concavity on body. 
 
 B. Fore view of a dorsal vertebra. 
 
 1. Spinous process. 
 
 2. Convexity on body. 
 
 3. 3. Transverse processes. 
 
 4. 4. Anterior oblique processes. 
 
 5. 5. Surfaces for the articulation of tbs 
 
 head of the rib. 
 
 6. Spinal hole. 
 
 C. Back view of a dorsal vertebra. 
 
 1. Spinous process. 
 
 2. Concavity on body. 
 
 3. 3. Transverse processes. 
 
 5. 5. Back oblique processes. 
 
 6. 6. Surfaces for the articulation of the 
 
 head of the rib. 
 
 the $epth of the body, as shown at (1. 1. 1). The spinal hole is com- 
 paratively small, and the transverse processes short. On each side of the 
 upper and lower margin of the body is a smooth hollow, which, together 
 with its corresponding surface in the vertebra, above (or below, as the case 
 may be), lodges the head of a rib. There is also a second articulating sur- 
 face on the transverse process, by which the tubercle of the rib is con- 
 nected with the vertebra}. 
 
330 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 PECULIARITIES OE THE DORSAL VERTEBRAE. 
 
 The first dorsal vertebra differs from the others in approaching to 
 the form of the cervical, as manifested in the shortness of the sjrinous pro- 
 cess, which terminates in a point, and by the large size of its oblique 
 processes. The second and third gradually assume the dorsal type. 
 
 The seventeenth and eighteenth vertebrae are devoid of the articulatory sur- 
 faces on their transverse processes ; the eighteenth also is without the 
 articular surfaces on the posterior and external faces of its body, there 
 being no ribs here to articulate with it. 
 
 The spinous processes, as far back as the twelfth, take a direction upwards 
 and backwards ; the thirteenth takes a direction upwards, and those poste- 
 rior to it take a direction upwards and forwards. The third, fourth, and 
 fifth spinous processes are the longest, and afterwards they gradually 
 diminish in length. 
 
 GENERAL CHARACTERS OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRAE. 
 
 These are five, and sometimes six, in number ; the body is short and 
 thick ; broader from side to side than from before backwards ; flattened 
 superiorly, convex interiorly, but not presenting so prominent a spinous 
 ridge as the dorsal. Its articular convexity before and concavity behind 
 assume rather an oval shape. The superior spinous process is shorter 
 than the average of the dorsal vertebrae ; it has broad, flat sides, and protu- 
 berates at the front of the summit, having a slight inclination forwards ; the 
 transverse processes, large and flattened above and below, stand out hori- 
 zontally at right angles to the body for a considerable distance, contrasting 
 strongly with the corresponding parts of the dorsal and cervical regions. 
 
 Fig. 18.— Profile View of the Lumbar Vertebrae, seen from the Left. 
 
 A. Profile view of lumbar vertebrae. 
 
 1.1 1 . &c. Spinous processes. 
 
 2. 2. 2. &c. Transverse processes; the ana- 
 
 logues of the ribs. 
 
 3. 3. 3. &c. Oblique processes. 
 
 а. a. a. &c. Bodies. 
 
 б. b. Articulating surfaces on transverse pro- 
 
 cesses, by means of which the fifth arti- 
 culates with a similar surface on the 
 sixth, and the sixth with a correspond- 
 ing surface on the sacrum. 
 
 c. Surfaces articulating with corresponding ones 
 
 on the last dorsal vertebra. 
 
 d. Surfaces articulating with the sacrum. 
 
 The oblique processes are larger than in the dorsal region ; they project 
 from the roof of the arch in an horizontal direction (3, 3, 3, Fig. 18 ) ; 
 the anterior surfaces in each of these joints are concave, widely separated, 
 
LUMBAR VERTEBRA. 331 
 
 and look inwards ; the posterior are convex, nearer together, and look 
 outwards. 
 
 PECULIARITIES OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRAL 
 
 The fourth lumbar vertebra possesses two surfaces of articulation 
 on the posterior border of its transverse process. 
 
 The fifth (or the sixth, if there is one) assumes somewhat the charac- 
 ters of the first sacral bone. The transverse processes, which are longest in 
 the middle of this region, gradually shorten towards the sacrum. On the 
 fifth there is posteriorly an articular surface of an oval form, and on the 
 sixth there is a similar one on each surface, the posterior being slightly 
 concave, and fitting to a corresponding facette on the sacrum. 
 
 THE SACRUM. 
 
 This bone, in form irregularly prismatic, is made up from the conjunc- 
 tion by ossification of five vertebrae, in which latter condition it is found 
 in the embryo. It is united in front with the last lumbar vertebra by 
 three articulatory surfaces (4, 6, 6, Fig. 19) posteriorly with the first bone 
 
 Fig. 19. — Tee Sacrum. 
 
 1. Fore view of the sacrum. 6. 6. Surfaces articulating with transverse pro- 
 
 2. 2. 2 . &c. Spinous processes. cesses of last lumbar vertebra}. 
 
 3. Lateral free surface. 7. 7. 7. &c. Foramina for the passage of the 
 
 4. Head articulating with the concavity on the inferior sacral nerves. 
 
 head of the last lumbar vertebra. 8. 8. Surfaces articulating with the ilium. 
 
 5. 5. Oblique processes. 
 
 of the. coccyx, and on each side with the ilium or hip bone, by a large 
 rough surface (s, 8, Fig. 19). The whole bone is slightly curved, with its 
 concavity downwards. This inferior surface is broad and smooth, forming 
 the superior boundary of the pelvic basin. On it are plainly traced four 
 transverse lines, marking the situation of the original divisions into separate 
 bones. Here are also four large holes on each side for the passage of the 
 inferior sacral nerves. The superior surface is furnished with five spines 
 ( 2 , 2 , 2 , 2 , Fig. 19), corresponding to the spinous processes of the lumbar 
 vertebrae They unite at their bases, but are distinct above, terminating 
 
332 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 in a protuberance which is sometimes bifid. The two sides are thick and 
 ?-pncave in the middle, and terminate posteriorly in a rough lip. Ante- 
 riorly they form an irregular surface, haying an inclination from above 
 downwards, backwards and inwards. The inferior portion of this face in 
 lined with cartilage, which is attached both to it and to the ilium, while 
 the superior has a set of strong ligamentous fibres similarly attached. 
 The base looking forwards has been already described as consisting of 
 three articular surfaces, above which is the spinal foramen. The apex is 
 only marked by the surface of articulation with the first bone of the 
 coccyx, above which is the spinal foramen, here obliquely cut and small, 
 and presenting also the rudiments of oblique and transverse processes. 
 
 THE COCCYGEAL VERTEBRAE. 
 
 These bones form the skeleton or bony basis of the tail, receiving their 
 name from kokkvI, a cuckoo, whose bill was supposed to resemble this part 
 m the human body. They vary in number from sixteen to eighteen. In 
 the first four or five all the characters of a vertebra are present, as shown 
 below at a b ; but these are gradually lost, and the bones at last assume 
 the form of simple spines, dsf, the intermediate grade being seen at c. 
 Here there, are two little processes (2), evidently abortive neural arches or 
 lateral laminae, but not meeting together to form the spine. This whole 
 set of bones is simply intended as a strong and flexible whip, to be moved 
 by the four sets of muscles lying along, and attached to the sides of each. 
 
 i 
 
 V. E. D. C. B. A, 
 
 Fig. 20. — Profile View of Coccygeal Vertebrae. 
 
 1. 1. 1. &c. Bodies. 3. 3. 3. Transverse processes. 
 
 2. 2. 2. Spines ; the lips forming the first are 4. 4. 4. & c. Fore surfaces by means of which 
 
 joined, forming the neural arch, the the bodies articulate, 
 
 second partially so, and the third are 5. 5. 5. Back surfaces of articulation, 
 open. 
 
 A, first ; B, third : C, eighth ; D, sixteenth ; E, seventeenth ; F, eighteenth, or last coccygeal 
 vertebra. 
 
 THE RIBS AND THEIR CARTILAGES. 
 
 The ribs ( Costae ) have been described at page 311 as forming the lateral 
 boundaries of the thorax. They are eighteen in number, of which the 
 nine anterior (true or sternal) extend by means of their cartilages to the 
 sternum, while the cartilages of the remainder do not extend so far, and 
 they are therefore styled false or asternal. See Skeleton at page 308. 
 
 The ribs are all long flattened bones, irregularly twisted on themselves, 
 and so arranged that, when forming the wails of the thorax, they readily 
 increase the volume of its contents by being drawn nearer together and 
 towards the apex. In doing this they revolve upon their extremities as 
 upon two centres, the superior admitting of motion from their formation 
 as joints, and the inferior from their elastic cartilaginous structure. 
 
THE RIBS. 
 
 333 
 
 Each rib is divisible into a body and two extremities. The body has 
 two fiat surfaces and two borders ; the latter of which are concave and 
 thin, anteriorly convex, and rounded posteriorly. The head or superior 
 extremity varies in the true and false ribs, as will be better seen by 
 reference to the engraving (Fig. 21), where one of each kind is delineated. 
 The cartilages are all attached to the ribs by firm union of their fibres to 
 
 Fig. 21.— A True and False Rib. 
 
 A. Profile view of a left true or sternal rib. 
 
 2. Tubercle for attachment to transverse C. 
 
 process of vertebra. 
 
 3. Head, true. 
 
 4. Body. 
 
 5. Junction of rib and its corresponding 
 
 sternal cartilage. 
 
 6. Sternal cartilage. 
 
 B. Profile view of left false or asternal rib (eigh- 
 
 teenth). 
 
 2. Tubercle fused in one with the head. 
 
 3. Head. 
 
 4. Body. 
 
 5. Junction of false rib and asternal carti- 
 
 lage. 
 
 6. Asternal cartilage. 
 
 View of the upper extremity of sternal rib 
 inverted to show the mode by which 
 the articulating surfaces on the upper 
 part of the rib correspond to the nine 
 anterior dorsal vertebrae. 
 
 3. Body. 
 
 2. Tubercle, separate. '*• 
 
 3. 4. Head (true), showing the two surlaces 
 of articulation, and the notch in which 
 the round ligament is attached. 
 
 D. View of the last asternal rib, also inverted to 
 show the fusion of tubercle and head 
 together. 
 
 2. 3. Tubercle fused with head. 
 
 a deep pit in the extremity of each rib. They serve the double purpose 
 of giving elasticity to the thorax in the act of respiration and of enabling 
 it to bear severe shocks without fracture. 
 
 Among the several ribs, the first is the thickest and shortest, and is 
 irregularly arched ; the second is very slightly curved : from this point 
 they increase in length and breadth to the ninth ; from the ninth to the 
 

 THE HORSE. 
 
 last they become more curved and short. In the seventeenth and eighteenth 
 the articulatory surface of the tubercle becomes confounded with that of 
 the head, and the neck is wanting. (See 2 , 3, B. Fig. 21.) 
 
 THE STERNUM, OR BREAST-BONE. 
 
 The sternum, which forms the inferior boundary of the thorax (see 
 page 308), forms in the adult one long keel-like bone, of a spongy or 
 cellular nature, more or less divided by cartilage ; but in the embryo it. 
 
 3 
 
 Fig. 22. — Profile View of Sternum (Breast-bone). 
 
 1. 1.1. &c. Pits for attachment of costal cartilages. 3. 3. Posterior extremity with its ensiform car- 
 2. 2. Anterior extremity ending in cariniforra tilage. 
 
 cartilage. 
 
 like the sacrum, is made up of distinct pieces, six or seven in number. 
 Anteriorly the breast-bone is prolonged in a manner resembling the keel 
 and figurehead of a ship, being clothed with cartilage, which is hence 
 called cariniform (carina, a keel) ( 2 , 2 , Fig. 22). Posteriorly it terminates 
 also in a cartilage of a thinner and more flexible form, and called, from its 
 resemblance to a sword, ensiform (ensis, Lat. sword) or xiphoid (fyipng, 
 Gk. sword). 
 
 The sides are occupied above by the cavities for the insertion of the 
 costal cartilages, and below by a rough surface, to which the fibres of the 
 pectoral muscles are attached. The superior face forms a very lengthened 
 isosceles triangle, having its apex forward. It is slightly hollowed from 
 before backwards. 
 
 The three anterior divisions of the sternum present broad lateral 
 surfaces ; the three posterior have projecting sides inclining downwards, 
 and forming the boundaries between the inferior surface and the sides. 
 The ribs are received into cavities in the cartilage existing between the 
 separate bones, the last posteriorly having, however, an additional pit in 
 its middle for the cartilage of the eighth rib. 
 
 SCAPULA. BLADE-BONE, OR SHOULDER-BLADE. 
 
 Intervening between the thorax and the fore extremity, and present- 
 ing large surfaces for the attachment of muscles to connect these two 
 parts of the skeleton, is the scapula or shoulder-blade. It is a triangular 
 flat bone, and lies obliquely on each side of the anterior part of the 
 thorax, with its apex looking downwards and forwards, and its base 
 upwards and backwards (see page 308). 
 
 It presents three fossae, three borders, and three angles ; in addition 
 to which there are the spine, the coracoid process, and the glenoid cavity. 
 
THE SCAPULA. 
 
 335 
 
 The fossae are two externally, (a) the anterior, and (5) the posterior 
 fossa, divided by the spine (1). These lodge and give attachment to the 
 fibres of the supra and infra-spinatus muscles, while the internal fossa, 
 sometimes called the venter scapulae (belly of the scapula), in the same 
 way subserves the use of the subscapular is. 
 
 The superior border is rough for the attachment of the broad strip of 
 cartilage, which increases the length of the blade. The anterior border 
 is thin, while the posterior is comparatively thick. 
 
 The two superior angles present nothing very remarkable, but the 
 inferior is occupied by the coracoid process anteriorly, and by the glenoid 
 cavity posteriorly — which latter is a smooth oval cavity, lined with 
 cartilage. It receives the head of the humerus. 
 
 Fig, 23. — Outer Surface op Left Scapula. 
 x. Spine. fc. Posterior fossa. 
 
 2. Coracoid process. c. Superior costa, to which the cartilage is 
 
 3. Glenoid cavity. attached. 
 
 a. Anterior fossa. 
 
 On account of the important offices belonging to the muscles which 
 occupy the fossae on this bone, and since it is found that in proportion to 
 the extent of the latter will be the muscular power, horsemen examine 
 with great care the due development of the scapula. Unless it is long 
 and broad it may always be predicted that the hunter will be powerless 
 in using his forelegs “ in dirt,” or in getting out of other difficulties ; and 
 though some hacks with short shoulders may go well enough, yet, in the 
 majority, such will not be the case. Heavy draught-horses, in which a 
 great thickness of muscle is heaped upon the blade, are not so dependent 
 upon its length and breadth, as has been already shown in treating of the 
 external form of the horse at page 92. 
 
 HUMERUS, THE UPPER ARM-BONE, 
 
 Lies between the scapula and elbow, in an oblique direction from the 
 point of the shoulder downwards and backwards. 
 
 Like all the long bones, the humerus may be described as consisting 
 of a body or shaft and two extremities. 
 
 The body, which has a prismatic section, looks as if it had been twisted 
 
336 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 on itself. In the upper part it is expanded laterally to form tlie external 
 tuberosity (5, Fig. 24) on the outside and the scabrous tubercle ( 4 , Fig. 25) 
 internally, both being for the attachment of muscles. Towards the lower 
 extremity it becomes rounded, and then suddenly spreads out to present 
 the wide surface which ends in the condyles on each side with the inter- 
 vening articular surfaces. 
 
 The superior extremity, larger than the inferior, presents for con- 
 sideration a bead and four tubercles. The bead is the hemispherical 
 smooth part, projecting posteriorly. It articulates with the glenoid 
 cavity of the scapula, which it much exceeds in extent of superficies. 
 Anteriorly, the head is surmounted by four tubercles, three, directly 
 in front, are between two smooth grooves, which are covered with 
 cartilage. The outer, or fourth tubercle, is joined with the tuberosities 
 by a protuberant ridge, the external edge of which serves to guard 
 against dislocation. 
 
 The inferior extremity is made up of two condyles, or knuckle-like 
 projections ( r , 9, Fig. 24), having between them the smooth articular sur- 
 face for the elbow joint. This surface is broad, and assumes a segmental 
 form, being divided into three portions by projecting lines, — 1st, a middle 
 
 Fig. 24 . —External View of Left Humerus 
 
 1. Body of humerus with musculo-spiral groove. 6. Sigmoid fossa. 
 
 2 Head. 7. Olecranon fossa. 
 
 3. External tubercle. 8. External condyle. 
 
 4. Tubercles in front of head. 9. Internal condyle. 
 
 5. External tuberosity. 
 
 groove, which terminates in front in the coronoid fossa and behind in the 
 olecranon fossa, each being for the reception of the corresponding pro- 
 cesses of the ulna and radius, thereby checking the motion of the joint ; 
 2d, the external groove, which is comparatively slightly marked ; and 3d, 
 the smooth surface lining the internal condyle. All of these fit accu- 
 rately into the articular surface of the ulna and radius, to be presently 
 described, allowing of nothing but a hinge-like motion. Of the condyles, 
 the inner is larger and more projecting than the outer. 
 
Fig. 25. — Internal View of Left Humerus. 
 
 A. Body or shaft. 
 
 1. The head. 
 
 2. Tubercles on the head. 
 
 3. Internal tubercle. 
 
 4. Scabrous tubercle. 
 
 5. Internal depression to which the internal 
 lateral ligament is attached, 
 
 <5. Back part of inner condyle. 
 
 7. Internal condyle. 
 
 THE BOKES OE THE EOEE-AEM (OS BBACHII). 
 
 In the human subject, and in the dog and cat among our domestic 
 animals, the bones of the fore-arm are distinct, and may readily be sepa- 
 rated from each other as the ulna and radius. In the early periods also 
 of the life of the horse the same condition obtains, but when he is ma- 
 tured, these bones are indissolubly united by ossification. The line of 
 junction can always be traced, and there is an opening left which is called 
 the radio-cubital arcade , and gives passage to an artery and vein. It will 
 be therefore understood that the term os brachii means the bone composed 
 of the united ulna and radius, and that in alluding to each of these 
 divisions we only speak of them, in analogy with human anatomy, as 
 separate bones. By drawing a line from the back of the condyle of the 
 humerus till it cuts the posterior edge of the shaft of the os brachii about 
 its middle, the line of demarcation may easily be arrived at. 
 
 The Eadius forms the bulk of the os brachii, supporting the weight of 
 the body upon its head, and conveying it to the carpus through its lower 
 extremity. Its shaft is long, smooth, and convex anteriorly ; rough for 
 the attachment of muscles, and concave posteriorly. The superior ex- 
 tremity is expanded, and presents an articular surface divided into two 
 fossae by a slight ridge, the inner of the two being broader and more 
 circular. On each side of these pits is a slight projection, called the 
 lateral process, to which the corresponding ligaments are attached. The 
 inferior extremity , which is also expanded, is remarkable for the variously 
 shaped pits slightly marked on its articular surface, each being intended 
 to fit one of the carpal bones of which the knee is made up. There is a 
 
 z 
 
338 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 prominent internal lateral process, and one less distinct on the outside 
 marked with a groove. 
 
 The ulna (or ulnar division of the 
 os brachii) is much shorter than the 
 radius, and can scarcely be considered 
 as having two extremities, its lower end 
 being cut off in an oblique direction and 
 terminating in a sharp point, so as to look 
 like a splicing of the one bone to the other. 
 It may be considered as consisting of a short 
 body ( 2 , Tig. 26), surmounting which is the 
 olecranon process (3) behind, and the arti- 
 cular surface (4) in front. Descending from 
 the body is the thin wedge of bone which 
 is united indissolubly with the shaft of the 
 ^adius at the point marked (5), and may be 
 traced down to the carpal joint. 
 
 The articular surface comprises part of 
 the elbow joint, and has below it some 
 roughened inequalities for the attachment 
 of ligaments. 
 
 The olecranon process , or elbow, is of 
 considerable size and strength, forming a 
 strong lever for the action of the triceps 
 muscle, which is inserted in its point. Its 
 anterior edge has a sharp point, which 
 deepens the articular cavity, and checks the 
 motion of the joint from being carried too 
 far. 
 
 Fig. 20. — Bones of the Fore-Arm, Knee, Cannon, 
 Pasterns, and Foot. 
 
 1. Semicircular fossa formed by the radius and ulna for 
 
 the elbow joint. 
 
 2. Body of the ulna. 
 
 S. Olecranon process. 
 
 4. Articulating surface. 
 
 5. Body of the radius. 
 
 6. Surface articulating with the condyle of the humerus. 
 
 7. Tubercle to which the coraco - radialis muscle is 
 
 attached. 
 
 8. Articulatory surfaces corresponding to the upper row 
 
 of knee-bones. 
 
 9. Os pisiforme. ) 
 
 10. — cuneiforme. I 
 
 11. — lunare. V-Bones of the knee. 
 
 31. — unciforme. I 
 
 13. — magnum. ) 
 
 14. Metacarpus or cannon-bone. 
 
 15. External small metacarpal bone. 
 
 16. Tubercle to which the tendon of the muscle (extensor 
 
 metacarpi magnus) is attached. 
 
 17. Joint uniting with the os sutfraginis. 
 
 18. Os suffraginis. 
 
 19. External sesamoid bone. 
 
 20. Os corome. 
 
 21. Os pedis. 
 
 22. 22. Wings of pedal bone. 
 
 *3 Os naviculare. 
 
THE CARPUS AND METACARPUS. 
 
 339 
 
 THE CARPUS (KNEE) AND METACARPUS (CANNON). 
 
 The knee of the horse corresponds with the wrist of man, and though 
 the name so well known to horsemen will probably always be maintained, 
 yet scientifically each of the bones receives the cor- 
 responding names, and the whole group is called the 
 carpus. 
 
 The anterior surface of the carpus is convex ; 
 the posterior, concave and irregular, and marked by 
 bony prominences. 
 
 It consists of eight bones, disposed in two rows, 
 one above the other, as follows : — 
 
 The first, or top row, beginning to enumerate 
 from within outwards, consists of the scaphoid, 
 lunar, cuneiform, and pisiform bones. 
 
 The second, or lower row, consists of the ossa 
 trapezoid, magnum, and unciforme, and sometimes 
 of a small floating bone situated behind the trapezoid. 
 
 The superior row may be described as follows : — 
 
 Os Scaphoides (o-K0Lcj>7], a cradle ), the largest of 
 this row, articulates superiorly with the inferior 
 and inner extremity of the radius, internally by 
 means of two distinct facettes with the os lunare, 
 and interiorly with the os trapezoides and os 
 magnum. 
 
 Os Lunare (luna, the moon) articulates superiorly 
 with the radius, internally as before mentioned with 
 the os scaphoides, and externally through the me- 
 dium of two facettes with the os cuneiforme. 
 
 Os Cuneiforme (cuneus, a wedge) articulates su- 
 periorly with the inferior and outer extremity of 
 the radius, inferiorly with the os unciforme, and 
 posteriorly with the os pisiforme. 
 
 Os Pisiforme (pisum, a pea) is situated at the 
 postero-external side of the top row, and presents for 
 description two surfaces and four borders. The ex- 
 ternal surface is unevenly convex, and elevated for 10 - Large metacarpal bone, 
 ligamentous attachment. The internal surface is 1L Sma11 metacarpal bone - 
 concave and porous, and also roughened for liga- 
 mentous attachment. The anterior border presents 
 two smooth ovoid surfaces : the superior one arti- 
 culates with the radius ; the inferior with a corre- 
 sponding surface, mentioned as occurring on the pos- 
 terior surface of the os cuneiforme. The three other 
 borders, namely, the superior, posterior, and inferior, 
 are unevenly convex, and roughened for the attach- 
 ment of ligaments. 
 
 The bones of the inferior row, viz. the Os Trape- 
 zoides {rpaire^a, a table), Os Magnum (the large bone), 
 and Os Unciforme (uncus, a hoolc), articulate laterally 
 one with the other, superiorly with the top row of 
 bones, and inferiorly with the three metacarpal bones. 
 
 The Metacarpal Bones, answering to the bones in the palm of the 
 hand of man, are three. One (metacarpus magnus) is much larger than 
 
 z 2 
 
 Fig. 27. — Fore View of 
 the Carpal Bones, com- 
 monly CALLED THE KNEE. 
 
 2. Lower extremity of 
 
 radius. 
 
 3. Ulna, lower extremity 
 
 of. 
 
 4. Os pisiforme. 
 
 5. — cuneiforme. 
 
 6. — lunare. 
 
 7. — scaphoides. 
 
 8. — unciforme. 
 
 9. — magnum: 
 
 Fig. 28. — Os Pisiforme. 
 
 1. Body of os pisiforme. 
 
 2. Surface articulating 
 
 with inferior ex- 
 tremity of the ra- 
 dius. 
 
 3. Surface articulating 
 
 with the cuneiform 
 bone. 
 
340 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the other two, which, from thus supporting, are sometimes called splint 
 bones. 
 
 The Metacarpus Magnus, or cannon-bone, has a body and two extremi- 
 ties, the superior of which articulates with the carpus while the inferior 
 rests upon the next phalanx, or great posterior bone. (See Fig. 26.) 
 
 The body is convex and smooth, anteriorly and late- 
 rally ; thus forming two-thirds of a cylinder. Poste- 
 riorly it is flattened ; its sides, extending from above, 
 downwards, to about three inches above its inferior 
 extremity, present two triangular scabrous surfaces ; on 
 the upper parts of which two smooth articulatory spots 
 occur, to which the small metacarpal bones are attached. 
 
 The superior extremity presents a smooth articu- 
 latory surface which is, for the most part, flat ; it slopes 
 off, however, on its outer side for articulation with the 
 os unciforme. There is also another small spot which 
 slightly declines, situated at the outer side of the head of 
 the inner small metacarpal bone. This spot articulates 
 with the postero-inferior surface of the os trapezoides. 
 The flat surface articulates with the os magnum, to which 
 it corresponds in figure. Its anterior and lateral edges 
 are somewhat roughened. 
 
 The inferior extremity presents two smooth condy- 
 loid surfaces, separated by a smooth semicircular emi- 
 nence, which articulate with a corresponding formation 
 on the superior extremity of the os suffraginis. On the 
 sides of each of the condyles a depression occurs. 
 
 Ossa Metacarpi Parva are in number, two ; ex- 
 ternal and internal. In form they are pyramidal, pre- 
 senting bases turned upwards, apices downwards, and 
 bodies or middles. 
 
 The base is surmounted by a smooth articulatory 
 surface, surrounded inferiorly by roughened tuberosities, 
 except anteriorly, where two smooth articular surfaces 
 occur, which articulate with corresponding surfaces men- 
 tioned as existing on the metacarpus magnus. 
 
 The body is trifacial. The anterior surface is rough, 
 and articulates with the metacarpus magnus. The inner 
 surface is excavated. The outer surface is convex and 
 smooth. The apex terminates in a bulbous extremity, 
 which looks posteriorly, and does not articulate with 
 the metacarpus magnus. 
 
 Fig. 29. — Back View 
 of the Large and 
 Small Metacar- 
 pal bones. 
 
 2. Metacarpus mag- 
 
 nus. 
 
 3. The surfaces above 
 
 articulate with 
 the lower carpal 
 bones. 
 
 4. 4. External and in- 
 
 ternal small me- 
 tacarpal bones. 
 
 5. 5. Condyloid sur- 
 
 faces articulat- 
 ing with corre- 
 sponding ones 
 on the upper ex- 
 tremity of the 
 os suffraginis. 
 
 6. Eminence articu- 
 
 lating with a 
 corresponding 
 depression on 
 the upper ex- 
 tremity of the 
 os suffraginis. 
 
 THE PHALANGEAL BONES (PASTERNS 
 AND FOOT). 
 
 Beyond the metacarpus in the horse, there is only 
 a single bone in each joint, the five fingers being 
 merged in one. The same number of phalanges, however, is maintained, 
 counting from the metacarpus to the distal phalanx, which is the pedal 
 bone. The whole may, therefore, be considered as analogous to one 
 human finger, with the addition of the two sesamoid bones, and the 
 navicular bone, all three of which are intended to assist in giving leverage 
 to the tendons moving these parts. The highest of these is the os svffra- 
 
THE PHALANGEAL BONES 
 
 341 
 
 girds or larger pastern, the next the os corona or lesser pastern, and the 
 lowest the os pedis or coffin-hone. 
 
 The Os Suffraginis and its Ossa Sesamoidea 
 may he taken together, the latter lying on each side 
 of the hack of its superior extremity, hut playing 
 only on the large metacarpal. They are separately 
 shown at Eig. 30. The os suffraginis has a body 
 and two extremities. 
 
 The body shows an anterior surface, which is Fig 3o._ossa Sesamoidba. 
 convex and smooth ; and a posterior which is rough 
 
 and flattened, and presents superiorly a triangular space, hounded laterally 
 by two roughened ridges, which meet at a point inferiorly. 
 
 The superior extremity presents two shallow concavities, which are 
 separated one from the other by a deep transverse canal. Behind these 
 concavities, two tuberosities exist for the attachment of the crucial 
 ligaments. 
 
 The inferior extremity has two semi-cylindroid convexities, divided 
 transversely by a shallow depression, which is widened posteriorly. 
 
 Os CoRONiE (corona, a coronet) is in form a parallelogram with four 
 surfaces. 
 
 The anterior surface is convex and roughened, presenting two 
 tuberosities below. 
 
 The posterior surface is smooth, and has superiorly a semilunar 
 smooth surface. 
 
 The superior surface presents two ovoid concavities, divided by an 
 eminence running from behind forwards, and bounded, anteriorly and 
 
 Fig. 31. — Posterior View of Pha- 
 langes. 
 
 A. Os suffraginis. 
 
 1. 1. Surfaces articulating with the 
 
 lower extremity of the large 
 metacarpal bone. 
 
 2. Groove. 
 
 3. Rough surface for the implanta- 
 
 tion of ligaments. 
 
 4. 4. Inferior extremity articulat- 
 
 ing with 
 
 B. Os coronse. 
 
 5. 5. Superior articulatory surfaces. 
 
 6. 6. Inferior articulatory surfaces. 
 
 C. Os pedis. 
 
 7. 7. Articulatory surfaces. 
 
 8. 8. Coronal process. 
 
 0. 9. Scutiform processes. 
 
 10. 10. Retrossal processes. 
 
 11. Surface articulating with a cor- 
 
 responding one on the navi- 
 cular bone. (12.) 
 
 D. Os naviculare. 
 
 1 2. Surface articulating with the os 
 
 coronse. 
 
 13. Surface over which the flexor 
 
 pedis perforans tendon 
 glides. 
 
 14. 14 Points attached to the pedal 
 
 bone by ligaments. 
 
342 THE HORSE. 
 
 posteriorly, by two roughened projections. These form the lesser fetlock 
 joint with the bone above. 
 
 The inferior surface resembles the corresponding part of the os 
 suffraginis. 
 
 Os Pedis ( the bone of the foot , formerly called the coffin-bone). In 
 form it is semilunar, divided into wall, sole, articulatory surface, and 
 retrossal processes, commonly called wings (see Pig. 31). 
 
 The wall, the semicircular prominent part, possesses some degree of 
 declivity, increasing in circumference from above, downwards. It is full 
 of foramina, and rough. Superiorly, the bone bulges out, forming the 
 coronal process (8, 8). The middle part of it terminates in a peak, which 
 looks slightly backwards — the cacumen coronae (the peak of the coronet ). 
 
 The wall terminates posteriorly in wings ; the retrossal processes 
 (10, 10) ; each wing is divided into two parts by a groove, which runs 
 through it from before, backwards. 
 
 The inferior surface or sole is divided into an anterior semilunar 
 plantar surface, and into a posterior sharp semicircular edge which divides 
 it from the tendinous portion. The former is slightly concave, porous, 
 and bounded by the inferior circumferent edge of the wall. 
 
 The superior articulatory surface, semilunar in form, presents two 
 lateral concavities, separated by an eminence. The eminence is bounded 
 anteriorly by the cacumen coronae, which stands before it, the point 
 looking backwards. Posteriorly, it is bevelled off for articulation with 
 the os naviculare. 
 
 Os Naviculare (navis, a ship), sometimes called the shuttle-bone, in 
 form is semilunar and elongated. It is divided into four surfaces and two 
 extremities. 
 
 The superior surface presents, in its centre, an eminence, which 
 declines laterally, leaving two slight concavities. 
 
 The inferior surface presents two slightly convex divisions, with a 
 prominent smooth ridge dividing them, running from behind forwards. 
 
 The anterior surface presents superiorly a smooth triangular articu- 
 latory surface, and inferiorly a porous, roughened face. 
 
 The posterior surface is triangular, roughened, and porous. The 
 extremities, the internal and external, turned upwards, terminate obtusely. 
 
 THE PELVIS. 
 
 The general features belonging to the pelvis have been alluded to 
 in the last chapter, and the sacrum which forms its upper wall has been 
 described in this. It remains now to ascertain the shape and anatomical 
 bearings of the bones which complete the arch. These in the embryo are 
 three on each side, uniting below in the median line by symphysis, and 
 above to the rough surface on the side of the sacrum. These three are 
 1st, Os ischi; 2d, Os ilii , and 3d, Os pubis . The whole bone, which is 
 ■firmly united in the adult, receives the somewhat Irish denomination of 
 Os innominatum , or the unnamed bone. 
 
 On referring to the skeleton at page 308 it will be apparent that 
 the attachment of this bone to the sacrum is so arranged that it shall act 
 as a spring in breaking the jars received by the hind extremity from the 
 ground. Its oblique direction, its comparatively short surface of attach- 
 ment to the sacrum, and its own great length show this most plainly, 
 especially when compared with the human pelvis, in which a very different 
 
THE PELVIS. 
 
 343 
 
 formation prevails. In the horse it forms, with the sacrum, the first of a 
 series of angles, the second being between it and the femur, the third at 
 the stifle joint, and the fourth at the hock. 
 
 In the embryo the three bones are quite distinct, the cartilaginous lines 
 of separation being visible for some time after birth, running through the 
 cup-like cavity which forms the socket of the hip joint. The portion 
 
 A. 
 
 1 . 1. Wings of the iliac bones. 5, Antero-inferior spinous process of the left 
 
 2. 8. Pubic bone. ilium. 
 
 3. Ischiac bone. 6. The narrow part or neck of the ilium. 
 
 4. 4. Supero-posterior spinous process of the 7. 7. Obturator holes (foramina). 
 
 two ossa ilii. 9. 9. Tuberosity of each ischium. 
 
 10. Acetabulum. 
 
 lying above and in front of this cavity, and taking in also two-thirds of 
 its own cup, is the os ilii. Posteriorly to the cavity, the bone is divided 
 into two strong branches by a large opening, the obturator foramen , and 
 that portion which lies above it is the os ischii , while the lower division 
 is the os pubis. It is needless to describe these bones separately. 
 
 The bone as a whole may be considered as divided into two parts by 
 the contracted neck which forms its middle. The anterior of them is 
 hollowed out externally for the reception and attachment of the glutei 
 muscles. Internally it is rough, and gives attachment to the strong car- 
 tilage and ligaments which bind it to the sacrum. The processes extend- 
 ing forwards are called the spinous processes of the ilium (see Fig. 99). 
 Behind the neck the bone swells out slightly for the development of the 
 cotyloid ( KOTvXrj , a cup) cavity, or acetabulum. This is nearly three inches 
 in diameter, and is surrounded on all sides but that looking towards the 
 obturator foramen by a prominent lip. The interval is called the notch, 
 and corresponding with it is a rough depression in the cotyloid cavity, 
 where the cartilage is absent, and to which the round ligament of the 
 ,hip is attached. Behind the cotyloid cavity is the obturator hole, appa- 
 
344 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 rently intended to lighten the bone, being filled up by a strong mem- 
 brane, the obturator ligament. Above this opening is the ramus of the 
 ischium, which bone also enters into the composition of the hip joint 
 as already described. Posteriorly the ischium terminates in a rough 
 protuberance, the tuberosity ( 9 — 9 , Pig. 32), which is the rounded pro- 
 jection felt and seen on each side the root of the tail in the living horse. 
 Below the foramen is the os pubis, the anterior part of which is the 
 ramus, and the small section of the cotyloid cavity which it forms, while 
 posteriorly the body unites with the os ischii, to form, with the corre- 
 sponding bones of the opposite* side, the symphysis, or connecting joint 
 between them. 
 
 By the conjunction of the two ossa innominata an oval ring is nearly 
 completed, the deficiency being supplied by the sacrum above. The 
 anterior margin of this ring is the brim of the pelvis, and it is upon the 
 size of this as compared with the foal that parturition is in general ren- 
 dered easy or difficult. 
 
 THE FEMUR (ROUND-BONE) AND PATELLA 
 
 The Os Femoris, the strongest and heaviest bone in the body, is 
 situated between the os innominatum and the tibia. It takes an oblique 
 direction from above downwards and forwards, and presents a central 
 part or body, and two extremities. It was formerly called the round-bone, 
 from being in the centre of the part called by butchers “ the round.” 
 
 The body, although compressed, is nearly cylindrical towards its 
 centre ; anteriorly, the bone is convex and smooth ; posteriorly, flattened 
 and rough ; superiorly and inferiorly, it is expanded to meet the enlarged 
 extremities. 
 
 The superior extremity is prolonged into a thick, flattened neck, 
 directed upwards and inwards, so as to form an obtuse angle with the 
 shaft. At the point of union are two eminences (trochanters, rpoxA, to 
 run or roll) ; one on the outer, and the other on the inner side ; and it is 
 from between these that the neck arises. 
 
 The trochanter major is prolonged from the postero-external margin of 
 the body, and nearly in a line with its axis : it is a large irregular pro- 
 jection, rising into a pyramidal eminence. Posteriorly, at its base, it 
 presents an oval cavity, the digital fossa, for the attachment of several 
 small muscles. Inwardly it presents a concavo-convex smooth surface ; 
 outwardly, a convex and rough one. From the back of the great tro- 
 chanter a prominent line runs vertically down, terminating in the tro- 
 chanter minor externus ( 7 , Fig. 33) ; and from this again a roughened 
 ridge descends, taking a course downwards and slightly forwards to the 
 oval fossa situated above the external condyle (8). 
 
 The neck is surmounted by a hemispherical smooth head, coated with 
 cartilage, and lodged in the acetabulum ; on it is a deep ovoid fossa, 
 which gives attachment to the ligamentum teres. 
 
 The trochanter minor internus, a conical rounded eminence, arises from 
 the posterior and internal side of the bone. It is placed above the tro- 
 chanter minor externus, which is on the opposite side. 
 
 The inferior extremity has on each side an eminence (the external 
 and internal condyles), separated by a deep fossa. Between these ante- 
 riorly two articular surfaces occur (external and internal), separated by a 
 semicircular groove, in which the patella plays. 
 
 The external condyle is larger and projects more forwards than the 
 
THE FEMUR. 
 
 345 
 
 internal ; its articular surface is also broader : the internal presents a 
 tuberosity on its inner surface. 
 
 Fig. 33.— The Femur partially detached from the Cotyloid Cavity. 
 
 A. External view of posterior half of the os in- 
 nominatnm. 
 
 a. Rough surface for the attachment of 
 
 muscles. 
 
 b. Cotyloid rim. 
 
 c. Tuberosity of the ischium. 
 
 1. Cotyloid cavity. 
 
 2. Depression in which the round ligament 
 
 (ligamentum teres) is fixed. 
 
 3. Obturator hole. 
 
 B. External view of the right femur. 
 
 4. Head of the femur (round-bone). 
 
 5. Trochanter major externus, 
 
 6. Tubercle on the head of the femur. 
 
 7. Trochanter minor externus. 
 
 8. Fossa for muscular insertion. 
 
 9. 9. Trochlear surfaces for articulation with 
 
 the patella (knee-cap). 
 
 10. External condyle. 
 
 11. Surfaces articulating with upper extremity 
 
 of the tibia, or leg-bone. 
 
 The articular surfaces of both condyles are covered with cartilage, and 
 united anteriorly to the prominences before mentioned, where they form 
 a pulley-like surface, concave from side to side, over 
 which the patella glides. Interiorly, from before 
 backwards, these prominences converge together, and 
 terminate abruptly on the postero-interior surface of 
 the bone ; thus leaving a space between them and 
 this interval, which has been denominated the inter- 
 condyloid fossa. 
 
 The patella, stifle-bone, or knee-cap, lies on the 
 lower extremity of the femur, at the anterior part of 
 the stifle-joint. It is quadrangular in form ; its anterior 
 surface is convex and rough ; its posterior being 
 covered with cartilage is smooth, and is divided by an eminence running 
 
 Fig. 34. — Posterior 
 View of the Patella. 
 
 1. Superior angle. 
 
 2. 3. Surfaces gliding on 
 
 the trochleae of 
 the femur. 
 
346 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 over it into two shallow cavities (the superficies of the internal being 
 the larger), which correspond with the trochlear prominences, situated 
 anteriorly to the condyles of the femur. Superiorly it presents a trian- 
 gular roughened space, bounded by its two lateral angles, which gives 
 attachment to muscles, and inferiorly we notice a fourth angle. These 
 angles are all blunt and slightly rounded off. 
 
 BONES OF THE LEG. 
 
 The tibia (so called because the ancient shepherds used this hone 
 as a flute) lies between the femur and tarsus (hock), forming an angle 
 with each. It is broad, and of a spongy texture above ; contracted 
 and dense below, where it is felt immediately beneath the skin and 
 tendons. 
 
 Fig. 35.— Tibia, Fibula, and Tarsus. 
 
 A. Tibia. D* Astragalus. 
 
 1 . 2. Articulatory surfaces. E. Os scaphoides. 
 
 3. Tuberosity. F. Os cuneiforme magnum. 
 
 4*. Spine. G. Os cuboides. 
 
 5 . External malleolus. H. Os cuneiforme parvum. 
 
 6. Surfaces articulating with astragalus. I. Upper part of large metatarsal bone. 
 
 B. Fibula. K. Upper portion of the external small meta- 
 
 C. Os calcis. tarsal bone. 
 
 7. Point of hock. 
 
 The body is of a triangular or prismatic shape above, its angles gra- 
 dually rounding off below, and then expanding laterally to meet the 
 
THE HOCK. 
 
 347 
 
 condyles of the lower extremity. The anterior angle is the shin, and at 
 the upper part of this is a strong tubercle ( 3 , Fig. 35). 
 
 The superior extremity has two irregularly oval and slightly hol- 
 lowed articulatory surfaces, which revolve upon the condyles of the femur, 
 the cavity being deepened in each by the intervention of the semilunar 
 cartilage. Between them are to he seen a sharp elevation and two pits, 
 to which the crucial ligaments are attached. In front is the tuberosity 
 to which the ligament of the patella is fixed. On the sides of the head 
 are the condyles, rough for the attachment of the corresponding liga- 
 ments, and the external having an oval articular fossa for the head of 
 the fibula. 
 
 The inferior or tarsal extremity is much smaller than the superior, 
 but wider than the body, and nearly quadrilateral ; its anterior border is 
 flat and rough ; its posterior border is also flat, and presents numerous 
 foramina. The external border is prominent and rough, and has a groove 
 in its centre. Depending from each 
 side is a process (the internal and 
 external malleolus of human ana- 
 tomy), serving to strengthen the arti- 
 culation with the astragalus, and the 
 internal being considerably the longer. 
 
 Between these are two deep grooves, 
 smoothly covered with cartilage, and 
 having a projection in the middle 
 similarly clothed. The direction of 
 these grooves is obliquely forwards 
 and outwards. Both the malleoli 
 are lined with cartilage, which enters 
 into the joint. 
 
 The Fibula is a slender bone, 
 having a slight enlargement at its 
 superior extremity to form the head. 
 
 On its inner surface there is a layer 
 of articular cartilage to form the joint 
 with the tibia. Below it has a bulb- 
 ous end, which is free, and affords 
 attachment to the ligamentous fibres 
 which connect it with the tibia. Be- 
 tween the two bones there is a con- 
 siderable space, occupied by a thin 
 membrane. 
 
 The Tarsus, or hock, is made up 
 of several bones connecting the tibia 
 above with the metatarsus below. It 
 corresponds with the ankle of man ; 
 and if the term wrist were to be ap- 
 plied to the knee of the horse, as sug- 
 gested by certain writers, in order to 
 be consistent the hock must be called 
 the ankle, which would lead to end- 
 less confusion. The better plan is to 
 retain the names by which these parts are known in our ordinary language 
 and to adopt the nomenclature of the anatomical school for any scientific 
 description. Thus the carpus and tarsus of the anatomist are rendered 
 
 Fia. 36. — Internal View of Tarsal Bones. 
 
 2. Inferior extremity of the tibia. 
 
 a. Internal malleolus. 
 
 5. External malleolus. 
 
 3. Os calcis. 
 
 4 and 5. Surfaces of articulation on the astra- 
 galus, which, together with correspond- 
 ing ones on the tibia, form the great 
 hinge-joint of the skeleton. 
 
 c. Tubercle on the astragalus for the attach- 
 ment of ligaments. 
 
 6. Os scaphoides. 
 
 7. — cuneiforme magnum. 
 
 8. — cuneiforme parvum. 
 
 9. Large metatarsal bone. 
 
 10. Internal small metatarsal bone. 
 
848 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 into the knee and hock of the horseman without impropriety, and at the 
 same time without any chance of a misunderstanding. 
 
 The tarsus consists of six hones, disposed in two rows, the astragalus 
 and os calcis forming the upper one, hut the former hone alone entering 
 into the tihio-tarsal, or hock joint, w T ith the tihia. 
 
 The Astragalus (do-rpayaXog, a die ) is an irregular hone, situated in 
 front of the os calcis, between the tihia and the os scaphoides : it is 
 divided into five surfaces : first, the supero-anterior surface, pulley-like 
 and articulatory, corresponds with the inferior extremity of the tihia, and 
 consists of two semicircular prominences, separated hy a deep groove, 
 taking a course obliquely outwards and forwards ; secondly, the inferior 
 presents a smooth convex surface with a roughened depression posteriorly, 
 for ligamentous attachment, and articulates with the superior face of the 
 os scaphoides ; thirdly, the posterior is irregular, and presents on its 
 surface four smooth faces for articulation with the os calcis, which are 
 separated hy roughened excavations. The external side is marked hy 
 ligamentous impressions ; the internal, smoother than the external, 
 presents behind and below a little tubercle, which gives attachment to 
 ligaments. 
 
 The Os Calcis (the heel-lone ). — This hone, forming the point of the 
 hock, presents two surfaces, two borders, and tw T o extremities ; the ex- 
 ternal surface is almost plain ; the internal is excavated as a groove ; the 
 anterior is slightly concave ; the posterior is straight and roughened ; on 
 the superior extremity is a thick tuberous termination, to which the ham- 
 strings are attached; its inferior extremity is large and concave, and 
 presents four surfaces for articulation with the astragalus, os cuhoides, 
 and os scaphoides, and a median rough interspace to which ligaments 
 are attached. 
 
 The Os Cuboides (kv^os, a cube) is situated on the postero-external 
 sides of os euneiforme magnum and os scaphoides, between the inferior 
 extremity of the os calcis and the head of the external small metatarsal 
 hone and also a portion of the superior extremity of the large metatarsal 
 hone. It presents six surfaces : a superior, which articulates with the os 
 calcis : an inferior hy two facettes corresponds to similar ones situated on 
 the large and external small metatarsal bones just mentioned ; internally 
 two arthrodial surfaces occur, which face with similar surfaces on the os 
 euneiforme magnum and os scaphoides. The external, anterior, and 
 posterior surfaces are roughened for ligamentous attachment. 
 
 The Os Scaphoides is in figure triangular ; the superior surface smooth 
 and slightly concave, is entirely articulatory, with the exception of a little 
 groove, running to its middle from the outer side ; this surface cor- 
 responds with the under surface of the astragalus. The inferior surface 
 is similar to the superior, except that it is slightly convex, and articulates 
 with the superior surface of the os euneiforme magnum, and also on its 
 internal angle with the os euneiforme parvum ; it offers also, on its 
 postero-external face, two small diarthrodial surfaces for articulation with 
 the os cuhoides ; in the rest of its extent, it is roughened for ligamentous 
 attachment. 
 
 The Os Cuneiforme Magnum. — This hone, although smaller than the 
 scaphoid, at the same time greatly resembles it ; its superior surface 
 articulates with the inferior surface of that hone ; the inferior surface 
 articulates with the large metatarsal bone ; its external border is provided 
 with two arthrodial spots for articulation with corresponding ones on 
 the os cuhoides. The internal border also offers a spot which articulates 
 
THE JOINTS. 349 
 
 with a similar one on the os cuneiforme parvum ; its anterior border is 
 roughened throughout. 
 
 The Os Cuneiforme Parvum is situated on the internal side of the 
 tarsus. This bone, smaller than all, is prolonged from before backwards, 
 flattened from one side to the other, and articulates with the os cunei- 
 forme magnum, and with the large and internal small metatarsal bones, to 
 which it corresponds by four surfaces covered with cartilage. 
 
 METATAESAL AND PHALANGEAL BONES. 
 
 The Metatarsal and Phalangeal bones, known to the horseman as the 
 cannon-bones, the pasterns, and the hind feet, resemble so closely those 
 of the fore extremity, that it is unnecessary to repeat the description of 
 them here. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 OF THE JOINTS, AND THE TISSUES ENTERING INTO THEIR COMPOSITION. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS — CART I L AGE — FIBROUS TISSUE — FIBRO-CARTIL AGE — SYNOVIAL 
 MEMBRANES — CLASSIFICATION OF THE JOINTS — THEIR MOVEMENTS — ARTICULATIONS 
 OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN —LIGAMENTUM COLLI, OR GREAT CERVICAL LIGAMENT, 
 AND OTHER PECULIARITIES OF THE VERTEBRiE OF THE NECK — MOVEMENTS OF THE 
 VERTEBRA. IN GENERAL, AND OF CERTAIN OF THEIR JOINTS IN PARTICULAR — THORACIC 
 ARTICULATION — TEMPORO-MAXILLARY ARTICULATION — PECULIARITIES IN THE ARTICU- 
 LATIONS OF THE LUMBAR VERTEBRA! — LUMBO-SACRAL ARTICULATION — COCCYGEAL 
 JOINTS — SACRO-ILIAC ARTICULATIONS — ISCHIO-PUBIC SYMPHYSIS — THE SHOULDER JOINT 
 
 ELBOW JOINT — KNEE JOINT — INTER-METACARPAL ARTICULATION — FETLOCK JOINT — 
 
 PASTERN JOINT — COFFIN JOINT — HIP JOINT — STIFLE JOINT — TIBIO-FIBULAR ARTICU- 
 LATION — HOCK JOINT AND ARTICULATION BETWEEN THE BONES OF THE TARSUS 
 
 TARSO-METATARSAL ARTICULATION — TERMINAL ARTICULATION OF THE POSTERIOR 
 LIMBS. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 The joints are all formed between two or more separate bones, having 
 a soft and elastic substance interposed, whose structure varies with the 
 amount of motion. Where this is extensive, as in the joints of the limbs, 
 the adjacent surfaces are covered with a peculiar kind of cartilage arranged 
 in a thin and very smooth layer upon them. In addition to this protec- 
 tion against friction and vibration, the bones are firmly bound together by 
 strong bands of white fibrous inelastic tissue under the general name of 
 ligaments, each bundle receiving a distinct appellation. In those situa- 
 tions where the motion is limited, a mixture of cartilage and fibrous tissue 
 is inserted between the ends of the bones and attached to both, as in the 
 vertebrae, ischio-pubic symphysis, &c. ; while in order to reduce the vibra- 
 tion and friction in certain important joints fibro-cartilages are introduced, 
 with both surfaces free, and in contact only with the usual layer of car- 
 tilage, as in the stifle and jaw. A lubricating fluid (called synovia) is 
 required to reduce the amount of friction ; and to produce it, as well as to 
 keep it within proper limits, a membrane (synovial) is developed. This is 
 attached to each bone in a peculiar manner, to be presently described. 
 Lastly, an elastic fibrous tissue (yellow) is met with in certain situations, 
 the most remarkable being the great ligament of the neck. Each of these 
 
350 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 different structures will require a separate description ; for as the diseases 
 cf the joints are of great importance, a knowledge of the structure of their 
 component parts must be carefully obtained before entering upon the 
 treatment with any hope of success. 
 
 CARTILAGE. 
 
 True cartilage (which is familiarly , known to all when it shows the 
 large white masses in a breast of veal, as dressed for the table) is a homo- 
 geneous, white, semi-transparent substance, possessing a certain amount of 
 elasticity, and easily cut with a knife. In the early embryo it exists as 
 the sole foundation of the skeleton, bone being afterwards deposited in its 
 meshes and finally substituted for it. This is called temporary cartilage. 
 In after life it invests those parts of the bones which enter into the 
 composition of the joints (articular cartilage, which is what we are con- 
 sidering just now), and also forms the costal cartilages, the ensiform and 
 cariniform cartilages, and those of the larynx, trachea, and nose. Reticular 
 or membvaniform cartilage, differing slightly from true cartilage, is met 
 with in the Eustachean tube, the external ear, and the epiglottis. 
 
 Structure. — On putting a slice of true cartilage under the microscope, 
 it is seen to consist of a number of minute cells disseminated through a 
 vitreous substance. The cells are oval, oblong, or polyhedral in shape, 
 and more or less flattened by packing. The membrane forming the cell- 
 wall is usually blended with the matrix, but sometimes consists of con- 
 centric layers. White fibres usually inclose the mass of cells, and even 
 dip sometimes into those cells more superficially placed. The cells or 
 corpuscles are contained in hollow cavities, called lacunae. Sometimes 
 they do not entirely fill up the lacunae, so that a vacant space is left. 
 The corpuscles are usually dispersed in groups, varying in size and form, 
 through the matrix ; the groups towards the surface of the cartilage are 
 generally flattened conformably with the surface. In articular cartilage , 
 the matrix in a thin section appears dim and presents a granular aspect, 
 the cells and nuclei of which are small The parent-cells inclose two or 
 three younger cells. The groups they form are flattened near the surface 
 and lie parallel with it. In the internal part of this cartilage the cells 
 assume a linear direction, and point towards the surface. Hear its 
 attached surface cartilage blends with the bone, the cells and nuclei of 
 which become surrounded by little granular bodies, which seem to be the 
 rudimentary deposit of bone. In costal cartilage the cells are very large ; 
 they contain two or more nuclei, which are clear and transparent, and 
 some contain a few oil globules. The cells, internally situated, form 
 oblong groups, disposed in lines radiating to the circumference. We 
 observe a great quantity of intercellular tissue, in the form of white 
 fibrous structure, the fibres of which are parallel and straight. 
 
 Perichondrium (repl, around , and x ° v ^ P 0 s > cartilage ), is a white 
 fibrous substance, which covers the external surface of all cartilages, 
 except those of the joints. In this membrane the blood-vessels which 
 supply the cartilage with blood, ramify. It is analogous to the periosteum 
 which covers the external surface of bones. 
 
 Herves. — Ho nerves have been traced into any of the cartilages ; they 
 are destitute of sensation while free from inflammation. 
 
 Blood-vessels. — Cartilage is non-vascular ; it receives its nourishment 
 from the bone and perichondrium by imbibition. The law of endosmose 
 coming into operation when the tissue is thick, as in the costal cartilage^ 
 
FIBROUS TISSUE. 
 
 35 ] 
 
 canals are formed through which the vessels pass to supply the parts 
 which are too far removed from the perichondrium. In articular carti 
 lages no vessels enter. When cartilage is removed by mechanical means, 
 or by absorption, it is not regenerated, and when fractured, as in the ribs, 
 there is no reunion by cartilage, but by fibrous, or most frequently by 
 osseous deposition. 
 
 Chemical Composition. — True cartilage contains three-fifths of its 
 weight of water. It is ascertained that the cells and the intermediate 
 substance are composed of different materials. The membranes of the 
 cartilage cells are not resolved by boiling, and offer a lengthened resistance 
 to alkalies and acids. The contents of the cells coagulate in water and 
 dilute acids, and are dissolved by alkalies. The intermediate substance 
 consists of chondrin, which differs from gelatine in not being precipitated 
 by the mineral acids. 
 
 FIBROUS TISSUE. 
 
 Fibrous tissue exists very generally throughout the body, being com- 
 posed of fibres of extreme minuteness. It is found under three forms, as 
 white fibrous tissue, yellow fibrous tissue, and red fibrous tissue. 
 
 White fibrous tissue is composed of cylindrical fibres of exceeding 
 minuteness, transparent, and undulating. They are collected first into 
 small fasciculi and then into larger bundles, which, according to their 
 arrangement, compose thin layers or membranes, ligamentous bands or 
 tendons. The membraneous form is seen in the periosteum and peri- 
 chondrium, the fasciae covering various organs, the membrane of the 
 brain, &c. — Ligaments are glistening and inelastic bands, composed of 
 fasciculi of fibrous tissue generally ranged side by side, sometimes inter- 
 woven with each other. These fasciculi are held together by separate 
 fibres, or by areolar tissue. They are of all forms, from the round band to 
 the expanded membrane known as a capsular ligament. — Tendons are 
 constructed like ligaments, but usually in larger and more rounded 
 bundles. Sometimes they are spread out in the form of aponeuroses. 
 
 Yellow fibrous tissue is also known as elastic tissue, from its most 
 prominent physical characteristic, in which it differs from white fibrous 
 tissue. It is so elastic that it may be drawn out to double its natural 
 length, without losing its power of returning to its original dimensions. 
 Its fibres are transparent, brittle, flat or polyhedral in shape, colourless 
 when single, but yellowish when aggregated in masses. When this tissue 
 is cut or torn, the fibres become curved at their extremities in a peculiar 
 manner. It is met with in the ligamenta subflava of the vertebrae, the 
 hgamentum colli, the chordae vocales, and membranes of the larynx and 
 trachea, and the middle coat of the arteries. 
 
 Red fibrous tissue, also called contractile tissue from its possessing 
 the power of contracting under certain stimulants, is intermediate between 
 yellow fibrous tissue and muscular fibre. Its fibres are cylindrical, trans- 
 parent, of a reddish colour, and collected in bundles. It has no connexion 
 with the joints, but is met with in the iris, around certain excretory ducts, 
 and in the coats of the veins. 
 
 Chemical Composition . — The flexibility of fibrous tissue is owing to 
 the presence of water in it, of which it contains about two-thirds of its 
 weight. A tendon or ligament will readily dry and become brittle. 
 Acetic acid causes it to swell up, and here the acid discloses the existence 
 of nuclei and elastic fibres. It is chiefly composed of gelatine, which is 
 extracted by boiling. 
 
352 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Blood-vessels . — White fibrous tissue contains few blood-vessels. They 
 usually follow the course of the fasciculi ; in ligaments they run in a 
 longitudinal direction, sending off communicating branches across the 
 fasciculi, and eventually forming an open network. The periosteum is 
 much more vascular, but the vessels do not strictly belong to the mem- 
 brane, as the ramifications found in it are chiefly intended for supplying 
 blood to the bone which it covers. 
 
 Nerves. — Small tendons contain no nerves, and large ones only small 
 filaments. In the periosteum, nerves are abundant; they exist there 
 chiefly for supplying the bones with sensibility. The pain caused in rheu- 
 matism, which is an intensely painful disease, is a proof of the sensibility 
 of white fibrous tissue. 
 
 FIBEO-CAETILAGE. 
 
 This substance, intermediate in structure and uses between cartilage 
 and fibrous tissue, is composed of a network of white glistening fibres col- 
 lected into fasciculi of various sizes, and containing within its meshes cells 
 and a sub-fibrous tissue resembling that of true cartilage. Fibro-cartilage 
 admits of arrangement in four groups : — 
 
 1. Interarticular fibro-cartilage is placed between the moving 
 surfaces of bones. It serves to connect them together, to facilitate their 
 gliding motion, and to act as a cushion, thus preserving the articular sur- 
 faces from attrition, and the bones from the effects of sudden concussion. 
 It is usually placed where much motion is enjoyed, as in the lower jaw 
 and knee, in the form of round oval plates growing thinner in the centre. 
 Marginal cartilages such as that around the cotyloid cavity are of the 
 same kind. 
 
 2. Stratiform fibro-cartilages form a thin coating to the bony grooves 
 over which tendons play. 
 
 3. Interosseous fibro-cartilage occurs between the vertebras, at the 
 ischio-pubic symphysis, &c. 
 
 4. Free fibro-cartilages are met with in the tarsal cartilages of the 
 eyelids, &c. 
 
 SYNOVIAL MEMBEANES. 
 
 The synovial membrane is a thin layer, which invests the articular 
 cartilages of opposite bones, and is continued from one to the other by 
 being reflected beneath the ligaments which connect them. It resembles 
 the serous membrane in being a shut sac or bladder, and a synovial cap- 
 sule may be compared to a sma]l bladder, containing only as much fluid 
 as will adhere to its interior, placed between the opposite ends of two 
 bones forming a joint. The secretion formed by it, synovia (ovv, together , 
 <oov, an egg), is alkaline, and contains albumen, which is coagulable by 
 boiling. Heale has ascertained, by the aid of the microscope, that this 
 membrane is actually reflected over the articular cartilage, a point which 
 has been long disputed. Besides the joints, the synovial membranes also 
 form smaller sacs which lubricate the tendons as they pass over the ends 
 of the bones, and which are called bursae mucosce . The epithelium lining 
 these membranes is of the kind called tesselated ; it is developed in the 
 same manner with that of other free surfaces, being continually repro- 
 duced as it is worn away. Synovial membranes, in many situations, are 
 closely and completely invested externally by fibrous layers — the fibrous 
 capsules, as they are termed. These fibrous coats are met with especially 
 in situations where the articulation is either wholly unprotected, or 
 
SYNOVIAL MEMBRANES. 
 
 353 
 
 but thinly covered by soft parts ; or where a very firm connexion is 
 required, as in the hip joint. They are absent where muscles or liga- 
 ments rest upon the articulation ; or where, for special purposes, the 
 synovial membrane is exposed to more considerable movements, as in 
 the knee. 
 
 The synovial capsule is attached, either simply to the cartilaginous 
 surface, extending thence directly to the other bone, or it may, in the first 
 place, besides the cartilage, also invest a larger or smaller extent of the 
 surface of the bone itself, and then pass to the second bone, with which it 
 is connected in the one way or the other. 
 
 Synovia is a viscid transparent fluid, of a pale straw colour, slightly 
 alkaline. In chemical and general characters, it is like the serum of the 
 blood. A drop of synovia is found to contain — fat molecules, epithelial 
 cells, and small granular corpuscles, bearing a close resemblance to the 
 white corpuscles of the blood. This fluid, on account of the presence of 
 albumen, is coagulable by heat. 
 
 CLASSIFICATION 7 OF THE JOINTS. 
 
 The skeleton has already been described as composed of different pieces 
 of bone, united to each other in various manners : from this union result 
 the articulations, which are sometimes very movable ; sometimes joined 
 to each other through the medium of long digitations or teeth, which 
 fix them, if not to immobility, at least to a very constrained movement ; 
 and, lastly, united together through the medium of cartilage, the elasticity 
 of which permits latitude of movement. In the first case, the articulations 
 take the name of diarthrosis or movable articulations (Sia, through , and 
 apOpov , a limb) ; in the second, synarthrosis (<rw, together , and apOpov, a 
 limb); and thirdly, amphiarthrosis (agcjn, about , and wpOpov), partaking, 
 at the same time, of the two classes of articulation above mentioned — 
 namely, synarthrosis, in the continuity established by the articular sur- 
 faces ; and diarthrosis, in the limited extent of movement it permits. 
 
 The guide to the classification of joints is the configuration of their 
 articular surfaces, and the movements they allow. 
 
 Diarthrodial joints are arranged under three distinct classes : — 
 
 1. Enarthrosis. This kind of joint is characterized by the reception of 
 an articular head into a cavity of appropriate form. It is the seat of most 
 extensive movements ; namely, flexion, extension, adduction, abduction, 
 circumduction, and rotation. Example : Acetabulum with femur. 
 
 2. Ginglymus. A perfect hinge-joint, the articular surfaces of which 
 are configured in a trochlear arrangement, in such a manner that two or 
 more prominences may fit into two or more excavations of appropriate 
 form for their reception. Their only movements are flexion and ex- 
 tension. Example : Tibia with the astragalus. 
 
 3. Arthrodia (a kind of shallow articulation), consisting almost of plain 
 surfaces. Gliding is the only possible movement. Example : the Carpo- 
 metacarpal articulation. 
 
 Synarthrodial joints are included under four heads, all of which 
 should be examined as parts of the bony skeleton : — 
 
 1. Harmonia, in which the bones are joined by apposition, as in the 
 nasal bones. 
 
 2. Schindylesis, in which a ridge or keel projects into a cleft. Example : 
 Yomer with sphenoid. 
 
 3. Gomphosis. Like a nail in its socket, as the teeth in the alveoli. 
 
 4. Sutura. Indented, and subdivided into sutura serrata, as in the 
 
 A A 
 
354 THE HORSE. 
 
 frontal bones, and sutura squamosa, as in the union of the parietal and 
 temporal bones. 
 
 The amphiarthrodial joints are often smooth, and formed after the 
 manner of diarthrodial surfaces. At other times they are more or less 
 rough. These joints are united together for the most part by fibro- 
 cartilage. Their extent of movement depends on the thickness and 
 elasticity of the interarticular fibro-cartilage. They do not glide, there- 
 fore, one over the other. Only one species of amphiarthrosis exists, of 
 which the articulations of the vertebrae, the ischio-pubic symphysis, and 
 the intermetacarpal joints are examples. 
 
 MOVEMENTS OF THE JOINTS. 
 
 The motions permitted in the joints are four — namely, gliding, angular 
 motion, circumduction, and rotation. 
 
 1. Gliding is the simple motion of one bone upon the other, without 
 materially altering their relations. 
 
 2. Angular motion may be either limited to one plane, as in the trace- 
 hinge, or it may be extended to more, when the motion becomes nearly 
 allied to circumduction. The elbow and hock are examples of the former, 
 as, indeed, are most of the horse’s joints. 
 
 3. Circumduction is a motion very little seen in the large joints of 
 this animal, and is confined to the hip and shoulder joints, in which it is 
 far more limited than in the corresponding joints of the human frame. It 
 is displayed when a limb is made to describe a segment of a large circle 
 around the joint which connects it to the body. 
 
 4. Rotation is the movement of a bone on its own axis, and is only 
 seen in the horse in the joint between the two first vertebrae of the neck. 
 
 ARTICULATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN. 
 
 The vertebrae are connected together by ligaments, fibro-cartilage, and 
 synovial membranes ; the first two serving to retain them in position ; 
 the last to facilitate motion. They correspond, firstly, by their bodies ; 
 secondly, by their spines ; and, thirdly, by their oblique and transverse 
 processes. It is necessary to state, that the general details into which 
 this study leads us will apply only to the articulations which unite the 
 six lower cervical vertebrae, the dorsal and lumbar vertebrae, and the 
 sacrum. 
 
 The bodies connect themselves by their surfaces, which in the cervical 
 region represent, 1st, the anterior, or true head ; 2d, the posterior, or 
 glenoid cavity, which receives the head of the vertebra immediately 
 behind it. In passing from the first dorsal to the sacrum, these tend to 
 efface themselves, and become plainer ; nevertheless, they preserve 
 throughout the one its convexity, and the other its concavity. Their 
 means of union are — (1) fibro-cartilages, interposed between the articular 
 surfaces ; (2) a common superior vertebral ligament ; (3) a common in- 
 ferior vertebral ligament. 
 
 The intervertebral fibro-cartilages are circular or elliptical discs, convex 
 before, concave behind ; firmly fixed to the surfaces of the bones which 
 they separate. The fibro-cartilaginous substance which forms them is 
 composed of an external laminar part, constituting the circumference of 
 an internal soft or pulpy part, which occupies the centre. The laminar 
 part forms more than half the whole mass, and consists of laminae, or 
 
ARTICULATIONS OF THE VERTEBRA. 
 
 355 
 
 plates of fibro-cartilage, and fibrous tissue, alternating one with the other. 
 The central part is a pulpy, elastic material, which is of a yellowish 
 colour, and destitute of the concentric arrangement seen externally. The 
 fibro-cartilages join at their circumference the two common vertebral 
 ligaments, and in the vertebrae of the back help to form the intervertebral 
 cavities destined for the reception of the heads of the ribs. 
 
 The superior vertebral ligament within the spinal canal, and attached to 
 the posterior surface of the bodies of the vertebrae, extends from the 
 dentata to the sacrum. In the neck, it spreads across the bodies ; but in 
 the back and loins it is broader opposite the intervertebral cartilage than 
 opposite the bodies of the bones. It adheres firmly to the fibro-cartilages 
 and to the contiguous margins of the bodies of the vertebrae ; but it is 
 separated from their middles by a transverse venous plexus. 
 
 The inferior vertebral ligament reaches from the fifth dorsal vertebra to 
 the first bone of the sacrum; becoming broader and broader as it ap- 
 proaches the sacrum, along its course it connects itself to the inferior spines 
 of the bodies of the vertebrae and to the intervertebral discs. 
 
 The union of the vertebra through their spinal part is effected 
 by a superior spinal ligament and an interspinal ligament. 
 
 The supra-spinous ligament consists of small compressed bundles of 
 longitudinal fibres, extending from the last cervical spine to the spine of 
 the anterior coccygeal bone, and thus forms a continuous chain. 
 
 The interspinal ligaments consist of fibrous plates, filling up the spaces 
 between the spines, and attached before and behind to their opposite 
 borders. One set of these fibres pass from the anterior border of one 
 spine to the posterior border of the one before it, taking a direction from 
 below, forwards and upwards ; another set run from the posterior border 
 of the spine to the anterior border of that situated behind it, taking a 
 direction from below, upwards and backwards. 
 
 The arches or plates are connected together by the ligamenta verte- 
 brarum subflava. These ligaments consist of yellow and white fibrous 
 tissue. Their attachment extends from the roots of the oblique processes 
 to the origin of the spinous processes. Their anterior edges are attached 
 to the posterior edges of the vertebral plates which are in front. Their 
 posterior edges are attached to the anterior edges and inferior faces of the 
 plates which are behind. The ligamenta subflava do not exist between 
 the occiput and atlas, or between the atlas and dentata. 
 
 Inter-transverse ligaments are situated between the transverse pro- 
 cesses, running from the transverse process of one vertebra to the same 
 process of the one next to it. 
 
 9 
 
 Fig. 1. — Profile View of the Liga- 
 ments COMMON TO THE VERTEBRAE. 
 
 2. 2. Bodies of vertebrae. 
 
 3. 3. Spines. 
 
 4. 4. Transverse processes. 
 
 5. Head of the body. 
 
 6. Oblique process. 
 
 7. Hole of conjugation. 
 
 8. Glenoid cavity. 
 
 9. Supra-spinous ligament. 
 
 10. Intra-spinous ligament. 
 
 11. Intervertebral fibro-cartilage. 
 
 12. Inferior common vertebral ligament. 
 
 A A 2 
 
356 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The oblique processes are united by synovial capsules one to the 
 other. These capsules, throughout the vertebrae of the back, are pro- 
 tected by white fibrous tissue, but in the cervical region the fibres 
 covering the capsules are yellow and elastic, and on this account, and 
 owing to the size of their arthrodial surfaces, latitude of movement is 
 permitted to a greater extent than is noticed in any other vertebral 
 region. 
 
 THE LIGAMENTUM COLLI, OH GEEAT CEEYICAL LIGA- 
 MENT, AND OTHEE PECULIAEITIES IN THE LIGAMENTS 
 OF THE NECK. 
 
 In the neck a much greater latitude of motion is required, to admit of 
 the lowering of the head in grazing, and of raising it for various purposes, 
 as well as balancing its great weight at all times. Lateral flexion and 
 rotation on its own axis are also necessitated for the purpose of directing 
 the muzzle right and left of the straight line, and for these several 
 motions the following deviations from the ordinary vertebral joints are 
 developed. 
 
 The Ligamentum Colli, or great cervical ligament, is intended to 
 relieve the muscles of the neck in supporting the head by its natural or 
 inherent elasticity. It is entirely formed of yellow elastic tissue, and 
 occupies the angle formed posteriorly by the anterior dorsal spines, and 
 interiorly by the cervical spinous processes, thus separating the cervical 
 muscles of the right side from those of the left. 
 
 It is divided for description into two parts — a funicular and lameHary 
 portion. The first, designated under the name of the cord of the cervical 
 ligament, is represented by a large band, which extends immediately from 
 
 Pig. 2. — Profile View of the Great Ligament of the Neck. 
 
 1. Crest of the occiput. 6. Cordiform portion of the ligamentum colli 
 
 2. 2. Cervical vertebrae. mixing with the supra-spinous ligament. 
 
 3. 3. Dorsal vertebrae. 7. Lamellary portion of the ligamentum colli 
 
 4. 4. 4. Dorsal spines. .8. Interspinous ligaments. 
 
 5. 5. 5. Cordiform or funicular portion of the 
 
 ligamentum colli. 
 
 the dorsal spinous processes to the top of the head, divided into two 
 lateral lips by a mesian line. The cord is connected posteriorly with the 
 supra-spinous ligament, and is inserted anteriorly into the scabrous pit, 
 
LIGAMENTS OF THE NECK. 
 
 357 
 
 situated just below the crest of the occiput. It is covered superiorly by 
 a mass of thick adipo-fibrous tissue, much developed in low-bred animals. 
 Inferiorly it gives off the lamellary portion, which is composed of two 
 plates united by cellular membrane. These lie between the two sets of 
 muscles, and give off six tongues or slips, which unite with the spines of 
 the six posterior cervical vertebrae, mixing with the fibres of the inter- 
 spinous ligaments. 
 
 The Atlas is united to the occiput by lateral ligaments, which bind 
 its articular surfaces to the condyles of the bone — also by two inferior 
 Ligaments and synovial capsules. 
 
 The two lateral ligaments, broad and membranous, arise from the supero- 
 lateral border of the arch of the atlas, and are attached to the sides of 
 tlie condyles of the occiput, or rather between the condyles and the 
 styloid processes. 
 
 The long inferior ligament arises from the tubercle on the inferior sur- 
 face of the atlas, and is attached to the basilar process of the occiput. 
 
 The short inferior ligament arises from the tubercle on the inferior sur- 
 face of the atlas, is attached to the foramen 
 magnum of the occiput, and is connected with 
 the theca vertebralis. 
 
 A thin fibrous ligament ( The occipito-atloid) 
 surrounds the entire articulation ; it is attached 
 anteriorly to the condyles of the occiput, and 
 posteriorly to the articulatory surface of the 
 atlas. This membrane is thin and elastic in- 
 feriorly; superiorly it is formed of two bundles 
 of fibres, which cross one another like the 
 letter X. Internally it is lined by synovial 
 membrane. 
 
 The axis, or vertebra dentata, is united to 
 the atlas, and partially also to the occiput, as 
 follows : — 
 
 1. Articular surfaces are formed on the odon- 
 toid process of the axis, and also on the sides of 
 its body close to the root of that part. These 
 correspond with similar faces on the inside of 
 the ring of the atlas, and also on its posterior 
 side. 
 
 2. The ligaments connecting the rings of the 
 t'fvo vertebrce together , or the superior and inferior 
 atlo-axoid ligaments . The former represent the 
 interspinous ligaments of the other vertebrm 
 — being yellow, elastic, and formed of two 
 layers, which are continuous with the capsular 
 ligaments — the latter is a large thin band, which 
 is stretched from the inferior face of the axis 
 to the inferior spine of the atlas, lying concealed 
 by the longus colli muscle. Besides these two 
 ligaments there is also a capsular ligament, 
 which commences from the sides of the superior 
 atlo-axoid ligament, and after uniting with the borders of the odontoid 
 ligament is confounded with the fibres of the inferior atlo-axoid. In fact, 
 it is a mesh of white fibrous tissue connecting the three together. 
 
 3. The odontoid ligaments , which are covered by the superior atlo-axoid 
 
 Fig. 3. — Superior View of the 
 Joints formed between the 
 First Two Vertebrae of the 
 Neck and between the Atlas 
 and Occiput. 
 
 A. Superior fibres of the occipito- 
 
 atloid ligament. 
 
 B. Atlas. 
 
 C. Vertebra dentata, showing tho 
 
 superior atlo-axoid liga- 
 ment. 
 
 D. Third cervical vertebra. 
 
 F. F. Transverse processes of den- 
 tata. 
 
 1. 1. Odontoid ligament. 
 
358 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 ligament. On cutting through these the following sets of fibres will be 
 made apparent : — First , a transverse band arises from the root of the 
 odontoid process, and dividing into two like the letter V, is attached on 
 each side to the ridge on the inferior part of the ring of the atlas — a few 
 thin fibres passing on to be attached to the basilar process and condyles 
 of the occiput. Secondly , a strong band arises from the point of the 
 odontoid process, and is attached to the middle of the ridge on the 
 inferior part of the atlas. Thirdly , a few fibres pass across from the 
 inside of the ring of the atlas on one side to the corresponding part of 
 the other. These serve to strengthen the capsule, but they have not the 
 substance of the corresponding ligament in the human frame. 
 
 MOVEMENTS OE THE VERTEBRAE IN GENERAL AND OF 
 CERTAIN OF THEIR JOINTS IN PARTICULAR. 
 
 The amount of motion between any two vertebrae is extremely limited, 
 with the exception of the atlo-axoid articulation, in which the degree 
 of rotation is considerable. But when the spine is viewed as a whole, 
 these slight individual movements multiplied together are sufficient to 
 allow of flexion and extension, as well as of inclination to either side. 
 In the region of the back the joints are rigid, in the loins less so, but in 
 the neck and tail great liberty is allowed. Flexion and extension, as well 
 as lateral motion, are dependent entirely upon the elasticity of the inter- 
 vertebral substance, which allows of one part being compressed while the 
 other is extended. Thus, when the loins are arched upwards, the lower 
 edge of this substance is compressed, while the upper part assumes a 
 more expanded condition, and at the same time the spinous processes are 
 separated more widely, and their ligaments are stretched. The reverse of 
 this takes place when these bones are arched downwards, while in lateral 
 inclination the sides are compressed and expanded in a corresponding 
 manner. Very slight rotation of the whole spine, or more properly 
 twisting, is permitted by the elastic nature of the intervertebral substance ; 
 but in the atlo-axoid articulation a perfect rotation occurs around the 
 centre of the odontoid process, allowing the muzzle to be turned in either 
 direction, which could not be done without an arrangement of this 
 nature. The capsular ligaments and the superior and inferior atlo-axoid 
 ligaments are necessarily lax to allow of this motion. Lastly, the great 
 ligament of the neck serves to support the weight of the head, which 
 would be too great for the muscles of the neck, in consequence of the 
 length of leverage which is presented. 
 
 THORACIC ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 The articulations which unite the bones composing the thorax may be 
 divided first into costo-vertebral articulations, or those which unite the 
 ribs with the spine ; secondly , chondro-costal, or those which unite the ribs 
 with their cartilages ; thirdly , the chondro-sternal, or those which unite 
 the cartilages with the sternum ; fourthly , the articulations of the costal- 
 cartilages among themselves. 
 
 Each rib (with the exception of the first and last) is connected with 
 the bodies of two vertebrae, the three bones, together with the inter- 
 vertebral substance, forming two joints which are separated from each 
 other by a band of fibres passing from the head of the rib to the inter- 
 vertebral substance. Besides these there is also an articulation between 
 the rib and the transverse process of the vertebra behind it. 
 
THORACIC ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 359 
 
 The superior costo-vertebral ligament connects the head of each rib to 
 the sides of the bodies of the vertebrae, and is divided into three bundles, 
 of which one bundle (the middle) passes to the corresponding interver- 
 tebral fibro-cartilage, whilst the anterior passes to the body of the vertebra 
 before, the posterior to the body of the vertebra behind. This ligament 
 is called the superior stellate ligament. From the inferior surface of the 
 
 Fig. 4.— Superior View of Costo-Vertebral Articulations. 
 
 A. A. A. &c. Points where the vertebral arches 2. 2. &c. Superior costo-vertebral or stellate 
 
 are removed in order to expose, ligament. 
 
 1. 1. &c. Superior common vertebral ligament. 3. 3. 3. &c. Superior costo-transverse ligament. 
 
 B. B. &c. Transverse processes. 
 
 neck there is a ligament, which is disposed in the same way inferiorly as 
 the foregoing is superiorly, in attaching the ribs to the bodies of the 
 vertebrae. This is called the inferior stellate ligament. 
 
 The inter-articular ligament, or lig amentum teres , consists of a thin 
 bundle of longitudinal fibres, and arises from the ridge dividing the two 
 articular surfaces on the head of the rib from which it passes to be 
 implanted on the side of the intervertebral substance. 
 
 There are two distinct synovial capsules - — an anterior and a posterior — - 
 set back to back, and separated by the inter-articular ligament. 
 
 The costo-transverse articulation. — On the superior surface of the 
 tubercle of the rib is a smooth convex articular surface, which is in 
 apposition with a smooth concave surface, situated on the transverse 
 process. 
 
 Two ligaments strengthen this articulation. First, the posterior costo- 
 transverse ligament consists of a short fasciculus of fibres, which passes 
 from the posterior surface of the summit of the transverse process, 
 to the rough surface uncovered by cartilage at the postero-lateral part of 
 the tubercle. Secondly, the anterior transverse costal ligament is formed 
 of a bundle of white, thick, short fibres, which take a course from the 
 anterior surface of the transverse process near its base, to the excavation 
 which is close to the neck of the rib. This ligament is clothed behind by 
 synovial membrane, and in front by adipose tissue, which separates it 
 from the costo-vertebral articulation. 
 
 The last two, namely, the 17 th and 18th costo-transverse articulations, 
 are confounded with the corresponding costo-vertebral joints. 
 
360 THE HORSE. 
 
 The chondro-costal articulation may be referred to the subdivision 
 gomphosis of the synartkrodial joints. It is formed by the implantation 
 of the inferior extremity of the rib into the superior extremity of the 
 
 V* 
 
 Fig. 5. — Inferior View of the Costo- Vertebral Articulations. 
 
 1. 1. <fec. Inferior common vertebral ligament. 3. 3. &c. Inferior costo-transverse ligament. 
 
 2. 2. <fcc. Inter-fibro-cartilaginous disc. 4. 4. &c. Inferior costo-vertebral ligament. 
 
 cartilage, which presents a surface corresponding with the rough 
 depression in the end of the rib. Further strength is given to this arti- 
 culation by the periosteum, which, in passing from the bone to the 
 cartilage, forms a strong uniting band. 
 
 The chondro-sternal articulations occur between the inferior 
 extremity of the cartilage of each rib, and the oblong cavities existing 
 along each side of the sternum. The eight anterior cartilages, form, with 
 the fossae in the sternum, eight corresponding articulations. 
 
 FiG. 6 .— Profile View of Sterno-Costal and Chondro-Costal Articulations. 
 
 1. Anterior end of sternum and cariniform car- 
 tilage. 
 
 2. 2. Ensiform cartilage. 
 
 3. 3. &c. Sternal cartilages. 
 
 L 4. &c. Chondro-sternal articulations. 
 
 >. 5. &c. Ends of the true ribs with the articula- 
 tions between them, and the cartilages 
 seen between 3 and 5. 
 
 The joints which result from the union of these two surfaces, are 
 enveloped on all sides by fasciculi of white and extended fibres, the whole 
 of which constitute a ligamentous capsule. The superior fibres are some- 
 times described as the superior chondro-sternal ligament. The inferior 
 are continuous with the origin of the pectoral muscles. 
 
LUMBAR ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 361 
 
 The foremost chondro-sternal articulation is not separated from the 
 corresponding one on the opposite side. The two cartilages being close 
 together, their synovial capsule is continuous, and the two oblong fossce 
 on the sternum unite one with the other. It must be further noticed 
 that this articulation frequently occurs on the cariniform cartilage, which 
 is anterior to the first bone of the sternum. 
 
 As regards the two posterior sternal cartilages, they are in close appo- 
 sition one with the other, and fit into one common fossa situated on the 
 posterior bone of the sternum, and with it form one synovial joint. 
 
 A thin fasciculus of fibres connects the cartilages of the 8th and 9th 
 ribs to the ensiform or xiphoid cartilage, called the chondro-xiphoid 
 ligament 
 
 A similar fasciculus to the foregoing connects the cariniform and 
 xiphoid cartilages together — the carino-xiphoid ligament 
 
 The asternal on false cartilages are united one to the other by a yellow 
 elastic ligament, which extends from the fore extremity of each to the 
 posterior border of the preceding cartilage. 
 
 On the superior and inferior surfaces of the sternum, ligamentous 
 fibres may be observed running longitudinally, called the superior and 
 inferior sternal ligaments. The longitudinal fibres are mixed with those 
 radiating from the costal cartilages, especially inferiorly, where they blend 
 with aponeuros.es of the pectoral muscles. 
 
 PECULIARITIES IN' THE ARTICULATIONS OF THE 
 LUMBAR VERTEBRAE. 
 
 The four anterior lumbar vertebrae have nothing remarkable about 
 them, but the fifth differs in having on the posterior part of each trans- 
 
 A. Last three lumbar vertebree. 
 
 B. Sacrum. 
 
 C. C. Iliac bones. 
 
 1. 1. Transverse process of fourth lumbar 
 
 vertebra. 
 
 2. 2. Transveise process of fifth lumbar vertebra. 
 
 3. 3. Transverse process of sixth lumbar ver- 
 
 tebra. 
 
 4. 4. &c. Inferior common vertebral ligament. 
 
 5. 5. Ligamentous fibres covering the capsules 
 
 between the transverse processes of the 
 fourth and fifth lumbar vertebras. 
 
 6. 6. Capsular ligaments uniting together tho 
 
 fifth and sixth lumbar vertebrae. 
 
 7. 7. Lumbo sacral ligaments. 
 
 8. 8. Sacro-iliac ligaments. 
 
362 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 verse process an articular surface furnished with a synovial capsule, for 
 uniting it with the sixth. This last has also four articulatory surfaces on 
 its transverse processes — two anteriorly, which unite with the correspond- 
 ing ones on the fifth vertebra just described, and two posteriorly, which 
 are similarly furnished with synovial capsules, and which unite it with 
 the sacrum. 
 
 THE LUMBO-SACRAL ARTICULATION AND SACRAL 
 LIGAMENTS. 
 
 The fibro-cartilage intervening between the last lumbar vertebra 
 and the sacrum is unusually thick, and the joint is protected also ex- 
 ternally by some strong longitudinal fibres passing from bone to bone. The 
 last lumbar vertebra joins the sacrum not only by its body and articular 
 processes (which latter are oval, with their long diameter from side to 
 side), but also by two oval and slightly concave articular surfaces, which 
 articulate with corresponding faces on the last lumbar vertebra already 
 alluded to. 
 
 Besides the articulations between the lumbar vertebrae and the 
 sacrum, there are also ligaments between the spines of the sacrum itself, 
 which are no longer of much use after the separate bones of which it is 
 composed are united by ossification. 
 
 THE COCCYGEAL JOINTS. 
 
 The sacro-coccygeal and inter-coccygeal articulations are con- 
 structed much after the same principle as the other vertebral articulations. 
 The coccygeal bones, however, are only united together by their bodies. 
 The anterior and posterior articulatory surfaces of each vertebra are both 
 convex, and their inter-articular fibro-cartilage is hollow on both surfaces. 
 As to ligaments, they are represented by bundles of longitudinal fibres 
 spread on the surfaces of these bones, which they envelope in a common 
 sheath. 
 
 THE TEMPORO-MAXILLARY ARTICULATION. 
 
 The lower jaw articulates on each side by one of its condyles with 
 the glenoid cavity of the temporal bone. Between them is placed an 
 inter-articular fibro-cartilage, with one synovial membrane above and 
 another below it. 
 
 The articular surfaces above mentioned do not exactly fit one into the 
 other. This, however, is corrected through the interposition of a fibro- 
 cartilaginous disc between them. This disc represents an irregular plate, 
 flattened above and below, thicker in front than behind, moulded on each 
 surface, which it separates, so that its superior face presents in front a 
 concavity to receive the tubercle on the zygomatic process of the temporal 
 bone, and a convexity behind, which is lodged in its glenoid cavity. As 
 to its inferior face, it is indented by an oblong furrow, in which the 
 condyle of the inferior maxillary bone is imbedded. 
 
 These bones are united by a capsular ligament, covering a synovial 
 capsule, and two lateral ligaments, one external and the other internal. 
 
 A fibrous cover , a true capsular ligament , surrounds this articulation, and 
 is attached by its edges to the articular surfaces which it unites, as well as 
 to the borders of the inter-articular fibro-cartilage;. thus forming two 
 distinct capsules, namely, one superiorly, and one inferiorly, which are 
 lined internally by synovial membranes. The larger of the two, after 
 lining the upper surface of the disc, is reflected upward to the glenoid 
 
SACRO-ILIAC ARTICULATION. 
 
 363 
 
 cavity of the temporal bone. The inferior synovial membrane is inter- 
 posed between the inferior surface of the cartilage and the condyle of the 
 lower jaw ; and thus a double joint is constituted. 
 
 The external lateral ligament is a short fasciculus of fibres, attached 
 superiorly to a tubercular prominence, situate on the supero-externa] part 
 of the squamous temporal bone, and interiorly to the external surface of 
 the condyle, and to the postero-external surface of the neck of the lower 
 jaw, just below the condyle ; its fibres take a backward and downward 
 course. 
 
 The internal lateral ligament is looser and more elongated than the 
 external. It extends from the inner surface of the squamous temporal 
 bone to the cartilage and inner surface of the condyle of the superior 
 maxillary bone, reaching down to the inner part of its angle. 
 
 Movement. — The temporo-maxillary aRiculation is the centre of every 
 movement of the lower jaw. These are — elevation, lowering, lateral 
 movement, and horizontal sliding, which motions together accomplish the 
 grinding action necessary to triturate the hard grain upon which the 
 horse feeds. 
 
 THE SACRO-ILIAC ARTICULATION. . 
 
 This joint establishes the union of the posterior members with the 
 spine, and is formed by the sacrum and os innominatum. It belongs to 
 the arthrodial order of joints. On each of these two bones is a large and 
 irregular articular surface, lined with, a thick layer of cartilage, which is 
 firmly united to them. The joint thus formed is strengthened by four 
 ligaments, namely — 1, the sacro-iliac ; 2, the superior ilio-sacral ; 3, the 
 inferior ilio-sacral ; and 4, the sacro -sciatic. 
 
 A. Os ilium. H. Rim of the cotyloid cavity. 
 
 B. Os pubis. K. K. Sacral spines. 
 
 C. Os ischium. N. M. O. Tubercles on the antero-inferior 
 
 D. Femur. spiftous process of the ilium. 
 
 E. Trochanter major extemus. 1. 1 Superior ilio-sacral ligament. 
 
 F. Large tubercle at the head of femur. 2. 3. 4. Sacro-sciatic ligament. 
 
 G. Head of the femur. 
 
 The sacro-iliac ligament is composed of large ligamentous fibres, which 
 everywhere envelop the articulation, by firmly attaching themselves at 
 
364 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 their extremities to the impressions around the articular surfaces, situated 
 on the sacrum and internal border of the ilium. The inferior half of 
 this ligament is covered by the psoas muscles. Its posterior half, much 
 stronger than the former, is hidden by the ilium. 
 
 The superior ilio-sacral ligament is a large, strong, short ligament, 
 which, arising from the internal part of the ilium, is carried backwards 
 and fixes itself upon the sacral spines, where it mixes its fibres with the 
 supra-spinous ligament of the ]umbar vertebras. 
 
 The inferior ilio-sacral ligament is a triangular and very resisting mem- 
 branous band, formed of parallel fibres running obliquely from above 
 downwards, and from before backwards. It is attached by its antero- 
 inferior edge to the superior half of the ischiatic border and the internal 
 angle of the ilium, mixing itself with the preceding ligament ; its superior 
 border inserts itself upon the roughened ridge which bounds the sacrum 
 laterally ; its posterior border is united to the aponeuroses which cover 
 the coccygeal muscles. 
 
 The sacro-sciatic ligament is a vast membranous expansion, stretched 
 upon the side of the pelvis, between the sacrum and the os innominatum ; 
 it serves rather as an inclosure for the pelvic cavity than as a means of 
 securing the firmness of the sacro-iliac articulation. Its form is irregu- 
 larly quadrilateral, presenting four borders — a superior, attached to the 
 lateral roughened edge of the sacrum ; an inferior, inserted in the ridge 
 below the cotyloid cavity; an anterior, unattached in a great part of 
 its course, and serving as a protection to the large vessels and nerves 
 which pass through the sciatic notch ; and lastly, a posterior margin, which 
 splits into two laminae, between which the semi-membranous muscle takes 
 its origin. 
 
 A synovial membrane covers the sacro-iliac ligament, but furnishes a 
 small quantity of synovia. 
 
 Movements. — The two sacro-iliac articulations, through which all the 
 efforts of impulsion are communicated to the trunk by the posterior 
 members, without interfering with the transmission of locomotive force, 
 permit but a slight gliding movement of their arthrodial surfaces. Indeed, 
 this articulation seems exclusively designed to prevent the fractures to 
 which these bones would be incessantly exposed, were they attached in 
 a more intimate manner, as, for example, by bony union. 
 
 ISCHIO-PUBIC SYMPHYSIS. 
 
 The two ossa innominata are firmly united together in the median 
 line below, by the corresponding edges of the ischium and pubes. In 
 the foal this is a distinct joint, possessing an inter-articular cartilage, and 
 some transverse ligamentous fibres above and below ; but in the adult horse 
 the two bones are firmly united by ossification, and the ossa innominata 
 together form a complete arch, without the slightest movement between 
 them. 
 
 THE SHOULDER JOINT. 
 
 The scapulo-humeral articulation, commonly known as the shoulder 
 joint, belongs to the division Diarthrosis ; subdivision, Enarlhrosis. It 
 is formed by the scapula uniting with the humerus, at an obtuse angle. 
 
 The articular surfaces which compose this joint are the head of the 
 humerus, and the glenoid cavity of the scapula. On examining these 
 bones, described and illustrated at page 336, it will be seen that the 
 head of the humerus is semi-globular, while the cavity in the scapula is 
 
SHOULDER JOINT. 
 
 365 
 
 very superficial, and incapable of maintaining the former in its place 
 without some collateral aid. It is somewhat remarkable that the liga- 
 ments of this joint are extremely weak, being confined to the lax fibres 
 surrounding the synovial capsule, which is so loose 
 that after removing all the other soft parts, and 
 making a small opening into the joint, the two bones 
 may be readily separated for some distance ; these 
 fibres are superiorly fixed around the margin of the 
 glenoid cavity, and interiorly round the head of the 
 humerus. Chauveau states that a ligament descends 
 from the coracoid process of the scapula, which 
 diverges and becomes inserted into the tubercles at 
 the anterior part of the head of the humerus. lie also 
 states that it is loose, and therefore facilitates much 
 motion, but it is not easy to separate it from the 
 capsular ligament. This is longer posteriorly than 
 anteriorly, and presents postero-laterally two stays, 
 similar to two pieces of tape. The external one, 
 arising from the outer lip of the glenoid cavity, is 
 attached to the outer and back part of the head of 
 the humerus. The internal one arises from the 
 inner edge of the glenoid cavity, and is attached to 
 the inner and back part of the head of the humerus. 
 
 But this deficiency in ligaments is made up by a 
 much more powerful material in resisting disloca- 
 tions. The whole joint is surrounded by elastic 
 muscular fibre or by tendinous bands, having the 
 same kind of support — thus it has in close appo- 
 sition the following muscles, viz. — 
 
 Anteriorly, the Coraco Humeralis, and Flexor 
 Brachii. 
 
 Externally, the Antea Spinatus, and Postea Spi- 
 natus, 
 
 Posteriorly, the Scapulo-Humeralis Posticus, &c. 
 
 Internally, the Subscapularis, &c. 
 
 Whenever, therefore, any violent strain is thrown upon the joint, which 
 would force the head of the humerus forwards, the Coraco Humeralis and 
 Flexor Brachii contract and prevent the accident. In the same manner, 
 each of the above muscles acts in its own direction, and the result is that 
 dislocation of the humerus in the horse is extremely rare. 
 
 The movements of the shoulder joint in the horse are much more 
 limited than in man, and indeed they are almost confined to flexion and 
 extension. When all the muscles are cut away from the joint, rotation 
 and circumduction may be easily effected ; but in examining its movements 
 during life, it will be evident that neither one nor the other of these acts 
 can be effected in any appreciable degree ; this is at once proved if it is 
 attempted to turn the foot inwards or outwards, when it is flexed at the 
 knee, during the life of the horse, for beyond the slight motion of the 
 whole limb, including the scapula, the foot is firmly fixed, and there is 
 not the slightest rotation or circumduction at the shoulder joint, With- 
 out the power of pronation and supination possessed by man, and partially 
 by the dog and cat, the above actions would be worse than useless, and it 
 is altogether a mistake to ascribe to any other of the domestic animals, as 
 
 Fig 9. 
 
 Profile View of the 
 Scapulo-Humeral, or 
 Shoulder Joint. 
 
 A. Inferior third of sca- 
 
 pula. 
 
 B. Coracoid process of 
 
 scapula. 
 
 C. Analogue of the acro- 
 
 mion process. 
 
 D. Rim of glenoid cavity. 
 
 E. Superior third of hu- 
 
 merus. 
 
 1. Capsular ligament. 
 
 2. Tendon of the coraco- 
 
 radialis muscle. 
 
366 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Chauveau has done, in addition to flexion and extension of the shoulder- 
 joint, the four movements of abduction, adduction, circumduction, and 
 rotation. It would much puzzle that generally accurate anatomist to turn 
 the horse’s foot up in front so that its possessor could see the sole ; yet if 
 circumduction and adduction were permitted, this could readily he done as 
 by the domestic cat or dog in licking the inside of the fore paw. The 
 shoulder joint is, in fact, a true hinge (ginglymus) in the horse, ass, cow, 
 sheep, and goat, but in the first of these animals it is more especially 
 limited in its movements, by the enormously powerful muscles which 
 surround the joint, and which are constantly tense, though extremely 
 elastic, and giving way to every voluntary movement. It is a beautiful 
 provision of nature, to enable the horse to bear the shocks which his 
 shoulders have to sustain in coming down from a leap with a great weight 
 on his back, and without it he would be rendered comparatively useless 
 to man. 
 
 THE ELBOW JOINT, 
 
 Or the humero-radio-ulnar articulation. — This joint is formed 
 between the lower extremity of the humerus above, and the junction of 
 the radius and ulna below. It is a complete hinge, and has no power of 
 pronation or supination as in man, consequently there is no necessity for 
 the peculiar additional joint between the radius and ulna, observable in 
 man and partially in the dog and cat ; but the two 
 bones are firmly ossified together in the adult, as 
 already described at page 337. 
 
 These bones are connected together by three liga- 
 ments, two lateral (an internal and an external), a 
 capsular ligament, and a synovial capsule. 
 
 The internal lateral ligament arises from a fossa on 
 the side of the internal condyle of the humerus ; it 
 takes a vertical course, expanding as it descends : 
 and is inserted partly on the roughened inner border 
 of the articular cavity of the radius. Its middle 
 fibres, which are the longest, take the same course 
 as the former, assuming while passing over the radius 
 the shape of a cord, which is inserted into the inner 
 and fore part of the radius about three inches below 
 the former insertion. 
 
 The external lateral ligament is shorter but stronger 
 than the internal. It arises from the superior fossa 
 and ridge surrounding it, on the outer surface of the 
 external condyle of the humerus, and is inserted 
 F of le^elbowToint W into the tuberosity on the upper and external part 
 . f r» * of the radius. Its superficial fibres take a ver- 
 
 mems. tical course, whilst its internal fibres take an 
 
 B - B condyies alandmtemal oblique direction, from top to bottom and from back 
 C. Olecranon process of to front. 
 
 d. Radius. The capsidar ligament is attached by its superior 
 
 L lateral li s a " border to the surfaces surrounding the condyles of 
 
 2 . internal lateral ligament the humerus j by its inferior border, to the circum- 
 3 ' 3 ' B ubs b tance mfttag the ference of the superior part of the radius ; and by 
 ulna to the radius. its posterior border to the circumference of the arti- 
 cular surface of the ulna. 
 
 The synovial membrane is short anteriorly, very extended, and spread 
 
KNEE JOINT. 
 
 367 
 
 out posteriorly ; where it forms three sacs, which tend to facilitate flexion 
 of the joint. 
 
 The movements of the elbow joint are confined to flexion and extension, 
 it being a pure hinge, but these actions do not take place exactly in the 
 same plane. For instance, if the knee is bent and the foot brought up to 
 the elbow, the frog will not correspond with that projection, but will be 
 almost entirely outside it, while the knees will also be wider apart when 
 both are flexed and raised towards the bosom, than when the horse is 
 standing. This arrangement is brought about by the oblique direction of 
 the pulley-like articular surfaces on the humerus, ulna and radius, and 
 appears to be designed to prevent the foot from hitting the opposite leg 
 as it passes it in trotting. When the obliquity is insufficient, either cutting 
 of the fetlocks or speedy cutting is sure to be manifested ; if too great, the 
 awkward gait known as “ dishing,” is established. Extension is not nearly 
 so complete as in the human subject, being limited by the greater length 
 and breadth of the olecranon process, the upper part of which forms a 
 prominence which fits into the corresponding fossa of the humerus, and 
 thus serves as a check to the extension of the fore arm. In most men the 
 upper arm and fore arm can be made to fall into one straight line, but in 
 the horse there is always a considerable angle. 
 
 THE KNEE JOINT (CARPUS, OR WRIST). 
 
 This articulation is a very complicated one, and in order to under- 
 stand it thoroughly, it will be necessary to examine the parts composing 
 it under three divisions. 1st. The articulations between the several 
 carpal bones. 2d. The Radio-carpal articulation; and 3d. The Carpo- 
 metacarpal joint, to which must be added (4) the examination of certain 
 ligaments common to all three. 
 
 The two rows op carpal bones, which have been described in the 
 dry state at page 339, are furnished with cartilage on the faces, by which 
 they correspond, thus forming a series of nearly plane arthrodial surfaces, 
 having synovial capsules, but embracing several of them in one. It may 
 be remembered that these bones are arranged in two rows, the upper one 
 consisting of the scaphoid, lunar, cuneiform and pisiform bones, while the 
 lower comprehends the os magnum, the trapezoid, and the unciform bones. 
 
 The upper row is united together by six ligaments, three anterior and 
 three interosseous. The anterior ligaments consist of flattened bands of 
 fibres which lie in front of the knee, and connect the four bones together, 
 passing laterally from one to the other. The interosseous are strong and 
 short fibres concealed between these bones, and attached to the rough 
 excavations between the distinct facettes on the several bones to which 
 allusion has been made at page 339, the ligament connecting the pisiform 
 bone with the scaphoid being particularly well marked. 
 
 The bones of the second row are, in a similar way, united by anterior and 
 interosseous ligaments, , but, instead of being three, there are only two of 
 each, in correspondence with the diminished number of bones. It is 
 unnecessary to describe them more minutely. 
 
 The two rows again, between which is a partial hinge joint, are united 
 by three special ligaments , in addition to those common to the whole knee 
 joint, which will be presently described. Two of these special ligaments 
 consist of very short fibres lying behind the carpal bones, and covered by 
 the great posterior ligament. The third is larger than these, and extends 
 from the pisiform bone to the unciform, and to the head of the external 
 
368 THE HORSE. 
 
 small metacarpal bone. (See 5, Fig. 12.) It is united on the outer side 
 with the external lateral ligament, and internally with the common poste- 
 rior ligament. To its posterior border are attached the outer fibres of the 
 sheath of the flexor tendons. 
 
 The synovial capsules proper to these articulations line all the above 
 ligaments and articular surfaces, being reflected from one to the other, 
 and forming also pouch-like prolongations upwards between the bones of 
 each row, as far as the interosseous ligaments, and 
 downwards in a similar manner. Neither of the 
 ascending pouches is continuous with the radio- 
 carpal capsule, but the external of the two lower 
 communicates with that of the carpo-metacarpal 
 joint. This fact is sometimes important in punc- 
 tured wounds of the knee joint. 
 
 2. The radio-carpal articulation, formed by 
 the union of the lower end of the radius with the 
 upper surfaces of the scaphoid, lunar, cuneiform, 
 and pisiform bones, is a true hinge, but somewhat 
 limited in the amount of its motion. The lower 
 end of the cannon-bone can describe fully ninety 
 degrees of a circle around the knee joint as a 
 centre ; but the full extent of this motion is divided 
 between the three several articulations to which 
 I have alluded, the radio-carpal taking considerably 
 the largest share. The lower end of the radius 
 presents an irregular articular surface, longer from 
 side to side than from before backwards, and a 
 non-articular pit or fossa hollowed out to receive a 
 projection of the lunar bone during the flexion of 
 the joint. On each side of these are the lateral 
 processes. The upper surfaces of the carpal bones are 
 moulded exactly to fit the inferior extremity of the 
 radius, and a loose synovial capsule passes from one 
 to the other, extending downwards between the 
 three innermost carpal bones as far as their inter- 
 osseous ligaments, and sometimes also to the capsule 
 between the pisiform and cuneiform bones. 
 
 The ligaments proper to this articulation, in ad- 
 dition to those common to the whole knee joint, are 
 three. Of these one forms a large rounded cord, 
 attached to the radius above, and to the cuneiform 
 5 - 5 ‘ ° a ment etaCarpal liga ’ ^one ^elow, taking an oblique direction downwards 
 and inwards beneath the common posterior liga- 
 ment. The second, much smaller in size, is extended between the 
 external lateral process of the radius and the pisiform bone, being par- 
 tially covered by the common external lateral ligament, but allowing a 
 small triangular space to intervene, through which the synovial capsule is 
 sometimes protruded in diseased conditions of this joint. The third, still 
 more thin and weak in its fibres, is situated beneath the second, and arising 
 from the radius is inserted in the lunar bone, and into the interosseous 
 ligament which unites the pisiform and scaphoid bones. (See 3, Fig. 13). 
 
 (3) The carpo-metacarpal articulation is formed above by the 
 three inferior carpal bones, and below by the heads of the three metacarpal 
 bones, together constituting a limited hinge joint. These surfaces above 
 
 Fig. 11. — Anterior View of 
 the Left Knee Joint. 
 
 A. Inferior third of the ra- 
 
 dius. 
 
 B. Cuneiform bone. 
 
 C. Lunar bone. 
 
 D. Scaphoid bone. 
 
 E. Unciform bone. 
 
 G-. The great bone. 
 
 H. Trapezoid bone. 
 
 K. Superior third of meta- 
 carpus. 
 
 I. Scapho-radial ligament. 
 
 2. External lateral ligament. 
 
 3. 3. Internal lateral liga- 
 
 ment. 
 
 4. 4. Ligaments existing be- 
 
 tween upper row of 
 carpal bones. 
 
KNEE JOINT. 
 
 369 
 
 and below are in close apposition, and are lined by one common synovial 
 capsule, which, as already mentioned, communicates with that between 
 the two rows of carpal bones. 
 
 Besides the common ligaments, there are seven proper to this joint — * 
 three anterior, two posterior, and two interosseous. 
 
 Fig. 12.**— Back View of Left 
 Knee J oint, seen oblique- 
 ly from the Right, and 
 
 SHOWING THE DEEP-SEATED 
 
 Ligaments. 
 
 A. Inferior third of radius. 
 
 B. Pisiform bone. 
 
 C. External small metacarpal 
 
 bone. 
 
 D. Internal small metacarpal 
 
 bone. 
 
 1. External lateral ligament. 
 
 2. 3. Scapho-metacarpal liga- 
 
 ment. 
 
 4. Radio-lunar ligament. 
 
 5. Ligament between the pisi- 
 
 form, unciform, and 
 external small meta- 
 carpal bone. 
 
 Fig. 13. — Back View ok 
 Right Knee Joint, show 
 ing the Superficial Liga- 
 ments. 
 
 A. Inferior third of radius. 
 
 B. Superior third of large 
 
 metacarpal bone. 
 
 C. Internal small metacar- 
 
 pus. 
 
 D. External small metacarpal 
 
 bone. 
 
