TRAINING FOR RACING, POINT-TO-POINT 381 



always has an immediate result ; but if the habit has become 

 chronic an improvement can usually be effected by the free 

 use of linseed — either as gruel, or as " tea" to drink instead 

 of water — with plenty of green food (especially carrots or 

 dandelion-leaves), and a tablespoonful of common salt in a 

 handful of bran mash amidst a feed of corn. Salt and 

 green food in combination promote a flow of urine much 

 more beneficially than by using diuretics. 



Gummy legs occur also in old horses from feeble circula- 

 tion, and require more active treatment, such as being well 

 hand-rubbed or massaged. When this is finished they 

 should be well sponged twice a day with — 



Alum 2 lbs. 



Soda lib. 



boiled in a gallon of water and applied cold. A serge 

 bandage steeped in the mixture should then be rolled on, 

 and a dry bandage placed over it. The same treatment 

 should be used for windgalls in the fetlocks. 



The last hint is the desirableness of allowing a horse to 

 have a roll in the sand, which affords great enjoyment. A 

 loose box can often be set apart for this purpose, and the 

 sand does not need to be frequently renewed. When in 

 Spain, now more than thirty years ago, we used to take off 

 the saddles as soon as ever the work was over, and allow 

 the horses to have a roll before they had a few minutes 

 grazing, and it was amusing to watch the eagerness of the 

 horses to be down, so that if the lads did not look out the 

 animals were down on their knees before the former were 

 out of the saddle. Anything which adds to the enjoyment 

 of a horse tends to make him happy, and a contented animal 

 thrives far better than one who is sulking or fretting. How 

 natural it is to roll is easily seen by observing a horse when 

 freshly turned loose, for after the first gallop round he is 

 sure to lie down and enjoy a good roll to his heart's 

 content. 



