236 THE HORSE 



must be removed, and in either case the legs require to be 

 thoroughly brushed and hand-rubbed. After the legs are 

 finished the feet should have any attention they require, 

 and whatever application, such as tar ointment, applied 

 that may be deemed necessary. Formerly they were 

 invariably stopped with a mixture of clay and cow-dung 

 now very seldom seen ; and yet there was much to be said 

 in favour of the practice. All hoofs require a certain 

 amount of moisture, more especially when they are of 

 brittle texture, and this was afforded by the wet clay, which 

 remained moist a long time ; whilst cow-dung, as the 

 mushroom-grower can testify, is of a cooling nature, the 

 very reverse of horse-droppings, which alone are suitable 

 for his purpose. But the qualities which suit the gardener 

 are prejudicial to the horn of a hoof, and therefore a main 

 object of the stopping with the mixture mentioned was to 

 prevent the horse filling his hoof with his own droppings 

 when he stepped into them, as he is sure to do at times in 

 the stable. It must, however, not be forgotten that it was 

 the custom — even so late as my boyhood — for the smith 

 to pare away the sole until it would " spring to the thumb," 

 a most pernicious practice, and therefore the small amount 

 of horn which was left was more likely to be affected by the 

 lack of moisture, and the evils engendered by standing in 

 the dung, than under present conditions. The practice of 

 stopping the feet went out of fashion when the smiths 

 treated the feet on more rational principles. 



Tkoublesome Tricks. 



Some horses contract troublesome habits, or tricks, which 

 are annoying even when not absolutely dangerous, and 

 ingenuity must be exercised in counteracting them. A 

 common occurrence is that of capping an elbow, by lying in 

 such a position that the elbow rests on the fore-foot. The 

 swelling is composed of bloody fluid and thickened skin, and 

 it must be noted as very dangerous ever to fire a capped 

 elbow, or hock ; the inflammation which ensues may cause 

 suppuration, and so affect the joint as to necessitate the 