 1. Internal lateral ligament. 
 
 2. External lateral ligament. 
 
 3. Ligament between the ra- 
 
 dius, lunar, and pisi- 
 form bones. 
 
 4. 5. Ligament between the 
 
 unciform, pisiform, and 
 between the external 
 small metacarpal bones. 
 
 6. Strong band of ligament- 
 
 ous fibres, binding down 
 the flexor tendons in 
 their sheath or groove. 
 
 7. 7. Groove for the passage 
 
 of the perforans and 
 perforatus tendons. 
 
 Of the three anterior ligaments , the external one, covered by the external 
 lateral ligament, unites the unciform hone to the outer small metacarpal 
 bone. I he middle one unites the os magnum to the large metacarpal hone. 
 ^^) ln ^ ema ° ne ^ ni * es Uapezoid to the inner small metacarpal bone. 
 
 I he two posterior ligaments, described by Rigot, are very difficult of 
 demonstration, being only with the greatest care separated from the common 
 posterior ligament. One of them, however, is capable of being made out 
 by dissection, as a strong band of fibres passing from the back of the 
 scaphoid bone to the inner small metacarpal bone (see 2 , s, Fig. 2). 
 
 The two interosseous ligaments ascend from the roughened depressions 
 
370 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 existing between the three metacarpal bones to the interosseous ligaments 
 of the second row. 
 
 4. The ligaments common to the whole knee joint are four — two 
 lateral, an anterior, and a posterior. 
 
 The external lateral ligament is a thick cord, formed of two kinds of 
 fibres, a deep seated and a superficial set, which take a crucial direction. 
 It arises from the external lateral process of the radius, and descends 
 vertically on the side of the knee joint. In its passage, it gives off a band 
 to the pisiform bone, and also to the os unciforme, and terminates at the 
 head of the external small metacarpal bone. This ligament lies on the 
 carpal bones and capsular ligament. 
 
 The internal lateral ligament , analogous to the preceding, and situated 
 on the opposite side, is thicker and larger. It arises from the internal 
 lateral process of the radius, and terminates on the supero-anterior and 
 internal surface of the large metacarpal and head of the internal small 
 metacarpal bones. The fibres of this ligament take a crucial direction ; in 
 its passage downwards, it gives off three little bands, namely, one to the 
 scaphoid bone, one to the os magnum, and one to the trapezoid. 
 
 The anterior or capsular ligament covers the anterior face of the carpal 
 articulations. Its superior edge is attached to the inferior extremity of 
 the radius ; its inferior edge is attached to the superior extremity of the 
 large metacarpal bone ; its right and left borders are in contact with the 
 lateral ligaments ; its external face is connected with tendons, &c. ; its 
 internal face is lined, at certain points, by synovial membrane. This 
 ligament is formed of transverse fibres, more or less oblique, crossed and 
 re-crossed. 
 
 The posterior ligament — one of the strongest of the animal economy — 
 covers the posterior surface of the knee. It is inserted superiorly into the 
 transverse ridge which bounds the articular surface of the radius. At the 
 posterior part of the carpal bones, it becomes attached to the inner border 
 of the pisiform bone, the posterior surface of the os magnum, the cuneiform 
 and scaphoid bones terminating on the posfcero-superior extremity of 
 the large metacarpal bone. The scapho-metacarpal ligament, described as 
 part of the posterior ligament of the carpo-metacarpal joint, is with 
 difficulty separated from this ligament. 
 
 The knee is the centre of two vert extensive movements, namely, 
 extension and flexion ; to which three others, very limited in their extent, 
 may be added, namely, adduction, abduction, and circumduction. 
 
 As already mentioned , all the carpal articulations do not take an equal 
 part in the execution of these movements ; in fact, it is evident that they 
 chiefly take place in the radio-carpal ginglymus, and in the imperfect 
 hinge formed between the two rows of carpal bones. Each of these articu- 
 lations participates in the movements of the knee, nearly in the same 
 proportion, the superior perhaps being slightly the more extensive, and 
 both perform their office in the same manner. 
 
 In flexion, the first row of bones turns from before backwards on the 
 radius ; the inferior row moves in the same way on the superior row. 
 The metacarpus is carried backwards and upwards, thus relaxing the 
 common posterior ligament. The anterior ligament, on the contrary, is 
 rendered tense. The articular surfaces, especially those of the second joint, 
 separate in front from one another. 
 
 In extension, the metacarpus is carried below and forwards by an inverse 
 mechanism. This movement is arrested when the radius and the meta- 
 carpus are placed in the same vertical line, as in the standing position. 
 
FETLOCK JOINT. 
 
 371 
 
 In flexion , the bony radii do not directly approach each other ; the 
 inferior extremity of the metacarpus is always carried outwards. The 
 movements of abduction , adduction , and circumduction are not able to be 
 performed until the foot is bent up under the fore arm, and are then only 
 capable of being very partially carried out. 
 
 The plain arthrodial surfaces , existing between the lower row of carpal 
 bones and the superior metacarpal extremity, only admit of a simple 
 sliding of the surfaces in contact. The limited motion of this articulation 
 can have but a secondary influence over the general movements of the 
 knee ; but it favours them by permitting the carpal bones to change their 
 reciprocal connexions, and thence lends itself, through the medium of the 
 radio-carpal and inter-carpal ginglymi, to a more exact coaptation of the 
 articular surfaces which constitute them. 
 
 INTER-METACABPAL ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 Each small metacarpal bone articulates with the large metacarpal 
 bone through the medium of two diarthrodial surfaces, situated on the 
 inner part of their heads ; a third, of a synarthrodial character, occurs on 
 the anterior part of the body. Each of these articulates with correspond- 
 ing surfaces on the large metacarpal bone. 
 
 An interosseous ligament , composed of very short and strong bundles, is 
 interposed between the synarthrodial surfaces, and fixes them solidly one 
 on the other. 
 
 The inter-metacarpal articulations allow only of a very slight 
 vertical sliding movement. 
 
 EETLOCK JOINT. 
 
 The fetlock joint is formed by the junction of the inferior condyloid 
 extremity of the large metacarpal bone with the biconcave surface of the 
 os suffraginis, and by the anterior smooth surfaces of the ossa sesamoidea 
 with the posterior part of the condyles of the same metacarpal bone. It is 
 a perfect hinge. 
 
 The ligaments forming the bond of union between these surfaces are as 
 follow : — First, those which belong to the ossa sesamoidea ; secondly, those 
 which connect the os coronse and pastern together; thirdly, a ligament 
 common to both. Besides which, there is a synovial capsule. 
 
 1. The first have received the general names of the sesamoideal liga- 
 ments, and are six in number, namely, three inferior, two lateral, and an 
 inter-sesamoideal. 
 
 The inferior sesamoideal ligaments are divided into three, namely, the 
 superficial, the middle, and the deep. Of these the first is a narrow band, 
 flattened behind and before ; arising from the middle of the fibro-cartila- 
 ginous mass, which completes behind the superior articular surface of the 
 os coronae, it continues slightly expanding as it ascends, until it reaches 
 the bases of the ossa sesamoidea, to which it is inserted, mixing also with 
 the inter-sesamoideal ligament. The middle is of a triangular shape, and 
 is formed of three bands, two lateral and a median. It is often confounded 
 with the first ligament, although easily distinguishable from it by its lower- 
 insertion. Fixed in common, interiorly, to the apex of the triangular 
 ridge situated on the posterior surface of the os suffraginis, these threa 
 bands diverge, the two lateral to be attached to the bases of the ossa 
 sesamoidea, the median becoming confounded with the surrounding liga- 
 ments. The deep-seated ligament is formed by two little bands,, hidden by 
 
372 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the middle ligament, thin and short. These are fixed above to the bases of 
 the ossa sesamoidea, and below to the superior extremity of the os suffra- 
 ginis near the edge of its articular surface. This ligament is in close 
 contact with the synovial membrane. 
 
 Fia. 14. — Anterior View of Fetlock 
 and Pastern Joints. 
 
 1. 1. 1. Lower row of carpal bones. 
 
 2. Metacarpal bone. 
 
 3. External sesamoid bone. 
 
 4. Suffragineal bone. 
 
 5. Coronal bone. 
 
 6. Pedal bone. 
 
 7. Tendon of the extensor pedis. 
 
 8. Long ligament which blends inferiorly 
 
 with the tendon of the extensor 
 pedis. 
 
 9. Point where the extensor tendon 
 
 begins to expand. 
 
 10 & 11. Points to which the extensor 
 tendon is attached. 
 
 12. 12. Lateral cartilages. 
 
 Fig. 15. — Posterior View of Fetlock and 
 Pastern Joints. 
 
 A. Metacarpal bone. 
 
 B. B. Sesamoid bones. 
 
 C. Suffragineal bone. 
 
 D. Coronal bone. 
 
 E. Lateral cartilages. 
 
 F. Navicular bone. 
 
 1. 1. 1. Lower row of carpal bones. 
 
 2. 2. Suspensory ligament. 
 
 3. 3. Bifurcation of same, in order to join the 
 
 sesamoid bones. 
 
 4. 4. Inter-sesamoideal fibro-cartilaginous sub- 
 
 stance. 
 
 5. Point over which the tendon of the flexor 
 
 pedis perforans plays. 
 
 6. Inferior superficial sesamoideal ligament. 
 
 7. 7. Middle inferior sesamoideal ligament, under 
 
 which the deep-seated ligament is placed. 
 
 8. 9. 10. Ligament connecting the navicular 
 
 and coronal bones. 
 
 11. Ligament connecting the pedal and navicular 
 bones. 
 
 The lateral sesamoideal ligaments are formed by two thin plates, which 
 extend from the base of each sesamoid bone to the tubercle which exists 
 on the superior side of the os coronse. On their internal faces they are 
 lined with synovial membrane. 
 
 The inter-sesamoideal ligament consists of fibro-cartilaginous substance, 
 which runs from the posterior part of one sesamoid bone to that of the 
 other, spreading over the external surface of the outer, and internal surface 
 of the inner bone. It is composed of the fibro-cartilaginous substance in 
 which the ossa sesamoidea were originally developed. This mass of 
 fibrous matter, in common with the posterior and internal faces of the 
 two bones, forms the smooth pulley-like groove over which the flexor 
 tendons play. 
 
PASTERN JOINT. 
 
 373 
 
 2. The ligaments connecting the cannon-bone to the pastern (or, in scien- 
 tific language, the metacarpus to the os suffraginis), are three, namely, two 
 lateral and a capsular. 
 
 Each lateral ligament consists of two bundles of fibres, one superficial 
 and one deep-seated, firmly united together at their adjacent surfaces. 
 The superficial arises from a projection on the infero-lateral part of the 
 large metacarpal bone, just above the condyloid surface. It descends 
 vertically, so as to terminate on the lateral parts of the superior extremity 
 of the os suffraginis. The deep-seated one is attached strongly to the 
 excavation on the lateral surfaces of the anterior extremity of the large 
 metacarpal bone, and directs its course from the ossa sesamoidea to the 
 superior extremity of the os suffraginis, where it is fixed, by mixing its 
 fibres with the lateral sesamoideal ligaments. 
 
 The capsular ligament is a very resisting membranous expansion, which 
 is attached to the edges of the cartilaginous articular surfaces of the bones 
 composing this joint. It is internally lined with synovial membrane. 
 
 The suspensory ligament , which should be carefully studied on account 
 of the numerous accidents to which it is liable, is attached to all four of 
 the bones entering into this joint, and may be described as being composed 
 of a strong band of white fibrous tissue, sometimes having intermixed a 
 few bundles of muscular tissue. It is thin and comparatively weak 
 towards the knee, but as it approaches the fetlock joint, it almost equals 
 the back sinews in substance, and its volume and wiriness to the touch 
 may be taken as some test of the power of any particular leg in resisting a 
 “ break down.” Occupying the space between the two small metacarpal 
 bones, and lying close against the large metacarpal, it arises from the 
 posterior common ligament of the knee joint, from a projection on the 
 back of the large metacarpal bone just below it, and from the inner sides 
 of the heads of the small metacarpals. Descending thence close to the 
 large metacarpal bones, it splits into two strong bands, each of which is 
 attached to the upper edge of the corresponding sesamoid bone, a few 
 fibres passing on to re-unite below the joint and become continuous with 
 the tendon of the extensor pedis in front of the os coronse. 
 
 The synovial capsule of the fetlock joint is prolonged forwards in the 
 form of a cul de sac lining the bifurcation of the suspensory ligament. 
 There is also frequently developed, in front of the joint, a pouch com- 
 municating with this capsule which lines the posterior surface of the 
 extensor tendons. 
 
 The movements of the fetlock joint are almost entirely confined to 
 flexion and extension, a very slight lateral motion being permitted when 
 the ligaments are relaxed, as in passive flexion of the leg. 
 
 THE PASTERN JOINT. 
 
 The several parts which enter into the formation of this joint are the 
 two lateral condyles on the inferior extremity of the os suffraginis, and 
 the corresponding cavities on the os coronse. This last surface is com- 
 pleted behind by a very dense and thick fibro-cartilage, which acts partly 
 as a ligament, and partly by increasing the depth of the articular surface. It 
 is attached above by six fibrous bands, of which two are continuous with 
 the inferior sesamoideal ligaments, and four pass on to the sides of the os 
 suffraginis. Below it is fixed to the os coronse, between the articular sur- 
 face and the tubercle behind it. This fibro-cartilage forms a smooth surface 
 posteriorly for the flexor pedis perforans to play over, and is continuous 
 
374 
 
 .THE HORSE. 
 
 on each, side with the two divisions of the flexor perforatus. In addition 
 to these structures, and the synovial capsules lining them, the joint is pro- 
 tected by two lateral ligaments, and in front by the extensor tendon. 
 
 Fig. 16. — External View of the Pas- 
 tern Joint. 
 
 A. Inferior third of the large metacarpal 
 hone. 
 
 B. External sesamoid hone. 
 
 C. Suffragineal bone, 
 
 D. Coronal hone. 
 
 E. Navicular hone. 
 
 F. Pedal bone. 
 
 1. One division of the suspensory liga- 
 ment. 
 
 2. Lateral sesamoideal ligament (external). 
 
 3. Ligamentous fibres given to the ex- 
 tensor pedis tendon by the suspen- 
 sory ligament. 
 
 4. Inferior superficial sesamoideal liga- 
 ment. 
 
 5. 6. 7. Extensor pedis tendon. 
 
 8. External lateral phalangio-pedal liga- 
 ment. 
 
 9. External lateral cartilage. 
 
 The lateral ligaments , thick and strong, take an oblique direction from 
 above downwards, and from before backwards, one on each side of the joint. 
 They arise from two depressions, just below the tubercles on the lateral 
 parts of the os suffraginis, and terminate at the superior edge of the os 
 coronse. Their lowest fibres prolong themselves beyond this bone to gain 
 the extremities of the os naviculare, and constitute the posterior lateral 
 ligaments of the coffin joint. 
 
 The synovial membrane lines the posterior surface of the extensor ten- 
 dons anteriorly, the lateral ligaments, and the fibro-cartilage ; it forms 
 posteriorly a cut de sac , which mounts up between this and the posterior 
 surface of the os suffraginis. 
 
 The movements of this joint are simply of extension and flexion when 
 the muscles are in action ; but when they are relaxed there is some slight 
 lateral motion. 
 
 THE COFFIN JOINT. 
 
 The coffin joint is made up of the lower end of the os coronse, in- 
 serted in the concavity of the pedal bone, and supported behind by the 
 navicular bone. These are lined by one continuous synovial capsule, 
 and protected by ligaments which may be divided into two sets. First , 
 those connecting the os coronse to the os pedis. Secondly , that between 
 the os naviculare and the os pedis, which is of an interosseous character, 
 being short, and composed of very strong fibres ; and thirdly , the liga- 
 ment on each side connecting the os naviculare with the coronet. 
 
 Fig. 17. — Posterior View of 
 the Coffin Joint. 
 
 A. Coronal hone. 
 
 B. Navicular hone. 
 
 C. Pedal hone. 
 
 1. Corono-navioular ligament. 
 
 2. 2. Lateral ligaments of the 
 navicular bone. 
 
 3. Pedo-navicular ligament. 
 
 1. The corono-pedal ligaments are two on each side, one anterior and the 
 other posterior. The former consist of two large, thick and short bundles 
 of fibres attached above to the sides of the os coronse, and below to the 
 dateral edges of .the cacumen coronse of the pedal bone. (See page 341.) 
 
HIP JOINT. 
 
 375 
 
 Each is partly covered posteriorly by the lateral cartilage in which it 
 becomes lost, while the anterior edge is continuous with the tendon of 
 the extensor pedis. The posterior lateral ligament on each side com- 
 mences above from the lower fibres of the lateral ligament of the pastern 
 joint, and from the sides of the lower end of the os coronae. It descends 
 obliquely backwards, and is inserted in the retrossal process of the pedal 
 bone, and in the upper edge of the lateral cartilage. 
 
 2. Between the os naviculare and the os pedis is a very short but strong 
 band of fibres in the nature of an interosseous ligament. It arises from 
 the groove on the lower and fore edge of the os naviculare, and passes 
 forward to be attached to the back part of the plantar surface of the pedal 
 
 3. Two lateral ligaments , one on each side, attach the os naviculare to 
 the sides of the coronal bone. 
 
 The synovial membrane is inserted around the margins of the cartila- 
 ginous articular surfaces of the os coronas, os pedis, and os naviculare ; in 
 front it is attached to the tendon of the extensor pedis, at the posterior 
 part of the os naviculare, and between this surface and the tendon of the 
 flexor pedis perforans another capsule occurs. 
 
 The movements of the coffin joint are similar to those of the fetlock 
 and pastern, with the addition of a very limited gliding motion enjoyed 
 between the os naviculare and os pedis. 
 
 The coxo-femoral articulation, or hip joint, is formed by the 
 cotyloid cavity of the os innominatum receiving the globular head of 
 the femur. The articular surfaces of each are clothed with cartilage, 
 excepting at the notch in the former, and a rough surface on the internal 
 side of the latter, to which the round ligament is attached. 
 
 bone. 
 
 THE HIP JOINT. 
 
 Fig. 18. — Profile View of Left Hip Joint. 
 
 1. Iliac portion of os innominatura. 
 
 2. Ischium. 
 
 3. Femur. 
 
 4. Trochanter major extemns. 
 
 5. Cotvloid ligament. 
 
 6. 6. Capsular ligament covering the 
 
 cotyloid ligament. 
 
 The ligaments of this articulation are the pubio-femoral, cotyloid, 
 transverse, round or ligamentum teres, and capsular. 
 
THE HOKfcifi. 
 
 376 
 
 The pubio -femoral is situated above the cotyloid ligament, but takes a 
 course under the transverse ligament. It arises from the edge of the 
 acetabulum, and from the notch in the head of the os femoris, in company 
 with the ligamentum teres, and is inserted at the symphysis pubis, where 
 it meets its fellow on the opposite side. 
 
 The edge of the ac&abulum is deepened by a layer of fibro-cartilage, 
 called the cotyloid ligament. This bridges across the notch, and forms a 
 complete circle. 
 
 At the notch in the edge of the acetabulum, where the fibres of the 
 cotyloid ligament cross one another, and are continued from side to side, 
 so as to render the circumference complete, some fibres are added distinct 
 from the fibro-cartilage, and being both looser and broader, have been 
 named the transverse ligament. 
 
 The inter-articular round ligament , or ligamentum teres , is composed of 
 three fasciculi of fibres, forming a thick, dense body, attached by one 
 extremity, which is round, to the pit in the head of the os femoris, and 
 by the other, which is broad and trifid, to the margins of the cotyloid 
 notch, where its fibres are blended with the fibro- cartilaginous ring and 
 transverse ligament. 
 
 The capsular ligament is attached by one extremity to the margin of 
 the acetabulum, and by the other to the edge of the cartilaginous surface 
 of the head of the femur. The superior circular edge of this capsule 
 is chiefly attached to the bone within four or five lines of the*cotyloid 
 ligament. 
 
 Fia. 19.— -View of Hip-Joint. 
 
 1.1. Iliac portion of os innorninatum. 5. Pubio-femoral ligament. 
 
 2. Femur. 6. Transverse ligament. 
 
 3. Head of femur. 7. Ligamentum teres, or round ligament 
 
 4. Ischium. 8. Obturator foramen. 
 
 Movements. — The coxo-femoral articulation is one of the joints which 
 enjoys the most extensive and varied movements; namely, flexion, exten- 
 sion, abduction, adduction, circumduction, and rotation of the thigh upon 
 the pelvis. The mechanism of these diverse movements is most simple. 
 
 STIFLE JOINT, OE COXO-FEMOEAL AETICULATION. 
 
 The stifle joint is formed by the union of the inferior extremity of 
 the femur, with the superior extremity of the tibia, and the posterior 
 surface of the patella. 
 
STIFLE JOUST. 
 
 377 
 
 Articulatory surfaces. — To constitute this articulation, the femur 
 opposes at one part its two condyles to the large undulating surfaces on 
 the upper extremity of the lateral tuberosities of the tibia : at the other 
 part its trochlear articulatory surface, to the 
 posterior face of the patella. Between the tibia 
 and femur are the two semilunar cartilages. 
 
 The semilunar fibro-cartilages are two crescent- 
 shaped bodies, placed on the articulating surfaces 
 at the head of the tibia, and interposed between 
 these and the condyles of the femur. The outer 
 border of each is thick and convex, the inner 
 thin and concave ; leaving the central parts of 
 the superior surface of the tibia uncovered by 
 them. The internal semilunar cartilage is nearly 
 of a semi-circular form ; larger and thinner than 
 the external, it is inserted by its anterior ex- 
 tremity to an excavation in front of the tibial 
 spine, and by its posterior extremity to a little 
 pit behind the spine : it is in close relation 
 with the posterior crucial ligaments. The ex- 
 ternal semilunar cartilage fixes itself in front, 
 near the anterior insertion of the opposite fibro- 
 cartilage : its posterior extremity gives off two 
 cords, one superior, the other inferior, The 
 former, which is the longer and stronger of the 
 two, is attached to the fossa at the back of 
 the space between the condyles. The latter, 
 thinner and broader, is spread out upon the 
 posterior edge of the external tibial articulating 
 surface. 
 
 The synovial membrane lines the contiguous 
 surfaces of the parts entering into the compo- 
 sition of the stifle joint. Commencing to trace 
 the reflections of this membrane at the border of 
 the patella, it will be found to line the capsule, 
 but below that bone it is separated from the an- 
 terior ligaments by a considerable quantity of adipose tissue, which prolongs 
 itself to the inter-condyloid hollow, where it is attached ; from this it is 
 reflected over the semilunar cartilages, around the crucial ligaments, and 
 forms a partial covering for them, inclosing them as far as their attach- 
 ments. At the sides of the patella it forms two slight folds, the ligamenta 
 alaria. Finally it ascends in front of the femur, and passes downward to 
 the margin of the patella. 
 
 The ligaments are, first, those which unite the femur to the tibia, con- 
 sisting of the lateral, the crucial, the posterior, the transverse, and the 
 capsular ; and, secondly, those uniting the patella to the tibia, which are 
 three, an external, a middle, and an internal. 
 
 1. The lateral ligaments are fibrous bands, situated on the sides of the 
 articulation, more behind than in front; they become relaxed during 
 flexion, and hold the bones strongly together during extension. The 
 External, a rounded, cord-like fasciculus of fibres (the longer and stronger) 
 passes from the tuberosity of the external condyle of the femur to the 
 head of the fibula ; its direction is almost vertical. The Internal, broad 
 and flat, connects the tuberosity of the internal condyle of the femur 
 
 Fig. 20. — Posterior View ov 
 Stifle Joint. 
 
 A. Inferior third of femur. 
 
 B. B. Condyles. 
 
 D. Superior third of the tibia. 
 
 E. Fibula. 
 
 F. Patella. 
 
 1. Internal lateral ligament of 
 
 the patella. 
 
 2. External lateral ligament of 
 
 the femoro-tibial articula- 
 tion. 
 
 3. Internal lateral ligament ol 
 
 the femoro-tibial articula- 
 tion. 
 
 4. Posterior crucial ligament. 
 
 5. 5. Semilunar cartilages. 
 
378 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 with the upper and inner edge of the tuberosity of the tibia. It adheres 
 to the internal semilunar cartilage. 
 
 The crucial or interosseous ligaments are placed at the posterior part of 
 the joint, external to the synovial membrane, but partially invested by it. 
 Their direction is oblique, so that they cross or decussate somewhat like 
 the letter X. One is named the anterior, the other the posterior. The 
 Anterior is fixed by its inferior extremity to the groove formed on the 
 summit of the tibial spine, and by its superior extremity to the inter- 
 condyloid hollow, and to the inner part of the external condyle. The 
 fibres which enter into its composition are slightly bent and spiral. The 
 Posterior, longer than the preceding, and oblique, is attached inferiorly 
 to the back part of the pit behind the tibial spine, and superiorly to the 
 fore part of the inter- condyloid hollow, as well as slightly to the side 
 of the inner condyle of the femur ; its fibres are directed upwards and 
 forwards. 
 
 The posterior ligament , ligamentum posticum, belongs to the class of 
 membranous ligaments ; it is formed of white and yellow fibres, which 
 interlace with one another in different ways, and is pierced by numerous 
 openings for the transit of blood-vessels, &c. It is attached by its superior 
 border beneath the condyles of the femur, and 
 by its inferior to the posterior circumference 
 of the superior tibial surface. Its internal 
 surface embraces the condyles of the femur, 
 and adheres to the posterior crucial ligament, 
 as well as to the inter-articular semilunar car- 
 tilages. 
 
 The transverse ligament — Towards the front 
 of the joint the convex borders of the inter- 
 articular fibro- cartilages are connected together 
 by a transverse band, denominated the trans- 
 verse ligament. 
 
 Under the head of the capsular ligament are 
 described certain strong portions of fibrous 
 membrane which cover exposed parts of the 
 synovial sac. The first, the longest and 
 strongest, terminates in the pit situated on the 
 inter-condyline hollow. The second, thin and 
 flattened, is inserted upon the external surface 
 of the tibia. The third passes from the outer 
 edge of the patella to the external condyle of 
 the femur (see 1, Figs. 21 and 22). The fourth 
 corresponds with this on the inner side of the 
 joint. These are sometimes described as inde- 
 pendent ligaments. 
 
 2. Ligaments of the patella. The ex- 
 ternal lateral ligament is the longest and 
 strongest, being a flattened band attached by 
 its inferior extremity to the supero-anterior 
 point of the tuberosity of the tibia, and by its 
 superior to the anterior surface of the patella. 
 This ligament is united to the internal liga- 
 ment by an aponeurotic expansion, which is 
 very resisting. 
 
 The internal ligament of the patella forms also a flattened band, longer, 
 
 Fig. 21.— External View of the 
 Left Stifle Joint. 
 
 A. Femur. 
 
 B. External condyle of femur. 
 
 C. Trochlea. 
 
 D. Tibia. 
 
 E. Fibula. 
 
 E. Patella. 
 
 1. Strong band of fibres. 
 
 2. External lateral ligament, or 
 
 the capsular ligament, con- 
 necting the patella with 
 the external condyle. 
 
 3. 3. Great ligament of the pa- 
 
 tella. 
 
 External ligament of the 
 
 Ijatella. 
 
 Semilunar fibro-cartilages. 
 
 4. 4. 
 6. 5. 
 
HOCK JOINT. 
 
 379 
 
 but not so large as, and thinner than, the preceding. Its inferior extremity 
 is attached to the internal side of the anterior tuberosity of the tibia. Its 
 superior extremity, much thickened, becomes fibro-cartilaginous, and is 
 inserted in the projection on the inner and upper border of the patella. 
 
 The middle ligament , a rounded cord (situated, as its name indicates, 
 between the two preceding ligaments), covers and assists in protecting the 
 synovial capsule in front. 
 
 Movements. — During flexion and extension, which are the chief motions 
 permitted, the semilunar fibro-cartilages which are fixed on the superior 
 tibial surfaces, transforming them into glenoid cavities, move upon the 
 condyles of the femur, from before backwards, or from behind forwards, 
 according to the movement executed. But at the same time they glide, in 
 a very appreciable manner, upon the superior extremity of the tibia. 
 Thus, at the time of flexion, they move from behind forwards upon this 
 extremity, and are brought backwards during extension. Dotation takes 
 place from within to without, or vice versa, and is produced not only by 
 the first movement of the condyles in their glenoid cavities, but by the 
 displacing of the semilunar cartilages on the superior extremity of the 
 tibia. 
 
 TIBIO-EIBULAK AKTICULATION. 
 
 This articulation is formed by the union of the little arthrodial spot, 
 found at the internal surface of the head of the fibula, with a cor- 
 responding surface upon the external and superior tuberosity of the tibia. 
 Short and strong fibres envelop these surfaces on the sides, and keep 
 them firmly in contact. The fibula is again attached to the tibia — 1st, 
 above, by little ligamentous bundles, crossed in the shape of an X, which 
 form the superior part of the arcade, or bridge, formed between the tibia 
 and fibula; 2d, in the middle, by a sort of aponeurotic membrane, of 
 which the breadth diminishes from above downwards, like that of the 
 interval which it fills ; 3d, below, by a ligamentous band, which joins 
 the fibula to the external tuberosity of the inferior extremity of the tibia, 
 where this cord divides and unites with the two external lateral ligaments 
 of the tibio-tarsal articulation. 
 
 The movements of this articulation are very limited, 
 
 THE HOCK JOINT. 
 
 Two bones only concur to form the ginglymus, or true hinge, consti- 
 tuting the hock joint : these are the tibia and astragalus. Two articulatory 
 surfaces are situated on the sides of the inferior extremity of the tibia, 
 presenting two cavities, separated by an eminence, upon which a little 
 spot often exists, uncovered by cartilage of encrustation. The astragalus 
 presents, on its antero-superior border, two semicircular prominences, 
 separated by a deep cavity which exactly corresponds to the inferior tibial 
 eminence just mentioned, all being covered by cartilage. 
 
 The tibia and astragalus are united by seven ligaments : two external 
 lateral, three internal lateral, one anterior, and a posterior. 
 
 The external lateral ligaments are two, distinguished according to their 
 relative position. The superficial external ligament is a large cord, flat- 
 tened in its inferior half. It descends from the external tuberosity of the 
 tibia, behind the groove which separates this into two parts : taking a 
 vertical course, it attaches itself successively to the astragalus, the os 
 calcis, os cuboides,. the , large metatarsal bone, and to the head of the small 
 external metatarsal bones. This ligament gives off fibres, anteriorly to 
 
3S0 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the tendon of the extensor pedis, and behind it mixes with the calcaneo- 
 metatarsal ligament. The deep-seated external ligament , much shorter than 
 the preceding, is attached superiorly upon the anterior part of the external 
 
 Fig. 22. — External View of 
 the Hock Joint. 
 
 A. Tibia. 
 
 JB. External malleolus of tibia. 
 
 C. Os calcis. 
 
 D. Large metatarsal bone. 
 
 E. Capsular ligament opened and 
 
 partially removed. 
 
 F. Prominence in head of ex- 
 
 ternal small metatarsal 
 bone, sometimes mistaken 
 for curb. 
 
 G. Astragalus. 
 
 H. Cuboid bone. 
 
 I. Scaphoid bone. 
 
 K. Cuneiform bone. 
 
 2. 2. Calcaneo-tibial ligament. 
 
 3. & 4. Ligaments between the 
 
 astragalus and os calcis. 
 
 5. Cuboido-metatarsal ligament. 
 
 6. Great calcaneo-cuboid liga- 
 
 ment. 
 
 tuberosity of the tibia; it takes a course obliquely downwards, to the 
 outer side of the astragalus and os calcis. where it is attached. 
 
 The internal lateral ligaments . — These are three cord-like bands, of which 
 there is one superficial, one median, and one deep-seated. The superficial 
 internal ligament , the strongest and largest of the three, arises from the 
 
 Fig. 23. — Internal View of 
 the Hock J oint. 
 
 A. Tibia. 
 
 B. Internal malleolus. 
 
 C. Os calcis. 
 
 D. Large metatarsal bone. 
 
 E. Internal small metatarsal 
 bone. 
 
 F. External small metatarsa 
 bone. 
 
 G. Astragalus. 
 
 H. Scaphoid bone. 
 
 I. 1. Ligament common to the 
 os calcis, astragalus, and 
 internal small metatarsal 
 bone. 
 
 2. Ligament between the tibia 
 and astragalus. 
 
 3. Calcaneo - astragalan liga- 
 ment. 
 
 4. Ligament between the as- 
 tragalus and os calcis. 
 
 5. Calcaneo-cuboid ligament. 
 
 6 Calcaneo - metatarsal liga- 
 ment. 
 
 iniero-internal tuberosity of the tibia, and inserts itself on the astragalo- 
 metatarsal ligament, to the tuberosity on the internal surface of the astra- 
 galus, the small cuneiform bone, and to the internal borders of the two 
 remaining tarsal bones, viz. the scaphoid and cuneiform, and to the upper 
 and inner surface of the large metatarsal bone, and head of the inner small 
 splint bone. The median internal ligament is composed of tw T o cords, 
 attached in common beneath the preceding, to the internal tuberosity of 
 the tibia ; they take a course backwards and downwards, and terminate, 
 
HOCK JOINT. 
 
 381 
 
 one on the astragalus, the other upon the lower and inner surface of the 
 os calcis. The internal deep ligament is an extremely thin hand ; it is 
 attached above to the tibia, just below the attachment of the middle liga- 
 ment, and below to the astragalus, nearly at the same point as the superior 
 insertion of the middle ligament. 
 
 The anterior ligament is a thin layer, formed of decussating fibres, 
 stronger without than within, attached by its superior edge to the tibia, and 
 by its inferior edges to the astragalus and to the os cuneiforme parvum. 
 
 The posterior ligament , similar in structure to the anterior, is attached 
 to the same bones, behind their articular surfaces. 
 
 The synovial membrane is developed on the internal surfaces of the two 
 capsular ligaments, covered also by the three internal and the external 
 deep ligaments. 
 
 Movements. — This joint allows only of flexion and extension ; but to 
 avoid contact between the foot and the tibia in the act of flexion, the 
 tibio-astragalan articulation causes the bones below to deviate outwards, 
 owing to the obliquity of the articular surfaces. 
 
 ARTICULATION S BETWEENT THE BONES OF THE TARSUS. 
 
 The calcaneo-astragalan articulation, between the bones of the 
 first row, is a compound arthrodia, resulting from the coaptation of three 
 or four articular surfaces on the posterior face of the astragalus to cor- 
 responding facettes on the antero-inferior part of the os calcis. The lateral 
 ligaments of the tibio-tarsal articulation are common to this joint; and we 
 also have four ligaments proper to it, a superior, external, internal, and an 
 interosseous ligament. 
 
 The superior astragalo-calcanean ligament , formed of very short and 
 parallel fibres thrown from one bone to the other, is situated near the 
 superior extremity of the trochlear astragalan surface, and lined by the 
 synovial membrane of the tibio-tarsal articulation. 
 
 The lateral ligaments are two very thin bundles, which unite the os 
 calcis to the astragalus laterally, hidden under tjh.e ligaments which bind 
 the tibia to the tarsus. 
 
 The interosseous ligament is very strong, and occupies a great part of 
 the roughened excavations which separate the arthrodial surfaces of the 
 os calcis and astragalus. These do not possess proper synovial membranes, 
 that is, membranes proper to each, with the exception of one, formed on 
 the upper and outer part of this articulation, where a distinct synovial 
 membrane exists. The superior arthrodial surface is, however, sometimes 
 supplied with synovial membrane, by a prolongation from the tibio- 
 tarsal capsule. Two prolongations ascend from the capsule of this articu- 
 lation below the inferior arthrodial surfaces of the os calcis and astragalus, 
 and thus facilitate a gliding motion, which is very limited. 
 
 The movements are so limited as to be almost null. 
 
 In the articulations of the bones of the second row among them- 
 selves, the cuboid bone joins with the os scaphoides by two arthrodial sur- 
 faces, one anterior, the other posterior ; and also with the os cuneiforme 
 magnum by two similar surfaces. The os scaphoides articulates with 
 the magnum by a vast convex surface; the cuneiforme and magnum 
 articulate internally and laterally with the parvum. 
 
 The ligaments which keep these diarthrodial surfaces in contact are 
 numerous. The astragalo-metatarsal and the posterior tarso-metatarsal 
 ligaments are common to this articulation. They consist of — 
 
 Two anterior ligaments , running from the cuboid to the os scaphoides 
 
382 THE HORSE. 
 
 and magnum, one above and the other below the groove between these 
 three bones. 
 
 Two interosseous ligaments from the superior and inferior sides of the 
 forenamed groove. 
 
 An interosseous ligament , running from the os scaphoides to the cunei- 
 forme parvum. 
 
 An interosseous ligament , running from the os scaphoides to the cunei- 
 forme magnum. 
 
 The synovial membrane is formed between the os scaphoides and os 
 cuneiforme : this membrane belongs also to the two arthrodial surfaces 
 existing on the upper parts of the internal surface of the os cuboides and 
 os cuneiforme parvum. A capsule proper also exists between the superior 
 surface of the astragalus, the superior surface of the os scaphoides, and os 
 cuboides. As to the arthrodial surfaces between the os cuneiforme medium 
 on the one side, and the os cuboides and cuneiforme parvum on the other, 
 they are supplied with synovial membranes by two prolongations from the 
 tarso-metatarsal synovial capsule. 
 
 Movements. — Scarcely any. 
 
 Articulations between the two rows. — This arthrodia is formed by 
 the union of the inferior extremity of the astragalus and os calcis, on the 
 one part, with the superior extremity of the os scaphoides and os cuboides 
 on the other. This articulation has six principal ligaments. 
 
 The two superficial lateral ligaments of the tibio-tarsal articulation. 
 
 The calcaneo-metatarsal ligament , which unites the posterior border of 
 the os calcis to the cuboid bone and to the head of the external small 
 metatarsal bone. 
 
 The astragalo-metatarsal ligament is a large radiating fasciculus, whose 
 fibres run from the tuberosity of the astragalus, diverge, and become con- 
 founded with the internal superficial tarsal ligaments on the ossa cunei- 
 forme magnum, scaphoides, and the superior extremity of the large meta- 
 tarsal bone. 
 
 The posterior tarso-me\atarsal ligament is very strong, and unites, poste- 
 riorly, the tarsal bones to the three metatarsal bones; it is continuous 
 below with the suspensory ligament ; it mixes at the sides with the cal- 
 caneo-metatarsal ligament, and with the internal and superficial tarsal 
 ligament. 
 
 An interosseous ligament is attached to the four bones which form this 
 articulation. 
 
 It is provided with a synovial capsule, which always communicates 
 in front with the tibio-tarsal capsule. This capsule prolongs itself supe- 
 riorly between the os calcis and astragalus, to lubricate the two inferior 
 arthrodial surfaces between these bones. It also descends between the 
 os scaphoides, os cuboides, and the little arthrodial spots between the 
 os cuneiforme and os cuboides. 
 
 Movements. — Very limited ; gliding motion is only enjoyed. 
 
 THE TARSO-METATABSAL ARTICULATION. 
 
 This joint is formed by the meeting of three bones of the tarsus 
 (the cuboid, os cuneiforme magnum, and os cuneiforme parvum), with the 
 superior extremities of the three metatarsal bones, which are kept in 
 contact through the medium of the superficial lateral ligaments of the 
 tibio-tarsal articulation, the calcaneo-metatarsal and astragalo-metatarsal 
 ligaments, and by a strong interosseous ligament, divided into three fas- 
 ciculi, which are attached interiorly to the three metatarsal bones. 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF MUSCLE. 
 
 383 
 
 The proper synovial capsule of this joint mounts between the 
 cuboido-scaphoid arthrodial surfaces and those which unite the ossa cunei- 
 forme magnum and parvum; it descends between the inter-metatarsal 
 articulations. 
 
 Movements. — Similar to the preceding. 
 
 IUTER-METATAESAL ARTICULATIONS. 
 
 These are precisely similar to the inter-metacarpal articulations described 
 at page 371. 
 
 REMAINING ARTICULATIONS of the POSTERIOR MEMBERS. 
 
 The descriptions of the several joints of the fore limbs at pages 
 372, 373, 374 will suffice for those of tbe bind legs. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE MUSCULAR SYSTEM. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OF MUSCLE — CUTANEOUS MUSCLES — MUSCLES OF THE HEAD — ANTERIOR 
 MAXILLARY REGION — MUSCLES WHOSE OFFICE IT IS TO MOVE THE LOWER JAW — 
 MUSCLES OF THE EXTERNAL EAR — OF THE EYELIDS — OCULAR REGION— MUSCLES OF 
 THE TONGUE— OF THE PHARYNX: — LARYNGEAL REGION — SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES OF 
 THE NECK AND TRUNK — LATERAL CERVICAL REGION — INFERIOR CERVICAL REGION 
 — INFERIOR CERVICO-OCCIPITAL REGION— SUPERIOR CERVICO-OCCIPITAL REGION — 
 MUSCLES CONNECTING THE SCAPULA WITH THE HEAD, NECK, AND TRUNK — OF THE 
 THORAX — DORSAL REGION — MUSCLES OF THE ABDOMEN — SUPERFICIAL ABDOMINAL 
 REGION — DEEP ABDOMINAL REGION — PELVIC REGION — MUSCLES OF THE FORE 
 EXTREMITY — EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION — ANTERO-INFERIOR SCAPULAR REGION — • 
 INTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION — POSTERO-INTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION — • POSTERO- 
 EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION ANTERO-EXTERNAL HUMERAL REGION POSTERO- 
 
 INTERNAL HUMERAL REGION — MUSCLES OF THE ARM AND FORE-LEG— MUSCLES OF 
 THE HAUNCH— GLUTEAL REGION — EXTERNAL ILIO-FEMORAL REGION — ANTERIOR ILIO- 
 FEMORAL REGION— INTERNAL ILIO-FEMORAL REGION— DEEP MUSCLES OF THE ILIO- 
 FEMORAL REGION — ANTERIOR FEMORO-CRURAL REGION — POSTERIOR FEMORO-CRURAr 
 REGION. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OF MUSCLE. 
 
 ^Yith trifling exceptions the whole of the movements of the body 
 and limbs are performed by the agency of that peculiar substance, known 
 in our butchers’ shops as “ flesh,” and recognised by anatomists as mus- 
 cular tissue. This constitutes the chief bulk of the soft parts external 
 to the three great cavities (the cranial, thoracic, and abdominal), and in 
 the half-starved subject of the knacker or highly- trained racehorse, in 
 which the fat has almost entirely disappeared, the ordinary observer will 
 detect nothing but muscles (with their tendons) and bones beneath the 
 skin covering the limbs. On the trunk they are spread out into layers 
 varying in thickness, sometimes interrupted by flat tendons, so as to 
 form, at the same time, a protection to the organs within, easily capable 
 ..f extension or contraction, and a means of moving the several parts upon 
 each other. 
 
 Tendons resemble ligaments in being composed of white fibrous tissue, 
 described at page 351. They serve to connect muscle with bone, and are 
 
384 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 useful as affording an agent for this purpose of much less compass than 
 muscle itself, and also of a structure not so easily injured by external 
 violence. Thus they are generally met with around the joints, the mus 
 cular substance chiefly occupying the space between them. There are 
 three varieties of tendon — 1. Funicular , consisting of cord-like bands ; 
 2. Fascicular , including bands of a flatter and more expanded nature ; 
 and 3. Aponeurotic , which are membranous, and are chiefly met with 
 around the abdomen. The fibres are firmly attached to the bones, which 
 generally present rough surfaces for this purpose, and are also closely 
 incorporated with the periosteum. This union is so strong, that it very 
 rarely gives way ; and when extreme violence is used, either the bone 
 itself breaks, or the tendon snaps in its middle. Tendons are non-elastic. 
 
 To the naked eye, an ordinary muscle appears to be composed of a 
 number of small bundles of fibres, arranged in parallel lines, and con- 
 nected by a fine membrane. These bundles may still further be separated 
 into what seem at first to be elementary fibres ; but when placed in the 
 microscope, they are found to be themselves made up of finer fibres united 
 into fasciculi by delicate filaments. These ultimate fibrilla are polyhedral 
 in section, according to the observations of Mr. Bowman, so as to pack 
 closely together, and are variable in size in different classes and genera of 
 animals. They also differ in appearance, one class presenting stripes 
 while the other is without them. The former includes all the muscles 
 whose movements are under the control of the will as well as those of the 
 heart, and some of the fibres of the oesophagus, while the latter is com- 
 posed of the muscles investing the stomach, intestines, bladder, &c., 
 which are comprehended under the general term involuntary. 
 
 The Sarco lemma is the name given by Mr. Bowman to the areolar 
 tissue investing each fibre, sometimes also called myolemma. It is very 
 delicate and transparent, but tough and elastic ; in general it has no appear- 
 ance of any specific structure, but sometimes it presents an aspect as if 
 there was an interweaving of filaments. 
 
 When a fibrilla of striated muscle is examined under the microscope 
 of a high magnifying power, it is seen to present a beaded appearance, as 
 if made up of a linear aggregation of distinct cells, alternately light and 
 dark. When the fibrilla is relaxed, each cell is longer than it is broad ; 
 but, during the action of the muscle, it assumes the opposite dimensions, 
 the increase in one diameter being always in proportion to the diminution 
 nf the other. As the contraction takes place the substance becomes firmer 
 than before, but the bulk remains the same, the mass merely gaining in 
 thickness what it has lost in length. The application of certain stimu- 
 lating agents will produce the contraction for a certain period after life 
 is destroyed, varying according to the vitality of the animal experimented 
 upon and the nature of the individual muscle. This is called irritability 
 in the striated muscles, which exhibit powerful contractions, alternating 
 with relaxations — while in the involuntary muscles a more steady, per- 
 manent, and moderate contraction is met with, to which the name of 
 tonicity has been given. 
 
 Pure muscular fibre appears to be identical in composition with the 
 fibrine of the blood, being made up of about seventy-seven parts water, 
 fifteen and a half parts fibrine, and seven and a half parts of fixed salts. The 
 whole of the flesh of the body is largely supplied with blood, and it is 
 found by experiment, on the one hand, that if this is cut off contraction 
 ceases very speedily after ; and on the other, that in proportion to the 
 amount of muscular action will be the demand for fresh supplies of blood. 
 
CUTANEOUS MUSCLES. 385 
 
 None of the striated muscles, except the heart and the muscles of respira- 
 tion, can go on acting without intervals of rest, during which repairs in 
 their structure are effected. If, therefore, the voluntary muscles are to 
 he brought into the highest state of vigour and development of size, they 
 must he regularly exercised and rested at proper intervals. During the 
 former condition blood is attracted to them, and at the same time that 
 fluid itself is rendered more fit for the purposes of nutrition ; while during 
 the latter period the increased flow of blood continuing allows for a com- 
 plete reparation of the tissues. Thus we find the muscles of the well- 
 trained racehorse full and firm to the touch ; hut if sufficient intervals of 
 rest are not allowed between his gallops, they will present a very different 
 feel, being flabby and wasted, and indicating that he has been “ over- 
 marked.’ ’ 
 
 The voluntary muscles assume various shapes, according to their posi- 
 tions and offices. Sometimes they are merely long strips of muscular 
 tissue, with a very short tendon at each end, as in the levator humeri, 
 and are then called fusiform . At others their fibres radiate, as in the 
 latissimus dorsi, which is hence called a radiating muscle. A third set 
 are called penniform , from their fibres being attached to one side of a 
 tendon, or bipenniform , when they are fixed to both sides like the full 
 tail or wing feather of a bird. A muscle with two masses of its tissue 
 connected in the middle by a tendon is called digastric . 
 
 The special nomenclature of muscles is founded upon : 1st, their posi- 
 tion, as tibialis, pterygoideus, zygomaticus ; 2d, upon their action, as 
 flexor, extensor, levator; 3d, upon their direction, as obliquus, rectus, 
 transversalis ; 4th, upon their attachments, as scapulo ulnaris ; and 
 5th, upon their division into separate portions or heads, as biceps, 
 triceps, digastricus, &c. 
 
 In describing each muscle it is usual to speak of it as having an 
 origin from one bone, or set of bones, and an insertion into another, the 
 former term being generally assigned to the more fixed division of the two. 
 This is, however, merely for the sake of convenience, and is entirely 
 arbitrary. 
 
 Bursae mucosa, which are shut sacs, varying in size from that of a pea to 
 a moderate pear, and lined with synovial membrane (see page 352), are placed 
 on all the prominent points of bone over which tendons glide. Thus there 
 is a large one on the point of the hock, and another on the elbow, both of 
 which sometimes inflame and become filled with synovia, constituting the 
 states known as capped hock and elbow. A third situation is just above the 
 sesamoid bones, where the swelling from inflammation receives the name 
 of windgall. Where, as in the legs, the tendons have to glide to a great 
 extent, they are invested with synovial sheaths, which are bound down by 
 white fibrous tissue at the points where the strain is the greatest. In the 
 limbs the muscles are bound up into masses by strong but thin layers of 
 intercrossed white fibrous tissue, which receives the name of fascia. In 
 the horse this is very firmly attached to the surface of the muscles beneath, 
 and greatly interferes with the clean dissection of them. 
 
 CUTANEOUS MUSCLES. 
 
 Immediately beneath the skin there is a thin layer of muscle, spread 
 over nearly the whole surface of the body, and called panniculus carnosus. 
 It is attached internally to some of the most prominent points of the 
 skeleton, chiefly through the intervention of the fascia, which binds down 
 
 c c 
 
386 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the various groups of muscles. Externally it is inserted at short intervals 
 into the inner surface of the skin, and into the cellular membrane beneath 
 it. Its action is to throw the skin into folds or wrinkles, in so sudden a 
 manner as to dislodge flies or other irritating insects. It is also powerful 
 enough to shake off particles of dust or dirt which have fallen upon the 
 part, and are not glued to it by any adhesive matter. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE HEAD. 
 
 The muscles of the head are in number above sixty, chiefly arranged 
 in pairs, wdiich correspond exactly with each other, Want of space will 
 not permit a minute description of each ; but the most important will 
 be found alluded to sufficiently to give an idea of their position and 
 
 Fig. 1. — Superficial Muscles of the Head. 
 
 1. Masseter. 9. Dilatator naris anterior. 
 
 2. Nasalis longus labii superioris. 10, 10. Orbicularis oris. 
 
 3. 4. Levator labii superioris alseque nasi. 11. a. a. Orbicularis palpebrarum. 
 
 5. Dilatator naris lateralis. — jb. Levator palpebrse superioris, or corru- 
 
 6. Zygomaticus, gator svpercilii. 
 
 7. Retractor labii inferioris. 12. Parotido auricularis. 
 
 8. Depressor labii inferioris. 13. Splenius. 
 
 ANTERIOR MAXILLARY REGION. 
 
 Zygomaticus. — Situation on the middle of the side of the face. 
 Origin — from the anterior two-thirds of the zygomatic ridge. Insertion 
 — to the angle of the mouth. Action — to retract the angle of the mouth. 
 
 Levator labii superioris al^eque nasi is situated on and above the 
 side of the face. Origin — from the lachrymal, malar, and superior 
 
 maxillary bones. Insertion — to the supero-posterior part of the nasal 
 opening, and to the antero-inferior part of the nostril and upper lip. 
 Action — to dilate the nostrils and to retract the upper lip. 
 
 Retractor labii superioris is situated on the side of the face. 
 Origin — from the anterior part of the zygomatic ridge, and from the 
 corresponding part of the superior maxillary bone. Insertion — to the 
 sides of the nostril and supero-lateral parts of the upper lip. Action — to 
 retract the upper lip. 
 
 Nasalis longus labii superioris is situated on the upper part of the 
 face. Origin — from the infero-external part of the lachrymal and malar 
 
MUSCLES OF THE LOWER JAW. 
 
 387 
 
 bones, and from the inferior part of the superior maxillary bone ; at 
 the cartilages of the nose the tendons, the one on the right side and 
 the other on the left, blend together and unite in one common tendon, 
 which is inserted upon the superior part of the upper lip. Action — tp 
 corrugate the upper lip, and thence to raise it. 
 
 Caninus is situated over the two anterior molar teeth. Origin — from 
 the superior maxillary bone, near its junction with the anterior maxilla. 
 Insertion — to a roughened depression on the inferior maxillary bone, just 
 behind the lower tush. Action — to assist in closing the mouth. 
 
 Dilatator naris anterior is situated in front of and between the 
 nostrils. Origin — from the supero-anterior surface of the os nasi. Insert 
 
 tion — to the anterior part of the alar cartilages, blending with the 
 orbicularis oris. Action — to raise the upper lip. 
 
 Nasalis brevis labii superioris is situated behind the nostrils. 
 Origin — from the superior and anterior maxillary bones, and from the 
 suture uniting them. Insertion — to the supero-anterior part of the septum 
 nasi, and to the skin of the false nostrils. Action — to dilate the nostrils. 
 
 Buccinator is situated between the upper and lower jaws. Origin — 
 
 from the tuberosity of the superior maxillary bone, and from the outer 
 walls of the alveolar cavities of the upper molar teeth. Insertion — to 
 the outer walls of the alveolar cavities of the lower molar teeth. In 
 front it is blended with the orbicularis oris. Action — to draw back the 
 angle of the lips, and tighten the outer wall of the mouth. 
 
 Retractor labii inferioris is situated on the anterior part of the 
 lower jaw. Origin — from the external part of the lower jaw, just behind 
 the last molar tooth. Insertion — to the inferior part of the lower lip. 
 This muscle blends with the orbicularis oris. Action — to retract the 
 
 lower lip. 
 
 Naso transversalis is situated between the two alar cartilages. This 
 muscle runs between the antero-internal borders of each cartilage to which 
 it is attached, and its action tends to approximate them. 
 
 Depressor labii superioris lies upon the anterior part of the upper 
 jaw. Origin — from the anterior maxillary bone, and from the outer 
 
 border of the alveoli of the incisor teeth, extending as far back as the 
 tush. Insertion — to the upper lip and inferior nasal cartilages. Action 
 — to assist in dilating the nostrils, and in retracting the upper lip. 
 
 Orbicularis oris. — This sphincter muscle is situated within the border 
 of the lips. Origin — from the outer surfaces of the superior and inferior 
 maxillary bones. Insertion — it interlaces with its own fibres at the angles, 
 and is also attached, to the glandular substance and skin of the lips. 
 Action — to contract the opening of the lips, and compress them against 
 the jaws. 
 
 Depressor labii inferioris lies along the side of the lower jaw. 
 Origin — from the side of the lower jaw, close to that of the buccinator. 
 Insertion — into the fat of the prominence of the chin. 
 
 Levator menti is a little square muscle bracing the soft parts, covering 
 the chin, up against the jaw. It arises from the edge of the alveolar pro- 
 cess of the corner tooth on one side, passes beneath the chin, and meets 
 there its fellow of the opposite side. 
 
 MUSCLES WHOSE OFFICE IT IS TO MOVE THE LOWER 
 
 JAW. 
 
 Temporalis is situated on the top and sides of the head. Origin — 
 from the occipital, parietal, squamous plate, and zygomatic process of the 
 
 c c 2 
 
3S8 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 temporal bones. Insertion — to the coronoid process of the lower jaw. 
 Action — to raise the lower jaw, and thus to assist in mastication. 
 
 Masseter forms the prominence of the cheek. Origin — from the 
 
 inferior surface of the zygomatic ridge. Insertion — to the whole of the 
 external surface of the angle of the lower jaw. Action — to elevate the 
 lower jaw, and thus assist in mastication. 
 
 Stylo m axillaris lies behind the lower jaw. Origin^- from the 
 
 styloid process of the occipital bone. Insertion — to the angle of the lower 
 jaw. Action — to retract the jaw and assist in opening the mouth. , 
 
 Pterygoideus externus lies within the jaw. Origin — from the ala of 
 the sphenoid bone. Insertion — into the rough depression at the inner 
 side of the root of the condyle of the jaw. Action — to raise the jaw and 
 draw it forwards. 
 
 Pterygoideus internus is situated below the external pterygoid, and 
 passes in a more horizontal direction. Origin — from the ala of the sphe- 
 noid bone, from the palate bone, and the tuberosity of the superior maxil- 
 lary bone. Insertion — to the inner side of the angle of the jaw. Action 
 — each muscle acting separately draws the jaw towards the opposite side, 
 and the two acting alternately produce the grinding motion necessary for 
 reducing the food. 
 
 MUSCLES OP THE EXTERNAL EAR. 
 
 Six pairs of muscles move the cartilage of the ears in all directions ; 
 but they are not of sufficient importance to require any description here. 
 
 EXTERNAL MUSCLES OF THE EYELIDS. 
 
 Orbicularis palpebrarum is a layer of thin muscular fibre, shown at 
 Fig. 1 a a . It forms a plane around the edge of the lids, extending 
 upwards and downwards, and having a tendon at the inner angle, by 
 which it is attached to the frontal and lachrymal bones. Its action is to 
 close the lids and draw them towards the inner angle. 
 
 Levator palpebr^e superioris. — Fig. 1 A is a thin slip of muscle 
 which is attached above to the aponeurotic expansion and skin of the 
 forehead, and below to the orbicularis palpebrarum. Its action is to raise 
 the upper eyelid and wrinkle the brow. 
 
 OCULAR REGION. 
 
 Eight muscles are lodged within the orbit for moving the eyelid and 
 eye. They are severally named from the offices which they perform. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE TONGUE. 
 
 Ten muscles are attached to the os hyoides, or bone of the tongue, for 
 the purpose of moving it backwards and laterally, and also to serve as 
 agents in the various movements of the tongue. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE PHARYNX. 
 
 As the mouth contracts to form the funnel-shaped tube which ends in 
 the oesophagus, the latter is clothed with several muscles, which aid in 
 driving the food backwards. These are the hyo-pharyngeus and palato- 
 pharyngeus and the three constrictors of the pharnyx. 
 
SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES OF THE NECK AND TRUNK. 389 
 
 LARYNGEAL REGION. 
 
 The cartilages of the larynx are moved by seven pairs of small 
 but beautifully defined muscles, named after their attachments. 
 
 PALATINE REGION. 
 
 Two muscles move the soft palate, the tensor palati and circumflexus 
 palati ; but they can only be made out by a careful dissection of these 
 parts. 
 
 16. Parotido auricularis, turned back, showing 
 
 parotid gland. 
 
 17. 17. Levator humeri. 
 
 18. Stemo-maxillaris. 
 
 19. Splenius. 
 
 20. Cervical portion of serratus magnus. 
 
 21. Cervical portion of trapezius. 
 
 22. Dorsal portion of trapezius. 
 
 23. Latissimus dorsi. 
 
 24. Costal digitations of serratus magnus. 
 
 — d. d. d. d. &c. Intercostal muscles. 
 
 25. 
 
 26. Postea spinatus. 
 
 27. Triceps extensor brachii. 
 
 28. Scapulo ulnaris. 
 
 29. Pectoralis transversus. 
 
 31. Extensor pedis. 
 
 32. Extensor ossis suffraginis. 
 
 33. Flexor metacarpi externus. 
 
 34. Flexor metacarpi internus. 
 
 35. medius. 
 
 36. 36. Obliquus abdominis externus. 
 
 37. Superficialis costarum. 
 
 38. Gluteus maxim us. 
 
 39. Tensor vaginae femoris. 
 
 40. Gluteus externus. 
 
 41. Triceps abductor femoris (part). 
 
 42. Semi-membranosus and semi-tendinosus. 
 
 ^Triceps abductor femoris (remainder). 
 
 45. 45. Extensor pedis. 
 
 46. Flexor pedis accessorius. 
 
 47. Flexor pedis perforans. 
 
 48. Peroneus. 
 
 49. Flexor pedis perforans. 
 
 50. Gastrocnemius internus. 
 
 51. Tendon of gastrocnemius externus. 
 
 SUPERFICIAL MUSCLES OE THE NECK AND TRUNK. 
 
 The muscles of the neck and trunk are so intimately blended to- 
 gether by their several attachments that they must be examined together. 
 It will be impossible to describe more than the superficial ones ; but the 
 
590 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 most important being those which connect the trunk with the extremities, 
 they will be selected as more especially deserving attention. 
 
 LATERAL CERVICAL REGION. 
 
 Splenius is situated on the superior part of the neck. Origin — from 
 the three anterior dorsal spines. Insertion — to the mastoid process of the 
 petrous portion of the temporal bone, crest of the occiput, wing of the 
 atlas, transverse process of the second, third, fourth, and fifth cervical 
 vertebrae, and to the lateral parts of the ligamentum colli. Action — to 
 draw the head on one side, when one muscle acts ; when both together, to 
 erect the head. 
 
 Complexus major is situated under the splenius. Origin — from the 
 transverse processes and spines of the six anterior dorsal vertebrae. In- 
 sertion — to the oblique processes of all the cervical vertebrae, wing of the 
 atlas, tubercle on the occipital crest, lateral parts of the ligamentum colli, 
 and by blending with the tendon of the splenius to the mastoid process of 
 the petrous portion of the temporal bone. Action — to erect the head. 
 
 Trachelo mastoideus is deeply seated under the splenius. Origin — 
 from the transverse processes of the two anterior dorsal spines. Insertion 
 — to the oblique processes of all the cervical vertebrae, wing of the atlas, 
 and mastoid process of the petrous portion of the temporal bone. Action 
 — similar to the splenius. 
 
 Spinalis colli lies close to the bodies of the vertebrae, between their 
 oblique and spinous processes. Origin — from the oblique processes of the 
 five posterior cervical vertebrae and the first dorsal. Insertion — to the 
 spinous processes of all the cervical vertebrae but the atlas. Action — to bend 
 the neck upwards and backwards. 
 
 INFERIOR CERVICAL REGION. 
 
 Sterno-maxillaris is situated on the inferior part of the neck. Origin 
 — from the supero-anterior part of the cariniform cartilage. Insertion — 
 (opposite the thyroid body it becomes tendinous) to the posterior angle 
 of the inferior maxillary bone. Action — to depress the lower jaw, and, 
 through it, the whole head. 
 
 Sterno-thyro hyoideus is situated above the sterno-maxillaris. Origin 
 — from the infero-internal part of the first rib, and from the supero-anterior 
 part of the cariniform cartilage. Insertion — half-way up the neck it 
 bifurcates, one part going to the postero-external part of the body of the 
 thyroid cartilage, the other to the spur process of the os hyoides. A ction 
 . — to draw the tongue and larynx backwards and downwards. 
 
 Subscapulo hyoideus is situated on the antero-superior part of the 
 neck. Origin — from the supero -internal part of the body of the humerus, 
 just below the inner tubercle. Insertion — to the under side of the root 
 of the spur process of the os hyoides. Action — to depress the os hyoides, 
 or, if that is fixed, to aid the last muscle in lowering the head. 
 
 SUPERIOR CERVICO-OCCIPITAL REGION. 
 
 Five pairs of small and short muscles connect the atlas and dentata 
 with the head, occupying the space known as the poll. These are com- 
 plexus minor, rectus capitis posticus major and minor, obliquus capitis 
 superior and inferior. Their action is to raise the head and preserve the 
 union of the bones intact. 
 
MUSCLES OF THE SCAPULA. 
 
 391 
 
 Scalenus connects the first rib with the two posterior cervical vertebrae. 
 Action — to depress the neck, and, when that is fixed, to raise the first rib 
 in forcible inspiration. 
 
 Longus colli is deeply seated on the under side of the vertebrae. 
 It arises by fleshy digitations from the bodies of the six anterior dorsal 
 vertebrae, and is inserted into the bodies, transverse processes, and lower 
 spines of all the cervical vertebrae, except the atlas, which has a tendinous 
 insertion only into its body. Action — to flex the neck. 
 
 INFERIOR CERVICO-OCCIPITAL REGION. 
 
 This is occupied by three muscles, antagonists to those of the poll. 
 They are rectus capitis anticus major and minor and obliquus capitis 
 anticus, and connect the bodies and transverse processes of the cervical 
 vertebrae with the cuneiform process of the occipital bone. Their action 
 is to bend the head on the neck. 
 
 MUSCLES CONNECTING THE SCAPULA WITH THE HEAD, 
 NECK, AND CHEST. 
 
 Besides the subscapulo hyoideus, which has been described in con- 
 nexion with the inferior cervical region, the following nine muscles con- 
 nect the shoulder with the head, neck, and chest. When these are 
 dissected, the anterior extremity may be removed and separately examined. 
 The two first may be considered as occupying the humero-cervical region, 
 the three next the dorso-scapular region, and the four last the scapulo- 
 thoracic region. 
 
 Levator humeri is situated on the antero-inferior and lateral parts of 
 the neck. Origin — from the mastoid process of the petrous portion of 
 the temporal bone, crest of the occipital bone, wing of the atlas, and 
 transverse processes of the second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth 
 cervical vertebrae. Insertion — slightly to the spine of the scapula and 
 shoulder joint ; to the inferior part of the ridge of the humerus, that 
 extends from the outer part of the outer tubercle ; and to a depression, 
 “ scaber canalis,” on the antero-inferior part, with the pectoralis trans- 
 versus. Action — to raise and draw the shoulder forwards ; to turn the 
 neck on one side ; or, should both muscles act at one and the same time, 
 to depress the head. 
 
 Rhomboideus longus is situated on the supero-laterai part of the 
 neck. Origin — from the lateral part of the ligamentum colli as far 
 anteriorly as the third cervical vertebra, and posteriorly as the anterior 
 part of the second dorsal spine. Insertion — to the inner surface of the 
 superior angle, border, and cartilage of the scapula. Action — to draw the 
 scapula upwards and forwards. 
 
 Trapezius is situated upon the side of the withers and neck. It pre- 
 sents the figure of a right-angled triangle. Origin — from the ligamentum 
 colli and spines of the dorsal vertebrae as far back as the eleventh. 
 Insertion — to a tubercle on the spine of the scapula. Action — to elevate 
 the scapula, and to draw it forwards and backwards. 
 
 Latissimus dorsi is situated on the lateral part of the chest and back. 
 Origin — from the ligamentum colli as far anteriorly as the second dorsal 
 spine, and posteriorly as far as the fascia lumborum at the eleventh 
 dorsal spine. Insertion — to the rough tubercle on the inner side of the 
 body of the humerus. Action — to draw the humerus upwards and 
 backwards. 
 
392 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Rhomboideus brevis, lying upon the side of the withers, has its 
 origin from the spines of the second, third, and fourth dorsal vertebrae. 
 Insertion — to the inner part of the superior border and cartilage of the 
 scapula. This muscle is clothed externally with yellow elastic tissue. 
 Action — to elevate the scapula. 
 
 Pectoralis transversus is placed on the lateral, anterior, and posterior 
 parts of the breast. Origin — from the lateral and posterior parts of the 
 cariniform cartilage, over which it plays, being lubricated by a bursa, 
 and meets its fellow by a white tendinous line. Insertion — to the antero- 
 inferior part of the body of the humerus, “scaber canalis,” and the 
 fascia covering the leg. Action — it forms a sling to support the trunk, 
 and to keep the arm close to the chest during locomotion. 
 
 Pectoralis magnus is situated on the infero-lateral part of the thorax. 
 Origin — from the fourth, fifth, and sixth bones of the sternum, ensiform 
 cartilage, and the cartilages of the four posterior true ribs. It is attached 
 by fascia to the external oblique muscle of the abdomen. Insertion — 
 bifid : one portion to the internal tubercle at the head of the humerus ; 
 the other consists of a few fibres, which pass over to the external tubercle 
 at the head of the humerus. Action — to draw the shoulder downwards 
 and backwards. 
 
 Pectoralis parvus lies between the fore leg and side of the thorax. 
 Origin — from the lateral parts of the cariniform cartilage, and slightly 
 from the four anterior bones of the sternum. Insertion — to the outer 
 tubercle at the head of the humerus, and to the supero-anterior border of 
 the scapula, reaching nearly to its antero- superior angle. Action — to 
 
 assist the last-named muscle. 
 
 Serratus magnus is situated between the shoulder-blade and side of 
 the chest. Origin — from the transverse processes of the four posterior 
 cervical vertebrae, and from the entire length of the first, second, third, 
 fourth, and fifth ribs as low as their cartilages ; from the sixth, seventh, 
 and eighth as low as their middles ; digitating with four portions of the 
 external oblique muscle. Insertion — to the up'erior border, and by a few 
 fibres to the ventral surface and cartilage of the scapula. Action — it 
 tends greatly to support the trunk in a sling, especially when the weight 
 of the body comes down with a sudden shock, as in jumping. The two 
 muscles are more or less concerned in all the motions of the scapula, and 
 will become Gators of the chest whenever they are contracted, while the 
 limbs remain fixed points. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE THORAX. 
 
 The ribs are approximated to each other by two layers of muscles, 
 which cross each other, so that when acting together the greater length of 
 fibre given by this arrangement increases their power. These are the 
 
 INTERCOSTALES EXTERNI and INTERNI. 
 
 Lateralis sterni and sterno costales assist the intercostals in 
 contracting the chest. 
 
 Superficialis costarum lies on the back in the form of a thin layer of 
 aponeurosis, edged with fleshy slips, which indigitate with those of the 
 obliquus abdominis externus (see Fig. 2, 37). Its action is to raise the ribs 
 and increase the capacity of the chest. 
 
 Transversalis costarum is situated on the s-upero-lateral part of the 
 thorax. Origin — from the ribs close to the spine. Insertion — to the 
 
DORSAL REGION. 393 
 
 transverse process of the last cervical vertebrae. Action — to aid the last- 
 named muscles. 
 
 Levatores costarum are fifteen or sixteen muscular slips, which con- 
 nect the transverse processes of the dorsal vertebrae with the anterior 
 borders of the ribs, in the spaces between their tubercles and angles. 
 Action — to raise the ribs and enlarge the cavity of the thorax. 
 
 DORSAL REGION". 
 
 Longissimus dorsi lies along the back beneath the muscles of the supe- 
 rior extremity (which have been removed). It is a large powerful muscle, 
 and forms the chief mass of the soft parts constituting the loins and back. 
 Origin — from the crest of the ilium, side of the sacrum, and spinous and 
 transverse processes of all the lumbar vertebrae. Insertion — to the angles 
 of the twelve posterior ribs, and to the transverse processes of all the dorsal 
 vertebrae, and of the three posterior cervical. Action — to bend the back, 
 and thus raise either the fore or hind quarter, when the other is fixed. 
 It is the main agent in rearing and kicking, and is strongly called into 
 play in galloping and leaping. 
 
 Spinalis dorsi is situated deeply on the sides of the withers. Origin 
 —it is closely connected posteriorly with the last muscle, being attached 
 to the spinous processes of the posterior dorsal vertebrae. Insertion — to 
 the spines of the six or seven anterior dorsal vertebrae, and the three or 
 four posterior cervical. Action — to assist the longissimus dorsi in rearing 
 and in raising the fore quarters in galloping. 
 
 Semi-spinalis dorsi is deeply buried beneath the two last muscles, 
 with which it co-operates in its action . 
 
 MUSCLES OE THE ABDOMEN. 
 
 These are naturally divided into two groups, according to the 
 positions which they occupy and the offices they perform. Thus the 
 superficial abdominal muscles form the lower walls of the cavity of the 
 abdomen, while the deep abdominal muscles bound it anteriorly and 
 superiorly. 
 
 SUPERFICIAL ABDOMINAL REGION. 
 
 The abdominal muscles, four in number, constitute the lower walls 
 of the belly, and together form, as it were, a strong sheet, by means of 
 which the intestines and abdominal organs are kept in position. After 
 replecting the skin, they are seen to be covered by the panniculus car- 
 nosus and a thick layer of yellow fibrous tissue, through which their 
 division into tendon and muscle can faintly be discerned. These must be 
 dissected off to bring into view the true abdominal muscles, when the 
 following lines of demarcation will be discerned : — 
 
 1. The linea alba, which occupies the median line from the os pubis 
 to the ensiform cartilage, and consists of a tough layer of white fibrous 
 tissue, which unites the muscles of the abdomen together. At a little 
 more than a third of its length from the pubes is found a lozenge-shaped 
 space in which the tissue is almost entirely absent, and through which in 
 the foetus the umbilical vessels pass. This is the umbilicus, or navel, of 
 the adult. 
 
 2. On the surface of the rectus are several transverse white lines — the 
 linese transversales. 
 
394 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 3. Near the edge of the rectus muscle commences the linea semilunaris, 
 which marks the union of the fleshy and tendinous portion of the external 
 oblique. 
 
 Obliquus abdominis externus is situated on the lateral parts of the 
 belly. Origin — by fleshy slips from the fourteen hindermost ribs, where 
 it indigitates with the serratus magnus and latissimus dorsi, and from 
 the fascia lumborum, reaching to the antero-superior spinous process 
 of the ilium. Insertion — tendinous into the whole length of the linea 
 alba, and by two strong divisions into the os pubis, between which is 
 formed the triangular space called the external abdominal ring . The 
 posterior of these, stretching from the ilium to the os pubis, is called 
 the crural arch , and corresponds with Poupart’s Ligament in human 
 anatomy. Action — it flexes the pelvis on the thorax, and has the power 
 of contraction, and, by this means, of expelling the faeces, and in the 
 mare the foetus ; it also serves to force up the diaphragm, and thus to aid 
 in expiration. 
 
 Obliquus abdominis internus lies deeper than the foregoing muscle. 
 Origin — from the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae and 
 antero-inferior spinous process of the ilium and crural arch. Insertion 
 - t —to the inner surface of the cartilages of the three or four last ribs, 
 and to the ensiform cartilage ; also in close union with the tendon of 
 the external oblique to the linea alba. Action — to expel the faeces 
 and urine, and to act as above. Like the last, it is also a muscle of 
 respiration. 
 
 Transversalis abdominis is still deeper than the last-mentioned 
 muscle. It has its origin from the transverse processes of the lumbar 
 vertebrae, antero-inferior spine of the ilium, and symphysis pubis. In- 
 sertion — to the inner surface of all the ribs, except the three last, linea 
 alba, and ensiform cartilage. Action — to assist the two muscles above, and 
 to support the burden of the viscera. 
 
 Rectus abdominis is placed on each side the median line beneath the 
 viscera. Origin — from the symphysis pubis. Insertion — to the carti- 
 lages of all the ribs, except the three first, linea alba, ensiform cartilage, 
 and four posterior bones of the sternum : it blends with the lateralis 
 sterni, covering the sides of the sternum. Action — to brace the middle 
 parts of the belly, and to contract the thoracic cavity. 
 
 The parts connected with hernia formed by the above muscles 
 are : — 1st. The umbilicus, which leaves a weak place in the abdominal 
 parietes, especially at and soon after birth, through which umbilical rup- 
 ture takes place. 2d. The external ring, and the canal of which it is the 
 outer boundary, together with the internal ring, which should be carefully 
 examined by the student of veterinary surgery. Want of space will, 
 however, forbid more than a general description here. The external ring 
 has already been described as formed by the posterior tendinous fibres 
 of the external oblique, and through this descends the spermatic cord to 
 the scrotum. In tracing backwards and outwards this cord to the point 
 where it enters the wall of the abdomen, it will be found to lie between 
 the fibres of the crural arch and those of the internal oblique, supported 
 by the peritoneum and a thin fascia, which is continued from the edge of 
 the transversalis muscle, but is not so distinct as the corresponding part 
 in the human subject. About three or four inches from the external 
 ring this fascia is pierced by the cord, and this part is called the internal 
 abdominal ring, the space between the two rings being the inguinal 
 canal. (See spermatic cord, chapter xxii.) 
 
395 
 
 DEEP ABDOMINAL REGION. 
 
 The abdomen is bounded by a muscular wall anteriorly, which forms 
 a movable septum between it and the chest, and is called the diaphragm. 
 Superiorly also there are the muscles which serve to bend the spine 
 downwards, in opposition to the dorsal muscles. 
 
 The diaphragm consists of a large flat muscle and two crura, with 
 a thin circular layer of tendon in the centre. The former arises by fleshy 
 digitations from the cartilages of the ribs, from the eighth to the 
 sixteenth inclusive, and from the ensiform cartilage. It is inserted into 
 a central flat tendon of a circular shape. Each crus arises from its cor- 
 responding side of the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae : the two cross each 
 other opposite the seventeenth dorsal vertebra, and again decussate after 
 allowing the oesophagus to pass through, being finally attached to the 
 central tendon. Between the crura and the bodies of the vertebrae the 
 aorta passes backwards, and in the central tendon is the opening for the 
 vena cava posterior. The action of this muscle is to diminish the capacity 
 of the thorax by reducing the convexity of its surface. 
 
 Semi-spinalis lumborum, intertransversalis lumborum, and sacro 
 lumbalis, are three muscles having numerous attachments to the trans- 
 verse processes of the posterior dorsal and lumbar vertebrae and sacrum. 
 Their action is to approximate the pelvis to the thorax, and thus to oppose 
 the dorsal muscles by rounding the back. 
 
 Psoas magnus is a long and strong muscle lying beneath the spine. 
 Its origin is from the necks of the last two ribs, and from the bodies 
 and transverse processes of the last dorsal and all the lumbar vertebrae. 
 Insertion — into the trochanter minor internus of the femur. Action — to 
 flex the haunch upon the pelvis, or, if the hind leg is fixed, to assist the 
 three last muscles in rounding the back. 
 
 Psoas parvus lies along the inner side of the P. magnus. Origin — 
 from the heads of the last three ribs, and from the bodies of the three 
 last dorsal and all the lumbar vertebrae. Insertion — into the brim of the 
 pelvis. Action — to assist the last muscle in rounding the back. 
 
 Iliacus is situated in the iliac fossa. Origin — from the crest of the 
 ilium external to the sacrum, from the venter and anterior spinous pro- 
 cess. Insertion — with the psoas magnus into the trochanter minor 
 internus of the femur. Action — to flex the haunch. 
 
 PELVIC REGION. 
 
 Several muscles are attached to the pelvis : 1st. for the control of the 
 anus ; 2d. for the genital organs, and accelerating the flow of urine ; 3d. 
 for the movements of the tail. 
 
 Retractor ani is a funnel-shaped layer of thin muscular fibres arising 
 within the pelvis, and inserted into the margin of the anus. Action — to 
 prevent the anus from being forced outwards by the expulsive efforts of 
 the abdominal muscles. 
 
 Sphincter ani is attached above to the coccyx, and encircles the anus 
 with fleshy fibres, which serve to close it. 
 
 Cremaster is a thin layer of muscle which is attached to the yellow 
 fascia covering the abdomen, and to the internal oblique, from which 
 it descends upon the spermatic cord after it passes through the ex- 
 ternal abdominal ring, and is inserted into the fibrous covering of the 
 testicle. 
 
396 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The muscles of the penis, vagina, and clitoris have no general interest : 
 they are, erector penis, triangularis penis, and accelerator urinse, in the 
 
 male ; and sphincter vaginae and 
 erector clitoridis in the female. 
 
 The coccygeal muscles are de- 
 scribed as in four sets, erector, de- 
 pressor, curvator, and compressor 
 coccygis, the names of which bespeak 
 their actions . They all arise from 
 the pelvis and pelvic ligaments, and 
 are inserted into the corresponding 
 sides of the bodies and transverse 
 processes of the coccygeal bones. 
 
 m 
 
 MUSCLES OE THE PORE 
 EXTREMITY. 
 
 The muscles of the fore extremity 
 are classed in three divisions — viz. 
 those of the shoulder, arm, and leg. 
 In the two first of these great con- 
 fusion exists, in consequence of the 
 different names given to them by 
 English and Erench veterinary 
 writers. Percivall only enumerates 
 twelve, while Chauveau gives fifteen ; 
 the former not considering the long 
 extensor of the forearm as a distinct 
 muscle, but as a part of the triceps. 
 The scapulo humeralis posticus (or 
 grele of Chauveau) is omitted alto- 
 gether by Mr. Percivall, though quite 
 a distinct muscle, and playing a most 
 important part in supporting the 
 capsular ligament of the shoulder 
 joint, and preventing it from being 
 pinched in the motions of the joint. 
 The omission of the scapulo hume- 
 ralis externus by our chief English 
 authority is most unaccountable, as 
 it is recognised by all previous 
 writers on the subject. In order to 
 
 Fig. 3.— External View of the Muscles of 
 the Fore Extremity. 
 
 1. Antea spinatus. 
 
 2. Postea spinatus. 
 
 3. Scapulo humeralis externus. 
 
 4. Teres externus vel minor. 
 
 5. Insertion of antea spinatus. 
 
 6. Humeralis externus and flexor brachii above. 
 
 7. Scapulo ulnaris. 
 
 8. Triceps extensor brachii. 
 
 9. Extensor metacarpi magnus. a. c. Tendon of 
 
 the same receiving ligamentous slips. 
 
 10. Extensor pedis. 
 
 11. Extensor suffraginis. 
 
 12. Flexor metacarpi externus. 
 
 13. Flexor pedis perforans. e. Tendon of the same. 
 
 14. Flexor pedis perforatus. d. Tendon of the 
 
 same. 
 
EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 397 
 
 make these discrepancies more clear, and to lighten the labours of the 
 student, the following table of synonyms is inserted : — 
 
 TABLE OF SYNONYMS OF THE MUSCLES OF THE SHOULDER AND ARM. 
 
 NAME GIVEN IN THE TEXT. 
 
 Antea spinatus 
 
 Postea spinatus 
 
 Coraeo humeralis 
 
 Flexor brachii 
 
 Subscapularis 
 
 Teres internus vel major 
 
 Seapulo ulnaris . 
 
 Scapulo humeralis posticus 
 
 Triceps extensor brachii — caput magnum . 
 
 „ „ parvum . 
 
 „ „ medium . 
 
 Teres externus vel minor 
 
 Scapulo humeralis externus 
 
 Humeralis externus 
 
 Anconeus 
 
 USED BY PERCIVALL. ADOPTED BY CHAUVEAU. 
 
 Ditto Sur epineux. 
 
 Ditto Sous epineux. 
 
 Ditto Coraco-humeral. 
 
 Ditto Long flechisseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Ditto Sous scapulaire. 
 
 Ditto Adduoteur du bras. 
 
 Not given . . . Long extenseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Not given . . . Scapulohumeral grele. 
 
 Ditto Gros extenseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Ditto Court extenseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Ditto Moyen extenseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Ditto Court abducteur du bras. 
 
 Not given . . . Long abducteur du bras. 
 
 Ditto Court flechisseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 Ditto Petit extenseur de l’avant-bras. 
 
 EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 
 
 Antea spinatus lies upon the anterior fossa of the scapula. Origin 
 — from the anterior angle, border, fossa, and anterior surface of the spine 
 of the scapula. Insertion — bifid ; one part to the outer, the other to the 
 inner tubercle at the head of the humerus, the insertion extending from 
 the tubercular summits to a roughened depression, just posteriorly placed 
 to each. This bifid insertion embraces the tendon of the flexor brachii. 
 Action — to draw the scapula into the same line with the humerus. 
 
 Postea spinatus is situated upon the posterior fossa of the scapula. 
 Origin — from the posterior angle, border, fossa, and posterior surface of 
 the spine of the scapula. Insertion — bifid : one portion to the postero- 
 external tubercle ; the other is tendinous, and passes over the postero- 
 external tubercle to a depression just below the outer tubercle. Action — 
 to flex the scapula on the humerus or vice versa . 
 
 ANTERO-INEERIOR SCAPULAR REGION. 
 
 Coraco humeralis is situated on the infero-internal part of the 
 shoulder. Origin — from a tubercle on the inner side of the coracoid 
 process of the scapula. Insertion— bifid : one portion to a tubercle on 
 the middle third of the antero-internal part of the body of the humerus , 
 the other passes oyer the insertions of the teres internus and latissimus 
 dorsi, just below which points it is inserted. Action — to extend the 
 
 humerus and draw it inwards. 
 
 Elexor brachii is placed upon the antero-inferior part of the shoulder. 
 Origin — from the antero-inferior part of the coracoid process of the scapula, 
 passing over the trochlea formed by the tubercles of the humerus. Inser- 
 tion — to the supero-anterior and inner part of the body of the radius. 
 Action — to extend the radius, and at the same time to elevate it. 
 
 THE INTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 
 
 Subscapularis fills up the venter scapulae. Origin — from the two inferior 
 thirds of the ventral surface, extending from the anterior to the posterior 
 border of the scapula. Insertion — to the inner ridge just below the lesser 
 tubercle of the humerus. Action — to draw the humerus inwards and 
 upwards. 
 
398 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 POSTERO-INTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 
 
 Teres internus vel major is situated upon the posterior part of the 
 shoulder. Origin — from the inner surface of the supero-posterior angle 
 and from a slight indentation internally placed to the posterior border of 
 the scapula. Insertion — to the rough tubercle on the inner side of the 
 
 body of the humerus, in company with the latissimus dorsi. Action to 
 
 draw the humerus inwards. 
 
 Scapulo ulnaris lies upon the posterior part of the shoulder. Origin — 
 from the supero-posterior and inner part of the scapula, extending from 
 
 Fig. 4. — Internal View of the Muscles of the Shoulder and Arm. 
 
 a. a. Cartilage at the base of the scapula. 
 
 1. Insertion of serratus magnus turned up. 
 
 2. Insertion of rhomboideus longus. 
 
 3. Insertion of rhomboideus brevis. 
 
 4. 5. Subscapularis. 
 
 6. Teres internus vel major. 
 
 7. Insertion of latissimus dorsi. 
 
 8. Triceps extensor brachii (caput magnum). 
 
 9. Coraco humeralis. 
 
 10. Insertion of pectoralis. 
 
 11. Flexor brachii. 
 
 12. Triceps extensor brachii (caput tertium). 
 
 13. Extensor metacarpi magnus. 
 
 14. Flexor metacarpi internus. 
 
 15. Flexor metacarpi medius. 
 
 its angle to just above its glenoid cavity. Insertion — to the olecranon and 
 to the postero-internal part of the ulna, extending from its summit to where 
 the ulna joins the radius. Action — to assist the caput magnum of the 
 triceps. 
 
POSTERO-EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 399 
 
 Scapulo humeralis posticus is situated upon the posterior part of the 
 shoulder. Origin — bifid ; one part from the superior two-thirds of the 
 inner surface of the posterior border of the scapula, the other from 
 above the postero -internal surface of the glenoid cavity. Insertion — to 
 the supero-posterior part of the humerus. Action — it serves as a ligament, 
 protecting the joint. 
 
 Triceps extensor brachii (caput parvum) is situated on the infero- 
 internal part of the shoulder. Origin — from the internal and middle third 
 of the humerus. Insertion — to the olecranon and to a tubercle on the 
 supero-internal part of the ulna, close to the olecranon. Action — to 
 extend the arm. 
 
 POSTERO-EXTERNAL SCAPULAR REGION. 
 
 Triceps extensor brachii (caput magnum) is situated upon the infero- 
 posterior part of the shoulder, occupying the angular interspace between 
 the scapula and humerus. Origin — from the whole length of the posterior 
 border as high up as the supero-posterior angle of the scapula. Insertion — 
 to the inner and upper part of the olecranon. Action — to approximate the 
 scapula and humerus, and thus raise the elbow joint ; if the former is fixed, 
 to extend the arm. 
 
 Triceps extensor brachii (caput medium) lies upon the infero-external 
 part of the shoulder and humerus. Origin — from the humerus, just behind 
 a ridge at the postero-external part of the superior third. Insertion — 
 to the supero-external and posterior part of the olecranon. Action — to 
 extend the arm. 
 
 Teres externus is situated upon the postero-external part of the 
 shoulder. Origin — from a little tubercle just below the supero-posterior 
 angle, and from the lower border of the scapula. Insertion — to a ridge 
 descending from the outer tubercle of the humerus, and to the ligament 
 which extends from the outer tubercle to the outer condyle of the same 
 bone. Action — to flex the scapula on the humerus, or the humerus on 
 the scapula. 
 
 Scapulo humeralis externus lies upon the postero-external part of the 
 shoulder. Origin — from the inferior two-thirds of the posterior border 
 of the scapula, just above the glenoid cavity, and from its dorsal surface. 
 Insertion — to the middle of the ridge extending from the outer tubercle 
 of the humerus. A ction — to flex the humerus, and draw it outwards, 
 
 THE ANTERO-EXTERNAL HUMERAL REGION. 
 
 Humeralis externus lies on the infero-external side of the upper 
 arm. Origin — from the infero-posterior, inner, and outer surface of the 
 body of the humerus, and winds round that bone. Insertion — to the 
 supero-anterior and internal part of the radius. Action — to flex the arm. 
 
 THE POSTERO-INTERNAL HUMERAL REGION. 
 
 Anconeus is situated upon the hollow space between the condyles. 
 Origin — from the supero-posterior part of the lower third of the humerus. 
 Insertion — to the antero-external border of the ulna and capsular ligament 
 of the joint. Action — to extend the elbow, and to protect the capsular 
 ligament during the movement between the two bones 
 
400 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE ARM AND FORE LEG. 
 
 Extensor metacarpi magnus is situated on the anterior part of the 
 arm. Origin — from a ridge situated at the antero-external part of the 
 
 humerus, and also from a depression just 
 above the external condyle of the humerus. 
 Insertion — to the antero-superior part of the 
 os metacarpi magnum. Action — to extend 
 the leg. 
 
 Extensor pedis is situated upon the 
 antero-external part of the arm. Origin — 
 from the fore part of the external condyle of 
 the humerus, and from a ridge just superiorly 
 placed to it; from the outer part of the head, 
 and from the anterior and supero-external 
 part of the body of the radius ; and from 
 the capsular ligament of the elbow joint. 
 Insertion — to the coronal process of the os 
 pedis, adhering firmly to the capsular liga- 
 ment of the fetlock joint. Action — to extend 
 the knee, metacarpals, and pasterns, and to 
 elevate the toe. 
 
 Flexor metacarpi externus is situated 
 upon the postero- external side of the arm. 
 Origin — from a ridge on the external surface 
 of the heel process of the external condyle of 
 the humerus. Insertion — bifid : one to the 
 supero-posterior part of the pisiform bone ; 
 the other passes through a sheath to the head 
 of the external small metacarpal bone. Action 
 — to flex the leg. 
 
 Flexor metacarpi medius lies on the 
 postero-internal part of the arm. Origin — 
 bifid : one from the middle of a ridge ex- 
 tending along the internal condyle of the 
 humerus; the other from the supero-internal 
 and posterior part of the ulna. Insertion — 
 bifid : one part to the supero-posterior part 
 of the os pisiforme, and to the posterior 
 annular ligament ; the other to the postero- 
 
 Fig. 5.— Antero-external View of the Muscles of the 
 Fore Leg. 
 
 1. Antea spinatus. 
 
 2. Postea spinatus. 
 
 3. 4. Scapulo humeralis externus. 
 
 5. Teres externus. 
 
 6. Triceps extensor brachii (caput magnum). 
 
 7. Pectoralis transversus, divided. 
 
 8. Triceps extensor brachii (caput medium). 
 
 9. Flexor brachii. 
 
 10. Extensor metacarpi magnus. 
 
 11. Humeralis externus. 
 
 12. Extensor pedis : a. tendon; 5. band from external lateral 
 
 ligament ; c. insertion. 
 
 13. Extensor suffraginis. 
 
 14. Flexor metacarpi externus. 
 
 15. Extensor metacarpi obliquus. 
 
MUSCLES OF THE HAUNCH. 401 
 
 internal part of the head of the inner small metacarpal hone. Action — to 
 flex the leg. 
 
 Flexor metacarpi internus is situated on the postero-internal side of 
 the arm. Origin — from a ridge behind the internal condyle of the 
 
 humerus. Insertion — to the head of the os metacarpi parvum : previous 
 to its insertion, it enters a sheath formed by the annular ligament. 
 Action — to flex the leg. 
 
 Flexor pedis perforans et perforates is situated on the posterior part 
 of the arm. Origin — common to both muscles, from a ridge on the heel 
 process of the internal condyle of the humerus. Insertion — of perforatus 
 bifid, to the external and internal border of the supero-posterior part of the 
 os coronse. Insertion — of perforans ; after receiving a strong bundle of 
 ligamentous fibres from the posterior carpal ligament, it pierces the two 
 divisions of the flexor perforatus, opposite the pastern, and spreading out 
 is attached to the postero-inferior part of the os pedis. Action — to flex 
 the knee, and bend the fetlock and pastern joints. 
 
 Ulnaris accessorius is deeply seated at the posterior part of the 
 arm. Origin — from the whole of the internal concave surface of the 
 ulna. Insertion — to the tendon of the flexor pedis, with which it blends. 
 Action — to assist the perforans and perforatus in flexing the knee, &c. 
 
 Extensor suffraginis is situated on the postero-external part of the 
 fore arm. Origin — from a tubercle in the posterior and external part of 
 the radius ; from the above bone as far down as the ulna reaches, and 
 from the shaft border of the ulna. Insertion — to the supero- anterior part 
 of the os suffraginis, and to the capsular ligament of the fetlock joint. 
 Action — to extend the fetlock. 
 
 Extensor metacarpi obliquus is situated on the infero-anterior part 
 of the arm. Origin — from the infero-anterior and outer part of the 
 
 radius, extending as high up as the middle. Insertion — after passing 
 underneath the tendon of the extensor pedis, and over the tendon of the 
 extensor metacarpi magnus, to the supero -anterior part of the os metacarpi 
 internum. Action — to confine the tendon of the extensor metacarpi in its 
 place during action and to extend the leg. 
 
 Kadialis accessorius is situated on the infero-posterior part of the 
 arm. Origin — from the posterior part of the middle of the radius. In- 
 
 sertion — to the tendon of the perforans, which it joins opposite the carpo- 
 metacarpal articulation. Action — to assist the perforans. 
 
 MUSCLES OF THE HAUNCH. 
 
 The difficulties experienced by the student in distinguishing the 
 muscles of the shoulder are as nothing when compared with those he will 
 encounter in making out the muscles of the haunch. The latter are firmly 
 connected together by fascia, so that their fibres must be divided by the 
 knife in order to make them agree with any description which is given of 
 them by comparative anatomists. To comply with the desire to retain 
 the names used in human anatomy, this has been done to a most ridicu- 
 lous extent ; but unfortunately, as the analogy is very slight, the imagina- 
 tion of the dissector has been called into play and different anatomists 
 have pursued a varied nomenclature, to the great annoyance of the student. 
 Thus the triceps abductor femoris of our text is the biceps of Percivall, 
 and the long vaste of Chauveau, but it should either be regarded as one 
 large mass of muscle, in common with the semi-membranosus and semi- 
 tendinosus, or if it is divided from them it must itself be described as 
 
 D D 
 
402 THE HORSE. 
 
 a tricipital muscle, for it has three distinct insertions. Again, Mr. 
 Percivall describes the rectus as a separate muscle from the two yasti and 
 crureus, and appends a fifth, to which he gives the name of rectus parvus. 
 This appears to correspond with the grele ant^rieur of Chauveau, and, if 
 
 Fig. 6.— View of the External Muscles of the Haunch and Thigh. 
 
 1. Gluteus maximus. 8. Extensor pedis. 
 
 2. Gluteus externus. ' 9. Peroneus. 
 
 3. Tensor vaginae femoris. 10. Plantaris. 
 
 4. Vastus externus. 11. Gastrocnemius intemus. 
 
 5. 5. 5. Triceps abductor femoris. 12. Gastrocnemius externus. 
 
 6. 7. Biceps rotator tibialis, or semi-membra- 
 
 nosus and semi-tendinosus. 
 
 the analogy of human anatomy is to he taken as a guide, it should 
 properly be described as the crureus. By adopting the same plan as with 
 the muscles of the shoulder joint, the student will be able to ascertain at 
 a glance to which description, in the two authorities I have quoted, each 
 particular muscle can be referred. 
 
GLUTEAL REGION. 
 
 403 
 
 SYNONYMS OF THE MUSCLES OF THE HAUNCH. 
 
 NAMES USED IN THE TEXT. MR. PERCIV ALL’S NOMENCLATURE. CHAUVEAIj’s NAMES. 
 
 Gluteus externus . . . 
 
 
 . . Gluteus externus . 
 
 
 
 . Fessier superficieb 
 
 maximus . . . 
 
 
 . . ,, maximus . 
 
 
 
 „ moyen. 
 
 ,, internus . . . 
 
 
 . . „ minimus . 
 
 
 
 . ,, profond. 
 
 Tensor vaginae femoris 
 
 
 . . Tensor vaginae . . 
 
 
 
 . Muscle du fascia lata. 
 
 Triceps abductor femoris 
 
 
 . . Biceps abductor . 
 
 
 
 . Long vaste. 
 
 Biceps rotator tibialis 
 
 
 . . Adductor tibialis . 
 
 
 
 /Demi-tendineux. 
 
 (Demi-membraneux. 
 
 Trifemoro rotulseus . . 
 
 
 /Rectus 
 
 (Vastus ext. and int. 
 
 
 
 Triceps crural. 
 
 Rectus parvus .... 
 
 
 . . Rectus parvus . . 
 
 
 
 . Grele anterieur. 
 
 Sartorius 
 
 
 . . Sartorius .... 
 
 
 
 . Long adducteur. 
 
 Gracilis 
 
 
 . . Gracilis .... 
 
 
 
 . Court adducteur. 
 
 Pectineus 
 
 
 . . Pectineus .... 
 
 
 
 . PeetinA 
 
 Adductor longus . . . 
 
 
 f Adductor longus . 
 1 ,, magnus . 
 
 
 
 ■J Grand adducteur de la cuisse 
 
 „ brevis .... 
 
 
 . . Adductor brevis 
 
 
 
 . Petit adducteur de la cuisse. 
 
 Pyriformis 
 
 
 . . Pyriformis . . . 
 
 
 
 . Pyramidal. 
 
 Obturator externus . . 
 
 
 . . Obturator externus 
 
 
 
 . Obturateur externe. 
 
 „ internus . . 
 
 
 . . „ internus 
 
 
 
 . „ interne. 
 
 Gemini 
 
 
 
 
 
 . Jumeaux du bassin. 
 
 GLUTEAL REGION. 
 
 Gluteus externus forms the top part of the haunch. Origin — from the 
 spine of the third sacral bone and lower tubercle on the antero-inferior 
 spinous process of the ilium. Insertion — to the anterior part of the 
 trochanter minor externus. 
 
 Gluteus maximus is situated on the middle part of the haunch. 
 Origin — from the ligamentous structure of the longissimus dorsi, from the 
 spine of the second and third sacral bones, the sacro-sciatic ligament, the 
 top of the supero-posterior spine, the antero-inferior spine, crista, and 
 dorsal surface of the ilium. Insertion — to the posterior part of the 
 
 trochanter major externus and superior part of the tubercle. 
 
 Gluteus internus is situated under the maximus. Origin — from the 
 posterior half of the dorsum ilii and a small portion of the ischium. 
 Insertion — to the upper part of the tubercle at the head of the femur. 
 The action of the glutei is, to extend the femur on the pelvis, and to 
 assist in the acts of kicking and rearing. They are the main propellers 
 of the body. 
 
 Tensor vagina .femoris is placed on the antero-external part of the 
 haunch. Origin — from the outer part of the lower tubercle on the 
 
 antero-inferior spinous process of the ilium. Insertion — to the superior 
 part of the patella. Action — to assist in extending the thigh. 
 
 EXTERNAL ILIO-EEMORAL REGION. 
 
 Triceps abductor femoris occupies the postero-external side of the 
 haunch and thigh. Origin — from the third and fourth spines of the 
 sacrum, and from the anterior part of the tuberosity of the ischium. 
 Insertion — by three attachments. First , to the posterior part of the 
 
 femur and lateral part of the patella. Secondly, to the lateral part of the 
 ligament extending from the patella to the spinous ridge on the tibia. 
 Thirdly , to the ridge on the tibia and fascia, which binds down the flexors 
 and extensors. Action — to rotate the leg and to turn the hock outwards. 
 
 Biceps rotator tibialis is situated on the postero-external side of 
 the haunch. Origin — from the last bone of the sacmim, the two anterior 
 coccygeal bones, and posterior part of the tuberosity of the ischium. 
 
 d d 2 
 
m 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Insertion — to the antero-internal and mesian part of the tibia and fascia 
 of the leg. Action — to rotate the leg. 
 
 ANTERIOR ILIO-FEMORAL REGION. 
 
 Trifemoro ROTULiEUS consists of a mass of muscle lying beneath the 
 tensor vaginae, and forming the anterior prominence of the haunch. It 
 consists of three divisions — the rectus, vastus externus, and internus. 
 Rectus femoris is anterior and superior to the other portions. Origin 
 — from the ilium, just above the acetabulum. Insertion — to the anterior 
 part of the capsular ligament and supero-lateral part of the patella. 
 Action — to extend the thigh and draw it under the body. The two 
 vasti consist of a mass of muscle occupying the front and sides of the 
 femur, and lying beneath the rectus. Origin — from the whole of the 
 upper part of the femur to the roots of the trochanters. Insertion — to 
 the upper edge and sides of the patella. Action — to assist th.p rectus in 
 extending the thigh and lifting the stifle under the body in progression. 
 
 Rectus parvus is an humble imitation of the human crureus, lying 
 deep beneath the rectus femoris on the upper part of the femur. It is a 
 small cylindrical muscle, having its origin from the ilium external to that 
 of the rectus femoris, and its belly lying between the two vasti close 
 upon the bone; it is inserted on the anterior face of the femur. Its 
 action is chiefly to defend the capsular ligament of the ilio-femoral 
 articulation. 
 
 INTERNAL ILIO-FEMORAL REGION. 
 
 Sartorius lies on the antero-internal part of the haunch. Origin — 
 from the inferior part of the transverse process of the first sacral bone 
 and venter ilii. Insertion — to the inner and inferior part of the lateral 
 ligament of the patella, and through the medium of the gracilis to the 
 supero-internal part of the tibia. Action — to bend the leg and to draw it 
 inwards. 
 
 Gracilis is situated on the internal part of the haunch. Origin — from 
 the anterior and posterior ends of the symphysis pubis. Insertion — to 
 the spinous ridge on the supero-internal part of the tibia. Action — to 
 raise the leg and draw it inwards. 
 
 Pectineus lies close to the sartorius. Origin — from the anterior sur- 
 face of the os pubis, near the symphysis and acetabulum. Insertion — 
 to the ridge of the femur, leading downwards from the trochanter internus. 
 Action — to flex and adduct the femur. 
 
 Adductor longus lies at the back of the mass of internal muscles of 
 the haunch. Origin from the inferior surface of the ischium, and from 
 the adjacent fascia. Insertion — by two portions, which are distinguished 
 as separate muscles by some anatomists. One (A. magnus) into the pos- 
 terior face of the femur external to the adductor brevis ; the other (A. 
 longus), to the inner and upper part of the internal condyle. Action — to 
 adduct and rotate the femur inwards. 
 
 Adductor brevis lies covered by the adductor magnus. Origin from 
 the inferior surface of the os pubis. Insertion — to the square rough sur- 
 face on the posterior face of the femur. Action — to adduct the femur. 
 
 THE DEEP MUSCLES OF THE ILIO-FEMORAL REGION. 
 
 Four small muscles attach the fossa of the trochanter major to the 
 pelvis, and rotate the femur outwards. 
 
MUSCLES OF THE THIGH AND LEG. 
 
 405 
 
 Fig. 7.— Internal View of the deep Muscles 
 of the Thigh and Leg. 
 
 Fig. 8. — External View of the Muscles of 
 the Leg — (Thigh of the Horseman). 
 
 a. 1. c. Ischium and pubes divided at the sym- 
 physis. 
 
 1. Saoro-sciatic ligament. 
 
 2. Adductor (brevis et longus). 
 
 3. Rectus. 
 
 4. Vastus intemus. 
 
 5. Pectineus. 
 
 6. Gastrocnemius extemus. 
 
 7. Flexor pedis accessorius. 
 
 8 Tendon of the gastrocnemius passing 
 down over the hock to become the 
 flexor pedis perforatus. 
 
 9. Flexoi psdis perforans. 
 
 1 0. Extensor pedis. 
 
 1. Vastus externus. 
 
 2. Rectus. 
 
 3. 3. Gastrocnemius externus (divided). 
 
 4. Gastrocnemius internus. 
 
 5. Plantaris. 
 
 6. 6. Flexor pedis perforans. 
 
 7. Peroneus. 
 
 8. 8. Extensor pedis. 
 
 9. 9. Tendon of the same. 
 
 10. Suspensory ligament. 
 
 11. Long tendon of gastrocnemius (flexor pedis 
 
 perforatus). 
 
 12. Tendon of flexor pedis perforans. 
 
406 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Pyriformis. — Origin — from the transverse processes of the sacrum, and 
 the internal face of the ilium by fleshy fibres, which are inserted into the 
 trochanteric fossa. Action — to rotate the femur outwards. 
 
 Obturator externus and internus are attached, one to the outside and 
 the other to the inside of the margins of the obturator foramen, and to 
 the two faces of the fascia which fills it up. Insertion — by separate 
 
 tendons into the trochanteric fossa. 
 
 Gemini arise by two bundles of fibres from the supero-posterior part 
 of the ischium. Insertion — to the trochanteric fossa. Action — the same as 
 the three last-named muscles. 
 
 ANTERIOR EEMORO-CRURAL REGION. 
 
 Extensor pedis lies superficially on the anterior part of the leg. 
 Origin — from a depression on the antero-inferior and external part of the 
 external condyle of the femur. Insertion — to the coronal process of the 
 os pedis. Action — to flex the hock and extend the foot. 
 
 Peroneus lies on the antero-external side of the leg. Origin — from 
 the head of the fibula and outer part of the tibia. Insertion — to the 
 supero-anterior part of the os sufiraginis. Action — to assist the foregoing 
 muscle. 
 
 Flexor metatarsi is situated on the antero-internal side of the leg. 
 Origin — in common with the extensor pedis, from the outer condyle of 
 the femur, and from the upper part of the anterior face of the tibia. 
 Insertion — to the os cuboides and to the large and small metatarsal bones. 
 Action — to flex the hock. 
 
 POSTERIOR EEMORO-CRURAL REGION. 
 
 Gastrocnemius externus lies along the posterior part of the leg. 
 Origin — in two portions from the fossa just behind and above each con- 
 dyle of the femur. Insertion — to a depression on the centre of the point 
 of the os calcis. Action — to elevate the point of the hock, and thus to 
 extend the leg. 
 
 Gastrocnemius internus is situated on the postero-mesian part of the 
 leg. Origin — from the inner part of the ridge which surrounds the fossa 
 behind and between the two condyles of the femur. Insertion — above 
 the hock it becomes tendinous, and passes over the point (from which it is 
 separated by a large bursa mucosa, the seat of capped hock), and descends 
 along the back of the flexor tendons, where it corresponds with the flexor 
 perforatus of the fore leg, to be finally attached to the supero-posterior 
 part of the os corona?. Action — to extend the hock and flex the fetlock 
 and pastern joints. 
 
 Plantaris is situated on the postero-external part of the thigh. 
 Origin — from the superior part of the head of the fibula. Insertion — to 
 the supero-external part of the os calcis. Action — to assist in extending 
 the hock. 
 
 Popliteus lies at the back part of the stifle. Origin — from the lateral 
 part of the external condyle of the femur, from which it winds round the 
 head of the tibia. Insertion — to the supero-internal and posterior part of 
 the tibia. Action — to flex the stifle joint. 
 
 Flexor pedis perforans is situated on the postero-external side of 
 the leg. Origin — from the supero-external part of the tibia, from the 
 body of that bone and to the posterior part of the fibula. Insertion — to 
 
CONTENTS OP THE THORAX 407 
 
 the posterior part of the plantar surface of the os pedis. Action — to 
 extend the hock and to flex the fetlock and pasterns. 
 
 Flexor pedis accessorius lies on the postero-internal part of the leg. 
 Origin — from the supero-external part of the tibia and side of the fibula. 
 Its insertion is blended with the tendon of the flexor pedis. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE THORACIC ORGANS AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 
 
 CONTENTS OF THE THORAX — T&E BLOOD — GENERAL PLAN OF THE CIRCULATION — THE 
 HEART AND ARTERIES — THE VEINS — PHYSIOLOGY OF RESPIRATION — MECHANISM OF 
 THE PULMONARY APPARATUS — THE NASAL ORIFICES AND CAVITIES — THE LARYNX 
 —THE TRACHEA AND BRONCHI — THE LUNGS — PULMONARY GLANDS. 
 
 CONTENTS OF THE THORAX. 
 
