CASTRATION. 227 



not be too hot, nor the flies too numerous. We enter our decided protest 

 against the recommendation of some valuable but incautious agricultural 

 writers, that "colts should be cut in the months of June or July, when 

 flies pester the horses, and cause them to be continually moving about, and 

 thereby prevent swelling." One moment's reflection will convince the 

 reader that nothing can be more likely to produce inflammation, and conse- 

 quent swelling and danger, than the torture of the flies hovering round 

 and stinging the sore part. 



If the horse is designed either for the carriage or for heavy draught, the 

 farmer should not think of castrating him until he be at least a twelve- 

 month old ; and even then, the colt should be carefully examined. If he 

 is thin and spare about the neck and shoulders, and low in the withers, he 

 will materially improve by remaining uncut another six months ; but if 

 his fore-quarters are fairly developed at the age of a twelvemonth, the 

 operation should not be delayed, lest he become heavy and gross before, and 

 perhaps have begun too decidedly to have a will of his own. No specific 

 age, then, can be fixed ; but the castration should be performed rather late 

 in the spring or early in the autumn, when the air is temperate, and partic- 

 ularly when the weather is dry. No preparation is necessary for the suck- 

 ing colt, but it may be prudent to bleed and to physic one of more advanced 

 age. In the majority of cases, no after-treatment will be necessary, except 

 that the animal should be sheltered from intense heat, and more particularly 

 from wet. In temperate weather he will do much better running in the 

 field than nursed in a close and hot stable. The moderate exercise which 

 he will take in grazing will be preferable to perfect inaction. A large and 

 well-ventilated box, however, may be permitted. 



The manner in which the operation is performed will be properly left to 

 the veterinary surgeon ; although we must confess that we are disposed to 

 adhere to the old way of opening the bag on either side, cutting ofl'the tes. 

 tide, and preventing bleeding by searing the vessels with a hot iron. There 

 is at least an appearance of brutality, and we believe much unnecessary 

 pain inflicted, when the spermatic cord (the vessel and the nerve) is tightly 

 compressed between two pieces of wood, as in a powerful vice, and left 

 there either until the testicle drops off, or is removed on the following day 

 by the operator. To the practice of some farmers, of twitching their colts 

 at an early period, sometimes even so early as a month, we have stronger 

 objection. When the operation of twitching is performed, a small cord is 

 drawn as tightly as possible round the bag, between the testicle and the 

 belly ; the circulation is thus stopped, and in a few days, the testicles and the 

 bag drop off: but the animal suffers sadly ; it is occasionally necessary ta 

 tighten the cord on the second or third day, and inflammation and death 

 have frequently ensued. 



CHAPTER XII 

 THE FORE LEGS. 



We arrive now at those parts of the frame most essentially connected 

 with the action and value of the horse, and oftenest and most annoyingly, 

 the subject of disease. The extremities contain the whole apparatus of 

 motion, and it is with the action, and speed, and strength of the horse that 

 we are most concerned. 