 The thorax, or chest, is that cavity formed by the bodies of the dorsal 
 vertebrse superiorly ; by the ribs and their cartilages with the connecting 
 muscles laterally ; by the sternum interiorly ; by the diaphragm poste- 
 riorly ; and by the inner margins of the first ribs and body of the first 
 dorsal vertebra anteriorly. It contains the central parts of the important 
 organs of circulation and respiration, and gives passage to the oesophagus, 
 as it connects the pharynx with the 
 stomach. As these lie within it, they 
 are allowed to play freely in per- 
 forming their functions, by being en- 
 veloped by smooth serous membranes, 
 called the pleura and the pericardium, 
 the latter being also protected by 
 a fibrous layer. A section of the 
 thorax, as shown in the plan, Fig. 1, 
 will give some idea of the relative 
 situation of these organs and their 
 investments, as well as of the shape 
 of the cavity itself in this direction. 
 
 The heart is shown at A, lying be- 
 tween the two bags of the pleura, in 
 the space called the mediastinum. The 
 lungs are shown at B B, covered by 
 a fine serous membrane (H H), pleura 
 pulmonalis , except at their roots, 
 where the air tubes and blood vessels 
 pass into their substance. This por- 
 tion of the pleura is continuous with 
 the serous membrane lining the ribs 
 (G G, pleura costalis ), which thus allows them to expand and contract 
 freely, by allowing one surface to glide against the other. Thus, the 
 pleura on each side covering the lungs, and reflected thence to the 
 inside of the ribs, and the thoracic side of the diaphragm, forms a 
 shut sac or bag, which in the natural state contains only sufficient serum 
 
 c 
 
 u 
 
 Fig. 1.— Sectional Plan of Thorax and its 
 Contents (through the girth-place). 
 
 A. Heart. 
 
 B. B. Lungs. 
 
 C. E. D. F. Walls of the thorax. 
 
 G. G. Pleura costalis. 
 
 H. H. Pleura pulmonalis. 
 
40S 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 to lubricate its walls; but in disease this is often increased to an 
 enormous extent, ending in dropsy of the chest, or in a collection of pus 
 when the membrane is greatly inflamed. The shape of the thorax , in a 
 
 longitudinal direction is shown at fig. 2, in which its posterior wall, the 
 diaphragm (12 12), is seen separating the stomach («10, 11) and the 
 liver (a small section of the left lobe of which only is left) from the lungs 
 
THE BLOOD. 
 
 409 
 
 (14) and the heart (15), while the trachea (13 13) is seen entering 
 through its anterior boundary, below the oesophagus (9 9 9), and the aorta 
 passes close to the spine above the latter. 
 
 As the walls of the thorax expand by the action of the muscles 
 which move the ribs, as well as by the contraction of the diaphragm, 
 rendering its thoracic surface less convex, the cavity is enlarged and air 
 is drawn in through the trachea, constituting the act of inspiration. On 
 the other hand the contraction of the walls, and the forcing upwards 
 against the diaphragm of the stomach and liver, by the action of the 
 abdominal muscles, reduces the size of the thorax, forces out the air, and 
 induces expiration. The repetition of these two actions is known by the 
 general term respiration. 
 
 Before proceeding to describe the heart and lungs, it will be necessary 
 to examine the blood, for transmitting which fluid to all parts of the 
 body the heart and its vessels are formed ; while, for its proper aeration, 
 the lungs, windpipe, and larynx, are intended by nature. 
 
 THE BLOOD. 
 
 The blood, supplied from the food by the digestive process hereafter 
 to be described, furnishes all the tissues of the body with a constantly 
 renewed stream of the materials which they severally require, whether for 
 their nutrition or for the functions of secretion and excretion performed 
 by the various organs devoted to these purposes. It is necessary, there- 
 fore, that this fluid should be composed of elementary matters capable of 
 combining to form the materials required, or of those substances ready pre- 
 pared. Thus, the muscles demand for their proper action fibrine and 
 oxygen, both of which are largely combined in arterial blood, while the 
 nervous system cannot respond to the calls of its grand centre without 
 having a due supply of fatty matter, also, in combination with the oxygen 
 obtained by respiration, which, however, is not only intended to afford 
 this gas, but also to remove the carbon that would otherwise accumulate 
 to a prejudicial extent. For these several purposes the blood must be 
 supplied with liquid elements by absorption from the digestive organs, 
 and with its oxygen, by imbibition through the delicate membrane lining 
 the lungs on which it is spread as it passes through the system of blood- 
 vessels specially set apart for that purpose. When it is considered that 
 the stomach, bowels, liver, pancreas, and spleen, are all occupied almost 
 solely in supplying the fluid with its grosser materials, and that the heart, 
 lungs, kidneys, and skin, are constantly engaged in circulating it, sup- 
 plying it with oxygen, and purifying it from noxious salts and gases, its 
 importance in the animal economy may be estimated as it deserves. 
 
 As it circulates in, or immediately after it is drawn from, its appro- 
 priate vessels, the blood consists of an opaque, thickish fluid, composed of 
 water, fibrine, albumen, and various salts, and called Liquor sanguinis, 
 coloured red, by having suspended in it a quantity of corpuscles of a 
 peculiar nature, some being without any colour. When drawn from an 
 artery or vein, and allowed to remain at rest for a few minutes, a coagula- 
 tion takes place, by which the blood is separated into the clot (coagulum) 
 and the serum. The former is composed of fibrine, having entangled in 
 its meshes the corpuscles ; and the latter is the liquor sanguinis, without 
 its fibrine. The blood corpuscles of the horse measure about the five- 
 hundredth part of a line in diameter, being considerably larger than those 
 of man, whose diameter is only the four-hundred-and-thirtieth part of a 
 
410 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 line ; those of the ass being still smaller, though only slightly so. As in 
 all of the mammalia but the camels, these bodies are circular flattened 
 discs, and are of the same size (nearly) in all animals of the same species, 
 whatever may be the age or sex. According to Messrs. Prevost and 
 Dumas, the blood of the horse contains less solid matter than that of man, 
 in the proportion of 9*20 to 12 # 92 in 1,000 parts. The temperature is 
 also lower by about two degrees of the centigrade thermometer, the pulse 
 slower in the proportion of 56 to 72, and the respirations 16 per minute 
 against 18 in our own species. The shade of colour in the red corpuscles 
 depends upon the proportion of carbonic acid and oxygen combined with 
 them. If the former preponderates, a deep purple-red is developed, known 
 as that of venous blood ; while a liberal supply of oxygen develops the 
 bright scarlet peculiar to arterial blood. The saline matters dissolved in 
 the liquor sanguinis consist of the chlorides of sodium and potassium 
 (which comprise more than one half of the whole salts), the tribasic 
 phosphate of soda, the phosphates of magnesia and lime, sulphate of soda, 
 and a little of the phosphate and oxyde of iron. 
 
 GENERAL PLAN OF THE CIRCULATION. 
 
 The blood is circulated through the body, for the purposes of nutri- 
 tion and secretion, by means of one forcing pump, and through the lungs, 
 for its proper aeration, by another ; the two being united to form the 
 
 heart. This organ is therefore a 
 compound machine, though the two 
 pumps are joined together, so as to 
 appear to the casual observer to be 
 one single organ. In common lan- 
 guage, the heart of the mammalia is 
 said to have two sides, each of which 
 is a forcing pump ; but the blood, 
 before it passes from one side to the 
 other, has to circulate through one 
 or other of the sets of vessels found 
 in the general organs of the body, 
 and in the lungs, as the case may 
 be. This is shown at Fig. 3, where 
 the blood, commencing with the 
 capillaries on the general surface 
 at A, passes through the veins 
 which finally end in the vena cava 
 
 (B) , and enters the right auricle 
 
 (C) . From this it is pumped into 
 the right ventricle (D), which, con- 
 tracting in its turn, forces it on into 
 the pulmonary artery (E), spreading 
 out upon the lining membrane of 
 the lungs, to form the capillaries 
 of that organ at F, from which it 
 is returned to the left auricle (C) 
 
 through the pulmonary veins. From the left auricle it is driven on to the 
 left ventricle ; and this, by its powerful contractions, forces the blood 
 through the aorta (I), and the arteries of the whole body, to the capil- 
 laries (A), from which the description commenced. But though this organ 
 
 Fig. 3.— Plan of the Circulation. 
 
 A. Capillaries on the general surface. 
 
 B. Vena cava. 
 
 C. Right auricle. 
 
 D. Right ventricle. 
 
 E. Pulmonary artery. 
 
 F. Capillaries of the lungs, uniting to form 
 
 the pulmonary veins, which enter 
 
 G. The left auricle. 
 
 H. The left ventricle. 
 
 I. The aorta posterior, dividing into smaller 
 
 arteries, and united with the capillaries 
 at A. 
 
 J. The trunk of the aorta anterior. 
 
THE HEART AND ARTERIES. 
 
 411 
 
 is thus made up of two pumps, yet they are united into one organ, and 
 the two auricles and two ventricles each contract at the same moment, 
 causing only a double sound to be heard, instead of a quadruple one, 
 when the ear is applied to the chest. In the diagram it will be seen that 
 one-half of the cavities and vessels is shaded, indicating that it contains 
 dark blood, while the other contains blood of a bright red colour. But 
 though we commonly call the one venous, and the other arterial, the dis- 
 tinction only applies to the general circulation ; for that of the lungs is 
 exactly the reverse, the pulmonary artery (E) containing dark blood, and 
 the pulmonary veins bringing it back to the heart after it is purified, and 
 has again received oxygen sufficient to develop the scarlet colour again. 
 Between the auricles and ventricles, and again at the openings of the 
 latter cavities into their respective arteries, valves of a form peculiar to 
 each are placed, so as to allow of the free passage onwards of the blood, 
 but not of its return by regurgitation. If they become diseased, the 
 action of the heart is impeded, and the circulation of the blood is more or 
 less seriously interfered with. So, also, if the muscular fibres, of which 
 the walls of the auricles and, in much thicker layers, of the ventricles are 
 composed, become weak by want of proper exercise, or from the deposit 
 of fat in their interspaces, a corresponding degree of mischief is effected in 
 the passage of the blood. The force with which the left ventricle con- 
 tracts may be estimated from the fact, that if a pipe is inserted in the 
 carotid artery of a horse, and held perpendicularly, the blood will rise in 
 it to a height of ten feet ; and the rapidity of his circulation is such, that 
 a saline substance will pass from the veins of the upper part of the body 
 to those of the lower in little more than twenty seconds. Now, as this 
 transmission can only take place through the current that returns to the 
 heart, and passes thence through the lungs and back again, afterwards 
 being forced into the lower vessels through the aorta, it follows that every 
 particle of this fluid passes completely through the whole circulation in 
 the above short period of time. 
 
 THE HEART AND ARTERIES. 
 
 The heart of the horse (composed, as has been already mentioned, 
 of two auricles and ventricles, with their several valves, and placed within 
 the thorax in the space called the mediastinum, between, the two sacs of 
 the pleura) is covered by a fibro-serous sac of its own, called the peri- 
 cardium . It is situated opposite the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth ribs, 
 immediately in front of the diaphragm, and above the sternum, as shown 
 in Eig. 2, at page 408. It presents an irregular cone, with the base turned 
 upwards, and the apex directed towards the sternum. It is about ten and a 
 quarter inches from the base to the apex, seven inches in its antero-posterior 
 diameter, and five and a quarter from side to side. In weight it varies 
 from six and a half to seven pounds ; but these dimensions can only be 
 taken as an approximation to the actual average. The right auricle and 
 ventricle are directed forwards, and the left backwards. The auricles 
 have much thinner walls than the ventricles, and the muscular substance 
 of the left ventricle, occupying the apex of the heart, is very much 
 thicker than that of the right. The organ is supplied with blood for its 
 nourishment by two arteries (the coronary), which leave the aorta close to 
 its origin, and their trunks lie in the space on each side between the two 
 ventricles. The movements of the heart may be carried on independently 
 of the brain and spinal cord, if these parts are gradually removed ; but if 
 
412 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 they are suddenly destroyed or partially injured, it ceases to beat. Its 
 nerves are derived from the pneumogastric and sympathetic. 
 
 The pericardium is made up externally of a thin layer of white fibrous 
 matter, attached to the roots of the great vessels above, and by a few pro- 
 longations to the sternum below, and the central tendon of the diaphragm 
 behind. Within this the heart lies, loosely covered with a serous bag, 
 which also lines the fibrous coat above mentioned, and forms with it the 
 pericardium as a whole. The use of the external layer is to restrain the 
 movements of the heart within due bounds, and of the serous layer t 
 allow it to play freely without being restrained by the friction of its 
 exterior against the surrounding parts, which would be the case in the 
 absence of the double sac of serous membrane which it is endowed with. 
 Like the pleura, this sacj during health, contains only sufficient serum to 
 lubricate it ; but after inflammation or congestion, serum, lymph, or pus, 
 are thrown out, so as to interfere with its proper functions. 
 
 Each artery has three distinct coats : an outer cellular coat, capable 
 of great distension; a middle coat, consisting in part of yellow fibrous 
 tissue and in part of non-striated muscular fibres, which is highly elastic ; 
 and an inner serous coat, intended to diminish the friction of the blood 
 as it rushes on. It is in the elastic middle coat that the power resides of 
 equalizing the flow of blood, retarding its velocity when the vessel con- 
 taining it is near the heart, and accelerating it at a distance from it. In 
 this way the intermittent jets which are produced by the ventricular con- 
 traction become at length converted into a continuous stream, having 
 midway between the two extremities developed the arterial pulse, which 
 can be felt in all the arteries of any size throughout the body, and most 
 conveniently within the lower jaw. 
 
 The capillaries are generally spoken of as a distinct system of small 
 blood-vessels, but no line of demarcation can be demonstrated either at 
 their junction with the larger branches of the arteries, or with the veins ; 
 and they should be regarded simply as the minute terminations of the one 
 set and commencement of the others, together making a fine net- work of 
 vessels which vary greatly in the mode of their ramifications, according as 
 they minister to muscular fibre, gland, or membrane. Like the arteries 
 themselves, they possess the power of contraction and dilatation, which is, 
 apparently, under the influence of the nervous system. Thus, on the 
 application of a local stimulus, the capillaries of the part admit more 
 blood without any increase of the heart’s action, and this may go on to 
 the states known as congestion and inflammation according to the presence 
 or absence of other circumstanees bearing upon their action. 
 
 The arteries are arranged in two great groups, one of which has been 
 sufficiently alluded to at page 411, as conveying black blood to the lungs ; 
 the other commences at the left ventricle as the aorta, and dividing at once 
 into the aorta anterior and aorta posterior, supplies the corresponding 
 parts of the body with arterial blood, after branching off into innumerable 
 subdivisions. This is clearly marked in the accompanying plan, which 
 indicates the position of the heart in the thorax, and most of the principal 
 arteries of the body ; but being on so small a scale, it can only convey a 
 general idea of their numbers and the situation at which they each leave 
 the parent trunk. 
 
 The aorta, or great artery of the body, as it emerges from the sub- 
 stance of the heart and rises towards the spine, describes a curve whose 
 convexity looks upwards and forwards. Immediately above the valves at 
 its root are the origins of the two coronary arteries, supplying the heart as 
 
THE arteries. 
 
 413 
 
 
 Fm. 4 . — Plant oi the Heart and Artertf.s. 
 
414 • 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 described at page 411. About two inches above these it gives off a large 
 branch — the anterior aorta — supplying the anterior extremities, the neck, 
 and the head, and then receives the name of the posterior aorta, which is 
 destined to afford blood to the walls of the thorax and abdomen, to the 
 contents of these cavities, and to the hinder extremities. 
 
 The anterior aorta is about an inch and a half in length before it 
 gives off any of its branches. It ascends between the two laminae of the 
 anterior mediastinum, lying above the right auricle and below the trachea, 
 with the vena cava on its right hand. Opposite the body of the third 
 dorsal vertebra it divides into the right and left arteria innominata. The 
 former is considerably the larger of the two, being nearly double the 
 diameter of the left. This is owing to its supplying both the carotids in 
 addition to those which it has previously given off in correspondence with 
 the left arteria innominata. These branches common to both are seven 
 in number : — 
 
 1. — A. dorsalis branches backwards, and supplies a twig to the superior 
 mediastinum, and the four or five first intercostal arteries. 
 
 2. — A . cervicalis superior , distributed to the muscles of the neck lying . 
 above the spine. 
 
 3. — A . vertebralisy a vessel of considerable size, is given off behind the 
 first rib, and passes beneath the transverse process of the seventh cervical 
 vertebra to enter the foramen in that of the sixth. Prom this it pro- 
 ceeds through the foramina of all the cervical vertebrae in succession, 
 and enters the foramen magnum to supply the base of the brain with 
 blood. 
 
 4. — A. thoracica interna , given off opposite the last artery, descends at 
 once to the upper and inner surface of the sternum, on each side of 
 which it lies, supplying the intercostal muscles, and, inosculating with 
 the intercostal arteries, terminates by meeting the ascending branches 
 from the epigastric artery. 
 
 5. — A. thoracica externa , a small branch which is given off externally to 
 the first rib, and descends at once to the inferior surface of the sternum, 
 on the muscles covering which it terminates. 
 
 6. — A. cervicalis inferior is a short branch, and supplies the muscles and 
 glands at the root of the neck. 
 
 7. — A . axillaris descends at once to the inside of the fore extremity, and 
 supplies the scapula, arm, and leg. It is the continuation of the main 
 artery after it has given off the above branches, and lies deeply 
 imbedded in the cellular membrane which fills up the space between 
 the sternum and the shoulder joint. Here it supplies (a) three or 
 four thoracic branches ; (6) the A. dorsalis scapulae ; ( c ) A. subsca- 
 pularis ; the destinations of which will be explained by their names. It 
 then runs along the inner side of the head of the os humeri, where it 
 receives the name of A. humeralis, and gives off three or four muscular 
 branches, having the ulnar and spiral nerves on its inner side, and in 
 front the radial nerve, with the humeral veins behind. Above the 
 elbow joint, and in front of the humerus, it splits into three, A. ulnaris, 
 spiralis, and radialis ; the last again dividing into two, A. plantaris 
 externa and A. P. interna, which will again be alluded to in deserf ing 
 the anatomy of the foot. 
 
 The common carotid artery, which is the continuation of the right A 
 innominata, after it has given off its axillary branches, ascends along the 
 
THE ARTERIES. 
 
 • 415 
 
 lower face of the trachea for a very short distance, and then divides into 
 the right and left carotids, which lie on each side the trachea, gradually 
 sinking deeper among the muscles of the neck till they arrive at the 
 level of the larynx, when they respectively divide into three branches — 
 A . carotidcea externa, A . occipitalis , and A. carotidcea interna . In this 
 course they supply the thyroideal artery and several small muscular 
 branches. The external carotid gives off (a) the submaxillary artery, 
 
 y 
 
 Fia. 5. — Branches of the Right Arteria Innominata. 
 
 1. Posterior aorta. 6. 6. 6. A. dorsalis. 
 
 2. 2. 2. 2. Intercostal branches of posterior 7. 7. A. cerviealis superior. 
 
 aorta. 8. 8. 8. Vertebral artery. 
 
 3. Anterior aorta. 9, 10. Inosculations of these three arteries. . 
 
 4. Right arteria innominata, ending in common 11. Origins of the internal and external thoracic 
 
 carotid and arteries. 
 
 5. Axillary artery. 
 
 which has a number of branches supplying the muscles of the pharynx, 
 pa ate, and face; (b) the parotideal; (c) internal pterygoid; ( d ) branches 
 to the masseter and auricular muscles; and finally ( e ) the internal 
 maxillary, which penetrates deeply behind the lower jaw, and supplies those 
 parts ; then going on to the eye, for which it gives off a special branch, 
 the ocular, destined to the muscles of the eye and the fat in which it lies. 
 
416 
 
 the house. 
 
 The occipital artery passes backwards, deeply hidden by the musclei 
 of the neck and the transverse process of the atlas, where it unites with the 
 vertebral artery. 
 
 The internal carotid, a comparatively small artery, ascends towards 
 the base of the skull, which it enters at the point of the petrous part of 
 the temporal bone, and supplies the brain in common with the vertebral 
 artery, with which it freely anastomoses. 
 
 The posterior aorta must now be described. It is much longer and 
 of larger diameter than the anterior, commencing opposite the fourth 
 dorsal vertebra, where it lies at some little distance below the body of 
 that bone. Passing upwards and backwards it becomes closely connected 
 with the bodies of the vertebrae, lying a little to the left, and having the 
 oesophagus and vena azygos on the right, and the thoracic duct on the left. 
 Here it is called the thoracic aorta ; but passing through the crura of the 
 diaphragm it enters the abdomen, and receives the name of abdominal 
 aorta. The thoracic division supplies small branches to the bronchi and 
 oesophagus, as well as the intercostal arteries to all but the four or five an- 
 terior intercostal spaces. After passing through the diaphragm, the aorta 
 gives off the phrenic arteries right and left to the diaphragm, and then 
 supplies the important arteries of the viscera, namely : (a) the Coeliac 
 artery, dividing into the splenic, gastric, and hepatic arteries ; (b) the 
 anterior mesenteric ; ( c ) the renal ; ( d ) the spermatic ; (e) the posterioi 
 mesenteric; (/) the lumbar arteries; and finally, just below the last 
 lumbar vertebra, it subdivides into (g) the two internal, and (h) the two 
 external iliac arteries. In the horse there is no common iliac artery, 
 as in man, the four being given off in one group, but the two internals 
 generally forming a short continuation of the trunk. 
 
 The internal iliac artery has a very short trunk, which passes 
 backwards and outwards in close connexion with the sacrum. Ik first 
 branch is (a) the umbilical artery. It then gives off ( b ) the artery of the 
 bulb, after which and just opposite the sacro-iliac articulation it divides 
 into a leash of branches, which are ( c ) the obturator, ( d ) the lateral sacral, 
 and ( e ) the gluteal artery. The umbilical artery is almost entirely obli- 
 terated in the adult, but a small branch still remains passing along the 
 cord which exists as the only remnant of the large artery which in the 
 foetus carries on the circulation peculiar to that condition. The artery of 
 the bulb supplies the bladder and the internal organs of generation. The 
 obturator artery give off branches to the muscles of the haunch, and finally 
 ends in the internal pubic artery, which gives blood to the penis and 
 adjacent organs. The lateral moral artery proceeds backwards along the 
 side of the sacrum to the bones of the tail, along which it ramifies. 
 Lastly, the gluteal artery passes out of the pelvis through the hole in the 
 sacro-sciatic ligament in company with the sciatic nerve, and supplies 
 muscular branches to the glutei. 
 
 The external iliac artery is smaller than the internal, and takes the 
 same course as far as the articulation, beyond which it passes, lying just 
 within the brim of the pelvis, in close contact with the psoas and iliacus 
 muscles and covered by the peritoneum. About midway between the 
 symphisis pubis and the anterior spinous process of the ilium it gives off 
 the circumflex artery of the ilium, and then receives the name of the 
 femoral artery . At this point the femoral vein lies posterior to it, and it 
 is also accompanied by the internal saphena nerve. Proceeding in an 
 oblique direction down the middle of the haunch, it reaches the hollow at 
 the back of the stifle joint, where it is called the poplitceal artery, and 
 
THE VEINS. 
 
 417 
 
 opposite the head of the tibia this bifurcates into the anterior and 
 posterior tibial arteries. Just after emerging from the pelvis it gives 
 off a considerable branch, profunda femoris, then the epigastric ; and in 
 running down through the muscles of the thigh it gives off numerous 
 small branches to them. 
 
 THE VEINS. 
 
 The veins generally correspond with the arteries, the blood of which 
 they return to the heart. Thus there is a large vein which conveys all 
 the blood from the anterior half of the body supplied by the anterior 
 aorta, and this is called vena cava anterior. In a similar manner the 
 posterior vena cava is made up of veins which accompany the several 
 arteries that are found throughout the body, with one remarkable ex- 
 ception connected with the secretion of bile. If the splenic and mesen- 
 teric veins are traced they will be found to unite together into a large 
 trunk, which, instead of going on to empty itself into the vena cava 
 posterior, enters the liver, where it is called the vena portae , and branches 
 out again like an artery, the general purposes of which it serves by 
 furnishing blood for the secretion of bile. This will be more fully 
 described under the head of the liver, in the next chapter. Erom the 
 terminations of the portal veins and hepatic artery the hepatic veins arise, 
 and these empty themselves into the posterior vena cava, just behind 
 the diaphragm. Besides that brought by the two venfe cavae, the blood 
 from the heart itself enters the auricle through the coronary veins. 
 
 Although, in general, the veins and arteries correspond in their rami- 
 fications, yet there is a large class of superficial veins which are not 
 accompanied by any of the latter vessels. In horses which for many 
 generations have been accustomed to fast work, these superficial veins 
 are strongly developed, and are particularly plain in the Arab and his 
 descendants. As a consequence of this, and of the fact that many of the 
 arteries are accompanied by two veins, the whole number of veins is much 
 greater than that of the arteries, and the internal area of the former may 
 be considered to be nearly double that of the latter. In their walls the 
 veins are much thinner than the arteries, though like them they have 
 three coats, the serous and cellular being very similar in structure, but the 
 fibrous is very much thinner and devoid of muscular fibres. A feature 
 peculiar to the veins is the existence of valves, which are sometimes 
 single, at others double, and occasionally arranged in threes and fours 
 around the interior of the large veins. They vary in numbers, and are 
 altogether absent in the pulmonary veins, in the venae cavae, and the 
 vena portae. 
 
 The anterior vena cava is made up of the jugular vein, the pectoral, 
 vertebral, axillary, and cervical veins, and the vena azygos. The jugular 
 vein, which is that usually selected for bleeding, returns the blood from the 
 brain, jaws, and neck, along each side of which it lies, separated from the 
 carotid artery in the upper part of the neck by a layer of oblique fibres 
 belonging to the levator humeri. In the lower half the vein becomes 
 more deeply seated, approaches more closely the carotid artery, and, 
 entering the chest with it, falls into the vena cava anterior between the 
 first and second ribs. Near its termination it receives the superficial 
 brachial vein (the plate vein), which passes up in front of the arm, along 
 the anterior edge of the flexor, and winding upwards in the hollow 
 between the arm and sternum joins the jugular vein. The vertebral 
 
418 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 and axillary veins correspond with, the arteries of the same name, the 
 divisions of the latter contained within the foot being described with that 
 organ. The left axillary vein receives the contents of the thoracic duct 
 which opens into it close to its junction with the vena cava. 
 
 The posterior vena cava commences by the junction of the two 
 common iliac veins (each made up of an external and internal iliac cor- 
 responding to the arteries of the name). It is then joined by the lumbar 
 veins, the spermatic and renal veins, after which, and close to its termina- 
 tion, the hepatic and phrenic veins empty themselves into it. 
 
 The pulmonary veins, commencing with eight trunks as they emerge 
 from the lungs, soon unite into four, in which number they enter the left 
 auricle. They carry arterial blood, and differ in this respect from all the 
 other veins of the body, as has been already mentioned. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OP BESPIKATIOK 
 
 The essence of the act of breathing consists in the absorption of 
 oxygen from the air, and the excretion of carbonic acid from the blood 
 which is circulated through it. In a state of rest this interchange must go 
 on with regularity, for carbonic acid is constantly developed by the decay 
 of the tissues, arising from the peculiar necessities of the muscular and 
 nervous tissues, and by the conversion of the carbon of the food which 
 appears to be required for the development of heat. But when the 
 muscles of the whole body are called into play with unusual rapidity and 
 force, the development of carbonic acid is largely augmented, and thus, 
 not only is there a necessity for extra means of excreting the carbonic 
 acid, but there is also a demand for more oxygen to unite with the carbon, 
 vrhich is the result of the disintegration of the muscular fibres employed. 
 Hence the acts of respiration are more complete and rapid during exercise 
 than in a state of rest, and while much more carbonic acid is given off, a 
 greater volume of oxygen is absorbed from the air which is inspired. 
 
 It is found by experiment that if venous blood is exposed to the 
 action of oxygen, through a thin membrane such as bladder, it absorbs 
 a portion of that gas, and changes its colour from dark red to a bright 
 scarlet. This is in accordance with the recognised laws of endosmose and 
 exosmose; and as the blood circulates in very fine streams within the 
 vessels of the lungs, whose walls are much thinner than an ordinary 
 bladder, it may readily be understood that it is placed in more favourable 
 circumstances for this interchange of gases than when tied up in a large 
 mass within a comparatively thick membrane. On examining the struc- 
 ture of the lungs, they are found to be made up of a pair of cellular sacs, 
 communicating with the trachea, which admits air into them ; and 
 these sacs are furnished with a fine network of capillary vessels distri- 
 buted on their walls, and on those of the numerous cellular partitions of 
 which they are composed. Thus the blood, as it enters the lungs in a 
 venous state, is submitted under very favourable circumstances to the 
 agency of atmospheric air ; it readily absorbs the oxygen while it gives off 
 large volumes of carbonic acid gas, the result of the combination of pre- 
 viously absorbed oxygen wdth the carbon given off by the various organs 
 of the body already alluded to. 
 
 The exact chemical changes which have taken place in the atmo- 
 spheric air exhaled from the lungs and in the blood itself are believed to 
 be as follows — 1. A certain portion of oxygen has disappeared from the 
 air. 2. It has received a considerable volume of carbonic acid. 3. It 
 
NASAL CAVITIES. 
 
 419 
 
 has absorbed fresh nitrogen. 4. It has parted with some of the nitrogen 
 of which it was previously made up. The last two changes cannot 
 readily be demonstrated, but are inferred from the fact that, under varying 
 conditions of the body, the nitrogen in the exhaled air may be either 
 above or below the proper proportional. Besides these, the air also 
 receives a considerable quantity of moisture, and some organic matters, 
 which in certain cases are largely increased. The changes in the blood 
 are not so fully known ; but it is now the general opinion of physiologists 
 that the formation of carbonic acid does not take place in the lungs, but 
 that the blood arrives there surcharged with it already made, and not 
 with carbon, as was formerly believed. The action chiefly consists in the 
 excretion of this carbonic acid, and in the absorption of oxygen, which is 
 stored up for the several purposes for which it is required in the course of 
 its circulation through the body. Magnus demonstrated by experiment 
 that arterial and venous blood contain very different quantities of carbonic 
 acid, oxygen, and nitrogen in a free state, for on obtaining, by means of 
 the air-pump, a volume of the gas contained in each kind of blood, and 
 analysing them, he found them to be made up as follows : — 
 
 Arterial. Venous. 
 
 Carbonic acid . . ... 62*3 71*6 
 
 Oxygen 23*2 15*3 
 
 Nitrogen 14*5 13*1 
 
 It appears, therefore, that in passing through the capillaries, the gas in 
 the arterial blood loses about eight per cent, of oxygen, and receives about 
 nine per cent, of carbonic acid, which action is reversed as it passes 
 through the lungs. 
 
 MECHANISM OF THE PULMONARY APPARATUS. 
 
 Although the whole of these parts are not contained within the 
 thorax, it will be convenient to examine them together, since they all 
 mutually bear upon each other both in health and disease. 
 
 The pulmonary apparatus of the horse consists of four parts — 1st, 
 The nasal cavities, destined to prepare the air for entering the larynx ; 
 2d, Of the larynx, which acts as a portal or guard against the admission 
 of noxious matters floating in it ; 3d, Of a set of tubes, consisting of the 
 trachea and bronchi, which convey the air from the larynx to the air- 
 cells ; and 4tbly, Of the air-cells themselves, where the changes are effected 
 in the blood, for which the lungs are specially designed. 
 
 THE NASAL ORIFICES AND CAVITIES. 
 
 The nasal orifices in the horse and ass differ from those of the other 
 domestic animals, and also from the human nostrils, in being the sole 
 means of admitting air to the lungs. The ox, sheep, dog, cat, &c. can 
 breathe either through the nostrils or the mouth, but the horse is pre- 
 vented, by the formation of his soft palate, from drawing in air through 
 his mouth, and hence he requires nostrils of a size calculated to admit an 
 extra supply of air. The orifices or nostrils consist of an oblong opening 
 on each side of the nose, separated from each other externally by the skin 
 covering the cartilaginous aloe, which encircle three-fourths of the opening. 
 These alae, together with the septum, which divides the two nostrils ver- 
 tically, constitute the five cartilages of the nose, all being lined by the 
 Schneiderian membrane, upon which the nerves of smell are freely dip 
 
 e e 2 
 
420 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tributed. Each nostril has two flexible and easily dilated alee — a superior 
 or internal ala, having a broad cartilaginous plate, and an inferior ala, of 
 a crescentic shape, with its concavity turned inwards. The four alse, 
 when in position, resemble the letter X, and form a framework which 
 keeps the openings always patulous, while it resists the actions of the 
 muscles when they draw the external folds of the skin away from it in 
 order to enlarge the openings. Two little pouches of skin are found 
 internally above the true nostrils, and are called the false nostrils, the use 
 of which is not known. At the inner and inferior part of the nasal fossa, 
 underneath the fold of skin covering the inferior ala, is the orifice of the 
 nasal duct, which leads down from the eye, and conveys the surplus 
 secretion of lachrymal fluid from that organ to the nose. In the ass and 
 mule this orifice is found just within the superior ala. If these alae are 
 not of full size and the nostrils patulous, it may generally be surmised 
 that the other organs of respiration are equally undeveloped, and that the 
 horse’s wind will be proportionally bad. 
 
 The nasal cavities, or fossae, are partly bounded by bone, and partly 
 by the cartilage known as the septum nasi . The surface of membrane is 
 much increased by the convolutions of the turbinated bones, so that the 
 air, as it passes through these chambers, is warmed if cold, and if dry it 
 is moistened, so as to render it fit for respiration. The frontal, sethmoidal, 
 sphenoidal, and maxillary sinuses also open into these fossae, the whole 
 of them being lined by a continuation of the Schneiderian membrane. 
 
 THE LARYNX. 
 
 Immediately behind and below the nasal cavities is the larynx, which 
 serves the double purpose of acting as a portal to the inspired air, and 
 of forming the few vocal sounds uttered by the horse. It consists of five 
 
 Fig. 6. — Profile View oe the 
 
 1 Lateral plates of the thyroid cartilage. 
 
 2. Epiglottis. 
 
 3. Thyro-hyoid membrane. 
 
 4. Body of the thyroid cartilage. 
 
 5. Branch of the body of the os hyoides. 
 
 Os Hyoides and Larynx. 
 
 6. Spur process, or appendix. 
 
 7. Short horn. 
 
 8. Long horn of the os hyoides. 
 
 9. 9. 9. 9. Cartilaginous rings of the trachea 
 10. 10. 10. Membranes connecting these rings. 
 
 cartilages, united together by ligaments, and moved by a number of deli- 
 cate muscles. It is lined with a fine mucous membrane, and is supplied, 
 like all other parts of the body, by its proper vessels and nerves. It is 
 suspended from the os hyoides, or bone of the tongue, by a strong but 
 thin membrane, and terminates posteriorly in the trachea* or air-tubo 
 leading to the lungs. 
 
HE LARYNX. 
 
 421 
 
 The thyroid cartilage f Ovptos, a shield, fJSog, like) is composed of two 
 lateral plates, each, presenting the form of an oblique-angled parallelogram, 
 joined together in front, and separated by a considerable space behind, 
 which is occupied by the cricoid cartilage. The point in front, which 
 corresponds with the pomum Adami in man, is called the body. The 
 posterior angles of the lateral plates are each terminated by a prolonga- 
 tion, called a cornea or ala — the two superior being united by ligaments 
 to the os hyoides, and the two inferior to the cricoid cartilage. In the 
 upper part of the anterior angle is fixed the epiglottis, by means of the 
 union called amphiarthrosis. 
 
 The cricoid cartilage (k^i'kos, a ring , cISos, like) is a complete ring, 
 but it is much deeper behind than 
 before. It is somewhat depressed 
 from side to side, especially in those 
 horses which are deficient in wind. 
 
 On the upper edge behind it has two 
 rounded surfaces, which articulate 
 with the arytenoid cartilages. In 
 the middle is a vertical ridge, to 
 which the oesophagus is united by 
 cellular membrane, and on each side 
 of this is a hollow for the lodgment 
 of muscles. 
 
 The arytenoid cartilages (apv- 
 to.lv cl, a pitcher , fTSog, like), two in 
 number, are triangular in form, 
 broad and thick below, and pointed 
 above. They give attachment to 
 the vocal chords, and are the means 
 by which these are rendered tense 
 or lax, open or close, by the action 
 of the muscles of the larynx. 
 
 The epiglottis (eTriyXcorTts) is a 
 cartilage of a heart shape, attached 
 to the angle between the lateral 
 plates of the thyroid cartilage. 
 
 When pressed backwards, it closes 
 the rima glottidis or fissure between 
 the vocal chords, and in this way 
 prevents the food from passing into 
 the larynx. 
 
 By the aid of these cartilages, 
 and of the ligaments connecting 
 them, as well as by means of the 
 muscles which move them, a triangular opening called the rima glottidis 
 is formed, having its base behind at the arytenoid cartilages and its 
 apex in front, below the epiglottis. The sides of this opening are formed 
 by ligamentous bands, attached to the arytenoid cartilages, so that as 
 these are drawn backwards they are rendered tense ; and if they are 
 drawn apart the rima or fissure is widened and admits more air. When 
 this fissure is contracted, either by thickening of the edges or by the 
 wasting of the muscles which keep it open, roaring or whistling is 
 produced ; so that it is important to arrive at a correct idea of its 
 mechanism. 
 
 Fig. 7. — Posterior View of the Os Hyoides 
 and Larynx. 
 
 1. Epiglottis. 
 
 2. Arytenoid cartilages. 
 
 3. Cricoid cartilage. 
 
 4. Spur process, or appendix of the os hyoides* 
 
 5. 5. Branches of the body of the os hyoides. 
 
 6. 6. Short horns. 
 
 7. 7. Long horns of the os hyoides. 
 
 8. Membrane completing the back of the 
 
 trachea. 
 
 9. 9. 9. Tracheal rings incomplete behind 
 
 10. 10 10. Membrane between the rings of the 
 trachea. 
 
422 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 THE TRACHEA A HD BRONCHI. 
 
 The trachea is a flexible and elastic tube, formed of a series of incom- 
 plete cartilaginous rings, about fifty in number, connected together by an 
 elastic membrane, which also fills up the space left at the back of each 
 ring. It passes down the lower margin of the neck, and, on arriving at 
 the level of the base of the heart, it divides into two bronchi or lesser 
 tubes, of somewhat the same character and structure as itself. In its 
 course, it has the sterno-hyoideus and thyroideus in front, the oesophagus 
 behind ; and the carotid artery, with the pneumogas trie, recurrent, and 
 sympathetic nerves on each side ; the jugular vein being more superficial 
 than these, but also on the side of the trachea. At the upper and back 
 part of the trachea aflayer of muscular fibres is found, connecting together 
 the posterior edges of the cartilages. These are supposed by Mr. Percivall 
 to have the power of dilating the trachea by their contraction. He 
 explains this somewhat paradoxical action, by imagining that “ in conse- 
 quence of the passage being naturally elliptical, and the muscle being 
 extended across its long diameter, the contraction of its sides will give the 
 tube a circular figure, by increasing the curvature of the ring anteriorly, 
 and therefore, in effect, will expand, and not contract, the calibre of the 
 canal.” This theory is, however, now entirely abandoned, and it is 
 generally admitted that the sole office of these muscular bands is to 
 diminish the area of the trachea. 
 
 The bronchi consist at first of the two tubes into which the trachea 
 divides, the right being the more capacious of the two. Afterwards they 
 subdivide, like the branches of a tree, into lesser tubes, still called bron- 
 chial, which finally open into the air-cells of the lungs. These tubes 
 differ from the trachea in that each ring of cartilage is made up of several 
 distinct pieces, which overlap each other, and thus allow of considerable 
 dilatation during forcible expiration. The rings are held together by an 
 elastic cellular substance, and are lined first by a fibrous layer, with which 
 it is supposed that some muscular tissue is mixed up, as in the larger 
 bronchi, and internally by fine mucous membrane. 
 
 THE LUNGS. 
 
 The lungs consist of two conical spongy bodies, adapted to the shape 
 of the thorax, the left being the smaller of the two. Between these 
 halves of the lungs is a space called the mediastinum, already described, 
 occupied by the heart, great blood-vessels, nerves, and glands ; they are 
 capable of great dilatation by the act of inspiration, and of being again 
 reduced in size by expiration. In structure, they are made up of three 
 distinct parts — (1) an external or serous coat, called the pleura, described 
 at page 407 ; (2) a middle or true pulmonary tissue, consisting of the 
 intercellular passages and air-cells, of the arteries and veins, lymphatics 
 and nerves, bound together by an areolo-fibrous tissue, and called the 
 'parenchyma; (3) the terminal branches of the bronchial tubes. The 
 pleura is simply a layer of serous membrane, liable to its peculiar acci- 
 dents and diseases, hereafter to be described. The parenchyma has a 
 beautiful pale rose colour in the healthy subject. Though very delicate, it 
 strongly resists external violence, and is not easily torn. It is divided 
 into a vast number of little polyhedral lobules, each of which receives one 
 of the terminating branches of a bronchial tube, and is again broken up 
 
PULMONARY GLANDS. 
 
 423 
 
 into a cluster of air-cells, on the walls of which the capillary branches o* 
 the pulmonary arteries and veins are thickly spread out. The extent of 
 surface upon which these vessels ramify is enormous, probably ten or 
 twelve times that of the skin. The parenchyma of the lungs appears to 
 be entirely passive in respiration, being filled with air by the expansion 
 of the cavity in which it lies ; and that, again, being due to the act of the 
 inspiratory muscles. 
 
 The bronchial tubes divide and subdivide until they diminish to a 
 diameter of Try of an inch, when they terminate in the intercellular 
 passages, by which they communicate with the air-cells. At their 
 terminations, the mucous membrane ceases abruptly, the fibrous envelope 
 being alone continued, together with the vascular network common 
 to both. Thus the mucous membrane lining the bronchi, and the 
 fibrous walls of the air-cells, are quite distinct ; and this will account 
 for each being often the seat of a peculiar inflammation, without extend- 
 ing to the other. 
 
 PULMONARY GLANDS, &o. 
 
 In connexion with the lungs are three bodies, the uses of two of 
 which are not very clearly made out. These are the thyroid body, just 
 below the larynx ; the thymus gland, chiefly developed in the foetus ; 
 and the bronchial glands, which are merely lymphatic glands of the usual 
 character, situated around the principal divisions of the bronchi. 
 
 The thyroid body is not very fully developed in the horse, and has 
 little interest connected with it, seldom being enlarged, as in the dog and 
 in the human species. It consists of two oval masses, about the size of an 
 egg, lying on each side of the trachea, just beneath the larynx, and con- 
 nected by a band or middle lobe. The use of the thyroid body is not 
 ascertained. 
 
 Just within the thorax, and in close contact with the trachea, a 
 somewhat similar body to the preceding is met with in the foetus and 
 young foal ; but it soon wastes away as the young animal grows up. This 
 is the thymus gland (known to cooks as the sweetbread), resembling in 
 shape the thyroid body, but of a paler colour. Like it, the use of this 
 gland is not fully known ; but in structure it is more like the con- 
 glomerate glands ; and Sir Astley Cooper, who examined it most minutely, 
 supposed that it is intended “ to prepare a fluid, well fitted for the foetal 
 growth and nourishment, from the blood of the mother, before the birth 
 of the foetus.” 
 
 The bronchial glands are merely lymphatic glands, similar to those 
 in other parts of the body, and grouped around the large bronchial tubes. 
 They are of a greyish colour, stained with black in patches. 
 
4*24 
 
 THE HUitafi. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 THE ABDOMINAL AND PELVIC VISCERA. 
 
 THE ABDOMEN AND ITS CONTENTS — PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION — ABSORPTION — STRUG* 
 TURE OF GLANDS AND PHYSIOLOGY OF SECRETION — DEPURATION AND ITS OFFICE 
 IN THE ANIMAL ECONOMY — ANATOMY OF THE SALIVARY GLANDS, PHARYNX, (ESO- 
 PHAGUS, AND STOMACH — THE INTESTINES — LIVER — SPLEEN PANCREAS — KIDNEYS — 
 
 PELVIS — BLADDER — ORGANS OF GENERATION, MALE AND FEMALE. 
 
 THE ABDOMEN AND ITS CONTENTS. 
 
 Lying immediately behind the thorax, from which they are separated 
 only by the diaphragm, are the important organs of digestion, and the 
 space in which they are closely packed is called the abdomen. This part 
 is capable of being distended downwards and sideways to an enormous 
 extent, or of contracting till the lower walls approach very closely to the 
 upper. The anterior boundary, as before remarked, is the diaphragm, 
 the plane of which moves considerably in active respiration, causing the 
 flanks, or postero-lateral walls of the abdomen, to rise and fall, in a corre- 
 sponding manner, and thus to indicate the extent of distress in an 
 exhausted animal, or any peculiarity of breathing, as in “ broken wind/' 
 or in the several inflammatory conditions of the lungs. Bosrenoriy, the 
 boundary is an open one, being the anterior boundary of the pelvis, and 
 corresponding with the brim of that cavity. Superiorly are the crura of 
 the diaphragm, the lumbar vertebrae, and psoas and iliacus muscles ; and 
 laterally, as well as interiorly, the abdominal muscles, and cartilages of 
 the false ribs. Although the abdominal muscles are capable of great 
 dilatation, yet in the natural condition they maintain a gentle curve only 
 from their pelvic to their costal attachments, and hence the depth and 
 width of the back-ribs and pelvis are the measure of the ordinary 
 capacity of the abdomen. Shallow and narrow back-ribs give a small 
 abdominal cavity, and generally speaking a correspondingly weak con- 
 dition of the digestive organs ; for though this rule is not invariable, yet 
 it is one which may be held as a sufficient guide for practical purposes. 
 Instances do occur of stout and hearty horses possessed of contracted 
 middle pieces, but they are so rare as to be merely objects of curiosity. 
 The small space which is devoted to the organs of digestion in the horse 
 whose back ribs are shallow will be readily understood by reference to 
 the annexed section, in which the enormous mass of intestines and the 
 liver have been removed, leaving only the stomach and spleen. When 
 the walls of the abdomen are distended laterally and downwards, as they 
 always are in horses at grass, the capacity of the abdomen is at least 
 doubled. 
 
 The contents of the abdomen are the stomach, the liver, the pancreas, 
 the spleen, the small and large intestines, the mesenteric glands and 
 chyliferous ducts, and the kidneys, together with their vessels and nerves. 
 Some of these organs are fixed closed to the spine, as the kidneys and 
 pancreas ; but the others glide upon each other as they are alternately 
 empty or full: and to facilitate this motion they are (like the lungs) 
 invested with a serous coat, the 'peritoneum . They may be divided into 
 the hollow organs, which form one continuous tube (the alimentary), and 
 
425 
 
 THE ABDOMEN AND PELVIS. 
 
 the solid viscera, which, with the exception of the spleen, are all of a 
 glandular structure, though differing in their minute anatomy. The 
 alimentary canal consists throughout of three distinct layers : the external 
 
 serous coat (peritoneal), the middle or muscular coat , and the internal 
 mucous coat, which are united by cellular membrane, sometimes regarded 
 as forming two distinct additional coats. 
 
426 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The peritoneum, like the pleura, is a serous membrane, forming a shut 
 sac, and arranged in such a manner that all the abdominal organs are 
 behind it, and two layers of it must be divided before reaching the 
 interior of any of the organs from the lateral or inferior boundaries of 
 the abdomen. This will be better understood by examining the annexed 
 plan, in which the solid black part represents the interior of the peritoneal 
 sac, a space usually extremely small, but capable of being distended to a 
 great extent by a secretion of serum from the internal surface, as in 
 abdominal dropsy. The white line indicates the whole continuous surface 
 of the peritoneum inclosing the black space, which is exaggerated, in 
 order to render the plan more distinct. It will thus be readily understood 
 that unless the peritoneum is detached from the upper walls of the 
 abdomen, and its layers are separated, as at E E, the viscera cannot be 
 reached without dividing it twice ; first, as it lines the walls of the abdo- 
 men ; and secondly, as it closely covers the organ which it is desired to 
 
 a 
 
 Fig. 2.— Sectional Plan of the Horse’s Abdomen behind the Stomach and Liver. 
 
 A. A. Large intestines. E. F. Folds connecting the small intestines 
 
 B. B. B. B. Small intestines. with the same, and called the mesen- 
 
 C. C. C. Peritoneum covering intestines. tery. 
 
 D. D. Peritoneum lining the walls of the ab- G. Abdominal muscles. 
 
 domen. H. H. Ribs. 
 
 E. E. Folds connecting the large intestine I. I. Lumbar muscles. 
 
 with the parietal peritoneum, called J. J. Kidneys imbedded in fat 
 mesocolon. 
 
 open. In certain conditions it is important to remember this, as for 
 instance in distended states of the colon, when it may be a question 
 whether the bowel may be punctured from the flank without wounding 
 the peritoneum. It is a very delicate and irritable membrane in the 
 horse, and should never be interfered with if it is possible to avoid it. 
 Its secretion is a clear serum, merely sufficient in health to lubricate the 
 surface, but in disease becoming very profuse and greatly altered in 
 character. 
 
 The muscular coat of the hollow viscera varies in thickness ; but 
 the whole of it belongs to the unstriped division of muscles, and its 
 action is purely involuntary. In all but the large intestines the fibres 
 are arranged in a circular direction, but in these they are divided into 
 
PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION. 
 
 42 1 
 
 Bets, one circular, and the other collected in separate longitudinal hands. 
 By the consecutive action of these fibres (called peristaltic), the food is 
 driven onwards from one end to the other of the alimentary canal. 
 
 The mucous membrane, which lines the whole length of the alimentary 
 canal, from the mouth to the anus, is continuous with the skin at these 
 two orifices — with the mucous membrane lining the air-passages of the 
 lungs at the entrance to the larynx — with that investing the nasal 
 passages and cavities at the antero-superior part of the pharynx — and, 
 lastly, with the internal ear through the eustachian tubes which open 
 into the back of the pharynx. It is also reflected into the ducts of the 
 salivary glands, which open into the mouth, and into those of the liver 
 and pancreas, so that it has very extensive communications with these 
 several organs. Like the skin, this membrane has a base composed of 
 primary membrane, called the corium , on which are scattered the glands 
 that secrete the gastric juice, imbedded in loose areolar tissue. In the 
 intestines we shall find it extensively supplied with absorbents, which 
 open upon its velvety pile or villi, and the whole protected by epithelium, 
 which serves an important part in the production of the mucus every- 
 where found upon its surface when in a healthy state. In the oesophagus 
 it is thick, and disposed in longitudinal folds, allowing of lateral disten- 
 tion. In the stomach it exists in coarse folds or rugae , and in the intes- 
 tines it is gathered into sharp folds, chiefly manifested in the duodenum. 
 It is extensively supplied with blood throughout its whole surface, but 
 especially where it lines the stomach and small intestines, and it is also 
 liberally furnished with nerves, chiefly derived from the great sympathetic 
 system. 
 
 The abdominal viscera are supplied with blood by branches from 
 the aorta, passing between the folds of the peritoneum to reach their 
 destination, excepting in the cases of the kidneys and pancreas, which 
 have no such folds. The same folds also include the veins returning the 
 blood to form the vena portae (see page 417), and also the lymphatics and 
 chyliferous absorbents, to be hereafter described. 
 
 The nerves are chiefly derived from the great sympathetic system ; 
 but branches from the cerebro-spinal system are also distributed to the 
 contents of the abdomen, and especially to the stomach, by means of the 
 pneumogastric nerve. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OF DIGESTION. 
 
 Before proceeding to examine into the anatomy of the abdominal 
 organs, it may be well to investigate the nature of the processes which 
 are carried out by them. To do this, the food must be traced from its 
 prehension by the lips and teeth to its expulsion from the anus. Thus, 
 commencing with the mouth, we find it there ground into a coarse pulp, 
 and mixed with the saliva, which acts as a kind of ferment in converting 
 the starchy matters, which form so large a proportion of the horse’s food, 
 into sugar, and, with the aid of the gastric juice, into the proteine com- 
 pounds necessary for the formation of flesh. Perfect mastication and 
 insalivation are therefore highly important processes to healthy digestion. 
 When it reaches the stomach, the food undergoes still further changes by 
 the agency of the gastric juice and of maceration ; but this organ being 
 small in the horse, it cannot remain there long enough to be converted into 
 perfect chyme (the result of the first process of digestion), but is passed on 
 into the duodenum for that purpose. Here it is further elaborated, and 
 
428 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 receives the bile and pancreatic juice, which are poured out through their 
 ducts opening on the internal surface of this intestine. The nutritious 
 parts of the food are no*w gradually converted into chyle; and as it passes 
 into the jejunum and ilium, it is there absorbed by the lymphatics (here 
 called lacteals ), whose mouths open upon the villi thickly lining this part 
 of the canal. These unite into one duct (the thoracic ), and the chyle is 
 by it carried into the veins through an opening at the junction of the left 
 vena cava anterior, with the axillary vein. From the small intestines, the 
 food, minus its nutritive portions, is passed on into the large intestines, 
 and finally reaches the rectum and anus, in the form known as faeces. 
 The peculiar offices performed by the bile and pancreatic fluid will be 
 described under the sections treating of each of those organs. 
 
 The absorption of fluid from the interior of the alimentary canal is 
 effected in two different modes — first, by the lacteals, which take up the 
 chyle through their open mouths ; secondly, by the veins, which absorb 
 it through their walls by the process known as endosmose. In the former 
 case, the chyle is at once carried to the heart ; but in the latter, it passes 
 through the liver, and becomes purified and chemically altered in that 
 organ. The lacteals pass through the mesenteric glands, which lie between 
 the layers of the mesentery. 
 
 STRUCTURE OF GLANDS AND PHYSIOLOGY OF 
 SECRETION. 
 
 A gland may be defined to be an organ whose office it is to separate 
 from the blood some peculiar substance, which is poured out through an 
 excretory duct, whose internal surface is continuous with the mucous 
 membrane, or skin. A simple gland is, in fact, nothing more than a 
 pouch of mucous membrane ; and a collection of these pouches consti- 
 tutes a compound one, which, if the groups of which it is composed are 
 loosely bound together like grapes, as in the salivary glands, is called con- 
 glomerate ; while, if they are united into a solid mass, such as the liver, 
 the term conglobate is applied. 
 
 By secretion is understood the process of separation of various matters 
 from the blood; the term being also applied to the products of the 
 process, such as saliva, bile, &c., which are commonly known as secretions. 
 These are all removed from the blood for one of two purposes — first, in 
 order to be employed for some ulterior object in the various processes 
 going on in the body, either for its own preservation, or that of others ; 
 or, secondly, as being injurious to its welfare, and therefore to be discarded. 
 The term secretion is sometimes confined to the former, while the latter 
 action receives the distinguishing term excretion : but as in many cases 
 the fluid which is removed as being injurious to the system is also used 
 for beneficial purposes, the distinction is not capable of being strictly 
 maintained. The nature of the process is essentially the same in all cases, 
 being carried out by the development of simple cells, each possessing its 
 own independent vitality. These cells select certain ingredients from the 
 blood, and then set them free by the rupture of their walls ; and being 
 situated on the free surface of the lining membrane of the gland, which is 
 continuous with the mucous membrane or skin, the secreted fluid gradually 
 reaches the one or the other. It is impossible, at present, to ascertain the 
 precise means by which each gland is made up of cells having special 
 powers of selection ; but that the fact is so is capable of demonstration. 
 Thus, the cells of the liver select the elements of bile ; those of the 
 
DEPURATION. 
 
 420 
 
 salivary glands saliva ; and so on. But, as we shall hereafter find, there 
 are minute points of difference in the arrangement of these cells in the 
 different glands. It is now ascertained that the elements of the various 
 secretions exist in the blood ; and therefore the office of the glands is 
 confined to the selection and separation of their products, and they have 
 little or nothing to do with their conversion. 
 
 DEPURATION, AND ITS OFEICE IN THE ANIMAL 
 ECONOMY. 
 
 The whole of the various secretions which go on in the body are 
 necessary for the due preservation of its health ; but the, most important 
 of the class alluded to above as excretions , must be removed from the 
 blood, or death will speedily ensue. Thus, if saliva and gastric juice, as 
 well as the other secretions aiding digestion, are not mixed with the food, 
 the nutrition of the body will be imperfectly carried on, and its health 
 will suffer. But if the elements of bile and urine are retained in the 
 blood, not only is the system upset, but absolute death is produced in 
 severe cases. Hence it follows, that attention to the state of the organs of 
 depuration, or excretion, is of more importance even than to those of 
 secretion, using these terms in the sense explained in the last paragraph. 
 The chief organs of depuration are the lungs, which remove carbon from 
 the blood ; the liver, which secretes the bile ; the kidneys, which get rid 
 of the urea ; and the skin, which relieves it of its superfluous watery and 
 some small proportion of its solid particles. Experiment shows that the 
 retention of carbon, or urea, in the blood is speedily followed by death ; 
 while the non-secretion of bile, if entire, poisons the system ; and in 
 milder cases, its absence from the alimentary canal interferes with the due 
 elaboration of the chyle. 
 
 ANATOMY OF THE SALIYARY GLANDS, PHARYNX, 
 (ESOPHAGUS, AND STOMACH. 
 
 The salivary glands are grouped around the jaw, three on each side, 
 and are named the parotid, submaxillary, and sublingual glands. 
 
 The parotid (so named from its proximity to the ear, ira pa, near ; ovs, 
 wto?, the ear) is the largest of the three, and lies in the space between the 
 ramus of the lower jaw and the petrous part of the temporal bone, covered 
 by the parotido-auricularis muscle (see muscles, fig. 2-16). It is enveloped 
 in a case of dense cellular membrane, being itself made up of a number 
 of little lobes, each of which has an investment continuous with the 
 external one. The lobes have each an excretory duct, and these unite 
 together like the stalks of a grape to form one single duct, which passes 
 along the inner part of the angle of the jaw, along the border of the 
 masseter, piercing the mucous membrane of the mouth opposite the second 
 molar tooth. The submaxillary gland lies within and before the angle 
 of the jaw, and is of the same structure as the parotid. Its duct passes 
 forward by the side of the root of the tongue, and opens on the side of 
 the froenum. The sublingual gland is the smallest of the three, and is 
 situated between the middle of the tongue and the lower jaw. Its ducts, 
 which are several in number, open on the side of the froenum of the tongue, 
 close to the orifice of the submaxillary gland. The saliva secreted by 
 these glands contains various saline and earthy matters identical with those 
 of the blood, and a peculiar substance called ptyaline, which is the ferment 
 
430 THE HORSE. 
 
 used in the digestive process. The earthy phosphates in the saliva collect 
 around the teeth, being held together by animal matter, and forming what 
 is known as tartar. 
 
 The pharynx and esophagus receive the food from the back of the 
 mouth and convey it to the stomach. The former is a funnel-shaped bag, 
 lined with mucous membrane, and covered by the three constrictors of 
 the pharynx, which suspend it to the os hyoides and palate bones. Pos- 
 teriorly it lies close to the spine, being only separated by a thin layer of 
 muscles (see anterior cervico-occipital region). Anteriorly and superiorly 
 it opens into the mouth and nasal cavities, from which it is separated by 
 the soft palate and epiglottis. Posteriorly and superiorly the eustachian 
 tubes open into it bell-mouthed ; and interiorly it contracts to connect 
 
 f 
 
 4. 4. The cardiac sac. spleen. 
 
 5. 5. 5. The greater curvature. 
 
 itself with the oesophagus. The velum-pal&ti is so arranged as to act as a 
 valve in preventing the entrance of air into the larynx through the mouth, 
 but in the act of coughing the latter is convulsively drawn down, and the 
 valve ceases to cover its orifice, so that forcible expiration can then be 
 effected. 
 
 The oesophagus commences where the pharynx ends, being at first 
 placed behind the larynx and in front of the cervical vertebrae. It soon 
 inclines to the left, and continues to occupy that position as regards the 
 trachea all down the neck, entering the thorax above it. From the first 
 
THE STOMACH. 
 
 431 
 
 rib it ascends towards tbe superior mediastinum, where it lies below and a 
 little to the right of the posterior aorta. On reaching the crura of the 
 diaphragm it passes through the opening made for it by the decussation of 
 their fibres (see diaphragm), and is connected with the stomach about the 
 centre of its anterior curve. Throughout this course it has a muscular 
 coat, composed of striped fibres at its commencement, but afterwards they 
 are unstriped. It is lined by mucous membrane, which is very thick and 
 white. 
 
 The stomach is situated on the left side of the abdominal cavity, im- 
 mediately behind the diaphragm. It resembles in shape the bag of the 
 Scotch bag-pipes, having two openings, two curvatures (a lesser and a 
 greater), two surfaces, and two sacs, which are generally divided by a 
 constriction as shown in the accompanying engraving. Its volume varies 
 with its contents, but in the horse of average size it will not contain more 
 than three gallons, while the stomach of man, whose weight is only one- 
 eighth that of the horse, holds three quarts. It lies across the abdomen, 
 with its anterior surface in contact with the diaphragm on the left side, 
 and in the middle having the liver between it and the central tendon of 
 that muscle. Its posterior face is in contact with the colon ; its inferior 
 or larger curvature with the spleen, attached to it by the omentum, and 
 separated from the abdominal muscles by the curvatures which the colon 
 here makes. The left, or cardiac sac, is in contact with the supero- 
 lateral walls of the abdomen and the left extremity of the pancreas, 
 approximating to the anterior border of the left kidney. The right, or 
 pyloric sac, is in contact with the right lobe of the liver, and the curva- 
 tures of the colon. Like the rest of the alimentary canal within the 
 abdomen, the stomach is made up of three coats ; the external serous, 
 which is a continuation of the peritoneum; the middle or muscular ; and 
 the internal, or mucous coat. On slitting it open and examining the 
 interior, it is at once apparent that the two sacs are very differently lined. 
 The cardiac mucous membrane resembles in appearance the interior of the 
 oesophagus, being whitish brown, tough, comparatively dry, and covered 
 with a thick layer of epithelium. On tracing the mucous membrane to 
 the left sac, it presents an abrupt line of demarcation opposite the con- 
 striction between the two sacs. Beyond this, to the right, it is of a 
 brownish red, marbled with lighter shades of the same colour, easily torn, 
 and covered with a very thin epithelium. The left sac is in fact a simple 
 reservoir of food, while the right is the true organ of digestion. Each of 
 the two orifices also presents a peculiarity. The cardiac is slightly con- 
 stricted, and has several small folds of mucous membrane around it, which 
 accounts for the absence of vomiting in the horse. On the other hand 
 the pyloric orifice is larger, and is merely surrounded by a raised cushion, 
 which no doubt can be closed by the muscular sphincter, the fibres of 
 which envelop it, but which is most probably kept patent during the 
 ordinary process of digestion. The muscular coat of the left sac is com- 
 posed of three planes, the fibres of which pass in different directions, all 
 tending to empty its contents into the right. The latter sac is, however, 
 surrounded by only one plane of muscular fibres, all passing in a circular 
 direction, forcing the contents towards the pylorus. The arteries of the 
 stomach are large and numerous, being derived from the aorta through the 
 superior gastric, the right and left gastric, and the vasa brevia, which are 
 given off by the trunk of the splenic artery. The veins empty themselves 
 into the vena portae ; and the nerves are derived from the pneumogastric 
 and solar plexus of the sympathetic. 
 
432 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The mucous membrane of the pyloric sac of the stomach is made 
 up almost entirely of tubular follicles closely applied to each other, their 
 blind extremities resting upon the submucous cellular membrane, while 
 their mouths open into the stomach ; they are arranged in bundles or 
 groups, bound together by a fine areolar membrane, and the follicles from 
 each of these groups open into small pits or depressions, which may be 
 seen in the interior of this part. They secrete the gastric fluid , which 
 contains besides other matters, of which the acid, so variable in its nature, 
 is the most remarkable, a peculiar organic compound known as pepsinc , 
 which seems to be a main agent in the digestive process, acting, like 
 ptyaline, as a species of ferment, but of a more powerful kind. From the 
 researches of physiologists it appears that the acid is the solvent, while 
 the pepsine acts in converting the dissolved materials into a condition fit 
 for absorption into the blood, there to be used for the general purposes of 
 that fluid. 
 
 THE INTESTINES. 
 
 The intestines, large and small, constitute a hollow tube, very vari- 
 able in diameter, and measuring from eighty to ninety feet in length in 
 an average-sized horse. They extend from the stomach to the anus : and 
 though nature has only divided them into two portions, the small and 
 large, yet anatomists have subdivided each of these into three more — 
 namely, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum : ccecum, colon, and rectum. All 
 have three coats : the external, or peritoneal, which is very partial in the 
 duodenum and rectum ; the middle, or muscular ; and the internal, or 
 mucous ; but the last two are also differently arranged in the large and 
 small intestines. 
 
 The small intestines are about seventy feet long, and vary from an 
 inch to an inch and a half in diameter, except at their commencement, 
 where there is a considerable dilatation, forming a sort of ventriculus or 
 lesser stomach. They are gathered up into folds, in consequence of the 
 mesentery, which attaches them to the superior walls of the abdomen, 
 being of very limited extent as compared with their length ; and thus they 
 may be described as presenting two curves, a lesser mesenteric curvature, 
 and an outer or free one covered by the peritoneum. The outer layer 
 of the muscular coat consists only of a few scattered fibres, while the 
 inner one is circular in its arrangement, and though thin as compared 
 with the stomach, yet it is easily distinguished. The mucous coat is 
 gathered into a few longitudinal folds wTien empty, which are very 
 marked at its commencement ; but there are no valvular appendages, as 
 in the human intestines. It is everywhere studded with villi or little 
 projections, like the pile of velvet, through the open mouths of which the 
 chyle is taken up; and beneath it are numerous glands, named after their 
 discoverers. The small intestines are liberally supplied with blood by the 
 anterior mesenteric artery. Commencing at the pyloric opening of the 
 stomach, the small intestine swells out into a second little bag, having, 
 like that organ, a large and small curvature, the former being presented 
 to the lesser curvature of the stomach. The enlargement soon ceases, 
 and this part of the intestine (in England called duodenum) is bound 
 up against the walls of the abdomen by the root of the mesentery and 
 mesocolon. It then crosses the spine and enters the left lumbar region, 
 where it becomes loose or floating in the cavity of the abdomen, being only 
 retained by the mesentery (see plan, Fig. 2, page 426). About twenty 
 
433 
 
 Fig. 4.— The Large and Small Intestines, detached. 
 
 1. The duodenum, with its cul de sac removed. 6. 6. Commencement of colon. 
 
 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. The convolutions of the jejunum 7. 7. Transverse colon. 
 
 and ileum. 8. Terminal portion of colon. 
 
 3. 3. The mesentery. 9. Rectum. 
 
 4 . The apex of the coecum. a. a. Muscular bands of colon. 
 
 5. Its body. 
 
 called ileo coecal , which prevents the return of the contents of the caecum 
 into the ileum. 
 
 The large intestines, as their name implies, are of much greater 
 diameter than the small ; hut they are not above one -third of their length. 
 Instead of being convoluted, they are puckered into pouches by a peculiar 
 arrangement of the longitudinal muscular fibres, which are collected into 
 bundles or cords ( a a, Fig. 4), and, being shorter than the intestine, gather 
 it up into cells. The mucous membrane also has very few villi, which 
 
 THE INTESTINES. 
 
 four inches from the commencement it receives the name of jejunum, 
 which it retains until within the same distance of its termination, when 
 it becomes ileum : but in the French school it is divided only into the fixed 
 portion or duodenum, and the loose or floating portion, comprehending 
 what is here called the jejunum and ileum. In this course it receives 
 the biliary and pancreatic fluids \ the duct from the liver, and that from 
 the pancreas, opening together into the duodenum, six or seven inches 
 from the pylorus. At its termination in the coecum there is a valve, 
 
434 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 "become more and more rare towards the rectum. At the commencement 
 the gut is enlarged to an enormous size, and forms a cul de sac called the 
 ccecum, which is about four feet long, and terminates in a point, the 
 whole being compared to a jelly hag, and forming a reservoir, where the 
 watery particles of the food are absorbed, leaving the faecal matter in a 
 comparatively solid state. Indeed this gut at once receives nearly all the 
 water which is swallowed, it passing through the stomach and intestines 
 without any delay, when of course, as this sac has only one opening, it 
 must alternately receive and disgorge its contents, the valve at the 
 entrance of the ileum preventing its return into the small intestine. The 
 ccecum occupies the right flank, and takes an oblique direction from above 
 downwards and forwards. 
 
 The colon extends from the ileo-coecal valve, occupying the right 
 flank, in an elliptical direction to the left flank, where it ends in the 
 rectum, and thus ends very near the point where it began, after traversing 
 nearly the whole abdominal cavity. It is of such an enormous capacity, 
 that it will hold from twelve to thirteen gallons of water. Its largest 
 diameter is at the commencement, from which it begins to contract, and as 
 it crosses from the right of the abdomen near the liver to the other side, 
 where it is in close proximity to the stomach, it is contracted to a com- 
 paratively small diameter, but enlarges again as it lies in the left flank. 
 Like the coecum, it has three longitudinal muscular bands for three-fourths 
 of its course, but these afterwards are reduced to two, and as it merges in 
 the rectum they disappear altogether, the longitudinal fibres being then 
 equally distributed. The coecum and colon are supplied with blood by 
 the posterior mesenteric artery. 
 
 The rectum, or straight gut, begins on the margin of the pelvis, from 
 which it extends in a straight line to the anus. It gradually expands to 
 form a considerable reservoir for the faeces, and is uncovered by peri- 
 toneum after its commencement. 
 
 THE LIVER. 
 
 This important organ is in close contact with the right side of the 
 diaphragm. It is of an irregular figure thick in the middle and thin at the 
 edges ; divided into three lobes ; convex on its anterior surface, where it is 
 adapted to the concave aspect of the diaphragm ; concave posteriorly. 
 The colour is that which is so well known, and peculiar to itself. It is 
 everywhere invested by the peritoneum, excepting the spaces occupied by 
 the large veins as they enter and pass out, and the coronary ligament 
 which suspends it, as well as the three other folds of peritoneum, which 
 have also received particular names. 
 
 The structure of the liver is most peculiar ; but it will be impossible 
 to enter fully into its minute anatomy for want of space. Suffice it to 
 observe that it is composed of lobules, of an areolo-fibrous connecting 
 medium (which has received the name of the capsule of Glisson), of the 
 ramifications of the vena portae, hepatic artery, hepatic veins, hepatic 
 duct, lymphatics and nerves, inclosed in the investing peritoneal coat. 
 The portal vein returns the blood from the stomach and small intestines 
 to be circulated through the lobules, and from this the bile is secreted. 
 It distributes its numberless branches through canals which are every- 
 where worked out in the substance of the liver, and from which the 
 lobules are supplied. Erom these, which are each a small gland perfect 
 in itself, the bile is received by a network of minute ducts, ultimately 
 
THE SPLEEN. 
 
 435 
 
 coalescing to form the hepatic duct, which opens into the duodenum. 
 The secretion of bile is entirely from the venous blood, and the hepatic 
 artery is solely destined to nourish the gland. The nerves are chiefly 
 from the sympathetic system, a few small branches being derived from 
 the pneumogastric through the solar plexus. The horse has no gall 
 bladder like the cow, as well as the human species. 
 
 The function of the liver is doubtless chiefly of a depuratory nature, 
 but the soapy nature of the bile seems to be destined to aid in dissolving 
 the fatty materials which are contained in the food, and to stimulate the 
 intestines to perform their duties. 
 
 THE SPLEEN. 
 
 The spleen can scarcely be considered as a gland, inasmuch as it has 
 no excretory duct, but it contains within its substance a number of little 
 bodies, called Malpighian corpuscles, which most probably perform the 
 same office as the absorbent glands. Its weight as compared with the 
 whole body is about the same as in man, whose spleen weighs six ounces, 
 while that of the horse rarely exceeds three pounds. It is attached by 
 the lesser omentum (a fold of the peritoneum) to the stomach (see fig. 3, 
 page 430), and occupies the left side of that organ. It is covered by a 
 serous coat continuous with the peritoneum, and its internal structure is 
 spongy, and made up of cells which contain a large quantity of blood. 
 
 The function of the spleen is not positively ascertained, but it is 
 believed to perform the office of a reservoir for the blood required by the 
 stomach, with which it is closely connected by a set of vessels (vasa brevia), 
 and also to effect some change in the blood itself. 
 
 THE PANCKEAS. 
 
 The pancreas is an elongated gland resembling in structure the 
 salivary glands, placed close to the spine, above the stomach. It has two 
 excretory ducts, which carry the pancreatic fluid secreted by it into the 
 duodenum through a valvular opening common to it and the hepatic 
 duct. The use of the pancreatic fluid appears to be similar to that of 
 the saliva. 
 
 THE KIDNEYS. 
 
 The kidneys are two oval organs situated beneath the psoas muscles, 
 and only retained in their position by the fatty cellular membrane which 
 envelops them, and by the upward pressure of the other abdominal viscera 
 below them. The right kidney is completely within the ribs, but the 
 left scarcely advances at all beyond the eighteenth rib : each averages 
 about forty ounces in weight, but there is a considerable variation in size 
 and form. Unlike the corresponding organ in the cow, the horse’s kidney 
 is not split up into lobules, though there is some little irregularity of 
 outline and surface, as may be seen in the annexed figure, which was 
 taken from a specimen somewhat remarkable in these respects. A trans- 
 verse section shows the internal structure, which is composed of a central 
 cavity, the pelvis, into which the urine flows, and from which it is carried 
 to the bladder by the ureter. In this pelvis several conical projections 
 are visible, having minute openings around their apices, which are the 
 terminations of the tubuli uriniferi composing the substance of the inter- 
 nal part of the organ. The external is the true secreting portion, and in 
 
 F F 2 
 
436 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 this are contained a multitude of minute red globular bodies, composed of 
 a flexus of capillary vessels, and of a coil of tube in connexion with the 
 
 Fig. 5. — The Kidney. 
 
 A Fissure through which the vessels enter and the ureter passes out. 
 1. 2. 3. 4. Surface of kidney. 
 
 uriniferous tubuli, both being inclosed in a membranous capsule. Each 
 cone is contained within a cup-like pouch of the pelvis, which is called a 
 calyx. 
 
 a. Pelvis. 
 
 1. 2. Ureter. 
 
 3. 3. Papillae or cones. 
 
 Fig. 6. — Transverse Section of Kidney. 
 
 4. 4. 4. 4. Tubular Portion. 
 
 5. 5. 5. 5. External cortical portion. 
 
 At the anterior extremity of each kidney is a small body called the 
 suprarenal capsule, the use of which is not ascertained. 
 
THE PELYIS AND ITS CONTENTS. 
 
 437 
 
 THE PELYIS. 
 
 The cavity of the body known as the pelvis is situated behind the 
 abdomen, with which it communicates freely, each being lined by a con- 
 tinuation of the peritoneum. A ridge of bone (the brim of the pelvis) is 
 the line of demarcation anteriorly. The sacrum and os coccygis bound it 
 superiorly, the anus posteriorly, and the ossa innominata interiorly and 
 laterally. It contains the bladder and rectum in both sexes, and in each 
 the organs of generation peculiar to it. t 
 
 THE BLADDER. 
 
 The bladder is a musculo-membranous bag destined to contain the 
 urine as it is gradually received from the ureters, which bring it down 
 from the kidneys. It lies in the middle of the pelvis, occupying also 
 more or less of the abdomen according to its condition in point of reple- 
 tion or emptiness. It is of an oval shape, with its posterior extremity 
 somewhat more pointed than the other, and called its neck. At this point 
 it gives origin to the urethra, a canal for carrying off the urine. It 
 receives the two ureters at its superior surface, about an inch in front of 
 the neck, where they pierce the several coats in an oblique direction 
 forming a complete valve, which prevents the return of the urine, and so 
 invisible that the presence of two openings is scarcely ever suspected by 
 the ordinary observer. Only about one-third of “the bladder is covered by 
 the peritoneum, the remainder being made up solely of the muscular and 
 mucous coats, which compose all the hollow viscera. It is retained in its 
 place by the cellular membrane which connects it with the lower walls of 
 the pelvis, posteriorly by the urethra, and by the folds of the peritoneum, 
 which are continued from it to the sides of the pelvis, and are called the 
 broad ligaments of the bladder. 
 
 THE ORGANS OF GENERATION, MALE AND FEMALE. 
 
 The male organs of generation consist of the testes and their ducts, 
 the vasa deferentia, the latter conveying the semen to the urethra or to 
 the vesiculse seminales, which are oval bags connected with the upper 
 surface of the neck of the bladder. Here the seminal fluid is stored up 
 for use, and when wanted is conveyed into the vagina by means of the 
 external organ or penis. The anatomy of the testicles is that which 
 mainly concerns the horsemaster, as they are generally removed by 
 operation. They are contained within the scrotum, which is externally 
 composed of skin, wrinkled in the foal, but subsequently distended by the 
 size and weight of its contents. Beneath this is a layer of a pale yel- 
 lowish fibrous membrane called the dartos, which envelops the testes and 
 forms a separation between them. A thin coat of cellular membrane 
 alone separates this from the double serous membrane, the tunica vagi- 
 nalis, which almost entirely envelops each testis, just as the pleura does 
 the lung. In the early stages of foetal life the testes are contained within 
 the abdomen above the peritoneum, but being attached to the scrotum 
 by a thin muscle (the cremaster), they are gradually dragged downwards 
 through the inguinal canal; and each brings a double layer of peritoneum, 
 which continues its connexion through life, so that fluid injected into the 
 cavity of the tunica vaginalis will flow into the peritoneum. Hence 
 inguinal hernia in the horse becomes scrotal in a very short space of time, 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 439 
 
 and rarely remains confined to the former position. The testicles with 
 their appendages, the vesiculae seminales, form the semen by the usual 
 process of secretion. They are of about the size of a duck’s egg, and 
 besides their attachment by the reflexions of the tunica vaginalis to the 
 scrotum, they have also the spermatic cord which suspends them to the 
 inguinal canal through which it passes. This cord it is which is divided 
 in castration, and it is well to ascertain its component parts. They 
 are, 1st. The artery which supplies the testicles with blood, and is of 
 considerable size and tortuous in its course. 2d. The artery of the cord, 
 small and unimportant. 3d. The veins which accompany these arteries. 
 4th. The nerves and absorbents, the division of the former giving great 
 pain and causing a slight shock to the system. 5th. The vas deferens or 
 duct carrying the semen to the urethra, and possessing walls of such 
 thickness that it feels like whipcord under the finger. These several 
 parts are connected together by cellular membrane and covered by the 
 two layers of reflected peritoneum, namely, the tunica vaginalis and tunica 
 vaginalis reflexa, by the thin layer of cremaster muscle, as well as b} r a 
 fourth investment, a continuation of the superficial fascia of the abdomen. 
 All these parts must be divided before the canal is reached, for operating 
 in castration. 
 
 The female organs of generation are essentially the ovaries, the 
 uterus and its appendages forming the bed in which the embryo is nurtured 
 to maturity. The ovaries are two small oval bodies, about the size of large 
 walnuts, situated behind the kidneys, and having the fimbriated extremi- 
 ties of the fallopian tubes hanging loosely adjacent to them. These tubes, 
 one on each side, terminate in the uterus, which is of a remarkable shape 
 in the mare. It consists of a body and two horns. The body has a mouth, 
 or os, which opens into the end of the vagina, while, in itself, it is oblong, 
 and in the unimpregnated state it is entirely contained within the 
 pelvis. Anteriorly it divides into two horns (cornua), which diverge 
 towards the loins, turning upwards, and lying under the wings of the ossa 
 ilii (see fig. 1, page 425). They terminate in rounded extremities. Each 
 cornu receives the fallopian tube of its own side, the opening being so 
 small as scarcely to admit a silver probe. The vagina lies between the 
 bladder and rectum, and is about eighteen inches in length ; it is lined 
 with mucous membrane, and surrounded with muscular fibres, which form 
 the sphincter vaginae. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 the nervous system. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM— CHIEF DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM — 
 THE SPINAL CORD — MEDULLA OBLONGATA — THE ENCEPHALON —THE SYMPATHETIC 
 SYSTEM. 
 
 PHYSIOLOGY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 Hitherto we have been engaged in examining into the conformation of 
 the framework of the body ; into the structure and action of the muscles, 
 which serve to move this framework ; and into the several organs which 
 afford nourishment to the whole, and keep it sound and in good order. 
 
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 439 
 
 We have now to consider the prime mover of all these several agents, the 
 nervous system, which may he compared to the fuel that heats the water 
 of the steam-engine, and converts that apparently most simple and inno- 
 cent fluid into the powerful agent which is capable of developing almost 
 any amount of force. This fuel, however, is itself inactive until it is en- 
 dowed with life by the agency of fire ; and, in the same way, the nervous 
 system of the animal being must be provided with the living principle, of 
 whose nature we can only judge by its effects when present, and by the 
 cessation of all action when absent. There are many processes which are 
 carried on in the animal as in the vegetable without the necessity for any 
 direct stimulus from a nervous centre, such as the growth of each separate 
 tissue throughout the body, which takes place in the former, just as it 
 does in the latter, by a species of cell-development and metamorphosis 
 independent of nervous energy ; but though this growth is thus accom- 
 plished, yet it would soon be starved out for want of pabulum, were it 
 not for the supply of food to the stomach, which requires the mandate of 
 the nervous system for its performance, and so on with every corresponding 
 action of the body. 
 
 The nervous system is made up of two distinct substances, one grey 
 in colour, and granular in structure, which is the seat of all nervous power ; 
 the other white and fibrous, which is the telegraph wire by which this 
 power is communicated. Sometimes the grey matter envelops the white, 
 and at others it is inclosed within it, but in every case each has its pecu- 
 liar office as above mentioned. Each collection of grey matter is called a 
 ganglion, whatever its shape may be ; but the white fibres may be either 
 in the form of commissures for connecting the ganglia together, or they 
 may be agents for communicating with other organs, and are then called 
 nerves. 
 
 CHIEF DIVISIONS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 In the horse, as in all the vertebrata, the nervous system is made up 
 of the following parts. 1. The ganglia, which are intended to subserve 
 what are called the reflex actions of the organs of locomotion, &c., and which 
 occupy the whole length of the spinal cord, one on each side. 2. The 
 respiratory ganglia, situated higher up towards the brain, constituting the 
 part called medulla oblongata, and placed in superintendence over the 
 functions of respiration, mastication, and deglutition. 3. A series of 
 ganglia controlling the organs of special sense, situated at the base of the 
 brain. 4. The cerebellum, which seems specially intended to combine 
 and balance the several muscular actions of the body. 5. The cerebrum, 
 which is the seat of intelligence and will. 6. The sympathetic system 
 of ganglia, which specially controls the vital organs of circulation, diges- 
 tion, and depuration. The first five divisions are generally included under 
 the head of the nervous system of animal life, the last being considered 
 to be peculiar to organic life. The diagram on the next page will show 
 at one view the chief component parts of the two systems. 
 
 THE SPINAL CORD. 
 
 The spinal cord may he considered to be the primary division of the 
 nervous system, because it represents the lowest development of this 
 organ in the animal kingdom. But instead of consisting of a series of 
 locomotive ganglia, as in the articulata 9 it is here found in the shape of 
 
440 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 two long masses of grey matter, covered with white fibres, which serve 
 to communicate between the several parts of which it is composed. 
 
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 Opposite each joint, between the vertebrae, a nerve is given off, which 
 passes out in the foramen specially contrived for its exit, and thence goes 
 
THE MEDULLA OBLONGATA. 
 
 441 
 
 IH, 
 
 on to its destination. Each of these nerves has two distinct 
 from the upper part of the grey central matter 
 (the sensitive root), the other from its inferior 
 surface, which is the motor portion. The 
 superior has an accession of grey matter around 
 it, soon after the union of its nervelets, 
 called its ganglion, beyond which the two 
 divisions unite to form a large nerve, which 
 soon begins to subdivide again for supplying 
 the several parts of the body. The termi- 
 nating branches reunite in loops, so that 
 these nerves may be considered to form a 
 complete circle, those of sensation receiving 
 impressions from the parts on which they are 
 distributed, and conveying them to the central 
 ganglion, while the motor nerves cause the 
 muscles which they supply to contract on 
 receipt of the proper stimulus from the centre. 
 
 The spinal nerves are from forty-two to forty- 
 three in number on each side ; namely, eight 
 pairs of cervical, seventeen pairs of dorsal, 
 six pairs of lumbar, five pairs of sacral nerves, 
 and six or seven coccygeal. Each of these 
 nerves divides at once into a superior and 
 inferior branch, the latter giving off a small 
 nervelet to communicate with the sympa- 
 thetic, and then going on to supply the lower 
 parts of the body and the extremities. The 
 cord varies somewhat in size in the several 
 regions of the spine. It commences at the 
 occiput of full size, then diminishes to the 
 fifth cervical vertebra, where there is a slight 
 swelling, after which it is gradually reduced 
 in dimensions to the loins, where it spreads 
 out into a wide but thin plate, after which 
 it divides into its terminal branches, which 
 have been compared to a horse's tail. 
 
 THE MEDULLA OBLONGATA. 
 
 The medulla oblongata is the anterior 
 enlarged portion of the spinal cord, of a 
 conical shape, which extends to the pons 
 Yarolii. On its inferior face it presents two 
 pyramidal bodies, and on its superior two 
 flattened cords, the corpora restiformia, while 
 between the two are the corpora olivaria. On 
 making a section of this part, the corpus 
 olivare is seen to be chiefly composed of grey 
 
 Fig. 2. — Spinal Cord removed from its Canal. 
 
 a a. a. a. Roots of the spinal nerves. 
 
 6. b. b. The filaments going to unite to form each of these 
 nerves. 
 
 s. c. c. Clear spaces between the roots of the nerves. 
 
 origins ; one 
 
442 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 matter, and is a ganglion, superadded for the special purpose of establish- 
 ing the respiratory function. From its lower border proceed the filaments, 
 which unite to form the hypoglossal nerve, while from the upper side 
 emerge the glosso-pharyngeal and pneumogastric nerves. 
 
 THE ENCEPHALON (iy, in, KefaXj, head). 
 
 The cerebellum together with the cerebrum form the mass of the 
 encephalon, and they may be examined together with advantage. The 
 two completely fill the cavity of the cranium, and are invested by three 
 membranes ; — the dura mater, fibrous and strong ; the pia mater, vascular 
 and tender ; and the arachnoid, a serous membrane of the ordinary cha- 
 racter. The dura mater also dips down between the lobes of the cerebrum 
 to form a protection against lateral displacement called the falx, and is 
 
 Fig'. 3-. — View of the Superior Surface of the Encephalon 
 
 f Anterior termination of the longitudinal fissure, d. Middle lobe of the cerebellum 
 
 b b. Lateral hemispheres of the cerebrum. e. e. Superior median fissure. 
 
 c. c. c. Corpus callosum. /. g. Membranes covering the spinal cord 
 
 spread across from one petrous bone to the other, constituting the tentorium 
 cerebelli. The mass of the encephalon in the horse is small as compared 
 with that of man, weighing not quite a pound and a half, while the 
 human brain averages three pounds in the male, and four or five ounces 
 
THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM. 
 
 444 
 
 less in the female. Taking into consideration that the body of the horse 
 weighs at least eight times as much as a man’s, it follows that the brain 
 of the latter is relatively sixteen times as large as that of the horse. 
 The cerebellum occupies the postero^superior part as the head is usually 
 carried, and is much smaller than the cerebrum, being only one-sixth of 
 its volume. Examining it from above it presents three lobes ; a middle 
 and two lateral lobes. The former is prominent, and subdivided into 
 lobuli by several grooves, constituting the anterior and posterior vermiform 
 processes. The lateral lobes are flattened and oval, to correspond with 
 the inferior surfaces of the tentorium cerebelli. The cerebellum is made 
 up of alternate layers of grey and white matter, the former being dis- 
 tributed throughout the interior in such a way that when sliced it presents 
 an arborescent appearance. On parting the hemispheres of the cerebrum, 
 the convolutions on the surface of which are composed of grey matter, a 
 white band slightly striped from side to side makes its appearance. This 
 is the corpus callosum, which is the great commissure, and consists 
 entirely of white fibrous matter, uniting the two halves. Beneath this, 
 on each side, are the lateral ventricles, and within each are the optic 
 thalamus, and corpus striatum, with the choroid plexus lying between. 
 Turning the brain with its inferior surface in view it presents anteriorly 
 the continuation of the longitudinal fissure. On each side of this are 
 the olfactory nerves, which look like prolongations of the hemispheres. 
 Close behind these two are the optic or second pair of nerves, connected 
 together by their commissure. Then two small white bodies, the corpc "a 
 albicantia, and behind these again the third pair of nerves, supplying the 
 muscles of the eye. Still further back is a square eminence, the pons 
 varolii, from the sides of which the fourth and fifth pairs of nerves arise, 
 while its posterior border gives origin to the sixth pair in the middle and 
 the seventh externally to these. The eighth and ninth nerves have 
 already been alluded to, as arising from the medulla oblongata. 
 
 THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM. 
 
 This division of the nerves consists of a series of ganglia, lying 
 on each side the spine, from the head to the coccyx, communicating with 
 the cranial and spinal nerves, and distributing branches to all the internal 
 organs of digestion, circulation, depuration, and generation. The branches 
 of distribution accompany the arteries, forming a plexus, or series of 
 meshes, around each of them. In the head there are four small ganglia, 
 in the neck three, and posteriorly a small ganglion lies opposite each 
 vertebra. The posterior cervical ganglion communicates with the spinal 
 nerves of that region by a branch which accompanies the vertebral artery, 
 and sends forward filaments to form the bronchial and cardiac plexus, the 
 former being largely supplied also with branches from the pneumogastric 
 nerve. From the dorsal ganglia a large nerve is formed, the greater 
 splancnie nerve, and also the lesser splancnic, which enter the abdomen 
 close beneath the crus of the diaphragm, where they give off a number of 
 branches which, together with filaments of the pneumogastric nerve, unite 
 on both sides to form the semilunar ganglion, or collection of ganglia 
 arranged somewhat in that shape. They lie close to the posterior aorta, 
 and surround the root of the cceliac artery, supplying branches to form 
 the phrenic and the splenic plexus, the gastric plexus, the hepatic plexus, 
 the anterior and' posterior mesenteric plexus, the renal plexus, and the 
 spermatic plexus, all surrounding the corresponding arteries and supplying 
 the important organs whose names they bear. 
 
444 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 SPECIAL ORGANS. 
 
 THE ORGAN OP SMELL — THE EYE — THE EAR — THE ORGAN OP TOUCH — THE FOOT. 
 
 THE ORGAN OF SMELL. 
 
 The nose of the horse, like all the solipedes, is endowed with a sen- 
 ex jility far greater than that of man ; but in this respect he is not equal 
 to many other animals, such as the dog and cat kinds, and the sole use 
 which he makes of this sense is in the selection of his food. I have 
 already alluded to the nasal fossae at page 419, and need only here remark 
 that the large mass of nervous matter composing the olfactory nerves 
 pierces the cribriform plate of the aetlimoid hone in numerous fihrillae, 
 which spread over the membrane (Schneiderian) lining the aethmoidal 
 cells, the turbinated bones, and the septum nasi. 
 
 THE EYE. 
 
 The organ of sight may be considered as consisting, first of all, of an 
 optical instrument very similar to the camera obscura, now so commonly 
 used in photography, and, secondly, of the parts which are employed to 
 move, adjust, and protect it from injury. 
 
 The eye itself consists of three transparent humours, which answer 
 the purpose of the lens of the camera, by collecting the rays of light 
 upon the back of the eye. These are the aqueous in front, the crystalline 
 lens in the middle, and the vitreous humour behind. The first is a per- 
 fectly transparent and limpid fluid, secreted by the lining of the chamber 
 in which it lies, and capable of being rapidly renewed in case of a punc- 
 ture letting it out. The lens, on the contrary, has the consistence of very 
 hard jelly, and is arranged in concentric layers, like the coats of an onion. 
 It is merely a double convex lens, precisely like that of the camera in its 
 action, and is the chief agent in producing the impression of an object 
 upon the sensitive part of the eye. Behind it is the vitreous humour, 
 composed, like the abueous, of a limpid fluid ; but instead of being uncon- 
 fined except by the walls of the chamber in which it lies, it is bound up 
 in a network of transparent cells, which give it the consistency ar 
 appearance of a delicate jelly. Upon the perfect transparency and prop« A 
 shape of these humours depends the sight of the animal. But in addi- 
 tion to the risk of blindness from any defect in these parts, if the 
 investing coats or membranes are inflamed or disorganised, their func- 
 tions are not performed, and the sight is either impaired or destroyed. 
 Thus the rays of light may be fairly collected, so as to throw the impres- 
 sion of every object within the sphere of vision upon the back of the 
 eye, and yet the horse may be blind, because the retina or expansion 
 of the optic nerve is disorganised by disease. When inflammation 
 attacks the coats of the eye, it generally extends to the investments of 
 the humours, and to the substance of the lens itself, producing cataract 
 or opacity of that part ; but it is possible to have the sight impaired 
 from a mere defect of shape in the anterior coat, so as to make the 
 
THE EYE. 
 
 44 > 
 
 surface too convex, and thus alter the focus of the sight. This is the 
 “ buck-eye,” which leads to shying, and is perfectly incurable. The 
 membranes are, first, the cornea, a perfectly transparent coat, placed 
 in front of the eye, and inserted, like a watch-glass, in the sclerotic coat 
 covering the posterior four-fifths of the globe. The latter is a white 
 fibrous membrane, strong and inelastic, so as to afford protection to the 
 parts within it from external violence. This forms the white of the eye, 
 which, however, is only occasionally visible in the horse. Beneath the 
 sclerotic is the choroid coat, consisting of a network of blood vessels, 
 and lined with a black pigment, which again has on its internal surface, 
 at the part opposite the pupil, a greenish-white iridescent lining, called 
 tapetum lucidum, or luminous carpet. Lastly, within the whole of this 
 surface is spread a beautiful expansion of the optic nerve, called the 
 retina, which receives the impressions derived from the rays of light, 
 forming a distinct figure upon it exactly similar to the objects which are 
 presented to it, except in point of size, and in being inverted. Beyond 
 these parts, there is a provision made for moderating the rays of light, 
 according to their intensity. This is effected by means of an opaque 
 septum, pierced with an oval hole ; the former being called the iris, and 
 the latter the pupil. The substance of the iris itself is composed of con- 
 tractile tissue, which has the power of expanding or contracting the pupil 
 in obedience to the impression produced upon the retina; and thus, if the 
 eye is examined in a strong light, the pupil will appear large when shaded 
 by the hand, but contracts immediately on exposing the eye. The horse’s 
 iris is brown, varying somewhat in shade in different individuals, and at 
 the upper part of the pupil it presents one or two little floating appen- 
 dages, which serve to moderate the sun’s rays. Sometimes the brown 
 colour is absent, aud the iris is either partially or entirely white, in which 
 case it is called a “ wall eye but though this is considered unsightly, it 
 does not interfere with vision. The iris is stretched across the chamber 
 of the aqueous humour, and is thus enabled to act freely. There are 
 many other delicate structures worthy of being examined, but want of 
 space must prevent any further allusion to them. 
 
 The appendages of the eye are : 1st. The conjunctiva or membrane 
 protecting the exposed surface of the eye. 2d. The eyelids. 3d. The 
 
 membrana nictitans or haw. 4th. The muscles of the eye. 5th. The 
 
 lachrymal apparatus. The conjunctiva covers the whole front of the eye, 
 being thin, and perfectly transparent in a healthy state, but on the occur- 
 rence of inflammation speedily becoming red and puffy. It is reflected from 
 this face to the inside of the eyelids, and the whole membrane is extremely 
 liable to inflammation from any external irritation. The eyelids have 
 nothing very remarkable about them, being merely cartilaginous shutters 
 covered with fine skin, and lined with conjunctiva, and raised and 
 lowered by muscles peculiar to them. The membrana nictitans or haw is 
 a cartilage lying just within the inner corner of the eye, but capable of 
 being thrust outwards so as to partially cover it when the muscles retract 
 the eye, and for want of space drive it forward. This happens whenever 
 the eye is irritated either by an insect or by the dust or hayseeds which 
 are so often deposited upon the conjunctiva, and which, causing the eye to 
 be drawn back, displace the fat deposited in the back of the orbit, and 
 this again pushes forward the haw. For this reason in all irritable states 
 of the eye the haw is prominent: but it by no means follows that its 
 removal will diminish the irritation ; on the contrary, the usual effect is to 
 increase it ; and the operation is not only useless, but injurious. The 
 
446 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 muscles move the eye in all directions, and have the peculiar property of 
 keeping the long diameter of the pupil always nearly in a line parallel 
 with the horizon. Practically they are not of any great importance. 
 The lacrymal apparatus consists of the lacrymal gland, situated beneath 
 the outer wall of the orbit, and secreting the tears, which are intended to 
 wash the conjunctiva clear of any foreign body. The secretion is thrown 
 out upon its surface through a number of small ducts, and, traversing 
 from the outer angle to the inner, is conducted through two small 
 openings in the lids to the lacrymal sac, and from that by the nasal duct 
 to the nose. 
 
 THE EAR. 
 
 This organ is divided into the external ear for collecting the waves of 
 sound, and conveying them inwards, and the internal ear which is situated 
 within the petrous part of the temporal hone. The latter is a very com- 
 plicated and delicate organ ; but its formation does not differ in any 
 essential features from that of the other vertebrate animals, nor are the 
 diseases attacking it in the horse of any particular importance, so that its 
 description will be omitted. 
 
 THE ORGAH OF TOUCH. 
 
 The sense of touch is necessary for the proper appreciation of the 
 mechanical form and nature of the objects placed in apposition to the 
 body, and of their temperature. It is seated generally in the termina- 
 tions of the nerves of sensation on the skin ; but there are certain parts 
 specially endowed with these nerves, which in the horse are the lips and 
 the four extremities. 
 
 The skin is composed of two layers, one internal and living termed 
 the dermis or chorion, the other a secretion from it, and called the 
 epidermis , the inner, and freshly secreted layer of which is the rete 
 miicosum of the old authors. The dermis constitutes nearly the whole 
 substance of the skin, and varies in thickness in different regions of the 
 body, and also in the nature of its attachment to the subjacent parts, 
 being very loosely connected in some, and in others so tight that it cannot 
 be pinched up. It consists of a layer of cellular and elastic fibre-s crossing 
 each other in all directions, and abundantly supplied with blood vessels 
 and nerves. Its external surface is provided with numberless little eleva- 
 tions termed papillae , each of which contains the termination of a nerve : 
 and it is pierced with an immense number of holes ; some of which allow 
 the hairs to pass through, others are the pores through which the sweat is 
 poured out, and others again are follicles for the secretion of sebaceous or 
 half- oily fluid, for the purpose of lubricating the skin. These last are 
 particularly numerous at the flexures of the joints, as at the inner part of 
 the hock, knee, and heel, in each of which situations they are liable to 
 become clogged, leading to the conditions kno wn as mallenders, sallenders, 
 and cracked heels, which will be hereafter described. 
 
 The epidermis, cuticle, or scarf-skin, is very thin but tough, and in the 
 horse its innermost layer is generally of a dark slate colour, the better to 
 protect the dermis from the rays of the sun. It is composed of scales 
 agglutinated together, and its internal surface is reflected in the form of 
 fine sheaths around all the hairs which pierce it, and of linings to the 
 sweat pores and sebaceous follicles. As fresh cuticle is secreted the outer 
 layers fall off ; and in the horse this growth is very rapid, so that in a very 
 
r JL'HE ORGAN OF TOUCH. 
 
 447 
 
 few days the coat of hair becomes loaded with them if it is not regularly 
 cleansed. They afford a great protection against wind and rain, and foi 
 that reason they should not he removed by friction from those horses 
 which are about to be turned out of doors. 
 
 The hairy appendages of the skin of the horse are of two kinds : — 
 1st. The general coat. 2d. The horsehair, which is of a thicker and stiffer 
 kind, and grows from the top of the neck, forming the mane, from the 
 dock as the tail, from the backs of the legs, and from the eyelids and 
 lips to act as feelers in enabling them to avoid injury. Each hair is 
 secreted by its bulb, which is seated partly in the dermis and partly in 
 the cellular membrane, closely subjacent to the true skin. Unless, there- 
 fore, the whole thickness of the dermis is destroyed, the bulb may be safe, 
 and the hair is restored in the course of time. The coat is shed twice a 
 year, in spring and autumn, the secretion from the bulb ceasing for a 
 short period, and the hair, losing its connexion, falls out ; but the young 
 hair soon takes its place, and grows to a length suited to the temperature 
 to which the skin is exposed. The horsehair on the contrary is not shed, 
 but if it is plucked out it is reproduced, though slowly. 
 
 Every part op the skin is sensible to impressions from external ob- 
 jects, but the sense of touch, such as we possess in the fingers, can only be 
 
 Fig. 1. — Nerves of Sensation supplied to the Lips of the Horse, showing also the 
 Origin of the Jugular Vein. 
 
 said to reside in the lips, and partially in the feet. All these parts are 
 profusely supplied with nerves of sensation, and the horse may often be 
 observed to use them in examining external objects, especially his lips, 
 which are the most delicate of his organs of touch. The annexed en- 
 graving of a preparation of the nerves of the face shows this distribution 
 very clearly, and will give an idea of the numerous ramifications of sensi- 
 tive nerves supplied to the lips. Mr. Rarey has lately drawn special 
 attention to this subject; but it has long been known to those who are 
 familiar with the habits of the horse. The feet are also largely supplied 
 with nerves, though not to the same extent as the human fingers ; and 
 being covered with horny matter, the sensibility of the surface is greatly 
 reduced : still tl ere can be no doubt that the horse uses them occasionally 
 
448 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 in making out the nature of objects presented to him : and this is especially 
 the case with the fore feet, though it will sometimes happen that the hind 
 extremities are used for the same purpose ; as, for instance, in ascertaining 
 the nature of a hard body before kicking at it. 
 
 It is necessary to examine the structure of the foot most carefully, 
 not as an object of curiosity connected with the sense of touch, hut on 
 account of the numberless diseases and accidents to -which it is subject. 
 JSTo part of the horse is so liable to the effects of hard work and mis- 
 management as this, and there is consequently none which more requires 
 our care both in health and disease. The hones and ligaments entering 
 into the composition of this organ have already been described ; the former 
 at page 325, the latter at page 355. We have now to examine into the 
 structure of the sensible and insensible parts which cover these bones. 
 
 The parts entering into the composition of the foot will be better 
 understood by a reference to the annexed section of the phalanges or 
 
 Fig. 2. — Section of the parts entering into the composition of the Foot and the 
 Fetlock and Pastern Joints. 
 
 E. E. The perforans and perforatus tendons. L. Coronary substance. 
 
 G. Inferior sesamoideal ligament. 
 
 fingers terminating the metacarpal or metatarsal bones, as the case may 
 be, with their investments. It will be seen that there is very little 
 space between the pedal bone and the crust, which, together with the sole, 
 forms a horny case or natural shoe, for the sensible and delicate invest- 
 ments of the bone. So small is this space, that when inflammation takes 
 place there is no room for any swelling (the invariable accompaniment of 
 that disease), and intense pain is occasioned, as well as rapid disorganisa- 
 
 THE EOOT. 
 
 A. Os suffraginis. 
 
 B. Os coronse. 
 
 C. Os pedis. 
 
 D. Os naviculare. 
 
 H. Cleft of frog. 
 
 I. Side of frog cleft. 
 
 J. Sole. 
 
 K. Crust. 
 
THE FOOT. 
 
 44b 
 
 tion of the structure itself. The horny case is attached to the foot by a 
 delicate membrane, which lies in folds upon the pedal bone, and it can be 
 torn away by violence, or when putrefaction has commenced, with great 
 ease. These parts are here separately displayed. The several parts which 
 we shall have to examine, commencing from without, are — 1. The horny 
 case or hoof ; 2. The parts which secrete it ; 3. The arteries which supply 
 it with blood ; and 4. The pedal bone and cartilages, as well as the 
 navicular bone, which it encases. 
 
 The hoof consists of three distinct parts, which, though in the recent 
 state they are inseparably united, may be readily separated after maceration 
 for a few days. These are the external wall or crust, the sole or slightly 
 concave surface forming the bottom or floor of the case, and the triangular 
 central portion of this called the frog. The crust reaches from the edge 
 of the hairy skin to the ground, and averages about three inches and a half 
 
 Fig. 3. —The Hoof. 
 
 A. Outer surface of crust. 
 
 B. Inner surface of crust. 
 
 C. Upper surface of sole. 
 
 D. Part corresponding with the 
 
 cleft of the frog. 
 
 E. Coronary band. 
 
 Fig. 4. — Front View of the 
 Foot, with the Hoof re- 
 moved. 
 
 A. Coronary substance. 
 
 JB. Laminae. 
 
 Fig- — The undersurface 
 of the Foot. 
 
 A. Cleft of frog. 
 
 B. B. Sole. 
 
 C. Cleft between heels. 
 
 in depth. The front is the toe, the back the heel, and the intermediate 
 part the quarter on each side. It is said by Bracy Clark to be a segment 
 of a cylinder, but it is really narrower at the top than at the bottom, and 
 it should rather be described as a section of a truncated cone. When 
 examined from the side, the anterior surface should form an angle of 
 about forty-five degrees with the line of the sole, and the upper edge or 
 coronary band should join the sole, so as to leave a moderate substance at 
 the heel ; for if too great the foot does not expand, and is liable to disease 
 from that cause ; or if too thin and narrow, the foot is weak and gives way 
 downwards, ending in a convexity of the sole instead of the reverse. The 
 front of the crust is rather more than half an inch in thickness, and in a 
 strong foot of average size gradually diminishing to the quarters, at the 
 back of which it is generally barely a quarter of an inch thick, especially 
 at the inner of the two. This proportion is however confined to the fore 
 foot, for in the hind there is little difference between the toe and quarters 
 in point of thickness. The superior border, or coronary band, is marked 
 by its whitish colour. On its external surface it resembles the crust 
 below; but internally it differs in being smoothly excavated, whilst the 
 crust exhibits perpendicular striae, corresponding with the laminse ; but 
 this is not well shown in Fig. 3. In examining the cut of the sole, Fig. 5, 
 it will be seen that the crust is bent inwards towards the frog at the heel 
 
THE iiOBSE. 
 
 450 
 
 on each side : there are the bars, which in the natural foot appear as 
 sharpened prominences, extending from the heels into the centre of the 
 foot, between the sole and the frog, and which are useful as buttresses, 
 supporting the crust from being crushed inwards by the superincumbent 
 weight. The sole is the plate at the bottom of the foot, which should be 
 slightly concave downwards, and is fixed to the inner edge of the crust, and 
 the outer sides of the bars, and not to their lower surfaces. Its usual 
 thickness is about one-sixth of an inch, but it will vary greatly in different 
 horses, and it is thicker where it runs back between the bars and the 
 crust. It is secreted in plates, which can readily be separated with a 
 knife in that direction. The frog is the prominent, triangular, and elastic 
 substance, which fills up the space between the heels posteriorly, the bars on 
 each side, and the sole in front. In the middle is a longitudinal fissure, 
 called the cleft, the sides of which should form an angle of about forty-five 
 degrees. In front of this cleft is a solid wedge of the elastic horny sub- 
 stance, constituting the frog, which lies immediately beneath the navicular 
 bone, and has received the name of the cushion. Posteriorly it is spread 
 out into a thin band on each side which covers the bulbs of the heels, and 
 passes round the upper part of the wall constituting the coronary frog- 
 band of Eracy Clark, which is continuous with the coronary substance. 
 The structure of the horn which forms these three divisions, varies a 
 good deal. In the crust it is fibrous, somewhat resembling whalebone 
 in this respect, but not quite so hard ; these bristly fibres are united 
 by a gelatinous substance, but they are arranged so as to lie in straight 
 lines descending from the coronary circle to the ground. The wall may, 
 therefore, be considered as composed of hairs agglutinated together, 
 and each secreted by one of the villi, which are so thickly spread over 
 the surface of the coronary circle. The sole is also fibrous, but not 
 nearly so much so as the wall; and the fibres are not arranged in so 
 parallel a manner, taking rather an oblique direction from behind 
 forwards, and being more easily separated into scales. The frog differs 
 from both, in possessing finer fibres and in smaller quantity, in com- 
 parison with the gelatine, which formation renders it more soft and elastic 
 and also more prone to decomposition. The horny matter is sometimes 
 coloured a greyish brown, sometimes white, and sometimes marbled by a 
 mixture of the two colours. (These parts are shown more clearly in the 
 article treating of Shoeing in the 32d Chapter.) 
 
 The hoof is developed by secretion, which has its seat in the coronary 
 substance and laminae. It consists in a pouring out on their surface of a 
 plasma, in which rounded cells develop themselves, in correspondence 
 with the villi from which the secretion is poured out. These cells are 
 arranged in layers, corresponding with the secretory surface. In the crust 
 this growth takes place from the superior border to the inferior, but in the 
 sole and frog, from the internal surface to the external. This growth is 
 constant through the life of the animal, and it would give the hoof an exces- 
 sive development if it were not either for the wear of the soil in the unshod 
 horse, or of the action of the smith’s knife in the shod one ; but the increase 
 of the wall being solely from above downwards, it does not require any re- 
 duction on its external surface. The coronary substance , sometimes called 
 the coronary ligament, is a fibro-cartilaginous band intervening between 
 the skin of the leg and the hoof, covered with cuticle externally, and 
 with villi, which form a secretory surface on the edge towards the hoof. 
 It is most liberally supplied with blood, as we shall presently see, and is 
 attached to the upper part of the coffin bone and extensor tendon by 
 
THE FOOT. 
 
 451 
 
 cellular tissue. It gradually becomes thinner as it descends upon the 
 pedal bone, and ends in puckers or folds, which are continuous w T ith those 
 of the laminae, and are not even separable from them by maceration. The 
 laminae thus continuing upon the pedal bone, consist of about five hundred 
 parallel folds or plaits, plentifully supplied with blood, and forming a 
 secretory surface, which aids the coronary substance to form the horn. 
 They lie upon an elastic substratum of fibrous periosteum, which is of great 
 service in taking off the jar from the foot in its battering upon hard roads, 
 for it appears that the weight of the body is suspended from these plates, 
 and not carried upon the sole. The laminae are continuous at the toe with 
 the sensible sole, which is a vascular membrane covering the floor of the 
 pedal bone, and secreting the horny 
 sole. In the centre of the posterior 
 part of this is the sensible frog, 
 which is of nearly the same shape 
 as the horny frog, and is still more 
 liberally supplied with blood than 
 the sensible sole. 
 
 The arteries supplying these 
 vascular structures with blood, and 
 the veins taking it back, are of 
 great importance, and doubly so be- 
 cause it is in these vessels that an 
 operation is often performed in in- 
 flammation of the foot, calculated 
 to afford relief by a local abstrac- 
 tion of blood. Commencing with 
 the large metacarpal artery, which 
 is the continuation of. the radial 
 below the knee, we find it descend- 
 ing by the side of the tendo-perfo- 
 ratus under the posterior-anmdar 
 ligament. Immediately above the 
 fetlock joint it splits into three 
 branches ; the middle one passing 
 to the deep parts of the leg, and 
 the two others, forming the plantar 
 arteries, descend on each side the 
 posterior joint to the postero-lateral fig. 5 . — view of vessels of the foot, injected. 
 parts of the coronary substance. 1. Plantar vein. 
 
 Here they divide into, two leading !; ISfestothe coronary substance and lamina, 
 portions, the anterior running 4. Posterior division of plantar artery. 
 
 round to meet its fellow of the t StomS planter artery, 
 
 opposite side, and giving off with 
 
 it a complete fringe of vessels, which are displayed in the accom- 
 panying representation of an injected preparation of the foot. The 
 branches uniting in front of the foot and encircling the coronary ligament 
 are called the superior coronary circle. The posterior division of the 
 plantar artery gives off, opposite the pastern joint, the artery of the frog, 
 which descends obliquely inwards through the substance of the sensible 
 frog, and divides into two branches within it, after which it supplies the 
 whole of that substance with numerous vessels, and then goes on to the 
 sole, to which it gives off a number of radiating branches. After giving 
 off the artery of the frog, the plantar artery ends posteriorly in the lateral 
 
 G G 2 
 
462 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 laminal branch, which passes through the foramen in the ala of the os 
 pedis, and supplies the laminae. Thus the whole of these structures are 
 full of blood-vessels, for not only are the arteries above described ramifying 
 thus extensively upon them, but the blood is returned by corresponding 
 veins. 
 
 The pedal and navicular bones have been minutely described at 
 pages 324-5, but there are also two cartilaginous plates at the back of 
 each ala of the pedal bone, w^hich are of considerable importance. These 
 have been called by the late Professor Coleman the lateral and inferior 
 cartilages, whilst others have given them the name of the true and false. 
 The lateral cartilages extend backwards and outwards from the posterior 
 
 mation of the secreting surface, which will end in the formation of imperfect 
 horn, or from punctures or other wounds of the foot. Perhaps in no organ 
 does an injury so soon produce a return at compound interest, for the 
 inevitable first result is a malformation of the hoof, and this again only adds 
 to the original mischief. Hence it is that in the foot, more than in any other 
 part even, prevention is better than cure, for in many of its diseases it 
 happens that a cure cannot be obtained without rest ; and yet it is also 
 the fact that the secretion of horn will not go on perfectly without the 
 stimulus of necessity afforded by exercise. The position of the leg is such 
 that its veins have a hard task to perform at all times in returning the 
 blood from the feet, but when the horse is not exercised at all they become 
 doubly sluggish, and congcstnou in them is almost sure to occur. 
 
 ( 
 
 and upper borders of the coffin or 
 pedal bone. They are united in 
 front with the expanded termina- 
 tions of the extensor tendon, and 
 by cellular membrane with the lower 
 end of the os coronse. Posteriorly 
 they wind upwards around the ala 
 of the pedal bone, to which they 
 are firmly fixed, forming the founda- 
 tion for the heel. But in addition 
 to these lateral or true cartilages, 
 there are also two others, of a fibro- 
 cartilaginous nature, which com- 
 mence from the sides of the former 
 and proceed forwards towards the 
 heels of the pedal bone, and spread 
 inwards upon the surface of the 
 tendo-perforans. They are scarcely 
 worthy of being described as dis- 
 tinct cartilages, and appear more 
 like ordinary condensed cellular 
 membrane. 
 
 A. Lower porous surface of pedal bone. 
 
 B. Lateral surface of pedal bone. 
 
 C. C. The plantar veins. 
 
 D. D. The plantar arteries. 
 
 E. Lateral cartilage contracted by drying. 
 
 F. Veins of the frog, injected. 
 
 Fig. 6. — View of the Arteries of the Frog 
 and Sole, injected. 
 
 It will thus be seen that the foot 
 of the horse is a most complicated 
 structure, which is liable to de- 
 rangement whenever the hoof or 
 horny case is interfered with, and 
 this may occur either from mis- 
 management in shoeing, causing 
 mechanical injury, or from inflam- 
 
THE 
 
 DISEASES OF THE HORSE, 
 
 AND 
 
 THE ACCIDENTS TO WHICH HE IS LIABLE, 
 WITH THEIR TREATMENT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXY. 
 
 THE DISEASES AND INJURIES OF BONE. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS — SPLINTS — RINGBONE AND SIDEBONE— OSSIFICATION OF THE LATERAL 
 CARTILAGES — BONE SPAVIN — EXOSTOSIS OF THE HUMERUS AND SCAPULA — FISTULA OF 
 THE WITHERS— POLL EVIL — CARIES OF THE JAW — OSTEO SARCOMA — FRACTURES. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 The diseases of bone are not commonly attended by any constitu- 
 tional disturbance, and neither require an examination of general symptoms, 
 nor the adoption of any but local treatment, beyond that attention to the 
 health which is always necessary. They may all be included under the 
 heads of, — 1st. Exostosis, or increased growth of bone. 2d. Caries, or 
 ulceration. 3d. Anchylosis, or unnatural union of two bones, in conse- 
 quence of exostosis, or caries, or both. 4th. Fractures, or disunion by 
 external force. Malignant diseases of the bone also occur very rarely in 
 the horse, so that it will be scarcely necessary to occupy any space with 
 their description, especially as they are perfectly incurable. 
 
 Exostosis is the result of increased action in the nutrition of the part, 
 and is much more prevalent in young horses than in old. Indeed, after 
 six or seven years of age it is very rarely met with, and never attacks the 
 bones at that age for the first time. It may be recognised by a hard 
 swelling of the part, which in recent cases is painful on pressure; but 
 sometimes its site cannot be reached with the finger, and the disease can 
 then only be detected by its effects. A blow upon any of the bones 
 when unprotected by anything but skin will produce inflammation fol- 
 lowed by exostosis ; but the most ordinary cause is the over-stimulus of 
 hard work. Heavy horses are more prone to exostosis than light ones, 
 partly from the weight of their bodies and their high lumbering action 
 jarring their limbs in a greater degree, but also from the more spongy and 
 open texture of their bones which admit of the pressure of large blood 
 vessels within them, and are thus more liable to congestion, and conse- 
 quent morbid secretion. Exostosis is shown in the form of splints, ring- 
 and sidebone, and ossified lateral cartilages, as well as in the growths 
 which occur occasionally in other parts of the body which have received 
 
454 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 no distinguishing name. The vitality of the new growth in exostosis is 
 less than that of healthy "bone, and as a consequence, when excessive 
 inflammation is set up in the part, it will often die and be separated by 
 absorption. 
 
 Caries (ulceration) occurs as a consequence of inflammation, and in the 
 horse either results from external injury, as in poll evil and fistulous 
 withers, or from mismanagement, as in navicular disease, which latter 
 alfection will be considered under the diseases of the foot. It is always 
 attended with pain, and in severe cases with the formation of sufficient 
 matter to require an outlet, but in very restricted ulcerations, such as 
 occur in navicular disease, the pus passes into the joint, and is reabsorbed 
 with the synovia. 
 
 Anchylosis, when it is the result of caries in the two adjacent surfaces 
 of a joint, produces union between them, but in the horse it is generally 
 of a secondary kind, the result of bony growths (exostosis), thrown out 
 from the surfaces of the two bones near the joint, which coalescing, unite 
 into one mass, and thus destroy all motion. 
 
 SPLINTS. 
 
 The strict definition of this disease is “an exostosis from the lower 
 part of the small metacarpal bone, connecting it by bony union with the 
 large metacarpal bone,” but among horsemen, any bony growth from the 
 cannon bone is considered a splint, and the latter is almost as common 
 as the former. The regular splint rarely attacks the outer small meta- 
 carpal bone alone, but sometimes in very bad cases both are implicated in 
 the disease, a specimen of which is given in fig. 2. It is difficult to give 
 a valid reason for this greater frequency of splint on the inside than on 
 the out, but it is commonly said that the inner splint bone receives moro 
 of the weight of the body than the outer one, and that it is more under 
 the centre of gravity, but as it is merely suspended from the carpus, and 
 is not supported from below (in any way, mediately or directly), this can 
 produce no injurious effect upon it. The fact is so, however, whatever 
 may be the cause. 
 
 The symjrtoms of splint are generally a greater or less degree of lameness 
 during its formation, but sometimes it may go on to attain a large size 
 without any such result, espeeialfy if its growth is slow, and the horse is 
 not severely worked. It is commonly remarked that a splint is of no con- 
 sequence unless its situation is such as to interfere with the back sinews, 
 or suspensory ligament, and although it is quite true, as has been asserted 
 by learned veterinarians, that the splint is far removed from the former, 
 and seldom interferes with the latter, yet it is almost always directly con- 
 nected with the attachments of the sheath of the tendon, and this being 
 stretched every time the leg is extended will occasion the pain which is 
 expressed by the limp in the action. The size of the morbid growth has 
 no relation with the amount, or even with the existence of lameness, for 
 a very small splint will often be far more productive of this symptom than 
 a very large one. In examining a leg it is often only after careful 
 manipulation in the flexed condition that a small bony tumour (of the 
 size perhaps only of a garden pea) can be detected, but when once the 
 finger presses upon it, the horse will almost invariably be found to flinch, 
 and usually it will be thrown out just where the sheath of the tendon is 
 attached. Here there is no union between the small and large meta- 
 carpal bones, and the injury is confined to the inflammation produced in 
 
SPLINTS. 
 
 455 
 
 the sheath, which will generally go off after proper treatment and rest. 
 These small bony growths are not very uncommonly met with in the 
 hind legs, but they are not recognised there as splints. No constitutional 
 symptoms are met with in these cases, and they must be ascertained by 
 the local symptoms alone. Unless the splint is in the way of the action 
 of the other foot, and the skin on its surface is bruised by repeated 
 blows, there is seldom any swelling of the soft parts, but when this 
 
 Fin. 1 .— Splint attaching Internal Small Fig. 2. Enormous Splint, attaching both 
 Metacarpal Bone. Small Metacarpals to the Large. 
 
 1 Internal small metacarpal bone. 1. Large metacarpal bone. 
 
 2. External small metacarpal. 2. 3. Mass of exostosis connecting the three 
 
 3 . Large metacarpal bone. metacarpal bones together. 
 
 4. 4. Bony growth constituting a large splint, and 
 
 attaching the small to the large metacarpal 
 bone. 
 
 occurs, the skin and cellular membrane become puffed and hot, and 
 extreme lameness is the result, temporarily aggravated by every blow. 
 
 The treatment of a splint will depend upon the state in which it exists, 
 and upon the purpose to which the horse possessing it is destined. If no 
 lameness exists, and the blemish is not objected to, it is far better not to 
 meddle with it, for in the course of a few years it will disappear by 
 absorption as a matter of course. Moreover it often happens that in 
 attempting to remove a splint by some irritating application, extensive 
 inflammation is set up in the fibrous structures attached to it, and lame- 
 ness, which was not previously in existence, is thenceforth a most trouble- 
 
456 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 some attendant. If, however, the horse is for sale, in which case the 
 existence of a splint would he regarded with suspicion, or if lameness has 
 shown itself, it will he necessary to adopt measures likely to effect tl e 
 absorption of the morbid growth, and these are chiefly two : — 1st. Sub- 
 cutaneous scarification, or without, a seton, or the seton alone ; and 2d. 
 Counter-irritation by means of some form of blister. If the soft parts 
 covering the splint are much inflamed, the horse should have his corn taken 
 away, and a dose of physic given him, during which a wet bandage should 
 be kept constantly applied, and indeed, in any case of splint severe enough 
 to require operation, the cooling remedies mentioned above should be 
 adopted beforehand. The operation is performed with a probe-pointed 
 narrow knife, shaped like a scimitar, with the cutting edge on the convex 
 side. A small opening is made in the skin about an inch below the 
 splint, and just large enough to admit the knife, which is then introduced 
 and pushed upwards with its flat side towards the skin, till it reaches the 
 tumour, when the convex edge is turned towards this, and several exten- 
 sive scarifications are made in the periosteum covering it, after which the 
 knife is withdrawn and a fine seton-needle is introduced in its place, and 
 passed upwards until it reaches above the splint, when it is pushed 
 through, and the tape drawn out, and properly secured with a 
 bandage. Of course the horse must be cast and properly secured 
 before resorting to the knife. In the course of ten days or a fort- 
 night, the tape may be withdrawn, and the splint will almost in- 
 variably disappear. Sometimes the seton is tried without the scarifica- 
 tion, but it is not nearly so successful, and is nearly as troublesome 
 an operation. In most cases both these operations are unnecessary, and 
 the application of the following blister (which has a tendency to pro- 
 duce absorption, independently of its counter-irritative powers) will have 
 the desired effect. 
 
 Take of Biniodide of Mercury .... 1 drachi» 
 
 Lard 1 ounce. Mix, 
 
 and after cutting the hair short, rub a little into the skin covering the 
 splint, every night, until a free watery discharge is produced from the 
 surface. To facilitate this the leg should be fomented with very hot 
 water every morning and afternoon, and this should be continued for 
 several days after the ointment has been discontinued. The horse will 
 not gnaw the skin after this application, and it is a very useful one for 
 general purposes, when counter-irritation is required to produce absorption. 
 If, after a week’s interval, the splint does not appear much reduced in 
 size, the ointment should be re-applied, and repeated at similar intervals 
 till the swelling is removed. When the bony growth is very extensive, 
 as shown in fig. 2, page 455, neither scarification nor counter-irritation will 
 be of much service, and the leg must be fired, and afterwards repeatedly 
 blistered, but even with the best and most energetic treatment, the part 
 will seldom become sufficiently sound to stand anything but slow work. 
 
 KINGBONE AKD SIDEBONE. 
 
 Kingbone and sidebone both consist in the throwing out of bony 
 matter about the joints of the os coronae ; the former name being given 
 to the disease when it attacks that between it and the os suffraginis, and 
 the latter when the seat is the parts around its union with the os pedis 
 or coffin bone. Yery often, and especially in heavy cart or dray horses, 
 
RINGBONE AND SIDEBONE. 
 
 457 
 
 ringbone and sidebone co-exist in the same leg, as shown at fig. 3, 
 where the three bones are completely anchylosed, and in which, during 
 life, the only action was in the fetlock joint. The disease attacks the hind 
 leg as well as the fore ; but it is more common in the latter than in the 
 former. 
 
 The symptoms are a greater or less enlargement of the leg, of a hard and 
 unyielding nature, either immediately above the coronet, as in sidebone, 
 or a little higher, as in ringbone. In the latter case, if thoroughly 
 established, it surrounds the joint, whence the name of ringbone ; but in 
 the early stages it appears at certain points from which it spreads all 
 round. Sidebone is seldom so extensive, and usually attacks the postero- 
 lateral parts of the os coronse, where the swelling is defined, and, except in 
 very hairy-legged or gummy-heeled horses, can easily be felt. In the 
 
 Fig. 3: — Cask of Ringbone and Sidebone occurring in a heavy Dray Horse. 
 
 1. Os suffraginis. 
 
 2. Os co?on8e. 
 
 3. Os pedis. 
 
 4. Complete union by ossiiic matter between tbe 
 
 os pedis and 05 coronae, but still incomplete 
 in the joint above. 
 
 5. Complete union of the three bones. 
 
 early stages the action is not impeded, but there is more or less soreness 
 or lameness. After much bone is thrown out, the joints are either com- 
 pletely fixed or their movements are extremely limited. 
 
 The treatment in the early stage is precisely similar to that for splint ; 
 but the operation of scarifying the periosteum requires great care and some 
 knowledge of the anatomy of these joints, or the knife will pierce the cap- 
 sular ligament, and increase the evil it was intended to relieve. A seton 
 without the scarification will often be of service, and for sidebone, firing 
 in the early stage will be serviceable, though it is objectionable on account 
 
458 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 of the blemish it leaves behind. The biniodide of mercury ointment already- 
 described is most useful in slight cases, but in severe ones it will rather 
 tend to aggravate the growth, and when anchylosis has taken place, nothin* 
 but time and patience for the subsidence of the inflammation will avail 
 W hen this has taken place, and the joint is fixed, a high-heeled shoe will 
 enable the horse to work, with some awkwardness it is true, and the addi- 
 tion of a leather sole will to some extent take off the jar, which occurs in 
 a greatly increased ratio when the elastic action of the pastern joints is 
 destroyed. 
 
 OSSIFICATION OF THE LATERAL CARTILAGES. 
 
 This is commonly known as ossification of the cartilages, or false ring- 
 bone, no other cartilages being subject to ossification, and these bein<> 
 therefore known par excellence as the cartilages. In heavy cart horses it 
 often co-exists with ringbone and sidebone, especially the latter ; but it 
 also attacks well-bred carriage horses, and high-actioned hacks, which are 
 comparatively free from those diseases. 
 
 The symptoms are more or less enlargement of the back of the coronet, 
 and heel, the part feeling unnaturally hard and irregular or lumpy. If 
 recent, there is. generally increased heat on careful examination with 
 the hand ; but in old standing cases there is nothing of the kind to be 
 detected. Lameness is not always present, but if the horse is rattled 
 
 Fig. 4. — Ossification of the Lateral Cartilages. 
 
 1. Pedal bone. 2. 3. The lateral cartilages ossified. 
 
 over hard ground, he will be more likely to show the effects on the next 
 day, by going short and sore, than if he were free from this disease. 
 
 The treatment should be confined to recent cases, for in old standing 
 ones, unless lameness shows itself, it is better to avoid any interference. 
 A seton, with rest, has sometimes proved very efficacious, even in confirmed 
 ossification, and repeated dressings with the biniodide of mercury ointment, 
 will, in those cases where the inflammation does not run very high, afford 
 the best chance of causing the absorption of some of the bone, for a com- 
 plete cure is never effected. When there is much heat in the part, bleed- 
 ing from the foot may be adopted, and afterwards, the application of cloths 
 dipped in cold water, with the addition of a glass of tincture of arnica to' 
 quart of water. In confirmed cases, where the parts have become cal- 
 lous, a leather sole to the shoe will take off the vibration, and should 
 be used during the summer season. Scarification of the skin covering 
 the enlargement with a lancet, encouraging the bleeding by warm water, 
 and followed by the use of cold water as soon as the bleeding has ceased, 
 
BONE SPAVIN. 
 
 459 
 
 will sometimes do wonders in recent cases. The scarification should he 
 repeated at intervals of five or six days, taking care to avoid injury to the 
 coronary substance near the hoofs, which is sometimes followed by trouble- 
 some sores. 
 
 POKE SPAYIN'. 
 
 This disease, so frequently the cause of lameness in those horses which 
 use their hocks severely (as for example race horses, hunters, carriage 
 horses, and more particularly cart horses), consists in exostosis from 
 the adjacent external surfaces of the tarsal bones, always showing 
 itself at the inner side of the hock joint, on the scaphoid and cunei- 
 form bones, and extending to the head of the internal small meta- 
 tarsal bone. As in the case of splint, the occurrence of exostosis on 
 the internal rather than on the 
 external side of the hock has been 
 accounted for by the supposition 
 that increased weight is thrown 
 upon the internal small metatarsal 
 bone, from the turning up of the 
 outer heel of the shoe, which is the 
 common practice of smiths. It 
 appears to me, however, that the 
 contrary is the case, and that though 
 more stress is laid upon the foot on 
 that side, there is less weight on 
 the inner side of the hock, which 
 has a tendency to spring open in 
 that direction. This will cause a 
 strain upon the ligaments connect- 
 ing the tarsal bones, and nature 
 coming to their aid throws out bone, 
 which ultimately substitutes anchy- 
 losis for ligamentous union between 
 these bones. In all the actions of 
 the hind leg, from the natural shape 
 of the hock, and more especially 
 in those horses which are naturally 
 “ cow-hocked,” there is a tendency 
 to yield inwards rather than in the 
 opposite direction. The consequence 
 is that there is more strain upon the 
 ligamentous fibres which connect 
 the scaphoid with the two cuneiform 
 and the internal metatarsal, than 
 upon those uniting the cuboid with the os calcis and external metatarsal 
 bone. Hence, although exostosis does sometimes show itself in other- 
 parts of the tarsal bones, it here, as in the fore leg, is almost always 
 confined to what is called the “ spavin place,” namely, the contiguous 
 surfaces of the scaphoid, cuneiform, and internal metatarsal bones. In 
 very bad cases the articular cartilage becomes involved, and there is not 
 only an external casing of new bone, but the internal surfaces absolutely 
 coalesce or anchylose. 
 
 The symptoms of spavin are a hard substance showing itself beyond 
 the proper level of the hock joint, at the spot which is pointed out iu 
 
 Fig. 5.— Antkro- internal view op Exostosis 
 
 CONSTITUTING SPAVIN. 
 
 1. Os scaphoides. 
 
 2 Os cuneiforme parvum. 
 
 3. Morbid growth of bone, constituting the disease 
 
 known as bone spavin. 
 
 4. Large metatarsal or cannon bone. 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 4<;o 
 
 fig. 5, 3. There may or may not he lameness, but if bone is thrown out the 
 disease is established. In recent cases whenever the horse is worked he 
 will after rest limp in his action, but the lameness soon goes off, and does 
 not show itself again until the part has been suffered to become stiff by a 
 rest of an hour or two. The lameness is very remarkable, and differs 
 greatly from that shown in any other disease. The leg is drawn up with 
 a quick catch, and yet there is a dragging of the limb, indicating not only 
 pain in the joint, but a want of action in it. In the early stages the 
 latter is not clearly developed, but afterwards it is so well marked that a 
 spavin may be pronounced to exist without an examination of the joint. 
 Where lameness is not established, great care should be exercised in pro- 
 nouncing on the existence of spavin, for some hocks are naturally formed 
 with prominent heads of the internal metatarsal bones, and the inexpe- 
 rienced eye and hand are very apt to mistake these for exostosis. In such 
 cases, by comparing the two hocks it will generally be seen that they are 
 both exactly alike, while in spavin, although both joints may be the seat 
 of mischief, yet they will seldom manifest the disease to the same extent. 
 
 The treatment should be directed to the abatement of the inflammation 
 which gives rise to the pain, and also to promote absorption of the new 
 growth. Veterinary surgeons are very apt to assert that the disease 
 cannot be cured, and that a spavined horse will always remain the subject 
 of it, and therefore unsound. But practically it is known that many a 
 hock which has been the seat of undoubted spavin loses all external 
 enlargement, and no lameness is shown in it, although tried most severely 
 through a series of years. Still on dissection after death, the ligaments will 
 not show their natural white and glistening structure, and the tarsal bones 
 will be to a certain extent united by anchylosis. In very bad cases there 
 will be also caries of the articulatory surfaces, and with it inflammation 
 of the synovial membranes, which may and often does exist without the 
 caries. N ow as these are much more formidable diseases than exostosis, and 
 far more difficult either to cure or palliate, it follows that although certain 
 remedies will be generally successful with genuine bone spavin (exostosis), 
 yet they will fail when the above complication exists. The treatment 
 must therefore be adapted to the exact nature and extent of the disease. 
 Prior to the adoption of any plan the joint should be rested, the outer heel 
 of the shoe should be lowered, the corn should be taken away, and the system 
 cooled by appropriate treatment. After these precautions are taken, the 
 next thing is to decide upon the remedies which will be suited to the case. 
 They consist in 1. Blisters, which have a tendency to cause absorption; 
 2. Firing ; 3. Setons, with or without subcutaneous scarification ; 4. Division 
 of the nerve. If there is simply a slight exostosis, with little lameness, and 
 no evidence of the joint being implicated, the biniodide of mercury may be 
 applied as described at page 456. Repeated dressings will be necessary, 
 and the joint must have at least two months’ absolute rest, the horse 
 being placed in a loose box. This remedy is often successful, but it will 
 fail utterly where the exostosis is extensive, or there is caries, or even 
 severe inflammation of the synovial membrane. Arsenic, sulphuric acid 
 (which is the basis of Major’s British Remedy), and other caustic appli- 
 cations, have been counted as infallible cures ; but while they are just as 
 certain to produce a blemish as firing, the extent to which the inflam- 
 mation and sloughing, caused by them, go is far more completely beyond 
 our control. Arsenic has been known to destroy the joint, by producing 
 a slough of the synovial membrane, and it is said that the British 
 Remedy, which, however, is often very successful, has had a similar 
 
EXOSTOSIS OF THE HUMERUS AND SCAPULA. 461 
 
 unfortunate result ; but of its being folk wed by serious blemishes there 
 is abundant proof. Firing is the safest, and, therefore, the usual plan 
 adopted for spavin, and on the first intimation of the disease it is often 
 adopted without any necessity for having recourse to so disfiguring a 
 process. Its chief advantage is, that while it is a certain means of 
 establishing a strong counter-irritation, it has no tendency to cause any 
 increase of inflammation in the structures beneath the skin, and therefore 
 the good it does is unalloyed by any counterbalancing evil. It is now 
 the fashion to deny its use, and horsemasters are often tempted to try 
 some substitute for it in the hope of escaping a blemish ; but too often 
 they are compelled to submit to it at last, and probably after the disease 
 has been aggravated by some “ unfailing” remedy. If there is a strong 
 desire expressed to avoid a blemish, the veterinary surgeon is perfectly 
 warranted in doing all in his power to effect a cure without the use of the 
 irons ; but the mere fashion of the day should not induce him to decry a 
 plan which has for so many years been proved to be successful. In human 
 surgery the same course has been adopted, and for the last thirty or forty 
 years the actual cautery has been voted “ barbarous” in this country. 
 Now, however, a counter current is setting in, and it is the general 
 opinion of the first hospital surgeons of the day that, in certain diseases 
 of the joints, no remedy is nearly so efficacious. All sorts of attempts 
 are made to render the use of the hot iron less repugnant to the senses ; 
 but in the case of the horse it is only necessary to measure its comparative 
 utility and the amount of pain which it gives. The former has been 
 already considered, and as to the latter, if the irons are properly heated, 
 I much doubt whether their action is not less painful than that of any 
 other counter-irritant. Setons, perhaps, give less pain if skilfully inserted, 
 and they are admirable remedies, having nearly the same beneficial effects 
 as firing, and leaving a far slighter blemish. They should be passed beneath 
 a considerable track of the skin, covering the “ spavin place,” and the 
 tape requires to be smeared with blistering cerate to produce sufficient 
 irritation. Their use by themselves is often sufficient, but when preceded 
 by subcutaneous scarification they seem to act even more certainly than 
 firing. Mr. Holmes, of Beverley, has obtained great celebrity for his 
 treatment of spavin on this plan, and undoubtedly not without founda- 
 tion. Some of his cures have been very remarkable, as even old standing 
 and extensive growths of bone have been reduced, and the hocks have 
 remained sound afterwards. The method of operation is similar to that 
 described for splints, but it requires more knowledge of the anatomy of 
 the parts to avoid doing mischief by cutting into one of the joints. There 
 is always afterwards considerable effusion into the subcutaneous cellular 
 membrane, demanding two or three months for its removal ; but as the 
 spavined horse requires that interval of rest, this is of little or no con- 
 sequence. When the disease has gone so far that no method of treat- 
 ment will remove it, the nerve above the hock may be divided, which will 
 enable the horse to work without pain for a time, but the disease goes on 
 the faster, and the benefit derived is only temporary. 
 
 EXOSTOSIS OF THE HUMEBUS AND SCAPULA. 
 
 The heads of the bones adjacent to most of the joints of the body are 
 more or less subject to exostosis, though not so frequently as those of 
 the pastern bones and tarsus. Next to these probably comes the shoulder 
 joint, the neighbourhood of which is often the seat of this disease, but 
 
4f>2 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 seldom to the extent shown in the case from which the accompanyin 
 engraving is taken. It represents the left scapula and humerus of 
 horse, which were completely anchylosed, and of course there co-existed a 
 proportionate amount of lameness during the progress of the disease, while 
 after the anchylosis took place the want of action must have been com- 
 plete. An examination by the hand of the point of the shoulder would 
 readily detect so large a growth of bone as this ; but smaller ones are often 
 thrown out beneath the mass of muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, 
 and consequently beyond the reach of the most accomplished finger. The 
 
 Fig. 0.— Anchylosis op the Shoulder Joint *kom Exostosis. 
 
 A. Scapula. C. D. Exostosis around the shoulder joint producing 
 
 B. Humerus. anchylosis. 
 
 treatment should be on the same principle as for spavin, omitting the 
 subcutaneous scarification, which is not here practicable on account of the 
 nature of the joint. Blisters, and especially with the biniodide of mercury, 
 will be the most likely to succeed, but in most cases the cure will be only 
 partial. 
 
 FISTULA OF THE WITHERS. 
 
 When a saddle has been allowed to press upon the spinous processes 
 of the dorsal vertebrae, it produces inflammation, which, if neglected, leads 
 
 & QK3 
 
POLL EVIL. 
 
 463 
 
 to the formation of an abscess. But the situation of the part is such that 
 the matter cannot escape, even if the skin over the points of the bones is 
 perforated, and it has a tendency, by the force of gravity, to burrow down 
 among the muscles which connect the shoulder-blade with the trunk. 
 The consequence is, that there is extensive inflammation, and often lame- 
 ness of the shoulder, which could readily have been prevented by using 
 proper care before the mischief was done, or removed by the adoption of 
 suitable treatment afterwards before the disease is confirmed. 
 
 The symptoms in the early stage (that is, before a fistula is established) 
 are merely an enlargement of the ends of the spinous processes, accom- 
 panied by heat and tenderness, but these go on until an abscess forms, 
 which may be known to the touch by the fluctuating nature of the sensa- 
 tion which it gives on pressure by the fingers of each hand. As soon as 
 this is made out, an opening should be made as low down as possible on 
 the right side, taking care that it will allow all the matter to run out as 
 fast as it forms. The reason why the right side should be chosen is, that 
 most horses lie down on that side ; but if the subject of fistulous withers 
 is in the habit of lying on the left side, the opening should be made there 
 in preference. When an actual fistula has been established, and the 
 matter points before or behind the shoulder blade, a sufficiently large 
 opening should at once be made, taking care again that there is no pouch 
 below it which will permit any accumulation. It is better to divide even 
 important muscles than to suffer this to exist. In recent cases the establish- 
 ment of this dependent opening will alone suffice to effect a cure ; but 
 in those of long standing the lining of the fistulous passage or passages 
 has become converted into a substance almost resembling cartilage, 
 and refuses to throw out healthy granulations, so as to lead to adhe- 
 sion of its walls. Here a stimulus must be applied to their interior, which 
 may be either mechanical, in the shape of a seton tape passed through 
 from end to end and left there, or chemical, by means of injections. The 
 latter are best composed of chloride of zinc (Sir W. Burnett's disinfecting 
 fluid), diluted with water. One drachm of this should be mixed in a pint 
 of water, and carefully injected into every part of the sinus twice or thrice 
 a week. 
 
 POLL EVIL. 
 
 Poll evil is exactly similar in its nature to fistulous withers, being 
 produced by a blow on the prominent ridge, which is situated on the top 
 of the poll. The blow is generally produced in the stable, by the horse 
 suddenly lifting his head and striking it against a low beam or the lintel 
 of the door. Or it may be caused by frequently straining against the 
 lialter rein, and thus producing irritation and inflammation of the part. 
 As the ligamentum colli is attached above, and anterior to, the inflamed 
 part, when matter forms it is confined and gives intense pain ; besides 
 which, it is a long time before it opens a passage by natural means. The 
 symptoms are a painful swelling on the poll, of*a soft nature, accompanied 
 by the sense of fluctuation on examination, just like that described as ac- 
 companying fistulous withers. The treatment must be precisely similar to 
 that described in the last section ; but as the matter when formed lies very 
 close to the spinal cord, some caution must be exercised in adopting stimu- 
 lating injections, which are apt to produce severe inflammation, likely to 
 extend to these important structures. So also in opening it, the knife 
 should not be carried deeply into the situation of the spinal marrow, which 
 here lies exposed, and is easily divided (as in the operation known by the 
 
4G4 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 name of pithing), but it should be used in a slanting manner, again select- 
 ing the right side in preference to the left. A seton is here the safest 
 plan for promoting granulation and adhesion, and as the fistulous track is 
 seldom very long, the tape will work its way gradually out, by which time 
 the cure is effected. 
 
 CAEIES OF THE JAW. 
 
 The upper jaw, from its exposed situation, and the lower from the 
 same cause, and also from the abuse of the bit, are liable to mechanical 
 injury, which ends in caries (ulceration), or sometimes in necrosis (morti- 
 fication), of the part. Caries of the lower jaw, between the tushes and 
 grinders, is extremely common, owing to the barbarous punishment which 
 is inflicted by the use of long levers to curb bits, together with tight curb 
 chains. The bony plate forming the roof of the mouth is also often 
 injured by the pressure of the port when a tight noseband is employed to 
 keep the mouth shut. Either may be known by the existence of a sore 
 of a peculiar character ; there is a depression indicating a loss of substance, 
 and in this lies a mass of unhealthy granulation (proud flesh), which is not 
 attached to the surrounding surface , being only fixed to the bottom of the 
 cavity , or perhaps partially on one side. A watery and offensive discharge 
 goes on constantly, but this is lost in the saliva, and very often the only 
 circumstance that draws attention to the disease is the constant bleeding 
 from the mouth, on the slightest contact of the bit. When this occurs, the 
 mouth being full of pink froth, it should be carefully examined, and the 
 state of things here described will generally be found to exist. The treat- 
 ment should consist in the adoption of a bit pressing upon another part of 
 the mouth, changing the curb for a snaffle. The wound should be kept 
 open by the use of caustic (lunar) daily, which should be pushed deeply 
 into it for a couple of seconds, and will destroy the unhealthy granula- 
 tions. By continuing these measures, taking care not to do more with 
 the caustic than necessary to keep down the fungous growth, a cure can 
 always be effected in course of time, without the aid of the trephine or 
 chisel to cut away the diseased bone. 
 
 Fig. 7.— Osteo Sarcoma of the Lower Jaw. 
 
 OSTEO SARCOMA. 
 
 The jaws are occasionally attacked by a malignant growth from their 
 eellular structure of a substance partaking of the nature both of cartilage 
 aud bone. It increases sometimes to an enormous size, and forms a large 
 
FRACTURES. 
 
 465 
 
 irregular tumour, which interferes terribly with their functions, often 
 growing so as to prevent the closure of the teeth. This disease is repre- 
 sented in fig. 7, as far as the osseous tissue is concerned; hut the soft 
 growths, which occupied the central parts of the tumour, have been 
 removed by maceration. The symptoms are entirely local, and when a 
 large, unwieldy, and irregularly hard swelling on either of the jaws is 
 met with, it may safely he set down as belonging to this class of disease. 
 No treatment is of any avail except excision, which can rarely he carried 
 through without rendering the horse unserviceable for his ordinary duties. 
 
 FRACTURES. 
 
 Bones are not unfrequently broken in the horse ; hut as the accident 
 generally occurs either during the violent exertion of the muscles of the 
 limb, or from great external force, it follows that in most cases the 
 injury to the soft parts is so great as to forbid the hope of a perfect 
 reparation. When, for instance, a canna or pastern hone gives way 
 during the shock sustained in coming down on hard ground from a leap, 
 either at the moment of the fracture or before the horse can he stopped, 
 the upper end pierces the skin, and also tears or bruises the tendons which 
 alone connect it to the part below. In surgical language, the fracture is 
 a compound one ; and from the great tendency to contraction of the 
 muscles, the difficulty of bringing the disunited ends into apposition (or 
 setting them) is immense. Moreover, the horse is very unmanageable 
 when an attempt is made to confine him, and the means which are 
 adopted to keep the fracture set must therefore be very complete as com- 
 pared with those which will serve for the restoration of the human being 
 who has sustained a similar accident. Hence, unless the animal is- wanted 
 for stud purposes alone, or unless the fracture is a simple one,, with little 
 displacement, it will seldom be worth> the attempt to procure the union of 
 a broken bone in the horse. Many cases are on record in which after a 
 fracture of a canna or pastern bone a complete cure has been effected, 
 but they must be considered as exceptional, and not as affording us much 
 encouragement. 
 
 The symptoms of simple fracture are a greater or less degree of 
 deformity of the limb, swelling, pain on motion, and a peculiar grating or 
 jarring which is felt rather than heard, and which has received the name 
 of “ crepitus.” The last symptom can only be made out when the broken 
 ends of the bone can be brought together; but when this is impossible, 
 the alteration of form is in itself sufficient to lead to a detection of the 
 nature of the accident. In fractures of the head and spine there is no 
 crepitus felt, and the effect upon the brain and spinal cord of pressure 
 will be often the sole means of coming to a correct diagnosis. Fractures 
 of the pelvis are very difficult to make out, unless the ala of the ilium is 
 broken off, which is a common accident, for here the unnatural flatness of 
 the hip, showing itself without any great difficulty of moving the hind 
 leg of that side, plainly marks that there is no dislocation, and that the 
 case can only be one of fracture. It is always the result of a blow, 
 either when the horse is cast in a stall or in passing through a narrow 
 door-way, or from a similar cause; and there will therefore be some 
 swelling of the soft parts which will interfere with the examination 
 at the time, but as nothing can be done to restore the broken portion 
 to its place, and as there is no doubt about the diagnosis from dislo- 
 cation, this is of little consequence. Fractures of the ribs cannot be 
 
 H H 
 
4GG 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 readily detected ; but as they almost always follow a kick on the part, 
 and as they do not require any treatment unless their broken ends 
 press upon the important viscera of the thorax or abdomen, it will 
 be well to wait for the symptoms which are caused by this mechanical 
 irritation before resorting to bandages, &c. When a fracture occurs 
 in any of the bones of the extremities, which are concealed by a large 
 mass of muscle, the total inability to use the limb, and the loose way 
 in which it is connected to the body, so as to allow it to be moved in 
 Knj direction, indicate the general nature of the case without difficulty, 
 though a careful examination must be made by a skilful surgeon before 
 the exact particulars relating to it can be ascertained. 
 
 The treatment will depend upon the bone which is broken, and whether 
 the fracture is simple or compound. In most cases of the latter descrip- 
 tion none will avail, and the horse had better be destroyed ; but if the 
 owner is averse to this, it will be on the whole the best surgery, though 
 apparently not very scientific, to encase the parts with adhesive plasters 
 and tow, and then treat it as a simple fracture. 
 
 If the bones of the skull are fractured, unless there are symptoms 
 of pressure on the brain, it is advisable to leave all to nature, simply 
 keeping the patient quiet and low, and if in a high state of plethora, 
 bleeding and physicking. 
 
 A broken lower jaw is by no means uncommon as the result of a 
 kick. The best treatment is to set the fracture, and then mould some 
 gutta percha to it, which may be confined behind by strips round the 
 forehead and poll, and before by a padded strap passed through the mouth 
 between the nippers and tushes, and beneath the tongue. The horse 
 must be fed upon mashes and steamed food. 
 
 In fractures of the spine and pelvis nothing can be done beyond 
 rest and lowering, if necessary, by bleeding and physic. 
 
 Broken ribs, when they cause inflammation of the lungs or liver by 
 their sharp ends pressing upon these organs, may be treated by buckling 
 two or three ordinary rollers abreast of one another tightly round the 
 chest, so as to prevent the natural dilatation of the thorax, which takes 
 place in inspiration, and which keeps up the irritation by constantly moving 
 the ends of the ribs. The general means necessary to adopt to relieve the 
 internal mischief will depend upon its extent. 
 
 When either the scapula, humerus, or femur is broken, all that 
 lan be done is to sling the horse, and by bandages endeavour to bring the 
 Si mb into as natural a position as possible, and keep it there. There must 
 of necessity be great displacement of the ends of the bones, and these 
 cannot by any means be brought into apposition ; but the sides in contact 
 with one another, as they over-ride, will unite in course of time, and 
 this is all that can be achieved by the utmost efforts of the veterinary 
 surgeon. 
 
 Fractures of the lower part of the tibia, of the radius, of the canna 
 bones and the pasterns, if simple, must be treated by adjusting the ends 
 (which is the chief difficulty, and will often require strong extension to be 
 employed), and then adapting to the sides of the bones splints of wood or 
 gutta percha. If, by the aid of assistants, the parts can be brought into 
 a good position, these may be carefully adjusted to maintain it, and may 
 be kept in place by tapes or straps fastened moderately tightly around 
 them. It is useless, however, to attempt a minute description of the 
 means to be employed, which can hardly be understood without a demon- 
 stration. Many horses have recovered a fair use of the limb by the appli- 
 
467 
 
 DESEASES OF MUSCLE, ETC. 
 
 cation of splints, without slinging, as they will take care to avoid resting 
 on that foot in consequence of the pain it gives ; but under the care of 
 an accomplished veterinary surgeon slings will afford the best chance of 
 recovery. 
 
 CHAPTER XXY I. 
 
 INJURY AND DISEASES OF THE JOINTS, MUSCLES, AND TENDONS. 
 
 DISEASES OF MUSCLE, TENDON, AND LIGAMENT— OF CARTILAGE AND SYNOVIAL MEM- 
 BRANE — INFLAMED TENDINOUS SHEATHS — INFLAMED BURS.E MUCOSvE — STRAINS — 
 THOSE OF THE BACK AND LOINS — OF THE SHOULDER — OF THE KNEE — OF THE 
 FETLOCK — OF THE COFFIN JOINT — OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENTS — OF THE BACK- 
 SINEWS— BREAKING DOWN — STRAINS OF THE HIP JOINT, STIFLE, AND HOCK— CURB — 
 DISLOCATION — WOUNDS OF JOINTS. 
 
 DISEASES OF MUSCLE, TEND OH, AHD LIGAMEHT. 
 
 Muscle is subject to simple atrophy, with or without fatty degenera- 
 tion. The disease shows itself by a wasting away of the part, accom- 
 panied by a flabby feel to the touch. It should be treated by friction, 
 gentle but regular work, and steel given internally, one drachm of the 
 sulphate of iron powdered being mixed with the corn twice a day. 
 
 Rheumatic inflammation of a muscle or muscles is one of the most 
 common of all the diseases to which the horse is subject. Most frequently 
 it attacks the muscles of the shoulder, or of the loins, sometimes both 
 those parts being involved at the same time. When acute it receives the 
 name of a chill , and is generally brought on by exposing the horse to a 
 draught of air after work, or by immersing him in cold water up to his 
 belly, with a view either to refresh him, or when the groom is lazy, to 
 save him the trouble of cleaning. The symptoms are lameness or inability 
 to use the part, the horse, when forced to do so, giving expressions of severe 
 pain. If the shoulder is affected, the foot is not put to the ground, and 
 when the leg is moved backwards and forwards by the hand, great pain is 
 evidently experienced. In severe cases there is fever with accelerated 
 pulse (7 0 to 80), accompanied often by profuse sweating, and heaving at 
 the flanks, the legs remaining warm. After a short time the part swells, 
 and is excessively tender. — The treatment should be by a copious bleeding, 
 if the horse is of a moderately strong constitution ; indeed, in severe cases 
 it should be carried on till the pulse is greatly reduced, and repeated the 
 next day, if it returns to its original hardness and fulness. The 
 bowels should be acted on as soon as it is safe to do so, and if the dung is 
 very hard, backraking and clysters should be used, to accelerate the 
 action of the medicine. The best aperient is castor oil, of which a pint 
 may be given with an ounce of sweet spirits of nitre. When this has 
 acted, if the kidneys are not doing their duty, a quarter of an ounce of 
 nitre and a drachm of camphor may be made into a ball and given twice 
 a day. 
 
 Chronic rheumatism of the muscles is similar in its nature to the acute 
 form, but, as its name implies, it is more lasting, and of less severity. It 
 often flies from one part to another, attacking the ligaments and tendons, 
 as weh as the muscular fibres. It is seldom much under control, and 
 
 h h 2 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 *63 
 
 attention should be paid rather to improve the general health than to 
 subdue the local affection. 
 
 Small tumours, of about the size of a pea, often form upon the tendons, 
 especially the “ back sinews ” of the fore legs. They may or may not 
 occasion lameness, but they are always to be regarded with suspicion. As 
 long as they remain indolent, they are better left alone ; but when they 
 produce inflammation and pain, the best remedy is the biniodide of 
 mercury ointment, described at page 456. 
 
 DISEASES OF CARTILAGE AND SYNOVIAL MEMBRANE. 
 
 Cartilage is subject chiefly to ulceration. When this occurs, its cells 
 become enlarged and crowded with corpuscles, which burst and discharge 
 their contents; the intercellular structure at the same time splits into 
 bands, which, together with the corpuscles, form a fibro-nucleated mem- 
 brane on the face of the cartilage. In old horses, the ulcerated cartilage 
 covering the tibial surface of the astragalus is sometimes converted into a 
 soft fibrous substance, which ultimately assumes the appearance of hard 
 and dense bone, commonly known as “ porcellaneous or ivory deposit.’'' 
 It is accompanied by no symptoms of inflammation ; the sole evidence A 
 disease, during life, being a stiffness of the joint,, and a peculiar grating or 
 crackling noise during all attempts at movement. When caries of the 
 head of a bone has caused a loss of substance, the cartilage dies, and is 
 gradually broken down by decomposition ; but this cannot be said to be 
 a disease of the cartilage itself. With the exception of navicular disease 
 (which will be included under the diseases, of the foot), ulceration of 
 cartilage is not very common in the horse. 
 
 Acute inflammation of the synovial membrane is seldom met with ; 
 but a chronic state, inducing an excessive secretion of synovia, is extremely 
 common. The most usual situation is at the hock, where the swelling 
 has received the name of bag-spavin and thoroughpin; but they also 
 occur at the fetlock and knee joints ; in the former case being sometimes 
 confounded with windgalls, which are inflamed bursae mucosae. (See 
 Windgalls.) 
 
 Bog-spavin is very apt to attack young horses, /when they are over- 
 worked, before being fully seasoned; but it may occur at all ages. It 
 shows itself at the inner side of the joint, because here the ligaments are 
 wider apart, and there is more room for distension. Its seat is the capsule 
 between the tibia and astragalus, which is here unprotected by any strong 
 fibrous covering, and readily yields to the gradual pressure of the secretion 
 from its internal surface. (See fig. 22, G H, page 362.) 
 
 Thoroughpin may be either an increased secretion of the synovial 
 capsule, between the astragalus and os calcis, or between the scaphoid 
 and cuneiform bones, or of the bursa mucosa lying between the tendo 
 Achillis and the tendo perforatus. In the first of these cases, it often 
 coexists with bog-spavin, and the synovia may be made to fluctuate from 
 one bag to the other, the only line of demarcation being the astragalo- 
 calcanean ligament. (See fig. 22, G, page 362.) 
 
 Both bog-spavin and thoroughpin may exist, or either separately, without 
 occasioning lameness ; but where they are just established, there is gene- 
 rally some small degree of active inflammation, which causes a slight 
 lameness on first going out of the stable, but soon disappearing. 
 
 The treatment should be by pressure, kept up for a long time, by means 
 of a carefully-adjusted truss, alternated with cold affusion, and the use 
 
INFLAMED TENDINOUS SHEATHS. 
 
 469 
 
 afterwards of tincture of arnica, diluted with water, as a wash. Sub- 
 cutaneous scarification has succeeded in some few cases in causing the 
 secretion to cease ; but it has so often produced extensive inflammation of 
 the joint, that the operation is by no means to be recommended. Blister- 
 ing with biniodide of mercury has also occasionally answered; but no 
 plan is so successful, on the whole, as pressure, alternating with cold 
 affusion. 
 
 Delicate young foals are subject to a rheumatic inflammation of their 
 synovial membranes, specially displayed in the knees and hocks, and 
 apparently caused by exposure to cold. It seldom goes on to produce dis- 
 organization of the cartilages, but the capsular ligaments are distended 
 with thin yellow synovia, causing considerable stiffness. The cellular 
 tissue around the joints also becomes cedematous, and the legs fill all the 
 way down to the feet. It is commonly known among breeders as the 
 “ joint evil,” and though in itself it is not dangerous, yet it marks the 
 existence of constitutional weakness which is likely to occasion some more 
 fatal malady. The treatment should consist in attending to the general 
 health by strengthening the mare, which is best done by giving her 
 a drachm of the sulphate of iron in her corn twice a day. The joints of 
 *he foal should be rubbed with equal parts of soap liniment and spirit of 
 turpentine, and it should be assisted to stand for the purpose of sucking 
 at regular short intervals if it is unable to help itself. In aggravated cases, 
 however, the foal is not likely to recover its general -strength, and it may 
 be better to destroy it, but so long as it can stand and feeds well hopes 
 may be entertained of the joints recovering. 
 
 INFLAMED TENDINOUS SHEATHS. 
 
 Every practical horseman is aware that the sheaths in which the 
 back sinews and other tendons are lodged are liable to inflammation and 
 thickening, without the tendon itself being involved. By passing the 
 hand down the leg, an irregular network may be felt surrounding the 
 tendons, which move up and down without disturbing it ; and the sur- 
 rounding cellular membrane is also thickened, and become hard and 
 unyielding. There may be considerable heat about the part, but often it 
 is quite cool ; and the disease may continue Tor months without any great 
 lameness, and with nothing to draw attention to it (excepting a slight 
 stiffness on leaving the stable) but the sensation communicated to the 
 hand. At length, an unusually severe day’s work sets up active inflam- 
 mation, the leg rapidly fills, and there is so much lameness as to cause the 
 horse to be thrown by. — The treatment , in the early stage, should be the 
 use of bandages, constantly kept wet with arnica and water, and nothing 
 but walking exercise. After the thickening is fully established, no remedy 
 short of blistering, or a charge, will be of the slightest avail, with a rest of 
 two or three months. 
 
 INFLAMED BUBS^E MUCOSAE. 
 
 These synovial bags are liable to inflammation, either from hard 
 work, as in windgalls and thoroughpin, or from blows, as in capped hock 
 and elbow. The latter are said by some veterinarians to be serous ab- 
 cesses ; but there is no doubt that in all horses a subcutaneous bursa 
 exists on the cap of the elbow and hock ; and these become inflamed and 
 filled with a very thin synovia, when they are bruised. They never 
 
470 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 extend beyond a certain size, and have no tendency to burst; nor are tbcy 
 inclined to a healthy termination of their own accord, but go on in the 
 same condition from year to year. 
 
 Windgalls, or puffs, are the most usual forms of these enlargements, 
 and may be observed in the legs (hind as well as fore) of nearly every 
 hard- worked horse, after a time. Great care in the management of the 
 legs by bandaging will sometimes keep them off, and some horses have 
 naturally no tendency to form them ; but in most cases, on examining the 
 legs, just above the fetlock joints, of horses at work, a little oval bag may 
 be felt on each side, between the back-sinew and the bone. If recent, it 
 is soft and puffy ; but if the work is hard, and the windgall is of long 
 standing, it will be as tense as a drum. The synovial bag has nQ com- 
 munication with the fetlock joint; but there is another sac in front of the 
 joint, and beneath the tendons of the extensors, which is often enlarged, 
 though not so much so as the seat of the true windgall, and which is 
 generally, though not always, continuous with the synovial capsule of the 
 joint. — The treatment consists in pressure by means of bandages, and the 
 application of cold lotions, if the legs are hot and inflamed. Blistering and 
 rest will remove them entirely ; but no sooner is the horse put to work 
 again, than they return as badly as ever. There is no radical cure but 
 subcutaneous puncture and scarification, and this will produce too much 
 adhesion to be advantageously applied. 
 
 The form of thoroughpin in which the bursa mucosa between the 
 tendo Achillis and the tendo perforatus is inflamed and filled with synovia, 
 has been alluded to at page 468, and its treatment is there described. 
 
 Capped hock is always the result of a bruise of the superficial bursa, 
 which is situated on the point of the hock, immediately beneath the skin. 
 It indicates either that the possessor has kicked in the stable or in har- 
 ness ; but it is more frequently caused in the former way than in the 
 latter. The swelling is sometimes slight, being then just sufficient to 
 show the point slightly enlarged, and to give a soft, puffy sensation to the 
 fingers, where there ought to be nothing but bone felt beneath the skin. 
 The bursa always rolls freely on the bone, and when large, it can be 
 laid hold of and shaken like a bladder of water. — The treatment should be 
 directed to abate any slight inflammation that may exist, if the case is 
 established ; but in recent ones, it is doubly necessary to apply cold 
 lotions, which, however, there is some difficulty in doing, owing to the 
 prominent nature of the part. A piece of stout calico or fine canvas may, 
 however, be shaped into a cap, carefully fitting the point of the hock; and 
 this being tied by several pieces of tape in front of the leg, will allow not 
 only of the application of cold lotions, but of pressure also. By this plan, 
 continued for some weeks, considerable enlargements have been removed, 
 but they are very apt to return on the slightest bruise. Setons through 
 the bursa, and injections into its cavity of stimulating applications, have 
 often been tried; but they generally do more harm than good, and nothing 
 can be relied on but the conjoint use of pressure and cold applications. 
 The best lotion is the following : — 
 
 Take of Tincture of Arnica 3 ozs. 
 
 Muriate of Ammonia 2 „ 
 
 Methylated Spirit of Wine ..... 4 ,, 
 
 Water 3 pints. Mix. * 
 
 Capped elbow is precisely similar in its nature to capped hock, and 
 must be treated in the same way. It is also known by the name o: 
 eapulet. 
 
STRAINS. 
 
 471 
 
 OF STRAIN'S. 
 
 The fibres of muscles, ligaments, and tendons, and the fascia 
 covering them, are all liable to be overstretched, and more or less 
 mechanically injured. This is called a strain, the symptoms of which are 
 sindlar to the inflammation of the part occurring ideopathically. They 
 are heat, swelling, and pain on pressure or movement, shown by flinching 
 in the one case, and lameness in the other. In some cases there is con- 
 siderable effusion of blood or serum, the former occurring chiefly in the 
 muscles, and the latter among the tom fibres of the tendons or liga- 
 ments. — The symptoms and treatment will depend upon the part injured, 
 which will be found described under the following heads ; but in most 
 cases an embrocation composed of equal parts of laudanum, olive oil, spirit 
 of turpentine, and hartshorn will be beneficial if applied after the first 
 active inflammation has subsided. 
 
 STRAIN OF THE BACK AND LOINS. 
 
 "When a young horse has been hunted or ridden with hounds over 
 any kind of fence, he is very apt to over-exert himself in his awkward 
 attempts to clear the obstacle, and next day he will often show a stiffness 
 of the loins and back, which is seated in the large muscles connecting the 
 pelvis with the thorax. He is said to have “ ricked his back,” in the 
 language of the stable, and if the mischief is confined to the muscles 
 alone, he may generally be permanently cured, though he will be more 
 liable to a return than an animal which has never suffered from any acci- 
 dent of the kind. If, however, the spinal cord is injured, either from 
 fracture of the vertebrae, or from effusion of blood or serum pressing upon 
 it, the case is different, and a perfect cure is seldom obtained. It is, how- 
 ever, very difficult to form a correct diagnosis between the one case and 
 the other, and the treatment may generally be conducted with the hope 
 that the more important organ is uninjured. "When there is complete 
 palsy of the hind extremities, so that the horse can neither feel nor use 
 them in the slightest degree, the case is hopeless. (See Diseases of the 
 Nervous System.) For the management of the strain of the loins, a full 
 bleeding should be adopted, as it generally happens that the horse is 
 plethoric and full of corn. Then apply a double fold of thick flannel or 
 serge, dipped in warm water, to the whole surface of the loins, cover this 
 over with a layer of indiarubber sheeting, and let it remain on, taking 
 care to renew the water if it has become dry. It generally produces a 
 copious sweating from the part, followed by a slight irritation of the skin, 
 both of which afford relief. In three or four days the flannel may be 
 removed, and the embrocation alluded to above rubbed in two or three 
 times a day, which will generally relieve the muscles so much that at 
 the end of a week or ten days the horse is able to move quietly about 
 in a loose box, and the cure may be left to time, aided by a charge on the 
 back. 
 
 STRAIN OF THE SHOULDER 
 
 Shoulder strain was formerly very often chosen as the seat of 
 tameness in the fore extremity, solely because the case is so obscure tha^ 
 it is beyond the knowledge of the unskilful examiner. Nevertheless, 
 it is by no means so uncommon as is supposed by some writers, and 
 
472 
 
 THE HORSE 
 
 perhaps it may be asserted that it is now more frequently passed 
 over when it really exists, than the reverse. It generally is seated in 
 the serratus magnus, or pectoralis transversus muscles, but it may also 
 occur in the triceps, or, indeed, in almost any of the muscles around the 
 shoulder joint. The symptoms are very peculiar, and cannot well be 
 mistaken by a careful observer who has once seen a case of shoulder 
 lameness, in all other kinds (except the knee), the limb is freely moved 
 while in the air, and no pain is expressed until the foot is about to touch 
 the ground ; but here the lameness is greatest while the knee is being 
 protruded, and the limb is swung forward sideways, in a circular 
 manner, which gives an expression of great imbecility. It also occa- 
 sions great pain when the foot is lifted and drawn forward by the hand, 
 just as in rheumatism of the part (already described at page 467). When 
 the serratus magnus has been strained by a fall from a drop leap, or the 
 pectoralis transversus by a slip, causing the legs to be widely separated, 
 there is often great obscurity in the case ; but the history of the acci- 
 dent will generally assist in forming a correct diagnosis. The treat- 
 ment in the early stage will consist in bleeding from the plate vein, to the 
 extent of five or six quarts of blood, followed by fomentations with hot 
 water, if there is much heat and swelling, and giving a dose of physic as 
 soon as the bowels will bear it. When the heat has disappeared, or at 
 once, if there is none, apply the embrocation described at page 471 ; and 
 if this does not produce relief, add to it one quarter of its bulk of tincture 
 of cantharides. 
 
 STRAINS OF THE KNEE. 
 
 The knee, unlike its analogue in the human subject (the wrist), is 
 seldom strained in the horse, in consequence of the strong ligaments which 
 bind the bones of the carpus together. Still it sometimes happens that 
 the internal lateral ligaments are overstretched, or, in calf-kneed horses, 
 the posterior common ligaments, or that connecting the scaphoid with the 
 pisiform bone, or probably all these will suffer from over extension. The 
 accident may be recognised by the heat and swelling of the part affected, 
 as well as by the pain given on using the joint. The anterior ligaments 
 are seldom strained, but are liable to injury from blows received in various 
 ways. The treatment should be conducted on the same principles as those 
 of strains in the shoulder. Cold applications will seldom do anything 
 but harm in the early stage ; but after hot fomentations have relieved the 
 active mischief, by encouraging the effusion of serum into the surrounding 
 cellular membrane, the former may be used with advantage. When the 
 heat and other signs of active inflammation have disappeared, the bin- 
 iodide of mercury ointment may be rubbed in, avoiding the back of the 
 joint. (See page 456.) 
 
 STRAIN OF THE FETLOCK. 
 
 This accident shows itself at once, in consequence of the superficial 
 nature of the joint, by swelling, heat, soreness to the touch, and lameness. 
 It may be very slight or very severe, but in the latter case it is generally 
 complicated by strain of the back sinews, or suspensory ligament. The 
 treatment will be precisely on the same plan as for strain of the knee. 
 When the anterior ligaments of the fetlock joint are strained and inflamed, 
 as so often happens with racehorses, the condition is known as “shin 
 sore.” 
 
STRAINS. 
 
 473 
 
 STRAIN OF THE COFFIN JOINT. 
 
 Dissection proves that this joint is sometimes the seat of strain ; but 
 it is almost impossible to ascertain its existence with certainty during life. 
 The diagnosis is, however, not of much consequence, as the treatment will 
 be the same, whether the coffin joint, or the navicular joint is the seat 
 of the mischief. In any case, if severe, bleeding from the toe should be 
 had recourse to, followed by cold applications around the coronet, by 
 means of a strip of flannel or felt, tied loosely round the pastern, and kept 
 constantly wet. When the heat has subsided, the coronet should be 
 blistered. 
 
 STRAIN OF THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENTS. 
 
 The suspensory ligament not being elastic like the back sinews (whieli, 
 though not in themselves extensible, are the prolongations of muscles 
 which have that property), is very liable to strains, especially in the hunter, 
 and to a less degree in the racehorse. On reference to pages 352-3, the 
 inferior connexions of this part will be seen to be the two sesamoid bones, 
 by a bifurcation of its substance, and as these bones support the pastern 
 joints by the inferior sesamoideal ligaments, when the suspensory liga- 
 ment is strained the whole apparatus is rendered useless, because the 
 pain occasioned by the extension of the upper part prevents the horse from 
 putting his weight upon the foot. The accident is readily made out, for 
 there is local swelling and tenderness, and in the well-bred horse, which 
 is alone likely to meet with a strain of this kind, the leg is rarely suffi- 
 ciently gummy to prevent the finger from making out the condition of the 
 ligaments and tendons. There is no giving way of the joints as in 
 “ break down,” but on the contrary the leg is flexed, and if the case is a 
 bad one, the toe only is allowed to touch the ground. In ordinary cases, 
 however, there is merely slight swelling of the susipensory ligament in a 
 limited spot usually near its bifurcation, or sometimes in one division 
 only close above the sesamoid bone to which it is attached. The horse 
 can stand readily on that leg, but on being trotted he limps a good deal. 
 Sometimes, however, there is a swelling of the feet without lameness, but 
 in this case the enlargement is generally due to an effusion of serum into 
 the cellular covering of the ligament, and not to an actual strain of its 
 fibres. — The treatment will depend greatly upon the extent of the mischief; 
 if there is no great injury done, and the enlargement is chiefly from effusion 
 of serum, rest and cold applications by means of bandages or otherwise 
 will in the course of two or three months effect a cure. Generally, how- 
 ever, the case will last six or eight months before the ligament recovers its 
 tone, and in a valuable horse no attempt should be made to work him 
 before that time. Where the swelling is small, as it generally is, bandages 
 have no power over it, as the projection of the flexor tendons keeps the 
 pressure off the injured part. Here, dipping the leg in a bucket of water 
 every hour will be of far more service than a bandage, and the sudden 
 shock of the cold water will be doubly efficacious. After all heat has dis- 
 appeared the biniodide of mercury may be used as a blister two or three 
 times, and then the horse may either be turned out, or put into a loose 
 box for three or four months, after which walking exercise will complete 
 the cure. 
 
 STRAIN OF THE BACK SINEWS. 
 
 In this accident the position of the leg is the same as in strain of the 
 suspensory ligament, and there is no giving way of the joints. The flexor 
 
474 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tendons are enlarged, hot, and tender, and there is great lameness, the 
 horse having the power to flex the joints below the knee, hut resolutely 
 objecting to extend them, by bearing what little weight is unavoidable 
 upon his toe. The case is often confounded with a “ break down,” but 
 it may readily be distinguished by the fact that in the latter the joints 
 give way on putting the weight upon them, whilst in mere strains they 
 do not, and the tendency is to the opposite extreme. Frequently after a 
 bad strain of the flexor tendons, the fetlock is “ over shot,” or beyond the 
 upright, in consequence of the continued flexion of the joint, to prevent 
 pressure upon the injured fibres, and in the management this result should 
 be carefully guarded against. The injury is generally confined to the 
 sheath of the tendons, which in most cases gradually puts on an inflam- 
 matory condition for some time before actual lameness is observed. In 
 bad cases, however, the ligamentous fibres which are given off by the 
 posterior carpal ligament to the flexor tendons are ruptured, greatly increas- 
 ing the amount of inflammation and subsequent loss of strength. In any 
 case the tendon feels spongy, and slightly enlarged, and there is more or less 
 soreness on pressure and on being trotted, but in the latter case exercise 
 removes the tenderness, and very often temporarily causes an absorption 
 of the effused fluid, which is again deposited during rest. This state of 
 things goes on for a time, the groom doing all in his power to alleviate it 
 by wet bandages, &c., but at last a severe race or gallop brings on an 
 extra amount of inflammation, with or without actual strain of the fibres 
 of the tendon, and then there can be no doub A t about the propriety of rest 
 and severe treatment. It often happens that both legs are slightly affected, 
 but one being more tender than the other, the horse attempts to save it 
 by changing legs, the consequence of which is that the comparatively 
 sound tendons are strained, and he returns to his stable with both legs 
 in a bad state, but with one of them requiring immediate attention. 
 — The treatment should be by local bleeding (from the arm, thigh, or toe), 
 followed at first by warm fomentations, and in a few days by cold lotions. 
 A high-heeled shoe (called a patten) should be put on the foot, so as to 
 allow the horse to rest part of the weight upon the heel without dis- 
 tressing the tendon, and this will have a tendency to prevent him from 
 over shooting at the fetlock joint, which he will otherwise be very apt to 
 do, from constantly balancing his leg on the toe. After three or four days 
 the hot fomentations will have done what is wanted, and a cold lotion 
 may be applied by means of a loose linen bandage. The best is composed 
 as follows : — 
 
 Take of Muriate of Ammonia 2 oz. 
 
 Vinegar 1 pint. 
 
 Methylated Spirit of Wine . . . . | pint. 
 
 Water 2 quarts. Mix. 
 
 With this the bandage should be kept constantly wet, the application 
 being continued for a fortnight at least, during which time the patient 
 must be kept cool, by lowering his food, and giving him a dose of physic. 
 At the end of three weeks or a month from the accident, the leg 
 must be either blistered or fired, the choice depending upon the extent 
 of injury, and the desire to avoid a blemish if such a feeling exists. 
 The former is the more efficacious plan no doubt, but blistering will 
 frequently suffice in mild cases. If, however, the tendons at the end of a 
 month continue greatly enlarged, a cure can hardly be expected without 
 the use of the “irons.” 
 
STRAINS. 
 
 475 
 
 • BREAKING DOWN. 
 
 Great confusion exists among trainers as to the exact nature of this 
 accident, which is considered by the veterinary surgeon to consist in an 
 actual rupture of the suspensory ligament either above or below the sesa- 
 moid hones, which, in fact, merely separate this apparatus of suspension 
 into two portions, just as the patella intervenes between the rectus femoris 
 and the tibia. Whichever part of the suspensory apparatus is gone 
 (whether the superior or inferior sesamoidal ligament is immaterial), the 
 fetlock and pastern joints lose their whole inelastic support; and the 
 flexor tendons, together with their ligamentous fibres which they 
 receive from the carpus, giving way, as they must do, to allow of the 
 accident taking place, the toe is turned up, and the fetlock joint hears 
 upon the ground. This is a complete “ break down/’ hut there are 
 many cases in which the destruction of the ligamentous fibres is not 
 complete, and the joint, though much lowered, does not actually touch 
 the ground. These are still called breaks down, and must he regarded 
 as such, and as quite distinct from strains of the flexor tendons. The 
 accident generally occurs in a tired horse, when the flexor muscles do 
 not continue to support the ligaments, from which circumstance it so 
 often happens in the last few strides of a race. The symptoms are a 
 partial or entire giving way of the fetlock joint downwards, so that 
 the hack of it either touches the ground or nearly so, when the weight 
 is thrown upon it. Usually, however, after the horse is pulled up, he 
 hops on three legs, and refuses altogether to put that which is broken 
 down to the ground. In a very few minutes the leg “fills” at the 
 seat of the accident, and becomes hot and very tender to the touch. 
 There can, therefore, be no doubt as to the nature of the mischief, and 
 the confusion to which allusion has been made is one of names rather 
 than of facts. Treatment can only be directed to a partial recovery from 
 this accident, for a horse broken down in the sense in which the term is 
 here used can only be used for stud purposes or at slow farm work. A 
 patten shoe should at once be put on after bleeding at the toe to a copious 
 extent, and then fomentations followed by cold lotions should be applied, 
 as directed in the last section. As there must necessarily be a deformity 
 of the leg, there can be no objection on that score to firing, and when 
 the severe inflammation following the accident has subsided this operation 
 should be thoroughly performed, so as to afford relief not only by the 
 counter irritation which is set up, and which lasts only for a time, but by 
 the rigid and unyielding case which it leaves behind for a series of years. 
 
 STRAINS OF THE HIP JOINT, STIFLE, AND HOCK 
 
 The hip joint, or round bone, is liable to be strained by the hind feet 
 slipping and being stretched apart, or by blows against the side of the 
 stall, when cast, which are not sufficient to dislocate the femur, but strain 
 its ligaments severely. The consequence is an inflammation of the joint, 
 which is evidenced by a dropping of one hip in going, the weight being 
 thrown more upon the sound side than upon the other. This is especially 
 remarkable on first starting, the lameness soon going off in work, but 
 returning after rest. The case, however, is a rare one, and its description 
 need not, therefore, occupy much of our space. When it does happen, it 
 is very apt to lead to a wasting of the deep muscles of the haunch, which 
 
470 
 
 iHE HORSE. 
 
 nothing but compulsory work will restore to a healthy condition. The 
 only treatment necessary in the early stage of strain of the hip joint is 
 rest and cooling diet, &c. ; but, after six weeks or two months, a gradual 
 return to work is indispensable to effect a cure. 
 
 Strains of the stifle, independently of blows, are rare ; but the latter 
 often are inflicted upon this joint in hunting, leaving little evidence 
 externally, so that it is almost always doubtful whether the injury is the 
 result of a blow or strain. The symptoms are a swelling and tenderness of 
 the joint, which can be ascertained by a careful examination ; and on 
 trotting the horse, there is manifested a difficulty or stiffness in drawing 
 forward the hind leg under the belly. The treatment must be by bleeding 
 and physicking in the early stage, together with hot fomentations to the 
 part, continued every hour until the heat subsides. After a few days, if 
 the joint is still painful, a large blister should be applied, or, what is still 
 better, a seton should be inserted in the skin adjacent. 
 
 The hock itself is liable to strain, independently of the peculiar 
 accident known as “ curb/’ When it occurs, there is some heat of the 
 part, with more or less lameness, and neither spavin, thoroughpin, nor 
 curb to account for them. The injury is seldom severe, and may be 
 relieved by fomentations for a day or two, followed by cold lotions, as 
 prescribed at page 47 4, for strain of the back sinews. 
 
 CURB. 
 
 By a reference to page 362, it will be seen that the lower part of the 
 posterior surface of the os calcis is firmly united to the cuboid and 
 external metatarsal bone by two strong ligamentous bands, called the 
 calcaneo -cuboid and calcaneo-metatarsal ligaments. The centre of these 
 ligaments is about seven or eight inches below the point of the hock, and 
 when a soft but elastic swelling suddenly makes its appearance there, it 
 may with certainty be asserted that a “ curb ” has been thrown out. The 
 accident occurs somewhat suddenly ; but the swelling and inflammation 
 do not always show themselves until after a night’s rest, when the part is 
 generally enlarged, hot, and tender. The precise extent of the strain is 
 of little consequence ; for whatever its nature, the treatment should be 
 sufficiently active to reduce the ligaments to their healthy condition. 
 Some horses have naturally the head of the external small metatarsal 
 bone unusually large, and the hock so formed that there is an angle 
 between the large metatarsal bone and the tarsus, leaving a prominence, 
 \v T hich, however, is hard and bony, and not soft and elastic, as is the case 
 with curb. Such hocks are generally inclined to throw out •curbs ; but 
 there are many exceptions, and some of the most suspicious-looking joints 
 have been known to stand sound for years. Curbs are seldom thrown out 
 by very old horses, and usually occur between the commencement of 
 breaking-in and the seventh or eighth year, though they are not unfro- 
 quently met with in the younger colt, being occasioned by his gambols 
 over hilly ground. The treatment should at first be studiously confined 
 to a reduction of the inflammation ; any attempt to procure absorption till 
 this is effected being injurious in the extreme. If there is much heat in 
 the part, blood may be taken from the thigh vein, the corn should be 
 removed, and a dose of physic given as soon as practicable. The curb 
 should then be kept wet (by means of a bandage lightly applied) with the 
 lotion recommended at page 470 for capped hocks, and this should be con- 
 tinued until the inflammation is entirely gone. During this treatment, in 
 
DISLOCATION. 
 
 477 
 
 Aad cases, a patten shoe should he kept on, so as to keep the hock as 
 straight as possible, and thus take the strain off the ligaments which are 
 affected. After the part has become cool, it may he reduced in size, by 
 causing absorption to be set up ; which is best effected by the application 
 of mercury and iodine (both of which possess that power), in such a shape 
 as to cause a blister of the skin. The biniodide of mercury has this double 
 advantage, and there is no application known to surgery which will act 
 equally well in effecting the absorption of a curb. It should be applied in 
 the mode recommended at page 456, and again rubbed on at an interval of 
 about a week, for three or four times in succession, when it will generally 
 be found that the absorption of the unnatural swelling is effected ; but 
 the ligaments remain as weak as before, and nothing but exercise (not too 
 severe, or it will inflame them again) will strengthen them sufficiently to 
 prevent a return. Friction with the hand, aided by a slightly stimulating 
 oil (such as neat’s-foot and turpentine mixed, or neat' s-foot and oil of 
 origanum, or, in fact, any stimulating essential oil), will tend to strengthen 
 the ligaments, by exciting their vessels to throw out additional fibres ; 
 and in course of time a curb may be considered to be sufficiently restored 
 to render it tolerably safe to use the horse again in the same way which 
 originally produced it. 
 
 DISLOCATION. 
 
 By dislocation is- meant the forcible removal of the end of a bone 
 from the articulating surface which it naturally occupies. In the horse, 
 from the strength of his ligaments, the accident is not common ; those 
 that do occur being chiefly in the hip joint, and in that between the 
 patella and the end of the femur. 
 
 Dislocation of the hip joint is known by the rigidity of the hind 
 leg, which cannot be moved in any direction, and is carried by the horse 
 when he is compelled to attempt to alter his position. There is a flatness 
 of the haunch below the hip, but the crest of the ilium is still there, and 
 by this the accident may be diagnosed from fracture of that part. No 
 treatment is of the slightest avail, as the part cannot be reduced, and the 
 horse is useless except for stud purposes. The accident is not very 
 common. 
 
 Dislocation of the patella sometimes becomes habitual, occurring 
 repeatedly in the same horse, apparently from a spasmodic contraction of 
 the external vastus muscle, which draws the patella outwards, and out of 
 the trochlea formed for it in the lower head of the femur. When the 
 cramp goes off, the patella drops into its place again as soon as the horse 
 moves, and no treatment is required. Occasionally, however, the disloca- 
 tion is more complete, and nothing but manual dexterity will replace the 
 bone in its proper situation. Great pain and uneasiness are expressed, 
 and the operator must encircle the haunch with his arms and lay hold of 
 the patella with both hands, while an assistant drags forward the toe, and 
 thus relaxes the muscles which are inserted in it. By forcibly driving 
 the patella into its place it may be lifted over the ridge which it has 
 passed, and a snap announces the reduction. 
 
 WOUNDS OF JOINTS. 
 
 The knee is the joint most frequently suffering from, wound, being 
 liable to be cut by a fall upon it, if the ground is rough ; and if the acci- 
 dent takes place when the horse is going at a rapid pace, the skin, liga- 
 
478 
 
 TIIE HORSE. 
 
 meats, and tendons may be worn through by friction against the' plain 
 surface of a smooth turnpike road. Whether the joint itself is injured, or 
 only the skin, the accident is called a “ broken knee/’ and for convenience 
 sake it will be well to consider both under the present head. 
 
 When a broken knee consists merely in an abrasion of the skin, the 
 attention of the groom is solely directed to the restoration of the hair, 
 which will grow again as well as ever, if the bulbs or roots are not 
 injured. These are situated in the internal layer of the true skin, and 
 therefore, whenever there is a smooth red surface displayed, without any 
 difference in the texture of its parts, a confident hope may be expressed 
 that there will be no blemish. If the skin is penetrated, either the 
 glistening surface of the tendons or ligaments is apparent, or there is a 
 soft layer of cellular membrane, generally containing a fatty cell or two in 
 the middle of the wound of the skin. Even here, by proper treatment, 
 the injury may be repaired so fully, that the space uncovered by hair 
 cannot be recognised by the ordinary observer, and not by any one without 
 bending the knee and looking very carefully at it. The best treatment is 
 to foment the knee well with warm water, so as to remove every particle 
 of grit or dirt ; go on with this every hour during the first day, and at 
 night apply a bran poultice to the knee, which should be left on till the 
 next morning. Then cleanse the wound, and apply a little spermaceti 
 ointment, or lard without salt, and with this keep the wound pliant until 
 it heals, which if slight it will in a few days. If the skin is pierced there 
 will generally be a growth above it of red flabby granulations, which should 
 be carefully kept down to its own level (not beneath it), by the daily use 
 of blue stone, or if necessary of nitrate of silver. As soon as the wound 
 is perfectly healed, if the horse can be spared, the whole front of the knee 
 and skin should be dressed with James’ blister, which will bring off the 
 hair of the adjacent parts, and also encourage the growth of that injured 
 by the fall. In about three weeks or a month from its application, the 
 leg will pass muster, for there will be no difference in the colour of the 
 old and new hair as there would have been without the blister, and the 
 new will, also have come on more quickly and perfectly than it otherwise 
 would. 
 
 When the joint itself is opened the case is much more serious, and 
 there is a risk not only of a serious blemish, which can seldom be avoided, 
 but of a permanent stiffness of the leg, the mischief sometimes being suffi- 
 cient to lead to constitutional fever, and the local inflammation going on 
 to the destruction of the joint by anchylosis. The treatment should be 
 directed to cleanse and then close the joint, the former object being car- 
 ried out by a careful ablution with warm water, continued until there is 
 no doubt of all the dirt and grit having been removed. Then, if there is 
 only a very small opening in the capsular ligament, it may be closed by a 
 careful and light touch of a pointed iron heated to a red heat. Generally, 
 however, it is better to apply some dry carded cotton to the wound, and a 
 bandage over this, leaving all on for four or five days, when it may be 
 removed and reapplied. The horse should be bled largely and physicked, 
 taking care to prevent all chance of his lying down by racking him up. 
 He will seldom attempt to do this, on account of the pain occasioned in 
 bending the knee, but some animals will disregard this when tired, and 
 will go down somehow. When the cotton is reapplied, if there are 
 granulations above the level of the skin, they must be kept down as recom- 
 mended in the last paragraph, and the subsequent treatment by blister 
 may be exactly the same, By these means a very extensive wound of the 
 
GENERAL REMARKS. 479 
 
 knee may be often speedily cured, and the blemish will be comparatively 
 trifling. 
 
 The knee is sometimes punctured by a thorn in hunting, causing great 
 pain and lameness. If it can be felt externally, it is well to cut down 
 upon it and remove it ; but groping in the dark with the knife among 
 important tendons in front of the knee is not on any account to be 
 attempted. The knee should be well fomented, five or six times a day, 
 until the swelling, if there is any, subsides, and, in process of time, the 
 thorn will either show its base, or it will gradually free itself from its 
 attachments and lie beneath the skin, from which position it may be safely 
 extracted with the knife. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 diseases of the thoracic organs and their appendages. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS — CATARRH — INFLUENZA — BRONCHITIS — CHRONIC COUGH — LARYN- 
 GITIS — ROARING, WHISTLING, ETC. — PNEUMONIA AND CONGESTION — PLEURISY — PLEU- 
 RODYNIA — PHTHISIS —BROKEN WIND — THICK WIND — SPASM OF THE DIAPHRAGM- 
 DISEASES OF THE HEART — OF THE BLOOD VESSELS IN THE CHEST AND NOSE. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 The importance of soundness in the respiratory apparatus is so 
 fully recognised, that in common ‘parlance, it is put before the organs of 
 locomotion, a popular expression being “ sound, wind and limb.” It is 
 true that good wind is useless without legs ; but the diseases of the latter 
 are known to be more under control than those of the chest, and hence it 
 is, perhaps, that the wind is so carefully scrutinised by all purchasers of 
 horses. There is, also, much greater difficulty in ascertaining the condi- 
 tion of the lungs and their appendages, and the ordinary observer can 
 only judge of them by an absolute trial ; while the state of the legs may 
 be seen and felt, and that of the feet can be tolerably well ascertained by 
 a very short run upon hard ground. So, also, with the acute diseases of 
 these parts ; while the legs and feet manifest the slightest inflammation 
 going on in them by swelling and heat, the air-passages may be under- 
 going slow but sure destruction, without giving out any sign that can be 
 detected by any one but the practised veterinarian. In most of the 
 diseases of the chest there is disturbance of the breathing, even during a 
 state of rest ; but in some of them, as in roaring, for instance, no such evi- 
 dence is afforded, and the disease can only be detected by an examination 
 during, or immediately after, a severe gallop. 
 
 CATARRH, OR COLD. 
 
 Catarrh may be considered under two points of view ; either as an 
 inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal cavities, accompanied 
 by slight general fever ; or as an ephemeral fever of three or four days’ 
 duration, complicated with this condition of the nose. The latter is, 
 perhaps, the more scientific definition, but for common purposes it is 
 more convenient to consider it as mainly consisting in the most prominent 
 symptom. There is invariably some degree of feverishness, sometimes 
 
480 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 very considerable, at others so slight as to be easily passed oyer. Usually 
 the pulse is accelerated to about forty or fifty, the appetite is impaired, 
 and there is often sore throat, with more or less cough. On examining 
 the interior of the nostrils, they are more red than natural; at first dry 
 and swollen, then bedewed with a watery discharge which soon becomes 
 yellow, thick, and, in bad cases, purulent. The eyes are generally in- 
 volved, their conjunctival coat being injected with blood, and often some 
 slight weeping takes place, but there is always an expression of sleepi- 
 ness or dulness, partly owing to the local condition of the organ, and 
 partly to the general impairment of the health. The disease is caused 
 in most instances by a chill, either in the stable or out, but sometimes, 
 even in the mildest form, it appears to be epidemic. The treatment will 
 greatly depend upon the severity of the seizure; Usually, a bran-mash 
 containing from six drachms to one ounce of powdered nitre in it, at night, 
 for two or three consecutive periods, will suffice, together with the abstrac- 
 tion of corn, and, if the bowels are confined, a mild dose of physic should 
 be given. In more severe cases, when there is cough and considerable 
 feverishness, a ball composed of the following ingredients may be given 
 
 every night : — 
 
 Take of Nitrate of Potass 2 drachms. 
 
 Tartarised Antimony . . ... 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered' Digitalis . \ drachm. 
 
 Camphor li drachm. 
 
 Linseed meal and boiling water enough to make into a ball. 
 
 If the throat is sore, an embrocation of equal- parts of oil, turpentine, 
 tincture of cantharides, and hartshorn, may be rubbed in night and 
 morning. 
 
 Should the disease extend to the bronchial tubes, or substance of the 
 lungs, the treatment for bronchitis or pneumonia must be adopted. 
 
 The stable should be kept cool, taking care to make up for the 
 difference in temperature by putting on an extra rug; water should be 
 allowed ad libitum , and no corn should be given. 
 
 Sometimes the discharge becomes chronic, and it is then known by the 
 name ozena . 
 
 mFLTJEKTZA, OR DISTEMPER. 
 
 This may be considered to be an epidemic catarrh, but the symptoms 
 are generally more severe and leave greater prostration of strength behind 
 them. They also require more careful treatment, which must be specially 
 adapted to the attack, for remedies which will arrest the disease in one 
 year will totally fail the next time that the epidemic prevails. The fever 
 of late years has had a tendency to put on the typhoid type, and bleeding, 
 which formerly was often beneficial, is now completely forbidden. The 
 symptoms are at first similar to those already described as pertaining to 
 common catarrh, but after a few days the accompanying fever is more 
 severe than usual, and does not abate at the customary period. The appetite 
 is altogether lost, and the appearance of the patient is characteristic of 
 severe disease rather than of a trifling cold. It is, however, chiefly from 
 the fact that a number of horses are seized with similar symptoms, either 
 at the same time or rapidly following one another, that the disease is 
 recognised. It usually prevails in the spring of the year, or in a wet and 
 unhealthy autumn. Sometimes almost every case runs on to pneumonia, 
 at others the bronchial mucous membrane alone is attacked ; but in all 
 there is extreme debility in proportion to the apparent nature of the 
 
BRONCHITIS. 
 
 481 
 
 disease. The ordinary appearances exhibited in recent epidemics have 
 been as follows : — The first thing observed is a general slight shiver- 
 ing, accompanied by a staring coat. The pulse is weak, and slightly 
 accelerated, but not to any great extent ; the mouth feels hot ; the eyes 
 and the nostrils are red ; the belly is tucked up ; there is no appetite ; 
 cough, to a varying extent, begins to show itself ; and there is generally 
 a heaving of the flanks. The legs and feet are not cold as in pneu- 
 monia, but beyond this they afford no positive signs. The cellular 
 membrane around the eyes, and of the legs, generally swells about the 
 second day, and often the head and limbs become quite shapeless from 
 this cause. In the early stage the bowels are often relaxed, but after- 
 wards they are as frequently confined. Sore throat is a very common 
 complication, but it is not by any means an invariable attendant on 
 influenza. It is, however, somewhat difficult to ascertain its existence, as 
 in any case there is no appetite for food. The treatment should be 
 conducted on the principle of husbanding the strength, and, unless 
 urgent symptoms of inflammation show themselves, the less that is 
 done the better. If the trachea or larynx is involved only slightly, 
 counter irritation, by means of a liquid blister, must be tried, without 
 resorting to strong internal medicines ; but if serious mischief ensues, 
 the case must, to a certain extent, be treated as it would be when 
 coming on without the complication of influenza, always taking care to 
 avoid bleeding, and merely acting on the bowels by gentle aperients, and 
 on the skin and kidneys by the mildest diaphoretic and diuretic. The 
 following is the ordinary plan of treatment adopted : — 
 
 Take of Spirit of Nitric Ether 1 ounce. 
 
 Laudanum 4 drachms. 
 
 Nitrate of Potass 3 drachms. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Mix, and give as a drench night and morning. 
 
 By constantly offering to the horse thin gruel (taking care that it does 
 not become sour), and no plain water, sufficient nourishment may be 
 given, as his thirst will induce him to drink. 
 
 During the stage of convalescence the greatest care must be taken. At 
 first, as soon as the cough has somewhat subsided, a mild stomachic ball 
 will be desirable, such as 
 
 Take of Extract of Gentian 6 drachms. 
 
 Powdered Ginger 2 drachms. Mix. 
 
 Afterwards, if the case goes on favourably, and the appetite returns, the 
 restoration may be left to nature, giving the horse by degrees his usual 
 allowance of corn, and adding to his morning and evening feed one 
 drachm of sulphate of iron in tine powder. It must not be attempted to 
 give this until the appetite is pretty keen, or the horse will be disgusted, 
 and will probably refuse his corn altogether. 
 
 Should typhoid symptoms be clearly established, the case must be 
 treated according to the directions hereafter laid down for typhus fever. 
 
 BRONCHITIS. 
 
 Bronchitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the 
 bronchi, and almost invariably extending to these parts through the 
 trachea, from the larynx and nasal passages, which are primarily affected 
 as in ordinary cold. The membrane in the early stage becomes filled with 
 
4 82 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 blood, and as a consequence the diameter of the tubes is diminished, 
 attended by some difficulty and increased rapidity of breathing. After a 
 time a frothy mucus is poured out from it, and this still further interferes 
 with respiration, and necessitates a constant cough to get rid of it. These 
 symptoms are always present, but they will vary greatly in intensity, and 
 in the rapidity with which they progress, from which circumstances 
 bronchitis is usually said to be acute or chronic *& s the case may be. In 
 the acute form there are also several variations, and veterinary writers are 
 in the habit of again subdividing it into acute and sub-acute, but the two 
 leading divisions are sufficient for all practical purposes. It begins with 
 the usual premonitory appearances of a severe cold, accompanied by a 
 staring coat, and entire loss of appetite. The breathing is somewhat 
 quicker than natural, and the pulse is raised to sixty or seventy. The 
 legs remain of the usual temperature, and there is a hard dry cough, the 
 lining membrane of the nostrils being intensely red, and in severe cases 
 dry and swollen. On auscultation there is a dry rattling sound, very 
 different from the crepitation of pneumonia, and as soon as mucus is 
 secreted, succeeded by gurgling, and soap bubble sounds easily dis- 
 tinguished when once heard. If the attack goes on favourably, the cough 
 becomes loose, and there is a free discharge of mucus, both from the 
 lungs, as evidenced from the nature of the cough, and from the nostrils, as 
 shown by the running from them. On the other hand the prognosis is 
 unfavourable when the breathing is very laborious, with the legs extended, 
 and the cough constant and ineffectual in affording relief. Should no 
 relief be afforded, death takes place a week or ten days after the onset of 
 the disease, from suffocation. The treatment should depend greatly upon 
 the urgency of the inflammation, which only an experienced eye can judge 
 of. If slight, nitre and tartar emetic internally, and a blister (to one or 
 both sides, according to the extent of bronchi involved), will suffice, but 
 in very severe cases blood must be taken at the onset, or it will be impos- 
 sible to control the inflammation. Bleeding should be avoided if it is 
 judged prudent to do so, for of late years the type of diseases has changed 
 so much in the horse, that he is found to bear loss of blood badly. Never- 
 theless, it is not wise to lay down the rule that it is never desirable. 
 The bowels must be acted on by the ordinary physic ball, resorting to 
 raking and clysters, if the time cannot be afforded for the usual laxative 
 preparation. For the special control of the morbid state of the membrane 
 the following ball will be found advantageous : — 
 
 Take of Digitalis \ drachm. 
 
 Calomel 4 drachm. 
 
 Tartar Emetic 60 to 80 grains. 
 
 Nitre 2 drachms. 
 
 Mix with treacle, and give twice a day. 
 
 Should the disease continue after the blister is healed, a large seton may 
 be put in one or both sides with advantage. 
 
 Chronic bronchitis seldom exists except as a sequel to the acute 
 form, and after adopting the balls recommended for that state, it may be 
 treated by attention to the general health, a seton in the side, and the 
 exhibition of an expectorant ball twice a day, composed of the following 
 materials : — 
 
 Take of Gum Ammoniacum i ounce. 
 
 Powdered Squill 1 drachm. 
 
 Castile Soap 2 drachms. 
 
 Mix and make into a ball 
 
CHRONIC COUGH, LARYNGITIS, ETC. 
 
 4S3 
 
 CHRONIC COUGH. 
 
 By this term is understood a cough that comes on without any fever 
 or evidences of the horse having taken cold. It differs in this respect 
 from chronic bronchitis^ which generally supervenes upon the acute form, 
 and is always attended in the early stage by feverishness. It appears pro- 
 bable that chronic cough is dependent upon an unnatural stimulus to the 
 mucous membrane, for it almost always makes its appearance when much 
 corn is given without due preparation, and ceases on a return to green food. 
 It is, therefore, very commonly termed a stomach cough. The symptoms are 
 all summed up in the presence of a dry cough, which is seldom manifested 
 while in the stable, but comes on whenever the breathing is hastened by 
 any pace beyond a walk. Two or three coughs are then given, and the 
 horse perhaps is able to go on with his work, but after resting for a few 
 minutes, and again starting, it comes on again, and annoys the rider or 
 driver by its tantalizing promise of disappearance followed by disap- 
 pointment. Very often this kind of cough is caused by the irritation 
 of worms, but any kind of disorder of the digestive organs appears to 
 have the power of producing it. The usual treatment for chronic bronchitis 
 seems here to be quite powerless, and the only plan of proceeding likely 
 to be attended with success, is to look for the cause of the irritation, and 
 remove it. Sometimes this will be found in a hot stable, the horse having 
 previously been accustomed to a cool one. Here the alteration of the 
 temperature by ten or fifteen degrees will in a few days effect a cure, and 
 nothing else is required. Again, it may be that the corn has been over- 
 done, in which case a gentle dose of physic, followed by a diminished 
 allowance of corn, and a bran-mash twice a week, will be successful. If 
 the stomach is much disordered, green food will be the best stimulus to a 
 healthy condition, or in its absence a few warm cordial balls may be tried. 
 The existence of worms should be ascertained in doubtful cases, and if 
 they are present, the proper remedies must be given for their removal. 
 Linseed oil and spirit of turpentine, w T hich are both excellent worm reme- 
 dies, are highly recommended in chronic cough, and whether or not their 
 good effect is due to their antagonism to worms, they may be regarded as 
 specially useful. 
 
 A very successful combination is the following mixture : — 
 
 Take of Spirit of Turpentine 2 ounces. 
 
 Mucilage of Acacia 6 ounces. 
 
 Gum Ammoniacum J ounce. 
 
 Laudanum 4 ounces. 
 
 Water 2 quarts. 
 
 Mix, and give half-a-pint as a drench every night : the bottle must be well shaken 
 before pouring out the dose. 
 
 LARYNGITIS, ROARING, WHISTLING, &c. 
 
 One of the most common diseases among well-bred horses of the 
 present day is the existence of some mechanical impediment to the pas- 
 sage of the air into the lungs, causing the animal to “ make a noise.” The 
 exact nature of the sound has little or no practical bearing on the cause 
 that produces it ; that is to say, it cannot be predicated that roaring is 
 produced by laryngitis; nor that whistling is the result of a palsy of 
 some particular muscle, but undoubtedly it may safely be asserted that all 
 lesions of the larynx* by which the shape and area of its opening (rima 
 
4S4 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 glottidis) are altered and diminished, are sure to have a prejudicial 
 effect upon the wind, and either to produce roaring, whistling, wheezing, 
 or trumpeting, hut which w'ould result it might he difficult to say, 
 although the precise condition of the larynx were known, which it cannot 
 he during life. Until recently veterinary surgeons were puzzled by often 
 finding on examination of a roarer’s larynx after death no visible organic 
 change in the opening, and many were led to imagine that this part could 
 not he the seat of the disease. On a careful dissection, however, it is 
 found that a muscle or muscles whose office it is to dilate the larynx is 
 wasted and flabby (crico-arytenoideus lateralis and thyro-arytenoideus). 
 The other muscles are perhaps equally atrophied, hut as their office is to 
 close the opening, their defects are not equally injurious, and at all events 
 are not shown by producing an unnatural noise. The cause of this 
 wasting is to he looked for in pressure upon the nerve which supplies 
 these muscles, and which passes through an opening in the posterior ala of 
 the thyroid cartilage, so that whatever causes a displacement of that part 
 will mechanically affect the nerve. For these several reasons it will be 
 necessary to examine first of all into the several kinds of inflammation, 
 &c., to which the larynx is subject, and then to investigate as far as we 
 may, the nature, mode of detection, and treatment of the several condi- 
 tions known to horsemen by the names of roaring, whistling, &c., which 
 are only symptoms of one or other of the diseases to which allusion will 
 presently be made. 
 
 By acute laryngitis is meant a more than ordinary inflammation of 
 the larynx, and not that slightly morbid condition in which the mucous 
 membrane of that organ is always involved in “ the passage of a cold into 
 the chest.” In the latter state the ear detects no unusual sound, and 
 indeed there is plenty of room for the air to pass. But in true laryngitis, 
 on placing the ear near the throat, a harsh rasping sound is heard, which 
 is sufficient at once to show the nature and urgency of the symptoms. 
 The mucous membrane is swollen, and tinged with blood; the rima 
 glottidis is almost closed, and the air in passing through it produces the 
 sound above described, which, however, is sometimes replaced by a 
 stridulous or hissing one. In conjunction with this well-marked 
 symptom there is always a hoarse cough of a peculiar character, and 
 some considerable fever, with frequent respiration, and a hard, wiry 
 pulse of seventy to eighty. The treatment must be of the most active 
 kind, for not only is life threatened, but even if a fatal result does not 
 take place, there is great danger of permanent organic mischief to the 
 delicate apparatus of the larynx, generally from the effusion of lymph 
 into the submucous cellular membrane. A full bleeding should at once 
 be practised, and repeated at the end of twelve hours if there is no relief 
 afforded and the pulse still continues hard. The hair should be cut off 
 the throat, and the tincture of cantharides brushed on in a pure state until 
 a blister arises, when the part may be constantly well fomented, to encou- 
 rage the discharge. Large doses of tartar emetic, calomel, and digitalis, 
 must also be given, but their amount and frequency should be left to an 
 experienced veterinarian, the preliminary bleeding and blistering being 
 done in his absence to save time. It is a case in which medicine must be 
 pushed as far as can be done with safety, and this cannot well be left to 
 any one who is not well acquainted with its effects, and with the powers 
 of the animal economy. Gruel is the only food allowed during the acute 
 stage, and there is seldom time to have recourse to aperient physic until 
 the urgent symptoms are abated, when an ordinary dose may be gi yen. 
 
CHRONIC LARYNGITIS. 
 
 485 
 
 During convalescence the greatest care must be taken to prevent a relapse, 
 by avoiding all excitement either by stimulating food or fast exercise. 
 
 Chronic laryngitis may occur as the result of the acute form above 
 described, or it may come on gradually, without any violent inflammation 
 preceding it. In either case the symptoms are similar in their nature to 
 those met with in the acute form, but less in degree. The noise made is 
 not nearly so harsh, and can often hardly be heard on the most careful 
 examination. The peculiar harsh, grating cough is, however, always pre- 
 sent, and by it the nature of the case may generally be easily made out. 
 The disease often accompanies strangles, although in nine cases out of ten 
 it is overlooked by the careless attendant. Very commonly, however, it 
 makes its ravages in so insidious a manner that no suspicion is felt of its 
 presence, until the horse begins to make a noise, though he must in all 
 probability have shown by the cough peculiar to the complaint, that it has 
 been working its way for some weeks at least. Such cases chiefly occui 
 in the training stable, and are due, according to my belief, to the enormous 
 quantity of oats which it is now the fashion to give to colts from the 
 earliest period of their lives, increased to seven and eight feeds a day 
 during the second year. Continued spirit-drinking has precisely the 
 same effect upon the human being, and the harsh stridulous cough of the 
 confirmed drunkard marks the existence of ulceration of the larynx, in 
 the only way which he will allow it to be displayed, for he is not, like 
 the horse, made to exert his powers of running, whether his wind is 
 good or bad. There is, of course, a considerable difference between the 
 two diseases, but there is sufficient analogy between them to explain why 
 the stimulus of over-corning should affect the larynx in preference to any 
 other part. It would be difficult to show the connexion between the two 
 in any other way, beyond the simple fact that roaring has become general 
 in an exact proportion to the prevalence of the present fashion of feeding. 
 The advocates of the plan will say that though the two have come in 
 together, yet it is merely a coincidence, and not a consequence, the one of 
 the other ; but if it can be shown that in man a similar cause produces a 
 similar effect, the argument is strengthened to such a degree as to be 
 almost unanswerable. But whatever may be the cause there can be no 
 doubt that the treatment is most troublesome, and often baffles the skill of 
 the most accomplished veterinarian. Blistering is not so useful as 
 counter irritation by a seton, which must be inserted in the loose skin 
 beneath the jaw, as close as possible to the larynx. This alone will do 
 much towards the cure, but no pains must be spared to assist its action 
 by a cooling regimen, consisting of bran mashes, and if in the spring or 
 summer, green food, or in the winter, carrots. Corn must be entirely for- 
 bidden, and the kidneys should be encouraged to act freely by two or 
 three drachms of nitre given in the mash twice a day. When the case is 
 very intractable, the nitrate of silver may be applied to the part itself by 
 means of a sponge fastened to a piece of flexible oane or whalebone. 
 The mouth should then be kept open with the ordinary balling iron, and 
 the sponge rapidly passed to the situation of the top of the larynx, and 
 held there for a second, and then withdrawn. I have succeeded in curing 
 two obstinate cases of chronic laryngitis by this plan, but some little risk 
 is incurred, as in one of them imminent symptoms of suffocation presented 
 themselves, but soon went off. I should not, therefore, recommend the 
 application excepting in cases where all other means have failed, and in 
 which there is reason to believe that the patient is likely to become a 
 permanent roarer or whistler. The nitrate of silver has great power in 
 
486 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 producing resolution of inflammation in mucous surfaces, and in this 
 disease little or nothing can be effected by general measures. The solu- 
 tion should be from ten to fifteen grains in the ounce of distilled 
 water. 
 
 Roaring is the bugbear of the purchaser at the hammer, and not 
 without good reason. The most experienced veterinarian or dealer will 
 often fail to ascertain its existence, in spite of all the artifices he may 
 call into play. Not the slightest sound is heard during a state of quies- 
 cence, or even when the horse is trotted or galloped for the short distance 
 which “ the ride ” will afford. The blow on the side given with due 
 artistic effect elicits no grunt, and yet the animal is a confirmed roarer, 
 and not worth a shilling perhaps for the purpose to which he is intended 
 to be devoted. On the other hand, many a sound horse is condemned as 
 a roarer for giving out the obnoxious grunt ; and though there is no doubt 
 that this sign may be relied on in a great many cases, yet it cannot be accepted 
 as either negatively or positively a certain proof. The only real trial is the 
 noiseless gallop on turf or plough, when the ear can detect the slightest 
 sound, and can distinguish its exact nature, and the precise spot from 
 which it proceeds. Many a horse will, when he is excited, make a harsh 
 noise in his breathing, accompanied by a kind of “ gluck,” proceeding 
 from a spasmodic flapping of the velum palati ; but on galloping him all 
 this goes off, and he may probably exhibit excellent wind. Such cases 
 I have many times known, and they would be condemned as unsound by 
 those who have had little experience, or are content with a careless and 
 inefficient trial. Stallions are particularly prone to make this kind of 
 noisd, and it is extremely difficult to ascertain their soundness in this 
 respect by any means which can be safely resorted to. The causes of 
 roaring are of three kinds : 1st, Inflammation, which has left a thickening 
 or ulceration of the mucous membrane, or a fungous growth from it ; 
 2d, Paralysis of the muscles ; and 3d, An alteration of the shape of the 
 cartilages of the larynx, produced by tight reining. 
 
 In roaring produced by an ulcerated or thickened condition of the mucous 
 membrane , or by a fungous growth, the sound elicited is always the same 
 in proportion to the rapidity of respiration. None of the ordinary expe- 
 dients by which the breath is introduced in a modified stream (such as a 
 full meal, or pressure on the nostrils or windpipe), will be of much avail, 
 and the horse roars sturdily whenever his pace is sufficiently accelerated. 
 If a horse so affected can be made to grunt by the blow on the side, the 
 sound will always indicate the disease, for it will be harsh and rough, and 
 not the natural grunt of the animal. It is usually supposed that no 
 treatment can be of the slightest avail here ; but I believe that sometimes 
 the continued application of nitrate of silver, as recommended at page 485, 
 would be followed by a certain amount of amelioration, the extent of 
 which it is impossible to guess at without a trial. In any case, when the 
 animal is rendered almost worthless by disease, it is fair to try experiments 
 which are neither expensive nor cruel ; and from the effect of the remedy 
 in those cases in which it has been used, I am led to expect that it may 
 prove beneficial in those of longer standing. Setons, blisters, and embro- 
 cations are all useless, as has been proved in numberless cases ; and beyond 
 the palliation which can be afforded by employing the horse only at such 
 a pace as his state will allow, nothing else can be suggested. In some 
 cases the roarer will be able to do ordinary harness work, which, however, 
 in hot weather, will try him severely ; in others he may be so slightly 
 affected as be fit to hunt in a country where, from its nature, the pace 
 
ROARING. 487 
 
 ls not very severe ; but by confirmed roarers the slow work of the cart is 
 all that can be performed without cruelty. 
 
 Where 'paralysis of the muscles that open the rima glottidis is the seat of 
 the roaring, no plan has yet been suggested which is of the slightest avail. 
 In the first place, it is extremely difficult, and indeed almost impossible, 
 to diagnose the affection, and I know of no means by which paralysis can 
 be ascertained to exist during life. Hence, although it is barely possible 
 that by the use of strychnine the nerve might be stimulated into a resto- 
 ration of its functions, yet as the case cannot be ascertained, it is scarcely 
 wise to give this powerful drug in the hope that it may by chance hit the 
 right nail on the head. This paralytic condition seems chiefly to attack 
 carriage-horses, and probably arises from the pressure made by the over- 
 curved larynx upon the laryngeal nerve as it passes through the opening 
 in the thyroid cartilage. Many veterinary writers have looked to the 
 recurrent branch of the par vagum to explain the loss of power, but 
 I believe it is rather to the laryngeal nerve that the mischief is due. It 
 must be remembered that carriage-horses are not only reined up for hours 
 while doing their daily work out of doors, but they are also often placed 
 in the same position, or even a more constrained one, by the coachman in 
 the stable, in order to improve their necks. One horse of his pair 
 perhaps has naturally a head better set on than the other, and he wishes 
 to make nature bend to his wishes by compelling the other to do that 
 which the shape of his jaw forbids without a sacrifice. The mouthing 
 tackle is put on in the stable with this view, and the poor horse is 
 “ kept on the bit ” for three or four hours early in the morning, during 
 which time his larynx is pressed between his narrow jaws into a most 
 unnatural shape. The consequence is either that the nerve is pressed 
 upon, and the muscles to which it is supplied are paralysed, as in the 
 condition which we are now considering, or the cartilages are permanently 
 disfigured, which is the subject of the next paragraph. When the paralysis 
 is established, I believe no means but the internal use of strychnine are at 
 all likely to be beneficial. 
 
 An alteration in the shape of the cartilages , so as to permanently change 
 their form, is, I believe, the least common of all the causes of roaring. 
 Pressure for a very long time will be required to effect this, and far more 
 than suffices to paralyse the nerve. Cases, however, are recorded, and the 
 parts have been preserved, so that there can be no doubt of their occasional 
 occurrence. NTo treatment can be of the slightest service. 
 
 Although roaring , in all its varieties , may be said to be generally 
 incurable, yet it may be greatly palliated by general attention to the state 
 of the lungs and stomach, by proper food, and by the use, while the horse 
 is at work, of a special contrivance, of a most ingenious nature, published 
 by Mr. Reeve, of Camberwell, in the Veterinarian for 1858, but said to 
 have been in use for many years among the London omnibus and cab 
 men. At all events, Mr. Reeve deserves the credit of having laid the 
 matter before the profession, and of explaining the true principle upon 
 which it acts. He says, in his paper on the subject : “ I thought it pos- 
 sible to so modify the atmospheric supply to the lungs, that, during 
 exercise, the volume of air, when it arrived at the glottis, should not 
 exceed that which passed through its opening when the horse was tran- 
 quil, and which (from the fact of the sound being absent) does not at that 
 time produce roaring. A strap was accordingly made to pass around the 
 nose of the horse, just over the region of the false nostrils, and buckle 
 beneath the lower jaw. To the inner surface of this strap, and inline- 
 
488 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 diately over the false nostril on each side, was fixed a body resembling in 
 shape the half of a hen’s egg, cut longitudinally. When applied, these 
 bodies pressed upon the triangular spaces formed by the apex of the nasal 
 bones and upper jaw, thus closing the false nostrils, and partly diminish- 
 ing the channel of the true ones. The result was highly gratifying ; for 
 the patient, which previously could not travel without stopping every 
 minute to take breath, now travelled, to all appearance, without incon- 
 venience or noise. At first, the strap seemed slightly to annoy the horse ; 
 and whenever it became displaced, the roaring would again commence. 
 A slight modification, however, overcame every difficulty : the strap, 
 instead of being buckled around and under the jaw, was fastened on each 
 side of the bit ; and, to prevent its descent, another was carried from its 
 centre, and fastened to the front of the harness-bridle.” Mr. Reeve 
 asserts that the effect was all he could have wished, and that the horse on 
 which he tried the plan, “ which previously had been entirely useless, 
 now performs his work in a heavy brougham, and gives great satisfaction. 
 The roaring is stopped, and, with the usual speed, there appears no 
 impediment to respiration.” He concludes : “ I have paid particular 
 attention to this case, and am inclined to think, that when by the com- 
 pression we have neutralized the action of the false nostrils, the object is 
 effected without the necessity of further narrowing the nasal passage.” 
 
 Few people would care to drive a roarer, if they could help it, even 
 with the aid of the nasal compress ; but if necessity compels such a pro- 
 ceeding, it is well to know how the poor animal may be used with least 
 annoyance to himself and his master. 
 
 Highb lowing is a perfectly healthy and natural habit, and cannot be 
 confounded with roaring by any experienced horseman. It is solely con- 
 fined to the nostrils ; and the noise is not produced in the slightest 
 degree during inspiration, but solely during the expulsion of the air, 
 which is more forcible and rapid than usual, and accompanied by a 
 vibratory movement of the nostrils, which is the seat of the noise. Roar- 
 ing, on the contrary, continues during inspiration as well as expiration ; 
 and by this simple test the two may readily be distinguished. Most high- 
 blowers have particularly good wind, of which the celebrated Eclipse is an 
 example ; for there is no doubt that he was addicted to the habit. 
 
 Whistling (and piping, which is very similar to it) are produced by 
 the same causes as roaring, in an exaggerated condition. Thus, a roarer 
 often becomes a whistler as the rima glottidis is more and more closed by 
 disease ; on the other hand, the whistler is never converted into a roarer. 
 The noise made is seldom a decidedly shrill whistle, but it has more 
 resemblance to that sound than to roaring, and the name may well be 
 retained as descriptive of it. Whistlers are always in such a state of con- 
 firmed disease, that treatment is out of the question — indeed, they can 
 only be put to the very slowest kind of work. 
 
 Wheezing is indicative of a contracted condition of the bronchial 
 tubes, which is sometimes of a spasmodic nature, and at others is only 
 brought on during occasional attacks after exposure to cold. The treatment 
 should be that recommended for chronic bronchitis, which is the nature of 
 the disease producing these symptoms. 
 
 Trumpeting is not very well defined by veterinary writers, and I 
 confess that I have never heard any horse make a noise which could be 
 compared to the trumpet, or to the note of the elephant so called. 
 
 The question relating to the hereditary nature of roaring is one 
 which demands the most careful examination before a reliable answer can 
 
PNEUMONIA. 
 
 489 
 
 be given to it. It would be necessary to select at random a number of 
 roaring sires and dams, and compare their stock with that of an equal pro- 
 portion of sound animals, which would be a Herculean task, beyond the 
 power of any private individual. Nothing short of this could possibly 
 settle the dispute ; but, as far as opinion goes, it may be assumed that 
 there are strong authorities against the hereditary nature of the diseases 
 which produce roaring. That it is often the result of ordinary inflam- 
 mation, which in itself can scarcely be considered hereditary, is plain 
 enough ; and that it is also produced by mismanagement in tight-reining 
 is also admitted, which latter kind cun scarcely be supposed to be handed 
 down from sire to son ; but that it is safer, when practicable, to avoid 
 parents with any disease whatever, is patent to all. 
 
 PNEUMONIA AND CONGESTION OF THE LUNGS. 
 
 The theoretical definition of pneumonia is that it consists of inflam- 
 mation of the parenchyma of the lungs, independently both of the mucous 
 lining to the air passages, and of the serous covering of the whole mass. 
 On turning to page 423, it will be seen that the mucous membrane ceases 
 abruptly at the terminations of the bronchial subdivisions, and conse- 
 quently that the air cells are not lined with a continuation from it. Hence 
 there is an extensive cellulo-flbrous area, which may be the subject of 
 inflammation, without implicating the mucous surface. Until within the 
 last ^fteen or twenty years, it was commonly supposed that the air cells 
 were all lined by mucous membrane, and that the parenchyma was con- 
 fined to an almost infinitesimally thin structure, filling up its interstices ; 
 but the microscope has revealed the true structure of the lungs, and has 
 shown that there is a well-founded distinction between bronchitis and 
 pneumonia, upon the ground of anatomy, as well as observation. Still, it 
 cannot be denied that the one seldom exists to any great extent, or for 
 any long period, without involving the adjacent tissue ; and broncho- 
 pneumonia as well as pleuro-pneumonia are as common as the pure 
 disease. 
 
 Pneumonia, or peripneumony, must be examined, with a view, first, to 
 its intensity, whether acute or sub-acute ; and secondly, as to its effects, 
 which may be of little consequence, or they may be so serious as to com- 
 pletely destroy the subsequent usefulness of the patient. It is not, there- 
 fore, alone necessary to provide against death by the treatment adopted, 
 but due care must also be taken that the tissue of the lungs is not dis- 
 organised by a deposition of lymph, or of matter, so as to lead, in the one 
 case, to a consolidation of the air cells, and, in the other, to the formation 
 of a large abscess, and consequent destruction of substance. The former 
 is a very common sequel of pneumonia; and probably there are few attacks 
 of it without being followed by a greater or less degree of hepatization, by 
 which term the deposit of lymph is known from its causing the lungs to 
 assume the texture of liver (yj^ap). In very severe cases, gangrene of the 
 lungs is induced ; but as death almost always speedily follows this con- 
 dition, it is not necessary to consider it ?< excepting as bearing upon the 
 fatal result. 
 
 The cause of pneumonia may be over-exertion, as in the hunting-field, 
 especially in an unprepared horse ; or it may come on as a primary disease 
 after exposure to cold ; or it may follow upon bronchitis when neglected 
 and allowed to run on without check. In the two first cases it appears to 
 be produced by the great congestion of blood which takes place in the 
 
490 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 line network of vessels of which the lungs are in great part composed. 
 The blood in the one case is collected by the increased necessity for its 
 aeration with a failing circulation, as in over-exhaustion, or in the other 
 it is forced inwards upon the vital organs by the chill which the skin has 
 received. The capillaries are then roused to act beyond their strength, 
 and an inflammatory condition is established as a reparatory effort of 
 nature, which may possibly stop short as soon as the object is accom- 
 plished, hut more frequently goes on beyond this, and an attack of 
 pneumonia sets in with more or less intensity according to circumstances. 
 For these reasons, when th e lungs are evidently congested no pains should 
 be spared to relieve them by causing the skin to act, before the aid of 
 nature is invoked, since it can never be certain that she will stop short 
 at the proper point. 
 
 Congestion of the lungs is too often neglected and allowed to go on 
 to inflammation. Veterinary surgeons, indeed, are seldom called in before 
 this stage has run its course and inflammation is established. It is true 
 that every hunting man endeavours to ascertain all the particulars relating 
 to it, because he is constantly in fear of having to treat it, and he would 
 gladly benefit by the advice and experience of those more competent to 
 treat it than himself. But the great mass of horsemasters are wholly 
 ignorant of its action, and I shall therefore endeavour to lay down 
 instructions which may be beneficial to those who are so unlucky as to 
 have a horse with congested lungs, either caused by over-exertion or by a 
 chill, or by a combination of the two, as most frequently happens. 
 
 When a fat “ dealer’s horse,” that is, one made up for sale and not for 
 use, is ridden in a sharp burst across country, his lungs are most unfor- 
 tunately tried, for he is not only loaded with blood containing an excess 
 of stimulating materials (or in a state of plethora as it is called), but his 
 heart and’ blood vessels are not prepared by previous exercise to carry on 
 the circulation when unusual demands upon them are made. The con- 
 sequence is that, as soon as he has gone half a dozen miles, he not only 
 tires, but, if pressed, his gallant spirit carries him on until the blood 
 collects and stagnates in his lungs, from a defect in the circulating 
 apparatus, and he becomes absolutely choked from a want of that decar- 
 bonisation which is necessary to his very existence. Air is taken freely 
 into his lungs, but the circulation almost ceases in them, and in spite of 
 his hurried breathing, as shown by his panting sides, he is almost as com- 
 pletely suffocated as if a cord was tied round his neck. On examining 
 his eyes and nostrils they are seen to be turgid and purple, the vessels 
 being filled with carbonised blood, while the heart beats rapidly but 
 feebly, and the countenance is expressive of anxiety and distress. In 
 this state many a horseman finds his steed every winter, arid a pretty 
 dilemma he is in. The question of treatment is a serious one even to the 
 most experienced in such matters, but one thing is quite clear, that the 
 more urgent the case the more danger there is in having recourse to the 
 lancet. Bleeding to the extent of a few pounds will sometimes relieve 
 a trifling case of exhaustion, but in a really severe one it will take away 
 the only chance which remains. The best plan is to give the animal 
 plenty of air, turn his head to the wind, and if any kind of fermented 
 liquor can be obtained, give him a little at once. Neat spirits are apt to 
 cause increased distress from spasm of the larynx, but it is even better to 
 risk this than to let the exhaustion continue. If, therefore, the horse is 
 incapable of walking to the nearest farm-house or inn, the better plan is 
 to leave him with a light covering on him of some kind and at once 
 
PNEUMONIA. 
 
 491 
 
 proceed to procure a quart of ale or wine, or spirits and water, whichever 
 can he obtained the most easily. One or other of these, slightly warmed 
 and spiced if possible, should be poured down his throat, which can 
 readily be done, as he has no power to resist, and then in a few minutes 
 he may generally be induced to move quietly on towards the nearest 
 stable. Here he must remain all night if the attack is a bad one, or if 
 he recovers soon he may be walked quietly home. When he reaches his 
 stable he may be treated according to the directions given at page 246, 
 and in the evening or the next morning early, if the pulse rises and is 
 hard and jerking, he may be bled with advantage, but rarely should this 
 be done for some hours after the first attack. Congestion is essentially 
 produced by debility, and although an abstraction of blood relieves the 
 vessels of a part of their load, it increases their weakness in a still greater 
 degree, and they are less able to do their work, diminished though it may 
 be, than they were before. Hundreds of over-worked horses have been 
 killed by the abuse of the lancet in the hunting-field, but the principle 
 on which their treatment should be conducted is better understood now 
 than formerly. 
 
 When congestion shows itself as the result of a chill, the following 
 symptoms are displayed : — First and foremost there is rapid and laborious 
 breathing, the horse standing with his legs wide apart, his head thrust 
 straight forward, and his flanks heaving. The skin is generally dry, but 
 if there is any sweat it is a cold one. The legs are icy cold, and also the 
 ears. The whites of the eyes and lining of the nostrils are of a purplish 
 hue, but not very deep in colour. The pulse is slightly accelerated (from 
 forty to fifty), but not hard and incompressible ; and lastly, the attack is 
 of recent duration. These signs, however, are not to be fully relied on 
 as marking congestion rather than inflammation, without having recourse 
 to an examination of the lungs by means of the ear. Placing it against 
 the side of the chest, in inflammation there would be certain marked 
 sounds, presently to be described, whilst in the state we are now con- 
 sidering they are wholly absent, and all that is heard is the usual respi- 
 ratory murmur slightly increased in intensity. It is of the utmost 
 importance to make out exactly the nature of the case, for the treatment 
 should be very different in congestion and inflammation. If in the former 
 condition the blood can only be drawn into the skin, relief is at once 
 afforded and all danger is at an end; but in the latter, though some 
 slight advantage would be gained, the progress of the disease would not 
 be materially checked. To produce this determination of blood to the 
 skin without loss of time, is sometimes very difficult ; but by the appli- 
 cation of hot water and blankets it may generally be accomplished. Two 
 men, supplied with a tub of very hot water and plenty of clothing, should 
 be rapid in their movements, and proceed as follows : — Have an assistant 
 ready to strip the patient when ordered, then, dipping a blanket in the 
 Water, it is taken out and partially wrung, leaving as much water in its 
 meshes as it can hold without dropping ; as soon as it is cool enough for 
 the human hand to bear its pressure it should be gently, but quickly, laid 
 upon the horse’s back, and the rug, which has just come off, while still 
 warm, placed over it, with two or three more over all, the number 
 depending upon the temperature of the air. Another smaller rug may 
 in the same way be wetted and applied to the neck, covering it with two 
 or three hoods, but taking care to avoid pressure upon the windpipe. 
 The legs also should be wrapped in flannel bandages, made as hot as 
 possible before the fire, but dry. In the course of half an iiour, of the 
 
492 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 skin of the parts uncovered does not become warm, and show evidences 
 of sweating coming on, another rug must be dipped in the same way, and 
 substituted quickly for the first. Usually, however, the desired effect is 
 produced within twenty minutes, and then great care and some little tact 
 are required to manage the operation. If the sweating is allowed to go 
 on beyond a certain point exhaustion is produced, attended by almost as 
 much danger as inflammation ; while on the other hand, in attempting to 
 moderate the action of the skin, risk is incurred of a chill, and thus 
 upsetting all the benefit which might otherwise have been derived. But 
 by throwing open the doors to the external air, which may freely be 
 admitted as soon as the skin acts, and by reducing the number of 
 additional rugs, the amount of sweat given off may be kept within due 
 bounds, and in the course of two or three hours the previously wetted 
 rug or blanket may be removed, and a dry, warm one substituted for it, 
 but the assistants must be quick and handy in effecting the change. 
 Many a case of inflammation of the lungs, kidneys, or bowels might be 
 stopped in limine by the adoption of this plan ; but the misfortune is 
 that it requires all the skill and tact of the veterinary surgeon, first of all 
 to diagnose the case, and afterwards to manage its treatment. Still, if a 
 master will undertake the superintendence of the operation himself, and 
 is accustomed to disease, there is little risk of failure. 
 
 The symptoms of acute pneumonia are a quick and distressed respira- 
 tion, averaging about sixty inspirations in the minute. Pulse quick (from 
 seventy to eighty-five ; hard, often small, but always compressible. Nostrils 
 distended, and the lining membrane red (except in the last stage, when 
 suffocation is imminent). Cough short, and evidently giving pain, which 
 occasions it to be checked as much as possible. Legs and ears generally 
 cold, often icy. Peet wide apart ; evidently with an instinctive desire to 
 dilate the chest as much as possible. On putting the ear to the chest, if 
 the attack is very recent, there will be merely a greatly increased respira- 
 tory murmur ; but when fully developed there may be heard a crepitant 
 rattling, which is compared to the crackling of a dried bladder ; but I 
 confess that I could never make out the similarity between the two 
 sounds. In the later stages, this is succeeded by an absence of all sound, 
 owing to the consolidation of the lungs, or by mucous rattles depending 
 upon the secretion of mucus. On tapping the exterior of the chest with 
 the ends of the fingers (percussion), the sound given out is dull in pro- 
 portion to the extent of mischief, the effect of pneumonia being to convert 
 the spongy texture of the lungs into a solid substance like liver. The 
 treatment will greatly depend upon the stage of the disease, the age and 
 constitution of the horse, and the nature of the prevailing epidemic, if 
 there is one. In modem days bleeding is very badly borne, either by 
 man or horse, nevertheless few cases of genuine pneumonia will be saved 
 without it. Sufficient blood must be taken to make a decided impression 
 on the circulation, without which the inflammation will not be mastered. 
 The quantity necessary for this cannot be fixed, because the effect will 
 vary so materially, that the abstraction of three or four quarts of blood 
 in one case will do more than double or treble that quantity in another. 
 A large orifice must be made in the vein, and it must not be closed until 
 the lining membrane of the nose or the white of the eye is seen to have 
 become considerably paler. It may possibly even then be necessary to 
 repeat the operation six hours afterwards, or next day, according to the 
 symptoms. The rule should be followed of taking enough but not a drop 
 too much, for blood removed from the circulation takes a long time to 
 
PLEURISY. 
 
 493 
 
 replace. With, regard to medicine, tartar emetic is the only drug which 
 seems to have much influence over pneumonia, and it must be given 
 every six hours in drachm doses, with from half a drachm to a drachm of 
 powdered digitalis, or white hellebore, to keep down the pulse, and two 
 or three drachms of nitre, to increase the action of the kidneys. Unless 
 the bowels are confined no aperient should be given, and if necessary only 
 the mildest dose should be used. The diet should consist of bran mashes, 
 gruel, and a little hay, or green food if the season of the year allows. A 
 cool airy stable and warm clothing are indispensable in this disease. 
 When the first violence of the attack has subsided, a large blister on the 
 side of the chest will afford great relief, and when it ceases to act, if the 
 disease is not entirely cured a second may be put on the other side. 
 
 Sue-acute pneumonia differs in no respect from the acute form, 
 excepting in degree, and the symptoms and treatment will vary only in 
 proportion. 
 
 The terminations of pneumonia may be death, or resolution (by 
 which is to be understood a disappearance of the symptoms without- 
 leaving any mischief behind), or hepatization, or abscess. The last-named 
 sequel may be very serious in extent, but if an opening is made by nature 
 for the discharge of its contents into the bronchial tubes the horse may 
 recover, and his wind may be sufficiently good for any purposes but the 
 racecourse or the hunting-field. Hepatization is always attended with 
 thick wind, but in other respects the health may be good, and the horse 
 may be suited to ordinary work. In process of time some of the lymph 
 is absorbed, and a considerable improvement takes place, but it never 
 entirely disappears, and a horse which has once suffered from pneumonia 
 attended by hepatization remains permanently unsound. 
 
 PLEURISY. 
 
 This disease is characterised by a very peculiar respiration, the expira- 
 tions being much longer than the inspirations, owing to the pain which is 
 given by the action of the muscles necessary for the latter, while the 
 former, if the chest is allowed quietly to fall, is almost painless. Never- 
 theless, the breathing is quicker on the whole than natural, being from 
 forty to fifty per minute. The pulse is quick, small, and incompressible. 
 Nostrils and eyes of a natural colour, and the former are not dilated. The 
 countenance is anxious, and the legs are rather drawn together than ex- 
 tended, as in bronchitis and pneumonia, and they are not colder than 
 usual. There is a short hurried cough, with great restlessness, and the 
 sides are always painful on pressure ; but this symptom by itself is not to 
 be relied on, as it is present in pleurodynia, which will be presently 
 described. 
 
 The treatment should consist of copious bleeding, followed by a mild 
 purgative, and the same ball as recommended for pneumonia, with the 
 addition of half a drachm of calomel. Blisters are not desirable to be 
 applied to the sides of the thorax, as there is so little space between the 
 two surfaces of the pleura and the skin that they are apt to do harm by 
 immediately irritating the former, rather than to act beneficially by counter- 
 irritation of the skin. A large rowel may, however, be placed in the 
 breast with advantage. 
 
 Hydrothorax, or water in the cavity of the chest, is one of the sequels 
 of chronic pleurisy, the serum thrown out being the means by which a 
 
494 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 serous membrane relieves itself. It can be detected by tbe entire absence 
 of respiratory murmur, and by tbe dulness on percussion. Ho treatment 
 is of any avail but tapping, which may be readily and safely performed (if 
 the diagnosis is correct) by passing a trocar between the eight and ninth 
 ribs, near their cartilages. If, however, an error has been committed, the 
 lung is wounded, and death will most probably ensue. 
 
 PLEURODYNIA, 
 
 Between this disease and the last there is some similarity in the 
 symptoms ; but in their nature, and in the treatment required, they are 
 widely separated. It is, therefore, necessary that they should not be con- 
 founded, for in the one case blood-letting and other active measures may 
 be unnecessarily adopted, and in the other a fatal result will most pro- 
 bably occur for want of them. In pleuritis there is a quick pulse, with 
 general constitutional disturbance, which will serve to distinguish it from 
 pleurodynia, besides which, it is rarely that we meet with the former 
 without some other affection of the lungs co-existing. When, therefore, 
 a horse is evidently suffering from acute pain in the walls of the thorax, 
 unaccompanied by cough, hurried breathing, quick pulse, or fever, it may 
 safely be diagnosed that the nature of the attack is a rheumatism of the 
 intercostal muscles (pleurodynia), and not pleurisy. In treating it, bleed- 
 ing and tartar emetic must be carefully avoided, and hot mustard and 
 vinegar rubbed into the sides will be the most likely remedy to afford 
 relief. 
 
 PHTHISIS. 
 
 When a horse has long been subject to a chronic cough, and, 
 without losing appetite, wastes away rapidly, it may be assumed that he 
 is a victim to phthisis, and especially if he is narrow-chested and has 
 long shown signs of short wind. On examining the chest by the ear, it 
 will be found to give out sounds of various kinds, depending upon the 
 exact state of the lungs; but in most cases there will be great dulness on 
 percussion, owing to the deposit of tubercles, in which the disease consists. 
 In a confirmed case no treatment will avail, and the poor animal had 
 better be destroyed. When the attack is slight, the progress of the 
 disease may be stayed by counteracting inflammation in the ordinary way, 
 avoiding loss of blood when possible. Haemorrhage, from the breaking 
 down of the substance of the lung, by which a large blood-vessel is 
 opened, is a common result of phthisis, and will be alluded to under the 
 head of the diseases of the vessels of the lungs, at the end of this chapter. 
 
 BROKEN WIND. 
 
 A broken-winded horse can be detected at once by any horseman 
 possessed of experience, from the peculiar and forcible double expiration. 
 Inspiration is performed as usual, then comes a rapid but not violent act 
 of expiration, followed by a forcible repetition of the same, in which all 
 the muscles of respiration, auxiliary and ordinary, are called into play. 
 This is, of course, most marked when the horse has been gallopped, but 
 even when he is at rest the double expiration is manifest at almost any 
 ordinary distance from the observer. The disease almost (if not quite) 
 invariably consists in emphysema, or entrance of the air into unnatural 
 
THICK WIND. 
 
 495 
 
 cells, which is retained there, as the urine is in the bladder, from the 
 valvular nature of the openings, and cannot he entirely expelled, nor in 
 the slightest degree, without calling into play all the muscles of the chest. 
 The presence of unchanged air is a constant source of irritation to the 
 lungs, and although sufficient may be expired easily enough to carry on 
 their functions while the body is at rest, yet instinctively there is a desire 
 to get rid of the surplus, and hence the two acts of respiration. Im- 
 mediately after this second act the muscles relax, and the flank falls in, 
 and this it is which catches the eye in so remarkable a manner. On 
 examination after death, the lungs are found to remain enlarged, and do 
 not collapse as in the healthy condition. They are distended with air ; 
 and this is especially the case when the emphysema is of the kind called 
 interlobular, in which the air has escaped into the cellular membrane. In 
 the most common kind, however, the cells are broken down, several being 
 united together, while the enlargement pressing upon the tube which has 
 opened into them diminishes its capacity, and prevents the ready escape 
 of air. This is the vesicular emphysema of pathologists. The former is 
 generally suddenly produced by a severe gallop after a full meal, while 
 the latter is a slow growth and often occurs at grass, as a consequence of 
 neglected chronic cough, the constant muscular efforts appearing gradually 
 to dilate the cells. 
 
 The treatment can only be palliative, as there is no recognised cure for 
 the disease, though M. Hew, of Chaumont, has lately published a report 
 of ten cases in which treatment by arsenic given with green food or 
 straw, and in some cases bleeding, was perfectly successful. The arsenic 
 was given to the extent of fifteen grains daily, and at the end of a fort- 
 night the symptoms of broken wind were completely removed ; but as 
 the horses were not subsequently watched it is impossible to say whether 
 the cure was permanent. It is known, however, that one of them relapsed 
 after three months, but speeddy yielded to a repetition of the treatment. 
 It may certainly be worth while to try the experiment of the effect of 
 arsenic where a broken- winded horse is valuable in other respects. The 
 medicine is not expensive, and the length of time necessary for the 
 treatment is not very great. Broken-winded horses should be carefully 
 dieted, and even then confined to slow work. The food should be in 
 small compass, consisting chiefly of wheat-straw chaff, with a proper 
 quantity of oats, and beans may be added if the animal is not very 
 young. The water should never be given within an hour of going out 
 of the stable, but it is better to leave a constant supply, when too much 
 will never be taken. Carrots are peculiarly suited to this disease, and a 
 diet of bran mixed with carrots, sliced, has sometimes been known to 
 relieve a broken-winded horse most materially. 
 
 THICK WIN'D. 
 
 Thick wind is the horseman’s term for any defective respiration, unac- 
 companied by a noise, or by the signs of emphysema just alluded to. It 
 usually follows pneumonia, but it may arise from chronic bronchitis, occa- 
 sioning a thickening of the mucous membrane lining the bronchial tubes, 
 and thus lessening their diameter, or it may accompany phthisis when the 
 deposit of tubercles is extensive. No treatment will be of any service 
 except such as will aid the play of the lungs mechanically, by avoiding 
 overloading the stomach, as mentioned in the last section. 
 
496 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 SPASM OF THE DIAPHRAGM. 
 
 Some horses, when at all distressed by the severity of their gallops, 
 communicate to the rider a most unpleasant sensation, as if some internal 
 part was giving a sudden blow or flap. This is not only a sensation, but 
 a reality, for the diaphragm being naturally weak, or overstrained at some 
 previous period, acts spasmodically in drawing in the air. If the horse 
 thus affected is ridden onwards afterwards, he will be placed in danger of 
 suffocation and death, either from rupture of the diaphragm, or from its 
 cessation to act, or from its permanently contracting and refusing to give 
 way during expiration. There is no cure for the weakness which tends 
 to produce the spasm, and all that can be done is to avoid using the horse 
 affected with it at any very fast pace, and over a distance of ground. 
 Urgent symptoms may be relieved by a cordial-drench, such as the 
 following : — 
 
 Take of Laudanum 6 drachms. 
 
 Ether ounce. 
 
 Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia 3 drachms. 
 
 Tincture of Ginger 3 drachms. 
 
 Ale 1 pint. Mix. 
 
 Or if there is any difficulty in giving a drench, a ball may be made up 
 and given — 
 
 Take of Carbonate of Ammonia 1 drachm. 
 
 Camphor J drachm. 
 
 Powdered Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Linseed meal and boiling water sufficient to make into a ball. 
 
 Either of the above may be repeated at the end of three hours, if relief 
 is not afforded. Increased strength may be given to the diaphragm by 
 regular slow work, and the daily mixture of a drachm of powdered 
 sulphate of iron with the feed of corn. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE HEART. 
 
 The horse is subject to inflammation of the substance of the heart 
 (carditis) of a rheumatic nature, and of the fibro-serous covering (pericar- 
 ditis), but the symptoms are so obscure that no one but the professional 
 veterinarian will be likely to make them out. Dropsy of the heart is a 
 common disease in worn-out horses, and hypertrophy, as well as fatty 
 degeneration, are often met with among well-conditioned animals. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE BLOOD VESSELS OF THE CHEST 
 AHD HOSE. 
 
 The horse is very subject to haemorrhage from the nose, coming 
 on during violent exertion, and many a race has been lost from this cause. 
 Fat over-fed horses are the most likely to suffer from haemorrhage ; but most 
 people are aware of the risk incurred in over-riding or driving them, and 
 for this reason they are not so often subject to this accident (for such it 
 is rather than a disease) as they otherwise would be. It is unnecessary to 
 describe its symptoms , as the gush of blood renders it but too apparent, 
 and the only point necessary to inquire into is, whether the lungs or the 
 nasal cavities are the seat of the rupture of the vessel. In the former 
 case the blood conies from both nostrils, and is frothy; while in the latter 
 it generally proceeds from one only, and is perfectly fluid. The treatment 
 
DISEASES OF THE MOUTH. 
 
 497 
 
 should consist in cooling tlie horse down by a dose of physic and a some- 
 what lower diet ; but if the bleeding is very persistent, and returns again 
 and again, a saturated solution of alum in water may be syringed up the 
 nostril daily, or, if this fails, an infusion of matico may be tried, which is 
 far more likely to succeed. It is made by pouring half a pint of boiling 
 water on a drachm of matico-leaves, and letting it stand till cool, when it 
 should he strained, and is fit for use. 
 
 Hemorrhage from the lungs is a far more serious affair, and its 
 control requires active remedies if they are to he of any service. It may 
 arise from the existence of an abscess in the lung of a phthisical nature, 
 which implicates some considerable vessel ; or it may he caused by the 
 bursting of an aneurism, which is a dilatation of a large artery, and 
 generally occurs near the heart. The treatment can seldom do more than 
 prolong the life of the patient for a short time, and it is scarcely worth 
 while to enter upon it. Hleeding from the jugular vein will arrest the 
 internal haemorrhage, and must often he resorted to in the first instance, 
 and there are internal medicines which will assist it, such as digitalis 
 and matico ; but, as before remarked, this only postpones the fatal 
 termination. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE ABDOMINAL VISCERA AND THEIR APPENDAGES. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS— DISEASES OF THE MOUTH AND THROAT— GASTRITIS — STOMACH 
 STAGGERS — DYSPEPSIA — BOTS —INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS — COLIC — DIARRHOEA 
 AND DYSENTERY— STRANGULATION AND RUPTURE — CALCULI IN THE BOWELS — WORMS — 
 DISEASE OF THE LIVER — OF THE KIDNEYS — OF THE BLADDER — OF THE ORGANS OF 
 GENERATION. 
 
 GENERAL REMARKS. 
 
 Though not often producing what in horse-dealing is considered 
 unsoundness, yet diseases of the abdominal viscera constantly lead to 
 death, ajid frequently to such a debilitated state of the body, that the 
 sufferer is rendered useless. Fortunately for the purchaser, they almost 
 always give external evidence of their presence, for there is not only 
 emaciation, but also a staring coat and a flabby state of the muscles, which 
 is quite the reverse of the wiry feel communicated to the hand in those 
 instances where the horse is “poor” from over- work in proportion to his 
 food. In the latter case, time and good living only are required to restore 
 the natural plumpness ; hut in the former, the wasting will either go on 
 until death puts an end to the poor diseased animal, or he will remain in 
 a debilitated and wasted condition, utterly unfit for hard work. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE MOUTH AND THROAT. 
 
 Several parts about the mouth are liable to inflammation, which 
 would be of little consequence in itself, but that it interferes with the 
 feeding, and this for the time starves the horse, and renders nim unfit for 
 his work, causing him to “quid” or return his food into the manger 
 without swallowing it. Such are lampas, vives or enlarged glands, barbs 
 
 K K 
 
498 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 or paps, gigs, bladders, and flaps, — all which are names given to the 
 enlargements of the salivary ducts, — and carious teeth, or inflammation 
 of their fangs. Besides these, the horse is also subject to sore throat, and 
 strangles, which are accompanied by constitutional disturbance, and not 
 only occasion “ quid ding,” if there is any slight appetite, but they are 
 also generally accompanied by a loss of that function. 
 
 Sore throat. — When the throat inflames, as is evidenced by fulness 
 and hardness of this part, and there is difficulty of swallowing, 
 the skin covering it should immediately be severely sweated, or the 
 larynx will be involved and irreparable injury done. The tincture of 
 cantharides diluted with an equal part of spirit of turpentine and a little 
 oil, may be rubbed in with a piece of sponge, until it produces irritation 
 of the skin, which in a few hours will be followed by a discharge from 
 the part. Six or eight drachms of nitre may also be dissolved in the 
 water which the horse drinks, with some difficulty, but still, as he is 
 thirsty, he will take it. Sometimes eating gives less pain than drinking, 
 and then the nitre may be given with a bran mash instead of the water. 
 
 Strangles. — Between the third and fifth year of the colt’s life he is 
 generally seized with an acute swelling of the soft parts between the 
 branches of the lower jaw, accompanied by more or less sore throat, 
 cough and feverishness. These go on increasing for some days, and then 
 an abscess shows itself, and finally bursts. The salivary glands are often 
 involved, but the matter forms in the cellular membrane external to them. 
 The treatment should be addressed to the control of constitutional symp- 
 toms by the mildest measures, such as bran mashes with nitre in them, 
 abstraction of corn, hay tea, &c. At the same time the swelling should 
 be poulticed for one night, or thoroughly fomented two or three times, 
 and then blistered with the tincture of cantharides. As soon as the 
 matter can plainly be felt, it may be let out with the lancet ; but it is 
 very doubtful whether it is not the best plan to permit the abscess to 
 break. The bowels should be gently moved, by giving a pint, or some- 
 what less, according to age, of castor oil ; and afterwards, two or three 
 drachms of nitre, with half a drachm of tartar emetic, may be mixed 
 with the mash twice a day, on which food alone the colt should be fed, 
 in addition to gruel, and a little grass or clover if these are to be had, or 
 if not, a few steamed carrots. The disease has a tendency to get well 
 naturally, but if it is not kept within moderate bounds it is very apt to 
 lay the foundation of roaring or whistling. Any chronic swelling which 
 is left behind, may be removed by rubbing in a weak ointment of binio- 
 sdide of mercury (one scruple or half drachm to the ounce ; see page 456). 
 r Lamp as is an active inflammation of the ridges, or “ bars,” in the roof 
 of the mouth, generally occurring in the young horse while he is shedding 
 his teeth, or putting up the tushes. Sometimes, however, it comes on, 
 independently of this cause, from over-feeding with corn after a run at grass. 
 The mucous membrane of the roof of the mouth swells so much that it 
 projects below the level of the nippers, and is so tender that all hard and 
 dry food is refused. The treatment is extremely simple, consisting in the 
 scarification of the part with a sharp knife or lancet, after which the 
 swelling generally subsides, and is gone in a day or two ; but should it 
 obstinately continue, as will sometimes happen, a stick of lunar caustic 
 must be gently rubbed over the part every day until a cure is completed. 
 This is far better than the red hot iron, which was formerly so constantly 
 used, with good effect it is true, and not accompanied by any cruelty, 
 as the mucous membrane is nearly insensible, but the caustic is more 
 
'GASTRITIS. 499 
 
 rapid and effectual in stimulating the vessels to a heaithy action, and 
 on that score should he preferred. If the lampas is owing to the cutting 
 of a grinder, relief will be afforded by a crucial incision across the pro- 
 truding gum. 
 
 Barbs, paps, &c. — The swelling at the moutb of the ducts may gene- 
 rally be relieved by a dose of physic and green food, but should it continue, 
 a piece of lunar caustic may be held for a moment against the opening of 
 the duct every second day, and after two or three applications the thicken- 
 ing will certainly disappear. 
 
 Where vives, or chronically enlarged submaxillary glands, are met 
 with, the application of the ointment of biniodide of mercury, according 
 to the directions given at page 456, will almost certainly cause their reduc- 
 tion to a natural state. 
 
 GASTRITIS. 
 
 Gastritis (acute inflammation of the stomach) is extremely rare in the 
 horse as an idiopathic disease ; but it sometimes occurs from eating vege- 
 table poisons as food, or from the wilful introduction of arsenic into this 
 organ, or, lastly, from licking off corrosive external applications, which 
 have been used for mange. The symptoms from poisoning will a good 
 deal depend upon the article which has been taken, but in almost all cases 
 in which vegetable poisons have been swallowed, there is a strange sort 
 of drowsiness, so that the horse does not lie down and go to sleep, but 
 props himself against a wall or tree with his head hanging almost to the 
 ground. As the drowsiness increases he often falls down in his attempt 
 to rest himself more completely, and when on the ground his breathing 
 is loud and hard, and liis sleep is so unnaturally sound that be can 
 scarcely be roused from it. At length convulsions occur and death soon 
 takes place. This is the ordinary course of poisoning with yew, which is 
 sometimes picked up with the grass after the clippings have dried, for in 
 its fresh state the taste is too bitter for the palate, and the horse rejects 
 the mouthful of grass in which it is involved. May-weed and water 
 parsley will also produce nearly similar symptoms. The treatment in each 
 case should be by rousing the horse mechanically, and at the same time 
 giving him six or eight drachms of aromatic spirit of ammonia, in a pint 
 or two of good ale, with a little ginger in it. This may be repeated every 
 two hours, and the horse should be perpetually walked about until the 
 narcotic symptoms are completely gone off, when a sound sleep will restore 
 him to his natural state. 
 
 Arsenic, when given in large doses, with an intention to destroy life, 
 produces intense pain and thirst ; — the former, evidenced by an eager gaze 
 at the flanks, pawing of the ground, or rolling ; and sometimes by each 
 of these in succession. The saliva is secreted in increased quantities, and 
 flows from the mouth, as the throat is generally too sore to allow of its 
 being swallowed. The breath soon becomes hot and fetid, and purging 
 them comes on of a bloody mucus, which soon carries off the patient by 
 exhaustion, if death does not take place from the immediate effects of the 
 poison on the stomach and brain. Treatment is seldom of any avail, the 
 most likely remedies being large bleedings, blisters to the sides of the 
 chest, and plenty of thin gruel to sheathe the inflamed surface of the 
 mucous membrane, which is deprived of its epithelial scales. 
 
 Corrosive sublimate is sometimes employed as a wash in mange, or to 
 destroy lice, when it may be licked off, and will occasion nearly the same 
 symptoms as arsenic. The treatment consists in a similar use of thin starch 
 
 k k 2 
 
500 THE HORSE. 
 
 or gruel ; or, if the poison has recently been given wilfully, of large quan- 
 tities of white of egg. 
 
 STOMACH STAGGERS. 
 
 The exact nature of this disease has never been clearly made out, and 
 it is now so rare, that there is little chance of its being satisfactorily 
 explained. The symptoms would chiefly lead one to suppose the brain to 
 he implicated ; hut there is so close a sympathy between that organ and 
 the stomach, that we can easily account in that way for the cerebral mani- 
 festations. A theory has been propounded, that it is seated in the pai 
 vagum, or pneumogastric nerve ; and as all the parts with which that 
 nerve is connected are affected, there is some ground for the hypothesis ; 
 but it is not supported by the demonstration of anatomy, simply, perhaps, 
 because of the difficulty in the way of prosecuting the pathology of the 
 nerves. The first onset of the disease is marked by great heaviness of 
 the eyes, soon going on to drowsiness ; the head dropping into the manger, 
 even while feeding is in progress. It generally makes its appearance after 
 a long fast ; and it is supposed by some writers to be owing to the demands 
 made by the stomach on the brain, when in an exhausted condition for 
 want of its usual supplies. This theory is supported by the fact that, in 
 the present day, when every horsemaster knows the danger of working his 
 horses without feeding them at intervals of five, or at most six hours, the 
 stomach staggers are almost unknown. Even when the disease shows 
 itself at grass, it is almost always manifested directly after the horse is 
 first turned out, when he gorges himself with the much-coveted food, 
 which has long been withheld, and his brain is affected in a manner 
 similar to that which follows a long fast from every kind of food. In a 
 short time, if the affection of the brain is not relieved, that organ becomes 
 still more severely implicated, and convulsions or paralysis put an end to 
 the attack. During the course of the disease, the breathing is affected, 
 and there is generally an almost total cessation of the secretions of bile and 
 urine, which may either be the cause or the effect of the condition of the 
 brain. With this state of uncertainty as to the essence of the disease, it is 
 somewhat empirical to lay down any rules for its treatment; and, as I 
 before remarked, it is now so rare, that they are scarcely necessary. If 
 care be taken to feed the horse properly, he will never suffer from stomach 
 staggers in the stable ; and at grass, the attack is seldom observed until he 
 is beyond the reach of any remedies. Still, it may be as well to observe, 
 that the usual plan of proceeding has been to take away blood, so as to 
 relieve the brain, and to stimulate the stomach to get rid of its load, by the 
 use of warm aperients, such as the following : — 
 
 Take of Barbadoes Aloes 4 to 6 drachms. 
 
 Tincture of Ginger 3 drachms. 
 
 Dissolve the aloes in a pint of hot water, then add the tincture, and when nearly 
 cool give as a drench. 
 
 DYSPEPSIA. 
 
 Every domestic animal suffers in health if he is constantly fed on the 
 same articles, and man himself, perhaps, more than they do. Partridges 
 are relished by him early in September, but toujours perdrix would disgust 
 the most inveterate lover of that article of food. Dogs are too often made 
 to suffer from being fed on the same meal, flavoured with similar flesh or 
 broth, from one month to another. It is well known that cattle and sheep 
 
BOTS. 
 
 501 
 
 must change their pasture, or they soon lose condition; and yet horses 
 are expected to go on eating oats and hay for years together without in- 
 jury to health ; and at the same time they are often exposed to the close 
 air of a confined stable, and to an irregular amount of exercise. We can- 
 not, therefore, wonder that the master is often told that some one or other 
 of his horses is “ a little off his feed ; ” nor should we he surprised that 
 the constant repetition of the panacea for this, “ a dose of physic,” should 
 at length permanently establish the condition which at first it would 
 always alleviate. It is a source of wonder that the appetite continues so 
 good as it does, in the majority of horses, which are kept in the stable on 
 the same kind of food, always from July to May, and often through the 
 other months also. The use of a few small bundles of vetches, lucerne, or 
 clover in the spring, is supposed to be quite sufficient to restore tone to the 
 stomach, and undoubtedly they are better than no change at all ; but at 
 other seasons of the year something may be done towards the prevention 
 of dyspepsia, by varying the quality of the hay, and by the use of a few 
 carrots once or twice a week. In many stables, one rick of hay is made to 
 serve throughout the whole or a great part of the year, which is a very bad 
 plan, as a change in this important article of food is as much required as a 
 change of pasture when the animal is at grass. When attention is paid to 
 this circumstance, the appetite will seldom fail in horses of a good constitu- 
 tion, if they are regularly worked ; but without it, resort must occasionally 
 be had to a dose of physic. It is from a neglect of this precaution that so 
 many horses take to eat their litter, in preference to their hay ; for if the 
 same animal was placed in a straw-yard for a month, without hay, and 
 then allowed access to both, there would be little doubt that he would 
 prefer the latter. Some horses are naturally so voracious, that they are 
 always obliged to be supplied with less than they desire, and they seldom 
 suffer from loss of appetite ; but delicate feeders require the greatest care 
 in their management. When the stomach suffers in this way, it is always 
 desirable to try what a complete change of food will do before resorting to 
 medicine ; and, if it can be obtained, green food of some kind should be 
 chosen, or if not, carrots, or even steamed potatoes. In place of hay, sound 
 wheat or barley straw may be cut into chaff, and mixed with the carrots 
 and corn ; and to this a little malt-dust may be added, once or twice 
 a week, so as to alter the flavour. By continually changing the food in 
 this way, the most dyspeptic stomach may often be restored to its proper 
 tone, without doing harm with one hand while the other is doing good, as 
 is too often the case with medicine. The use of the fashionable “ horse- 
 feeds” of the present day will serve the same purpose; and if the slight 
 changes I have mentioned do not answer, Thorley’s or Henri’s food may 
 be tried with great probability of success. 
 
 BOTS. 
 
 The larvjE of the oestrus equi , a species of gadfly, are often found in 
 large numbers, attached by a pair of hooks with which they are provided, 
 to the cardiac extremity of the stomach ; they are very rarely met with in 
 the true digestive portion of this organ, but sometimes in the duodenum or 
 jejunum in small numbers. A group of these larvae, which are popularly 
 called hots, are represented on the next page, but sometimes nearly all the 
 cardiac extremity of the stomach is occupied with them, the interstices 
 being occupied by little projections which are caused by those that have 
 let go their hold, and have been expelled with the food. Several of these 
 
502 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 papillae are shown on the engraving, which delineates also the appearance 
 of the hots themselves, so that no one can fail to recognise them when he 
 
 GROUP OF ROTS ATTACHED TO THE STOMACH. 
 
 sees them. This is important, for it often happens that a meddlesome 
 groom when he sees them expelled from or hanging to the verge of the 
 anus, as they often do for a short time, thinks it necessary to use strong 
 medicine ; whereas in the first place he does no good, for none is known 
 which will kill the larva without danger to the horse, and in the second, 
 if he will only have a little patience, every bob will come away in the 
 natural course of things, and until the horse is turned out to grass, 
 during the season when the oestrus deposits its eggs, he will never have 
 another in his stomach. 
 
 The cestrus equi comes out from the pupa state in the middle and lat- 
 ter part of summer, varying according to the season, and the female soon 
 finds the proper nidus for her eggs in the hair of the nearest horse turned 
 out to grass. She manages to glue them to the sides of the hair so 
 firmly that no ordinary friction will get rid of them, and her instinct 
 teaches her to select those parts within reach of the horse’s tongue, such 
 as the hair of the fore legs and sides. Here they remain until the heat of 
 the sun hatches them, when, being no larger in diameter than a small 
 pin, each larva is licked off and carried down the gullet to the stomach, 
 to the thick epithelium of which it soon attaches itself by its hooks. Here 
 it remains until the next spring, having attained the size which is repre- 
 sented in the engraving during the course of the first two months of its 
 life, and then it fulfils its allotted career, by letting go and being carried 
 out with the dung. On reaching the outer air it soon assumes the 
 chrysalis condition, and in three or four weeks bursts its covering to 
 become the perfect insect. 
 
 From this history it will be evident that no preventive measures will 
 keep off the attacks of the fly when the horse is at grass, and, indeed, in 
 those districts where they abound, they will deposit their ova in the hair 
 of the stabled horse if he is allowed to stand still for a few minutes. 
 The eggs are, however, easily recognised in any horse but a chestnut, to 
 which colour they closely assimilate, and as they are never deposited in 
 large numbers on the stabled horse they may readily be removed by the 
 groom. Unlike other parasites, they seem to do little or no harm, on 
 account of the insensible nature of the part of the stomach to which they 
 
INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS. 
 
 503 
 
 are attached, and, moreover, their presence is seldom discovered until the 
 season of their migration, when interference is uncalled for. On all 
 accounts, therefore, it is unnecessary to enter into the question, whether 
 it is possible to expel them ; and even if by chance one comes away pre- 
 maturely it will be wise to avoid interfering by attempting to cause the 
 expulsion of those left behind. 
 
 INFLAMMATION" OF THE BOWELS. 
 
 (Peritonitis and Enteritis.) 
 
 A reference to page 426 will explain that there are two divisions of 
 the abdominal serous sac, one of w T hich lines the walls of the cavity, and 
 the other covers the viscera which lie in it. In human medicine, when 
 the former is inflamed, the disease is termed 'peritonitis, and when the 
 latter is the subject of inflammatory action it is called enteritis. But 
 though in theory this distinction is made, in practice it is found that the 
 one seldom exists without the other being developed to a greater or less 
 extent. Veterinary writers have generally taken the nomenclature 
 adopted in human anatomy and pathology, but in regard to the inflam- 
 mations of the bowels they define peritonitis as inflammation of the 
 peritoneal or serous coat, and enteritis as inflammation of the muscular 
 coat. My own belief is, that during life it is impossible by any known 
 symptoms to distinguish the exact locale of any inflammation of the 
 bowels but that of their mucous lining, which will presently be described, 
 and that wherever the actual serous covering of the bowels is involved 
 the muscular fibres beneath it will be implicated, but that the serious and 
 fatal symptoms manifested in such cases are not dependent upon the 
 latter, but are due entirely to the lesions of the serous coat. I have 
 examined numberless fatal cases of supposed enteritis, and have uniformly 
 found signs of inflammation of the serous investment, sometimes impli- 
 cating the muscular fibres beneath, and often extending to the peritoneal 
 lining of the w r alls of the abdomen, but I have never yet seen marks of 
 inflammation in the muscular tissue without their serous covering being 
 affected to a much greater extent. I believe therefore that the distinction 
 is erroneously founded, and that, theoretically, the same definition 
 should be made of the two diseases as is in use by human pathologists, 
 though practically this is of little importance. There is no well made out 
 inflammation of muscular tissue (except that of the heart) iit which the 
 symptoms are so urgent and so rapidly followed by a fatal issue as in the 
 latter stages of the disease described by Mr. Percivall under the head 
 enteritis , as follows : — “ The next stage borders on delirium. The eye 
 acquires a w r ild, haggard, and unnatural stare — the pupil dilates — his 
 heedless and dreadful throes render approach to him quite perilous, he is 
 an object not only of compassion but of apprehension, and seems fast 
 hurrying to his end — when all at once, in the midst of agonising torments 
 he stands quiet, as though every pain had left him and he were going to 
 recover. His breathing becomes tranquillised — his pulse sunk beyond 
 all perception — his body bedewed with a cold clammy sweat — he is in a 
 tremor from head to foot, and about the legs and ears has even a dead- 
 like feel. The mouth feels deadly chill — the lip drops pendulous, and the 
 eye seems unconscious of objects. In fine, death, not recovery, is at hand. 
 Mortification has seized the inflamed bowel — pain can no longer be felt 
 in that which a few minutes ago was the seat of most exquisite suffering. 
 
504 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 He again "becomes convulsed, and in a few more struggles less violent tlian 
 the former he expires.” Analogy would lead any careful pathologist to 
 suppose that such symptoms as these are due to some lesion of a serous 
 and not a muscular tissue, and, as I before remarked, I have satisfied 
 myself that such is really the case. I have seen lymph, pus, and serum 
 effused in some cases of enteritis, and mortification extending to a large 
 surface of the peritoneal coat in others, but I have never examined a 
 single case without one or the other of these morbid results. It may be 
 said that so long as the symptoms are correctly described their exact seat 
 is of no consequence ; but in this instance it is probable that the ordinary 
 definition of enteritis as an inflammation of the muscular coat may lead 
 to a timid practice in its treatment, which would be attended with the 
 worst results. I have no fault to find with the usual descriptions of the 
 two diseases, or with their ordinary treatment, but I protest against the 
 definition which is given of them. 
 
 An examination of the cause of inflammation of the bowels is the 
 only means by which the one form can be distinguished from the other. 
 If it has been brought about from exposure to cold, or from over-stimu- 
 lating medicines given for colic, the probability is that the serous covering 
 of the intestines themselves is chiefly involved ; while if it has followed 
 castration it may generally be concluded that the peritoneal lining of the 
 abdominal muscles has taken on inflammatory action by an immediate 
 extension from the serous lining of the inguinal canal, which is continuous 
 with it. In each case, however, the symptoms are as nearly as may be 
 the same, and without knowing the previous history I believe no one 
 could distinguish the one disease from the other — nor should the treat- 
 ment vary in any respect. 
 
 The symptoms of peritoneal inflammation vary in intensity, and in the 
 rapidity of their development, but they usually show themselves in the 
 following order : — At first there is simple loss of appetite, dulness of eye, 
 and a general uneasiness, which are soon followed by a slight rigor or 
 shivering. The pulse becomes rapid, but small and wiry, and the horse 
 becomes very restless, pawing his litter, and looking back at his sides in a 
 wistful and anxious manner. In the next stage all these signs are aggra- 
 vated ; the hind legs are used to strike at but not touch the belly ; and 
 the horse lies down, rolls on his back and struggles violently. The pulse 
 becomes quicker and harder, but is still small. The belly is acutely 
 tender and hard to the touch, the bowels are costive, and the horse is con- 
 stantly turning round, moaning, and regarding his flanks with the most 
 anxious expression of countenance. Next comes on the stage so graphi- 
 cally described by Mr. Percivall in the passage which I have quoted, the 
 whole duration of the attack being from twelve to forty-eight hours in 
 acute cases, and extending to three or four days in those which are 
 denominated sub-acute. 
 
 In the treatment of this disease, as in all those implicating serous 
 membranes, blood must be taken largely, and in a full stream, the quantity 
 usually required to make a suitable impression being from six to nine 
 quarts. The belly should be fomented with very hot water, by two men 
 holding against it a doubled blanket, dipped in that fluid, which should 
 be constantly changed, to keep up the temperature. The bowels should 
 be back-raked, and the following drench should be given every six hours 
 till it operates, which should be hastened by injections of warm water. 
 
 Take of Linseed oil . 1 pint. 
 
 Laudanum ... 2 ounces. 
 
COLIC. 
 
 505 
 
 If the first bleeding does not give relief in six or eight hours, it must 
 he repeated to the extent of three or four quarts, and at the same time some 
 liquid blister may be rubbed into the skin of the abdomen, continuing 
 the fomentations, at short intervals, under that part, which will hasten 
 its operation. The diet should be confined to thin gruel or bran mashes, 
 and no hay should be allowed until the severity of the attack has abated. 
 
 To distinguish this disease from colic is of the highest importance, 
 and for this purpose it will be necessary to describe the symptoms of 
 the latter disease, so as to compare the two together. 
 
 COLIC. 
 
 In this disease there is spasm of the muscular coat of the intestines, 
 generally confined to the caecum and colon. Various names have been 
 given to its different forms, such as the fret, the gripes, spasmodic colic, 
 flatulent colic, &c., but they all display the above feature, and are only 
 modifications of it, depending upon the cause which has produced it. In 
 spasmodic colic, the bowels are not unnaturally distended, but in flatulent 
 colic their distension by gas brings on the spasm, the muscular fibres 
 being stretched to so great an extent as to cause them to contract irre- 
 gularly and with a morbid action. Sometimes, when the bowels are very 
 costive, irritation is established as an effort of nature to procure the dis- 
 lodgment of the impacted faecal matters, and thus a third cause of the 
 disease is discovered. The exact nature and cause are always to be ascer- 
 tained from the history of the case, and its symptoms, and as the treat- 
 ment will especially be conducted with a view to a removal of the cause, 
 they are of the highest importance. The symptoms in all cases of colic, 
 by which it may be distinguished from the last described disease, are as 
 follows. In both acute pain is manifested by stamping, looking at the 
 flanks, and rolling ; but in enteritis the pain is constant, while in colic 
 there are intervals of rest, when the horse seems quite easy, and often 
 begins to feed. In both the poor animal strikes at his belly ; but in the 
 former he takes great care not to touch the skin, while in the latter (colic) 
 he will often bring the blood by his desperate efforts to get rid of his 
 annoyance. In enteritis the belly is hot and exquisitely tender to the 
 touch, but in colic it is not unnaturally warm, and gradual pressure with a 
 broad surface, such as the whole hand, always is readily borne, and gene- 
 rally affords relief. The pulse also is little affected in colic ; and lastly, the 
 attack is very much more sudden than in peritoneal inflammation. 
 
 Such are the general signs by which a case of colic may be distin- 
 guished from inflammation of the bowels, but beyond this it is necessary 
 to investigate whether it is pure spasmodic colic, or produced by flatulence, 
 or by an obstruction in the bowels. 
 
 In spasmodic colic all the above symptoms are displayed, without any 
 great distension of the abdomen ; and if the history of the case is gone 
 into, it will be found that after coming in heated the horse has been 
 allowed to drink cold water, or has been exposed in an exhausted state 
 to a draught of air. 
 
 In flatulent colic the abdomen is enormously distended ; the attack 
 is not so sudden, and the pain is not so intense, being rather to be con- 
 sidered, in the average of cases, as a high degree of uneasiness, occasion- 
 ally amounting to a sharp pang, than giving the idea of agony. In 
 aggravated attacks, the distension is so enormous as to leave no doubt 
 of the nature of the exciting cause. Here also the spasms are often 
 
506 THE HORSE. 
 
 brought on by drinking cold water while the horse is in a heated and 
 exhausted state. 
 
 Where there is a stoppage in the bowels to cause the spasm, on 
 questioning the groom, it will be found that the dung for some days has 
 been hard and in small lumps, with occasional patches of mucus upon 
 it. In other respects there is little to distinguish this variety from 
 the last. 
 
 The treatment must in all cases be conducted on a totally different plan 
 to that necessary when inflammation is present. Bleeding will be of no 
 avail, at all events in the early stages, and before the disease has gone on, 
 as it sometimes will, into an inflammatory condition. On the other hand, 
 stimulating drugs, which would be fatal in enteritis, will here generally 
 succeed in causing a return of healthy muscular action. The disease is 
 indeed similar in its essential features to cramp in the muscles of the 
 human leg or arm, the only difference being that it does not as speedily 
 disappear, because it is impossible to get at the muscular coat of the 
 intestines, and apply the stimulus of friction. 
 
 As SOON AS A CASE IS CLEARLY MADE OUT TO BE OF A SPASMODIC NATURE, 
 one or other of the following drenches should be given, the choice being 
 made in proportion to the intensity of the symptoms : — 
 
 1. Sulphuric Ether 1 oucce. 
 
 Laudanum 2 ounces. 
 
 Compound decoction of Aloes 5 ounces. 
 
 Mix and give every half-hour until relief is afforded. 
 
 2. Spirit of Turpentine 4 ounces. 
 
 Linseed Oil 12 ounces. 
 
 Laudanum li ounce. 
 
 Mix and give every hour till the pain ceases. 
 
 3. Aromatic Spirit of Ammonia ounce. 
 
 Laudanum 2 ounces. 
 
 Tincture of Ginger ounce. 
 
 Hot Ale 1 quart. 
 
 Mix and give every hour. 
 
 Hot water should also be applied to the abdomen, as described under the 
 head of Enteritis, and if an enema pump is at hand, large quantities 
 of water, at a temperature of 100° Fahrenheit, should be injected per anum , 
 until in fact the bowel will hold no more without a dangerous amount 
 of force. 
 
 In flatulent colic the same remedies may be employed, but the tur- 
 pentine mixture is here especially beneficial. The use of warm water injec- 
 tions will often bring away large volumes of wind, which at once affords 
 relief, and the attack is cured. Sometimes, however, the distension goes 
 on increasing, and the only chance of recovery consists in a puncture of 
 the caecum, as it lies high in the right flank, where, according to French 
 veterinary writers, it may often be opened when greatly distended, without 
 dividing the serous covering. The operation, however, should only be 
 performed by an experienced hand, as it is one of great danger, and a 
 knowledge of the anatomy of the parts concerned is required to select the 
 most available situation. 
 
 The treatment of impaction must be completely a posteriori , for all 
 anterior proceedings with aperient medicines will only aggravate the 
 spasms. Injection of gallons of warm water, or of gruel containing a 
 quart of castor oil and half a pint of spirit of turpentine, will sometimes 
 succeed in producing a passage, and at the same time the spasm may be 
 relieved by the exhibition at the mouth of one ounce of laudanum and 
 
DIARRHOEA. 
 
 507 
 
 the same quantity of sulphuric ether. If there is any tenderness of the 
 abdomen, or the pulse has a tendency to quicken, it will be better to 
 resort to bleeding, which alone will sometimes cause the peristaltic action 
 to be restored in a healthy manner. The case, however, requires great 
 patience and judgment, and as no great good can often be effected, it is 
 highly necessary to avoid doing harm, which can hardly be avoided if the 
 remedies employed are not at once successful. 
 
 When the urgent symptoms of colic in any of its forms are relieved, 
 great care must be exercised that a relapse does not take place from the 
 use of improper food. The water should be carefully chilled, and a warm 
 bran mash should be given, containing in it half a feed of bruised oats. 
 Nothing but these at moderate intervals, in the shape of food or drink, 
 should be allowed for a day or two, and then the horse may gradually 
 return to his customary treatment, avoiding, of course, everything which 
 may appear to have contributed to the development of colic. 
 
 DIARRHOEA AND DYSENTERY. 
 
 A distinction is attempted to be made between these two diseases, — 
 the former name being confined to an inflammation of the mucous mem- 
 brane of the small intestines, while the latter is said to reside in the 
 large. It is very difficult, however, if not impossible, to distinguish the 
 one from the other by the symptoms during life, and in ordinary practice 
 they may be considered as one disease, the treatment depending in great 
 measure on the exciting cause. This in most cases is to be found in the 
 use of too violent “ physic,” or in not resting the horse after it has begun 
 to act until some hours after it has completely “ set.” Sometimes it 
 depends upon the cells of the colon having long been loaded with faeces, 
 which causes, at length, their mucous lining to inflame, the consequent 
 secretion having a tendency to loosen them and procure their dismissal, 
 either by solution or by the forcible contraction of the muscular coat. 
 This last disease is known by the name of “ molten grease ” to old- 
 fashioned farriers, the clear mucus which envelopes the lumps of faeces 
 being supposed to be derived from the internal fat that is generally plen- 
 tifully developed in the highly fed horses that are especially subject to 
 the attack. Eor practical purposes, therefore, we may consider the dif- 
 ferent forms under the head of superpurgation, diarrhoea, and dysentery, 
 meaning by the last name that condition which is brought about by and 
 attended with a discharge of lumps of hard faecal matter enveloped in 
 mucus. 
 
 Superpurgation is sometimes so severe as to place a delicate horse in 
 great danger. When the action of the bowels has gone on for three or 
 four days consecutively, and there is no disposition to “set,” the eyes 
 become staring and glassy, the pulse is feeble, and the heart flutters in 
 the most distressing manner ; the mouth has a peculiarly offensive smell, 
 the tongue being pale and covered with a white fur having a brown 
 centre. The abdomen is generally tucked tightly up, but in the later stages 
 large volumes of gas are evolved, and it becomes tumid. 
 
 The treatment should consist in the exhibition of rice, boiled till quite 
 soft, and if not taken voluntarily, it should be given as a drench, mixed 
 into a thin liquid form w T ith warm water. If the case is severe, one or 
 two ounces of laudanum may be added to a quart of rice milk, and given 
 every time the bowels act with violence. Or a thin gruel may be made 
 with wheat meal, and the laudanum be mixed with that instead of the 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 508 
 
 lice. A perseverance in these remedies will almost invariably produce 
 the desired effect, if they have not been deferred until the horse is very 
 much exhausted, when a pint of port wine may be substituted for the 
 laudanum with advantage. 
 
 In Diarrhcea resulting from cold, or over-exertion, the treatment 
 should be exactly like that prescribed for superpurgation, but it will 
 sometimes be necessary to give chalk in addition to the remedies there 
 alluded to. The rice or flour-milk may be administered as food, and the 
 following drench given by itself every time there is a discharge of liquid 
 faeces 
 
 Take of Powdered Opium 1 drachm. 
 
 Tincture of Catechu \ ounce. 
 
 Chalk Mixture 1 pint. 
 
 Mix and give as a drench. 
 
 During the action of these remedies the body must be kept warm by 
 proper clothing, and the legs should be encased in flannel bandages, pre- 
 viously made hot at the fire, and renewed as they become cold. 
 
 In dysentery (or molten grease) it is often necessary to take a little 
 blood away, if there is evidence of great inflammation in the amount of 
 mucus surrounding the faeces, and when aperient medicine does not at 
 once put a stop to the cause of irritation by bringing the lumps away 
 from the cells of the colon. Back-raking, and injections of two ounces of 
 laudanum and a pint of castor oil with gruel, should be adopted in the first 
 instance, but they will seldom be fully efficient without the aid of linseed 
 oil given by the mouth. A pint of this, with half a pint of good castor 
 oil, will generally produce a copious discharge of lumps, and then the 
 irritation ceases without requiring any further interference. 
 
 Whenever there is diarrhoea or dysentery present to any extent, rice- 
 water should be the sole drink. 
 
 STRANGULATION AND RUPTURE. 
 
 Mechanical violence is done to the stomach and bowels in various ways, 
 but in every case the symptoms will be those of severe inflammation of the 
 serous coat, speedily followed by death, if not relieved when relief is 
 possible. Sometimes the stomach is ruptured from over-distension — at 
 others the small intestines have been known to share the same fate, but 
 the majority of cases are due to strangulation of a particular portion of 
 the bowels, by being tied or pressed upon by some surrounding band. 
 This may happen either from a loop of bowel being forced through an 
 opening in the mesentery or mesocolon, or from a band of organised 
 lymph, the result of previous inflammation — or from one portion of the 
 bowels forcing itself into another, like the inverted finger of a glove, and 
 the included portion being firmly contracted upon by the exterior bowel, 
 so as to produce dangerous pressure (intussusception), or, lastly, from a 
 portion or knuckle of intestine forcing its way through an opening in the 
 walls of the abdomen, and then called hernia or rupture, which being 
 pressed upon by the edges of the opening becomes strangulated, and if 
 not relieved inflames, and then mortifies. None of these cases are 
 amenable to treatment (and indeed they cannot often be discovered with 
 certainty during life, the symptoms resembling those of enteritis), except 
 strangulated hernia, which should be reduced either by the pressure of 
 the hands, or by the aid of an operation with the knife — which will be 
 described under the chapter which treats of the several operations. 
 
CALCULI IN THE BOWELS. 
 
 509 
 
 Whenever inflammation of the bowels is attended with obstinate con- 
 stipation, the walls of the abdomen should be carefully examined, and 
 especially the inguinal canal, scrotum, and navel, at which points in most 
 cases the hernia makes its appearance. A swelling at any other part may, 
 however, contain a knuckle of intestine, which has found its way through 
 the abdominal parietes in consequence of a natural opening existing there, 
 or of one having been made by some accidental puncture with a spike of 
 wood or iron. The swelling is generally round, or nearly so, and gives a 
 drum-like sound on being tapped with the fingers. It feels hard to the 
 touch in consequence of the contents being constricted, but it gives no 
 sensation of solidity, and may be generally detected by these signs. 
 None but an educated hand can, however, be relied on to distinguish a 
 ventral hernia from any other tumour. When it occurs at the scrotum 
 or navel the case is clear enough. 
 
 CALCULI IN THE BOWELS. 
 
 A stoppage in the bowels sometimes obstinately persists, in spite of 
 all kinds of remedies, and, death taking place, it is found on examination 
 that a large calculus has blocked up the area of the canal. Sometimes 
 one of these calculi is found in the stomach, but this is extremely rare. 
 On making a section they are found to consist of concentric layers of 
 bran, chaff, and other hard particles of the food, mixed generally with 
 some small proportion of earthy matter, and arranged around some foreign 
 body, such as a piece of stone from the corn, or the head of a nail. 
 Treatment is out of the question, as it is impossible to discover the 
 calculus during life, and even if it could be ascertained to exist, no remedy 
 is known for it. Those who are curious about the composition of 
 these calculi, will be pleased with the following letter by Mr. Buckland, 
 surgeon to the 1st Life Guards, in reply to an inquiry made in The Field 
 as to the composition of a calculus found in a horse belonging to a 
 correspondent : — 
 
 “ Mr. C. Pemberton Carter having, in his interesting letter, requested 
 me to throw some light upon this subject, I have great pleasure in giving 
 what little information I am able to afford, with apologies for delay, as 
 Aldershot camp is by no means a favourable spot for scientific investi- 
 gations or literary pursuits. As regards the actual composition of calculi 
 such as he has sent, we learn from the catalogue of the museum of the 
 Boyal College of Surgeons that they are composed for the most part of 
 the phosphate of magnesia and ammonia, with small quantities of phos- 
 phate of lime. They also contain an animal and extractive matter, to 
 which the brown colour of the calculus is owing. They also contain 
 muriates of soda, and various alkaline salts derived from the intestinal 
 juices. The animal matter resembles that of all other concretions, and 
 separates in concentric laminae when the calculus is dissolved in an acid. 
 In more impure varieties, grains of sand, portions of hay, straw, &c., are 
 frequently found imbedded in the calculus, and there is one specimen in 
 the museum which contains an entire layer of vegetable hairs. Mr. 
 Carter remarks that 4 his impression is that the calculus is made up of 
 bran ; (chemically speaking). He is not far wrong, for we read in the 
 College catalogue, 4 Most authorities agree that these calculi are formed 
 from phosphate of magnesia, contained in wheats oats , hay , &c., and this 
 opinion derives confirmation from the circumstance that they occur most 
 
510 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 frequently in millers and brewer s’ horses, which are fed upon grains, bran, 
 and substances known to contain a much larger proportion of magnesian 
 salts than other vegetable matters/ Mr. Carter has detected minute por- 
 tions of wheat, oats, and hay in the calculus, which therefore may be said 
 to consist of two substances, viz. the vegetable and the mineral. So 
 much, then, for the composition of the calculus ; now for its mechanical 
 structure. Most decidedly it may be compared to an onion, layer being 
 packed over layer, so as in section to present a ringed appearance. We 
 may also liken it to other objects. It has lately struck me to examine 
 the structure of a common cricket-ball, which combines hardness, light- 
 ness, and elasticity in such an admirable way. Upon making a section, 
 I found the cricket-ball to be composed of layers, one over the other, 
 round a central nucleus. The layers are composed of leather, alternated 
 with a vegetable fibre, the nucleus being a bit of cork. The calculus in 
 the horse is formed in a similar way. The nucleus in Mr. Carter's 
 specimen is a bit of flint ; in a capital instance I have in my own collec- 
 tion, of a common shot, about Ho. 5 size, which has been crushed by the 
 horse’s teeth, and subsequently swallowed ; in another instance, of a chair 
 nail of brass ; in another of a single oat-seed ; in another of a minute 
 bit of cinder, and so on, as it seems to be absolutely necessary that these 
 calculi should have a commencement — a starting point. Where is the 
 school-boy who can make a gigantic snowball without beginning with 
 a small lump of snow or a stone, as a nucleus upon which he builds all 
 the rest % 
 
 “ Mr. Carter seems to wonder at the weight of the specimen, 5 lbs. ; 
 this is by no means a large size ; in the museum of the Royal College of 
 Surgeons we have a very fine collection of calculi, the largest, taken from 
 the intestines of a horse, weighs no less than 17 lbs., and is about the 
 size and shape of an ordinary skittle-ball. In the case where this is 
 contained he will see many other specimens, cut in sections to show the 
 nuclei ; he will observe that calculi also form in the intestines of the 
 camel and of the elephant, and even in the wild horse, for there is a good 
 specimen from the intestines of a Japanese wild horse. Stones, not true 
 calculi, are sometimes found in animals, which have -been actually swal- 
 lowed by them, and have not been chemically formed in this walking 
 laboratory. There is a case containing several pebbles — thirty in number 
 ■ — found in the stomach of a cow at Barton-under-Heedwood, Burton-on- 
 Trent. These stones belong to the geological formation of the neighbour- 
 hood ; it is curious to see how they have been acted on by the action of 
 the stomach, for they are highly glazed and polished. I have seen speci- 
 mens of gravel pebbles which I took from the gizzard of an ostrich, which 
 are as highly polished as an agate marble. The bird swallowed the stones 
 to assist its digestion ; the cow out of a morbid appetite. I know of a 
 somewhat similar instance that lately happened : A young lady was taken 
 ill, and died of very strange symptoms ; it was subsequently ascertained 
 that the stomach was quite filled with human- hair, which had moulded 
 itself into the shape of the interior of that organ. The poor girl had 
 naturally very long and beautiful hair, and she had an unfortunate habit 
 of catching the loose hairs with her lips and swallowing them ; in time 
 they felted together, became a solid mass, and killed her — a warning to 
 other young ladies which should not be neglected. In the Lower animals 
 we frequently find rolled balls of hair from the creatures licking them- 
 selves. I have seen one at Bristol from a lioness ; it is formed of hairs 
 licked with her rough tongue from her cubs. Curious concretions are 
 
WORMS. 
 
 511 
 
 found in goats, &c., called ‘ bezoar ’ stones ; they were formerly supposed 
 to have medicinal virtues : of this at another time. 
 
 “F. T. Buckland.” 
 
 WORMS. 
 
 Intestinal worms in the horse are chiefly of two species, both belonging 
 to the genus ascaris. Bots, as inhabiting the stomach, have already been 
 described with that organ; and, moreover, they should never be con- 
 founded with what are called properly and scientifically, “ worms.” Of 
 these, the larger species resembles the common earthworm in all respects 
 but colour, which is a pinkish white. It inhabits the small intestines, 
 though it is sometimes, but very rarely, found in the stomach. The 
 symptoms are a rough, staring, hollow coat — a craving appetite — more or 
 less emaciation — the passage of mucus with the faeces, and very often a 
 small portion of this remains outside the anus, and dries there. That 
 part generally itches, and in the attempt to rub it the tail is denuded 
 of hair ; but this may arise from vermin in it, or from mere irritation 
 of the anus from other causes. When these several symptoms are com- 
 bined, it may with some degree of certainty be supposed that there are 
 worms in the intestines, but before proceeding to dislodge them, it is 
 always the wisest plan to obtain proof positive of their existence, by 
 giving an ordinary dose of physic, when, on watching the evacuations, 
 one or more worms may generally be discovered if they are present. 
 When the case is clearly made out the plan of treatment is as follows : — 
 
 Take of Tartar Emetic 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Ginger | drachm. 
 
 Linseed Meal sufficient to make into a ball with boiling water. 
 
 One should be given every morning for a week, then a dose of physic ; 
 linseed oil being the most proper. Let the stomach rest a week ; give 
 another course of balls and dose of physic, after which let the horse have 
 a drachm of sulphate of iron (powdered) twice a day with his feed of 
 corn. 
 
 There is no medicine which is so effectual for removing worms in the 
 horse as tartar emetic, and none which is so entirely innocuous to the 
 stomach. Calomel and spirit of turpentine were formerly in use as 
 vermifuges, but they are both dangerous drugs : the former, if given for 
 any length of time, causing great derangement of the stomach and liver ; 
 and the latter often producing considerable inflammation after a single 
 dose, if sufficiently large to cause the expulsion of the worms. Linseed 
 oil given in half-pint doses every morning is also an excellent vermifuge, 
 but not equal to the tartar emetic. If this quantity does not relax the 
 bowels, it may be increased until they are rendered slightly more loose 
 than usual, but avoiding anything like purgation. 
 
 The smaller svecies of intestinal worm chiefly inhabits the rectum, but is 
 occasionally found in the colon and ccecum. It produces great irritation 
 and uneasiness, but has not the same prejudicial effect on the health as 
 the larger parasite. It is about one to two inches in length, and some- 
 what smaller in diameter than a crow-quill. These worms are commonly 
 distinguished as ascarides ; but both this species and the round worm 
 belong to the genus ascaris. The term thread worm is more correctly 
 applied, as they are not unlike sections of stout thread or cotton. The 
 only symptom by which their presence can be made out is the rubbing 
 of the tail, when, if on examination no vermin or eruption be found in 
 
512 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the dock, it may be presumed that worms exist in the rectum. Tho 
 remedy for these worms is by the injection every morning for a week of a 
 pint of linseed oil, containing two drachms of spirit of turpentine. This 
 will either kill or bring away the worms, with the exception of a few 
 which are driven by it higher up into the colon, but by waiting a week 
 or ten days (during which time they will have re-entered the rectum) and 
 then repeating the process, they may generally be entirely expelled. 
 The sulphate of iron must be given here, as before described. 
 
 DISEASES OE THE LIVER. 
 
 The liver of the horse is less liable to disease than that of any other 
 domestic animal, and the symptoms of its occurrence are so obscure that 
 it is seldom until a post mortem examination that a discovery is made of 
 its existence. This unerring guide, however, informs us that the liver 
 is sometimes unnaturally enlarged and hard, at others softened, and in 
 others again the subject ot; cancerous deposits. It is also attacked by 
 inflammation, of which the symptoms are feverishness ; rapid pulse, not 
 hard and generally fuller than usual ; appetite bad ; restlessness, and the 
 patient often looking round to his right side with an anxious expression, 
 not indicative of severe pain. Slight tenderness of the right side ; but 
 this not easily made out satisfactorily. Bowels generally confined, but 
 there is sometimes diarrhoea. Very frequently the whites of the eyes 
 show a tinge of yellow, but anything like jaundice is unknown. The 
 treatment must consist in the use of calomel and opium, with mild purging, 
 thus : — 
 
 Take of Calomel, 
 
 Powdered Opium, of each one drachm. 
 
 Linseed Meal and boiling water enough to make into a ball, which should be 
 given night and morning. Every other day a pint of linseed oil should 
 be administered. 
 
 The diet should if possible be confined to green food, which will do more 
 good than medicine ; indeed, in fine weather, a run at grass during the 
 day should bo preferred to all other remedies, taking care to shelter the 
 horse at night in an airy loose-box. 
 
 DISEASES OE THE KIDNEYS. 
 
 These organs are particularly prone to disease, aud are subject to 
 inflammation ; to diabetes, or profuse staling ; to hsematuria, or a dis- 
 charge of blood, and to torpidity, or inaction. 
 
 Inflammation of the kidneys ( nephritis ) is generally produced by an 
 exposure of the loins to wet and cold, as in carriage-horses standing 
 about in the rain during the winter season. Sometimes it follows violent 
 muscular exertion, and is then said to be caused by a strain in the back, 
 but in these cases there is probably an exposure to cold in a state of 
 exhaustion, or by the rupture of a branch of the renal artery or 
 vein, as the inflammation of one organ can scarcely be produced by 
 the strain of another. The symptoms are a constant desire to void the 
 urine, which is of a very dark colour — often almost black. Great pain, as 
 evidenced by the expression of countenance and by groans, as well as by 
 frequent wistful looks at the loins. On pressing these parts there is some 
 tenderness, but not excessive, as in rheumatism. The pulse is quick, 
 hard, and full. The attitude of the hind quarters is peculiar, the horse 
 
DIABETES. 
 
 51 3 
 
 standing in a straddling position with his back arched, and refusing to 
 move without absolute compulsion. It is sometimes difficult to distin- 
 guish nephritis from inflammation of the neck of the bladder, hut by 
 attending to the state of the urine, which is dark brown or black in the 
 former case, and nearly of a natural colour in the latter, the one may be 
 diagnosed from the other. To make matters still more clear, the oiled 
 hand may be passed into the rectum, when in nephritis the bladder will 
 be found contracted and empty (the urine being so pungent as to irritate 
 that organ), while in inflammation or spasm of its neck, it will be 
 distended, often to a large size. The treatment to be adopted must be 
 active, as the disease runs a very rapid course, and speedily ends in death 
 if neglected. A large quantity of blood must at once be taken. The 
 skin must be acted on energetically, so as to draw the blood to its surface, 
 and if a Turkish bath (see page 268) is at hand, it will be highly bene- 
 ficial. If not, the application of hot water, as recommended at page 491, 
 may be tried, and in many cases it has acted like a charm. Failing the 
 means for carrying out either of these remedies, the loins should be 
 rubbed with an embrocation consisting of olive oil, liquor ammoniae and 
 laudanum in equal parts, but cantharides and turpentine must be carefully 
 avoided, as likely to be absorbed, when they would add fuel to the fire. 
 A fresh sheepskin should be warmed with hot (not boiling) water, and 
 applied over the back, and the liniment should be rubbed in profusely 
 every hour, restoring the skin to its place immediately afterwards. Mus- 
 tard is sometimes used instead of ammonia, and as it is always at hand, it 
 may form a good substitute, but it is not nearly so powerful an irritant to 
 the skin as the latter, especially when evaporation is prevented by the 
 sheepskin, or by a piece of any waterproof article. A mild aperient may 
 be given, linseed oil being the best form, but if the bowels continue obsti- 
 nate, and it is necessary to repeat it, eight or ten drops of croton oil may 
 be added to a pint of the oil, great care being taken to assist its action by 
 raking and injection, the latter being also useful as a fomentation to the 
 kidneys. The diet should consist of scalded linseed and bran mashes, no 
 water being allowed without containing sufficient linseed tea to make it 
 slightly glutinous, but not so much so as to nauseate the patient. If the 
 symptoms are not greatly abated in six or eight hours, the bleeding must 
 be repeated, for upon this remedy the chief dependence must be placed. 
 A mild and soothing drench, composed of half an ounce of carbonate of 
 soda, dissolved in six ounces of linseed tea, may be given every six hours, 
 but little reliance can be placed upon it. The inflammation either abates 
 after the bleeding, or the horse dies in a very few hours. 
 
 Diabetes of late years has been much more frequent than was formerly 
 the case, and especially among race-horses and hunters, probably owing to 
 the enormous quantities of corn which they are allowed in the preseif 
 day. But whatever may be the cause, the symptoms are clear enough, the 
 horse constantly staling and passing large quantities of urine each time. 
 The treatment should be conducted on the principle that the cause 
 should if possible be ascertained and removed. Mowburnt hay will 
 often bring on diabetes, and new oats have a similar tendency in 
 delicate horses. In any case it is wise to make a total change in the food 
 as far as it can possibly be done. Green meat will often check it at once, 
 and a bran mash containing a few carrots has a similar chance of doing 
 good. "With these alterations in the quality of the food attention should 
 also be paid to the quantity of the corn, which should bo reduced if more 
 than a peck a day has been giren, and beans should be substituted for a 
 
514 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 part of the oats. Half a drachm of the sulphate of iron (powdered) should 
 be mixed with each feed (that is, four times a day), and the horse should 
 be well clothed and his legs warmly bandaged in a cool and airy (hut not 
 cold and draughty) loose box. By attention to these directions the attack 
 may generally be subdued in a few days, hut there is always a great 
 tendency to its return. Should it persist in spite of the adoption of the 
 measures already recommended, the following hall may he tried : — 
 
 Take of Gallic Acid J drachm. 
 
 Opium 1 drachm. 
 
 Treacle and Linseed Meal enough to make into a ball, which should be given 
 
 twice a day. 
 
 H^maturea, like diabetes, is easily recognised hy the presence of hlood 
 in greater or less quantities passed with the urine. It is not, however, of 
 the bright red colour natural to pure hlood, hut it is more or less dingy, 
 and sometimes of a smoky brown colour, as occurs in inflammation. 
 Bloody urine, however, may often he passed without any sign of that 
 condition, and therefore unaccompanied hy pain, or any other urgent 
 symptom. The causes are exceedingly various. Sometimes a parasitic 
 worm (> Strongylus gigas) has been discovered, after death from hsematurea, 
 in the kidney, and was apparently the cause of the mischief. At others, 
 this organ has been found disorganised hy cancer or melanosis — and again 
 a sharp calculus has been known to bring on considerable bleeding, and 
 this last cause is by no means infrequent. The symptoms are the existence 
 of bloody urine unaccompanied by pain or irritation, marking the absence 
 of nephritis. As to treatment little can be done in severe cases, and mild 
 ones only require rest, a dose of physic, and perhaps the abstraction of 
 three or four quarts of blood. Green food should be given, and the diet 
 should be attended to as for diabetes. If the urine is scanty, yet evi- 
 dently there is no inflammation, two or three drachms of nitre may be 
 given with the mash at night, but this remedy should be employed with ' 
 great caution. 
 
 Inaction of the kidneys is so common in every stable that the groom 
 seldom thinks it necessary even to inform his master of its occurrence 
 An ounce of nitre is mixed and given with a bran mash as a matter of course 
 and sometimes more violent diuretics are resorted to, such as powdered 
 resin and turpentine. Very often the kidneys are only inactive because 
 the horse has not been regularly watered, and in those stables where an 
 unlimited supply is allowed this condition is comparatively rare. There 
 is no harm in resorting to nitre occasionally, but if it is often found 
 necessary to employ this drug, the health is sure to suffer, and an altera- 
 tion in the diet should be tried in preference. At all events, if it is 
 given, the horse should be allowed to drink as much and as often as he 
 likes, without which the stimulus to the kidneys will be doubly preju- 
 dicial, from being in too concentrated a form. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE BLADDER 
 
 The bladder is subject to inflammation of its coats or neck — to spasn 
 — and to the formation of calculi. 
 
 Inflammation of the bladder (cystitis) is not very common excepting 
 when it is produced by irritants of a mechanical or chemical nature. 
 Thus, when the kidneys secrete a highly irritating urine, the bladder 
 suffers in its passage, and we have the two organs inflamed at the same 
 time. Again, when cantharides have been given with a view to stimulate 
 
DISEASES OF THE BLADDER. 
 
 515 
 
 exhausted nature, or when they are absorbed from the surface of the skin, 
 as sometimes happens in blistering, the bladder is liable to become in- 
 flamed. The symptoms are — a quick pulse — pain in the hind quarter, 
 evinced by the looks of the animal in that direction — and constant 
 straining to pass the urine, which is thick and mixed with mucus, or in 
 aggravated cases with purulent matter. The treatment to be adopted if 
 the case is severe will consist in venesection, back-raking, and purgation 
 with linseed or castor oil, avoiding aloes, which have a tendency to irritate 
 the bladder. Linseed tea should be given as the sole drink, and scalded 
 linseed mixed with a bran mash as food. The following ball may also be 
 given, and repeated if necessary : — 
 
 Take of Powdered Opium 1 drachm. 
 
 Tartar Emetic 1§ drachm. 
 
 To be made up into a ball with Linseed Meal and boiling water, and given 
 every six hours. 
 
 Retention of urine may be due either to inflammation of the neck of 
 the bladder, occasioning a spasmodic closure of that part, or there may be 
 spasm unattended by inflammation and solely due to the irritation of 
 some offending substance, such as a calculus, or a small dose of cantharides. 
 The treatment in either case must be directed to the spasmodic constric- 
 tion, which is generally under the control of large doses of opium and 
 camphor, that is, from one drachm to two drachms of each, repeated every 
 five or six hours. If the symptoms are urgent, bleeding may also be 
 resorted to, and when the bladder is felt to be greatly distended, no time 
 should be lost in evacuating it by means of the catheter, which operation, 
 however, should only be entrusted to a regular practitioner accustomed to 
 its use. 
 
 Calculi in the bladder are formed of several earthy salts, and present 
 various forms and appearances, which may be comprised under four 
 divisions. 1st. The mulberry calculus, so named from its resemblance to 
 a mulberry, possessing generally a nucleus (see fig. 1). 2d. A very soft 
 
 kind resembling fullers’ earth in appearance, and being chiefly composed 
 of phosphate of lime and mucus (see fig. 2). 3d. Calculi of a white or 
 
 Fio. 1 . Urinary Calculi. Fig. 2. 
 
 yellowish colour, rough externally and easily friable (see fig. 3). And 
 4th. Those which are composed of regular layers, and which are harder 
 than the second and third varieties (see fig. 4). 
 
 The mulberry calculus, from its extremely rough surface, occasions 
 more irritation than other forms, but during life it is impossible to 
 
 L u 2 
 
516 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 ascertain the exact chemical nature of the calculus which may he ascer- 
 tained to exist. These calculi sometimes attain an immense size, weighing 
 several pounds. The symptoms are a difficulty of voiding the urine, 
 which generally comes away in jerks after great straining and groaning. 
 The horse remains with his legs extended for some time afterwards, and 
 evidently indicates that he feels as if his bladder was not relieved. Often 
 there is muco-purulent matter mixed with the urine, which is rendered 
 thick and glutinous thereby, but this only happens in cases of long 
 standing. The treatment must be either palliative or curative. If the 
 
 Fig. 3. Urinary Calcull Fig. 4. 
 
 former, it should consist in the adoption of the means employed for 
 subduing irritation and inflammation of the bladder which have been 
 already described. The cure can only be effected by removing the stone. 
 This requires the performance of a difficult and dangerous operation 
 (lithotomy), the details of which can be only useful to the professed 
 veterinary surgeon, and I shall therefore omit them here. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 
 
 Balanitis, or inflammation of the glans penis, (fiakavo^ glans,) is very 
 common in the horse, being brought on by the decomposition of the 
 natural secretions, when they have been allowed to collect for any length 
 of time. At first there is merely a slight discharge of pus, but in process 
 of time foul sores break out, and very often fungous growths spring from 
 them, which block up the passage through the opening of the sheath, and 
 cause considerable swelling and inconvenience. These are quite distinct 
 from warts, which occur in this part just as they do in other situa- 
 tions. The treatment requires some skill and experience, because mild 
 remedies are of no use, and severe ones are not unattended with danger. 
 The parts must first of all be well cleansed by syringing, or if the end of 
 the penis can be laid hold of, by washing with a sponge. The following 
 wash may then be applied, and it should be repeated every day : — 
 
 Take of Solution of Chloride of Zinc 2 drachms. 
 
 Water 1 pint. Mix. 
 
 If the morbid growths are very extensive, nothing but amputation of 
 the penis or the use of corrosive sublimate will remove them. Severe 
 haemorrhage sometimes follows both of these measures, but it seldom goes 
 on to a dangerous extent. Still it is scarcely advisable for any one but a 
 professional man to undertake the operation. 
 
 In the mare tiie vagina is sometimes inflamed, attended with a 
 
PHRENITIS. 
 
 517 
 
 copious yellow discharge. An injection of the wash mentioned in the 
 last paragraph will generally soon set the matter right. At first it should 
 •e used only of half the strength, gradually increasing it, until the full 
 quantity of chloride of zinc is employed. 
 
 Inversion of the uterus sometimes follows parturition, hut it is very 
 rare in the mare. The uterus should be at once replaced, using as little 
 force as possible, and taking care before the hand is withdrawn that it 
 really is turned back again from its inverted position. 
 
 Nymphomania occurs sometimes in mares at the time of being “ in 
 use,” and goes on to such an extent as to render them absolutely regard- 
 less of pain, for the time being, though not to make them lose their con- 
 sciousness. They will kick and squeal till they become white with sweat, 
 and no restraint will prevent them from trying to continue their violent 
 attempts to destroy everything behind them. These symptoms are espe- 
 cially developed in the presence of other animals of the same species, 
 whether mares or geldings ; but the near proximity of an entire horse 
 will be still worse. If placed in a loose box, without any restraint what- 
 ever, they generally become more calm, and when the state is developed, 
 such a plan should always be adopted. It is chiefly among highly-fed 
 and lightly-worked mares that the disease is manifested ; and a dose of 
 physic, with starvation in a loose box, away from any other horse, will 
 very soon put an end to it in almost every instance. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 
 
 PHRENHIS, OR MAD STAGGERS — EPILEPSY AND CONVULSIONS — MEGRIMS — RABIES — 
 TETANUS — APOPLEXY AND PARALYSIS— STRING HALT. 
 
 PHRENIT1S, OR MAD STAGGERS. 
 
 Phrenitis seldom occurs, except in over-fed and lightly-worked horses, 
 nor among them is it by any means a common disease. The early symptoms 
 are generally those of an ordinary cold ; there is heaviness of the eyes, 
 with a redness of the conjunctiva, and want of appetite. After a day or 
 two occupied by these premonitory signs, which will seldom serve to put 
 even the most experienced observer on his guard, the horse becomes 
 suddenly delirious, attempting to bite and strike every one who comes 
 near him, regardless of the ordinary influences of love and fear. He 
 plunges in his stall, attempts to get free from his halter rein, and very 
 often succeeds in doing so, when he will stop at nothing to gain still further 
 liberty. If unchecked he soon dashes himself to pieces, and death puts 
 an end to his struggles. The only treatment which is of the slightest use 
 is bleeding till the horse absolutely falls, or till he becomes quite quiet 
 and tractable, if the case is only a mild one. Immediately afterwards a 
 large dose of tartar emetic (two or three drachms) should be given, 
 followed in an hour or two by a strong physic ball ; or, if the case is a 
 very bad one, by a drench, containing half a pint of castor oil and six or 
 eight drops of croton oil. Clysters and back-raking will of course be 
 required, to obviate the risk of hard accumulations in the bowels. bu> 
 
518 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 where there is great violence, they cannot always he employed, and the 
 case must take its chance in these respects. The diet should he confined 
 to a few mouthfuls of hay or grass, w r ith a plentiful supply of water. 
 
 EPILEPSY AND CONYULSIO^TS. 
 
 These diseases, or symptoms of disease, are not often met with in the 
 adult, but in the foal they sometimes occur, and are not unattended with 
 danger. The young thing will perhaps gallop after its dam round and 
 round its paddock, and then all at once stop, stagger, and fall to the ground, 
 where it lies, struggling with more or less violence, for a few minutes or 
 longer, and then raises its head, stares about it, gets up, and is apparently 
 as well as ever. It is generally in the hot days of summer that these 
 attacks occur, and it appears highly probable that the direct rays of the 
 sun playing on the head have something to do with it. Death seldom 
 takes place during the first attack, but sometimes after two or three repe- 
 titions the convulsions go on increasing, and the foal becomes comatose 
 and dies. A mild dose of linseed oil is the only remedy which can safely 
 be resorted to, and as it is supposed that worms will sometimes produce 
 these convulsive attacks, it is on that account to be selected. Epilepsy is 
 so very rarely met with in the adult, and of its causes and treatment so 
 little is known, that I shall not trouble my readers with any account of 
 them. 
 
 MEGRIMS. 
 
 This term is used to conceal our ignorance of the exact nature of 
 several disordered conditions of the brain and heart. In fact, any kind 
 of fit, not attended with convulsions, and only lasting a short time, is 
 called by this name. The cause may be a fatty condition of the heart, 
 by which sudden faintness and sometimes death are produced, or it may 
 consist in congestion of the vessels of the brain, arising from over work 
 on a hot day, or from the pressure of the collar, or from disease of the 
 valves of the heart. Attacks reputed to be megrims have been traced to 
 each of these causes, and as in every case the horse, while apparently in 
 good health, staggers and falls, and after lying still for a few minutes 
 (during which there is seldom an opportunity of examining the state of 
 the circulation) rises as well as before, there is no chance of distinguishing 
 the one from the other. The most usual symptoms are the following : — 
 The horse is perhaps trotting along, when all at once he begins shaking 
 his head as if the bridle chafed his ears, which are drawn back close to 
 the poll. The driver gets down to examine these facts, and observes the 
 eyelids quivering, and the nostrils affected with a trembling kind of spasm. 
 Sometimes the rest will allow of the attack going off, but most frequently, 
 the head is drawn to one side, the legs of that half of the body seem to 
 be paralysed, and the horse making a segment of a circle goes down, lies 
 a few minutes on the ground, and then rises as if nothing had happened 
 beyond a slight sweating, and disturbance of the respiration. Treatment 
 can be of little avail, however, unless a correct diagnosis is made, for 
 remedies which would be suited to congestion would be prejudicial to a 
 diseased heart. If the attack has happened while in harness, the collar 
 should always be carefully inspected, and if at all tight it should be 
 replaced by a deeper one. A diseased state of the valves of the heart 
 ought to be discoverable by auscultation, but it requires a practised ear to 
 do this, and the directions for ascertaining its presence are beyond the scope 
 
HYDROPHOBIA. 
 
 519 
 
 of tliis hook The only plan which can safely be adopted, is to take the 
 subject of megrims quietly home to his stable, and carefully examine into 
 the condition of all his functions with a view to improve the action of 
 any organ which appears to be out of order, whatever it may be. If all 
 seems to be going on well — if the appetite is good, and the heart acts 
 with regularity and with due force, while the brain seems clear, and the 
 eye is not either dull or suffused with blood — nothing should be attempted, 
 but the horse being subject to a second attack, as proved by manifold 
 experience, should be put to work in which no great danger can be 
 apprehended from them. He is not safe in any kind of carriage, for it 
 can never be known where the fall will take place ; and as a saddle-horse 
 he is still more objectionable, and should therefore be put to some com- 
 mercial purpose, in executing which, if he falls, the only injury he can 
 effect is to property, and not to human life. 
 
 RABIES, HYDROPHOBIA OR MADNESS. 
 
 One reason only can be given for describing this disease, which is 
 wholly beyond the reach of art ; but as the horse attacked by it is most 
 dangerous, the sooner he is destroyed the better; and for this reason, 
 every person who is likely to have any control over him, should be aware 
 of the symptoms. As far as is known at present, Rabies is not idiopa- 
 thically developed in the horse, but must follow the bite of a rabid 
 individual belonging to one or other of the genera cams and felis. The 
 dog, being constantly about our stables, is the usual cause of the develop- 
 ment of the disease, and it may supervene upon the absorption of the 
 salivary- virus without any malicious bite, as has happened according to 
 more than one carefully recorded case. The lips of the horse are liable 
 to be ulcerated from the action of the bit, and there is reason to believe 
 that in the early stages of rabies these parts have been licked by a dog, 
 the saliva has been absorbed, and the inoculation has taken place just as 
 it would do from any other wound. It is difficult to prove that this is 
 the true explanation of those cases where no bite has been known to have 
 occurred, but as the mouth has in each instance been shown to have been 
 abraded, there is some reason for accepting it as such. To proceed however 
 to the symptoms , Mr. Youatt, who has had great opportunities for examining 
 rabies, both in the dog and horse, describes the earliest as consisting in “ a 
 spasmodic movement of the upper lip, particularly of the angles of the 
 lip. Close following on this, or contemporaneous with it, are the depressed 
 and anxious countenance, and inquiring gaze, suddenly, however, lighted 
 up, and becoming fierce and menacing from some unknown cause, or at 
 the approach of a stranger. From time to time different parts of the 
 frame, the eyes, the jaws, particular limbs, will be convulsed. The eye 
 will occasionally wander after some imaginary object, and the horse will 
 snap again and again at that which has no real existence. Then will 
 come the irrepressible desire to bite the attendants or the animals within 
 its reach. To this will succeed the demolition of the rack, the manger, 
 and the whole furniture of the stable, accompanied by the peculiar dread 
 of water, which has already been described. Towards the close of the 
 disease there is generally paralysis, usually confined to the loins and the 
 hinder extremities, or involving those organs which derive their nervous 
 influence from this portion of the spinal cord; hence the distressing 
 tenesmus which is occasionally seen.” How paralysis can produce tenes- 
 mus is not very clear, but of the very general existence of this symptom 
 
520 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 there can he no doubt. The dread of water, as well as of draughts of 
 cold air, is also clearly made out to exist in this disease (as in human 
 rabies), and the term hydrophobia will serve to distinguish it better than 
 in the dog, where it is as clearly absent. Whenever, therefore, these 
 symptoms follow upon the bite of a dog, unless the latter is unquestion- 
 ably in good health, rabies may be suspected, and the bare suspicion 
 ought always to lead to the use of the bullet, which is the safest way of 
 killing a violent horse. There is only one disease ( phrenitis ) with which 
 it can be confounded, and in that the absence of all consciousness and, in 
 milder cases, of fear, so that no moral control whatever can be exercised, 
 marks its nature, and clearly distinguishes it from rabies, the victim to 
 which is conscious to the last, and though savage and violent in the 
 extreme, is aware of the power of man, and to some extent under his 
 influence. 
 
 TETANUS— LOCK JAW. 
 
 Tetanus, one form of which is known as lock jaw, has its seat appa 
 rently in the nervous system, but like many other diseases of the same 
 class, the traces it leaves behind are extremely uncertain, and are displayed 
 more on the secondary organs, through which it is manifested, than on 
 those which we believe to be at the root of the mischief. Thus the 
 muscles, which have been long kept in a state of spasm, show the marks 
 of this condition in their softened and apparently rotten condition. They 
 in fact have had no interval of rest, during which nutrition could go on, 
 and have lost much of the peculiarity of structure which enables them to 
 contract. The stomach often shows marks of inflammation, but as all 
 sorts of violent remedies are employed, this may be due to them rather 
 than to idiopathic disease. The lungs also are generally congested, but 
 here, like the state of the muscles, it may be a secondary effect of the 
 long-continued exertions of the latter, which nothing but the absence of 
 all important lesions of the brain and spinal cord would induce the 
 pathologist to pay the slightest attention to. 
 
 Tetanus may be either idiopathic or symptomatic, but the former 
 condition is somewhat rare. It almost always follows some operation, or 
 a severe injury in which a nerve has been implicated, the most frequent 
 causes being the piercing of the sole by a nail, or a prick in shoeing, or 
 the operations of docking, nicking, castration, &c. 
 
 The symptoms are a permanent rigidity of certain voluntary muscles, 
 and especially of the lower jaw (whence the popular name, lock jaw). 
 The mouth is kept rigidly shut, the masseter muscles feeling as hard as a 
 deal board. One or both sides of the neck are rigid, in the former case 
 the head being turned to one side, and in the latter stretched out as if 
 carved in marble. The nostrils are dilated ; the eyes retracted, with the 
 haws thrust forward over them ; the ears erect and stiff, and the counte- 
 nance as if horror-struck. At first the extremities are seldom involved, 
 but as the disease progresses their control is first lost, and then they 
 become rigid, like the neck and head. The patient is scarcely able to 
 stand, and plants his feet widely apart to prop himself up, while at last 
 the tail also becomes a fixture. The pulse varies a good deal, in some 
 cases being quick, small, and hard, and in others slow and laboured. 
 The bowels are generally costive, and the urine scanty ; but this last 
 symptom is not so well marked as the state of the bowels alluded to. 
 The treatment should be of a two-fold nature, partly palliative and partly 
 curative. Since the introduction into use of chloroform we have possessed 
 
APOPLEXY AND PARALYSIS. 
 
 521 
 
 a drug which invariably enables us to remove the spasm for a time, and 
 if it does nothing more, it gives room for other remedies to act and relieve 
 the patient from the horrible tortures which are occasioned by the spasm, 
 while it also allows the muscular and nervous powers to be recruited. 
 When, therefore, a case of tetanus occurs in a horse of any value, an 
 apparatus for applying chloroform (described under the chapter on Opera- 
 tions) should be procured, and the animal at once placed under its 
 influence. This done, the whole length of the spine should be blistered 
 with tincture of cantharides, and an active aperient should be given, con- 
 sisting, if practicable, of a pint of castor oil, and six or eight drops of 
 croton oil. This may be pumped down the throat by the usual syringe 
 and tube, if the front teeth can be separated ; but if this cannot be done, 
 some solid cathartic must be selected, though there is often as much 
 difficulty in forcing a ball down as in passing an elastic tube. Failing in 
 either of these, two drachms of calomel, and the same quantity of tartar 
 emetic should be slightly damped, and placed in the mouth as far back as 
 possible, in the hope that they may be gradually swallowed ; the bowels 
 should be raked, and copious injections of castor oil and turpentine, mixed 
 with several quarts of gruel, should be thrown up. If these remedies 
 fail, nature must be left to her own resources, and they will sometimes be 
 found equal to the task, for many cases have recovered after having been 
 given up as beyond the reach of our art. Opium, henbane, digitalis, 
 hellebore, and a host of other drugs have been tried, sometimes with, and 
 sometimes without, success, and perhaps it is worth while, after the bowels 
 have been well relieved, to give a full dose of one or other of these 
 powerful remedies, such as two drachms of solid opium ; but I confess 
 that I think little reliance is to be placed on them, and I prefer the 
 adoption of chloroform every six hours, continued for about two or three 
 hours and gradually withdrawn, leaving the cure to the action of the 
 blister and purgatives. 
 
 APOPLEXY AND PAEALYSIS. 
 
 Usually these are only different degrees of the same disease, but there 
 are exceptions in which the latter is produced by some chronic affection 
 of the spinal cord or brain. As a rule both depend upon pressure made 
 on the brain by an overloaded state of the vessels, commonly known as 
 congestion, or by extravasation of blood, in which it escapes from them. 
 
 Apoplexy, known among writers of the old school as sleepy staggers, is 
 not often met with in the present day, owing to the improvement in the 
 management of our stables, and specially to their better ventilation. It 
 is marked by great sleepiness, from which the horse can be with difficulty 
 roused, soon going on to absolute unconsciousness, attended by a slow 
 snoring respiration, and speedily followed by death. The only treatment 
 likely to be successful is copious bleeding, purgation, and blisters to the 
 head and neck. 
 
 Paralysis is marked by a loss of power over the muscles of a part, and 
 may be confined to one limb or organ or extend to more. It is a symptom 
 of pressure on, or disorganisation of, some part of the nervous system, and 
 must be considered as such, and not as a disease of the affected muscles. 
 Thus it requires a knowledge of anatomy to trace it to its seat, without 
 which its treatment would be conducted on false principles. By far the 
 most common form of paralysis is hemiplegia, or paralysis of the muscles 
 of the hinder extremities and loins, generally arising from an injury to 
 
522 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the spine. Sometimes the body of a vertebra is broken, and the parts 
 being separated, their edges press upon the spinal cord and produce the 
 disease. At others the vessels within the canal have received a shock, 
 and the serous membrane secretes (or allows to ooze out) a bloody fluid 
 which presses upon the cord, and produces the same effect but in a more 
 gradual manner. In India, a disease known there as Kumree causes 
 paralysis of the hinder extremities, and is due to inflammation of the 
 membranes, which secrete a bloody serum. In this country, however, 
 paraplegia is very rare excepting as the result of accident. 
 
 When a horse falls in hunting, and never moves his hind legs after- 
 wards, but lies with his fore legs in the position to get up, groaning and 
 expressing great pain and distress, it may be concluded that he has 
 fractured or dislocated his spine and that the case is hopeless. Some- 
 times, however, after lying for a few seconds, he slowly and with difficulty 
 rises and is led to a stable, but after two or three hours lies down and 
 cannot be got up again. Here there will be some difficulty in ascertaining 
 whether the mischief is confined to a strain of the muscles or is situated 
 within the vertebral canal. If the former is the case the pain is extreme, 
 and generally there will be some quivering or slight spasm of one or more 
 of the muscles of the hinder extremity, which feel naturally firm, while 
 in paralysis they feel soft and are as quiet as they would be after death. 
 By attention to these signs the two cases may be distinguished, but when 
 the case is made out to be true paralysis the treatment is not likely (even 
 if successful in preserving life) to bring about a useful restoration to 
 healthy action. In valuable horses an attempt may be made by bleeding, 
 physicking and blistering to produce an absorption of the effused serum or 
 blood, but the recovered animal is seldom worth the outlay, and too often 
 as soon as he is put to any kind of work is subject to a relapse. The 
 most humane and certainly the most economical plan is to put him out 
 of his misery at once by a pistol ball or knife, but if it is determined to 
 try what can be done towards effecting a cure, no better means can be 
 adopted than those I have alluded to. 
 
 STRING HALT. 
 
 ‘This is a peculiar snatching up of the hind leg, and is supposed to 
 depend upon some obscure disease of the sciatic nerve. It however is 
 very doubtful whether this explanation is well founded, and there is 
 evidence that in some cases the hock itself has been affected. The 
 extensor pedis seems to be the muscle most severely implicated, though 
 not the only one which is thrown into spasmodic action. No treatment 
 is of the slightest avail. Horses with string halt are able to^do any 
 kind of work, but it is considered to be a form of unsoundness. 
 
INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE. 
 
 523 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 DISEASES AND INJURIES OF CERTAIN SPECIAL ORGANS. 
 
 DISEASES OF THE EAR — INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE CATARACT — AMAUROSIS — BUCK 
 
 EYE — SURFEIT — HIDEBOUND — MANGE — LICE — - MALLENDERS AND SALLENDERS — 
 WARBLES, SITFASTS, AND HARNESS GALLS — GRUBS— BITES AND STINGS OF INSECTS — 
 
 SWELLED LEGS — CHAPPED HEELS — GREASE WARTS — CORNS — SANDCRACK — FALSE 
 
 QUARTER — QUITTOR — THRUSH — CANKER — LAMINITIS — SEEDY TOE — CONTRACTION OF 
 THE FOOT — NAVICULAR DISEASE — ACCIDENTS TO THE LEGS AND FEET. 
 
 DISEASES OE THE EAR. 
 
 Deafness is sometimes met with in the horse, hut I know of no 
 symptoms by which its precise nature can be made out ; and without 
 ascertaining the seat of the disease, it is useless to attempt to treat it. 
 
 Sometimes from a blow on the external ear inflammation is set up, 
 and an abscess forms ; but all that is necessary is to open it, so that the 
 matter can readily flow out as fast as it forms, without which precaution 
 it will not readily heal. 
 
 INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE. 
 
 This important organ is subject to three forms of inflammation, to 
 opacity of the lens, and to paralysis of the nerve, called amaurosis. (For 
 the descriptive anatomy of the eye, see pages 444 , 445 .) 
 
 Simple inflammation is the most common of all the diseases to which 
 the horse’s eye is subject, and it precedes most of the others. It is always 
 the result of any injury of this part, or of cold ; and it shows itself if 
 there is a tendency to inflammation of this organ, whenever the horse is 
 in a state of plethora. The symptoms are an intolerance of light, so that 
 the eye is kept half closed, by which it looks smaller than the other ; a 
 gummy secretion glues the lids together at the angles ; the eyelids are 
 slightly swollen, showing a distended state of their veins ; and there is 
 more or less watering or overflowing of tears. When the lids are sepa- 
 rated, their internal surface looks more red than natural, and the white 
 of the eye is covered with a net-work of fine red vessels. After the 
 second day the transparent cornea loses it clearness, and becomes muddy, 
 sometimes over the whole surface, and at others in specks. If the disease 
 is allowed to go on unchecked, the cornea is involved, and the lining 
 membrane of the aqueous humour follows ; a secretion of pus takes place 
 into the chamber, or the cornea ulcerates, and the contents of the eye 
 escape. The treatment should be a copious bleeding from the jugular 
 vein, followed by a ball, such as — 
 
 Take of Common Physic Ball 2 drachms. 
 
 Tartar Emetic 1 drachm. 
 
 Mix and give every six hours. 
 
 This not only acts on the intestines, but it keeps up a constant nausea, and 
 so tends to lower the action of the heart. The eye should be bathed with 
 warm water frequently ) and, if the mischief be severe, a seton should at 
 
524 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 once be put into the skin covering the upper jaw, about two inches below 
 the eye. On the next day, if “ the white ” still looks red, the bleeding must 
 be repeated ; and, if the bowels are much moved, the tartar emetic may 
 be continued without the aloes, while if they are obstinate, the dose of the 
 latter may be increased. When the acute symptoms have somewhat 
 diminished, a camel’ s-hair brush may be dipped in wine of opium, and 
 the eye gently touched with it daily, which will generally complete the 
 cure. The diet must be low, corn being forbidden entirely, and the stable 
 should be kept very cool and airy. 
 
 Purulent ophthalmia is confined to the conjunctiva, and it may be 
 recognised by the profuse discharge of purulent fluid which takes place. 
 The eyelids are much swollen, and the white of the eye is covered with a 
 puffy red membrane, which rises up above the level of the cornea, some- 
 times in fungoid excrescences. This form of inflammation is generally 
 epidemic, and sometimes runs through a stable without a single exception. 
 The treatment should be, at first, similar to that recommended for simple 
 inflammation ; but when it reaches the chronic stage, a more powerful 
 stimulus is required to restore the vessels to a healthy condition. A wash, 
 composed as follows, must therefore be applied : — 
 
 Take of Nitrate of Silver 6 grs. 
 
 Distilled Water 1 oz. 
 
 Mix, and drop a little into the eye from a quill daily. 
 
 Iritis, or inflammation of the iris, generally known as specific ophthal- 
 mia , is the most formidable of all the diseases to which the eye is subject, 
 and, if not checked, rapidly disorganises it; while it also, even when 
 running an unusually favourable course, is very apt to produce opacity of 
 the lens or its capsule (cataract). This pest of the stable is, undoubtedly, 
 often brought on by over stimulation, first of the whole body, through the 
 food, and, secondly, of the eyes themselves, through the foul emanations 
 from the accumulated urine and dung. But these would produce no such 
 effect in a horse, unless he were predisposed to ophthalmia ; and we find 
 that cattle and sheep are often fed to an enormous degree of obesity, in 
 far closer and worse-ventilated stalls, without any prejudicial effect upon 
 their eyes. It may, then, be assumed, that these organs in a horse have 
 a tendency to put on inflammation ; but though these words are true they 
 explain nothing of the real cause, and only serve to conceal our ignorance 
 of it. There is another question bearing upon this subject, which is of the 
 highest importance. Is the stock of blind horses more liable to blindness 
 than that of sound ones % This has been discussed so often, that it is 
 scarcely possible to throw any fresh light upon it, chiefly because it is so 
 difficult to rely upon the facts adduced pro and con. Blindness is often 
 the result of accident, and such cases are believed to be exceptional, and 
 not at all likely to hand down the disease ; but, on the contrary, I am 
 inclined to believe that many of them show a marked tendency to its 
 development; for an accident never destroys both eyes, and when one 
 follows the other, it is a pretty sure sign that there is a tendency to ophthal- 
 mia. On the whole, it may, I think, be assumed, that the tendency to 
 specific ophthalmia is handed down from generation to generation, and, 
 consequently, that the offspring of a horse who has gone blind from that 
 cause is peculiarly prone to it. Its symptoms appear very rapidly, the eye 
 having been quite right over night, looks contracted and almost closed 
 next morning, and on inspecting it closely “ the white ” looks of a deep red, 
 the cornea looks muddy, and the coloured part of the eye (the iris) has 
 
DISEASES OF THE EYE. 
 
 525 
 
 lost its bright colour, and often shows one or two white specks upon it 
 (these must not be confounded with specks on the cornea). As the disease 
 advances, the intolerance of light is very great, the cornea and iris become 
 gradually more muddy, and either lymph is thrown out on the latter in 
 the shape of white patches, or pus is secreted and fills the chamber of the 
 aqueous humour, in part or wholly. If the treatment is sufficiently 
 energetic, these signs abate, the pus or lymph is absorbed, and the eye 
 recovers its transparency ; but there are generally some traces left 
 behind. Bleeding (either from the jugular or the angular veins of the 
 face), moderate purging, and a seton, are the remedies best calculated 
 to effect this object, conjoined with an airy stable and a light diet. 
 Unfortunately, however, iritis is almost sure to return on the restoration 
 of the usual food, and exposure to the elements ; and hence it is of the 
 utmost consequence in purchasing a horse to examine his eyes for the 
 marks left behind by it. If the case is hopeless, it becomes a question 
 whether or not it will be wise to put an end to the inflammation by 
 destroying the affected eye. for it is well known that if it goes on for any 
 length of time, the other, sound eye, becomes affected. The only difficulty 
 consists in feeling assured that there is really no chance of recovery ; for 
 when once the eye is finally condemned, the sooner it is opened and its 
 contents evacuated, the sooner will the horse return to his work, and the 
 more chance has the other eye of escaping. The operation is very simple, 
 and merely requires a sharp-pointed knife to be passed into the anterior 
 chamber from one edge of the cornea, and driven back till it cuts into the 
 lens, when it is to be brought out on the other side of the cornea, and 
 the whole of the humours will escape on making pressure upon the upper 
 eyelid. 
 
 In injuries of the eye, fomentation with warm water should be carried 
 on for half an hour, and then omitted for three or four hours ; after which 
 it may be repeated again and again, at similar intervals. Great care should 
 be taken to remove any extraneous bodies, such as particles of dust, &c. 
 
 Cataract, or opacity of the lens, is very commonly the result of iritis, 
 its capsule having been coated with a layer of white lymph, deposited by 
 the inflamed vessels ; but it also sometimes makes its appearance without 
 being preceded by any of the signs of inflammation. In the former case, 
 the early symptoms are those of iritis ; but in the latter, the opacity often 
 goes on increasing, without the owner of the horse, or his groom, having 
 his attention drawn to the eyes, until he finds that he is nearly blind. 
 This progress is generally marked by the development of an unusual 
 timidity; the previously bold animal is alarmed at objects advancing on 
 the road, and covered carts and waggons, of which he formerly took no 
 notice, occasion him to shy in the most timid manner. On examining his 
 eyes carefully, instead of the beautifully clear pupil, with the reflection of 
 tapetum lucidum shining through it, there is seen either a mass of dull 
 white, generally more opaque in the centre, or an appearance of mottled, 
 semi-transparent soap, or, lastly, one or two distinct white spots, not quite 
 circular, but with irregular edges. In confirmed cataract, the white pupil 
 can be seen at any distance ; but in the very early stage, only a practised 
 eye can detect the opacity, which, however, is so manifest to him, that he 
 wonders it is not visible to every one else. The reason of this difficulty 
 of detecting the alteration of structure seems to be, that inexperienced 
 examiners look at the eye in such a manner that they are confused by the 
 reflection on it of their own faces, hiding all beneath. If, however, they 
 will turn their heads a little more on one side, this will disappear, and 
 
526 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 they cannot fail to perceive the disease. When cataract is clearly proved 
 to exist, all idea of treatment may he abandoned, as nothing but an 
 operation can procure a removal of the opacity ; and that would leave the 
 horse in a more useless condition than before, since he could see nothing 
 clearly, and would only be subject to continual alarms. In the human 
 being, the operation is performed with great success, because the lens 
 which is sacrificed can be replaced externally by means of convex glasses ; 
 but in the horse, nothing of the kind can be done. Hence, it is useless 
 to dream of effecting any improvement in this disease ; and if both eyes 
 are the subject of cataract, the horse is incurably blind. But supposing 
 there is a cataract in one eye only, is the other sure to go blind, or may a 
 reasonable hope be entertained of its remaining sound 1 Here the history 
 of the disease must be examined before any opinion can be formed. If 
 the opacity followed an accident, there is no reason for concluding that the 
 other eye will become diseased ; but if it came on idiopathically, either 
 preceded by inflammation or otherwise, there is great risk of a repetition 
 in the sound eye. Nevertheless, instances are common enough of one eye 
 going blind from cataract, while the other remains sound to the end of 
 life ; and those are still more frequent in which the one sound eye con- 
 tinues so for six or seven years. 
 
 AMAUROSIS. 
 
 This is a palsy of the nervous expansion called the retina, produced by 
 some disease, either functional or organic, of the optic nerve, which is 
 generally beyond the reach of our senses, in examining it after death. 
 The symptoms are a full dilatation of the pupil, so that the iris is shrunk 
 to a thin band around it, and is so insensible to the stimulus of light, in 
 confirmed cases, that, even when the eye is exposed to the direct rays of 
 the sun, it does not contract. In the early stages, this insensibility is 
 only partial ; and though there is such complete blindness that the horse 
 cannot distinguish the nature of surrounding objects, yet the pupil con- 
 tracts slightly, and the inexperienced examiner might pass the eye as a 
 sound one. The unnaturally large pupil, however, should always create 
 suspicion ; and when, on closing the lids and re-opening them in a strong 
 light, there is little or no variation in its size, the nature of the disease is 
 at once made apparent. The treatment of amaurosis must depend upon 
 the extent to which it has gone, and its duration. If recent, bleeding and 
 a seton in close proximity to the diseased organ will be the most likely to 
 restore it. Sometimes the disease depends upon a disordered condition of 
 the stomach, and then a run at grass will be the most likely means to 
 restore both the affected organs to a sound state. Generally, however, an 
 amaurotic eye in the horse may be considered as a hopeless case. 
 
 BUCK EYE. 
 
 A buck eye is, strictly, rather a congenital malformation than a disease ; 
 but practically, in reference to the utility of the animal, it matters little. 
 It depends upon an excess of convexity in the cornea, by which the focus 
 of the eye is shortened too much, the image being thus rendered indistinct 
 as it falls on the retina. No treatment can be of the slightest use. 
 
 SURFEIT. 
 
 An eruption of the skin, which shows itself in the form of numerous 
 small scabs, matting the hair, and chiefly met with on the loins and 
 
HIDEBOUND. 
 
 527 
 
 quarters, is known by this name. Doubtless, it has been supposed to 
 arise from an excess of food, causing indigestion ; but it often comes on 
 in horses which, apparently, are quite free from that disorder. The most 
 common cause appears to be, sweating the horse when he is in a gross or 
 plethoric condition, and then exposing him to a chill. Colts are very 
 subject to surfeit while being broken, as are horses fresh from grass during 
 the summer, when they are usually over-fat, and require great care in 
 reducing this plethoric condition. The usual course of the eruption is for 
 the scabs to dry and gradually loosen, when the hair of the part is slightly 
 thinned by being pulled out in dressing, a fresh crop of pustules forming, 
 and, to the casual observer, keeping up the appearance of a permanent 
 state of the original scabs. Surfeit is not confined to gross horses, as it 
 sometimes makes its appearance in those which are low in condition, 
 exhibiting the same appearance to the eye ; but, on examination, the 
 secretion from the skin will be found to be thinner, and of a more 
 purulent nature. The treatment must greatly depend upon the state of 
 the general health. If the horse is very gross, it may be desirable to take 
 a little blood away; but this will seldom be necessary, and never is 
 desirable. Physic seems to do little immediate good ; and, indeed, it is 
 very doubtful whether any treatment is of much service, excepting such 
 as will gradually bring the horse into working condition. The disease, in 
 most cases, has its origin in obstruction of the sebaceous and perspiratory 
 pores; and until these are restored to their proper functions, by gradually 
 exercising them, little good can be done. Unfortunately, the very means 
 which will accomplish this object are apt to increase the disease for a 
 time ; but still this must be put up with, as a matter in which no choice 
 can be made. Regular exercise and grooming must be fully attended to, 
 using the whisp only in dressing the skin, when the eruption shows itself, 
 and carefully avoiding the brush and currycomb. By acting on the kidneys, 
 more good will be done than by purging physic, which seems to be of 
 little or no service in any case but when the stomach is greatly out of 
 order. An ounce of nitre may be given with a mash twice a week, or the 
 following balls may be administered : — 
 
 Take of Nitre, 
 
 Sulphur, of each 3 drachms. 
 
 Sulphuret of Antimony 2 drachms. 
 
 Linseed Meal and Water enough to form two balls. 
 
 HIDEBOUND. 
 
 This is essentially a disorder of the skin produced by sympathy with 
 the stomach. It rarely occurs in any horse but one sadly out of health 
 from a deficiency either in the quantity or quality of the food. Some- 
 times it comes on in the latter stages of consumption or dysentery, without 
 any previous mismanagement ; but in the vast majority of cases the cause 
 may be laid to the food. The skin of a horse in health feels supple, and 
 on his sides it may readily be gathered up by the hand into a large fold, 
 but in hidebound it is as if it were glued to the ribs, and were also too 
 tight for the carcase which it invests. The name, indeed, is expressive 
 of this state, and the disease can scarcely be mistaken when once seen, or 
 rather felt. Coincident with this condition of the skin, there is also, 
 generally, either a distended state of the abdomen from flatulence, or a 
 contracted and “ tucked up” appearance from diarrhoea. The treatment 
 should be addressed to the digestive organs, the state of which must be 
 
528 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 carefully examined, and if possible rectified. A pint of linseed, scalded, 
 and mixed with a bran mash every night, or scalded malt given in equal 
 quantities with the corn ; or in the spring time, vetches, clover, or lucerne, 
 will do more than any medicine ; but when there is a deficient appetite, 
 or the bowels or stomach, or either of them, are evidently much weakened 
 and disordered, a stomachic ball once or twice a week will do good. The 
 remedies appropriate to these several conditions will be found under their 
 respective heads at pages 500 and 507. 
 
 MANGE. 
 
 Mange corresponds with the itch of the human subject in being pro- 
 duced by a parasitic insect, which is an acarus, but of a different species 
 to that of man, and of a much larger size, so as to be readily visible to the 
 naked eye. It is generally produced by contact with horses previously 
 affected with the same disease, but it appears highly probable that a poor, 
 half-starved animal, allowed to accumulate all kinds of dirt on his skin, 
 will develop the parasite, though how this is done is not clearly made out. 
 The whole subject of parasites is wrapt in mystery, which modern 
 researches appear likely to fathom, but hitherto little progress has been 
 made except in the history of the metamorphoses of the tape-worm, from 
 the analogy of which some idea may be formed of the probable modes 
 of production of other parasites. When caused by contagion, as certainly 
 happens in the vast majority of cases, the first symptoms noticed will be 
 an excessive itching of the skin, which is soon followed by a bareness of 
 the hair in patches, partly caused by constant friction. The disease 
 usually shows itself on the side of the neck, just at the edges of the 
 mane, and on the insides 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 excepting in very confirmed cases. 
 After a time the hair almost entirely falls off, leaving the skin at first 
 bare and smooth, with a few small red pimples scattered over it, each 
 of which contains an acarus, and these are connected by furrows, along 
 which the acari have worked their way to their present habitation. 
 In process of time the pimples increase in number and size, and 
 from them a matter exudes which hardens into a scab, beneath which, 
 on examination, several acari may readily be seen, moving their legs like 
 mites in a cheese, to which they are closely allied. At first the mangy 
 horse may keep his health, but after a time the constant irritation makes 
 him feverish ; he loses flesh, and becomes a most miserable object ; but 
 such cases of neglect are happily rare in the present day. The treatment 
 must be addressed to the destruction of the life of the acarus, which, as 
 in the human subject, is rapidly destroyed by sulphur, turpentine, arsenic 
 hellebore, and corrosive sublimate. Some of these drugs are, however, 
 objectionable, from being poisonous to the horse, as well as to the parasite 
 which preys upon him, and they are, therefore, not to be employed 
 without great and urgent necessity, in consequence of the failure of milder 
 remedies. The following recipes may be relied on as perfectly effica- 
 cious, the former being sufficient in mild cases, and the latter being strong 
 enough in any. 
 
 1. Take of Common Sulphur .... ...... 6 ozs. 
 
 Sperm or Train Oil . . . 1 pint. 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 3 ozs. 
 
 Mix and rub well into the skin with a flannel, or in preference with a painter’s 
 
 brush. 
 
LICE. 
 
 529 
 
 2. Take of Compound Sulphur Ointment 8 ozb. 
 
 Train or Sperm Oil 1 pint. 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 3 ozs. 
 
 Mix and use as above. 
 
 One or other of the above dressings should he well rubbed in every third 
 day for at least three or four weeks in bad cases, and two in trifling ones, 
 when the inflammation resulting from the acari and also from the appli- 
 cation may be allowed to subside in the hope that all the parasites are 
 killed, in which case the eruption disappears, but the hair does not always 
 come on again as thickly as ever. All the stable fittings around the stall 
 or box in which the horse has been standing should be thoroughly washed 
 over with a solution of corrosive sublimate, made as follows : — 
 
 Take of Corrosive Sublimate 1 oz. 
 
 Methylated Spirit of Wine 6 ozs. 
 
 Water 1 gallon. 
 
 Dissolve the sublimate in the spirit by rubbing in a mortar, then mix with the 
 water, and use with a brush, stirring it up continually to prevent its settling. 
 
 The clothing should be destroyed, as it is scarcely possible to cleanse it 
 completely from the parasites ; but if it is determined to risk a return of 
 the disease, it should be thoroughly washed, and when dry, saturated with 
 spirit of turpentine. 
 
 When the health has suffered from the irritation of mange, a few tonic 
 balls may be required, but generally the removal of the cause will be 
 sufficient. 
 
 LICE. 
 
 In former days lice were not uncommon in the horse, but they are 
 now comparatively rare. Still they are occasionally met with, and their 
 presence is readily ascertained, being of a considerable size, and easily seen 
 with the naked eye. They may be destroyed by rubbing into the roots of 
 the hair white precipitate, in powder, taking care to avoid sweating the 
 horse or wetting his skin for some days afterwards. 
 
 MALLENDERS AND SALLENDERS. 
 
 These eruptions are both of the same nature, differing only in the 
 locality where they are displayed. The former shows itself in the flexure 
 at the back of the knee, and the latter at the bend of the hock. The 
 symptoms are shown in the appearance of a foul scurf mixed with a few 
 thin scabs, the skin underneath being stiff and unyielding. They are 
 generally brought on by washing the legs and leaving them undried. 
 The treatment required is merely the application of the following ointment, 
 which should be well rubbed in every night : — 
 
 Take of Cerate of Superacetate of Lead 2 ozs. 
 
 Creosote 10 drops. Mix. 
 
 If the skin continues to be very hard and stiff, a little glycerine should 
 be brushed on two or three times a week. 
 
 WARBLES, SITFASTS, AND HARNESS GALLS. 
 
 When the saddle has galled the skin beneath it, the inflammation 
 resulting is called a “ warble,” and if this is neglected, so as to cause a 
 troublesome sore, the term “ sitfast ” is applied. The effect produced is 
 
 M M 
 
530 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 similar to a harness gall, and there is not the slightest necessity for 
 inventing names to distinguish each stage of cruelty in the rider, for if 
 attention is paid to the warble no sitfast will ever make its appearance. 
 Prevention is better than cure, and it may almost always be effected by 
 the adoption of the plan of always keeping the saddle on (after loosing 
 the girths) for a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes. Sometimes, 
 however, in spite of this precaution, the skin of the back swells, and 
 when a heavy man has been riding for six or eight hours on a horse 
 unaccustomed to his weight, the cuticle will perhaps peel off, bringing the 
 hair with it. When the swelling is considerable it should be well 
 fomented for an hour, and then bathed with a lotion composed of one 
 drachm of tincture of arnica in half a pint of water. The saddle should 
 never be reapplied until the skin is quite cool, and free from all inflam- 
 mation, even if considerable inconvenience is thereby suffered. The same 
 treatment will also apply to harness galls. Oiling the inside of the collar 
 will often prevent the shoulder from suffering excoriation. 
 
 GRUBS. 
 
 The larva of some beetle, but of what species I do not know, is 
 occasionally met with in the horse, causing a small lump, about the size 
 of a raisin, and usually on the back. This obstinately continues for 
 months, if its nature is not understood, in spite of all ordinary applica- 
 tions. At last a white larva or grub, with a black head, and very similar 
 in everything but size to the maggot found in the nut, makes its appear- 
 ance, and either escapes to fall to the ground and become a chrysalis, or 
 else it is squeezed out by the groom, which is easily done as soon as the 
 head is visible. When discovered previously, an opening may be made 
 with the point of a penknife, and then the larva may be gradually 
 squeezed out, avoiding too much haste in the operation, which will only 
 retard the process. 
 
 BITES AND STINGS OF INSECTS. 
 
 Horses are liable to be stung by hornets, wasps, and bees. If there 
 are only one or two stings made, no interference is necessary, but some- 
 times a larger number of poisonous punctures have been effected, and 
 then the best treatment is the application of spirit of turpentine and 
 laudanum in equal proportions. 
 
 The bites of the gadfly are so troublesome in their effects that it is 
 sometimes desirable to prevent them if possible. This is effected by 
 making a strong infusion of the green bark of the elder, and washing the 
 flanks, &c. with it before going out. 
 
 SWELLED LEGS. 
 
 The skin of the legs and the cellular membrane beneath it are liable 
 to two kinds of swelling, one of which is of an inflammatory character, 
 while the other is solely due to a deposit of serum (oedema), owing to the 
 non-performance of their office by the kidneys. Both kinds are much 
 more frequent in the hind legs than the fore, but especially the former. 
 
 Inflammatory swelled leg, sometimes called weed , is generally accom- 
 panied by a certain agnount of feverishness, and comes on suddenly, 
 almost always showing itself on the inside of the hind leg, which is hot 
 
CHAPPED HEELS. 
 
 531 
 
 and extremely tender. It is not a very common disease, and merely 
 requires the ordinary low treatment , by purging physic, and, if necessary, 
 bleeding. Should it continue for more than two or three days after these 
 are tried, an ounce of nitre may be given every night in a bran mash. 
 
 Ordinary swelling of the legs, or oedema, occurs in every degree, 
 from a slight “ filling, ” to which many horses are always subject, whether 
 they work or stand in the stable, to an enlargement extending up to the 
 stifles and elbows, sometimes rendering the legs almost as round and as 
 hard as mill-posts. When horses are first brought in from grass their 
 legs almost always fill more or less, and until they are regularly seasoned 
 to their work there is seldom that clean condition of the suspensory 
 ligaments and back sinews which one likes to see even before the daily v 
 exercise is given. The oedema appears to depend partly upon a deficient 
 action of the kidneys, but chiefly on the vessels of the legs not acting 
 sufficiently without constant walking exercise, such as is natural to the 
 horse when at liberty, and which he takes at grass. Half an hour's 
 walking will generally produce absorption completely, so that a daily 
 remedy is forthcoming ; but as a rule, whenever there is this tendency to 
 “ filling ” of the legs, the cellular membrane is not the only tissue in 
 fault, but the tendons and joints are also liable to inflammation. The 
 treatment will greatly depend on the exact cause. If the swelling is 
 only due to the change from grass to the confinement of a warm stable, 
 time alone is wanted, taking care not to overwork the horse in the mean- 
 time. Bandages will always assist in keeping down the swelling ; but 
 they should not be used without necessity, as when once the horse 
 becomes accustomed to them his legs can hardly be kept fine without 
 their aid. If weakness is the cause, a drachm of sulphate of iron given 
 in the corn twice a day will often strengthen the system, and with it the 
 legs. Diuretics may be adopted as an occasional aid to the kidneys, but 
 they should be of the mildest kind, such as nitre, or they will do more 
 harm, by weakening the body generally, than good by their stimulus to 
 the kidneys. Indeed, they are often the sole cause of the legs filling, for 
 some grooms use them so continually, whether they are wanted or not, 
 that the kidneys become diseased and refuse to act, which is a sure fore- 
 runner of oedema. Where swelling of the legs is confirmed, bandages 
 must be regularly applied as recommended at page 252. 
 
 CHAPPED HEELS. 
 
 When a horse suffers from oedema of the legs, he is particularly 
 prone to an eruption of a watery nature in the cleft between the heels 
 and behind the lesser pastern. Those also whose legs are washed and 
 not dried are still more prone to it, especially if the hair is white. The 
 skin cracks, and, in bad cases, is so inflamed and swollen that the leg cannot 
 be bent without great pain, and often there is a bleeding from the cracks, 
 caused by the action of the limb, but only to a sufficient extent to show 
 that blood has escaped. The treatment must be local as well as general 
 if the eruption is not entirely due to mismanagement. In any case, the 
 part should be dressed with cerate of acetate of lead, a little of which 
 should be rubbed in every night. Next morning some glycerine should 
 be brushed on an hour at least before the exercise, and renewed before 
 the daily work is commenced. This will prevent all risk of the skin 
 cracking, while the ointment will act beneficially on the vessels of the 
 part. In addition to these applications, the general health should be 
 
 m m 2 
 
532 THE HORSE. 
 
 attended to if in fault, and tonics or diuretics should be given, as the 
 case may require. 
 
 GREASE. 
 
 The eruption known as grease is sometimes only an aggravated form 
 of chapped heels, and is often preceded by them. At others the appear- 
 ance of the disease is ushered in by constitutional symptoms, such as 
 feverishness, oedema of the limbs and hidebound. The first local symptom 
 is a slight swelling of the skin of the heels and adjacent parts, which 
 soon cracks, and from the fissures there exudes an offensive discharge 
 which looks greasy, but is really watery, being of a serous nature. It 
 inflames every part that it touches, and has a tendency to cause a spread 
 of the eruption in all directions, but chiefly downwards. The legs go on 
 swelling to a frightful extent, and are thereby rendered so stiff and sore 
 that great lameness is produced. If this stage is neglected the whole 
 surface ulcerates, and a fungous growth makes its appearance, chiefly from 
 the original cracks. The discharge becomes purulent and has a most foul 
 smell, and the leg can with difficulty be bent at all. Finally , the fungous 
 excrescences cover the whole of the diseased skin, being of a bright red 
 colour, and slightly resembling grapes in form, from which circumstances 
 this stage has been called “ the grapes.” It is now very rare to meet 
 with grease in any of its forms except in the cart-stable, where the hairy 
 legs of its inmates render them peculiarly prone to its attacks, from the 
 time required to dry them when wet. They are so difficult to clean 
 without water that the carters may well be excused for using it, but if 
 they do they ought carefully to dry the legs afterwards. The treatment 
 when grease is established must be founded upon the same principle as 
 in chapped heels. The skin must be kept supple, and at the same time 
 stimulated to a healthy action. For the former purpose glycerine is most 
 valuable, being far more efficacious than any greasy dressing, such as we 
 were obliged to employ before the discovery of this substance. In all the 
 stages of grease, this latter agent may be employed, and as it is readily 
 soluble in water it can be washed off and renewed as often as it may be 
 desired. The discharge is so foul and irritating that it ought to be 
 thoroughly removed at least once in twenty-four hours, and one of the chief 
 advantages of the use of glycerine is that it so greatly assists this cleansing 
 process from its solubility in water. In addition to this emollient plan, 
 some stimulus must be selected, and none answers so well (in all stages 
 but the very earliest) as chloride of zinc. When, therefore, the heels are 
 in that state that it is almost doubtful whether the disease is the mere 
 chap or absolute grease, the treatment recommended for the former may * 
 be tried, but should this fail, the groom should at once proceed to cut the 
 hair of the skin which is diseased as short as possible. Then let him 
 take some soap and warm water and gently wash the parts with a sponge 
 till the skin is perfectly clean and free from scab or scurf, taking care to 
 remove every particle of soap by well rinsing it. hText dry the leg, and 
 then with a small paint-brush rub gently into the inflamed parts enough 
 of the following lotion to damp them, but not to wet them thoroughly : — 
 
 Take of Chloride of Zinc 30 grs. 
 
 Water 1 pint. Mix. 
 
 A quarter of an hour afterwards apply a little glycerine over the wholo, 
 &nd keep the parts sufficiently supple with it. If there is much dis- 
 
WARTS. 
 
 533 
 
 charge the cleansing may he repeated night and morning, followed by the 
 chloride of zinc, but in most cases once a day will be sufficiently often. 
 If the ulcerated or inflamed skin does not put on a healthy appearance in 
 a few days, the lotion may be increased in strength, using forty, fifty, or 
 sixty grains to the pint, as required ; but the remedy will be found to be 
 almost a specific, except for the grapy form, if properly proportioned in 
 strength. When the fungoid growths are very extensive, nothing but 
 their removal, either by the knife or by the actual or potential cautery, 
 will suffice. The least painful plan is to slice them off to a level with 
 the skin and then just touch the bleeding surface with a hot iron, which 
 will have the double good effect of stopping the bleeding and inducing a 
 healthy action. The glycerine may then be applied, and next day the 
 leg may be treated in the same way as for ordinary grease described above. 
 When the disease is of long standing, local applications may cure it for a 
 time, but either it will return, or there will be some other organ attacked, 
 unless the unhealthy state of the blood is attended to. It must be 
 remembered that during the existence of grease this vital fluid is called 
 upon to supply the materials for the secretion which is constantly going 
 on. Now if on the cessation of the demand for them the blood still 
 goes on obtaining its supplies from the digestive organs, it becomes over- 
 loaded, a state of plethora is established, which Nature attempts to relieve 
 in some one or other of her established modes by setting up disease. 
 To avoid such a result arsenic may be given internally, for this medicine 
 has a special power in counteracting this tendency. How it acts has 
 never yet been made out, but that it does exert such a power is thoroughly 
 ascertained, and if the doses are not too large it is unattended by any 
 injurious effect. Indeed for a time it seems to act as a tonic. The arsenic 
 should be given in solution and with the food , so as to procure its absorp- 
 tion into the blood without weakening the stomach. A wine-glassful of 
 liquor arsenicalis (1J oz.) should be poured over the corn twice a day, 
 and continued for a couple of months, when it may be discontinued with 
 a fair hope of its having had the desired effect. Should the skin, however, 
 look inflamed, a second course of it may be given, and it will be found 
 that if it is given with the corn it will not be followed by any injurious 
 consequences. 
 
 WARTS. 
 
 Warts are, generally, only to be considered as eyesores ; for, unless 
 they appear on the penis, they are not injurious to health ; nor do they 
 interfere with work unless they happen to appear on the shoulders 
 beneath the collar in a harness horse, which is very rare indeed. They 
 are, doubtless, very unsightly, and, for this reason, it is often desired to 
 remove them, which may be done by first picking off the rough outer 
 surface, so as to make them bleed, and then rubbing in, with a stiff brush, 
 some yellow orpiment, wetted with a little water. This will cause con- 
 siderable inflammation, and in a few days the wart will drop off, leaving 
 a healthy sore, which soon heals. Sometimes the whole wart does not 
 come away on the first application, in which case a second must be made. 
 When the glans penis is completely covered with warts, the best plan is 
 to amputate it, as it requires the greatest caution and tact to remove them 
 by arsenic or any other caustic without destroying, also, as much of the 
 penis as is taken away by the knife. 
 
534 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 COENS. 
 
 These troublesome results of bad shoeing, or subsequent neglect of the 
 feet, make their appearance in the sole of the foot, in the angle formed 
 between the crust and the bar (see fig. 1 (E), Chap. XXXII.). Where 
 the foot is properly prepared for the shoe, and the smith seats the heel of 
 the crust and the bar on a level surface, no corn will make its appearance 
 in a healthy foot ; but if a corn has previously existed, or if the shoe is 
 allowed to press upon the sole at E (see fig. 1, Chap. XXXII.), the delicate 
 blood-vessels of the sensible sole are ruptured, and, instead of secreting a 
 sound horn, capable of bearing the slight strain upon it which is required, 
 a fungoid growth is formed, presenting a reddish appearance, and exqui- 
 sitely sensitive. This morbid substance does not at all resemble the hard 
 corn of the human subject, which is a thickened secretion of cuticle, but 
 it bears some comparison with the soft corns that form so often between 
 the toes, and give so much trouble in their removal. It is, in fact, a new 
 growth, of a semi-fungoid character, partly made up of granulations and 
 partly of horny matter, the two being closely united. The corn may arise 
 from improper pressure made on this part of the sensible sole, either directly 
 from the shoe, or indirectly by pressing a thin brittle crust inwards upon it. 
 Generally, however, it is met with at the inner heel, from the shoe being 
 overgrown by that part of the foot when kept on too long. The outer 
 nails do not allow it to work in the contrary direction, and if there is a 
 clip on the outer quarter this is rendered still more improbable. If, 
 therefore, shoeing is properly managed, corns may always be prevented, 
 and we shall see in the directions for shoeing, at Chapter XXXII., how 
 this is to be managed. At present I have to consider how they are 
 to be relieved or cured when they are already established. 
 
 The ordinary mode of treating corns is simply to cut them out, 
 leaving the bar and heel of the crust full, and thus taking all pressure off 
 them. This enables the horse to do his work for about ten days, but then 
 the shoe must be removed, and the paring-out repeated, a process which 
 weakens the already weak crust by making additional nail-holes in it. 
 The shoe at the same time is generally “ sprung,” that is, it is so bent or 
 filed that the heel does not fully bear upon it ; but this does not last 
 many hours, and is of little real utility. The plan answers well enough 
 for the purposes of fraudulent sellers, as the horse runs sound for about 
 ten days ; and when he fails, and on taking off his shoe he is discovered 
 to have a corn, it is impossible to prove that it existed at the time of sale 
 by any evidence but that of the smith who shod him previously to it. 
 Excepting, therefore, in very slight and recent cases, in which it will 
 sometimes be followed by success, this plan of treatment is only palliative, 
 and what is worse, it tends to increase the weakness of the foot and con- 
 sequent tendency to the disease. 
 
 For the curative plan we must do something more than merely 
 take the pressure off the sole ; the bar and heel of the crust must also be 
 relieved, and the sensible sole must be stimulated, by a proper application, 
 to secrete healthy horn, as well as by pressure on the frog. If the horse 
 is to be rested, this can be done easily enough by taking off his shoes, but 
 he may be kept at work by putting on a bar-shoe (fig. 5, Chap. XXXII.), 
 and cutting down the bar and crust, so as to throw all the pressure off 
 them upon the frog. A double purpose is effected in this way. First, the 
 sensible sole is relieved of the constant pressure which the crust bears 
 
SANDCRACK. 
 
 535 
 
 upon it laterally; and, secondly, the jar on the frog, communicated 
 through the shoe, from the ground, induces a healthy action in the foot, 
 and the sole has a greater tendency to secrete healthy horn. There is no 
 doubt in my mind that all horses would work much better, and keep their 
 feet in much sounder condition, if their frogs could be brought into use, 
 without being guarded as they are by the ordinary shoe. This part is 
 intended by nature to take upon itself great pressure ; and if it has not 
 its natural stimulus it becomes weak itself, and, moreover, it does not 
 stimulate the surrounding parts to a healthy action, as it ought to do. 
 The bar-shoe is inconvenient for many purposes, and, therefore, it is not 
 generally applied; but as a curative agent these objections are to be dis- 
 pensed with, and then it will be found to be extremely valuable, not only 
 in relieving the diseased part (the corn), but in giving a healthy action to 
 its seat, the sole. The smith should, therefore, pare down the crust at the 
 heel, so that when the bar-shoe is applied it will allow a penny-piece to be 
 insinuated between the two surfaces. With this the horse does his work 
 comfortably on the road ; and in process of time, that is, in two or three 
 months, the heel grows up, and takes its own share of pressure, or a part 
 of it, becoming gradually accustomed to the amount which it will have to 
 bear when the bar-shoe is discontinued. In the meantime a little of the 
 following lotion may be applied daily to the situation of the corn by 
 means of a feather. 
 
 Take of Chloride of Zinc 1 drachm. 
 
 Water 6 oza. 
 
 Glycerine 2 ozs. Mix. 
 
 In every case, the bar-shoe must be continued until the heel of the crust 
 and the bar grow down strongly ; and then a common shoe may be 
 applied, as directed in Chap. XXXII. 
 
 SAXPCRACK. 
 
 In the anatomical description op the foot, at page 448, it will b< 
 seen that the crust is composed of fibres, running parallel to each other in 
 a direction from the coronet to the ground surface. These fibres are glued 
 together firmly in a sound and strong hoof ; but, in a weak one, it some- 
 times happens that the gelatinous matter is not in sufficient quantity, and 
 then the fibres separate, and leave a crack of greater or less extent, 
 according to circumstances. This, called a sandcrack, happens at the 
 thinnest part, which is the inner quarter in the fore foot, and the toe in 
 the hind. To cure it , the foot must be rested, or at least that part of it 
 where the crack occurs, which in the fore foot may be effected by the use 
 of a bar-shoe, throwing the pressure entirely on the frog, as recommended 
 in the last section on corns, and taking care that the crust behind the 
 crack is not in contact with the shoe. By adopting this plan, I have suc- 
 ceeded in curing sand cracks during moderate work ; but if it happens in 
 the hind foot, complete rest must be given, as the toe cannot be relieved 
 by any possible contrivance. The next thing to be done is to open the 
 crack slightly, so that any grit getting into it shall not cause its further 
 expansion ; and in doing this, if there is any little cellular cavity, it 
 should be exposed. If the crack extends to the coronet, which it rarely 
 does, nothing can be done until it has grown out for at least half an inch 
 from that part, when the point of a hot iron may be applied to the angle 
 of the crack for a second, so as to keep out water, which has the effect of 
 
536 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 causing the fibres to split by the capillary attraction which is exercised. 
 The burn should be very slight, and should not be carried deeply into the 
 substance of the horn. A fine nail should then be driven from below 
 through the crust, the shoe being removed ; and when brought out at the 
 usual place, should be left projecting. The shoe should be put on, and 
 the innermost nail also left projecting. These two should then be firmly 
 bound together by fine wire, so as to bring the edges of the crack together ; 
 and the foot should be left in this state for at least a month or five weeks, 
 when the shoe may be taken off, and the operation repeated. This is far 
 better than binding wire or twine round the whole foot, as it acts more 
 completely on the crack, without confining the growth of the remainder of 
 the foot. Of course, after the wire is twisted on, the nails must be 
 clenched, and there will be a greater projection than usual ; but this is of 
 no importance whatever. In cracks of the hind foot the nails in each 
 quarter will keep the two sides from separating, but the horse cannot be 
 worked. 
 
 FALSE QUARTER 
 
 When, from an accident, the coronary substance is permanently 
 injured, it ceases to secrete sound horn, and a stripe of the crust, defective 
 in strength, runs all the way down from the coronet to the plantar edge. 
 This generally happens at the inner quarter, and is owing to the horse 
 treading on his coronet ; but it may also occur on the outside, either from 
 the tread of another horse, or from some kind of external violence. The 
 result is similar to that of a sandcrack ; there is no strength in the affected 
 heel, and lameness is produced. The treatment is very much the same as 
 for sandcrack. In the first place, the pressure must be taken off the 
 quarter, and a bar-shoe applied, so as to convey the weight on the frog, as 
 described under the head of Sandcrack. The heel of the affected quarter 
 should be lowered, and thus further injury will be prevented. The next 
 thing to be done is to stimulate the coronet to a healthy action by blis- 
 tering it, which must be done two or three times, taking care that the 
 blister is not of too violent a nature, and that the skin heals before a 
 second is applied. By these means, a cure may sometimes be effected ; 
 but it takes a considerable time, and until the quarter is reproduced in 
 full strength, or nearly so, the bar-shoe should be continued. By its use, 
 any horse with a sound frog can travel very well on the road, even if the 
 quarter is entirely and permanently separated from the toe by inefficient 
 horn ; and without it, the chance of a cure is not to be reckoned on. 
 
 QUITTOR. 
 
 By this term is understood a chronic abscess of the foot, the matter 
 always forming sinuses, from the difficulty which nature has to overcome 
 in finding a way for it to reach the surface. Generally, the mischief is 
 occasioned by an overreach, or a bruise of the sole, or by the inflammation 
 resulting from a neglected thrush, or, lastly, from a nail-prick. From any 
 of these causes, inflammation of the delicate investment of the coffin-bone 
 is set up, pus is secreted, and, in working its way to the surface, it burrows 
 between the horn and the bone, and forms one or more sinuses, or pipes, as 
 these fistulous tubes are called by the farrier. A quittor is recognised by 
 the eye and nose detecting an opening in the horn, from which a foul dis- 
 charge proceeds ; and on introducing a probe, it will generally pass freely 
 in twG or three directions, sometimes giving a grating sensation to the 
 
THRUSH. 
 
 537 
 
 finger, showing that the hone is denuded, and most probably carious. 
 There is generally a considerable increase of temperature in the foot, 
 and always more or less lameness, with, in most cases, swelling of the 
 bulbous heels and coronet. On examining the sole carefully, some part 
 will either show a difference of colour from the adjacent horn, or there 
 will be a yielding on pressure, owing to its being undermined. The treat- 
 ment must be conducted on the same principle as for fistulous sores. In 
 the first place, a dependent opening must be formed, so that no matter 
 shall be confined, but it shall be allowed to come away as fast as it forms. 
 This can only be done by probing ; and if the original opening is in the 
 coronet, the probe must be passed down as low as possible, and then the 
 sole should be pared away till the end can be reached. In tolerably 
 recent quittors, this plan alone will allow the sinus to heal ; but in old 
 ones, the internal surface has become callous, and no granulations are 
 thrown out. Here an injection should be thrown in every day with a 
 syringe, a saturated solution of sulphate of zinc being that generally 
 recommended ; but I have found the chloride answer still better, using 
 one drachm of the salt to a pint of water at first, and going on up to two 
 drachms. By injecting this daily, and introducing a piece of lint, wetted 
 with it, into the superior opening, leaving the lower one free, I have cured 
 many bad quittors, even when there was evidence of caries of the coffin- 
 joint. The disease requires a careful adjustment of the remedies to its 
 extent and nature, and a theoretical description of it is of little use. 
 
 THRUSH. 
 
 Any offensive discharge from the frog is called by this name, 
 although the cause and treatment may be as different as possible. It 
 varies greatly in the fore and hind feet ; and, indeed, it must never be 
 forgotten that, in every case, the cause which has produced the discharge 
 must be clearly made out before any plan of treatment can be carried out 
 with any prospect of success. Sometimes thrush is merely the result of 
 the decomposition of the horny frog, from the foot being constantly kept 
 wet with urine, which is most common in the hind foot. Here the surface 
 becomes soft, and is gradually dissolved ; while the cleft, from its retain- 
 ing the moisture, is increased in size. This state is often brought on by 
 the too frequent use of cowdung-stopping in horses with soft frogs ; and, 
 instead of doing good by his treatment of the foot, the groom is really 
 destroying it by encouraging the decomposition of the healthy defence 
 which Nature has given to it. For this kind of thrush, very little treat- 
 ment is required, if the cause which produced it is withdrawn. Still, it is 
 not always easy to keep the frog dry, and stop the decomposition, without 
 the application of some astringent ; and if the mere use of dry litter, and 
 the application of tar ointment, do not seem to harden the frog at once, it 
 may be touched with a wash composed of ten grains of bluestone to the 
 ounce of "water. This will soon dry it; or, if it fails by any chance, the 
 chloride of zinc may be used in the same way, by dissolving five grains in 
 an ounce of water. 
 
 The second kind of thrush is that in which from a gross habit of 
 body there is a simple inflammation of the sensible frog, and instead of 
 sound horn being secreted, a spongy substance is deposited, which breaks 
 away in places, and the frog looks ragged and uneven, with a greasy 
 surface, smells very foul, and feels hot to the touch. Here the treatment 
 must be general as well as local. A dose of physic should be given, th<> 
 
638 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 food should be of a less stimulating quality, and care should be taken 
 that regular exercise is allowed every day. The stable should be kept 
 cool, and of course attention should be paid to cleanliness both of the 
 foot and the litter. As to local remedies, they must not be of the stimu- 
 lating kind, which will suit the thrush from decomposition, or that 
 presently to be described. The foot should be placed in a bran poultice, 
 and kept in it for some days, till the united action of the local and 
 general treatment have reduced the inflammation. After a few days it 
 will be well to dress the frog with tar ointment, or the poultice will do 
 more harm than good, by causing the decomposition of its horny covering, 
 and indeed it is seldom that this wet application should be employed for 
 more than a week. After this time has elapsed, all the good to be 
 derived from it has been accomplished, and the subsequent treatment 
 may generally be effected by attention to the health, and dressing the 
 frog with tar ointment. Sometimes it may be necessary to employ a 
 slight stimulus, and then the solution of chloride of zinc will be found 
 to be the best. 
 
 The third kind of thrush occurs in contracted feet, and is due to the 
 same cause, namely, chronic inflammation of the sensible frog, produced 
 by overwork, aided in many cases by neglect in shoeing. There is a 
 tendency to the secretion of unsound horn over the whole foot, sometimes 
 too thick and hard, and at others of a cellular structure, without sufficient 
 strength to bear the pressure of the road. The horny frog generally looks 
 shrunken and withered, and in its cleft there is a foul discharge, on wiping 
 which out a soft spongy matter may be seen at the bottom, which is the 
 sensible frog itself, but in a diseased condition. In bad cases, the sides 
 of the horny frog have separated, and even the toe is sometimes deficient 
 of its covering ; bat generally the horn has only disappeared in patches, 
 and there are ragged portions remaining. The disease here is of too 
 chronic a nature to be easily cured, and if there is much disorganization 
 of the laminae it will be almost impossible to effect a perfect cure. The 
 first thing to be done is to clear away all the ragged portions of horn, so 
 as to be able to reach the sensible frog. Some tow is then to be smeared 
 with the following ointment : — 
 
 Take of Ointment of Nitrate of Mercury 1 drachm. 
 
 Zinc Ointment 1 oz. 
 
 Creosote 4 drops. Mix. 
 
 and pressed into the cleft of the frog, where it can best be retained by a 
 bar shoe lightly tacked on, and in this case taking its bearing on the heels 
 and not on the frog. Sometimes a wash answers better than a greasy 
 application, and then a strong solution of the chloride of zinc may be 
 employed, about six grains to the ounce of water. Tow dipped in this 
 may be applied in the same way as with the ointment, and either one or 
 the other should be re-applied every day. As the new horn grows, it 
 must be kept supple by tar ointment, and until it is fully developed the 
 bar shoe should be kept on, applying some degree of pressure by means 
 of the tow, which should be stuffed in so as to compress the frog, begin- 
 ning with very light pressure, and, as the horn increases in substance, 
 augmenting it in proportion. By attention to these directions a thrush 
 of this kind may be cured, if the foot is not damaged throughout, and 
 even the frog may be restored to a comparative state of health. 
 
LAMINITIS. 
 
 539 
 
 CANKER 
 
 Canker is generally an extension of tlie third form of thrush, the 
 ulceration spreading to the sensible sole, and afterwards to the coffin-bone 
 itself. At first the ulcerated surface is concealed by the old horn, but 
 gradually this breaks away, and then the extent of the mischief may be 
 seen. A part or the whole of the sole and the frog may be in a state of 
 ulceration, generally depending upon the time during which the disease 
 has been in existence, and the care which has been taken of it, or the 
 reverse. The only treatment to be adopted is the careful removal of every 
 loose piece of horn, so as to expose the unsound surface to the action of 
 remedies, and at the same time to avoid poisoning it by the decomposing 
 horn, which has a most irritating effect. The sulphate of copper, and 
 chloride of zinc, are the best applications, and they must be used in full 
 strength. These cases, however, require an experienced eye to enable the 
 prescriber to judge of the proper amount of caustic required ; and beyond 
 suggesting the kind of remedy required, no good can be done by written 
 prescriptions. If it is impossible to obtain the advice of a veterinarian, it 
 will be better to begin by using a mild caustic, and then increase the 
 strength as it is found to be wanted. Pitch ointment forms the best greasy 
 application to the adjacent sound surfaces to protect them from the irrita- 
 tion of the discharge. 
 
 LAMINITIS. 
 
 [Founder or Fever of the Feet.) 
 
 The term laminitis is now familiar with every one at all accustomed 
 to horses, though it has not long been introduced into the vocabulary of 
 the professional man. The disease, however, has been recognised for 
 many years under the terms “founder” and “fever of the feet.” It 
 consists in an inflammation (which may be acute or chronic) of the 
 parts between the crust or wall and the pedal bone, including the 
 laminae, whence the name by which it is now distinguished. These 
 parts are supplied with a profusion of blood-vessels (see page 451), 
 and when inflammation is set up in them, the progress which it makes 
 is rapid, and the constitutional disturbance is unusually great, owing 
 probably to the want of space for the swelling which accompanies all 
 inflammations, and especially of vascular substances. The causes are 
 either, 1st. Localization of fever, whence the name “ fever in the feet.” 
 2d. The mechanical irritation of hard roads upon feet not accustomed 
 to them ; and 3d. Long confinement in a standing position on board 
 ship. When it is recollected that in our system of shoeing, the laminae 
 are made to support the whole weight of the body in consequence 
 of the shoe being in contact with the crust only, it can only occasion 
 surprise that this disease is not more frequent. Nature framed the horse's 
 foot so that an elastic pad should interpose between its back parto and 
 the ground, intending that the edge of the crust should take its share, 
 but not all of the weight. The laminae are therefore called upon to do 
 far more than their structure is designed for, and when there is the 
 slightest weakness or tendency to inflammation, they are sure to suffer. 
 Acute laminitis is not very often met with, because horsemen are aware 
 of the risks they run, and take their measures accordingly; but the 
 chronic form is common enough, and hundreds of horses are more or less 
 
540 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 lame from this cause. Too often it is not suspected until irreparable 
 mischief is done, the elasticity of the laminae being destroyed, and the 
 foot having assumed a shape which utterly unfits it for bearing the 
 pressure of the shoe upon hard roads. When the disease has been going 
 on for a long time, the elastic substances between the laminae and the 
 pedal bone, as well as the fine horny lamellae between them and the crust, 
 lose the property of extension, and the horn of the crust is secreted by 
 nature of a more spongy character, and much thicker in substance, than 
 in health. On making a section of such a foot, the arrangement of parts 
 will be such as is here delineated in fig. 1, in which 1 is the os suffraginis, 
 2 , the os coronae, and 3, the pedal bone, with its anterior surface separated 
 from that of the crust (7) by a wide space occupied by spongy matter. 
 Here the toe of the pedal bone projects into the sole and renders it 
 convex, instead of being concave, and corresponding with the lower 
 surface of the pedal bone 
 
 The laminae and elastic sub- 
 stances between them and their 
 contiguous structures no longer 
 suspend the pedal bone to the 
 crust, but the weight falls partly 
 upon the sole by means of the 
 toe of the pedal bone, and partly 
 on the frog, which descends so 
 low that in spite of the thickness 
 of the shoe it touches the ground. 
 This descent of the frog is a very 
 marked feature in laminitis, and 
 whenever it is apparent that 
 disease may be suspected. 
 
 But to produce such a 
 
 MARKED ALTERATION OP FORM as 
 
 Fia 1. Section of^the^Foot in Confirmed ig here delineated and described 
 
 i. os suffraginis. takes a long time, and even 
 
 3. Pedal bone. then it is only in a few cases 
 
 6 Frog CUlar ^ one * that the disease reaches to this 
 
 6 . Soil* stage. It will, therefore, be 
 
 7. Wail or crust greatly thickened. necessary to trace its progress 
 
 from the commencement, and the effects which are exhibited as it 
 goes on. 
 
 When acute laminitis sets in, there is a considerable amount of 
 fever, indicated by a rapid pulse, usually full and hard, and hurried re- 
 spiration. There is a general look of restlessness from pain, the horse 
 stamping gently with his feet, and constantly lying down and then 
 getting up again. When, as usually happens, the fore feet only are 
 affected, the hind feet are brought under the body to bear as much weight 
 as possible, and the fore feet are so carried forwards that the heels support 
 the legs rather than the toes. On examining the feet, there is great 
 reluctance to allow one to be picked up, on account of the necessity 
 which is thrown upon the other of taking the whole weight of the fore 
 quarter. The coronet and hoof feel very hot, and, when wetted, may be 
 seen to steam very perceptibly. If this state of things is not speedily 
 stopped, the laminae cease to secrete horn, and the connexion between 
 them and the hoof ceases, causing the latter to separate, and the sensible 
 parts to be exposed, covered with a thin scaly horn. This has happened 
 
LAMINITIS. 
 
 641 
 
 in many cases which have afterwards secreted new hoofs ; but the horn is 
 not so strong and useful as before, and a horse with such feet is not fit for 
 hard work on the road. If proper treatment is adopted, the inflammation 
 either subsides entirely, leaving no mischief behind it, or there is a 
 chronic inflammation left which induces the alterations of structure which 
 have been alluded to. The treatment should be by first removing the 
 shoes, and then, after paring down the sole so as to allow of the expansion 
 of the sensible parts, a large quantity of blood is taken from the toe, 
 making sure that a vessel of sufficient size is opened to produce a strong 
 shock on the heart and arteries, as well as to relieve the local affection. 
 If the blood does not flow freely, the foot may be placed in a pail of warm 
 water, but when the operation is properly performed (see Chap. XXXII.) 
 there is never any difficulty in obtaining any quantity of blood which may 
 be required. Next tack the shoes on lightly again, and then give a smart 
 dose of physic, or else, what is perhaps a better plan, give the following : — 
 
 Take of Barbadoes Aloes 
 
 Tartar Emetic, of each 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Digitalis | drachm. 
 
 Syrup enough to form a ball, 
 
 which should be given every six hours, until the bowels act, when the 
 other materials may be continued without the aloes* The feet should be 
 kept constantly wet and cool by tying a piece of felt or flannel around each 
 pastern, and allowing it to fall over the hoof, when it is to be continually 
 wetted. If the inflammation is not abated next day, the bleeding may 
 be repeated, and it will be well also to act on the kidneys by adding two 
 or three drachms of nitre to the tartar emetic and digitalis. 
 
 Chronic laminitis is generally first shown by a slight soreness or 
 lameness, generally appearing in both fore feet, and, therefore, being often 
 overlooked by casual observers. In coming in from work the coronets 
 feel warmer than natural ; but this goes off during the night, and, for a 
 time, no great fears are entertained of the feet recovering their former con- 
 dition, the blame being, perhaps, laid upon the shoe. In a month or two, how- 
 ever, the smith (who has, perhaps, been ordered to take off the shoes two or 
 three times, by which the injury is increased) finds that his nails do not hold, 
 and the quarters break away ; while the action of the horse becomes more 
 shambling every day, and he cannot make a sound trot on any hard road, 
 especially with a weight on his back . In many cases a horse with chronic 
 laminitis can run in hand sound enough for an ordinary observer ; but 
 when the extra weight of a rider is placed on him the feet cannot bear 
 the pain, and the gait is shambling in the extreme. Such animals have 
 a strong propensity to save their toes, and prefer (if their shoulders will 
 allow it) bringing their heels to the ground first, so that, although their 
 action is excessively low and shambling, they seldom fall. An experienced 
 horseman at once detects this peculiar style of going, and condemns its 
 possessor for laminitis. Indeed, it may be assumed as a rule, that where- 
 ever the heel is put carefully down upon the ground with low action , the 
 foot is the subject of laminitis to some extent. When the heel is naturally 
 brought to the ground first, the knee is well bent, and the foot is raised 
 high in the air ; but in process of time work tells on it, the laminae become 
 inflamed, and then the action is reduced in height, and the feet are moved 
 in the manner peculiar to foundered horses, including those which beforo 
 they were foundered perhaps exhibited “toe action/’ or, at all events, 
 a level fall of the foot. This state of disease ought to be well studied, and 
 
542 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 compared with the remarks on sound action at page 124 et seq ., which it 
 will serve to illustrate and explain. The foot itself is changed in form, 
 and the toe and sole have more or less altered their relations, as explained 
 already. Sometimes there is a large space or cavity between the outer 
 surface and the inner, shown at 7, fig. 1, page 540. This hollow in the 
 crust is more or less cellular, and the disease is called a “ seedy toe/' but for 
 what reason I am at a loss to know. The sole, moreover, is always either 
 flatter than natural or absolutely convex, and its horn is brittle and 
 spongy, constituting what is termed the “ pumiced foot.” The frog is 
 generally large and spongy; and on placing a straight-edge across the 
 shoe, from heel to heel, it is found to touch that part, or nearly so, indi- 
 cating that the relations between it and the crust, as well as the sole, are 
 altogether changed from a natural state. The laminae are no longer slings 
 for the foot, but the whole pressure is taken by the parts lying beneath 
 the pedal or coffin hone and the navicular hone. Such being the symptoms , 
 the next thing is to consider what can be done 'l If the disease is of long 
 standing, little hope can be given of a perfect recovery. The shape of the 
 external parts may be partially restored, but the internal delicate structures 
 no longer have the power of performing their offices ; and the elastic action 
 of the horse suffering from the effects of laminitis can seldom be restored on 
 hard ground. After proper treatment he may, and generally does, go on 
 turf well; but either on hard ground or on plough (on the latter of 
 which, though soft enough for the lamime, the sole has to bear con- 
 siderable pressure) he is dreadfully sore and lame. This is shown after 
 all inflammation has ceased, the foot being as cool as possible, and some- 
 times exhibiting very slight evidences of previous mischief. In treating 
 such cases, if there is no heat or other sign of inflammation, bleeding and 
 similar lowering measures will be of no avail. They may be required soon 
 enough, it is true, for a foundered foot is always in danger of inflammation 
 when battered ; but until symptoms of this kind of mischief are exhibited 
 it is better to avoid all depletory measures. At the same time, everything 
 which will tend to keep off increased action should be avoided ; the horse 
 should be fed on the least heating food which will serve the purpose for 
 which he is intended, and his stable should be kept as cool as possible. 
 Beans ought never to be allowed to the possessor of feet with the slightest 
 suspicion of founder; and no more oats should be used than are necessary 
 for the condition required. For horses at slow work, bran mashes and 
 nitre, with small doses occasionally of physic, will serve to keep down the 
 tendency to inflammation, and by their use, joined to cold applications after 
 work (they are of no use at other times), and a cool stable, the horse may 
 be enabled to do moderately fast work. If the frog is not very prominent, 
 a leather sole, put on in the usual way, will save the jar, and in some 
 measure supply the place of the natural elastic tissue, destroyed in this 
 disease. Usually, however, it only adds to the mischief by increasing the 
 pressure on the frog, and then the leather must be introduced between the 
 foot and the shoe, but cut to the same shape as the latter, so as not at all 
 to bear on the frog. Many horses with slight traces of laminitis can work 
 for years with leather applied in this way, and it may be said to be the 
 most useful mode of treating this disease when exhibited in a mild form. 
 Sometimes by throwing a horse by for six months, taking off his shoes, 
 and blistering his coronets two or three times, a great deal of good may 
 be done, but he must be put to stand on tan or sawdust during the whole 
 time, and never allowed to go on hard ground, even for half a mile at a 
 walking pace. By this plan, and by very careful and gradual increase of 
 
THE SEEDY TOE. 
 
 543 
 
 exercise at the end of that time, 1 have succeeded in restoring an elastic 
 condition of the foot ; but I ha vc never known one so patched up bear 
 hard work, and I should never advise the riyk incurred by submitting 
 him to it. Hunting and racing, or, indeed, any kind of work on soft 
 ground will do no harm ; but battering on the roads, especially without 
 leather, applied as above described, is sure to bring back the inflammation. 
 
 THE SEEDY TOE. 
 
 This term is so generally employed among horsemen, that though the 
 state which it describes is one of the ordinary consequences of laminitis, 
 I prefer to give it a distinct section. I have already described its nature 
 in the preceding page, and have only now to allude to its treatment . This 
 may generally be so conducted as to restore the shape of the foot, if the 
 inflammation has not lowered the toe of the pedal bone, as shown at 
 fig. 1 ; for if this has taken place, although it is perhaps possible to get rid 
 of the cavities in the horn, the relative positions of the bony parts cannot 
 be changed. When, however, as is often the case, a moderately small 
 hollow has been formed between the layers of the wall, and the foot 
 retains a tolerably healthy shape, by cutting away all the external horny 
 walls, exposing the parts in contact with the laminae, and resting the 
 horse in a loose box, the secreting surface will form a new wall, without 
 any spongy texture, in the course of three or four months, if the coronary 
 band is constantly stimulated by external applications. To effect this, the 
 horse should be put to stand on red deal sawdust, without shoes ; and his 
 coronets, after being gently stimulated by a mild liquid blister, should be 
 kept dressed with tar ointment, which should also be applied to the 
 exterior of the horn. It is seldom, however, that a foot which has been 
 thus treated is sufficiently sound to bear hard work. 
 
 CONTRACTION OE THE EOOT. 
 
 This reputed disease has been long the bugbear of the horsemaster ; 
 but it is now discovered to be a complete mistake. Some of the most 
 contracted feet in point of width are particularly free from all risk of 
 disease, and on the other hand many open ones are as liable to it. The 
 donkey, whose heels are shaped exactly like those of the contracted horse's 
 foot, is so seldom lame, that few can recall having seen one in that condi- 
 tion, and, therefore, reasoning from analogy, one would be led to doubt 
 that this shape renders the horse prone to lameness. At the same time it 
 is quite true that in the disease which will next be investigated, the frog 
 withers and contracts, and the heels are thereby drawn in ; but here the 
 contraction is a consequence and not a cause of disease, and certainly 
 cannot be considered as a disease in itself. Bad shoeing will do much to 
 cause either laminitis or navicular disease, and it will certainly produce 
 corns and inverted heels, but it will not waste the frog, or induce that 
 condition of the foot where the sole is arched so high that the frog does 
 not touch the ground when the shoe is off. Such a state of things can 
 only be brought on either by thrush or navicular disease, and is never the 
 result of the mechanical mismanagement of the foot, to which what used 
 to be called contraction was generally attributed. All sorts of plans have 
 been suggested for expanding the heels and for allowing them to expand ; 
 but the real truth is that so long as the frog is sound and the parts above 
 it, allowing the proper amount of pressure to be communicated to the sole, 
 bars and heel of the crust, these latter divisions of the foot have no room 
 to contract, and of a certainty they never do. 
 
544 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 NAVICULAR. DISEASE. 
 
 This formidable disease, called also the navicular joint lameness , and 
 navicularthritis , is the chief danger to be apprehended from a good- 
 looking strong foot, just as the open flat one is prone to laminitis, and is 
 rarely subject to disease in the navicular joint. The reason of this 
 immunity on the one hand, and the contrary on the other, is this. The 
 open foot, with a large spongy frog, exposes the navicular bone and the 
 parts in contact with it to constant pressure in the stable, so that these 
 parts are always prepared for work. On the other hand, the concave sole 
 and well-formed frog are raised from the ground by our unfortunate mode 
 of shoeing, and when the whole foot is exposed to injury from battering, 
 and in addition the tendon which plays over the navicular bone presses it 
 against the os coronae, the unprepared state in which this part is allowed 
 to remain is sure to produce inflammation, if the work is carried far 
 enough. Thus in each case the weak part suffers, but occasionally, though 
 very rarely, the foot with an arched sole contracts laminitis, and the flat 
 one is attacked by navicular disease ; the exceptions, however, are so few 
 that they may be thrown out of the calculation, and from the shape of 
 the foot alone it may almost invariably be pronounced, when a horse is 
 known to be subject to chronic lameness, whether its seat is in the 
 laminae or in the navicular joint. 
 
 When a foot is examined after death which is known to have 
 been the subject of navicular disease, the parts implicated are invariably 
 either the navicular bone, or the soft parts in contact with it, or often all 
 together. Most frequently on dividing the tendon of the flexor perforans 
 and turning it down so as to expose the back of the joint between the 
 navicular and coronal bones, that part will be greatly thickened and in- 
 flamed, the tendon being often adherent to it. In the healthy condition 
 
 Fig. 2. — Ulceration of the Posterior Surface of the Navicular Bone. 
 
 1. Lower or plantar surface of pedal bone. 2. Small specks of exostosis. 
 
 3. Carious patch. 
 
 there ought to be no adhesion of the fibres of the tendon to any part of 
 the navicular bone but its postero-inferior edge, to which the tendon is 
 fixed by some few fibres, the bulk passing on to be inserted in the os 
 
NAVICULAR DISEASE. 
 
 545 
 
 pedis. The posterior face of the navicular bone should be beautifully 
 smooth, and lined by synovial membrane which forms a lubricating sac 
 for it to play upon, and thus take off the friction between the tendon and 
 the bone. Such is nature’s provision against mischief in this delicate 
 part of the machinery of the foot, which she keeps in order by the con- 
 stant supply of synovia or joint oil. But when the sac is not stimulated 
 to a healthy action by the pressure of the frog below it in doors and out, 
 synovia is no longer secreted in proper quantity, and as soon as the horse 
 is put to hard work inflammation takes place for want of it. The result 
 is some one of the consequences of inflamed joints. Either ulceration 
 takes place in the postero-inferior surface, where the tendon glides over it 
 as shown in fig. 2 (at 3), sometimes ending in caries of the bone itself ; cr 
 adhesion takes place without ulceration of the tendon with the surface of 
 the bone, or there are small exostoses thrown out, see fig. 2 (2), or lastly 
 t-here is simple inflammation without either adhesion or ulceration, and in 
 this stage the disease is amenable to treatment without leaving any trace 
 behind. 
 
 The symptoms of navicular disease are the same, whether the mischief 
 has extended to ulceration or not; but the history will guide us in ascer- 
 taining how far it has gone. Of course they vary in degree, for there 
 may be only a slight extent of ulceration, or a high degree of simple 
 inflammation; but in the former case the lameness will not be so marked 
 as in the latter, though the prospect of recovery will be much less. There 
 is always more or less lameness ; but, in consequence of its affecting both 
 feet, it is not so marked to the careless observer as in some much more 
 trivial cases where only one is diseased. The distinguishing sign, though 
 not absolutely infallible, is the pointing of the toe, and a peculiar round- 
 ing forward of the fetlock joint, so as to relieve the navicular bone 
 of any weight. In laminitis, the object of the sufferer is to relieve all 
 pressure as much as possible, by bringing the hind legs under the body, 
 and by bearing the weight of the fore quarter on the heels. Here, the 
 reverse of the latter attitude is observed — the heels are not allowed to take 
 any pressure, and the toes alone are placed at all firmly on the ground. 
 This is marked in the stable by the pointing of the toe (in each fool 
 alternately, if both are diseased, but in the one only, if they are not both 
 affected). Out of doors, the toes dig into the ground, the heel never 
 being brought firmly down, and frequent stumbles mark the difference 
 between this species of lameness and laminitis. The subject of navicular 
 disease generally walks sound ; but the moment he is trotted, he goes as 
 if his legs were tied together, his stride being shortened in a remarkable 
 manner, but without exhibiting the peculiar fumbling gait of the foun- 
 dered animal. As in his case, soft ground suits him, and he has no fear of 
 plough, because his sole is hard and unyielding. Many tolerably con- 
 firmed cases of navicular disease may, therefore, be hunted, except when 
 the ground is hard, supposing, of course, that they are kept off the road ; 
 but no plan of management will enable them to bear the jars incidental to 
 harness-work or hacking. When one foot only is the subject of navicular 
 disease, it often happens that it is smaller altogether than the other ; but 
 it is somewhat difficult to say whether this is a cause or a consequence of 
 inflammation. One thing is quite clear, that many horses are met with, 
 still perfectly free from lameness, in which there is a difference of size in 
 their fore feet; but whether or no these are afterwards invariably tho 
 subjects of navicular disease, it is almost impossible to ascertain. It is, 
 however, the general opinion, founded on experience, that when this 
 
 N N 
 
646 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 variation exists, navicular disease is extremely likely to attack the smaller 
 foot, if it is not already there ; and for this reason, horses with such feet 
 are generally avoided by the intending purchaser. 
 
 The treatment of navicular disease, as before remarked, is only successful 
 in the early stage, before either ulceration or adhesion has taken place. 
 If a horse with strong concave soles suddenly becomes lame, points his 
 toe, and shows other signs that his navicular bone is inflamed, he should 
 be treated in the usual way suited to inflammation, and at the same time 
 liberty should be given to the vascular tissues to expand, by reducing the 
 substance of the horn. Bleeding at the toe has the double good effect of 
 abstracting blood, and at the same time weakening the sole, so as to allow 
 of the expansion which is desired. The operation should, therefore, at 
 once be performed ; at the same time, the whole sole may be reduced in 
 thickness, and the heels lowered in proportion. The foot should then 
 (after the shoe is tacked on) be placed in a cold bran poultice, which will 
 soften the horn ; and the system should be reduced by the exhibition of 
 the medicines recommended under Laminitis, at page 541. Next day, if 
 the pulse continues high, more blood may be taken; but, in ordinary 
 cases, it is better at once to insert a seton in the frog (see Operations, 
 Chap. XXXII.), and trust to this for relieving the chronic inflammation 
 remaining, by its counter-irritation. But when the disease itself is mas- 
 tered, there is still a good deal to be done to prevent the injurious effects 
 which are so apt to follow. The horse contracts a habit of stepping on 
 his toes, to prevent hurting his navicular structures ; and hence the frog 
 is not used, the heels of the crust and the bars are not strained, and there 
 being no stimulus to the soft parts which secrete them, they waste and 
 contract in size. If the human hand is allowed to lie idle, the palm and 
 the insides of the fingers are covered with a delicate cuticle, which affords 
 so poor a protection to the cutis, that, on using it with any kind of hard 
 work, it actually separates, and leaves an exposed surface, which speedily 
 inflames. But by gradually exposing the same hand to pressure, a thick- 
 ened and tougher cuticle is secreted ; and this will bear any moderate 
 amount of pressure or friction without injury. Nevertheless, even the 
 hand so prepared must be continually stimulated by work, or the skin 
 returns to its original delicate state, and is then exposed to the same risk 
 of injury as before. So it is with the horse’s foot, even in a state of 
 health; but this is far more marked after an attack of disease. The 
 tendency then is to produce the natural horny growths of a smaller sub- 
 stance than before ; and if the secreting surfaces are not stimulated by 
 pressure, they become doubly idle, and the frog, as well as the adjacent 
 parts beneath the navicular bone, shows a wasted and shrivelled appear- 
 ance. To avoid the risk of these ill consequences, the horse should be 
 placed, for two or three hours daily, on a bed of wet clay, which will allow 
 the shoe to sink into it, but will yet be tenacious enough to make firm and 
 steady pressure on the frog, while its low temperature will keep down 
 inflammation. No plan is of so much service in producing what is called 
 expansion of the heels and growth of the frog as this ; not, as is com- 
 monly supposed, from the clay mechanically pressing the heels out, but 
 from the stimulus of its pressure causing the soft parts to secrete more 
 horn, and of a sounder quality than before. 
 
 Should these remedies fail in restoring the foot affected with navi- 
 cular disease to a healthy state, recourse can only be had to the operation 
 of neurotomy, which is perfectly efficacious in removing the lameness ; 
 and if there is no ulceration, and merely an adhesion of the tendon to the 
 
ACCIDENTS TO THE LEGS. 
 
 547 
 
 bone, it will, by causing the horse to step more on his heels, effect an 
 absolute improvement in the shape of the foot, and hence it has some- 
 times been considered to have produced a cure. Where, however, there is 
 caries of the bone, or even ulceration of the synovial membrane, the 
 disease progresses even faster than before the operation, and in process of 
 time the joint becomes mechanically unfit to perform its duties. 
 
 ACCIDENTS TO THE LEGS AND EEET. 
 
 These parts are subject to a variety of accidents, trifling perhaps in 
 the cause which produces them, but serious in their effects, from the 
 lameness which ensues. The chief of these are ordinary cutting, speedy 
 cutting, and pricks of the foot either from putting the sole down upon 
 a nail or a piece of glass, or driving a nail improperly in shoeing. Bruises 
 and over-reaches also come under this head. 
 
 Ordinary cutting may occur either before or behind, the latter being 
 the more common. It is often met with in poor horses, where the flesh 
 is so reduced in substance that the legs are brought nearer together than 
 in a proper condition. Here all that is required is patience, till the legs 
 are restored to their proper relative position, taking care in the meantime 
 that there is no permanent injury done. Usually the inside of one or 
 both feet strikes the fetlock joint of the other leg in passing it, but some- 
 times the blow is given higher up, and it may occur anywhere on the 
 cannon bone except just below the knee, when it is called “ speedy 
 cutting,” which will be separately considered. Sometimes this blow on 
 the side of the cannon bone is either the cause or the effect of a splint, 
 the blow of the foot having a tendency to produce exostosis (see Splints, 
 page 454). But if a splint is thrown out on a part of the cannon bone 
 which comes in the way of the natural action, the horse whose foot pre- 
 viously passed clear of that part of the other leg will hit it, and not only 
 give pain, but cause a considerable access of inflammation in the previous 
 enlargement. In the treatment , therefore, of cutting, it is necessary to 
 prevent the habit being continued from the swelling produced either by 
 a splint or by previous blows. A horse perhaps, either from weakness or 
 bad shoeing, hits his leg and produces considerable swelling and soreness. 
 Here, unless the swelling is reduced or protected, there is no chance of 
 preventing the cutting, because there is a projection of the swollen soft 
 parts right in the way of the other foot. No alteration of the shoeing, 
 and no increase of strength or flesh, will be of service until the inflam- 
 mation is reduced, and the sore, if any exists, is healed, and this can only 
 be done either by rest or by protecting the leg with a boot. The latter is 
 the better plan, and wherever a horse cuts it is, in my opinion, advisable 
 to let him wear a boot for some weeks, until the skin is quite sound again 
 and reduced to its proper thickness. A piece of an old rug folded round 
 the leg so as slightly to overlap, and then tied with a tape and turned 
 down over the fetlock joint, is quite sufficient to serve this temporary 
 purpose, and being soft it is well calculated to protect a swollen joint ; 
 but if it is worn for any length of time, the pressure of the tape and the 
 friction of the grit from the road wear away the hair, and cause an un- 
 sightly appearance, which is sometimes permanent. If, therefore, the 
 cutting is not rectified completely in the course of a month or six weeks, 
 a leather or india-rubber boot should be nicely adapted to the joint and 
 buckled round it, the flat surface of the strap not having so injurious an 
 effect as the tape of the cloth boot. When the cutting takes place above 
 
 N N 2 
 
548 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the joint, a pad must be adapted to its inside, and fastened round the 
 cannon hone by two or three buckles, according to the height at which 
 the injury takes place. 
 
 Such is the best mode of guarding against the injury done by cutting, 
 but we must also consider how it can be entirely prevented. In the first 
 place it should be carefully ascertained by what part of the foot or shoe 
 the blow is given. Most commonly it will be found, by chalking the 
 inside of the foot, that a small patch is rubbed clear of chalk, about half 
 an inch above the middle of the quarter, and corresponding with the hinder- 
 most nail hole, especially when four inside nails are used. When this 
 is the hitting point, if great care is taken to avoid driving in a nail there, 
 the tendency to cut can never be increased as it often is by a raised clench, 
 and at the same time the rasp may safely be used to reduce the thickness 
 of the hoof at least the eighth of an inch, or often much more. The crust 
 is usually here about three-eighths of an inch thick, and very often it is 
 so sound that it will bear to be rasped down till there is only one-eighth 
 left, 'provided it has not to bear the pressure of a nail near it, and that the 
 reduction is not carried up too near to the coronet. In the hind foot the 
 quarter is fully half an inch thick, and it therefore will bear reduction 
 better even than the fore foot. Sometimes the blow is given by the shoe 
 itself, which is fixed on so as to overlap the crust, and then the remedy is 
 simple enough, for this ought never to occur, and can easily be prevented 
 by any smith. But supposing, in spite of these precautions, the cutting 
 still continues after the horse is restored to his natural strength and flesh, 
 can anything be done by shoeing h In most cases this question may bd 
 answered in the affirmative, by the use of what is called a feather-edgeS 
 shoe, which will be described under the head of shoeing in Chap. XXXII. 
 By its aid the heels are both raised, not the inner one only (which is 
 entirely useless and even prejudicial, for then the ground surface of the 
 shoe is not a true plane), but both heels, the inner one being narrow, and 
 having no nail holes beyond the two near the toe, so that there is no 
 danger of the web projecting ; nor is there any nail hole required, with 
 the fear of a clench rising, or of the crust being weakened so as to pre- 
 vent its being thinned to a proper degree. By thus raising the heels (in 
 the hind foot especially), the fetlock is less bent, and as in horses that 
 cut there is almost always a tendency in their fetlock joints to bend in- 
 wards as well as backwards, this diminution of the angle will not only 
 straighten the leg in a forward direction, but will also increase the dis- 
 tance between the joints, which is the object to be desired. In the fore 
 foot the obliquity in this direction is not so frequent, and then the high 
 heel will be of no use ; indeed, it is only when the toes are much turned 
 out that this plan of shoeing the fore foot is ever successful. When 
 cutting occurs before, unless there is this turn out, it is better to put the 
 shoes on in a perfectly level manner, and trust to the reduction of the 
 thickness of the quarter, and the absence of the third nail. If, with 
 these precautions, the horse, when in good condition, still strikes his fore 
 legs, it will be better to put up with the constant use of a boot. Generally, 
 however, if the inflammation is first subdued, and the foot is shod in a 
 perfectly true and level manner, taking care to rasp away the particular 
 part which strikes the other leg, it will be found that the cutting is 
 avoided. 
 
 Speedy cutting is more dangerous than ordinary cutting, because the 
 pain given by the blow is generally more severe, and is often so great that 
 the horse falls as if he were shot. On examining the leg of a confirmed 
 
INJURIES TO THE FEET. 
 
 549 
 
 speedy cutter there is always apparent a small scab or bruise on the inside 
 of the cannon bone, immediately below the knee ; but in slight cases rest 
 may have been used to allow the skin to heal, and then no mark may 
 possibly be left. A careful examination will, however, generally detect a 
 small bare place, partially concealed by the growth of the adjacent hair. 
 In bad cases the periosteum is swollen, and there is a considerable 
 enlargement of the surface of the bone. In the management of slight 
 cases of this kind of cutting, the action should be examined while the 
 hoof is covered with chalk, and the latter should be treated in the same 
 way as already described. If, however, this fails, as it generally does in 
 this form of cutting, there is no remedy but to put on a regular speedy- 
 cut boot, in which there is a pad buclded on the inside of the leg, and 
 reaching from the knee to the fetlock. It must be of this length, because 
 otherwise it cannot be kept in its place, as the leg allows it to slip down 
 until it reaches the larger circumference presented by the joint. Where 
 there is pain and swelling, caused by the contusion, it must be treated in 
 the ordinary way, by the application of cold water and tincture of arnica, 
 a wine-glassful of the latter in two quarts of water. 
 
 Pricks in shoeing occur from the want of skill in the smith, who 
 drives the nail too near the laminae, and sometimes even absolutely wounds 
 them. It may be that the nail in its passage upwards is not within an 
 eighth of an inch of these delicate parts, and the horse may not have 
 flinched during the driving of it, but when he is put to work the nail 
 opposes a hard unyielding line to the soft parts, inflammation is established, 
 and possibly even matter is formed which may end in quittor. When, 
 on the day after shoeing, a horse which was previously sound goes lame; 
 and the foot is hot to the touch, it may generally be assumed that a nail 
 or nails have been driven too near to the quick, unless there is evidence 
 of laminitis from other causes. On tapping the crust with a hammer, 
 the horse will flinch at some particular spot, and there is the nail which 
 is in fault. Sometimes there is little inflammation as yet set up, but the 
 pressure of the nail is sufficient to cause lameness, and in either case the 
 shoe should be taken off. Then, if there is reason to suppose that matter 
 has formed, the opening from which the nail came out should be enlarged, 
 and the matter allowed to escape. If, however, the foot has been merely 
 “ bound,” it may be either left to nature, with a shoe lightly tacked on, 
 and a wet “ swab ” round the coronet, or it may be placed in a bran 
 poultice, which is the safest plan. 
 
 When a nail is picked up on the road, the prognosis will depend 
 upon the part which it has penetrated. If it has entered deeply into the 
 toe of the frog, the probability is that the navicular joint has been wounded, 
 or probably the tendon of the flexor at its insertion into the pedal bone, 
 either of which are very serious accidents. If the wound is further back, 
 there is less risk of permanent injury, as the bulbous heels or cushion of 
 the frog will bear a considerable amount of injury without permanent 
 mischief. In any case the treatment should consist in cutting away the 
 horn round the opening, so as to allow of a free escape of matter if in- 
 forms. At the same time inflammation should be kept under by cold 
 “ swabs ” to the coronet, or by putting the whole foot into a bran 
 poultice. 
 
 Over-reaches, when slight, may be treated by the application of 
 friar’s balsam, or tincture of arnica in full strength, which will have a 
 tendency to dry them up and prevent suppuration. If, however, the heel 
 is very much bruised, a poultice must be applied, but even then a little 
 
550 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 tincture of arnica should be sprinkled on it. When the bruise is so 
 severe that a slough or core conies away, the wound may be dressed with 
 a piece of lint, dipped in a solution of nitrate of silver, eight grains to 
 the ounce of distilled water, and over this a bran poultice. In most 
 cases, however, it is better to foment the part well, and then apply the 
 tincture of arnica neat. 
 
 A bruise on a thin sole will sometimes cause matter to form, in which 
 case the horn must be cut away, and the case treated as for quittor. 
 Before matter forms, the horn should be reduced, and the foot should be 
 placed in a cold bran poultice. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 CONSTITUTIONAL DISEASES. 
 
 FEVERS — ANASARCA — GLANDERS — FARCY, 
 
 PETERS. 
 
 The horse is very rarely subject to fever as a disease of itself, inde- 
 pendently of inflammation, under which head I have already described 
 .catarrhal fever, both of the simple kind and when epidemic, and known 
 as influenza. Indeed, all the important inflammations of the body are 
 attended with fever ; but in them the local affections are evidently more 
 serious than the general disturbance of the system, which we call by the 
 name of fever. By many veterinarians it is doubted whether fever ever 
 shows itself in the horse without inflammation ; but occasionally it may 
 be observed under the form of simple fever, presenting all the symptoms 
 which accompany ordinary inflammation, but without any such complica- 
 tion, and more rarely of the typhoid form, which now sometimes attends 
 influenza and other epidemics. 
 
 Simple fever shows itself by dulness and reluctance to move, a staring 
 coat, and cold legs and feet, with increased warmth of the body. The 
 pulse is quick, soft, and variable — breathing a little accelerated, but not 
 much — appetite entirely lost — bowels confined, and urine scanty. These 
 symptoms continue for two or three days, and then either go on into the 
 typhoid form, or they are complicated by inflammation in some organ of 
 the body. The treatment merely consists in giving a mild dose of physic, 
 followed by a febrifuge drink, such as the following : — 
 
 Take of Spirit of Nitrous Ether I oz. 
 
 Nitre , 3 to 5 drachms. 
 
 Tincture of Ginger 2 drachms. 
 
 Camphor Mixture 6 oz. 
 
 Mix, and give twice a day. 
 
 Typhoid fever sometimes appears as an epidemic, occurring either as a 
 sequel to influenza, or in its pure form, without any complication. The 
 latter condition is, however, extremely rare. In its early stage, it can 
 scarcely be recognised or distinguished from simple fever; but in the 
 course of two or three days the strength is so much reduced, the breath is 
 60 fetid, and the mouth is loaded with such a black discharge from the 
 
ANASARCA. 
 
 551 
 
 tongue and gums, that the nature of the disease is clearly manifested. 
 The pulse is very low, the languor increases, and there is often more or 
 less delirium. The course of the disease is extremely rapid, and in five or 
 six days a strong horse will sink beneath its powers, refusing food, and 
 dying without any attempt to rally. The treatment should be of the most 
 generous kind, as soon as the bowels have been gently moved, which 
 should be effected, if possible, by injection. Then give a ball two or three 
 times a day, composed thus : — 
 
 Take of Carbonate of Ammonia i to 1 dracbm. 
 
 Powdered Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Yellow Bark 3 drachms. 
 
 Syrup enough to make into a ball. 
 
 This should be washed down with a quart of ale caudle, and hay tea 
 should be allowed as the drink ad libitum; or, if there is diarrhoea, rice 
 water may be used in the same way. Few cases, however, will recover, 
 in spite of every exertion and careful treatment on the part of the 
 attendant. 
 
 ANASARCA. 
 
 Anasarca, or moor-ill, occurs chiefly among horses turned out in 
 marshes or low commons, and may readily be known by the general 
 swelling of the body, increasing by gravitation in the legs during the 
 standing posture, but showing itself chiefly in the lower side of the body 
 in the early morning, when the horse has been lying down all night. The 
 disease is now rare, but it occasionally appears under the circumstances 
 above described. The treatment must be by acting on the kidneys, the 
 following being a useful recipe for the purpose : — 
 
 Take of Nitre 4 drachms. 
 
 Powdered Resin 3 drachms. 
 
 Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Spirit of Nitrous Ether 1^ oz. 
 
 Warm Water 2 Pints. 
 
 JVIix and give as a drench every night. 
 
 GLANDERS. , 
 
 This frightful constitutional disease appears to consist in the 
 generation of some poisonous matter in the blood, which nature attempts 
 to throw off by establishing a discharge in the nostrils. It is perfectly 
 incurable, and therefore it is only necessary to study its symptoms , with a 
 view to distinguish it from ozena, with which alone it is liable to be con- 
 founded. Its chronic character and insidious onset will serve to dis- 
 tinguish it from catarrh and strangles. 
 
 At its commencement, it seems to be confined to the internal lining of 
 the nostrils, which is not reddened, as in chronic catarrh (ozena), but 
 presents a leaden or purple colour, sometimes of a deep shade, but at first 
 generally very light and pale. This is accompanied by a thin acrid dis- 
 charge, transparent, and without odour. Generally, one nostril only is 
 affected, which in this country is more frequently the left, and in France 
 the right; but why this should be so has never yet been even conjectured 
 with any appearance of probability. This state of things usually only 
 lasts for a few weeks, but it may go on for an indefinite time, and is 
 recognised as the first stage; during which the health does not suffer, and 
 the horse can, and often does, go on with his ordinary work. It may be 
 
552 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 distinguislied from ozena by tbe purple colour of tlie lining membrane, 
 and by tbe transparency and freedom from smell of tbe discharge. 
 
 In the second stage, tbe discharge increases in quantity, and though 
 still watery and transparent, it is slightly sticky, indicating the presence 
 of mucus. The lymphatic glands below the jaw enlarge, and become 
 adherent to the bone , feeling hard to the touch, and almost like exostosis. 
 Here the permanent character of the discharge and the adherence of the 
 glands to the bone are the diagnostic signs from ozena. 
 
 In the third stage, the discharge increases rapidly, and becomes yellow 
 and opaque — in fact, it is pure pus. If the nose is carefully examined, 
 its lining membrane will be seen to present one or more sores, with 
 depressed centres and ragged edges, and surrounded by small varicose 
 vessels leading to them from all directions. In proportion to the extent 
 of the local mischief, constitutional disturbance is displayed. The appetite 
 fails — the horse loses flesh and spirits — the coat is turned the wrong way 
 — the skin is hide-bound, and the legs fill slightly during the day, but go 
 down at night — the nose is, at last, frightfully ulcerated, the sores spread- 
 ing to the larynx — ulcers break out on the body — and the horse finally 
 dies, worn to a skeleton. 
 
 When the diagnosis of the disease is confirmed , as it is undoubtedly 
 highly contagious, both to other horses and to man himself, the patient 
 ought to be destroyed. By the use of green food, his life may be pro- 
 longed for a time, and a certain amount of work may be got out of him ; 
 but the risk of contagion is too great to be incurred, and no man who 
 regards his own welfare, and that of his neighbours, should keep a 
 glandered horse. 
 
 FARCY. 
 
 This disease appears to depend upon the development of the same 
 poison as in glanders; but the attempt at elimination is made in the skin, 
 instead of the mucous membrane lining the nose. A horse inoculated 
 with glanders may exhibit farcy, and vice versa ; so that the essence of 
 the disease is the same, but its seat is a different tissue. 
 
 Farcy usually shows itself first by one or tw( small hard knots in the 
 skin, called “ farcy buds.” These soon soften, and contain a small quan- 
 tity of pus ; but as this is rapidly absorbed, the lymphatics which convey 
 it into the circulation inflame ; and at a short distance another bud is 
 formed, and then another, and another. These buds are usually met with 
 in the thin skin covering the inside of the thighs and arms, or the neck 
 and lips. They vary from the size of a shilling to that of a half-crown ; 
 and as they increase in numbers, the skin becomes cedematous. In pro- 
 cess of time, the general system suffers, as in glanders, and the horse dies, 
 a miserable, worn-out object. FTo treatment can be relied on to cure the 
 disease ; and as it is equally contagious with glanders, every farcied horse 
 ought at once to be destroyed. The hard nature of the buds, and the 
 thickened lymphatics extending like cords between, clearly make known 
 the nature of the disease. 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 553 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXII. 
 
 OPERATIONS. 
 
 SHOEING— ADMINISTRATION OF CHLOROFORM— METHODS OF CONFINING THE HORSE- 
 BLEEDING — FIRING — SETONS AND ROWELS— BLISTERING— CASTRATION— DOCKING AND 
 NICKING — UNNERVING — REDUCTION OF HERNIA — ADMINISTRATION OF PHYSIC- 
 CLYSTERS— BACK-RAKING. 
 
 SHOEING. 
 
 Before proceeding to describe the various methods adopted in shoeing 
 the horse, it will he well to consider whether it is necessary to protect 
 his feet in this way at all. This has been doubted by many, and an 
 attempt has recently been made by Lieutenant Perry to prove that 
 even in this country a horse can work on our roads unshod. His opinion, 
 and that of the few who coincide with him, is that if the foot is gra- 
 dually accustomed to the friction of the road, it will secrete a stronger 
 horn, and throw it out more rapidly, so that it will bear the enormous 
 wear and tear which its use on our macadamized road entails upon 
 this organ. This argument is supported by numberless instances abroad, 
 in which horses are used without shoes; but it does not follow that 
 because they will bear the friction and blows incidental to one kind of 
 surface, a different one will not lame them. Every experiment which has 
 been made in this country of working horses unshod has turned out a 
 failure, and in Lieutenant Perry’s case the mare on which he tried the 
 plan became so sore that his commanding officer interposed to prevent 
 a further continuance of the trial. It can only therefore be considered 
 conclusive by those who are willing to take the opinion of a colonel of 
 Engineers as opposed to a subaltern officer — which is the position in 
 which this single experiment stands. Every horseman knows that with- 
 out a gradual seasoning there is no doubt about the foot being too weak 
 to stand the wear of the road, and therefore unless the trial is made under 
 every advantage it goes for nothing ; and the mere fact that a horse, after 
 losing a shoe, can hardly be taken home without breaking his foot, proves 
 nothing, because it may be alleged that the same animal, if left unshod, 
 would in course of time secrete a horn so tough and hard that it would be 
 capable of bearing any amount of friction. Judging from those cases in 
 which I have seen the plan partially tried, that is, with tips instead of full 
 shoes, I believe that it is impossible to make it succeed with high-actioned 
 horses on our roads during the summer season, for even with that protec- 
 tion the heels and frogs become very thin, and I am satisfied that the 
 toes, if unprotected, would wear or break away to the quick in a very short 
 time. Whether it is possible to work any horse, possessing an average foot, 
 with tips only on our roads, I am by no means prepared to say, but that 
 some horses can do so I know from positive experience. The heels wear 
 thin, but do not become bruised, and the horny matter of the frog is 
 renewed as fast as it is required. Undoubtedly the toes when unshod are 
 much more exposed to injury than the heels, especially in those horses 
 whose action is inclined to make that part touch the ground first, for 
 there is a tendency to break as well as wear away. It is also an admitted 
 
554 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 fact, that many thousands of horses are annually lamed by our present 
 system, and therefore I should much like the system of shoeing with tips 
 tried on a large scale. The question is, whether those horses who bring 
 their heels down first would be able to bear the bruising of the frog which 
 this action causes ; and if not, it would always be a doubtful point, which 
 must be left to the discretion of the smith, whether every individual 
 horse should be shod in one way or the other. Unless therefore tips 
 could be used in a vast majority of cases, I do not expect much good 
 from their introduction. 
 
 The anatomy of the foot has been described at page 448 et seq. and 
 it is therefore unnecessary to return to it again. It will, however, be 
 desirable, in describing the proper mode of preparing the foot for the 
 shoe, to recapitulate the several parts which the smith has to work upon. 
 These are delineated in fig. 1, of the proper form and proportions. In 
 effecting this, the old shoe (excepting of course unshod colts) must first 
 be taken off, to do which the clenches must be raised with the tool 
 called the buffer, loosening any nails which may appear tight by driving 
 them back with the punch. Then taking hold of one web of the shoe, 
 raise it from its bed by lifting one side bodily and then the other, taking 
 care not to draw it off completely on one side, or the crust will be broken. 
 If ext rasp the whole surface of the crust to a level, which will expose 
 
 Fio. i. — A. sound Fore-foot prepared for the Shoe. 
 
 A. The heel of the crust. E. E. The angles between the heel and bars, 
 
 B The toe cut out to receive the clip. where corns appear. 
 
 C C The quarters of the crust. F. F. The concave surface of the toe. 
 
 d! D. The bars as they should be left with the G. G. The bulbous heels, 
 full frog between them. H. The cleft. 
 
 any stubs remaining, and if there are any they must be taken out. All 
 this is a mere mechanical operation, requiring no thought; but now comes 
 the important part of the smith’s work. He must decide how far he 
 shall remove the horn which has grown since the last shoeing, and this 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 555 
 
 demands some knowledge of the anatomy of the foot and also of its 
 diseases. He must remember that he has only about half an inch of horn 
 at the thickest part between his knife and the sensitive internal parts ; 
 and though he can generally make a foot look well by the use of his tools, 
 he often only does this at the expense of the destruction of a part which 
 alone keeps the foot sound. Much will depend upon the natural or 
 acquired formation of the foot he has to shoe. If it is very strongly 
 covered with horn, great liberties may be taken with it, as compared with 
 one where the sole is flat and thin, and the crust very shelly and weak. 
 Generally he will only have to take an equal proportion off from the 
 whole concave surface of the sole, that is, supposing the foot was properly 
 prepared the last time it was shod; but sometimes it will have been 
 allowed to grow greatly out of shape, and then much experience and skill 
 are required to know how far to go with the knife. A perfect model 
 must not always be carried in the eye, with a view to render the one 
 before the smith exactly like it, but he must rather consider how he can 
 make the best of the materials he has to work upon, which will generally 
 be by preserving horn rather than by removing it. If the foot is strong, 
 the toe may be slightly shortened, the heels of the crust and the bars may 
 be lowered a little, and then the sole may be pared out so as to present a 
 concavity downwards, avoiding too free a use of the knife. The frog will 
 only want to be cleared of any ragged portions depending from it, and 
 the attachment of the bars to the crust must studiously be preserved. It is 
 usual to clear out the sole in the angular interval between the bar and the 
 crust, so as to avoid all risk of the shoe pressing upon the foot and causing 
 a corn ; but if care is taken to prevent the shoe from being twisted side- 
 ways, this can never happen, and the sole may be left here on a level with 
 the bar, unless it has previously been the seat of a corn. 
 
 Such are the general directions for preparing the healthy foot for 
 the ordinary English shoe ; but supposing that there is any disease or 
 tendency to it, or that some unusual form of shoe is decided on, there 
 will be a necessity for certain modifications in the plan adopted. It will, 
 therefore, be desirable in this place to examine into the various kinds of 
 fore shoes at the option of the smith, which may be comprised under — 
 1st. The common English shoe ; 2d. The French shoe ; 3d. Mr. Goodwin’s 
 improved shoe ; 4th. Bracy Clark’s hinged shoe ; 5th. Turner’s unilateral 
 shoe; 6th. The half-moon shoe; 7th. The tip ; 8th. The plate or racing 
 shoe; 9th. The bar shoe; 10th. The patten. The hind shoe will be 
 subsequently examined. 
 
 1. The common English shoe for general purposes is represented in 
 the annexed engraving, which shows both its surfaces. It is often made 
 wider at the heels than the foot it is intended for, but this is a great 
 mistake, and leads to the very mischief which it is intended to avoid. 
 On examining the foot represented at page 554 it will be seen that at the 
 back part of the crust on each side there is a considerable narrowing, or 
 approach of the one heel to the other. This should be exactly copied, so 
 that when the shoe is fitted neither heel will project a hair’s breadth 
 beyond the other. The web will vary in breadth according to the nature 
 of the sole which it has to protect, being made broader for a thin, weak 
 sole, than for a strong one. On the internal or foot surface, the inner 
 half or rather more is forged in a concave shape, so as to make the inner 
 edge much thinner than the outer. This is called the concave seat, and 
 is intended to keep all pressure off the sole, and to prevent the ordinary 
 sized pieces of grit and gravel which insinuate themselves between the 
 
566 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 shoe and the foot from injuring the latter by their presence. The web of 
 this shoe is perfectly flat on the ground surface, and is of the same thick- 
 
 Fio. 2. — Concave-seated English Shoe for Off Fore Foot, showing both Surfaces. 
 
 A. Clip at toe. C. C. Level bearing for heel of crust and bar to 
 
 B. Concave surface to lighten the shoe, and rest upon. 
 
 Keep off pressure from the sole. D. D. Fullering for nail heads. 
 
 E. E. Flat web, ground side. 
 
 ness throughout. Near its outer edge a groove is punched, with a tool 
 called a “ fuller,” and in most shoes the fullering is carried all the way to 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 557 
 
 the heel, but for what purpose the shoe is thus weakened, I am at a loss 
 to know. It has not the slightest effect in preventing slipping, because 
 it is not wide enough to present a rough edge to the ground, and therefore 
 it only weakens the iron without any counterbalancing advantage. Its 
 use is to hold the nail heads, so that they do not wear away and lose their 
 shoulders, by which alone they keep the shoe on. The fullering, in my 
 opinion, should merely extend far enough to contain the number of holes 
 required, which are punched in it after the shoe is otherwise completed. 
 According to the thickness of the crust in each foot should be the distance 
 of the fullering from the outer edge, the inner side of the groove corre- 
 sponding exactly with the inner edge of the crust. This will allow of the 
 nails taking firm hold of the horn without being driven in a parallel line 
 with the fibres of which it is composed. If this is not avoided there is 
 always a risk of their pricking the laminae, or passing so close to these parts 
 as to endanger them by causing undue pressure. Mr. Miles, who has written 
 a most practical treatise on Shoeing, at the instance of the Boyal Agri- 
 cultural Society, is of opinion that five nails only are required to keep any 
 shoe firmly on, but this is contrary to the experience of most practical men, 
 who find that with less than three nails on the inside and four on the out 
 the shoe is very liable to come off. Mr. Miles recommends two nails on the 
 inside and three on the out, but though fewer m number they are wider apart 
 than usual, and they are carried quite as far back as they need be when two 
 additional nails are employed. There has been a great outcry made lately 
 against the confinement of the foot by fixing the inside heel of the crust 
 to the shoe, and Mr. Turner has insisted upon avoiding this, by driving 
 all the nails into the outside crust, and none whatever into the inside. 
 Here I think a great mistake has been committed, for if the foot alters 
 its shape in reference to its shoe, that is to say, if the heels expand, 
 since the outer one is entirely confined in its place, it cannot move, and all 
 the friction is thrown upon the inside heel, whereby harm instead of good 
 is done, as it is more readily brought inwards than driven out. I much 
 prefer, therefore, using seven nails instead of five, but keeping all the 
 nails nearer the toe, as shown in fig. 2. This number of nails, properly 
 driven, will keep any shoe on, if it is not too long at the heels for the 
 foot, and if it is not allowed to overlap it. When the crust is very thin, 
 and will not admit of a firm hold being taken by the nails, the holes 
 must of course be punched further back on the outside ; but with a sound 
 foot and unbroken crust, the position of the nails shown in fig. 2 is the 
 best for preserving the foot in a sound state. The toe of the shoe should be 
 turned up into a clip, which, however, need not be large enough to inter- 
 fere with the nail holes there. It is a great mistake to cut away all the horn 
 from the toe in the attempt to make the foot look well, and if this is not 
 done there is ample room for the nails behind the outer edges of the clip. 
 
 The shoe recommended by Mr. Spooner in his well-known and 
 admirable work on “ The Foot of the Horse,” is described by that gentle- 
 man as follows : “ It is then a seated shoe, with the flat part rather 
 wider than common. The web of the shoe, for a moderate-sized horse 
 used on the road, is about an inch in width, but varying according to 
 circumstances, and being narrower at the heels, where the upper wearing 
 surface is very slightly bevelled outwards, than at the other parts : the 
 ground part flat, sometimes fullered and sometimes stamped ; but when 
 the former plan is adopted the fuller is not deep, or too near the edge, 
 but somewhat wider than common. Three holes merely are stamped on tho 
 inside toe, and five on the outside toe and quarters, with a clip at the toe 
 
558 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 and another at the outer quarter. In light horses one, two, or three nails 
 can he dispensed with. Sometimes, instead of a clip at the toe, the shoe 
 is turned up in the French fashion, as recommended by Mr. Goodwin ; 
 this plan is very advantageous when horses are in the habit of hitting 
 the toe and tripping, or wearing it in undue proportion. In contracted 
 feet the application of this shoe has materially enlarged the foot, quite as 
 much as it is desirable to do ; indeed, I believe if it were applied early, 
 contracted feet would be altogether avoided. It is also calculated in great 
 measure to prevent corns, from bearing so easy on the inside heel.” 
 
 These are admirable directions, with the exception of the clip on the 
 outside, which I strongly object to as destroying so much of the crust for 
 no useful purpose. I much prefer them to those of Mr. Miles, who has 
 taken credit for more than he really deserves, as the originator of the 
 present fashion for a small number of nails. If his drawings of shoes 
 are examined, it will be seen that though his nail holes are few in number 
 the outside nails are carried nearer the heels than usual, and the hindmost 
 inside nail is quite as far back as the third nail as driven by most good 
 smiths. Mr. Spooner’s plan of filing the heels, with a slight inclination 
 outwards, is excellent, as it has a tendency to prevent the heel of the 
 crust from curling inwards, and may possibly cause it to expand slightly 
 in the contrary direction. I confess, however, that I cannot see what 
 there 'is in his shoe to make “the bearing so easy on the inside heel.” 
 On the contrary, the bevelling outwards of the heel of the shoe has a 
 tendency to cause an increase of pressure on the seat of corn, rather than 
 to relieve it. My own opinion is that it does neither the one nor the other, 
 unless the shoe is twisted bodily outwards. 
 
 - The shoe used in hunting is made of a different shape as regards the 
 seating, being only slightly relieved with the file at this part, so as to 
 avoid any approach to convexity, and hollowed on the outside, in a manner 
 similar to the form adopted in the inside of the ordinary shoe ; thus — 
 
 Fig. 5 —Hunting shoe for Off Fore Foot, concave on the Ground Side, 
 a. Concavity made to give foothold, and lighten the shoe. 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 559 
 
 This is intended to give a firmer foothold of the ground than the smooth, 
 web of the common shoe will allow of, and answers that purpose most 
 effectually. In other respects, the hunting shoe is made exactly like the 
 common shoe, except that it is generally as light as possible, consistently 
 with a necessary strength, and with a sufficient width to protect the sole. 
 Sometimes the outside nails must be carried considerably further back 
 than I have here represented, and especially when the horse to be shod is 
 apt to pull off his shoes, or when he is intended for a deep clay country ; 
 but for grass or any # light arable, seven nail holes, punched as I have 
 represented in fig. 3, and the nails well driven and clenched, will keep on 
 the shoe, without any danger of its getting a twist. Here, again, I shall 
 insert Mr. Spooner’s admirable description of the shoe recommended by 
 him for this purpose : “ For hunting, the shoe must be narrower than 
 for the road, and an additional nail may be placed on the inside ; no evil 
 will result from this, because in the field the pressure on the crust is in a 
 great degree relieved by the sole and frog. There must be space for a piece 
 of paper to pass between the foot and inner rim of the shoe, but no more, as 
 the foot can then be withdrawn from heavy soil with less difficulty than 
 when the usual space is permitted. To avoid overreaching, the heels of 
 the fore shoe should scarcely project beyond the heels of the crust” 
 (they should not at all), “ and they should be rounded off, instead of 
 being left square, as is usually the case. The hind shoes should also, 
 when there is any disposition to overreach, be square at the toe, set a 
 little within the crust ; and the inner rim at the toe should have a piece 
 cut out, so that, instead of a sharp edge, there should be a rounded surface, 
 which, of course, is not so likely to catch the heels of the fore feet.” It 
 will be seen that this description tallies very closely with that which 
 I have given above, the only point of difference being the external con- 
 cavity of the web, which I believe to be of great importance in procuring 
 a secure foothold. It also allows the foot to be pulled out of wet clay far 
 more easily than the flat web ; and there is a reduction of useless weight, 
 as the hunting shoe does not wear out, except with those riders who keep 
 to the roads, and they of course should have a road shoe. 
 
 2. The French shoe differs from the English form in both its surfaces, 
 that which comes in contact with the foot being concave, while the other 
 is convex. To make it fit the foot, the toe and heels of the latter must 
 be pared away and made to fit the shoe, as here represented. The web is 
 very wide, and punched with eight countersunk nail holes, the English 
 plan of fullering not being adopted. The holes are also punched fully the 
 third of an inch from the edge of the shoe, and the nails are driven in a 
 very great slant, so that they come out little more than half an inch above 
 the shoe, as represented in fig. 4. By adopting this plan, several advan- 
 tages are said to be gained, as compared with the English method, which 
 Mr. Goodwin, who advocates the French shoe (yet proposes another on 
 exactly the opposite principles), enumerates as follows : “ If we refer to 
 the action of the fore leg, it will tend to explain some of the advantages to 
 be derived from the curved shoe. When a horse is about to move, the first 
 indication of motion is a bend at the knee, which necessarily raises the 
 heels, and they become more and more elevated, till the toe (which is the 
 last part that leaves the ground) is suspended for the moment that the foot 
 is lifted. The base of the foot, just at its leaving the ground, is almost 
 perpendicular; when the knee is bent to its fullest extent, the foot is then 
 in the same position, with the heels of the shoe pointing upwards. If we 
 consider this final part of the motion of the limb, we find the movement 
 
*60 THE HORSE. 
 
 of the foot very nearly describe a semicircle, and on viewing the form of 
 the joints connected with action, the necessity for a curve at the toe is 
 clearly demonstrated. Again, the form of the shoe, worn out, at once 
 shows that it must be more suitable to put on a new one of that form, 
 rather than to suffer the action of the leg to be opposed until it is worn to 
 that form. In the second part of the action, when the foot comes to the 
 ground, the quarters and heels touch first, and they are the only parts 
 occupied in placing it on the ground again. There may be deviations 
 from this general rule, as in those horses that have bad action; also when 
 horses are drawing heavy weights, it must necessarily differ. The fore 
 legs may be considered simply as pillars of support, having no power of 
 themselves to propel the body forward, progression being entirely per- 
 formed by the hind parts ; and if it were not so, the action would be 
 
 Fig. 4. — The French Shoe. 
 
 different, as I have before observed it to be in those horses which have 
 great weights to draw, and this may be more readily observed in any 
 draught horse going up hill. I have offered these few remarks on action, 
 in order to bring the reader's attention to the curve of the French shoe at 
 the toe. This form of shoe certainly harmonises more with the motion of 
 the fore foot than the English does ; it affords a greater surface of bearing 
 at the toe than the projecting ridge of the straight ordinary shoe, and is 
 much more calculated to allow of the motion of the leg and foot ; the 
 labour of the muscles is also diminished, and the limb being in its natural 
 position, the ligaments have less imposed upon them ; they are more at 
 ease, and consequently are not so liable to be strained. The shape of the 
 coffin-bone is also another proof of the French system being more con- 
 sistent with the principles of nature than the straight ordinary shoe. If 
 the coffin-bone of a fore foot be placed on a level surface, the quarters and 
 heels are the only parts in contact with it, which proves that they are 
 intended by nature to meet the ground first, and to bear the greater pro- 
 portion of weight; but if the quarters of the hoof be removed (lowered or 
 diminished) to admit of the straight shoe, the portion of weight intended 
 to be borne on the quarters must be thrown upon the heels ; and hence 
 the great mischief which ensues from the common (plain) English shoe.” 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 56 J 
 
 A reference to page 320, where the coffin-hone is carefully delineated in 
 profile, will show the correctness of a part of this argument ; for un- 
 doubtedly the lower surface of the edge of the coffin-bone is convex, and 
 therefore there is no impropriety in cutting away the crust till it is left of 
 an equal thickness between this bone and the shoe. Eut if it is decided 
 to adopt the French shape, it must never be forgotten that it is not merely 
 by cutting away the heels and toe that a foot prepared in the English way 
 can be fitted to a French shoe, but by allowing the quarters to grow at 
 the part where they are usually, in this country, sliced away to arrive at a 
 plain surface. If this is not done, the heels will be too much weakened, 
 and a corn will almost inevitably be produced in the inner one. The 
 directions given by M. Eourgelat, and by M. Janze in his quarto on 
 shoeing, are nearly the same ; namely, that the convexity should be two 
 and a half times the thickness of the shoe. This curvature is distributed 
 so that the toe shall be raised twice the thickness of the shoe from the 
 giound, and the heel the remaining half; the bend at the latter part 
 beginning at the hindmost nail hole, and that of the front of the shoe 
 springing from the next nail. There is a great deal to be said in favour 
 of this method of shoeing, grounded on the theory of action, which is not 
 very clearly explained by Mr. Goodwin in the remarks which I have 
 quot d ; but the strongest argument is founded on the fact that French 
 horses are much sounder on their feet than the English. It must be 
 remembered, however, that the roads in France s^e not like ours; they 
 are either paved or composed of loose gravel, both of which surfaces are 
 more likely to suit the convex shoe than our hard flint, gravel, or granite 
 roads. But, independently of the difference in surface in the shoes of the 
 two countries, there is also a great variation in the nail holes, which in 
 the French shoe are placed on both sides of the web, as I have represented 
 them on the outside (figs. 3 and 4) ; thus the outer heel is less confined 
 in France than in this country, and to this fact I attribute a great part of 
 their superior success. It would be a long time before so great a revolu- 
 tion could be accomplished as is necessary for the introduction of the 
 French shoe into general use ; but I believe that it would, on the whole, 
 be far superior to our own. 
 
 3. Mr. Goodwin has suggested an improvement on the French shoe, 
 consisting in making the heels of the shoe slightly convex towards the 
 foot, necessitating a double sweep in both surfaces. It is difficult to 
 convey an accurate idea of Mr. Goodwin’s shoe without an illustration, 
 but his object is to place the heel of the crust on a sloping surface, so that 
 when pressure is made downwards, it has a tendency to expand the heels. 
 I believe, however, that all attempts to effect this object by mechanical 
 means are fallacious, and that it is only by causing a due development of 
 the frog and bars through the stimulus of pressure that it can be done. 
 I, therefore, see no advantage in Mr. Goodwin’s alteration, and should 
 prefer the French plan, pure and simple. 
 
 4. Mr. Bract Clark, in his great anxiety to prevent contraction, sug- 
 gested a hinge at the toe of the shoe, by which it might be allowed to 
 expand with the foot. At first sight this looks extremely simple, and likely 
 to be efficacious, but there is one objection which completely explains the 
 reason of its utter failure in practice. It must be nailed on firmly to both 
 quarters, and at least four nails in each will be required. If, therefore, 
 the heels are to expand, they must do so by a hinge or bend in the toe of 
 the foot, since the quarters are nailed to the shoe, and no yielding can 
 .possibly take place between the four nails which are driven into each. 
 
 o o 
 
562 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 .Now tlie toe is not the faulty part in contraction, hut the curve takes 
 place at the hack of the quarters, and moreover, the toe being guarded by 
 the thickest part of the horn in front, and strengthened by the angle 
 which the sole makes with it, cannot possibly expand or contract in the 
 way which must be accomplished to carry out the object of the hinged 
 shoe. The plan is therefore abandoned as practically useless, and theo- 
 retically founded on fallacious principles. 
 
 5. Turner's unilateral shoe. This name is not very descriptive of 
 the plan which Mr. Turner, the well-known Yeterinary Surgeon of Regent 
 Street, introduced into notice some years ago. It is not a one-sided shoe, 
 but a shoe nailed only on the outside quarter and toe. Two clips are 
 used, one at the toe and the other at the back of the outside quarter. He 
 also reduces the thickness of the heel by filing away the ground surface, 
 leaving a shoulder about three-quarters of an inch from the extreme 
 point, and thus his shoe is nearly exactly similar in principle to the Trench 
 plan, excepting in not continuing the curve to the toe. Mr. Turner con- 
 siders that this prevents any pressure being made at the seat of corn ; but 
 he forgets that iron is of a most unyielding nature, and that a blow given 
 to the middle of the shoe is distributed equally over the whole of the 
 under surface of the foot, and is not confined to that part only immediately 
 above it. I believe that his plan is more likely to produce corns than to 
 prevent them, as by reducing the shoe up to a shoulder it is more likely 
 to bend there, and then permanent pressure would be made on the heel, 
 which would be far more likely to produce a corn than occasional blows. 
 As far as the mode of nailing on the outside only is concerned, I believe 
 it also is liable to objection, inasmuch as while it entirely frees the inside 
 half of the foot, it sacrifices the outside in a terrible manner. It is quite 
 true that the inner heel is weaker than the outer, but a contracted foot is 
 affected on both sides of the frog, and thus there is more mischief done to 
 the outer heel than good to the inner. The principle of avoiding confine- 
 ment of the heel by nailing is good, but the practice of sacrificing the 
 outer one to the inner is not to be recommended, where it is possible to 
 avoid injury to either. As I before remarked, contraction takes place in 
 the back part of the foot and not at the toe, and a nail driven considerably 
 in front of the middle of the quarter has no prejudicial effect in confining 
 the heel. 
 
 6. The half-moon shoe was strongly recommended by Professor 
 Coleman, in the belief that unless the frog touches the ground it is impos- 
 sible to keep up a due secretion of the parts which depend upon that 
 organ for their proper size and situation. His shoe was flat towards the 
 foot, and concave like the hunting shoe (fig. 3) on the ground side of the 
 sole, and would allow of sufficient paring out to give space between the 
 two. If this could not be done, the usual kind of concave seating 
 (fig. 2) was adopted. The toe was made of the usual thickness, the web 
 becoming gradually thinner till it was reduced to one-third, at the back 
 of the quarter, where it ended. In preparing the foot the toe was 
 ’owered considerably, so as to make up for the difference in the thickness 
 of the shoe, and thus take off the extra jar which would otherwise be 
 thrown upon it, and the additional strain on the flexor tendons and sus- 
 pensory ligament. Mr. Coleman did not expect that any unsound foot 
 could bear this shoe, nor that it could be used on any horse whose heels 
 had long been protected by iron, without a considerable preparation by 
 gradual work, but he thought that if adopted from the first the frog and 
 heels would bear the friction of our roads without suffering, and if so, 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 5G 3 
 
 that the contraction would be entirely prevented. The plan was tried on 
 the Royal Artillery horses, forty years ago, and was reported on favour- 
 ably, but it was not long persevered in, and has never since, as far as I 
 know, been reintroduced. It is excellent in principle, but the general 
 opinion is that, when carried into practice, few of our horses would bear 
 the battering of their heels which our hard roads would entail. It is 
 worth a second trial, however, and I should much like to see one fairly 
 carried out. 
 
 7. The tip is exactly similar in shape to the half-moon shoe, but is 
 not so carefully seated on the foot, because it is merely wanted for horses 
 intended to be turned out on soft ground. It is also generally made of 
 equal thickness throughout, but it would be better if the substance of iron 
 were reduced at the heels. 
 
 8. The plate or racing shoe is merely a narrow rim of iron, flat on 
 the side towards the foot, and grooved on the other. This groove gives a 
 good foothold, and conceals the nail heads also, so that no fullering or 
 countersinking is required. The breadth of the web is generally about 
 half an inch. 
 
 9. The bar shoe is never used in this country for sound feet, but it is 
 a great pity that some modification of it cannot be introduced so as to 
 obviate all the objections which apply to the ordinary shoe. It consists of a 
 complete ring of iron, similar in shape to the ordinary shoe, as far as the 
 back of the quarters, but from that part bending inwards to meet the web 
 
 A A 
 
 Fig. 5.— Bar Sftoe for Off Fore Foot: Fitted, but not nailed, on. 
 
 A. A. Bulbous heels of the foot. B. B. Fullering punched with seven holes. 
 
 of the opposite side, with which it is welded. It is now used for two pur- 
 poses, exactly the reverse of each other. In the one case the foot is so pre- 
 pared that the frog shall touch the shoe, while the heels are quite free, and 
 
 o o 2 
 
564 THE HORSE. 
 
 are thereby relieved from all pressure. In the other the frog does not 
 '■some in contact with the shoe, which is solely supported by the crust and 
 oars. It may thus be made either to defend the frog or the heels, which- 
 ever may be in fault, and it is one of the most valuable aids to veterinary 
 surgery. Should the frog be more prominent than the crust, the shoe 
 may be made thin in proportion, at the part where it covers the former, 
 and by this means it may be made exactly to fit the i/wo when it is 
 desired to divide the weight between them. There are many weak-heeled 
 harness horses which would do their work far better if they were perma- 
 nently shod in this w r ay, and but for the danger of pulling these shoes off, 
 and the little hold which they take of the ground, hacks might also some- 
 times be advantageously shod with the bar shoe. It is unsightly, cer- 
 tainly, and at present marks the existence of some disease, and for these 
 reasons it is now seldom employed, except on compulsion. 
 
 10. The patten is merely a bar shoe made square at the heels and 
 turned down at the back, so as to raise this part an inch from the ground. 
 The object is to relieve the flexor tendons or suspensory ligament. It is 
 also sometimes used in curb, with a view to relax the caleaneo-cuboid 
 ligament, and tendon of the gastrocnemius internus muscle. 
 
 11. A leather sole is often introduced between the shoe and the foot, 
 for the double purpose of lessening the vibration and protecting the sole 
 and frog from injury by blows against an irregular surface, such as new- 
 laid gravel, or granite, or rough paving. Sometimes, when the frog and 
 sole are sound, but from the action being very high there is a tendency 
 to jar the foot, the leather is cut to the exact shape of the shoe inside and 
 out, leaving the sole and frog uncovered ; but in general a piece of leather 
 is insinuated between the two, with a straight edge, crossing from heel to 
 heel, and after the nails are driven and clenched, the outside edge is pared 
 off level with the foot. Before, however, this is done, the space occupied 
 by the concavity of the sole, and the crevices in the cleft of the frog and 
 between it and the bars, must be carefully filled with tow, saturated with 
 a mixture composed of equal parts of tallow and tar. This not only keeps 
 the horn moist, but it prevents any grit or fine gravel from working its 
 way forwards through the crevices which are presented in the cleft of the 
 frog and at its sides. It is an extremely useful mode of saving the feet 
 of high-actioned horses which are much used on our hard roads, especially 
 where the heels are weak. The leather must be well soaked in water 
 before it is used, and it will then accommodate itself to every slight irre- 
 gularity in the foot. It is often alleged that this plan allows the frog to 
 receive more pressure than with the ordinary shoe ; but the leather is so 
 yielding that this cannot really be the case, especially as it is of the same 
 thickness throughout. 
 
 With this choice before him, the smith proceeds to make his seleo 
 tion of the form best suited to the foot of each horse. I have made ul 
 mention of steel tips to the shoe, because I believe them to be worse than 
 useless. If the horse wears his toe out quicker than the heels, all that is 
 necessary is to turn up the former into a very strong clip, in fact rounding 
 it in the French fashion, but somewhat more suddenly. The toe will 
 then have the same appearance when first shod as it presents at the end 
 of a fortnight’s work if made in the usual way, and there will be no occa- 
 sion for a steel tip. In order to aid the choice, I phall here recapitulate 
 the various plans which I think deserving of attention : — 
 
 1. The concave-seated shoe 1 for ordinary road work (see page 556). 
 
 % The hunting shoe (page 558), for all hunters but those whose soles 
 
SHOEING. 565 
 
 are pumiced or very flat and thin, which must be shod with the concave- 
 seated shoe. 
 
 3. The French shoe (page 560), if a smith can he found to make it and 
 put it on properly, is particularly well adapted for those horses whose 
 action is high, hut whose feet come to the ground with the toe first, by 
 which this part is rapidly worn away. 
 
 4. The half -moon shoe (page 562) is worth a trial on colts with sound 
 feet, intended to be kept for home use. 
 
 5. The bar shoe (page 563) is specially valuable for tender frogs, or, 
 when these are sound, for corns and weak heels and quarters. 
 
 6. The patten (page 564) cannot he used in any work beyond a slow 
 walk, hut it is invaluable after accidents to the flexor tendons or sus- 
 pensory ligament, or in had curbs. 
 
 7. The leather sole (page 564) may he used with great advantage for 
 horses with high action, and having weak soles or frogs, or with tender 
 feet from laminitis, provided the crust is sound enough to hear the extra 
 strain from the longer purchase on the nails. 
 
 When the choice of the shoe is arrived at, the next thing is to 
 make it and put it on. The former is a mechanical operation, which can 
 scarcely he learnt without actual demonstration, and I shall omit all 
 account of it here ; hut I may remark that a detailed description of it is 
 given by Mr. Miles, in his little hook on Horse Shoeing , to which I have 
 before alluded, illustrated by most beautiful lithographic drawings. But 
 with regard to the latter operation, so much depends upon it, and it is 
 often so carelessly performed, that the master, or his confidential servant, 
 should occasionally, if not always, superintend it ; and unless he knows 
 what ought to be done, he might as well stay at home. Of course, the 
 smith will have previously decided how much horn the horse will bear to 
 have cut away at the toe, and will have made his shoe accordingly. Then 
 having roughly reduced this part, and cleared out the sole and frog as 
 much as he thinks is necessary, he must finish his fitting by gently apply- 
 ing the shoe in a hot (but not red) state, without which he cannot tell 
 where to apply his knife. There is often a great outcry made by igno- 
 rant men against this plan; but the fact really is, that the light touch 
 which is necessary for the purpose merely scorches the surface of the 
 horn, and has no effect upon the parts beneath. If, as is sometimes done, 
 a red-hot shoe is made to bum its way to its level bearing, mischief may 
 of course be done ; but this is an abuse of the plan, which no smith of 
 the present day will be likely to adopt, and should not be allowed to 
 frighten a master into giving orders that his shoes shall be “ cold fitted." 
 Engineers, in their fine fittings of one metal with another, are obliged 
 either to smoke or to cover with red lead the surface which is to be fitted, 
 and where this leaves its marks they apply the file. In the same way the 
 shoeing smith uses the hot shoe to colour the horn, which it need only be 
 heated enough to do, and wherever he finds the mark he uses the knife 
 to pare away a slice of horn, until the whole shoe takes a level bearing. 
 Sometimes the smith heats the toe of the shoe first, and fits that part 
 before he adapts the remaining portion to the heels ; but if he has an 
 eye for his work, he will have little difficulty in making two level sur- 
 faces, and by preparing the toe with the knife, he can adjust it and the 
 whole surface of the crust by one heating. Unless, however, he is a clever 
 operator, it is better to do this at twice, and it may even be safer to 
 spring the heels of the shoes before fitting the toe, which will prevent all 
 danger of burning the former while he is doing this. The plan, however, 
 
566 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 is considered only necessary for beginners, and is therefore generally 
 avoided even by them as a confession of want of skill. If the shoe is 
 only heated to a point which will scorch but not burn, it will not injure 
 the heels any more than the toe. Above all, in fitting the shoe to the 
 back part of the foot, let the smith take care that it is not longer or wider 
 than the point where the crust and bars unite. An eighth of an inch may 
 be allowed to project backward beyond this point, but not more, but there 
 should not be the slightest overlapping sideways. Mr. Mills deserves 
 great credit for insisting strongly upon this ; and if he has made no other 
 great improvement in shoeing, this alone should cause his labours to be 
 estimated at a high rate. When the concave seating is carried all the way 
 back to the heels, and the shoe is considerably wider than these parts, 
 both of which mistakes are often committed, the heels are placed upon 
 two inclined planes, each with a slope which draws them inwards ; and 
 though I do not believe that it is easy to expand or contract the 
 whole foot, yet I am quite sure that the heels may readily be made 
 to curve inwards. There is some excuse for dealers attempting to 
 deceive their ignorant customers by shoeing their horses wide at 
 the heels, for in looking at the foot without reference to this plan, 
 the wide shoe makes it look far better than it really is ; but for work 
 there is nothing more likely to lead to corns, and it should never 
 be permitted to be adopted for a single day. Every horse, when pur- 
 chased, ought to have his shoes off, in order to see if he has corns, 
 and before putting them on again, if the heels are too wide, they should 
 at once be brought in. When the shoe fits properly, no light ought to be 
 visible anywhere between it and the foot on looking at them sideways, 
 unless it is intended to “ spring the heels,” that is, to leave a small space 
 between the two surfaces here, when the foot is weak in this part. After 
 the fitting is finished, the shoe is “ filed up ; ” but in this merely the 
 edges should be very slightly rounded to avoid all risk of burs, except at 
 the heels, where the angles should be carefully smoothed off in all direc- 
 tions, and the outside of each bearing-place should be reduced, as recom- 
 mended by Mr. Spooner, and alluded to at page 557. 
 
 In nailing on the shoe very little art is required if the holes are 
 punched straight through far enough from the edge, and the crust is not 
 broken or unusually thin. If these precautions are not taken, the incli- 
 nation of the hole gives a bias to the nail which it is difficult to rectify 
 while, if the holes are punched too near the edge, in order to get a 
 sufficient hold they must be driven with a very slight slant far up into 
 the wall of the hoof, and then the difficulty consists in bringing their 
 points out at the proper place. When the nails are all driven through, a 
 notch is made beneath each with the rasp ; they are then carefully turned 
 down and twisted off with the pincers, leaving a proper length to clench, 
 when after a second hammering to secure their being driven well home 
 they are clenched with the hammer by turning their points down into the 
 notch previously made with the rasp. The whole foot is then slightly 
 rasped over so as to remove any rough edges projecting beyond the shoe, 
 and the operation is completed. 
 
 In the hind shoe there is not so much variation as in that used for the 
 fore foot, because the hind foot is not nearly so subject to disease as the 
 fore. It is generally made thicker but narrower than the fore shoe, and 
 there is no necessity to make it concave-seated, because the sole is not 
 often tender, nor is it ever so thin and flat as is common enough before. 
 As the horse stops himself by his hind feet chiefly, he requires some- 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 
 thing to prevent his slipping, and the common practice is to turn up 
 one or both heels, which projections are called “calkings” or “cogs” 
 (see figs. 6, 7, C). In horses for heavy harness work it is necessary 
 to use these on both heels, but as the inner one is apt to cut the 
 opposite fetlock joint, or bruise the coronet by treading on it, and 
 one suffices for light work, the usual practice is to turn up the outer 
 heel only for all ordinary work, such as light, fast harness, hacking 
 and hunting. If, however, this is done, the inner heel must be made 
 proportionately thick, so as to givo the horse a level bearing, without 
 which he never works in comfort. Many smiths maintain that this is not 
 necessary, because the calking sinks into the ground and does not there- 
 fore really raise that heel above the other. This is true enough when the 
 roads are soft; but when they are hard, as even Macadamised roads often 
 are, the calking sinks very little or not at all, and the twist complained 
 of is actually felt. It is the best practice, therefore, to shoe the hind feet 
 in all light harness horses, hunters, and hacks, with an outside calking, 
 but the inner web narrow but deep, or what is called “feather-edged.” 
 This is shown in fig. 6, which is a side view of such a shoe, specially 
 
 C 
 
 Fig. 6. — Feather-edged Off Hind Shoe. 
 
 A. Clip at toe. B. Inside heel. C. Outside heel, with “calking.” 
 
 adapted to prevent “ cutting,” but also, as before remarked, useful for 
 general purposes. Mr. Miles recommends instead of this, for ordinary 
 horses, that both heels should be made of double thickness for about an 
 inch, leaving a shoulder in the ground surface at that distance from the 
 heel, but this is just as likely to cause “cutting” as the “calking,” as 
 there need be no more projection in the one than in the' other, and the 
 nearer this is to the quarter the more likely it is to strike the opposite 
 leg, this part of the foot being wider than the heels. I cannot, therefor* 
 recommend the adoption of Mr. Miles’ hind shoe, which has all the d . 3 - 
 advantages of the double calking and of the feather-edged shoe without 
 the advantages of either. As I before remarked, there can be no objection 
 to the feather-edged shoe, which is not necessarily without nails on the 
 inside, and may be punched by using a deep fullering so as to take two or 
 three nails on that side. The toe of the hind shoe wears away very 
 rapidly, being always brought to the ground before the heel on level roads 
 and in going up hill, in the latter especially so, while in going down hill 
 it wears away as fast as the heel. It should therefore be made stouter 
 and thicker than the fore shoe, with a small clip in the middle to prevent 
 it from being driven back out of its seat. The back edge as well as the 
 front side of the clip should be well rounded, as represented in fig. 7, to 
 prevent any risk from overreaches caused by a cutting blow from the 
 latter, while the former, if left sharp, will be liable to catch hold of the 
 projecting heel of a fore shoe and pull it off. 
 
568 
 
 •THE HORSE. 
 
 The time for removing the shoes of a horse must depend upon the 
 work he does, and the nature of his foot. If the quarters are thin or 
 broken, the less frequently the shoes are removed the better, up to a 
 month, beyond which no shoe should he allowed to remain on. Those 
 that have plenty of horn are better for a “remove” at the end of a fort- 
 night, and the shoes of horses doing no work should never he allowed 
 to remain on for more than three weeks at the outside, as the feet 
 
 
 Fig. 7.— Ground Surface of Near Hind Shoe. 
 
 A. The toe rounded off before and behind. R Inside heel, feather-edged. 
 
 C. Outside heel, with “calking.” 
 
 are far more liable to contract while at rest than when at work, provided 
 always that the latter is not so hard as to produce inflammation and 
 consequent deficiency in the secretion of the horn. 
 
 During frosts, when the roads are rendered slippery by ice, the shoes 
 must he “ roughed” in some way, to enable the horse to go with safety 
 upon it. The common method is to turn up the heels with a sharp 
 " calking,” and sometimes also to rivet a sharpened projection at the toe. 
 These take hold of the ice and enable the horse to travel as easily as on 
 the summer road as long as they are sharp, but in a few days the points 
 wear down and the shoe must be removed. In slight frosts a few of the 
 nails may be punched out, and “frost-nails,” with large heads, maybe 
 driven in their places ; but these are of no use for any distance, as their 
 heads soon wear down. To avoid the necessity for this removal of the 
 shoe at the commencement and during the course of every frost, several 
 plans have been invented, but none of them answer the purpose, except 
 that introduced to general notice by Mr. White, in his “ Farriery,” sixty 
 years ago, but now seldom used, fcr what reason I cannot tell, as it 
 answers admirably wherever a smith can be persuaded to carry it properly 
 out. Mr. Spooner, who has edited the later editions of Mr. White’s book, 
 has omitted all mention of the plan, possibly because he has never tried 
 
SHOEING. 
 
 5G9 
 
 it. I have used it for many years, and can speak from practical experience 
 as to its great utility and extreme simplicity. The plan is as follows : — 
 
 Fig. 8. White’s Plan of Roughing Shoes. 
 
 cl Hole drilled in each heel, and tapped to receive c. Calking shown separately. 
 
 a sharpened calking or cog, shown full size. d. Side view of concave-seated fore shoe, with 
 b. Heel with calking screwed in, ready for use. calkings screwed in (reduced size). 
 
 A hole is drilled in each heel, and tapped to receive the screw at the base 
 of a calking (see fig. 8). This is all that is necessary to he done at the 
 time of shoeing, as the cogs may be made in large numbers, and can be 
 kept at home till they are wanted, when they may be fixed to the shoe in 
 five minutes on the appearance of a frost, and even if the horses are from 
 home, by merely carrying the necessary tool, which is simply a spanner 
 made to fit them (see fig. 9, e). I have always been charged 4 d. per shoe 
 extra for this punching of the heels and tapping, and finding the taps 
 myself, which it is better to procure, together with the calkings, from an 
 engineer, the former costing 6s., and the latter 2 d. to 3d. a piece, if ordered 
 by the score. The extra cost, therefore, for shoeing horses during three 
 months of the year in this way is about 3s. per month, which places the 
 owner out of all risk of accident or delay, and is certainly not more than 
 is paid for roughing in the ordinary way on the average of seasons, while 
 it saves the horse’s feet from damage, and often prevents a broken knee 
 or a worse accident. The tapped hole fills with dirt, which can readily be 
 cleaned out with a bit of stick, and it will always last as long as the shoe. 
 hTo one who is likely to want his horses roughed at a minute’s notice 
 should be without this apparatus ; but there is always a difficulty with 
 the smiths, as they object to it on account of the loss of work which it 
 causes to them. But masters should remember that what is a loss to the 
 one is a gain to the other; and as the choice rests with them, they can 
 adopt the plan if they like. 
 
 Since the first edition of this bool? was published, I have had so many 
 inquiries for the best means of procuring these cogs and tools, that I have 
 arranged with a London engineer, who is to be depended on, to furnish 
 them when required. His prices are slightly higher than the Birmingham 
 
570 THE HORSE. 
 
 charges, hut the quality of his work is far superior, as the taps are all 
 hand-made. The following are the tools he supplies, with the prices. 
 His address is S. Morris, 50, Rathbone Place, Oxford Street, London. * 
 
 Fig. 9 . — Spanner and Taps for Roughing. 
 e. Spanner. /. g. Taps for tapping. \ inch size. 
 
 The price of these is 6 s., and the cogs 3s. per dozen. If a larger screw 
 is wanted — that is, three- eighths of an inch in diameter — the price is 85 . 
 for tools, and 4s. 6d. a dozen for cogs. He has supplied nearly 100 gross 
 of these cogs during the winter of 1861-2. 
 
 Patent machine-made shoes are sold at a greatly reduced price, either 
 in the rough state, or finished ready for fitting. On the large scale this 
 may effect some little saving, hut the shoes themselves are not very 
 neatly turned out of hand, and a very large stock also must be kept to fit 
 all kinds of feet. In public forges there are always long intervals, during 
 which very few horses are sent to be shod, and the time is occupied in 
 turning shoes, while if patent ones are used the men must remain idle. 
 The saving, therefore, is not so great as might be supposed, and in point 
 of quality there is no comparison between machine and hand-made shoes. 
 The best in the market are those of Messrs. Goodwin, Dudley, and Co., 
 Soho Square, London. They can be punched or fullered according to 
 fancy. 
 
 * Mr. Morris has now left Rathbone Place, but the same things can be supplied by Messrs. 
 Arnold and Sons, 36, West Smithfield. 
 
OPERATIONS 
 
 571 
 
 ADMINISTRATION- OF CHLOROFORM. 
 
 The use of chloroform to procure insensibility to pain is a great aid 
 to the operator on the horse, who without it acts under great difficulties, 
 owing to the nervous twitch which the poor animal gives at each touch of 
 the knife. Under chloroform, however, he lies as if dead ; and as long as 
 its effects continue, the most elaborate dissection may be conducted with 
 comparative ease. There is some little danger of over-doing this powerful 
 agent, but the risk is not so great as is generally supposed, and with 
 ordinary care it is more than 1,000 to 1 that no injurious effects are 
 produced. 
 
 The best and most simple apparatus for the purpose of administering 
 chloroform is a common wire muzzle, to the upper edge of which a strip 
 of leather six inches deep is stitched, and so arranged that it may be 
 buckled round the upper part of the jaws. This insures that all the 
 air inspired shall pass through the wires, and by covering them with a cap 
 of very loose flannel, in which a few holes are cut to facilitate respiration, 
 the muzzle may be made ready for use. The horse is first cast, after 
 which the above apparatus is put on and buckled round the jaw, when 
 on sprinkling the chloroform over the cap of flannel, it may be applied or 
 removed in an instant, and the amount of anaesthesia regulated accordingly. 
 Without some guard such as the wire affords, the chloroform runs over 
 the nostrils and lips, and blisters them to a serious extent ; but when it is 
 used, such an accident can only occur from over-saturating the flannel. 
 The necessary quantity of this powerful agent must be employed ; but 
 when once it is found that a prick of a pin or other pointed instrument is 
 borne without shrinking, the flannel may be withdrawn, and the operation 
 quickly commenced, taking care to have an assistant ready to put it on 
 again if the horse shows signs of returning sensibility to pain. Six or 
 eight ounces of chloroform must be provided, as the quantity required is 
 rather uncertain, the average dose being about three or four ounces. 
 
 If casting is objected to, either from the absence of hobbles, or from 
 fear of injury to the horse, a soft bed of straw should be provided, and a 
 strong halter must be put over the muzzle with two cords, one of which 
 should be held by a man on each side. These will serve to guide the 
 horse in falling ; but it is extremely difficult to make sure of his going 
 down where he is wanted to lie ; and there is also considerable time lost 
 in securing him after he is down, which the safety of the operator 
 imperatively requires. The effect of the chloroform must therefore be 
 kept up for a much longer time than if it is given after the horse is cast 
 and secured. 
 
 METHODS OF CONFINING THE HORSE. 
 
 There are various plans adopted by veterinary surgeons to bind the 
 horse's limbs, so that he cannot injure himself or them when undergoing 
 an operation. Even when chloroform is employed, some coercion of 
 this kind must generally be adopted, as directed in the last section ; for 
 if it is given in the standing position, the horse is very apt to 
 injure himself in falling, which is often accompanied by powerful 
 convulsive motions, and moreover he cannot with certainty be placed 
 in a suitable position. The plan adopted by Mr. Rarey is seldom 
 suitable, because it can only be employed on subjects previously taught 
 
572 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 to go down without resistance, for the severe struggle which the un- 
 taught horse makes before he submits is calculated to produce injurious 
 constitutional disturbance, and, moreover, it would sadly increase any of 
 the various diseases of the limbs for which operations are so often per- 
 formed. Sometimes, however, it might advantageously be introduced 
 into veterinary surgery, as for instance in castration, when the colt will 
 not suffer his hind legs to he touched, hut even then it will he necessary to 
 throw him two or three times, or he will be in such a state of arterial 
 excitement that inflammation will he likely to follow. The usual methods 
 of confinement are : 1st. The hobbles ; 2d. The side line. 3d. The trevis, 
 or break. 4th. The twitch and barnacles. 
 
 Hobbles consist of four broad padded leather straps, provided with 
 strong buckles, and long enough to encircle the pasterns. To each of 
 these an iron ring is stitched, and to one of them a strong soft rope, six 
 yards in length, is securely attached. Provided with four, or, if possible, 
 five assistants, the operator buckles the hobble with the rope attached to 
 the near fore leg, and the remaining three to the other legs. Then passing 
 the rope through their rings, and through the first also, it is held by three 
 assistants, the nearest of whom stands about a yard from the horse, so as 
 to pull upwards as well as away from him ; a fourth assistant holds him 
 by the head to keep him quiet, and to be ready to fall on it as soon as he 
 is down, and the fifth stands at his quarters, ready to push him over on 
 his off side. This place is sometimes occupied by the operator himsel 
 when he is short of hands. Casting should never be attempted on any 
 hard surface, a thick bed of straw being necessary to prevent injury from 
 the heavy fall which takes place. The hind legs should be brought as far 
 forward as possible before beginning to pull the rope, and when the men 
 do this they should do it “ with a will,” but without jerking, so as to 
 take the horse off his guard, when he will resist much less stoutly than if 
 he is allowed more time. As soon as the legs are drawn up together, the 
 man at the quarters is quite safe from injury, and he may lean forcibly 
 against that part, and force the horse over to the off side, upon which he 
 falls : the assistant at the head keeping that part down, no further strug- 
 gling takes place, and he is secured by passing the end of the rope under 
 the hobble rings between the fore and hind legs, and securing it with a 
 hitch. Something more, however, is necessary to be done before any of 
 the usual operations can be performed, as all of the legs are at liberty to a 
 certain extent and the scrotum cannot be reached in safety. The fol- 
 lowing further precautions must therefore be taken, varying according to 
 the part to be operated on. 
 
 For castration the horse should be cast on his near side, with a web 
 halter in the usual place of a collar. The rope of the halter is then passed 
 through the ring of the hobble on the off hind leg, and using it as a pulley 
 the foot is drawn forcibly forward beyond the arm and firmly secured to 
 the webbing round the neck, and bringing it back again it may be passed 
 round the thigh above the hock (which should be guarded from friction 
 by a soft cloth or leather), and again secured to the webbing. By these 
 precautions the scrotum is completely exposed, and the hind legs cannot be 
 stirred beyond the slight spasmodic twitch which extends to the whole 
 body. 
 
 To PERFORM ANY OPE7'ATION ON THE FORE LEG, it must be taken Out of 
 its hobble, and drawn forward upon the straw by a webbing attached to 
 its pastern, where it must be held by an assistant, the horse having little 
 or no power over it in this position. 
 
BLEEDING. 673 
 
 The hind leg is secured in the same way as for castration, unless the 
 fetlock is to he fired, when webbing must be applied to the thigh above 
 the hock only. With most horses, however, firing can be performed 
 without casting, by buckling up the fore leg, or by having it held by a 
 competent assistant. 
 
 When the horse is to be released, the hobbles are quietly unbuckled 
 in succession, beginning with the undermost hind leg. 
 
 Several improved hobbles have been invented, but they are suited 
 rather for the veterinary surgeon than for the ordinary horsem aster, who 
 will only require them for castration and minor operations. 
 
 The side line is sometimes used for securing one hind leg thus : — the 
 long rope and single hobble only are required, the latter being buckled to 
 the hind pastern, which is to be secured. The rope is then passed over 
 the withers and brought back round the bosom and shoulder of the same 
 side as the leg to which it is secured, and then passed inside the first part 
 of the rope. By pulling at the end of this cord the hind leg is drawn up 
 to the shoulder, and secured there with a hitch, but the plan is not nearly 
 so safe as casting. 
 
 The trevis or break consists of four strong posts driven into the 
 ground, at the corners of a space six feet long by three feet wide. They 
 are strongly braced together by wooden stays, three feet six inches from 
 the ground on three sides, the fourth being left open for the horse to 
 enter, after which this also is made good by a padded bar passed through 
 stout iron rings fixed at three feet from the ground to the uprights. By 
 means of this framework, to which sundry rings are bolted, the body of 
 the horse is first securely confined by two broad bands under the belly 
 and two above the shoulders and croup. Thus he can neither rear nor 
 kick to any extent sufficient to free himself, and all that is necessary is to 
 lay hold of any limb selected for operation, and confine it to one of the 
 uprights, or to some other convenient point. This is the best plan to be 
 adopted for firing and other operations on the legs, and if the belly-bands 
 are wide, strong, and secure, chloroform mav be administered in. it, without 
 the horse going down 
 
 The twitch is a short stick of strong ash, about the size of a mopstick, 
 with a hole pierced near the end, through which is passed a piece of 
 strong but small cord, and tied in a loop large enough to admit the open 
 hand freely. This is passed over the upper lip close to the nostrils, and 
 then, by twisting the stick, compression is made to a painful extent, 
 which will keep horses quiet for any slight operation. Sometimes it is 
 placed on the ear in preference, but in either case the effect is dependent 
 on the pain produced. 
 
 Barnacles consist in the application of pressure by means of the 
 handles of a pair of pincers inclosing the muzzle, and held firmly by an 
 assistant. They are, however, not so useful as the twitch. 
 
 BLEEDING. 
 
 In the early part of the present century bleeding was resorted ta 
 on every appearance of the slightest inflammation, and often without the 
 slightest necessity Many horses were regularly bled “ every spring and 
 fall,” to prevent mischief as was supposed ; but at last it always happened 
 to every horse which lived long enough, that the more frequently blood 
 was taken the more the operation was required, and when it was absolutely 
 wanted to lower th* heart’s action, such a quantity of blood must be takes 
 
574 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 that the system was reduced to a dangerous degree. Stallions were 
 constantly submitted to this treatment, and mares as long as they were 
 worked, so that in course of time it has happened to the horse, as it has 
 also to man himself, that the horrible abuse of the lancet for two or three 
 consecutive generations has completely changed the type of the diseases 
 to which they are both subject. Inflammation does not now follow the 
 same course that it used to do, but is of a much milder type, and the 
 attendant fever is inclined to assume a typhoid character, if lowering 
 measures are pushed to any great extent. An attempt has been made to 
 account for this change in human diseases by the alteration in the habits 
 of the present generation, which are certainly more temperate than those 
 of the previous one ; but in the case of the horse the reverse holds good, 
 for he is now stimulated by more corn than evei The only point, as far 
 as I can make out, in which the horse and his master have been similarly 
 maltreated, is in the abuse of the lancet, which undoubtedly may account 
 for the change in the type of their diseases to which I have alluded, and 
 it is, therefore, reasonable to refer it to this cause. But though this 
 powerful agent has been thus abused, we must not be deterred from 
 having recourse to it when severe inflammation occurs in the horse. 
 Sometimes there is no time to wait for the effects of a slower remedy, 
 even if there is one which will be sufficiently powerful to control the 
 heart’s action. The only sensible plan in such case is to choose the lesser 
 of the two evils, and to save life, or the integrity of the organ attacked, 
 as the case may be, by abstracting blood, always remembering that this is 
 to be avoided as long as it is safe to do so, but that when it is decided 
 on, a sufficient quantity must be taken to produce a sensible effect, 
 without which the^e is no attendant good to counterbalance the evil. 
 
 Bleeding is either performed in the jugular vein, when the whole 
 system is to be affected ; or when a part of the body only is inflamed, it 
 may be desirable to abstract blood locally, as for instance from the toe or 
 from the plate vein, in inflammation of the foot, and in ophthalmia from 
 the vein which lies on the face just below the eye. 
 
 The instruments used are either the lancet or the fleam, the former 
 being the safer of the two, but requiring some practice to manage it pro- 
 perly. In bleeding from the jugular vein a string is sometimes tied round 
 the neck below the part to be opened, which is four or five inches below 
 the fork in the vein (shown at page 447) in the upper part of the neck. 
 The skilled operator, however, makes pressure with his left hand answer 
 the purpose of causing the vein to rise, and during this state either uses 
 the lancet with his right or the fleam with the aid afforded by the blow of 
 a short stick, called a “ blood stick.” When the blood begins to flow, the 
 edge of the bucket which catches it is pressed against the same part, and 
 as long as this is continued a full stream will run until faintness occurs. 
 After sufficient blood has been taken, the two lips of the wound are raised 
 between the fingers, and a small common pin passed through both, when 
 the point is cut off and some tow is twisted round, by which the edges are 
 kept together and the pin is retained in position. In a couple of days 
 the pin may be withdrawn without disturbing the tow, and the wound 
 will heal with little or no deformity. Sometimes the blood continues to 
 flow beneath the skin after it is pinned, and a swelling takes place in 
 consequence, which is called ecchymosis. When this happens, cold water 
 should be freely applied and the head kept up by racking to the manger. 
 
 The quantity of blood necessary to be taken will vary according to 
 circumstances, and can scarcely be fixed from the appearance of the blood 
 
FIRING. 
 
 575 
 
 drawn, but a repetition of the operation may be decided on if the clot of 
 the blood, after standing, is very concave at the top (cupped), or if it is 
 very yellow (buffed), and especially if both these signs are present. In 
 inflammation of a severe character less than six quarts of blood will 
 seldom lower the pulse sufficiently to be of much service, and sometimes 
 seven or eight quarts even must be taken from a large plethoric animal. 
 
 Inflammation of the vein will sometimes supervene upon bleeding, 
 the symptoms being a slight swelling appearing in the evening, or the 
 next day, with a little oozing from the wound. These are soon followed 
 by a hard cord-like enlargement of the vein, which feels hot to the touch, 
 and the parts at the angle of the jaw swell considerably. The consequence 
 generally is that the vein is obliterated, occasioning some disturbance to 
 the circulation, especially when the head is held down, as it is at grass. 
 The treatment consists in cold applications as long as there is heat, the 
 lotion recommended at page 47 0 being generally useful. When the heat 
 has subsided, and the vein remains enlarged, the biniodide of mercury 
 will procure the absorption of the new deposit, by rubbing it in as recom- 
 mended at page 456. 
 
 'FIRING. 
 
 The purpose for which the heated iron is employed is twofold ; first,, 
 to produce immediate counter-irritation, by which the previous inflamma- 
 tion is reduced ; and secondly, to cause the formation of a tight compress 
 over the part, which lasts for some months. It is the fashion to deny the 
 existence of the lat ter effect of this operation ; but every practical man must 
 be aware that it follows upon firing to a greater or less extent, according to 
 circumstances, but always lasting for a few months, until the skin stretches 
 to its previous condition. The blemish which it leaves, and the pain which 
 it occasions, both during and after the application of the irons, should 
 cause it to be avoided when any equally useful substitute can be employed ; 
 but, unfortunately, there are many cases where it stands without a rival, 
 as being at once the safest and the most efficient remedy which can be 
 adopted. Blisters and setons can be made to cause the same amount of 
 counter-irritation ; but the inflammation accompanying the former often 
 extends beneath the skin, and increases the mischief it was intended to 
 relieve ; while the latter has no effect whatever in producing pressure 
 upon the parts beneath. The pain of firing can be relieved entirely at 
 the time of the operation by chloroform ; but the subsequent smarting is 
 quite as bad, and this is beyond the reach of any anaesthetic. Inde- 
 pendently, however, of the interests of the master, it is also to the advan- 
 tage of the horse to get thoroughly cured ; for if he is not, he will either 
 work on in misery, or he will be consigned to the knacker’s yard ; and, 
 therefore, the adoption of the most efficacious plan of treatment, even if 
 somewhat the most painful, is the best for both. 
 
 Tiring may be performed standing, by the use of the side line for the 
 hind leg, or by fixing up one fore leg when the other is to be operated on. 
 There is, however, nothing like the break or trevis, where more than 
 a slight extent of surface is to be lined. The firing-iron should have a 
 smooth edge, about the thickness of a worn shilling ; and it should be 
 heated to the point when it shows a dull red in the dark. When the 
 disease for which the irons are used is slight, the skin should not be 
 penetrated ; but in bad cases, where the mischief is great, and particularly 
 when it is wanted to have a good permanent bandage, the cauterization 
 must be deeper ; but this requires some practical knowledge to decide. 
 
576 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 The hair of the part should be cut very closely with the scissors, or 
 shaved ; then, having secured the leg, the iron is to be steadily but 
 rapidly passed in parallel lines over the skin, making just the proper 
 pressure which is required to burn to the requisite depth. A light brown 
 mark should be left, which shows that the proper effect has been pro- 
 duced ; and the colour should be uniform, unless it is desired to penetrate 
 deeper at certain parts, which is sometimes practised with advantage. 
 The lines are sometimes made in a slanting direction round the leg, and 
 at others straight up and down ; but it is useless to describe the details of 
 this operation, which can only be learned by watching its performance by 
 another hand. Badly done firing is always an eyesore ; but when the 
 lines are evenly drawn, and they have healed without any sloughs, caused 
 by irregular or excessive pressure, they show that a master-hand has been 
 at work, and that the poor beast has been treated scientifically. In very 
 severe diseases, a blister is sometimes applied over the part, immediately 
 after the firing ; but this can seldom be required, and as it aggravates the 
 pain tenfold, it should be avoided, if possible. On the following day, a 
 I ittle neat’ s-foot oil should be gently rubbed, or brushed with a feather, over 
 the leg; and this should be repeated daily, until the swelling which comes 
 >n has nearly subsided. Less than three months’ rest should never be 
 allowed for the operation to have its full effect, as, if the horse is put to 
 work before that time has elapsed, the disease will almost certainly return. 
 Indeed, it is far better to allow double this time, especially if the horse is 
 wanted for fast work. 
 
 SETOhTS AND BOWELS. 
 
 Setojsts are pieces of tape or lamp cotton, passed through and beneath 
 the skin, leaving the two ends hanging out, either tied together or with a 
 knot upon each. The latter is the safer plan, as the loop is always liable 
 to be caught on a hook or other projecting body. The needle with which 
 the passage is effected has a spear point, slightly turned up, and an eye at 
 the other end (see fig. 10), through which the tape or cotton is threaded. 
 
 Fig. 10.— Seton Needles, one-quarter size. 
 
 The ordinary one is about nine or ten itches long, and by its means 
 a tape or piece of lamp cotton, smeared with blister cerate, may be passed 
 through a long track of the cellular membrane, by pinching up the skin 
 into a fold, and piercing this close to the body with the needle, which is 
 then to be carried straight through. On drawing the tape out of the eye, 
 it must be tied in a large knot at each end, which will prevent its slipping 
 out. In three or four days, a profuse discharge will come on, and it must 
 be kept up, if necessary, by repeated applications of blister cerate, or 
 digestive ointment, as may be necessary. The ends should be sponged 
 occasionally, to remove the accumulated matter. 
 
 A smaller curved needle, about five or six inches long (see lower 
 figure, 10) is used for introducing a seton into the frog, or beneath the eye. 
 Eor the former operation, a twitch is first applied, and the foot is then 
 
BLISTERING. 
 
 577 
 
 buckled up to the arm, as described at page 167. The needle then, armed 
 with the tape, greased with blister cerate, and a little oil to lubricate the 
 surface, is thrust in at the heel and out at the cleft of the frog, taking care 
 not to go deep enough to wound the tendon as it passes over the navicular 
 bone. The needle is then forcibly drawn through, and the tape knotted, 
 as already described. The openings must he kept clean by sponging daily ; 
 and in three or four weeks the tape will have nearly worked its way out, 
 when it may be withdrawn. 
 
 Rowels are now seldom employed, being very unmanageable plans for 
 causing counter-irritation. An incision, about an inch long, is made in 
 the skin, selecting a part where it is loosely attached, and into this a blunt 
 instrument, called a “ cornet,” is pushed, and worked about in all direc- 
 tions, until the skin is separated from the subjacent parts for a circle with 
 a diameter of from two to three inches. Into this a piece of thick leather 
 of that diameter, with a hole in the middle, is inserted, previously having 
 smeared it with blister cerate ; and the part is then left to nature. In 
 a few days, a discharge of matter comes on, which must be washed off 
 occasionally; and in the course of time, the leather, if allowed, would 
 find its way out by ulceration. Before, however, this takes place, it is 
 generally removed. 
 
 BLISTERING. 
 
 When it is decided to blister any part, the hair should be cut off 
 as closely as possible ; the ointment is then rubbed in with the hand for 
 ten minutes, leaving a good quantity smeared on the surface. If the legs 
 are to be blistered, the heels should be protected by lard. Considerable 
 itching is caused after the first two or three days, and many horses, if 
 allowed, gnaw the part to such an extent as to cause a serious blemish. 
 It is therefore necessary to keep the head away, which is done by putting 
 a “ cradle ” on the neck. The irritation of loose straw is very aggra- 
 vating, and the stall or box should either be bedded with tan, or sawdust, 
 or with used litter, so damp as to lie smoothly. It is generally the prac- 
 tice to put the blistered horse on a bare floor ; but he will often do great 
 harm to his legs and feet (which are of course unsound, or they would 
 not be treated in this way), by constantly stamping from the pain occa- 
 sioned while the blister is beginning to rise. When the legs are stiff and 
 sore from the swelling, he stands still enough, but at first there is nothing 
 of this kind to keep him quiet. James’s blister, which is very mild, and 
 useful for trifling diseases of the legs, or for bringing on the hair after 
 “ broken knee,” can generally be used without a cradle ; but even with it, 
 horses will sometimes gnaw themselves, and it is better not to run any 
 risk. At the end of a week, some neat’ s-foot oil should be applied every 
 morning, with a feather or soft brush, to keep the scabs as supple as 
 possible. The various formulas for blisters will be given in the list of 
 materia medica. 
 
 CASTRATION. 
 
 For removing the testicles several methods of operation have been 
 proposed ; but hitherto none has been tried which is so successful as the 
 old plan, in which the division of the cord is performed by a heated 
 iron with a sharp edge. In human surgery the spermatic artery is tied, 
 and all danger of haemorrhage is over, because the small amount of 
 bleeding which takes place from the artery of the cord is of no conse- 
 quence, as it cannot enter the cavity of the peritoneum. In the horse, on 
 
578 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 the other hand, the inguinal canal communicates with that cavity, and if the 
 ligature is used, there is a double danger of inflammation — first, from effused 
 blood, and secondly, from the irritation of the ends of the ligature. This 
 plan, therefore, is now” generally abandoned, though some few practitioners 
 still adhere to it, and the choice rests between two methods of removal 
 by cautery, namely, the actual and potential, — the former giving more 
 pain at the moment when the heated iron is applied, but the latter being 
 really far more severe, as the caustic is a long time in effecting a complete 
 death of the nerve and other sensitive parts. Torsion of the vessels has 
 been also tried, but it is often followed by haemorrhage, and, moreover, 
 the pain which is caused during the twisting of the artery is apparently 
 quite as great as is given by the heated iron. We are all inclined to 
 fancy that fire occasions more agony than it really does, but those who 
 have in their own persons been unfortunately able to compare the effects 
 of the two kinds of cautery, have uniformly admitted that the actual is 
 less severe than the potential, if the two are used so as to produce the same 
 amount of cauterization. 
 
 The best period for performing the operation on the foal is just 
 before weaning, provided the weather is mild. If, however, his neck is 
 very light, and the withers low, its postponement till the following spring 
 will give a better chance for the development of these parts. The cold 
 of winter and heat of summer are both prejudicial, and the months of 
 April, May, September, or October should always be selected. 
 
 No preparation is required in the “ sucker, ! ” but after weaning 
 the system always requires cooling by a dose of physic and light food 
 before castration can safely be performed. Horses which have been in 
 training, or other kind of work attended with high feeding, require at 
 least three weeks’ or a month’s rest and lowering, by removing corn, 
 mashing, &c., together with a couple of doses of physic, before they are 
 fit to be castrated. 
 
 For the ordinary method of operating, a pair of clams should be 
 provided, lined at the surfaces where the compression is made, with thick 
 layers of vulcanized india-rubber. This material gives a very firm hold 
 without bruising the cord, and causing thereby inflammation. A large 
 scalpel and a couple of irons will complete the list of instruments, over 
 and above the apparatus necessary for casting the horse (see Casting, 
 page 572). The horse being properly secured according to the directions 
 there given, and a twitch being put on the lip in case he should struggle 
 
 much, the operator, kneeling on the left side, grasps the testicle so as to 
 make the skin of the scrotum covering it quite tense. A longitudinal 
 incision, about three inches long, is then made down to the testicle, which, 
 if care has been taken that there is no rupture, may be rapidly done— a 
 wound of its surface not being of the slightest consequence, and giving 
 far less pain than the slow niggling dissection of its coverings, which is 
 
CASTRATION. 
 
 579 
 
 sometimes practised to avoid it. The testicle can now be cleared of its 
 coverings, and the hand laying hold of it gently, the operator raises it 
 from its bed, and slips the clams on each side the cord, at once making 
 the proper pressure with them, which should be sufficient to prevent all 
 risk of the part inclosed slipping from between its jaws. Great care 
 should be taken that the whole of the testicle, including the epididimis, 
 is external to the clams ; and as soon as this is satisfactorily ascertained, 
 the cord may be divided with the ordinary firing-iron at a red heat. To 
 make sure that no haemorrhage shall occur, some operators sear the artery 
 separately with a pointed iron ; but if the division is slowly made with the 
 heated iron, and avoiding any drag upon the cord, no such accident will 
 be at all likely to follow, though very rarely it will happen in spite of 
 every care. The clams may now be removed, and the other testicle 
 treated in the same way ; after which the hobbles are cautiously re- 
 moved, and the patient is placed in a roomy loose box, where he can 
 take sufficient exercise to insure the gravitation of the discharge, but 
 no more. 
 
 The French plan, by means of caustic, requires two pieces of wood, 
 each about six inches long and an inch square, with a notch or neck at 
 each end, to hold the twine by which they are tied together, and a groove in 
 the two opposite surfaces, to hold the caustic. This is composed of one part 
 of corrosive sublimate and four of flour, made into a paste with water, and 
 it is introduced while moist into the grooves, which it should completely fill. 
 The horse is then secured as before, the cord is exposed, the pieces of 
 wood are adjusted on each side, and firmly held together with pincers 
 by an assistant, while the operator binds their ends together with waxed 
 string. The testicle may now be removed with the knife, if the string 
 has been tied sufficiently tight ; but unless the operator has had some 
 experience, it is safer to let it remain on till it comes away by the ulcer- 
 ation of the cord. This is the uncovered operation , the covered one being 
 performed with the same instruments, as follows. The scrotum is grasped, 
 and opened, taking care to avoid wounding the tunica vaginalis reflexa, 
 or outer serous investment, but cutting down to it through the skin, dartos 
 muscle, and cellular membrane. These are to be carefully dissected back, 
 until the cord can be isolated without wounding its serous investment 
 (tunica vaginalis), which is so thin that it is easy to ascertain with cer- 
 tainty the nature of its contents by examination with the fingers. If 
 there is no hernia, the caustic can at once be applied to its outside in the 
 same way as before ; and if there is, it must be pushed back into the 
 cavity of the abdomen, by a little careful manipulation. 
 
 Some veterinary surgeons operate in a similar way to one or other of 
 the two last described plans, with the omission of the caustic, which they 
 maintain is wholly unnecessary, for there must be sufficient pressure to 
 cause a sloughing of the cord. There is certainly some truth in this 
 argument, but if the pressure has not been sufficient to cause the sloughs, 
 the caustic will assure that essential process, and thus it renders the opera- 
 tion safer, though it somewhat increases the subsequent local inflammation. 
 The plan without caustic is almost precisely the same, as far as safety is 
 concerned, as that formerly adopted by country farriers, called “ twitching,” 
 in which two pieces of wood were applied on each side the base of the 
 scrotum, and tied firmly at each end. The pain, however, occasioned by 
 the pressure on so large a surface of skin is intense, and the operation is 
 on that account indefensible, besides which it is not nearly so successful 
 as either the ordinary English or French operations. 
 
 p p 2 
 
580 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 DOCKING AND NICKING. 
 
 These operations on the tail are subject to the fashion of the day, 
 the former being used for the purpose of shortening its length, yhich is 
 inconvenient to the rider or driver in dirty weather, and the latter for 
 altering its carriage, when this is too low for the taste of the owner. 
 Nicking is, however, very seldom practised in the present day, and never 
 to the extent which was the fashion fifty years ago. 
 
 Docking is very rapidly performed by the aid of the docking knife, 
 which is made on the principle of the guillotine. As the tail is removed 
 at one sudden and forcible chop, the horse need not be confined in any 
 
 Fig. 12.— Docking Knife. 
 
 way beyond fixing up his fore leg, unless he is a very violent animal, 
 when he must he placed in the break (see page 573). The exact length 
 of the dock to be left being fixed upon, the hair is cut off close below, 
 and the remainder tied back to the root of the tail. The situation of the 
 joint, which may be ascertained from its greater prominence, is then 
 marked, by carefully removing the hair with the scissors, and then laying 
 it in the rounded groove of the wooden frame in which the knife plays, 
 so that the edge of the latter shall exactly correspond with the part to be 
 cut, the handles are suddenly and forcibly brought together, and the end 
 is removed at one blow. A pointed iron should have been previously 
 heated, and then raising the tail to a level with the back, the arteries are 
 first seared, which a very slight touch will effect, and then the point is 
 pushed into the sheath nf tm, tendons lying at the top of the stump, so 
 as to cause them to adhere in that position, and effect a handsome carriage 
 of the tail. Lastly, a little resin is melted over the end of the stump 
 with the iron now pretty nearly cooled, and the operation is concluded by 
 untying the hair. 
 
 Nicking was formerly carried to such an extent that the poor horse 
 could not lower his tail, but was always obliged to carry it over his back. 
 Several deep cross-cuts were made in the under-side after being docked, 
 and then a cord was fastened to the hair, and being carried over a pulley 
 attached to the ceiling, the tail was kept drawn up over the back by a 
 weight at its end. The horse could lie down by raising the weight, but 
 by no possible means could he lower his tail, and in course of time the 
 wounds healed by granulation filling up their spaces, and the nicking was 
 completed. When a horse now carries his dock too low, a subcutaneous 
 incision of the flexor tendons is made, which is generally sufficient, but if 
 not the pulley is adopted for a few days. Sometimes the tail is carried 
 on one side, and then a similar operation by subcutaneous division of the 
 tendons on the side to which the tail is carried will have the desired effect, 
 always taking care in each case to keep the knife clear of a joint. 
 
THE ADMINISTRATION OF PHYSIC. 
 
 581 
 
 UNNERVING. 
 
 The nerves distributed to the foot are sometimes divided for navicular 
 disease, as they lie on each side of the bone above the fetlock joint. No 
 one, however, should attempt this operation without having previously 
 seen it performed, as it requires considerable dexterity for its due execu- 
 tion. I have described such operations as can be wanted in the colonies, 
 w T here a veterinary surgeon cannot always be reached, but unnerving is 
 never required there, and I shall therefore omit any detailed account 
 of it. 
 
 REDUCTION OF HERNIA. 
 
 Hernia is sometimes strangulated ; that is to say, the protruding por- 
 tion of bowel is confined in its situation by such pressure on its neck as 
 to cause danger of mortification. Under such circumstances, if it is found 
 to be impossible to return the bowel by careful manipulation, an operation 
 must be performed. This consists in carefully dissecting through the 
 coverings of the bowel, and when it is exposed, a long and narrow 
 guarded knife ( Bistouri cache) is passed by the side of the intestine 
 through the opening into the abdomen, and then making the blade 
 prominent it is withdrawn, and the fibres causing the pressure are 
 divided. This usually allows of the bowel being passed back again into 
 the abdomen, when the operation is completed by bringing the parts 
 together with one or two stitches. 
 
 When hernia occurs in the colt either at the navel or scrotum, it is 
 often desired to effect a cure by returning the bowel and causing the 
 opening to close by adhesive inflammation. If the colt is uncut, the 
 performance of the covered operation on the French plan (see page 579) 
 will generally succeed, great care being of course necessary to return the 
 intestine before the clams are applied. In umbilical hernia a similar plan 
 has been tried, but the adhesion is too superficial to be of much use ; and 
 the only successful method is the passage of one or two skewers through 
 the opposite edges of the opening, and then winding some waxed twine 
 round them, with a moderate degree of force. This should not be 
 sufficient to cause mortification, or the opening will only be increased in 
 size, and the bowel will protrude without any covering of skin ; but it 
 should be just sufficient to cause adhesive inflammation; experience in 
 such matters alone enabling the operator to hit upon the right amount. 
 
 In all operations for hernia chloroform is of great assistance, as it 
 prevents the risk of a protrusion of the bowel while the knife is being 
 used, which will otherwise sometimes happen during the struggles of the 
 horse. 
 
 THE ADMINISTRATION OF PHYSIC. 
 
 Medicine may be given to the horse either in the solid form as a ball, 
 or liquid, and then called a drench, or as a dry powder, when in small 
 compass and with little taste, mixed with the corn or mash. Sometimes 
 also a small quantity of a tasteless liquid, such as liquor arsenicalis, may 
 be given with the food. 
 
 In giving a ball, place a halter on the head with a knot, so that the 
 jaws may be widely opened. Then turn the horse round in the stall and 
 back him up to the manger, lay hold of the tongue and draw it out of 
 the mouth, grasp it with the left hand, which must also hold the halter- 
 
* 1 \ ■- v ? vw,<»u y vv 
 
 5S2 
 
 w. y^w^w trvww Vi Vtt^r 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 so short that the strain is partly taken off the tongue, and then 
 holding the ball in the right hand with the fingers inclosing it like aco 2§iu?* 
 and, the arm bare, it should be rapidly carried to the back of theTnmutn 
 and deposited there, holding the head up till it is seen to pass down the 
 gullet. Cautious grooms use a balling iron, which gags the mouth and 
 protects the arm, but a handy man will have less difficulty in introducing 
 his hand than in inserting the gag, unless the horse is a determined biter, 
 when it may be absolutely necessary. In that case the gag is insinuated 
 with as much ease as a bit in a flat direction, and the handle being 
 suddenly depressed, the mouth gapes and the teeth cannot be brought 
 together. Then holding its handle together with the halter in the left 
 hand, the right easily introduces the ball into the pharynx. 
 
 In giving a drench, two persons are necessary, the operator standing 
 at the right shoulder, while the assistant is ready to steady the head and 
 aid him on the left. The operator raises the head with his left hand 
 beneath the jaw, and with his right he forces the lip of the horn into the 
 side of the mouth, and, raising the small end, pours the contents in. If 
 the horse is violent, a twitch must be placed on the nose, and held by the 
 assistant. The horn must not be passed far into the mouth, or any 
 unnecessary violence used, for fear of producing a cough ; in which case, 
 the hand must be instantly lowered. A neglect of this precaution will 
 probably cause some of the liquid to pass into the larynx. 
 
 CLYSTEES 
 
 Are most valuable agents, if properly administered. The best syringe 
 for the purpose is Read’s, by which any quantity may be thrown up ; and 
 in colic, some gallons of warm water are sometimes required to produce 
 the desired effect. Eor an ordinary opening clyster, a handful or two of 
 common salt may be dissolved in five or six quarts of warm water. 
 
 • 
 
 BACK-BAKING 
 
 Is effected by passing the greased hand and arm into the rectum, and 
 withdrawing any hardened faeces which may have accumulated there. 
 When the quantity of these is great, the hand must be passed several 
 times, until it cannot reach any more. Whenever physic is given to an 
 unprepared horse, as is sometimes necessary in severe disease, this pre- 
 caution should new be neglected. Mr. Gamgee, of Edinburgh, is of 
 opinion that this operation is more safely and easily performed by the aid 
 of instruments, supporting his views by the assertion that the introduction 
 of the hand gives unnecessary pain. On one or two occasions I have 
 certainly seen a shoulder of mutton at the end of a human arm, and this 
 would perhaps cause some little difficulty ; but no hand of average size is 
 nearly so large as the mass of dung usually passed ; and those who are 
 not above doing a dirty job when duty requires it y well know by experience 
 that the hand and arm may be passed to the shoulder without giving any 
 pain whatsoever. Instruments are useful when they cannot be dispensed 
 with, but they are always liable to cause laceration. 
 
ON THE ACTION OF MEDICINES 
 
 AND 
 
 THE DOSES IN WHICH THEY CAN SAFELY BE ADMINISTERED. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE ACTION OF MEDICINES, AND THE FORMS IN WHICH THEY ARE 
 PRESCRIBED. 
 
 ALTERATIVES — ANAESTHETICS — ANODYNES — ANTACIDS — ANTHELMINTICS — ANTISPASMO- 
 DICS — APERIENTS — ASTRINGENTS— BLISTERS — CAUSTICS — CHARGES — CLYSTERS — COR- 
 DIALS — DEMULCENTS — DIAPHORETICS — DIGESTIVES — DIURETICS — EMBROCATIONS — 
 EMULSIONS — EXPECTORANTS — FEBRIFUGES — LOTIONS — NARCOTICS — REFRIGERANTS — 
 SEDATIVES — STIMULANTS — STOMACHICS — STYPTICS — TONICS — VERMIFUGES OR WORM 
 MEDICINES. 
 
 ALTERATIVES. 
 
 This term is not very scientific, but it is in very general use, and 
 easily explains its own meaning, though the modus operandi of the drugs 
 employed to carry it out is not so clear. The object is to replace unhealthy 
 action by a healthy one, without resorting to any of the distinctly defined 
 remedies, such as tonics, stomachics, &c. As a general rule, this class of 
 remedies produce their effect by acting slowly but steadily on the depura- 
 tory organs, as the liver, kidneys, and skin. The following may be found 
 useful : — 
 
 1. In Disordered States of the Skin — 
 
 Emetic Tartar 5 ounces. 
 
 Powdered Ginger 3 ounces. 
 
 Opium 1 ounce. 
 
 Syrup enough to form 16 balls : one to be given every night. 
 
 2. Simply Cooling — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 1 ounce. 
 
 Castile Soap ounce. 
 
 Ginger \ ounce. 
 
 Syrup enough to form 6 balls : one to be given every morning. Or, 
 
 3. Barbadoes Aloes drachm. 
 
 Emetic Tartar 2 drachms. 
 
 Castile Soap 2 drachms. Mix, 
 
 4. Alterative Ball for General Use — 
 
 Black Sulphuret of Antimony 2 to 4 drachms. 
 
 Sulphur 2 drachms. 
 
 Nitre 2 drachms. 
 
 Linseed meal and water enough to form a ball. 
 
684 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 5 . For generally Defective Secretions — 
 
 Flowers of Sulphur 6 ounces. 
 
 Emetic Tartar 5 to 8 drachms* 
 
 Corrosive Sublimate 10 grs. 
 
 Linseed meal mixed with hot water, enough to form six balls, one of which 
 may be given two or three times a week. 
 
 6. In Debility of Stomach — 
 
 Calomel 1 scruple. 
 
 Aloes 1 drachm. 
 
 Cascarilla Bark , ) 
 
 Gentian Root, > of each in powder .... 1 drachm. 
 
 Ginger, ) 
 
 Castile Soap 3 drachms. 
 
 Syrup enough to make a ball, which may be given twice a week, or 
 every other night. 
 
 ANAESTHETICS. 
 
 Anesthetics (a, not, privative; a? adrjo-Ls, sensation) produce insensi- 
 bility to all external impressions, and therefore to pain. They resemble 
 narcotics in their action, and, when taken into the stomach, may be con- 
 sidered purely as such. The most certain and safe way of administering 
 them is by inhalation, and chloroform is the drug now universally em- 
 ployed. The modus opeiandi of the various kinds has never yet been 
 satisfactorily explained ; and when the comparison is made, as it often is, 
 to the action of intoxicating fluids, we are no nearer to it than before. 
 With alcoholic fluids, however, the disorder of the mental functions is 
 greater in proportion to the insensibility to pain ; and if they are taken 
 in sufficient quantities to produce the latter effect, they are dangerous to 
 life itself. The action of anaesthetics on the horse is very similar to that 
 on man. 
 
 ANODYNES, 
 
 Sometimes called narcotics, when taken into the stomach, pass at once 
 into the blood, and there act in a special manner on the nervous centres. 
 At first they exalt the nervous force ; but they soon depress it, the second 
 stage coming on the sooner according to the increase of the dose. They 
 are given either to soothe the general nervous system, or to stop diarrhoea ; 
 or sometimes to relieve spasm, as in colic or tetanus. Opium is the chief 
 anodyne used in veterinary medicine, and it may be employed in very 
 large doses : — 
 
 7. Anodyne Drench for Colic — 
 
 Linseed Oil . . 
 
 Oil of Turpentine 
 
 Laudanum 
 
 Mix, and give every hour till relief is afforded. 
 
 8. Anodyne Ball for Colic (only useful in mild cases) — 
 
 Powdered Opium \ to 2 drachms. 
 
 Castile Soap 2 drachms. 
 
 Camphor 2 drachms. 
 
 Ginger drachm. 
 
 Make into a ball with Liquorice powder and Treacle, and give every hour 
 while the pain lasts. It should be kept in a bottle or bladder. 
 
 9. Anodyne Ball (ordinary)— 
 
 Opium .... 
 
 Castile Soap . . 
 
 Ginger .... 
 
 1 pint. 
 
 1 to 2 ounces. 
 1 to 2 ounces. 
 
 J to 1 drachm. 
 2 to 4 drachms. 
 1 to 2 drachms. 
 
MEDICINES. 
 
 585 
 
 Powdered Aniseed | to 1 ounce. 
 
 Oil of Caraway Seeds | drachm. 
 
 Syrup enough to form a ball, to be dissolved in half a pint of warm ale, and 
 given as a drench. 
 
 10. Anodyne Drench in Superpurgation, or Ordinary Diarrhoea — 
 
 Gum Arabic '. . 2 ounces. 
 
 Boiling Water 1 pint. 
 
 Dissolve, and then add — 
 
 Oil of Peppermint 25 drops. 
 
 Laudanum i \ to 1 ounce. 
 
 Mix and give night and morning, if necessary. 
 
 11. In Chronic Diarrhoea — 
 
 Powdered Chalk and Gum Arabic, of each . . 1 ounce. 
 
 Laudanum h ounce. 
 
 Peppermint Water 10 ounces. 
 
 Mix, and give night and morning. 
 
 ANTACIDS. 
 
 As the term implies, these remedies are used to neutralize acids, 
 whether taken into the stomach to an improper extent, or formed therein 
 as products of diseases. They are often classed as alteratives, when used 
 for the latter purpose. They include the alkalies and alkaline earths, hut 
 are not much used in veterinary medicine. 
 
 ANTHELMINTICS. 
 
 Drugs which are used to destroy worms receive this name in medical 
 literature, when the author is wedded to the Greek language. The ad- 
 mirers of Latin call them vermifuges, and in English they receive the 
 humble name of worm medicines. Their action is partly by producing a 
 disagreeable or fatal impression on the worm itself, and partly by irritating 
 the mucous lining of the bowels, and thus causing them to expel their 
 contents. Failing the remedy recommended at page 511, the following 
 may be useful : — 
 
 12. Worm Ball (recommended by Mr. Gamgee) — 
 
 Asafoetida 2 drachms. 
 
 Calomel . 1| drachm. 
 
 Powdered Savin 1| drachm. 
 
 Oil of Male Fern 30 drops. 
 
 Treacle enough to make a ball, which should be given at night, and 
 followed by a purge next morning. 
 
 13. Mild Drench for Worms— 
 
 Linseed Oil 1 pint. 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 2 drachms. 
 
 Mix and give every morning. 
 
 Antispasmodics are medicines which are intended to counteract ex- 
 cessive muscular action, called spasm , or, in the limbs, cramp. This 
 deranged condition depends upon a variety of causes, which are gene- 
 rally of an irritating nature; and its successful treatment will often 
 depend upon the employment of remedies calculated to remove the cause, 
 rather than directly to relieve the effect. It therefore follows that, in 
 many cases, the medicines most successful in removing spasm will be 
 derived from widely separated divisions of the materia medica , such 
 as aperients, anodynes, alteratives, stimulants, and tonics. It is useless 
 to attempt to give many formulas for their exhibition ; but there are one 
 or two medicines which exercise a peculiar control over spasm, and I 
 shall give them without attempting to analyse their mode of operation. 
 
586 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 14. In Colic — 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 3| ounces. 
 
 Laudanum 1^ ounce. 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 1 ounce. 
 
 Powder the Aloes, and dissolve in warm water ; then add the other ingre- 
 dients, and give as a drench. 
 
 15. Clyster in Colic — 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 6 ounces. 
 
 Aloes 2 drachms. 
 
 Dissolve in three quarts of warm water, and stir the turpentine well into it. 
 
 16. Antispasmodic Drench — 
 
 Gin 4 to 6 ounces. 
 
 Tincture of Capsicum 2 drachms. 
 
 Laudanum 3 drachms. 
 
 Warm Water 1£ pint. 
 
 Mix and give as a drench, when there is no inflammation. 
 
 APERIENTS. 
 
 Aperients, or purges, are those medicines which quicken or increase 
 the evacuations from the bowels, varying, however, a good deal in their 
 mode of operation. Some act merely by exciting the muscular coat of 
 the bowels to contract ; others cause an immense watery discharge, which, 
 as it were, washes out the bowels ; whilst a third set combine the action 
 of the two. The various purges also act upon different parts of the canal, 
 some stimulating the small intestines, whilst others pass through them 
 without affecting them, and only act upon the large bowels ; and others, 
 again, act upon th.9 whole canal. There is a third point of difference in 
 purges, depending upon their influencing the liver in addition, which 
 mercurial purgatives certainly do, as well as rhubarb and some others, 
 and which effect is partly due to their absorption into the circulation, so 
 that they may be made to act, by injecting into the veins, as strongly as 
 by actual swallowing, and their subsequent passage into the bowels. 
 Purgatives are likewise classed, according to the degree of their effect, 
 into laxatives acting mildly, and drastic purges, or cathartics, acting very 
 severely. 
 
 17. Ordinary Physic Balls — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 3 to 8 drachms. 
 
 Hard Soap 4 drachms. 
 
 Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Dissolve in as small a quantity of boiling water as will suffice ; then slowly 
 evaporate to the proper consistence, by which means griping is avoided. 
 
 18. A Warmer Physic Ball — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 3 to 8 drachms. 
 
 Carbonate of Soda -J- drachm. 
 
 Aromatic Powder 1 drachm. 
 
 Oil of Caraway 12 drops. 
 
 Dissolve as above, and then add the oil. 
 
 19. Gently Laxative Ball — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes .... 
 
 Rhubarb Powder .... 
 
 Ginger 
 
 Oil of Caraway .... 
 
 Mix and form into a ball, as in Ho. 17. 
 
 20. Stomachic Laxative Balls, for Washy Horses — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 3 drachms. 
 
 Rhubarb 2 drachms. 
 
 Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Cascarilla Powder ... 1 drachm. 
 
 3 to 5 drachms 
 
 1 to 2 drachms. 
 
 2 drachms. 
 
 15 drops. 
 
MEDICINE'S. 
 
 587 
 
 Oil of Caraway 15 drops. 
 
 Carbonate of Soda 1-J drachm. 
 
 Dissolve the Aloes as in No. 17, and then add the other ingredients. 
 
 21. Purging Balls, with -Calomel — 
 Barbadoes Aloes . . . 
 
 Calomel 
 
 Rhubarb 
 
 Ginger 
 
 Castile Soap .... 
 Mix as in No. 17. 
 
 3 to 6 drachms. 
 
 4 to 1 drachm. 
 
 1 to 2 drachms. 
 4 to 1 drachm. 
 
 2 drachms. 
 
 22. Laxative Drench — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 
 Canella Alba . 
 Salt of Tartar . 
 Mint Water 
 
 3 to 4 drachms. 
 1 to 2 drachms. 
 1 drachm. 
 
 8 ounces. Mix. 
 
 23. Another Laxative Drench — 
 
 Castor Oil 3 to 6 ounces. 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes 3 to 5 drachms. 
 
 Carbonate of Soda 2 drachms. 
 
 Mint Water 8 ounces. 
 
 Mix, by dissolving the Aloes in the Mint Water by the aid of heat, and 
 then adding the other ingredients. 
 
 24. A Mild Opening Drench — 
 
 Castor Oil .... 
 Epsom Salt3 . . . 
 
 Gruel 
 
 25. A very Mild Laxative — 
 
 Castor Oil ... . 
 
 Linseed Oil . . . 
 
 Warm Water or Gruel 
 
 26. Used in the Staggers — 
 
 Barbadoes Aloes . . 
 
 Common Salt . . . 
 
 Flour of Mustard . . 
 
 Water 
 
 4 ounces. 
 
 3 to 5 ounces. 
 
 2 pints. Mix. 
 
 4 ounces. 
 
 4 ounces. 
 
 1 pint. Mix. 
 
 4 to 6 drachms 
 6 ounces. 
 
 1 ounce. 
 
 2 pints. Mix. 
 
 27. A Gently Cooling Drench in Slight Attacks of Cold— 
 
 Epsom Salts 6 to 8 ounces. 
 
 Whey 2 pints. Mix. 
 
 28. Purgative Clyster— 
 
 Common Salt 4 to 8 ounces. 
 
 Warm Water 8 to 16 pints. 
 
 ASTRINGENTS 
 
 Appear to produce contraction on all living animal tissues with which they 
 come in contact, whether in the interior or on the exterior of the body ; 
 and whether immediately applied or by absorption into the circulation. 
 But great doubt exists as to the exact mode in which they act ; and, as in 
 many other cases, we are obliged to content ourselves with their effects, 
 and to prescribe them empirically. They are divided into astringents 
 administered by the mouth, and those applied locally to external ulcerated 
 or wounded surfaces. 
 
 29. For Bloody Urine — 
 
 Powdered Catechu \ ounce. 
 
 Alum £ ounce. 
 
 Cascarilla Bark in Powder 1 to 2 drachms 
 
 Liquorice Powder and Treacle, enough to form a ball, to be given twice a day. 
 30. For Diabetes — 
 
 Opium . . . 
 
 Ginger powdered 
 
 . . I drachm. 
 
 . . 2 drachms. 
 
588 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Oak Bark powdered 1 ounce. 
 
 Alum, as much as the Tea will dissolve. 
 
 Camomile Tea * . 1 pint. 
 
 Mix for a drench. 
 
 31. External Astringent Powders for Ulcerated Surfaces — 
 
 Powdered Alum 
 
 Armenian Bole 
 
 
 32. White Vitriol 
 
 Oxide of Zinc 
 
 
 33. Astringent Lotion — 
 
 Goulard Extract 
 
 Water 
 
 34. Sulphate of copper 
 
 Water 
 
 
 35. Astringent Ointment for Sore Heels — 
 
 Acetate of Lead * 
 
 Lard 
 
 i . 1 drachm. 
 
 36. Another for the Same — 
 
 Nitrate of Silver powdered . . . * < 
 
 Goulard Extract 
 
 Lard 
 
 i i | drachm. 
 
 Mix, and use a very small portion every night. 
 
 BLISTERS OR VESICANTS. 
 
 Blisters are applications which inflame the skin, and produce a secre- 
 tion of serum between the cutis and cuticle, by which the latter is 
 raised in the form of small bladders ; hut in consequence of the presence 
 of the hair, these are very imperfectly seen in the horse. They consist 
 of two kinds — one, used for the sake of counter-irritation, by which the 
 original disease is lessened, in consequence of the establishment of this 
 irritation at a short distance from it ; the other, commonly called “ sweat- 
 ing ” in veterinary surgery, by which a discharge is obtained from the 
 vessels of the part itself, which are in that way relieved and unloaded : 
 there is also a subsequent process of absorption in consequence of the 
 
 peculiar stimulus applied. 
 
 37. Mild Blister Ointment (Counter-Irritant) — 
 
 Hog’s Lard * . 4 ounces. 
 
 Venice Turpentine 1 ounce. 
 
 Powdered Cantharides 6 drachms. 
 
 Mix and spread. 
 
 38 Stronger Blister Ointment (Counter-Irritant) — 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine . . 1 ounce. 
 
 Sulphuric Acid, by measure 2 drachms. 
 
 Mix carefully in an open place, and add — 
 
 Hog’s Lard * . * 4 ounces. 
 
 Powdered Cantharides 1 ounce. 
 
 Mix and spread. 
 
 39. Very Strong Blister (Counter-Irritant) — 
 
 Strong Mercurial Ointment 4 ounces. 
 
 Oil of Origanum *....£ ounce. 
 
 Finely-powdered Euphorbium 3 drachms. 
 
 Powdered Cantharides | ounce. 
 
 Mix and spread. 
 
 40. Rapidly acting Blister (Counter-Irritant) — 
 
 Best Flour of Mustard 8 ounces. 
 
 Made into a paste with water. 
 
 Add Oil of Turpentine 2 ounces. 
 
 Strong Liquor of Ammonia 1 ounce. 
 
 This is to be well rubbed into the chest, belly, or back, in cases of 
 acute inflammation. 
 
MEDICINES. 
 
 5S9 
 
 41. Sweating Blister — 
 
 Strong Mercurial Ointment 2 ounces. 
 
 Oil of Origanum 2 drachms. 
 
 Corrosive Sublimate 2 drachms. 
 
 Cantharides, powdered 3 drachms. 
 
 Mix, and rub in with the hand. 
 
 42. Strong Sweating Blister, for Splents, Ring-Bones, Spavins, &c. — 
 
 Biniodide of Mercury 1 to 1| drachm. 
 
 Lard 1 ounce. 
 
 To be well rubbed into the legs after cutting the hair short ; and followed by 
 the daily use of Arnica, in the shape of a wash, as follows, which is to be painted 
 on with a brush : — 
 
 Tincture of Arnica 1 ounce. 
 
 Water 12 to 15 ounces. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 43. Liquid Sweating Blisters — 
 
 Cantharides 1 ounce. 
 
 Spirit of Turpentine 2 ounces. 
 
 Methylated Spirit of Wine 1 pint. 
 
 Mix, and digest for a fortnight. Then strain. 
 
 44. Powdered Cantharides 1 ounce. 
 
 Commercial Pyroligneous Acid 1 pint. 
 
 Mix, and digest for a fortnight. Then strain. 
 
 CAUSTICS, OE CAUTEEIES. 
 
 Caustics are substances which bum away the living tissues of the 
 body, by the decomposition of their elements. They are of two kinds — 
 viz. first, the actual cautery, consisting in the application of the burning 
 iron, and called firing ; and, secondly, the potential cautery, by means of 
 the powers of mineral caustics, such as potassa fusa, lunar-caustic, cor- 
 rosive sublimate, &c. 
 
 Firing is described in the chapter on Operations, at page 575. 
 
 The following are the ordinary chemical applications used as potential 
 cauteries : — 
 
 45. Fused Potass, difficult to manage, because it runs about in all directions, 
 
 and little used in veterinary medicine. 
 
 46. Lunar Caustic, or Nitrate of Silver, very valuable to the veterinary 
 
 surgeon, and constantly used to apply to profuse granulations. 
 
 47. Sulphate of Copper, almost equally useful, but not so strong as Lunar 
 
 Caustic; it may be well rubbed in to all high granulations, as in 
 broken knees, and similar growths. 
 
 48. Corrosive Sublimate in powder, which acts most energetically upon 
 
 warty growths, but should be used with great care and discretion. It 
 may safely be applied to small surfaces, but not without a regular 
 practitioner to large ones. It should be washed off after remaining on 
 a few minutes. For the mode of applying it in castration, see page 579. 
 
 49. Yellow Orpiment is not so strong as Corrosive Sublimate, and may be 
 
 used with more freedom. It will generally remove warty growths, by 
 picking off their heads and rubbing it in. 
 
 50. Muriate of Antimony, called Butter of Antimony; a strong but rather 
 
 unmanageable caustic, and used either by itself or mixed with more or 
 less water. 
 
 51. Chloride of Zinc is a most powerful caustic. It may be used in old 
 
 sinuses in solution, 7 drachms in a pint of water. 
 
 Milder Caustics: — 
 
 52. Verdigris, either in powder or mixed with Lard as an ointment, in the 
 
 proportion of 1 to 3. 
 
 53. Red Precipitate, ditto, ditto. 
 
 54. Burnt Alum, used dry. 
 
 55. Powdered White Sugar. 
 
THE HORSE. 
 
 590 
 
 Mild Liquid Caustics: — 
 
 56. Solution of Nitrate of Silver, 5 to 15 grains to the ounce of distilled 
 
 water. 
 
 57. Solution of Blue Vitriol, of about double tbe above strength. 
 
 58. Chloride of Zinc, 1 to 3 grains to the ounce of water. 
 
 CHARGES 
 
 Are adhesive plasters which are spread while hot on the legs, and 
 at once covered with short tow, so as to form a strong and unyielding 
 support while the horse is at grass. 
 
 59. Ordinary Charges — 
 
 Burgundy Pitch 4 ounces. 
 
 Barbadoes Tar 6 ounces. 
 
 Beeswax 2 ounces. 
 
 Red Lead 4 ounces. 
 
 The three first are to be melted together, and afterwards the Lead is to b? 
 added. The mixture is to be kept constantly stirred until sufficiently cold 
 to be applied. If too stiff (which will depend upon the weather), it may be 
 softened by the addition of a little Lard or Oil. 
 
 60. Arnica Charge — 
 
 Canada Balsam 2 ounces. 
 
 Powdered Arnica Leaves \ ounce. 
 
 The Balsam to be melted and worked up with the leaves, adding Spirits ol 
 Turpentine if necessary. When thoroughly mixed, to be well rubbed inta 
 the whole leg, in a thin layer, and to be covered over with the Charge No. 
 59, which will set on its outside and act as a bandage, while the Arnica is a 
 restorative to the weakened vessels. This is an excellent application. 
 
 CLYSTERS, OR EHEMATA. 
 
 Clysters are intended either to relieve obstruction or spasm of the 
 bowels, and are of great service when properly applied. They may be 
 made of warm water or gruel, of which some quarts will be required in 
 colic. They should be thrown up with the proper syringe, provided with 
 valves and a flexible tube. 
 
 Eor the turpentine clyster in colic, see Antispasmodics. 
 
 Aperient clysters, see Aperients. 
 
 61. Anodyne Clyster in Diarrhoea — 
 
 Starch, made as for washing 1 quart. 
 
 Powdered Opium 2 drachms. 
 
 The Opium is to be boiled in water, and added to the starch. 
 
 CORDIALS 
 
 Are medicines which act as temporary stimulants to the whole system, 
 and especially to the stomach. They augment the strength and spirits 
 when depressed, as after over-exertion in work. 
 
 62. Cordial Balls — 
 
 Powdered Caraway Seeds 6 drachms. 
 
 Ginger 2 drachms. 
 
 Oil of Cloves 20 drops. 
 
 Treacle enough to make into a ball. 
 
 63. Powdered Aniseed 6 drachms. 
 
 Powdered Cardamoms 2 drachms. 
 
 Powdered Cassia 1 drachm. 
 
 Oil of Caraway 20 drops. 
 
 Mix with treacle into a ball. 
 
 64. Cordial Drench — 
 
 A quart of good ale warmed, and with plenty of grated ginger. 
 
MEDICINES. 
 
 591 
 
 65. Cordial and Expectorant — 
 
 Powdered Aniseed 4 ounce. 
 
 Powdered Squill 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Myrrh 1J drachm. 
 
 Balsam of Peru, enough to form a ball. 
 
 66. Liquorice Powder 4 ounce. 
 
 Gum Ammoniacum 3 drachms. 
 
 Balsam oPTolu 1| drachm. 
 
 Powdered Squill 1 drachm. 
 
 Linseed meal and boiling water, enough to form into a mass. 
 
 DEMULCENTS 
 
 Are used for the purpose of soothing irritations of the bowels, kid- 
 neys, or bladder, in the two last cases by their effect upon the secretion 
 of urine. 
 
 67. Demulcent Drench — 
 
 Gum Arabic \ ounce. 
 
 Water 1 pint. 
 
 Dissolve and give as a drench night and morning, or mixed with a mash. 
 
 68. Linseed 4 ounces. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Simmer till a strong and thick decoction is obtained, and give as above. 
 
 69. Marshmallow Drench — 
 
 Marshmallows A double handful. 
 
 Water 1 quart. 
 
 Simmer, as in No. 68, and use in the same way. 
 
 DIAPHOEETICS 
 
 Have a special action on the skin, increasing the perspiration some- 
 
 times to an enormous extent. 
 
 70. Ordinary Diaphoretic Drench — 
 
 Solution of Acetate of Ammonia 3 to 4 ounces. 
 
 Laudanum 1 ounce. 
 
 Mix, and give at night. Or, 
 
 71. Solution of Acetate of Ammonia 2 ounces. 
 
 Spirit of Nitric iEther 2 ounces. 
 
 Mix, and give a3 above. 
 
 72. In Hide-bound — 
 
 Emetic Tartar 1J drachm. 
 
 Camphor . 4 drachm. 
 
 Ginger 2 drachms. 
 
 Opium 4 drachm. 
 
 Oil of Caraway 15 drops. 
 
 Linseed meal and boiling water, to form a ball, which is to be given twice 
 or thrice a week. 
 
 73. In Hide-bound (but not so efficacious) — 
 
 Antimonial Powder 2 drachms. 
 
 Ginger 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Caraways 6 drachms. 
 
 Oil of Aniseed 20 drops. 
 
 Mix as above. 
 
 These remedies require moderate exercise in clothing to bring out their 
 effects, after which the horse should be whisped till quite dry. 
 
 DIGESTIVES. 
 
 Digestives are applications which promote suppuration, and the healing 
 of wounds or ulcers. 
 
592 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 74. Digestive Ointment — 
 
 Red Precipitate 2 ounces. 
 
 Venice Turpentine 3 ounces. 
 
 Beeswax 1 ounce. 
 
 Hog’s Lard 4 ounces. 
 
 Melt the three last ingredients over a slow fire, and when nearly cold 
 stir in the powder. 
 
 DIURETICS. 
 
 Diuretics are medicines which promote tlie secretion and discharge of 
 urine, the effect being produced in a different manner by different medi- 
 cines; some acting directly upon the kidneys by sympathy with the 
 stomach, while others are taken up by the blood-vessels, and in their 
 elimination from the blood cause an extra secretion of the urine. In 
 either case their effect is to diminish the watery part of the blood, and 
 thus promote the absorption of fluid effused into any of the cavities, or 
 into the cellular membrane in the various forms of dropsy. 
 
 75. Stimulating Diuretic Ball — 
 
 Powdered Resin .3 drachms. 
 
 Sal Prunelle .3 drachms. 
 
 Castile Soap . 3 drachms. 
 
 Oil of Juniper 1 drachm. Mix. 
 
 76. A more Cooling Diuretic Ball — 
 
 Powdered Nitre 
 
 Camphor 
 
 J uniper berries 
 
 Soap 
 
 Mix, adding linseed meal enough to form a ball. 
 
 \ to 1 ounce. 
 1 drachm. 
 
 1 drachm. 
 
 3 drachms. 
 
 77. Diuretic Powder for a Mash — 
 
 Nitre 4 to § ounce. 
 
 Resin 4 to | ounce. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 78. Another more Active Powder — 
 
 Nitre 6 drachms. 
 
 Camphor # . 1| drachm. Mix. 
 
 EMBROCATIONS. 
 
 Embrocations or liniments are stimulating or sedative external appli- 
 cations, intended to reduce the pain and inflammation of internal parts 
 when rubbed into the skin with the hand. 
 
 79. Mustard Embrocation — 
 
 Best Flour of Mustard , 
 
 Liquor of Ammonia 
 
 Oil of Turpentine 
 
 Mix with sufficient water to form a thin paste. 
 
 
 
 80. Stimulating Embrocation — 
 
 Camphor*. 
 
 Oil of Turpentine 
 
 Spirit of Wine 
 
 
 Mix. 
 
 1. Sweating Embrocation for Windgalls, &c. — 
 
 Strong Mercurial Ointment 
 
 Camphor 
 
 Oil of Rosemary 
 
 Oil of Turpentine . . . . 
 
 
 82. Another, but Stronger — 
 
 Strong Mercurial Ointment 
 
 Oil of Bay 
 
 Oil of Origanum 
 
 Powdered Cantharidea 
 
 
 Mix 
 
MEDICINES. 
 
 593 
 
 83. A most Active Sweating Embrocation — 
 
 Biniodide of Mercury i to 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Arnica Leaves 1 drachm. 
 
 Soap Liniment 2 ounces. Mix. 
 
 EMULSIONS. 
 
 When oily matters have their globules broken down by friction with 
 mucilaginous substances, such us gum arabic or yolk of egg, they are called 
 emulsions, and are specially useful in soothing irritation of the mucous 
 membrane, of the trachea, and bronchi. 
 
 84. Simple Emulsion — 
 
 Linseed Oil *2 ounces. 
 
 Honey 3 ounces. 
 
 Soft Water 1 pint. 
 
 Subcarbonate of Potass 1 drachm. 
 
 Dissolve the honey and potass in the water; then add the linseed oil by 
 degrees in a large mortar, when it should assume a milky appearance. It 
 may be given night and morning. 
 
 85. Another more active Emulsion — 
 
 Simple Emulsion, No. 84 7 ounces. 
 
 Camphor 1 drachm. 
 
 Opium in Powder \ drachm. 
 
 Oil of Aniseed 30 drops. 
 
 Rub the three last ingredients together in a mortar with some white sugar ; 
 then add the emulsion by degrees. 
 
 EXPECTORANTS. 
 
 Expectorants excite or promote a discharge of mucus from the lining 
 membrane of the bronchial tubes, thereby relieving inflammation and 
 allaying cough. 
 
 86. Expectorant Ball in Ordinary Cough without Inflammation — 
 
 Gum Ammoniacum | ounce. 
 
 Powdered Squill 1 drachm. 
 
 Castile Soap 2 drachms. 
 
 Honey enough to form a ball. 
 
 87. In Old Standing Cough (Stomach) — 
 
 Asafoetida 3 drachms. 
 
 Galbanum 1 drachm. 
 
 Carbonate of Ammonia J drachm. 
 
 Ginger li drachm. 
 
 Honey enough to form a ball. 
 
 88. A Strong Expectorant Ball^- 
 
 Emetic Tartar £ drachm. 
 
 Calomel 15 grains. 
 
 Digitalis £ drachm. 
 
 Powdered Squills | drachm. 
 
 Linseed meal and water enough to form a ball, which is not to be repeated 
 without great care. 
 
 EEBRIEUGES, 
 
 Generally called fever medicines, are given to allay the arterial and 
 nervous excitements which accompany febrile action. They do this 
 partly by their agency on the heart and arteries through the nervous 
 system, and partly by increasing the secretions of the skin and kidneys. 
 
 Q Q 
 
594 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 89. Fever Ball — 
 
 Nitre 4 drachms. 
 
 Camphor 1 1 drachm. 
 
 Calomel and Opium, of each 1 scruple. 
 
 Linseed meal and water enough to form a ball. Or, 
 
 90. Emetic Tartar 1£ to 2 drachms. 
 
 Compound Powder of Tragacanth 2 drachms. 
 
 Linseed meal as above. Or, 
 
 91. Nitre 3 drachms. 
 
 Camphor .2 drachms. 
 
 Mix as above. 
 
 92. Cooling Powder for Mash — 
 
 Nitre 6 drachms to 1 ounce. 
 
 May be given in a bran mash. 
 
 93. Cooling Drench — 
 
 Nitre 1 ounce. 
 
 Sweet Spirit of Nitre 2 ounces. 
 
 Tincture of Digitalis 2 drachms. 
 
 Whey 1 pint. 
 
 LOTIONS OR WASHES 
 
 Consist in liquids applied to the external parts, either to cool them or 
 to produce a healthy action in the vessels. 
 
 94. Cooling Solution for External Inflammation — 
 
 Goulard Extract 1 ounce. 
 
 Vinegar 2 ounces. 
 
 Spirits of Wine, or Gin 3 ounces. 
 
 Water 1^ pint. 
 
 Mix, and apply with a calico bandage. 
 
 95. Another, useful for Inflamed Legs, or for Galled Shoulders ci? 
 
 Back — 
 
 Sal Ammoniac 1 ounce. 
 
 Vinegar 4 ounces. 
 
 Spirits of Wine 2 ounces. 
 
 Tincture of Arnica 2 drachms. 
 
 Water J pint. Mix. 
 
 96. Lotion for Foul Ulcers — 
 
 Sulphate of Copper 1 ounce. 
 
 Nitric Acid . \ ounce. 
 
 Water 8 to 12 ounces. 
 
 Mix. 
 
 97. Lotion for the Eyes — 
 
 Sulphate of Zinc 20 to 25 grains. 
 
 Water 6 ounces. Mix. 
 
 98. Very Strong One, and only to be dropped in— 
 
 Nitrate of Silver 5 to 8 grains. 
 
 Distilled Water 1 ounce. 
 
 Mix, and use with a camel-hair brush. 
 
 NARCOTICS. 
 
 A distinction is sometimes made between anodynes and narcotics, hut 
 in veterinary medicine there is no necessity for separating them. (See 
 Anodynes.) 
 
 REFRIGERANTS 
 
 Lower the animal heat by contact with the skin, the ordinary ones 
 being cold air, cold water, ice, and evaporative lotions. (See Lotions.) 
 
MEDICINES. 
 
 595 
 
 SEDATIVES 
 
 Depress the action of the circulatory and nervous systems, without 
 affecting the mental functions. They are very powerful in their effects ; 
 and digitalis, which is the drug commonly used for this purpose, has a 
 special quality known by the name of cumulative : that is to say, if 
 repeated small doses are given at intervals for a certain time, an effect 
 is produced almost equal to that w r hich would follow the exhibition of 
 the whole quantity at once. Besides digitalis, aconite is also sometimes 
 used to lower the action of the heart, and by many it is supposed to be 
 equal in potency to that drug, without the danger which always attends 
 its use. 
 
 STIMULANTS. 
 
 By this term is understood those substances which excite the action 
 of the whole nervous and vascular systems; almost all medicines are 
 stimulants to some part or other, as, for instance, aperients, which stimu- 
 late the lining of the bowels, but to the general system are lowering. 
 On the other hand, stimulants, so called par excellence, excite and raise 
 the action of the brain and heart. 
 
 99. Old Ale 
 
 Carbonate of Ammonia 
 
 Tincture of Ginger 
 
 Mix and give as a drench. 
 
 
 For other stimulants, see Cordials. 
 
 
 STOMACHICS. 
 
 
 Stomachics are medicines given to improve 
 when impaired by bad management or disease. 
 
 the tone of the stomach 
 
 100. Stomachic Ball — 
 
 Powdered Gentian 
 
 Powdered Ginger 
 
 Carbonate of Soda 
 
 Treacle to form a ball. Or, 
 
 
 101. Cascarilla, powdered 
 
 Myrrh 
 
 Castile Soap 
 
 Mix, with syrup or treacle, into a ball. Or, 
 
 
 102. Powdered Colombo 
 
 Powdered Cassia 
 
 Powdered Rhubarb 
 
 Mix as in No. 101. 
 
 
 STYPTICS. 
 
 Styptics are remedies which have a tendency to stop the flow of blood 
 either from internal or external surfaces. They are used either by the 
 mouth, or to the part itself in the shape of lotions, &c. ; or the actual 
 cautery, which is always the best in external bleeding, may be employed. 
 Sometimes, however, the part cannot be reached with the heated iron, 
 and is yet within the influence of an injection, as in bleeding from the 
 nostrils, for which the following may be employed : — 
 
 103. Matico Leaves £ ounce. 
 
 Boiling Water 1 pint. 
 
 Infuse, and when cold strain and inject into the nostrils. 
 For internal styptics, see Astringents. 
 
 Q Q 2 
 
596 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 TONICS 
 
 Augment tlie vigour of the whole body permanently, whilst stimulants 
 only act for a short time. They are chiefly useful after low fever. 
 
 104. Tonic Ball — 
 
 Sulphate of Iron r ounce. 
 
 Extract of Camomile . 1 ounce. 
 
 Mix and form into a ball. Or, 
 
 105. Arsenic 10 grains.. 
 
 Ginger . . 1 drachm. 
 
 Powdered Aniseed 1 ounce. 
 
 Compound Powder of Tragacanth 2 drachms. 
 
 Syrup enough to form a ball. It is a very powerful tonic. 
 
 VERMIFUGES, OR WORM MEDICINES, 
 xIre described under the head of Anthelmintics, which see. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 LIST OF VETERINARY DRUGS, WITH THEIR ACTIONS AND DOSES. 
 
 Acetic Acid ; Distilled Vinegar. — Only used externally, as an ingredient 
 in cooling lotions. 
 
 Aconite ; Monkshood, Wolfsbane. — A most active poison in large doses. 
 Used medicinally, it is a powerful general sedative, anti-spasmodic, and 
 anodyne ; and by many practitioners it is preferred to Digitalis. It is 
 generally given as a tincture ; for which see 
 
 Aconite, Tincture of. — Take of root of Aconitum Napellus , dried and 
 powdered, 16 ounces; rectified spirit, 16 fluid ounces. Macerate for 
 four days ; then strain, adding enough spirit to make it up to 24 
 ounces. Dose, 10 minims to 20 minims. 
 
 Alcohol ; Spirit of Wine, known as rectified spirit, and proof spirit. — 
 The latter is used as a stimulant, in the dose of 2 ounces to 6 ounces. 
 
 Aloes ; Barbadoes is the kind of this drug which is chiefly used in 
 veterinary practice. — Its action is cathartic in large doses, nauseating in 
 medium doses, and tonic in small. Dose, from 2 drachms to 6 drachms. 
 For the foal, 5 grains may be given for every week of its age. 
 
 Aloes, Horse or Caballine ; an inferior and cheaper quality, generally the 
 residue from the purification of Barbadoes and Socotrine aloes. 
 
 Alum ; Sulphate of Alumina and Potass. — Action, irritant, astringent, 
 and sedative. Dose, 2 drachms to 4 drachms. 
 
 Ammonia, Liquor of; Caustic Ammonia, Spirit of Hartshorn. — A dif- 
 fusible stimulant internally; externally, a strong irritant. Dose, 2 
 drachms to 6 drachms. 
 
 Ammonia, Aromatic Spirit of ; Sal Volatile . — Used in the same way as 
 the Liquor, which is generally substituted for it in veterinary medicine. 
 
 Ammonia, Carbonate of. — A strong diffusible stimulant. Dose, 2 drachms 
 to 4 drachms. 
 
VETERINARY DRUGS. 
 
 697 
 
 Ammonia, Muriate of; Sal Ammoniac . — Only used externally, dissolved in 
 water as a lotion, mixed with an equal quantity of nitre. One part of 
 the mixture should he dissolved in sixteen parts of water, when it will 
 lower the temperature 40° of Fahrenheit. 
 
 Aniseed. — Stomachic and carminative. Dose, 1 drachm. 
 
 Antimony, Oxide of; Antimonial Powder. — Little used in veterinary 
 medicine. 
 
 Antimony, Sulphuret of. — A somewhat uncertain drug, alterative and 
 anthelmintic. Dose, 2 drachms to 1 ounce. 
 
 Antimony, Chloride of ; Butter of Antimony. — Used as a caustic. 
 
 Antimony, Tartarized ; Tartar Emetic. — A very common febrifuge and 
 anthelmintic for horses, but of late asserted by the authorities of the 
 Edinburgh Veterinary College to be almost inert ; and this assertion is 
 supported by a number of experiments. Dose, 1 drachm to 6 drachms. 
 
 Arsenic, White; Arsenious Acid. — In large doses, an irritant poison; in 
 small ones, a tonic, and having also a peculiar effect on the skin. Dose, 
 5 to 10 grains. 
 
 Arsenic, Fowler’s Solution of; Liquor Arsenicalis . — A solution of white 
 arsenic with potass in water, each ounce containing 4 grains of 
 arsenicous acid. Dose, 1J ounce to 2 ounces. 
 
 Asafcetida, Gum. — A mild stimulant, carminative, and vermifuge. 
 Dose, 2 drachms. 
 
 Belladonna ; Deadly Nightshade. — A narcotic acrid poison in large 
 doses ; in small doses, anodyne and anti-spasmodic. Dose, 2 ounces of 
 the dried leaves. 
 
 Calomel , Subchloride of Mercury. — Irritant, purgative, alterative, and 
 antiphlogistic. Dose, 20 grains to 1 drachm. 
 
 Camphor ; a peculiar concretion from Camphora officinarum, — Slightly 
 stimulant ; then sedative and anti-spasmodic. Dose, 1 drachm to 4 
 drachms. 
 
 Cantharides ; Blistering or Spanish Flies. — Given internally, irritant, 
 stimulant, and diuretic ; externally, rubefacient and vesicant. Dose, 
 4 grains to 20 grains. 
 
 Cantharides, Ointment of; Blistering Ointment. — For recipes, see 
 page 588. 
 
 Cantharides, Tincture of; Liquid Blister. — Powdered cantharides, 1 
 ounce; proof spirit, 16 ounces: digest for several days, and strain. An 
 active sweating or vesicating fluid. 
 
 Cantharidis Acetum. — A solution in ten parts of acetic acid of one of 
 powdered cantharides. More active than the liquid blister. 
 
 Cascarilla ; Bark of Croton Eleutcria. — A warm bitter tonic. Dose, 
 
 1 ounce to 2 ounces, generally made into an infusion. 
 
 Castor Oil ; expressed from Ricinus communis. — Purgative. Dose, 1 pint 
 
 Catechu ; extract from Acacia Catechu. — Astringent and antiseptic. Dose, 
 
 2 drachms to 5 drachms. 
 
 Chalk ; Carbonate of Lime. — Antacid and astringent in diarrhoea. Dose, 
 
 1 ounce to 2 ounces. 
 
 Chamomile ; Flowers of Anthemis Nohilis. — Stomachic, carminative, and 
 mildly tonic. Dose, 1 to 2 ounces. 
 
 Charcoal ; Carbon. — A powerful antiseptic ; chiefly used externally to 
 foul wounds. 
 
 Chloroform. — Anaesthetic, stimulant, and antispasmodic. Inhaled in 
 doses of from 2 to 6 ounces. Given internally — dose, 1 drachm to 
 
 2 drachms. 
 
593 THE HORSE. 
 
 Cinchona ; Bark of several species of Cinchona. — Astringent and tonic. 
 Dose, 1 ounce to 3 ounces. 
 
 Colchicum ; Meadow Saffron. — Cathartic, diuretic, and sedative. Dose 
 of the root or seeds, half a drachm to 2 drachms. 
 
 Copper, Sulphate of. — Tonic and astringent. Used externally it is a 
 mild caustic. Dose, 1 drachm to 2 drachms. 
 
 Copper, Subacetate of; Verdigris. — An external application in grease and 
 quittor. 
 
 Corrosive Sublimate, Chloride of Mercury. — An irritant poison. Used 
 as a caustic, or as a wash, dissolved in water, for mange, lice, &c. 
 
 Creosote. — Sedative, anodyne, astringent, and antiseptic. Dose, 20 to 
 30 minims. Used externally in skin diseases, mixed with lead or oil 
 — 1 drachm to 3 or 4 ounces. 
 
 Croton oil and seeds ; Croton Tiglium . — Internally a strong cathartic ; 
 externally a counter-irritant. Dose, 10 to 15 seeds; of the oil 15 to 
 20 drops. 
 
 Digitalis ; Foxglove ; leaves of Digitalis Purpurea. — A strong sedative 
 and diuretic. Dose, of the powdered leaves, 20 to 30 grains. 
 
 Ether, Sulphuric. — Stimulant, narcotic, and antispasmodic. Dose, 1 ounce 
 to 3 ounces. 
 
 Ether, Spirit of Nitric. — See Sweet Spirit of Nitre. 
 
 Galls; Excrescences of Quercus Infectoria. — A powerful astringent. 
 Dose, 4 drachms to 6 drachms. 
 
 Gallic Acid ; Tannin exposed to air and moisture. — Dose, \ drachm to 
 1 drachm. 
 
 Gentian ; Root of Gentiana Lutea. — A hitter stomachic and tonic. Dose, 
 4 drachms to 8 drachms. 
 
 Ginger ; Root of Zingiber officinale. — Stomachic, cordial, and carminative. 
 Dose, 1 ounce. 
 
 Glycerine ; one of the products of soap-boiling. — A most useful emollient 
 external application. 
 
 Gum Arabic. — Useful for making a soothing mucilaginous emulsion. 
 Dose, dissolve in water 1 ounce. 
 
 Gum Tragacanth. — Similar in its action and dose to Gum Acacia. 
 
 Hellebore, White. — See Veratrum. 
 
 Hemlock ; Leaves of Conium Maculatum. — Of little value as a medicine 
 for the horse. 
 
 Henbane ; Leaves of Hyoscyamus Niger . — Not much used. 
 
 Iodine is given internally to produce absorption of morbid growths. 
 Dose, 1 drachm to 1 J drachm. Externally it is applied in the form of 
 tincture. 
 
 Iodide of Potassium. — See Potassium, Iodide of. 
 
 Iron, Sulphate of; Green Vitriol. — Astringent and tonic. Dose, 1 drachm 
 to 3 drachms. 
 
 JuNirER Berries. — Carminative and diuretic. — Dose, 1 ounce to 3 ounces. 
 
 Lead, Oxide of; Litharge. — Used to make various plasters. 
 
 Lead, Acetate of. — Internally astringent, but not powerfully so in the 
 horse. Dose, 20 to 60 grains. Externally useful in the form of solution 
 as Goulard’s extract, and with lard, &c., as the cerate of acetate of lead. 
 
 Linseed; Linum Usitatissimum ; Flax seeds. — Used scalded as an emol- 
 lient food, and for fattening purposes, in quantities of 4 to 6 ounces. 
 
 Linseed Oil. — A mild purgative. Dose, 1 pint to 2 pints. - 
 
 Magnesia, Sulphate of. — Epsom salts, an uncertain cathartic, but gene- 
 rally diuretic. Dose, 1 pound to 2 pounds. 
 
VETERINARY i) RUGS. 
 
 599 
 
 Marsh-Mallows; Root of Althaea officinalis. — A mucilaginous emulsion 
 is made by boiling. See page 591. 
 
 Mercurial Ointment; Unguentum Hydrargyri. — Used externally for 
 mange and lice. 
 
 Mercury, Ammonio-Cliloride of ; White Precipitate. — Used as a local 
 application to kill lice. 
 
 Mercury, Nitrate of. — Used mixed with lard, &c., to form an ointment, 
 which is efficacious as a mild stimulant. 
 
 Magnesia, Carbonate of. — A mild aperient for foals ; see Rhubarb. 
 
 Muriatic Acid ; Hydrochloric Acid. — In small doses, tonic, 1 drachm 
 diluted with water. 
 
 Mustard ; Flour of the seeds of Sinapis Nigra. — Irritant applied 
 externally, but not very active in the horse. 
 
 Nitric Acid. — A tonic when largely diluted. Dose 1 drachm to 2 drachma 
 
 Nux Vomica. — A stimulant to the nerves, and useful in paralysis. Dose, 
 
 1 drachm. 
 
 Olive Oil. — Chiefly used as an ingredient in liniments. 
 
 Opium ; Juice of the Papaver Somniferum. — Primarily stimulant. Then 
 narcotic and anodyne. Dose, 1 drachm to 2 drachms. 
 
 Potassa Fusa; Caustic Potash. — An active caustic, but not very 
 manageable. 
 
 Potassium, Iodide of. — Diuretic and deobstruent, having the property of 
 causing the absorption of morbid growths. Dose, 2 drachms to 4 
 drachms. 
 
 Potass, Mtrate of; Mtre; Saltpetre. — Diuretic and febrifuge. Dose, G 
 to 8 drachms. 
 
 Potass, Acetate of. — The same as the nitrate, but milder in its effects on 
 the kidneys. 
 
 Prussic Acid ; Hydrocyanic Acid. — Used in the form of diluted hydro- 
 cyanic acid, to reduce the action of the heart. Dose, 20 to 30 
 minims. 
 
 Pyroxylic Acid; Medicinal Naphtha. — Narcotic, having a special 
 action on the bronchial mucous membrane. It is used in chronic 
 cough. Dose, ^ ounce. 
 
 Resin, or Rosin. — An active diuretic. Dose, 1 ounce to 2 ounces. 
 
 Rhubarb ; Root of Rheum Palmatum. — A mild purgative and stomachic, 
 chiefly employed for foals, combined with magnesia. 
 
 Salt, Common. See Chloride of Sodium. 
 
 Savin ; Tops of Juniperus Sabina. — Anthelmintic. The essential oil is 
 the best form. Dose, 3 to 4 drachms. 
 
 Silver, Nitrate of ; Lunar Caustic ; Lapis Infernalis. — Used externally 
 in the solid form and in solution. 
 
 Sodium, Chloride of; Common salt. — A useful addition to the diet of 
 horses. 
 
 Spermaceti Ointment. — A very useful foundation for several external 
 applications. 
 
 Sulphur. — An efficacious remedy in several skin diseases. 
 
 Sulphur Ointment, Compound. — Sulphur, \ pound ; white hellebore, 
 
 2 ounces ; nitre, 1 drachm; soft soap, \ pound; lard 1J pound: mix. 
 The most useful application, when united with turpentine, in mange. 
 
 Sulphuric Acid. — A powerful caustic, only used externally. 
 
 Sweet Spirit of Nitre. — Diuretic, diaphoretic, antispasmodic, and 
 stimulant. Dose, 1 ounce to 2 ounces. 
 
 Tannic Acid. — Powerfully astringent. Dose, 20 to 30 grains. 
 
600 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 Tar ; Fix Liquida . — TJsed externally as an ingredient in ointments, and 
 as a stimulant to tlie growth of horn. 
 
 Turpentine, Spirit of ; Oil of Turpentine. — An excellent antispasmodic, 
 diuretic, and vermifuge. Dose, 1 ounce to 2 ounces; or as a diuretic, 
 ± ounce to 1 ounce. 
 
 Veratrum Album ; White Hellebore. — Sedative, for which purpose it 
 is highly lauded by Mr. Percivall, who gave it in doses of 20 to 30 
 grains. Externally it forms an ingredient in several ointments. 
 
 Zinc, Carbonate of ; Calamine. — Used externally in the form of ointment. 
 
 Zinc, Oxide of. — Used externally as a mild soothing ointment, mixed 
 with lard. 
 
 Zinc, Sulphate of ; White Vitriol. — Dissolved in water to form a wash for 
 the eyes. 
 
 Zinc, Chloride of. — A strong caustic and antiseptic. Generally known as 
 Sir W. Burnett’s disinfecting fluid, which contains 25 grains in each 
 fluid drachm. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ON SOUNDNESS ; AND ON THE PUECHASE AND SALE OE 
 
 HOESES. 
 
 The elastic conscience of a horsedealer has become a by- word ; 
 but I confess that my experience does not lead me to conclude that the 
 class is more open to charges of unfair dealing than many others whose 
 proceedings have lately been exposed in the Bankruptcy and Nisi Prius 
 law courts. Eew intending purchasers of a horse will be content with 
 anything less than what they believe to be absolute perfection in him ; 
 and if the seller tells the truth about the animal he has to dispose of, his 
 chance of a sale would be a poor one. The dealer is, therefore, placed in 
 the dilemma of being compelled either to give his horse a character which 
 he does not deserve, or to forego all chance of a sale; and hence it is not 
 surprising that he draws rather extensively upon his imagination. Accord- 
 ing to my experience, however, amateurs are not exempt from this failing ; 
 and if I were compelled to purchase a horse from character alone, I should 
 far prefer relying upon that given by a respectable dealer. The latter 
 class are, no doubt, more skilled in hiding defects and disease, and there- 
 fore it requires a more practical knowledge of the horse to detect their 
 artifices where they are sufficiently shortsighted to adopt them. On the 
 whole, however, it may generally be concluded that unless a gentleman 
 has had an extensive experience in purchasing horses, he will do well to 
 place himself in the hands of a dealer, telling him exactly what he wants , 
 and not pretending a knowledge which he does not possess. 
 
 In all large towns there are men of some character and standing, who 
 may be selected for this purpose ; and in London, Dublin, Edinburgh, 
 Birmingham, Liverpool, Cheltenham, and Leamington, there are reposi- 
 tories, where horses are sold by auction on stated days. These auction- 
 marts save the vendor from all responsibility, whether pecuniary or moral, 
 unless a warranty is given, either of soundness or freedom from vice, and 
 then the stipulation only lasts for forty-eight hours. If the horse is re- 
 turned within that time, accompanied by a certificate of unsoundness or 
 vice, the auctioneer must take him back, and return the purchase-money, 
 unless he is prepared to dispute the evidence which is forwarded to him. 
 Under ordinary warranties there is no limitation of the time to which 
 they shall extend, and a horse warranted sound may be returned at any 
 subsequent time if the purchaser can prove that he was unsound at the 
 time of sale. But the lapse of several weeks or months without doing so 
 is generally considered to be a strong argument that the purchaser did not 
 
602 
 
 THE HORSE. 
 
 consider the animal to be unsound until be gave notice to the vendor ; 
 and this is strong presumptive evidence that the unsoundness did not 
 exist. 
 
 The definition of unsotjndness is, “ the existence of disease or altera- 
 tion of structure which does or will impair the horse’s natural usefulness.” 
 Vice also may be defined, on a similar principle, as “the prevalence of a 
 habit which interferes with the horse’s natural usefulness.” But these 
 definitions must be taken with some modifications, for there is not one 
 horse in a hundred which does not possess some disease or vice likely to 
 impair his general usefulness to some slight extent ; indeed, the proportion 
 of strictly sound horses may be considered to be much smaller even than 
 this. A bad feeder is so generally from a disordered state of stomach, 
 and such a horse cannot stand work like one which will consume double 
 the quantity of corn, yet he would not be considered unsound ; nor would 
 a horse be returnable as vicious if he showed the usual symptoms of 
 being “fresh,” though they might impair his usefulness in carrying a 
 timid rider. But subject to such modifications, the above definitions 
 may be accepted as sufficient to make intelligible the terms, Unsoundness 
 and Vice. 
 
 The following diseases and accidents are generally considered not to 
 render their possessors unsound : — 
 
 Bog spavin, in a slight degree only. 
 
 A broken knee, unless the joint is injured so as to impair its functions, 
 is not considered to be unsoundness. 
 
 Capped hocks and elbows do not produce any lameness, nor do they 
 in any way interfere with the action of the joints to which they are 
 adjacent. 
 
 Contraction of the foot is no evidence of disease, and, taken by 
 itself, is not sufficient to prove it to be unsound. 
 
 Crib-biting was decided, in the cases of Broennenbury v. Haycock and 
 Scolefield v. Robb , not to be unsoundness ; but Baron Parker ruled in the 
 latter that it came within the meaning of the word “ vice.” Undoubtedly 
 this is a habit which is generally attended by impaired digestion, and, as 
 such, it comes strictly within the definition given above ; but the law is 
 as I have stated it. 
 
 Curby hocks, though experience may tell us they are likely to be 
 attended by curbs, are decided not to be unsoundness. In Brown v. 
 Elkington , the attention of the vendor was directed to the hocks by the 
 purchaser before the sale, as likely to spring curbs ; but in the action on 
 the warranty it was held by Lord Abinger that “ a defect in the formation 
 of the horse, which had not occasioned lameness at the time of sale, 
 though it might render the animal more liable to be lame at some future 
 time, w T as no breach of warranty ; ” and the Court of Exchequer confirmed 
 this view of the law, by refusing a rule for a new trial. 
 
 Cutting, on the same principle, is no breach of warranty, unless the 
 horse is lame from it at the time of sale. 
 
 A splint is not, in itself, evidence of unsoundness; but if it is so 
 situated as necessarily to interfere with the suspensory ligament or 
 tendons, or if it has already produced lameness, it is to be accepted as a 
 mark of unsoundness. 
 
 Thoroughpin, when existing to a moderate extent, is not sufficient to 
 render the horse unsound ; but this will always be a question of opinion, 
 and a horse with thoroughpin is, therefore, not to be warranted with 
 safety. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 603 
 
 Thrush, occurring from mismanagement only, and. not from any defect 
 in the horse, is clearly not to he considered as unsoundness. 
 
 Soreness of the joints from work, as it soon goes off after a short rest, 
 is not accepted as unsoundness. 
 
 Windgalls are also only evidences of work, and do not usually cause 
 lameness. When this coexists, it is sufficient to produce unsoundness, 
 without resorting to the windgalls. 
 
 The following list comprises the diseases and injuries which have 
 been settled as sufficient to entitle the purchaser to return a horse warranted 
 sound : — 
 
 Bog spavin, when it is so severe as clearly to interfere with the action 
 of the joint; and blood spavin, as marking an aggravated form of the 
 same disease. 
 
 Breaking down, even though the horse is restored so as to run without 
 lameness. 
 
 Broken wind. 
 
 Cataract, in any degree. 
 
 Corns, unless very trifling; but they should be discovered within a 
 few days of the sale, or it may be alleged that they have been produced 
 by subsequent mismanagement. 
 
 Cough, as long as it lasts. A horse with chronic cough is clearly 
 returnable. 
 
 Curbs constitute unsoundness ; but they must be shown to exist at the 
 time of purchase, for a horse may throw one out immediately after he is 
 transferred to the purchaser. 
 
 Diseases of the organic kind, in any of the internal viscera. 
 
 Farcy. 
 
 Founder, or laminitis, whether it produces lameness or not, if it 
 manifestly has existed, is to be accepted as unsoundness ; for when there 
 is evidence of its previous occurrence, the laminae are injured so much as 
 inevitably to lead to lameness when the horse is put to work. 
 
 Grease, and Glanders. 
 
 Mange. 
 
 Megrims, when the attack comes on subsequently to the sale, and can 
 be shown to have occurred before it. 
 
 A nerved horse is unsound from the existence of the disease for which 
 the operation has been performed, as well as from the division of the nerves. 
 
 Ophthalmia, if it can be proved to have previously existed, and comes 
 on soon after the purchase, is to be received as unsoundness. So, also 
 when any of the evidences of its previous presence can be detected, and 
 are proved by a veterinary surgeon, the horse is returnable. 
 
 Ossification of any of the structures adjacent to the joints is unsound- 
 ness, and hence ossification of the lateral cartilages will be considered so, 
 without doubt. 
 
 Pumiced foot, as evidence of laminitis. 
 
 Quidding. 
 
 Quittor. 
 
 Bingbones, and Sidebones, whether large or small, are undoubtedly 
 sufficient to constitute a horse unsound. 
 
 Roaring, whistling, &c., as evidence of contraction of the rima glot 
 tidis, and therefore interfering with respiration. 
 
 Ruptures of all kinds. 
 
 Spavin (bone), although it may not have occasioned lameness, if it i3 
 clearly the disease so named. 
 
604 
 
 THE HOUSE. 
 
 Stringiialt has been decided to be unsoundness ( Thompson v. Patterson), 
 
 Thick wind, as marking some impediment to respiration. 
 
 Thrush, when it is in one of its severe forms, and not caused by mis- 
 management. 
 
 Thickening of the back sinews, or suspensory ligament, when existing 
 to any extent easily appreciable, is to be received as a proof of unsoundness. 
 
 Eeturnable Vices are comprehended in the following list : — 
 
 Biting, when carried to any unusual extent. 
 
 Bolting or running away. 
 
 Crib-biting. 
 
 Kicking, when more than usual. 
 
 Kestiveness, or refusal to proceed in the desired direction. 
 
 Bearing. 
 
 Shying, when marked. 
 
 Weaving in the stable. 
 
 When a horse is purchased, with the conditions that he is warranted 
 sound, or free from vice, or quiet to ride and drive, the warranty must 
 either be in writing, or given in the presence of a disinterested third 
 person. The form of warranty is as follows, and it is better that it should 
 be on the same paper as the stamped receipt, though this is not absolutely 
 necessary if it is shown that the receipt is properly given. 
 
 Date. 
 
 Deceived of A.B.C. fifty pounds for a bay gelding, by Smalihopes, war 
 ranted five years old, sound, free from vice, and quiet to ride and drive. 
 
 50 1. X.Y.Z. 
 
 Any one or more of these points may be omitted, or the horse may 
 simply be warranted “a good hack,” in which case he must fairly answer 
 that description. The terms “has been hunted,” or “ has carried a lady,” 
 are not to be trusted, as it is only necessary to prove in defence that the 
 horse has seen hounds, and had a woman on his back. 
 
 Whether the horse under examination is to be warranted or not, 
 the intending purchaser should never omit to look over every point where 
 unsoundness is likely to occur. To do this effectually it should be done 
 regularly, by which there is less chance of passing over any serious defect. 
 The usual mode of proceeding is as follows. Under no circumstances, if it 
 can possibly be avoided, should the horse be looked at immediately after 
 having been out of doors ; and if he is of necessity brought to the pur- 
 chaser, let him be put in the stable and quietly rested for one or two 
 hours at the least, by which time the effects of most of the “ coping” 
 tricks will have gone off. 
 
 Before the horse passes the stable-door, stop him with his head 
 just inside, and in that position carefully examine his eyes. The light is 
 exactly suited to this, and the sensibility of the iris may be well judged 
 of. Any specks or opacities are also here readily seen. Then let him be 
 led to a level surface, and then proceed to look over every part, beginning 
 with that nearest the one already inspected, namely the mouth. Then 
 “ cough” him by tightly grasping the larynx, by which some idea may be 
 formed of the state of his respiratory organs, after which the usual 
 manoeuvre with the stick may be practised if there is no opportunity of 
 examining into his freedom from roaring in the saddle. When these 
 points are satisfactorily disposed of, look to the position of the fore legs, 
 that is, whether they are turned in or out, and if the latter feel the 
 elbows, and see if they are confined or “tied,” that is too close to thn 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 605 
 
 ribs, also look for marks of cutting and speedy cutting. Pass the hand 
 down the back sinews and suspensory ligaments, examine the knees for 
 any marks, and then carefully feel the coronets and heels for any marks 
 of exostosis or ossification. Lastly, take a good look at the front of the 
 foot, and then lifting it inspect the frog, heels, and sole. This will 
 complete the front half of the body, after which the form of the 
 middle and loins should be regarded, and then, lifting the tail, the 
 openness or otherwise of the space round the anus will give some idea 
 of the strength of constitution, while the resistance afforded by the dock 
 will be a sign of the muscular strength of the back. Then look care- 
 fully at the hocks, examine the spavin and curb places, and finish the 
 whole by passing the hand down the hind cannon bones to the fetlocks, and 
 feel them in the same order as in the fore legs. Now let the horse rest a 
 minute if his groom will let him, with his head quite at liberty, and you 
 will be able to judge of his ordinary habit of standing, when unexcited. 
 At the conclusion of this careful examination while at rest, the action 
 must be as minutely investigated, by first having the horse walked with a 
 loose rein , and then trotted in the same way slowly , when if he is sound he 
 will put his feet down regularly and firmly. Grooms, when they want to 
 conceal defects, will not let the head be loose, nor will they trot slowly, 
 but bustle the horse along with their hands as close as possible to the 
 mouth, so as to prevent any nodding of the head as much as they can. A 
 very good judge will be perhaps able to select a pleasant pack or harness 
 horse by seeing him thus run, and afterwards ridden, but a far better test 
 is to ride or drive him yourself, when his freedom from vice, or disease, 
 may be ascertained, as well as his manners, and the ease of his various paces. 
 No trouble should be spared to get this real trial, which is worth ten per 
 cent, on the purchase money, for many a horse which looks to go well 
 does not feel so, and it is well worth that sum to be saved the trouble 
 attending upon the possession of a horse which does not suit. When, 
 however, after such a careful examination by a competent judge, and sub- 
 sequent trial in the saddle or in harness, the horse is found to be really 
 likely to answer all the purposes for which he is wanted, a few pounds 
 should never prevent his being obtained. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Abdomen, boundaries of tbe, 424 ; con- 
 tents of, ib. ; longitudinal sectional 
 plan of the, 425 ; transverse sectional 
 plan of the, 426. 
 
 Abdominal diseases, general remarks 
 on, 497. 
 
 Abdominal viscera, supply of blood to 
 the, 427 ; nerves of the, ib, 
 
 Abyssinia, the horses of, 17. 
 
 Accidents to the legs and feet, 547. 
 
 Action, locomotive, of horses, 119. 
 
 African horses, 17. 
 
 Age of the horse, marks of, 315 , et seq. 
 
 Agricultural horse, the, 112. 
 
 Ali Bey, his description of the modern 
 Arab, 17. 
 
 Alimentary canal, absorption of fluid 
 from, 428. 
 
 Alteratives, action of, 582 ; receipts for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Atlo-axoid ligament, superior, 357 ; in- 
 ferior, ib. 
 
 Amaurosis, nature of, 526 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Amble, the, description of, 134. 
 
 America, list of English horses im- 
 ported into, 37. 
 
 American horse, fastest trotting on re- 
 cord of, 31. 
 
 American match-trotting, extent of, 32. 
 
 American thoroughbred, the, 36 ; stout- 
 ness of the, 42. 
 
 American trotter, the, 31 ; pedigrees 
 of, 34. 
 
 Amphiarthrodial joints, 354. 
 
 Anasarca, treatment of, 551 ; symptoms 
 of, 551. 
 
 Anchylosis, nature of, 454 ; of the 
 shoulder- joint, case of, 462. 
 
 Ancient methods of using the horse, 4. 
 
 Anodynes, action of, 584 ; recipes for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Anaesthetics, action of, 583 ; recipes for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Antacids, action of, 585 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Antispasmodics, action of, 585; recipes 
 for, ib. 
 
 Anthelmintics, action of, 585 ; recipes 
 for, ib. 
 
 Aperients, action of, 586; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Apparatus for breaking to harness, 183. 
 
 Apoplexy, nature of, 521 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Arab horse, colour of the, 20 ; food of 
 
 the, ib. ; of antiquity, 3 ; pure, 19 ; 
 speed of the, 20; stallion, the, 19; 
 the modern, 17 ; mare, the, 23. 
 
 Arsenic, treatment of the effects of, 
 499. 
 
 Arteries, arranged in two groups, 412 ; 
 coats of the, ib. ; plan of the, 413. 
 
 Arteria, 414 ; aorta, 412 — 414 ; aorta, 
 anterior, anatomy of, 414 ; aorta, pos- 
 terior, 416; auricularis, 415; axillaris, 
 414; carotidsea externa, 415; caro- 
 tidaea interna, 415, 416 ; cervicalis 
 inferior, 414 ; cervicalis superior, ib.; 
 circumflexa ilii, 416; cseliaca, ib.; 
 common carotid, 414 ; dorsalis, ib. ; 
 epigastrica, 417; femoralis, 416; 
 gastrica, ib. ; hepatica, ib. ; iliaca ex- 
 terna, ib. ; innominata, 414 ; plan of 
 branches of, 415; tibialis anterior, 
 417; lumbalis, 416; masseterica, 415 ; 
 maxillaris interna, ib.; mesenterica 
 anterior, 416 ; mesenterica posterior, 
 ib. ; obturator, ib. ; of the bulb, ib. 
 of the frog, 451 ; plantaris, ib. ; occi- 
 pitalis, 416 ; parotidsea, 415 ; po- 
 plitsea, 416 ; profunda femoris, 417 ; 
 pterygoidea interna, 415 ; renalis, 
 416 ; sacralis lateralis, ib. ; sperma- 
 tica, ib. ; splenica, ib. ; submaxillaris, 
 415 ; iliaca interna, 416 ; thoracica ex- 
 terna, 414 ; thoracica interna, ib. ; 
 tibialis posterior, 417;, umbilicalis, 
 416; vertebralis, 414. 
 
 Arteries, supplying the abdominal vis- 
 cera, 427 ; anatomy of the, 411 ; of 
 the foot, the, 451 ; of the foot, view 
 of, injected, ib. ; of the frog and sole, 
 view of, injected, 452 ; of the stomach, 
 431. 
 
 Articulation, astragalo-calcanean, 381 ; 
 between the bones of the tarsus, ib. ; 
 carpo-metacarpal, 368 ; cbondro-cos- 
 tal, 360 ; chondro-sternal, ib. ; costo- 
 transverse, ib. ; costo-vertebral, 359 ; 
 coxo-femoral, 375 ; femoro-tibial, 376 ; 
 inter-metacarpal, 371 ; inter-meta- 
 tarsal, 383 ; inter-phalangeal, 371 ; 
 lumbo-sacral, 362 ; metacarpo-phalan- 
 geal, 371 ; of atlas with occiput, 357; 
 of dentata with atlas, 357 ; of the 
 lumbar vertebrae and sacrum, 362 ; 
 of the thorax, 358 ; phalangeo-pedal, 
 374 ; radio-carpal, 367 ; remaining, of 
 the posterior members, 383; sacro- 
 
808 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 iliac, 363 ; scapulo-humeral, 364 ; 
 tarso-metatarsal, 382 ; temporo-max- 
 illary, 362; tibio-fibular, 379 ; tibio- 
 tarsal, 379 ; view of costo-vertebral, 
 360 ; view of metacarpo-pbalangeal, 
 372. 
 
 Arthrodia, 353. 
 
 Arytenoid cartilages, anatomy of the, 
 421 ; view of, ib. 
 
 Asiatic horses, 25. 
 
 Astragalus, os, 348. 
 
 Astringents, action of, 587 ; recipes for, 
 ib. 
 
 Atlas, articulation of, with occiput, 357, 
 back view of, 327. 
 
 Atmospheric air, changes produced in 
 by respiration, 418. 
 
 Attitude assumed by horses in standing, 
 
 120 . 
 
 Australian horse, the, 26. 
 
 Austrian horse, the, 45. 
 
 Average age of the horse, 14. 
 
 Back and loins, symptoms of strain in, 
 471 ; treatment of strain in, ib. 
 
 Back-raking, mode of performing, 582. 
 
 Back sinews, remarks on strain of the, 
 473 ; symptoms of strain of the, 474; 
 treatment of strain of the, ib. 
 
 Balanitis, symptoms of, 516; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Bandages, use and application of, 252. 
 
 Barb, the, 15. 
 
 Barbs, treatment of, 499. 
 
 Barley as food for horses, 228. 
 
 Barnacles, description of the, 573. 
 
 Bar shoe, the, 563 ; view of the, ib. 
 
 Bath, the Turkish, 266 ; plan of Turkish, 
 267. 
 
 Beans, used as food, 225. 
 
 Bedding of Horses, 240 ; wheat straw 
 for, ib. ; refuse tan for, 241 ; sand 
 for, ib. ; sawdust for, ib. 
 
 Birman horse, the, 26. 
 
 Bites of insects, treatment of, 350. 
 
 Bit, used for breaking, 175. 
 
 Bits, varieties of snaffle, 285 ; of curb, 
 287. 
 
 Biting, remedy for the vice, 261. 
 
 Bladder, anatomy of the, 437 ; diseases 
 of, 514 ; calculi in, 515. 
 
 Bladebone, the, 317; profile view of, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Blacking, recipe for harness, 282. 
 
 Bleeding, remarks on, 573 ; quantity of 
 blood taken in, 574 ; when performed, 
 ib. ; instruments used in, ib. 
 
 Blindness, caused by various diseases, 
 523. 
 
 Blistering, remarks on, 577. 
 
 Blisters, action of, 588 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Blood, physiology of the, 409 ; circula- 
 tion of the, 410 ; purity of in the 
 racehorse, 82 ; spavin, identical with 
 bog spavin, which see, 468. 
 
 Blood-vessels of the chest and nose, 
 diseases of the, 496. 
 
 Bog spavin, nature of, 468; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Bone, its structure, 301 ; office of, ib. ; 
 corpuscles of, 306 ; medulla of, 307 ; 
 periosteum of, ib. ; lymphatics of, ib .; 
 enumeration of the diseases of, 453. 
 
 Bone-spavin, nature of, 459; view of, ib.; 
 symptoms of, ib. ; treatment of, 460. 
 
 Bones, number of, composing the 
 skeleton, 309. 
 
 Bots, nature of, 501 ; group of, attached 
 to the stomach, 502 ; uselessness of 
 treatment for, ib. 
 
 Breastbone, the, 334 ; profile view of, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Breast-strap, view of, 303. 
 
 Breastplate, the, 284. 
 
 Breathing, essence of, 418. 
 
 Breechen and kicking strap united, 
 view of, 302. 
 
 Breaking down, remarks on, 475 ; symp- 
 toms of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Breaking, halter used for, 475 ; superi- 
 ority of the ordinary method of, 182 ; 
 for the saddle, ordinary English 
 method of, 175 ; Rarey’s apparatus for, 
 166; to harness, 183 ; apparatus for, 
 ib. ; bit used for, 175; importance of 
 forming the mouth in, 178; first 
 thing to be done in, 177. 
 
 Break, Dr. Bunting’s, 185; or trevis, 
 the, 573. 
 
 Breed of race-horses, object of encou- 
 raging the, 80 ; of horses in India, 25. 
 
 Breeding, advantages and disadvantages 
 of each plan of, 142; best age for, 
 145 ; blood most suitable for hunters, 
 153; causes of a “hit” in, 143; 
 choice of a sire and dam in, 148; 
 concluding remarks on, 155 ; in-and- 
 in, 140; importance of health in, 
 144 ; importance of soundness in. ib.; 
 influence of the sire and dam in, 146 ; 
 kind of horse most profitable for, 
 154 ; out crossing in, 141; principles 
 of, 137 ; selection of blood in each 
 class of horse, 150. 
 
 Bridle, the chain snaffle, 286 ; the Chif- 
 ney bit, 287 ; the curb, 286 ; the 
 doable - jointed snaffle, ib. ; the 
 double-ring snaffle, ib. ; the gag 
 snaffle, ib. ; the Hanoverian Pel- 
 ham, 287 ; the ordinary curb, ib. ; 
 the plain Pelham, ib. ; the plain 
 snaffle, 285 ; the snaffle with double 
 mouth-piece, ib. ; the twisted snaffle, 
 ib. ; the unjointed snaffle, 286. 
 
 Bridle hooks, 211. 
 
 Bridles, varieties of, 284; remarks on, ib. 
 
 British horse, the original, 4. 
 
 Broken-knee, treatment of slight, 478 , 
 treatment of when the joint is opened, 
 ib. 
 
 Broken wind, nature of, 494 ; symptoms 
 of, 495 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
INDEX. 609 
 
 Bronchi, anatomy of the, 422. 
 
 Bronchial glands, anatomy of the, 423. 
 
 Bronchial tubes, subdivision of, 423. 
 
 Bronchitis, nature of, 481 ; symptoms 
 of, 482 ; treatment of, ib . ; treatment 
 of chronic, ib. 
 
 Brood mare, the, 156 ; after treatment 
 of the foal, 163; early treatment of 
 the foal, 162; general management 
 of the, 159 ; hovel for, 156 ; paddock 
 for, ib . ; time of sending to the 
 horse, 160 ; treatment of the, when 
 in foal, ib . ; treatment of, after foal- 
 ing, 161 ; weaning of the foal, 163. 
 
 Brougham horse, the, 109. 
 
 Bucephalus noseband, the, 287. 
 
 Buck eye, nature of, 526. 
 
 Bunting, Dr., his break, 185. 
 
 Bkrsae mucosae, anatomy of, 385 ; nature 
 of inflammation in, 469 ; varieties of 
 inflammation in, 470. 
 
 Cab-horse, the, 109. 
 
 Calcaneo-astragalan articulation, 362. 
 
 Calcis, os, 348. 
 
 Calculi in the bowels, nature of, 509 ; 
 urinary, 515; symptoms of urinary, 
 516; treatment of urinary, 516. 
 
 Canadian horse, the, 28 ; portrait of, 
 29. 
 
 Canter, the, 129 ; mode of starting into 
 a, 294. 
 
 Capillaries, anatomy of the, 412. 
 
 Capped elbow, treatment of, 470 ; hock, 
 cause of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Capsule, the suprarenal, 436. 
 
 Capulet, treatment of, 470. 
 
 Caries, nature of, 454 ; of the jaw, 
 symptoms of, 464 ; treatment of, ib 
 
 Carpo-metacarpal articulation, 368. 
 
 Carpus (wrist or knee-joint), articula- 
 tions of, 348; bones of the, 339; 
 anterior view of, ib. 
 
 Carriage horse, the, 109. 
 
 Carriage, brougham, or cab-horse, por- 
 trait of the, 110. 
 
 Carrots, as food, 229. 
 
 Cart-horse, the Clydesdale, 117 ; the 
 Lincolnshire, 115; the old English 
 black, 112; the Suffolk, 114; the 
 Vermont, 42 ; mixed breeds of, 118. 
 
 Cartilage, 350 ; articular, ib. ; blood- 
 vessels of, ib. ; chemical composition 
 of, 51; diseases of, 468; epithelium 
 of, 350 ; fibro, 352 : nerves of, 350 ; 
 perichondrium of, ib. ; ulceration of, 
 468. 
 
 Cartilages, the costal, 360; the lateral, 
 452 ; of the ribs, 360. 
 
 Casting, method of, 572 ; for operations 
 upon the fore leg, ib. ; method of for 
 castration, ib. 
 
 Castration, 164; method of casting for, 
 572; operation for, 577. 
 
 Cataract, causes of, 525; nature of, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Catarrh, nature of, 479 ; epidemic, 480 ; 
 treatment of, ib. ; epidemic, 481. 
 
 Catchpit, section of, 198. 
 
 Caustics, action of, 589 ; recipes for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Celebrated match made by the Duke of 
 Queensbury, 59. 
 
 Cerebellum, anatomy of the, 442. 
 
 Cerebrum, anatomy of the, 432. 
 
 Cervical ligament, 341 ; view of, 342. 
 
 Cervical vertebrae, 325 ; peculiarities of, 
 326 ; profde view of, ib. 
 
 Chaff, as food for the horse, 229. 
 
 Chaff-machines, 193. 
 
 Chapped heels, treatment of, 531. 
 
 Charges, action of, 590 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Charger, the, 100; portrait of, 100; the 
 Norman, 45. 
 
 Chest, water on the, 493. 
 
 Chifney bit, the, 287. 
 
 Childers, the Devonshire, 68 ; the Fly- 
 ing, 68. 
 
 Chloroform, apparatus for administer- 
 ing, 571; mode of administration, 
 ib. 
 
 Chondro-costal articulations, 360; view 
 of, ib. 
 
 Chondro-sternal articulations, 360. 
 
 Chronic cough, nature of, 483 ; symp- 
 toms of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Chyle, the, 428. 
 
 Circulation, plan of the, 410. 
 
 Classification of the horse, 5. 
 
 Cleveland horse, the, 118. 
 
 Clipping the horse, 247. 
 
 Clothes, remedy for tearing off the, 259. 
 
 Clothing for horses, 216. 
 
 Clover, for soiling, 230. 
 
 Clydesdale horse, 117 ; portrait of, ib 
 
 Clysters, mode of administering, 582 ; 
 action of, 590 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Coach-house, 211. 
 
 Coachman, 214. 
 
 Cob, the, 95, 107. 
 
 Ccecum, anatomy of the, 434. 
 
 Coffin- joint, anatomy of, 374. 
 
 Cold, nature of, 479; treatment of, 480. 
 
 Colic, nature of, 505 ; symptoms of, 
 ib . ; flatulent, signs of, ib . ; from 
 stoppage, symptoms of, 506 ; signs 
 of spasmodic, 505 ; treatment of 
 spasmodic, 506 ; treatment of flatu- 
 lent, ib. ; treatment of from impac- 
 tion, ib. ; treatment required after, 
 507. 
 
 Colon, anatomy of the, 434. 
 
 Colour of the Arab horse, 23. 
 
 Colt, breaking of the, 164. 
 
 Comparative stoutness of horses, 73. 
 
 Concealed manger for crib-biters, 208. 
 
 Condimental food, artificial. 231 ; recipe 
 for, 232. 
 
 Conestoga draught-horse, the, 43 ; por- 
 trait of the, ib. 
 
 Congestion of the lungs, symptoms of, 
 491 ; treatment of, ib. ; remarks on, 
 
 490 . 
 
 R R 
 
610 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Conjunctiva, anatomy of, 445. 
 
 Constitutional diseases, 550. 
 
 Consumption (phthisis), symptoms of, 
 494 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Convulsions, symptoms of, 518 ; treat- 
 ment of, ib. 
 
 Coccygeal joints, 362 ; vertebrae, 332 ; 
 profile view of, ib. 
 
 Contraction of the foot, 543. 
 
 Cord, anatomy of the spinal, 439. 
 
 Cordials, action of, 590; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Corn for the horse, 223. 
 
 Corns, nature of, 534 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Coronary frog band, the, 450. 
 
 Coronary substance, anatomy of the, 
 450. 
 
 Coronae, os, 341. 
 
 Corrosive sublimate, treatment of effects 
 of, 499. 
 
 Costae, the ribs, 333. 
 
 Costo-transverse articulations, 359. 
 
 Costo- vertebral articulations, 359 ; in- 
 terior view of, ib. 
 
 Cotyloid cavity, view of, 343. 
 
 Cough, nature of chronic, 483 ; symp- 
 toms of chronic, ib . ; treatment of 
 chronic, ib. 
 
 Covert hack, the, 101. 
 
 Coxae, os, 343. 
 
 Coxo-femoral articulation, 375. 
 
 Cranium, bones of the, 314. 
 
 Crib-biting, remedy for, 257. 
 
 Cricoid cartilage, anatomy of, 421. 
 
 Cruizer in the power of his master, 168 ; 
 with the leg-strap and surcingle on, 
 
 167. 
 
 Crust of the hoof, anatomy of the, 449. 
 
 Cubitus, the, 336. 
 
 Cuboides, os, 348. 
 
 Cuneiforme, os, 339 ; os magnum, 348 ; 
 os parvum, 349. 
 
 Curb-bit, the, 286. 
 
 Curb-bits, varieties of, 287. 
 
 Curb-bridle, the ordinary, 287. 
 
 Curb, nature of, 476; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Cuts, stable management of, simple, 
 273. 
 
 Cutting, ordinary, 547 ; description of 
 speedy, 549; prevention of, 300, 548; 
 treatment of effects of, 549; treat- 
 ment of ordinary, 547 ; treatment of 
 speedy, 548. 
 
 Cushion of the frog, 450. 
 
 Cystitis, symptoms of, 514 ; treatment 
 of, 514. 
 
 Daily exercise of the horse, 205. 
 
 Damascus Arab, importation of, into 
 England, 58. 
 
 Darley Arabian, the, 57. 
 
 Demulcents, action of, 591 ; recipes for, 
 ib. 
 
 Dental formula of the horse, 5. 
 
 Dentata, anterior view of vertebra, 328 ; 
 posterior view of vertebra, ib. 
 
 Depuration, its office in the animal 
 economy, 429. 
 
 Dermis, the, 446. 
 
 Devonshire Childers, the, 68. 
 
 Diabetes, symptoms of, 512; treatment 
 of, 513. 
 
 Diaphoretics, action of, 519; recipes ’or, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Diaphragm, symptoms of spasm of, 496 ; 
 treatment of spasm of, ib. 
 
 Diarrhoea, nature of, 507 ; treatment 
 of, 508. 
 
 Diarthrodial joints, 353. 
 
 Digestion, physiology of, 427. 
 
 Digestives, action of, 591 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Dislocation, nature of, 477 ; of the hip 
 joint, ib. ; of the patella, ib. 
 
 Dismounting, directions for, 287. 
 
 Distemper, nature of, 480 ; treatment 
 of, 481. 
 
 Diuretics, action of, 592 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Docking, operation for, 580. 
 
 Dongola, the horses of, 17. 
 
 Door for loose box, 196. 
 
 Doors of stables, 196. 
 
 Dorsal vertebrae, general characters of, 
 329 ; peculiarities of, 330. 
 
 Draught-horse, the Conestoga, 43. 
 
 Dray-horse, the Lincolnshire, 115 ; 
 portrait of the, 116. 
 
 Drainage of stables, 197. 
 
 Dressing of horses, 242. 
 
 Driving a pair, 303 ; a single horse, 301 ; 
 four in hand, 304. 
 
 Drugs, list of, 596. 
 
 Dyspepsia, nature of, 500 ; symptoms 
 of, 501 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Dysentery, nature of, 507 ; treatment 
 of, 508. 
 
 Duct, the thoracic, 428. 
 
 Ducts, the lacrymal, 446. 
 
 Duke of Queensbury, celebrated match 
 made by the, 59. 
 
 Duodenum, anatomy of the, 432. 
 
 Ear, anatomy of the, 446 ; diseases of 
 the, 523 ; scratching the, remedy 
 for, 259. 
 
 Early maturity of the horse, 79. 
 
 East, the horses of the, 15. 
 
 Eclipse, pedigree of, 62 ; history of, 69 ; 
 St. Bet’s measurement of, ib. 
 
 Egyptian horse, the, 4, 16. 
 
 Elbow joint, the, 366 ; view of, ib. . 
 treatment of capped, 470. 
 
 Embrocations, action of, 593 ; recipes 
 for, ib. 
 
 Emulsions, action of, 593; recipes for. ib. 
 
 Enarthrosis, 353. 
 
 Encephalon, anatomy of, 442 ; view o 1 
 the superior surface of the, ib. 
 
 English thoroughbred horse, the, 53 * 
 general history of the, ib. ; thorough- 
 bred horse of 1750, the, 55; horses 
 imported into America, list of the, 37. 
 
 England, first importation of the Da- 
 mascus Arab into, 58. 
 
 Enteritis, nature of, 503 ; symptoms of, 
 
 ib . 
 
INDEX. 
 
 611 
 
 Epiglottis, posterior view of, 421 ; 
 anatomy of, ib. ; view of, 420. 
 
 Epidermis, the, 446. 
 
 Epilepsy, symptoms of, 518; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Eruptions of the skin, 525, et seq. 
 
 Essentials in the thoroughbred, 82. 
 
 Ethan Allen, the trotter, 35. 
 
 European Continental horses, the, 44. 
 
 Excretion, physiology of, 428. 
 
 Exercise, daily, of the horse, 255. 
 
 Exhaustion, treatment of, after work, 
 272. 
 
 Exmoor pony, the, 108. 
 
 Exostosis, nature of, 453; of the hume- 
 rus and scapula, 461 ; of the humerus 
 and scapula, treatment of, 462. 
 
 Expectorants, action of, 593 ; recipes 
 for, ib. 
 
 External form of the horse, as indicated 
 by points, 6 ; formation of the race- 
 horse, 83. 
 
 Extremities, bones composing the fore 
 and hind, 312. 
 
 Eye, anatomy of the, 444 ; appendages 
 of, 445 ; coats of, ib. ; humours of 
 the, ib. ; simple inflammation of 
 the, 523 ; symptoms of simple in- 
 flammation of the, ib. ; treatment of 
 simple inflammation of the, ib.; 
 treatment of injuries of, 525 ; eye- 
 lids, anatomy of the, 445. 
 
 Face, bones of the, 315. 
 
 False quarter, nature of, 536 ; treat- 
 ment of, ib. 
 
 Farcy, symptoms of, 552 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Farm horses, feeding of, 239. 
 
 Febrifuges, action of, 593; recipes 
 for, ib. 
 
 Feeding, theory and practice of, 235. 
 
 Feet, accidents to, 547 ; management 
 of the, 253. 
 
 Femoro-tibial articulation, 376 ; ex- 
 ternal view of, 378; posterior view 
 of, 377. 
 
 Femur, the, 344 ; view of the, 345 ; 
 treatment of fracture of, 466. 
 
 Fetlock joint, anatomy of, 371. 
 
 Fetlock, remarks on strain of the, 472 ; 
 treatment of strain of the, 472-3. 
 
 Fevers, remarks on in the horse, 550; 
 symptoms of simple, ib. ; symptoms 
 of typhoid, ib. ; treatment of simple, 
 ib. ; treatment of typhoid, 551. 
 
 Fibro-cartilage, 352 ; interarticular, ib. 
 
 Fibro-cartilages, connecting, 352. 
 
 .Fibrous tissue, white, 351. 
 
 Fibula, the, 346 ; view of the, ib. 
 
 'Iring, method of performing, 575 ; 
 remarks on, ib. 
 
 Fisherman, portrait of, 83. 
 
 Fistula of the withers, nature of, 462 ; 
 symptoms of, 463 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Flemish horse, the, 51. 
 
 ? loors of stables Adamantine clinkers 
 
 for, 1 95; Broseley bricks for, ib. ; 
 common stock bricks for, 194 ; con- 
 crete for, 195; Dutch clinkers for, 
 195 ; pebbles for, 194. 
 
 Flora Temple, the trotter, 34. 
 
 Flying Childers, the, 68. 
 
 Flying gallop, the, 132. 
 
 Foal, the, 156 ; after treatment of the, 
 163; early treatment of the, 162; 
 weaning of the, 163. 
 
 Foals, rheumatic inflammation pecu- 
 liar to, 469; treatment of rheu- 
 matic inflammation of, ib. 
 
 Food, condimental, 231 ; recipe for, 232. 
 
 Food for horses, 220; of the Arab 
 horse, 20. 
 
 Foot, anatomy of the, 448; lateral 
 cartilages of, 452 ; section of the, 
 448; the parts entering into the 
 composition of, ib. ; view of the under 
 surface of, 449 ; with the hoof re- 
 moved, view of the, ib. ; contraction 
 of the, 548. 
 
 Fore-arm, bones of the, 337. 
 
 Fore extremity, view of the bones of, 
 321. 
 
 Fore foot, prepared for the shoe ; view 
 of, 554. 
 
 Fore-quarter, relative proportions of 
 the, 8. 
 
 Fracture of the femur, treatment of, 
 466 ; of the humerus, treatment of, 
 ib. ; of the lower jaw, treatment of, 
 ib. ; of the pelvis, treatment of, ib . ; 
 of the ribs, treatment of, ib. ; of the 
 scapula, treatment of, ib. ; of the 
 skull, treatment of, ib. ; of the spine, 
 treatment of, ib. 
 
 Fractures, remarks on, 465 ; symptoms 
 of simple, ib. ; treatment of simple, 
 466. 
 
 French horse, the, 45 ; stallions, list of, 
 46. 
 
 Frog, anatomy of the, 450. 
 
 Furze for soiling, 230. 
 
 Galls, treatment of harness, 530. 
 
 Galloway, the, 107. 
 
 Gallop, the flying, 132; variation in 
 length of stride of, 134; correct view 
 of the, 133 ; received interpretation 
 of the, 131 ; the hand, 130; the ex- 
 tended, 131. 
 
 Ganglia, nervous, 439. 
 
 Gangway rail for stable, 205. 
 
 Gastric fluid, the, 432. 
 
 Gastritis, rarity of, 499 ; symptoms of, 
 ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 General characteristics of the horse, 5. 
 
 General history of the thorough-bred 
 English horse, 53. 
 
 General management of the brood 
 mare, 159. 
 
 Generation, anatomy of the female 
 organs of, 438 ; anatomy of the male 
 organs of, 437 ; theory of, 1 37. 
 
 Generative organs, disease of the, 516. 
 
 R R 2 
 
612 
 
 IJSDEX. 
 
 German horse, the, 45. 
 
 Gigster, the, 111. 
 
 'Ginglyrnus, 353. 
 
 Girths, 284. 
 
 Gland, the kidneys, 435 ; the liver, 
 434; the pancreas, 435; the sublin- 
 gual, anatomy of, 429 ; the parotid, 
 anatomy of, ib. ; the thymus, 423. 
 
 Glands, structure of, 428 ; anatomy of 
 the salivary, 429 ; bronchial, 423 ; 
 the pulmonary, 
 
 Glanders, symptoms of, 551 ; treat- 
 ment of, 552. 
 
 Godolphin Arabian, the, 15 — 57. 
 
 Gomphosis, 353. 
 
 Gorse, for soiling, 230. 
 
 Granary, construction of, 192. 
 
 Grass, for the horse, 220 ; turning out 
 to, 275. 
 
 Grease, symptoms of, 532; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Greek horse, the, 2. 
 
 Green food, for horses, 230 ; for soiling 
 horses, 230. 
 
 Green oats for soiling, 230. 
 
 Groom, duties of, 215. 
 
 Grooming of horses, 242. 
 
 Grubs, removal of, 530. 
 
 Gruel, 225. 
 
 Habits, of the horse, 5 ; out-door bad, 
 298. 
 
 Hack, the covert, 101 ; the road, 102 ; 
 the park, 104. 
 
 Hacks, preparation of for work, 272 ; 
 feeding of, 238. 
 
 Hsematuria, causes of, 514; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Haemorrhage, from the lungs, treat- 
 of, 497 ; from the nose, treatment 
 of, 496. 
 
 Half-bred horse, the, 95. 
 
 Halters used for breaking, 175. 
 
 Hand-gallop, the, 130. 
 
 Hands, attainment of good, in riding, 
 291. 
 
 Hanoverian horses, the, 52; Pelham, 
 tne, 287. 
 
 Harmonia, 353. 
 
 Harness, blacking, recipes for, 282; 
 breaking to, 183 ; choice of, 301 ; 
 care of, 280 ; double, view of, 304 ; 
 directions for cleaning, 281; details 
 of single, 301 ; fittings, prices of 
 patent, 211 ; horses, preparation of 
 for work, 272 ; method of drying, 
 210; room in stables, 209. 
 
 Hay, chamber, 191 ; as food for horses, 
 221 ; musty, 222 ; quantity required 
 of the, ib. ; upland, 221 ; weather- 
 beaten, 222. 
 
 Haw, anatomy of, 445. 
 
 Head, bones of the, 314; division of 
 the bones of, ib. ; relative propor- 
 tions of the, 311 ; of shaft, 202. 
 
 Health, upland grass most useful in 
 restoring, 278. 
 
 Heart, anatomy of the, 411 ; and arte- 
 ries, plan of the, 413 ; obscurity of 
 diseases of the, 496. 
 
 Heavy machiner, the, 111. 
 
 Heels, treatment of chapped, 531. 
 
 Hemisphere, western, horses of the, 27» 
 
 Hempseed, for stallions, 229. 
 
 Hepatization of the lungs, 489. 
 
 Hernia, operation for reducing, 581 ; 
 the anatomy of the parts connected 
 with, 394. 
 
 Herbert’s, Mr., account of wild horse 
 of America, 28. 
 
 Herod, history of, 69 ; pedigree of, 60. 
 
 Hidebound, nature of, 527 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Highblowing, nature of, 488. 
 
 Highland pony, the, 118. 
 
 Hip-joint, 375 ; dislocation of, 477 ; 
 ligaments of, 376 ; rarity of strain 
 of, 475 ; symptoms of strain of, 476 ; 
 treatment of strain of, ib. ; views of, 
 357. 
 
 Hobbles, description of, and method of 
 using, 572 ; improved, 573. 
 
 Hock, the, 330 ; cause of capped, 470 ; 
 treatment of capped, ib. ; treatment 
 of strain of the, 476. 
 
 Hock-joint, the, 379 ; anterior ligament 
 of, 381 ; external view of, 380 ; in- 
 ternal view of, ib. ; lateral ligaments 
 of, 379; internal lateral ligaments of, 
 380 ; posterior ligaments of, 381 ; 
 strain of the, 476 ; synovial membrane 
 of, 381. 
 
 Hoof, anatomy of the, 449 ; develop- 
 ment of by secretion, 450 ; view of 
 the, 449. 
 
 Horse, action of the walk in the, 124; 
 after treatment of the foal of, 163 ; 
 ancient methods of using the, 4 ; 
 Arab, food of the, 20 ; Arab, speed 
 of the, ib. ; Arab, colours of the, ib. ; 
 advantages and disadvantages of each 
 plan of breeding, 142 ; American, 
 fastest trotting on record, 31 ; appa- 
 ratus for breaking to harness, 183 ; 
 attitudes assumed in standing, by, 
 120 ; average age of the, 14 ; barley 
 for the, 228 ; beans for the, 225 ; 
 bedding of, 240; best age to breed 
 from, 145; Birman, the, 26; bih 
 used for breaking, 175 ; blood 
 most suitable for breeding hunters, 
 153 ; bounding on his hind legs, the, 
 169 ; breaking of the colt, 164 ; 
 breaking to harness of the, 183 , 
 breed of, in India, 25 ; Dr. Bunting’s 
 break for, 185; remarks on the 
 buying of, 601 ; carrots for the, 229 
 castration of the foal, 164 ; causes < 
 a “hit” in breeding, 143 ; chaff fc 
 the, 229 ; choice of sire and dam ii 
 breeding, 148; classification of the 
 5 ; clipping the, 247 ; clothing, prices 
 of, 216 ; comparative stoutness of 
 73 ; concluding remarks on breeding 
 
INDEX. 
 
 613 
 
 155 ; com for, 223 ; daily exercise 
 of the, 255 ; dental formula of the 
 5 ; distribution of weight in. 119 ; 
 dressing of the, 242 ; early history 
 of, 1 ; early maturity of the, 79 ; 
 early treatment of the foal, 162 ; 
 English imported into America, a list 
 of, 37 ; external form of, as indicated 
 by points, 6 ; feeding of, farm, 239 ; 
 feeding of, harness, ib. ; first thing to 
 be done in breaking, 177 ; food of the, 
 220 ; general characteristics of, 5 ; 
 general history of the English 
 thoroughbred, 53; general manage- 
 ment of the brood mare, 159 ; grass 
 for the, 220 ; green food for soiling, 
 230 ; grooming of, 242 ; gruel for 
 the, 225 ; habits of the, 5 ; halter 
 used for breaking in, 175 ; hay for 
 the, 221 ; history of, 5 ; hemp-seed 
 for the, 229 ; hovel for brood mare, 
 156 ; importance of forming the 
 mouth in, 178 ; importance of health 
 in breeding, 144 ; importance of 
 soundness in breeding, ib. ; in-and- 
 in breeding, 140 ; increase of size in, 
 72 ; increase of symmetry in, ib. ; 
 influence of the sire and dam in 
 breeding, 146; jumping, 135; leap- 
 ing, ib. ; linseed for the, 229 ; loco- 
 motive action of, 119 ; management 
 of the feet in the, 253 ; maturity of 
 the, 13 ; mental development of the, 
 14 ; methods of confining, 571 ; 
 middle piece of the, 1 0 ; mixed 
 breeds of cart, 118 ; mode of progres- 
 sion in, 120 ; most profitable kind for 
 breeding purposes, 154 ; natural and 
 acquired paces of, 119; oats for the, 
 223 ; of Abyssinia, the, 17 ; of 
 Dongola, the, ib. ; of the East, the, 
 15 ; of the Western Hemisphere, the, 
 27 ; of Toorkistan, the, 25 ; omnibus, 
 report on the management of, in New 
 York, 227 ; on his knees about to 
 fall on his side, portrait of the, 170; 
 ordinary English method of breaking 
 for the saddle, 175; origin of the 
 thoroughbred, 56; other African, 
 17 ; other Asiatic, 25 ; out-cross in 
 breeding, 141 ; paces of the manege, 
 135 ; pacing, 134 ; paddock for brood 
 mare, 156 ; parsnips for the, 229 ; peas 
 for the, 225 ; pedigrees of American 
 trotting, 34 ; periodical moulting of 
 the, 14; principles of breeding, 137 ; 
 proportions of the various points of 
 the, 12; pure Arab, the, 9; purchase 
 of the, 601 ; racking, 134 ; Rarey’s ap- 
 paratus for breaking, 166 ; Rarey’s 
 method of training, 164; rate of 
 walking in the, 126 ; relative pro- 
 portions of the, 7 ; roots for the, 
 229 ; running, 134 ; salt for the, 233 ; 
 selection Of blood in each class in 
 breeding, 150 ; selling of, 601 ; shav- 
 ing the, 250; singeing, 249; small 
 
 stomach of the, 15 ; stabb clothing 
 for, 216 ; stoutness of, 1' , 59, 70 ; 
 stoutness of the Americr . thorough- 
 bred, 42 ; superiority of die ordinary 
 method of breaking, 1 82 ; sweaters 
 for the, 217 ; synonyms of the, 5 ; 
 the agricultural, 112 ; the Arab of 
 antiquity, 3 ; the American thorough- 
 bred, 36 ; the Austrian, 45 ; the Aus- 
 tralian, 26 ; the British original, 4 ; 
 the brood mare, 156 ; the brougham, 
 109 ; the cab, ib. ; the carriage, ib. ; 
 the Canadian, 28 ; the charger, 100 ; 
 the Cleveland, 118; the Clydesdale, 
 117 ; the cob, 95, 107 ; the Conestoga, 
 
 43 ; the covert hack, 101 ; the Darley 
 Arabian, 57 ; the Egyptian, 4, 16 ; the 
 English thoroughbred, 53 ; the Eng- 
 lish thoroughbred of 1750, 55 ; the 
 Exmoor pony, 108; the European 
 continental, 44 ; the fast trotter, 111 ; 
 the Flemish, 51 ; the foal of, 156 ; 
 the French, 45 ; the Galloway, 107 ; 
 the German, 45; the gigster, 111; 
 the Godolphin Arabian, 15, 57 ; the 
 Greek, 2 ; the half-bred, 95 ; the 
 Hanoverian, 52 ; the heavy machiner, 
 111; the Highland pony, 108; the 
 Hungarian, 45 ; the Irish hunter, 99 ; 
 the Italian, 44 ; the ladies’, 106 ; the 
 Libyan, 4 ; the Lincolnshire dray, 
 115; the modem thoroughbred, 71; 
 the Moorish, 4 ; the Morgan, 29 ; 
 the New Forest pony, 108; the Nor- 
 folk trotter, 129 ; the Norwegian, 53 ; 
 the Numidian, 4; the, of Scripture, 
 1 ; the old English black cart, 112; 
 the park hack, 104 ; the Persian, 24 ; 
 the phaeton, 111 ; the Portuguese, 
 
 44 ; the Prussian, 45 ; the road hack, 
 102; the Roman, 3; the Russian, 
 52 ; the Shetland pony, 108 ; the 
 South American, 27 ; the Spanish, 
 44 ; the Suffolk cart, 114 ; the 
 Swedish, 53; the Tartar, 25; the 
 trooper, 100 ; the Turkish, 25 ; the 
 Vermont, 42 ; the Welsh pony, 107 ; 
 tamed, portrait of the, 172 ; theory 
 of generation of, 137; thoroughbred, 
 essentials in the, 82 ; time of sending 
 brood mare to the, 160 ; times made 
 by, in the middle of the last century, 
 75; times of the best American, 
 made in America and England, 7 6 ; 
 times of best modern English, ib. ; 
 treatment of the brood mare when in 
 foal, 160; treatment of brood mare 
 after foaling, 161; trimming the, 
 250 ; variation in length of stride in 
 the, 134 ; water for the, 220, 233 ; 
 weaning of the foal, 163 ; wheat for 
 the, 228 ; wild, of America, Mr. Her- 
 bert’s account of the, 28 ; wild Tar- 
 tar, 25 ; use and application of ban- 
 dages for the, 252. 
 
 Horsemanship, M, Baucher’s method of, 
 
 182 . 
 
614 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Hovel, ti.e, for brood mare, 156. 
 
 Humerus the, 335 ; and scapula, exos- 
 tosis of, 461 ; and scapula, treatment 
 of exostc is of, ib. ; external view of, 
 336 ; inte mal view of, 337 ; treat- 
 ment of fracture of, 466. 
 
 Hungarian Horse, the, 45. 
 
 Hunter, feeding of the, 238 ; choosing 
 of the half-bred, 96 ; blood most suit- 
 able for breeding, 153; final prepara- 
 tion of, 271 ; mouth of the half-bred, 
 99 ; points essential to the half-bred, 
 97 ; preparation of, 261 ; the half- 
 bred, 96 ; the Irish, 99 ; height of the 
 half-bred, ib. ; the thoroughbred, 94 ; 
 treatment of blows in the legs of, 
 272 ; treatment of exhaustion of the, 
 ib.; treatment of overreach, ib.; treat- 
 ment of thorns in the legs, 273. 
 
 Hydrophobia, nature of, 519 ; symp- 
 toms of, ib. ; treatment of, 520. 
 
 Hydrothorax, a sequel of pleurisy, 493 ; 
 treatment of, 494. 
 
 Hyoides, os, 314. 
 
 Ilio-ccecal valve, the, 433. 
 
 Ilii, os, 343. 
 
 Ilio-sacral ligament, the inferior, 364 ; 
 the superior, ib. ; view of, 363. 
 
 Ileum, anatomy of the, 433. 
 
 Importation of the Damascus Arab into 
 England, 58. 
 
 In-and-in breeding, 140. 
 
 Incisor teeth, sections of, 317. 
 
 India, breed of horses in, 25. 
 
 Indian pony, the, 28. 
 
 Indigestion (Dyspepsia), 500. 
 
 Inflammation of the bones, 454; of bursae 
 mucosae, 469 ; of tendinous sheaths, 
 ib. ; of the bladder, 514 ; of the 
 bowels, 503; of the brain, 517; of 
 the bronchi, 482 ; of the eye, three 
 kinds of, 523 ; of the kidneys, 512 ; 
 of the larynx, 483 ; of the lungs, 
 489, 492 ; of the pleura, 493 ; of the 
 stomach, 499; of the veins after 
 bleeding, 575 ; rheumatic, 467 ; sim- 
 ple of the eye, the most common, 523. 
 
 Influenza, nature of, 480 ; treatment of, 
 481 ; typhoid symptoms in, ib. 
 
 Innominatum, os, 343; upper view of 
 os, ib. 
 
 Insects, treatment of bites and stings 
 of, 530, 
 
 Inter-metacarpal articulations, 371. 
 
 Inter-metatarsal articulations, 383. 
 
 Inter-phalangeal articulations, 371. 
 
 mter-sesamoideal ligament, 372. 
 
 Intestines, anatomy of the large, 453 ; 
 small, 432; division into large and 
 small, ib. ; view of the, 433. 
 
 Intus-susception, nature and symptoms 
 of, 508. 
 
 Irish Hunter, the, 99. 
 
 Iritis, symptoms of, 524 ; treatment of, 
 525. 
 
 Iron fittings for stalls and loose boxes, 
 208. 
 
 Iron surface gutter, 199. 
 
 Ischii, os, 343. 
 
 Italian horse, the, 44. 
 
 Jaw, osteo sarcoma of, 464; symptoms, 
 of caries of, ib. ; the lower/ 316 ; 
 treatment of caries of, 464. 
 
 Jejunum, anatomy of the, 433. 
 
 J og-trot, starting into the, 293. 
 
 Joints, general remarks on, 349; com- 
 position of, 350 — 53 ; classification 
 of, 353 ; movements of, 354 ; wounds 
 of, 477. 
 
 Jugular vein, when obliterated, renders 
 horse unfit to be turned out, 278. 
 
 Jumping, 135. 
 
 Kicking out of doors, prevention of, 
 299 ; in-doors, 261. 
 
 Kidneys, anatomy of the, 435 ; diseases 
 of the, 512; inaction of, 514; section 
 of the, 436 ; situation of the, 435; 
 view of the, 436. 
 
 Knee-joint (wrist, or carpus), back view 
 of, 350 ; postero-internal view of, 
 349 ; remarks on strain of the, 472 ; 
 symptoms of strain of the, ib. ; treat- 
 ment of punctured, 479; treatment 
 of strain of the, 472; articulations 
 of, 348 ; bones of the, 232 ; move- 
 ments of, 351; broken, 478. 
 
 Lacrymal apparatus, anatomy of, 445 , 
 ducts, anatomy of, ib. 
 
 Lacteals, the, 428. 
 
 Ladies’ horse, the, 106. 
 
 Lady Suffolk, the trotter, 35. 
 
 Laminae, anatomy of the, 451. 
 
 Laminitis, nature of, 539 ; symptoms 
 of, 540 ; treatment of, 541. 
 
 Lampas, symptoms of, 498 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Lamp for singeing, 250. 
 
 Laryngitis, nature of, 483 ; symptoms 
 of acute, 484 ; symptoms of chronic, 
 485 ; treatment of acute, 484 ; treat- 
 ment of chronic, 485. 
 
 Larynx, anatomy of, 420 ; view of, ib. 
 
 Lateral cartilages, ossification of, 458 ; 
 symptoms of ossification of, ib.; 
 treatment of ossification of, ib. 
 
 Leaping, 135. 
 
 Leg, bones of the fore, 338 ; of the hind, 
 346. 
 
 Legs, accidents to, 547. 
 
 Libyan horse, the, 4. 
 
 Lice, destruction of, 529. 
 
 Ligament, astragalo- calcanean, 381/ 
 capsular, of the hip, 376; commc 
 to the carpal joints, 370; cotyloi. 
 376; disease of the, 467 ; inferic 
 atlo-axoid, 357; inferior vertebr 
 355 ; inter-articular costal, 359 ; 
 ter sesamoideal, 372; of dorsal ver’ 
 tebran urofile view of. 355; of th 
 
INDEX. 
 
 615 
 
 os pisiforme, 369 ; of the rows of the 
 tarsal bones, 381 ; of the sternum, 
 360 of the temporo-maxillary arti- 
 culation, 362 ; odontoid, 357 ; pubio- 
 femoral, 376; the inferior ilio-sacral, 
 364; the long inferior sesamoideal, 
 372; the true suspensory, 373 ; sacro- 
 iliac, 363; saci o-sciatic, 364; strain 
 of the suspensory, 473; superior 
 atlo-axoid, 357 ; superior costo-verte- 
 bral, 359 ; superior vertebral, 355 ; 
 superior sesamoideal, 364; supe- 
 rior ilio-sacral, 364 ; suspensory, 
 373. 
 
 Ligamentum colli (or nuchse), 356 ; view 
 of, ib , ; teres, 358. 
 
 Lighting of stables, 200. 
 
 Limbs, as agents of locomotion, 371 ; 
 as means of support, ib. 
 
 Lincolnshire dray-horse, the, 115. 
 
 Linea alba, 393 ; semilunaris, 394. 
 
 Linese transversales, 393. 
 
 Linseed as food for the horse, 229. 
 
 Lips, . the chief seat of the organ of 
 touch, 447. 
 
 List of English horses imported into 
 America, 37 ; of French stallions, 46 ; 
 of drugs, 596. 
 
 Litter, remedy for eating the, 260. 
 
 Liver, anatomy of the, 434 ; disease of 
 the, 512 ; function of, 435 ; structure 
 of the, 434 ; symptoms of disease of 
 the, 512; treatment of disease of 
 the, ib. 
 
 Lock jaw, nature of, 520; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, 521. 
 
 Loose boxes, remarks on, 190. 
 
 Lotions, action of, 594; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Lower jaw, treatment of fracture of, 466 
 
 Lucerne for soiling, 230. 
 
 Lunare, os, 339. 
 
 Lumbo-sacral articulation, 362. 
 
 Lumbar vertebrae, articulation of the, 
 with sacrum, 361 ; general characters 
 of, 330; peculiarities of, 331 ; profile 
 view of, 330. 
 
 Lungs, air cells of, 422 ; anatomy of, 
 ib.; lobules of, ib . ; parenchyma of, ib . ; 
 remarks on congestion of the, 490 ; 
 symptoms of congestion of the, 491 ; 
 treatment of congestion of the, ib. ; 
 inflammation of (pneumonia), 492 ; 
 treatment of haemorrhage from, 497. 
 
 Lying down at work, management of, 
 299. 
 
 Lymphatics of bone, 307. 
 
 Madness, symptoms of, 519 ; treatment 
 of, 520; nature of, 519. 
 
 Mad staggers, nature of, 517 ; symp- 
 toms of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Magnum, os, 389. 
 
 Mallenders, symptoms of, 529 ; treat- 
 ment of, ib. 
 
 Manege, paces of the, 135. 
 
 Mange, insect, 528 ; nature of, ib. ; 
 symptoms of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Mangers for stables, 205. 
 
 Mare, management of the brood, 156 ; 
 after treatment of the foal of, 163; 
 early treatment of the foal of, 162 ; 
 general management of, 159; hovel 
 for, 156; paddock for, ib. ; time of 
 sending to the horse, 160 ; treatment 
 of after foaling, 161; treatment of 
 when in foal, 160; weaning of the 
 foal of, 163 ; the Arab, 23. 
 
 Marshes, for turning out, 277. 
 
 Manger and rack, the, 205. 
 
 Match, celebrated, made by the Duke 
 of Queensbury, 59 ; trotting in Ame- 
 rica, extent of, 32. 
 
 Matchem, history of, 68 ; pedigree of, 
 64. 
 
 Maturity of the horse, 13. 
 
 Meadow land, producing grass, 297. 
 
 Medicines, action of, and recipes for, 
 582 ; alteratives, ib. ; ansesthetics, 
 583; anodynes, 584; antacids, 585; 
 anthelmintics, ib. ; aperients, 586 ; 
 astringents, 587; blisters, 588; caustics, 
 589 ; charges, 590 ; clysters, ib. ; cor- 
 dials, ib. ; demulcents, 591; diapho- 
 retics, ib. ; digestives, ib. ; diuretics, 
 592 ; embrocations, ib. ; emulsions, 
 593; expectorants, ib. ; febrifuges, ib. ; 
 lotions, 594 ; narcotics, ib. ; refrige- 
 rants, ib. ; sedatives, 595 ; stimulants, 
 ib. ; stomachics, ib. ; styptics, ib. ; 
 tonics, 596 ; vermifuges, or worm- 
 medicines, ib. 
 
 Medulla oblongata, anatomy of the, 441. 
 
 Megrims, nature of, 518 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Membranes, synovial, 334. 
 
 Membrana nictitans, anatomy of, 445. 
 
 Mental development of the horse, 14, 
 
 Metacarpal bones, 340 ; view of the, ib. 
 
 Metacarpo-phalangeal articulations, 352; 
 views of, 353. 
 
 Metacst-pus, bones of the, 340 
 
 Metatarsal bones, the, 349. 
 
 Methods of using the horse, ancient, 4. 
 
 Middlepiece of the horse, 10. 
 
 Mode of progression in horses, 120. 
 
 Modern Arab, the, 17 ; Ali Bey’s de 
 scription of the, ib. 
 
 Modern thoroughbred, the, 71. 
 
 Molten grease, 507 ; treatment of, 508. 
 
 Moor ill, symptoms of, 551 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Moorish horse, the, 4. 
 
 Morgan horse, the, 29. 
 
 Mounting, directions for, 288. 
 
 Mouth and throat, diseases of, 497. 
 
 Mouth, the three-year old, 318 ; the 
 six-year old, 321 ; the five-year old, 
 320 ; the four-year old, the lower jaw, 
 319; the six-year old horse, showing 
 the lower teeth, 321 ; of the eight- 
 year old horse, 323 ; of the very old 
 horse, 324. 
 
 Mucous membrane lining the abdominal 
 viscera, 427 ; of the stomach, 432. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 616 
 
 Muscle, anatomy of, 884 ; bursae mu- 
 cosae of, 385 ; diseases of the, 467 ; 
 examined under the microscope, 384 ; 
 identical in composition with the 
 fibrins of the blood, ib.; mode of 
 describing, 385 ; nomenclature of, 
 ib. ; physiology of, 383 ; sarcolemma 
 of, 384 ; voluntary, 385 ; antero- 
 inferior scapular region, 397 ; an- 
 tero-external humeral region, 399; 
 anterior femoro-crural region, 406 ; 
 anterior ilio-femoral region, 404 ; of 
 the abdomen, 393; the coccygeal, 
 396 ; the deep abdominal region, 
 395 ; dorsal region, 393 ; deep ilio- 
 femoral region, 404 ; of the external 
 ear, 388; external scapular region, 
 397 ; external ilio femoral region, 
 403; external, of the eyelids, 388; 
 of the fore-leg, antero-external view 
 of, 400 ; of the fore-extremity, 396 ; 
 of the haunch, 401 ; external view 
 of, 402; of the head, 386; inferior- 
 cervical occipital region, 391 ; in- 
 ferior cervical region, 390 ; internal 
 scapular region, 397 ; internal ilio- 
 femoral region, 404 ; of the leg, 
 external view of the, 405 ; laryngeal 
 region, 389; moving the lower jaw, 
 387 ; ocular region, 388 ; of the 
 pharynx, ib. ; postero-internal sca- 
 pular region, 399 ; postero-external 
 scapular region, ib. ; posterior femoro- 
 crural region, 406 ; palatine region, 
 389; pelvic region, 395; view of 
 superficial, of the neck and trunk, 
 389; superficial abdominal region, 
 393; superior cervical region, 390; 
 connecting the scapula with the 
 head, neck, and chest, 391 ; of the 
 shoulder and arm, internal view 
 of, 398 ; superficial, of the neck and 
 trunk, 389 ; of the tongue, 388 ; of 
 the thorax, 392 ; of the arm and 
 fore leg, 400 ; lateral cervical region, 
 390; gluteal region, 403; postero- 
 external humeral region, 399 ; of 
 the leg and thigh, internal view of 
 the deep, 405 ; of the fore extremity, 
 external view of, 396 ; view of the 
 superficial of the head, 386; cuta- 
 neous, 385. 
 
 Muscular coat of the hollow viscera of 
 the abdomen, 426. 
 
 Muscular system, the, 383. 
 
 Musculus, 386 ; adductor brevis, 404 ; 
 adductor longus, 404 ; anconeus, 
 399 ; antea spinatus, 397 ; biceps 
 rotator tibialis, 403; buccinator, 
 387 ; caninus, ib. ; complexus major, 
 390 ; compressor coccygis, 396 ; co- 
 raco - humeralis, 397 ; cremaster, 
 395 ; curvator coccygis, 396 ; de- 
 pressor coccygis, ib.; depressor labii 
 inferioris, 387 ; depressor labii su- 
 perioris, 387 ; diaphragma, 395 ; dilar 
 tat or naris anterior, 387 ; ©rector 
 
 coccygis, 396 ; extensor metacarpi 
 magnus, 400 ; extensor metacarpj 
 obliquus, 401 ; extensor p r vis, 400 — 
 406 ; extensor suffraginis, 1 ; flexor 
 brachii, 397 ; flexor me „arsi, 406 ; 
 flexor metacarpi extern us, 400 ; 
 flexor metacarpi internus, 401 ; flexor 
 metacarpi medius, 400 ; flexor pedis 
 accessorius, 407 ; flexor pedis peifo- 
 rans et perforatus, 401 — 406; gas- 
 trocnemius externus, 406 ; gastroc- 
 nemius internus, ib.; gemini, ib.; 
 gluteus externus, 403 ; gluteus n- 
 tersus, 401 ; gluteus maximus, 403 ; 
 gracilis, 404; humeralis externus, 
 399 ; iliacus, 395 ; lateralis sterni, 
 392 ; latissimus dorsi, 391 ; levator 
 humeri, ib. ; levator menti, 387 ; 
 levator palpebrse superioris, 388 ; 
 levatores costarum, 393 ; levator 
 labii superioris aiseque nasi, 386; 
 longissimus dorsi, 393 ; masseter, 
 388 ; nasalis longus labii superioris, 
 386 ; nasalis brevis labii superioris, 
 387 ; naso transversalis, 387 ; ob- 
 liquus abdominis externus, 394 ; ob- 
 liquus abdominis internus, ib.; obtu- 
 rator externus, 406; obturator in- 
 ternus, ib. ; orbicularis oris, 387 ; 
 orbicularis palpebrarum, 388; pan- 
 niculus camosus, 385 ; peetineus, 
 404; pectoralis magnus, 392; pec- 
 toralis parvus, ib. ; pectoralis trans- 
 versus, ib. ; peroneus, 406 ; plantaris, 
 ib.; popliteus, ib.; postea spinatus, 
 397 ; psoas magnus, 395 ; psoas 
 parvus, ib. ; pterygoideus externus, 
 388; pterygoideus internus, ib.; py- 
 riformis, 406; radialis accessorius, 
 401; rectus abdominis, 394; rectus 
 parvus, 404 ; retractor ani, 395 ; re- 
 tractor labii superioris, 386 ; retractor 
 labii inferioris, 387 ; rhomboideus bre- 
 vis, 392 ; rhomboideus longus, 391 ; 
 superficial costarum, 392; sartorius, 
 404 ; scalenus, 391 ; scapulo-hume- 
 ralis externus, 399 ; scapulo-humera- 
 lis posticus, ib. ; scapulo ulnaris, 398 ; 
 semi-spinalis dorsi, 393; semi-spi- 
 nalis lumborum, 395 ; serratus mag- 
 nus, 392 ; sphincter ani, 395 ; spinalis 
 colli, 390; spinalis dorsi, 393; sple~ 
 nius, 390 ; sterno-costalis, 392 ; sterao- 
 maxillaris, 390; sterno-thyro-hy 
 oideus, 390 ; stylo-maxillaris, 383 ; • 
 sub - scapularis, 397 ; sub-scapulo 
 hyoideus, 390; temporalis, 38T - r 
 tensor vaginae femoris, 403 ; te:;c>- 
 internus vel major, 398 ; teres ex- 
 ternus, 399; trachelo - mastoideufe, 
 390 ; transversalis abdominis, 394 
 transversalis costarum, 392 ; tra- 
 pezius, 391 ; triceps adductor fe- 
 moris, 403 ; triceps extensor brachii, 
 390 ; trifemoro rotulaeus, 404 ; ul- 
 naris accessorius, 401 ; zygomaticua. 
 386. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Narcotics, action of, 594. 
 
 Narragansit pacer, the, 36. 
 
 Nasal cav? >s, 420; orifices, 419. 
 
 Natural h >ry of the horse, 5. 
 
 Navicular unease, neurotomy for, 546 ; 
 symptoms of, 544; treatment of, 546. 
 
 Naviculare, os, 341 
 
 Neck, relative proportions of the, 8. 
 
 Nephritis, cause of, 512 ; symptoms of, 
 ib. ; treatment of, 513. 
 
 Nerves of the stomach, 431 ; supplying 
 the abdominal viscera, 427 ; the 
 sympathetic, 443 ; the spinal, 441. 
 
 Nervous system, chief divisions of 
 the, 439 ; disease of, 517 ; diagram 
 of the, 440 ; of animal life, 439 ; 
 of organic life, 439 ; physiology of, 
 438. 
 
 Neurotomy for navicular disease, 546. 
 
 Nicking, operation for, 580. 
 
 New Forest pony, the, 108. 
 
 New York report on the management 
 of omnibus horses, 227. 
 
 Norman charger, the, 45. 
 
 North America, wild horse of, 27. 
 
 Norwegian horse, the, 53. 
 
 Noseband, the Bucephalus, 287. 
 
 Nose, hsemorrhage from the, 496. 
 
 Numidian horse, the, 4. 
 
 Nymphomania, nature and treatment 
 of, 517. 
 
 Oats, as food, 223 ; bruisers, 193 ; how 
 given, 224 ; kiln dried, 224 ; new, 224. 
 
 Object of encouraging the breed of 
 racehorses, 80. 
 
 Odontoid ligaments, 357. 
 
 (Esophagus, anatomy of the, 430. 
 
 CEstrus equi, history of, 502. 
 
 Old English black cart-horse, the, 112 ; 
 portrait of the, 113. 
 
 Omnibus horses in New York, report 
 on the management of, 227. 
 
 Operations, 553 ; shoeing, ib. ; admi- 
 nistration of chloroform, 571 ; 
 methods of confining the horse, ib. ; 
 bleeding, 573 ; firing, 567 ; setons 
 and rowels, 576; blistering, 577 ; 
 castrating, ib. ; nicking and docking, 
 580 ; unnerving, 581 ; reduction of 
 hernia, ib. ; administration of physic, 
 ib. ; clysters, 582 ; back-raking, ib. 
 
 Ophthalmia, symptoms of purulent, 
 524 ; treatment of purulent, ib. 
 
 ' ginal British horse, the, 4. 
 
 ;in of the thoroughbred horse, 56. 
 lyoides, 324 ; view of, 420. 
 ideation of lateral cartilages, 458 ; 
 dew of, ib. 
 
 > so-sarcoma of the jaw, case of, 464. 
 •crossing breeding, 141. 
 
 •door vices, 298 ; treatment of, ib. 
 r-reaches, stable management of, 
 73; treatment of, 549. 
 rna, nature of, 480. 
 
 ces of the mandge, 135. 
 
 617 
 
 Paces, natural & acquired of horses, 119. 
 
 Pacing, nature of, 134. 
 
 Paddock, the, for brood mare, 156. 
 
 Pancreas, anatomy of the, 435 ; func- 
 tion of, ib. 
 
 Paralysis, nature of, 521 ; from injury 
 of the spine, 522 ; symptoms of, 521; 
 treatment of, 522. 
 
 Parenchyma of the lungs, 422. 
 
 Park hack, the, 104. 
 
 Parotid gland, anatomy of, 429. 
 
 Parsnips as food, 229. 
 
 Pastern joint, anatomy of, 373. 
 
 Pasturing, 275. 
 
 Pasture, nature of upland, 276. 
 
 Patella, the, 345 ; dislocation of, 4 77; 
 internal ligament of, 378; femoral 
 capsule of, ib. ; external lateral liga- 
 ment of, ib. ; middle ligament of, 379; 
 internal lateral ligament of, 378. 
 
 Patten, the, 564. 
 
 Pedigree of Eclipse, 62 ; of Herod, 60 ; 
 of Matchem, 64. 
 
 Pedis, os, 342. 
 
 Pelvis, the, 342 ; boundaries of the, 437; 
 bones of the, 343 ; cavity of the, 437. 
 
 Pelham, the plain, 287 ; the Hano- 
 verian, ib. 
 
 Pepsine, 432. 
 
 Pericardium, anatomy of the, 412. 
 
 Perichondrium, 350. 
 
 Peritoneum, anatomy of, 426. 
 
 Peritonitis, nature of, 503 ; symptoms 
 of, 504 ; treatment of, ib. ; to dis- 
 tinguish from colic, 505. 
 
 Periodical moulting of the horse, 14. 
 
 Periosteum, 307. 
 
 Persian horse, the, 24. 
 
 Peas as food, 225. 
 
 Phaeton horse, the, 111. 
 
 Phalangeal bones, the fore, 340 ; the 
 hind, 349. 
 
 Phalanges, posterior view of, 341. 
 
 Phalangio-pedal articulation, 374 ; view 
 of, ib. 
 
 Pharynx, anatomy of the, 430. 
 
 Phrenitis, nature of, 517 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Phthisis, symptoms of, 494 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Physic, circumstances which modify 
 the dose of, 270 ; cooling powers of, 
 ib. ; injurious effects of, 271 ; mode 
 of administering, 581 ; remarks on, 
 269 ; superseded by the Turkish bath, 
 as a mode of reducing flesh, 270. 
 
 Physiology of the blood, 409 ; of 
 digestion, 427 ; of muscle, 383 ; of 
 respiration, 418 ; of secretion, 428 ; 
 of the nervous system, 438. 
 
 Piping, nature of, 488. 
 
 Paps, treatment of, 499. 
 
 Pisiforme, os, 339. 
 
 Plantar artery, the, 457. 
 
 Plate, the, for racing, 563. 
 
 Plate vein, anatomy of, 417. 
 
 Pleura, anatomy of, 407. 
 
618 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Pleurisy, symptoms of, 493 ; treat- 
 ment of, ib. 
 
 Pleurodynia, nature of, 494 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Plunging, treatment of, 299. 
 
 Pneumonia, cause of, 489 ; definition 
 of, ib. ; divided into acute and sub- 
 acute, ib. ; hepatization in, ib. ; 
 symptoms of acute, 492; symptoms 
 of sub-acute, 493; termination of, 
 ib. ; treatment of acute, 492 ; treat- 
 ment of sub-acute, 493. 
 
 Pocahontas, the trotter, 35. 
 
 Points of the horse, 6. 
 
 Poll evil, nature of, 463; symptoms of, 
 ib. ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Ponies, feeding of, 239. 
 
 Pony, the, 95 ; the Exmoor, 108; the 
 Highland, ib. ; the Indian, 28 ; the 
 New Forest, 108 ; the Shetland, ib . ; 
 the Welsh, 107. 
 
 Portuguese horse, the, 44. 
 
 Preparation, final, of the hunter, 271 ; 
 of the hunter, 261 ; for work, ib . ; 
 of hacks for work, 272. 
 
 Pricks, from a nail picked up on the 
 road, 549 ; in shoeing, ib. ; treatment 
 of in shoeing, ib. ; treatment of, from 
 a nail picked up on the road, ib. 
 
 Progression, mode of in ho ses. 120. 
 
 Proportions of the various points of 
 the horse, 12. 
 
 Prussian horse, the, 45. 
 
 Ptyaline, 429. 
 
 Puffs, treatment of, 470. 
 
 Pulmonary apparatus, component parts 
 of, 419 ; mechanism of, ib. ; glands, 
 &c., 422 ; tissue, the, ib. ; veins, 418. 
 
 Purity of blood in the race-horse, 82. 
 
 Purulent ophthalmia, symptoms of, 
 524 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Quarter, nature of false, 536 ; treat- 
 ment of false, ib. 
 
 Queen sbury, celebrated match made by 
 the Duke of, 59. 
 
 Quittor, nature of, 536 ; treatment of, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Babies, nature of, 519 ; symptoms of, 
 ib. ; treatment of, 520. 
 
 Race-horse, croup of the, 86; back of 
 the, ib. ; back ribs of the, 89 ; belly 
 of the, ib. ; bone of the leg of the, 
 92 ; coat of the, 94 ; colour of the, 
 93 ; external formation of the, 83 ; 
 feeding of, 238 ; flank of the, 89 ; fore- 
 arm, or arm of the, 92 ; head of the, 
 90 ; height of the, 93 ; hind quarter 
 of the, 92 ; knee of the, ib. ; loins of 
 the, 86 ; mane of the, 94 ; neck of 
 the, 90 ; object of encouraging the 
 breed of, 80 ; purity of blood in the, 
 82 ; shoulder-blade of the, 91 ; tail 
 of the, 94. 
 
 Racing or hunting stable, 212. 
 
 Racking, 134. 
 
 Racks for stables, 205. 
 
 Radio-carpal articulation, 367. 
 
 Radius, the, 337. » 
 
 Rarey’s apparatus for breaking horses, 
 166 ; halter or bridle for colts, 176 : 
 leg strap. No. 1, 167; No. 2, 168; 
 method of training, 164 ; reflections 
 on plans of, 172. 
 
 Rearing, management of, 298. 
 
 Rectum, anatomy of the, 434. 
 
 Refrigerants, action of, 594. 
 
 Reins, management of, 290. 
 
 Relative proportions of the fore-quarter, 
 8 ; of the head, 7 ; of the horse, ib. ; 
 of the neck, 8. 
 
 Respiration, effect of on atmospheric 
 air, 418 ; physiology of, ib. 
 
 Rete mucosum, the, 446. 
 
 Rheumatic inflammation, 467; peculiar 
 to foals, 469. 
 
 Rheumatism, symptoms of acute, 467 ; 
 treatment of acute, ib. ; symptoms 
 of chronic, ib. ; treatment of chronic 
 468. 
 
 Ribs, the, 332 ,* cartilages of, 360 treat- 
 ment of fractured, 466 ; view of a 
 true and false, 333. 
 
 Riding, and driving, 282 ; to hounds, 
 295 ; to hounds, rules adopted in, 
 295 ; to hounds, directions for, 296 ; 
 modes of starting the horse in the 
 various paces, 292; mounting and 
 dismounting, 288; management of 
 the reins in, 290 ; necessity of good 
 hands in, 291; the seat in, 289; 
 starting into a gallop, 294 ; starting 
 the horse into a jog trot in, 293 ; 
 starting into a regular trot, in, ib. ; 
 starting the horse into a walk in, 
 292 ; use of spurs in, 291. 
 
 Rima glottidis, anatomy of, 421. 
 
 Ringbone, case of, 457 ; nature of, 456 ; 
 symptoms of, 457 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Road hack, the, 102. 
 
 Roaring, hereditary nature of, 489 ; 
 produced by alteration in the shape 
 of the cartilages, 487 ; produced by 
 thickening of the mucous membrane, 
 486 ; produced by paralysis of the 
 muscles of the larynx, 487 ; remarks 
 on, 486 ; plan for stopping the noise 
 made in, 487. 
 
 Roman horse, the, 3. 
 
 Roots for the horse, 229. 
 
 Roughing shoes, White’s mode of, 569. 
 
 Round worms, 511. 
 
 Run at grass, choice of, 276 ; a winter’s, 
 279. 
 
 Running, the pace, 134. 
 
 Running away, management of, 299. 
 
 Rupture of the bowels, 508. 
 
 Russian horses, the, 52. 
 
 Rye-grass for soiling, 230. 
 
 Sacro-iliac articulation, 363 ; ligamen? 
 ib.: sciatic ligament, 364 ; view of, o6i 
 
 Sacrum, the, 331 ; view of, ib. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 619 
 
 Saddlery, care of, 280. 
 
 Saddle airer, 209; brackets, 210; prices 
 of patent, 211; method of drying, 
 210; girths, 284; horse of iron, 210; 
 remarks on, 282. 
 
 St. Bel’s measurement of Eclipse, 69. 
 
 Sale of horses, remarks on, 601. 
 
 Saliva, composition of the, 429. 
 
 Salivary glands, anatomy of, 429. 
 
 Sallenders, symptoms of, 529; treat- 
 ment of, ib , 
 
 Salt as food, 233. 
 
 Sand for bedding, 241. 
 
 Sandcrack, nature of, 535; treatment 
 of, ib . 
 
 Sainfoin for soiling, 230. 
 
 Saunterer, portrait of, 85. 
 
 Sawdust for bedding, 241. 
 
 Scaphoides, os, 339. 
 
 Scapula, the, 334. 
 
 Scapulo-humeral articulation, 334 ; view 
 of, 365. 
 
 Scapula, profile view of, 335 ; treatment 
 of fracture of, 466. „ 
 
 Schindylesis, 353. 
 
 Scripture, the horse of, 1. 
 
 Seat in riding, directions for, 289. 
 
 Secretion, physiology of, 428. 
 
 Sedatives, action of, 595; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Seedy toe, nature and treatment of, 
 543. 
 
 Selling of horses, remarks on, 601. 
 
 Sensation, nerves of, supplied to the 
 lips, 447. 
 
 Sesamoideal ligament, the long inferior, 
 372; superior, ib. ; the short inferior 
 ligament, 371. 
 
 Sesamoidea, ossa, 323. 
 
 Setons, insertion of, 576 ; remarks on, ib. 
 
 Seton needles, description of, 576 ; 
 view of, ib. 
 
 Shaving, 250. 
 
 Shetland pony, the, 108 ; portrait of 
 the, 109. 
 
 Shoe, Bracy Clark’s hinged, 561 ; Mr. 
 Goodwin’s improvement on the 
 French, ib. ; nailing on of, 566 ; 
 remarks on the hind, ib. ; selection 
 of, by the, smith, 564; the bar, 
 563 ; the common English, 555 ; the 
 concave-seated, 556 ; the French, 
 559 ; the half-moon, 562 ; the mode 
 of fitting, 565 ; the patten, 564 ; the 
 racing or plate, 563 ; the, recom- 
 mended by Mr. Spooner, 557 ; the 
 tip, 563 ; Turner’s unilateral, 562 ; 
 view of hind, 567, 568 ; view of the 
 bar, 563 ; view of the concave-seated, 
 556 ; view of the French, 560 ; view 
 of the, used in hunting, 558. 
 
 Shoes, list of varieties of, 564-5 ; modes 
 of roughing, 569; patent machine- 
 made, ib. ; view of patent machine- 
 made, 570; White’s mode of rough- 
 ing, 569. 
 
 Shoeing, leather sole used in, 564 ; 
 pricks in, 549 ; remarks on, 553. 
 
 Shouldering, the bad habit, 299. 
 
 Shoulder joint, the, 364 ; profile view 
 of, 365. 
 
 Shoulder, oblique, of the horse, 9 ; re- 
 marks on strain of, 471 ; symptoms 
 of strain of, 472 ; treatment for strain 
 of, ib. ; upright, of the horse, 9. 
 
 Shying, management of, 298. 
 
 Sidebone, nature of, 456 ; symptoms of, 
 457 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Side line, description and use of, 573. 
 
 Singeing, 249 ; lamp for, 250. 
 
 Sitfasts, treatment of, 529. 
 
 Size, increase of, in horses, 72. 
 
 Skeleton, the, 307 ; chief divisions of 
 the, 309 ; in general, the, 307 ; num- 
 ber of bones composing the, 309 ; 
 the artificial, 309 ; view of the artifi- 
 cial, 308. 
 
 Skin, anatomy of the, 446 ; hairy* ap- 
 pendages of the, 447 ; papilke of the, 
 446 ; the organ of touch, 447. 
 
 Skull, treatment of fracture of, 466. 
 
 Sleepy staggers, 521. 
 
 Smell, anatomy of the organ of, 444. 
 
 Snaffle, the chain, 286 ; the double 
 mouth-pieced, 285 ; the double ring, 
 286; the double-jointed, 286: the 
 gag, ib.; the unjoin ted, ib.; the plain, 
 285 ; the twisted, ib. 
 
 Sole, anat >my of the, 450 ; the leather 
 for sh mg, 564 ; treatment of bruise 
 of, 50. 
 
 Soiling, clover for, 230 ; furze for, ib. ; 
 gorse for, ib. ; green food for, ib. ; 
 green oats for, ib. ; lucerne for, ib. ; 
 remarks on, 274 ; rye-grass for, 230 ; 
 sainfoin for, ib. ; tares for, ib.; vetches 
 for, ib. ; whins for, ib. 
 
 Sore-throat, treatment of catarrhal, 480; 
 treatment of, 498. 
 
 Soundness, remarks on the law of, 601. 
 
 South American horse, the, 27. 
 
 Spanish horse, the, 44. 
 
 Spasm of the diaphragm, symptoms of, 
 496; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Spavin, nature of bog, 468 ; nature of 
 bone, 459 ; symptoms of bone, ib. ; 
 treatment of bone, 460 ; view of bone, 
 459. 
 
 Speed of the Arab horse, 20. 
 
 Spinal column, bones composing the, 
 310. 
 
 Spinal cord, anatomy of the, 439; view 
 of, 441. 
 
 Spine, injury of the, causing paralysis, 
 522. 
 
 Spleen, anatomy, of the, 435 ; function 
 of, ib. ; view of, 430. 
 
 Splint, definition of, 454 ; symptoms of, 
 ib. ; treatment of, 455; view of, ib. 
 
 Spurs, use of in riding, 291. 
 
 Standing, attitude assumed by horses 
 in, 120. 
 
 Stables, 186 ; accessories, prices of, 
 117 ; adamantine clinkers for floors 
 of, 195; a gangway bail for, 205; 
 
620 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 aspect of, 187; Broseley bricks for 
 floors of, 195; chaff machines for, 
 193 ; clothing, 215 ; clothing, prices 
 of, 216 ; coachman, 214 ; concrete for 
 floors of, 195 ; common stock bricks 
 for floors of, 194; doors of, 196; 
 drainage of, 197 ; Dutch clinkers for 
 floors of, 195 ; enamelled tiles for, 
 207 ; fittings, 203 ; foundations of, 
 189; granary of, 192; groom, 215; 
 ground plans of, 212; harness room, 
 for, 209; hay chamber of, 191 ; height 
 of, 189 ; implements, 215 ; iron man- 
 gers of, 207 ; lighting of, 200 ; 
 management of, 214; management 
 continued, 256 ; mangers for, 205 ; 
 materials for mangers of, 206; ma- 
 terials for floors, 194 ; materials for 
 racks of, 206 ; materials for walls of, 
 193; necessity of airing new, 213; 
 oat-bruisers for, 193; pebbles lor 
 floors of, 194 ; plan of for three 
 horses, 213; prices of iron mangers, 
 207 ; prices of wooden mangers, ib. ; 
 proper temperature of, 256 ; racks 
 for, 205 ; remedy for crib-biting, 
 257 ; duties, recapitulation of, 256 ; 
 remedy for eating the litter, 260; 
 remedy for kicking the wall, 259 ; 
 remedy for tearing off the clothes, 
 259 ; remedy for weaving, 260 ; re- 
 medies for vices, 257 ; remedy for 
 scratching the ears, 259; servants’ 
 rooms, 211 ; situation of, 187 ; stalls 
 versus loose boxes, 190; superficial 
 area of, 189; the helper, 215; the 
 travis, 204 ; ventilation of, 200 ; walls, 
 lining of, 209 ; water pipes for, 200; 
 water supply of, 197 ; windows for, 
 ib. ; wooden mangers of, 206. 
 
 Staggers, mad, nature of, 517; mad, 
 treatment of, ib. ; mad, symptoms of, 
 ib.; sleepy, 521; stomach, nature of, 
 500; stomach, symptoms of, ib.; 
 stomach, treatment of, ib. 
 
 Stalls, 190 ; versus loose boxes, ib. 
 
 Stallions, list of French, 46. 
 
 Starting the horse in his various paces, 
 modes of, 292. 
 
 Steeplechaser, the thoroughbred, 94. 
 
 Stench traps, 199. 
 
 Stemo-costal articulations, view of, 345. 
 
 Sternum, the, 334; ligaments of, 345; 
 proper view of, 334. 
 
 Stifle, capsular ligament of, 359; crucial, 
 ligaments of, ib.; semilunar fibro- 
 cartilages of, 358; lateral ligaments 
 of, 359; posterior ligament of, ib.; 
 synovial membrane of, ib. ; joint, the, 
 358; symptoms of strain of the, 476; 
 treatment of strain of the, ib. 
 
 Stimulants, action of, 595 ; recipes for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Stings of insects, treatment of, 530. 
 
 Stomach, anatomy of the, 430 ; arteries 
 of the, 431 ; mucous membrane of 
 the, 432 ; nerves of the, 431 ; veins 
 
 of the, ib. ; view of, 430 ; staggers, 
 nature of, 500 ; symptoms of, ib . ; 
 treatment of, ib. 
 
 Stomachics, action of, 595 ; recipes for, 
 
 ib. 
 
 Stoutness of horses in 1759, 70. 
 
 Strain, nature of, 471 ; of the back 
 sinews, symptoms of, 474 ; of the 
 back sinews, remarks on, 473; of the 
 back sinews, treatment of, 474 ; of 
 the fetlock, remarks on, 472 ; of the 
 fetlock, treatment of the, 472-3; of 
 the hip joint, symptoms of, 476 ; 
 of the hip joint, treatment of, ib. ; of 
 the hip joint, rarity of, 475 ; of thhe 
 knee, symptoms of, 472 ; of the knee, 
 remarks on, ib. ; of the knee, treat- 
 ment of, ib. ; of the shoulder, re- 
 marks on, 471; of the shoulder, 
 symptoms of, 472 ; of the shoulder, 
 treatment of, ib. ; of the stifle-joint, 
 symptoms of, 476; of the stifle-joint, 
 treatment of, ib. ; of the suspensory 
 ligaments, remarks on, 473; of the 
 suspensory ligaments, symptoms of, 
 ib. ; of the suspensory ligaments, 
 treatment of, ib. ; symptoms of, 471 ; 
 symptoms of in the back and loins, 
 ib. ; treatment of in the back and 
 loins, ib. 
 
 Strangles, symptoms of, 498 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Strangulation of the bowels, symptom; 
 of, 508. 
 
 Straw-yard, the, 279. 
 
 Stringhalt, nature of, 522. 
 
 Structure of bone, 305. 
 
 Stumbling, management of, 300. 
 
 Styptics, action of, 595 ; recipes for, 
 
 Sublingual gland, anatomy of, 429. 
 
 Submaxillary gland, anatomy of the, 
 429. 
 
 Suffolk cart-horse, the, 114; portrait 
 of the, ib. 
 
 Suffraginis, os, 341. 
 
 Superpurgation, treatment of, 507. 
 
 Summering, remarks on, 273. 
 
 Superior cervical vertebral joints, view 
 of, 357. 
 
 Suprarenal capsule, the, 436. 
 
 Surfeit, nature of, 526 ; symptoms of 
 527 ; treatment of, ib. 
 
 Suspensory ligament, 373 ; remarks or 
 strain of the, 473 ; symptoms of strain 
 of the, ib.; treatment of strain of 
 the, ib. 
 
 Sutura, 353. 
 
 Sweat, mode of giving the ordinar 
 264. 
 
 Sweaters for the horse, 217. 
 
 Sweating, process and object < 7 , 
 262. 
 
 Swedish horse, the, 53. 
 
 Swelled legs, treatment of, 530. 
 
 Symmetry, increase of in horses, 72. 
 
 Sympathetic system of nerves, 443. 
 
 Synonyms of the horse, 5. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Synovia, 353. 
 
 Synovial membranes, 352 ; diseases of, 
 468 ; inflammation of, ib. 
 
 Tail, the, 312; bones of the, 332. 
 
 Tan, for bedding, 241. 
 
 Tares, for soiling, 230. 
 
 Tarso-metatarsal articulation, 382. 
 
 Tarsus, the bones of, 347 ; lateral liga- 
 ments of the, 381 ; interosseous liga- 
 ment of the, ib. ; view of, 347. 
 
 Tartar horse, the, 25. 
 
 Teeth, after nine years, 322 ; at nine 
 years, ib. ; at about the eighth year, 
 ib. ; at the end of the first year, 317 ; 
 bishoping of, 323; composition of, 
 316; development of the, ib.; during 
 the second year, 318 ; duriug the third 
 year, ib. ; horseman’s nomenclature 
 of, 317 ; irregularities in the growth 
 of, 324 ; lower nippers and tushes at 
 five years, 321 ; mouth at three years, 
 319 ; mouth at four years, ib.; mouth 
 at five years, 320 ; of the very old 
 horse, 324 ; shedding of, between 
 four and a half and five years, 320 ; 
 the six year old mouth, 321 ; view of 
 the mouth at four and a half years, 
 319 ; view of the three year old 
 mouth, 318 ; view of upper nippers 
 and tushts at five years, 320 ; upper 
 nippers in the eight year old horse, 
 323. 
 
 Temporo-maxillary articulation, 386. 
 
 Tendinous sheaths, inflammation of, 
 469 ; sheaths, treatment of inflamed, 
 ib. 
 
 Tendons, anatomy of, 383. 
 
 Tendon, disease of the, 467; treatment 
 of small tumours on the, 468; tu- 
 mours on the, ib. 
 
 Tetanus, nature of, 520 ; symptoms of, 
 ib.; treatment of, 521. 
 
 Thigh bone, the, 345. 
 
 Thick wind, nature of, 495 ; treatment 
 of, ib. 
 
 Thoracic arch, 311. 
 
 Thoracic duct, 428. 
 
 Thoracic organs, 407 ; remarks on the 
 diseases . t *79. 
 
 Thorax, articulations of the, 358 ; bones 
 of the, 311 ; boundaries of, 407 ; con- 
 tents of, ib.; longitudinal section of 
 the, 408 ; plan of, 407. 
 
 Thorns in the leg of the hunter, treated 
 of, 273. 
 
 Thoroughbred, essentials in the, 82; 
 English horse, the, 53; general history 
 of the, ib. ; hunter, the, 94; origin of 
 the, 56 ; stoutness of the American, 
 42; the English of 1750, 55; the 
 steeple-chaser, 94; the modern, 71; 
 the American, 36. 
 
 Thoroughpin, nature of, 468 ; symptoms 
 of, ib. ; treatment of, ib. ; treatment 
 of, when in the bursa, 470. 
 
 Thread worms, 511. 
 
 621 
 
 Thrush, varieties of, 537 ; treatment of, 
 538. 
 
 Thymus gland, anatomy of the, 423. 
 
 Thyroid body, anatomy of the, ib. 
 
 Thyroid cartilage, anatomy of, 421. 
 
 Tibia, the, 346 ; view of the, ib. 
 
 Tibio-fibular articulation, 379; tarsal 
 articulation, 381. 
 
 Tiles, enamelled for stables, 207. 
 
 Times made by horses of the middle of 
 the last century, 75; of the best Ame- 
 rican horses made in America and 
 England, 76 ; of the horse, best mo- 
 dern English, ib. 
 
 Tip, the, 563 ; needed for the fore feet 
 in turning out, 278. 
 
 Tissue, white fibrous, 351. 
 
 Tonics, action of, 596 ; recipes for, ib. 
 
 Toorkistan, the horse of, 25. 
 
 Tooth, section of incisor, 317. 
 
 Touch, anatomy of the organ of, 446 ; 
 sense of, necessary to the appreciation 
 of form, ib. 
 
 Trachea, anatomy of, 422. 
 
 Training horses, Rarey’s method of, 164. 
 
 Trapezoides, os, 339. 
 
 Travis, the, of stables, 204. 
 
 Trevis, the, or break, 573. 
 
 Trimming, 250. 
 
 Trooper, the, 100. 
 
 Trot, the, 127 ; action in the true, 128; 
 starting into a, 293. 
 
 Trotter, the American, 31; the fast, 
 111 ; the Norfolk, 129. 
 
 Trotting horses, American, pedigrees 
 of, 34 ; American, fastest on record, 
 31. 
 
 Trumpeting, nature of, 488. 
 
 Trustee, the trotter, 35. 
 
 Turning out, marshes for, 277; meadow 
 land for, ib. ; to grass, 275. 
 
 Turkish bath, description of the, 266; 
 plan of, 267. 
 
 Turkish horse, the, 25. 
 
 Twitch, the, 573. 
 
 Typhoid fever, symptoms of, 550; 
 treatment of, 551. 
 
 Ulna, the, 338. 
 
 Unilateral shoe, 562. 
 
 Unciforme, os, 339. 
 
 Unnerving, remarks on, 581. 
 
 Unsoundness of the feet and legs, 
 marshes useful in, 277. 
 
 Upland hay as food, 221. 
 
 Upland pasture, nature of, 276. 
 
 Upper arm bone, the, 335 
 
 Ureter, the, 436. 
 
 Urinary calculi, 515. 
 
 Urine, bloody, 514, retention of, 515; 
 treatment of retention of, ib. 
 
 Uterus, inversion of, 517. 
 
 Valve, the ileo-coecal, 433. 
 
 Vein, inflammation of after bleeding, 
 575; the axillary, 418; the plate, 
 417 ; the sunerficial brachial, ib . ; the 
 
'4 
 
 622 
 
 INDEX 
 
 \ 
 
 vertebral, ib. ; anatomy of tbe, ib . ; 
 of the stomach, 431 ; the pulmonary, 
 418; the superficial, 417. 
 
 Yena-cava, anatomy of, ib. ; anterior, 
 anatomy of, ib. ; posterior, anatomy 
 of, 418. 
 
 Venous blood, action of air on, 418. 
 
 Ventilation of stables, 200. 
 
 Ventilating shaft, 202 ; windows, 197. 
 
 Vermifuges, action of, 596. 
 
 Vermont cart-horse, the, 42. 
 
 Vertebra atlas, 310. 
 
 Vertebra dentata, anterior view of, 328 ; 
 posterior view of, ib. 
 
 Vertebrae, body of, 325; cervical, ib. ; 
 coccygeal, 332 ; general character of, 
 325 ; general character of dorsal, 329 ; 
 general character of the lumbar, 330 ; 
 general movements of the, 358 ; 
 peculiarities of certain cervical, 326 ; 
 peculiarities of the dorsal, 330 ; 
 peculiarities of the lumbar, 331 ; 
 profile view of the cervical, 326. 
 
 Vertebral column, articulations of the, 
 354; ligament, inferior, 355; liga- 
 ment, superior, 355. 
 
 Vetches for soiling, 230. 
 
 Vices, out-door, 298 ; treatment of, ib. ; 
 shying, 298 ; rearing, ib. ; kicking, 
 299 ; lying down, ib. ; plunging, ib . ; 
 running away, ib. ; stumbling, 300. 
 
 Viscera, muscular coat of the hollow, 426. 
 
 Vives, treatment of, 499. 
 
 Walk, action of the, 124 ; exceptional 
 mode of starting for the, 123 ; mode 
 of starting the horse into, 292 ; of 
 horses, the, 121 ; received interpreta- 
 tion of the, 122 ; starting for the, ib. 
 
 Walking, rate of, 126. 
 
 Warbles, treatment of, 529. 
 
 Warts, removal of, 533. 
 
 Water, remarks on, 220, 233; proper 
 quantity of, 234 ; proper temperature 
 of, 235; supply of stables, 197. 
 
 Water in the chest, treatment of, 494. 
 
 Water-pipes for stables, 200. 
 
 Weaving, remedy for, 260. 
 
 Weight, distribution of, in horses. 
 119. 
 
 Welsh pony, the, 10 7. 
 
 Western hemisphere, horses of the, 27= 
 
 Wheat as food for the horse, 228. 
 
 Wheat straw for bedding, 240. 
 
 Wheezing, nature of, 488. 
 
 Whins for soiling, 230. 
 
 Whistling, nature of, 488. 
 
 Wild horse of America, Mr. Herbert’s 
 account of the, 28; of North America, 
 27. 
 
 Wild Tartar horse, the, 25. 
 
 Windgalls, treatment of, 470. 
 
 Windows for stables, 197. 
 
 Winter’s run, 279. 
 
 Withers, nature of fistula of, 462 ; 
 symptoms of fistula of, 463; treat 
 ment of fistula of, ib. 
 
 Work, preparation for, 261 ; treatment 
 of the horse after, 272. 
 
 Worms, intestinal, 511 ; symptoms of 
 intestinal, ib . ; treatment of intes- 
 tinal, ib. 
 
 Worm medicines, action of, 596. 
 
 Wounds of joints, 477. 
 
 Wrist, articulations of, 348 ; bones of 
 the, 322 ; movements of, 357. 
 
 Young Black Hawk, the trotter, 35. 
 
 THE ENT). 
 
 ft. CLAY, SON, AN© TAYLOR, PRINTERS, LONDON. 
 

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 636.1W16H2 C001 
 
 THE HORSE, IN THE STABLE AND THE FIELD N