HORSES AND CATTLE. 201 



of his camps, but he must have a stable or warm shed 

 to put them in at night, when the horse-sickness makes 

 its appearance. This horse- sickness is the only thing he 

 need much dread : it generally breaks out once in five 

 years. It begins in December or January, mildly at 

 first, but increasing in virulence, and disappears after 

 the first few frosts in June. Although the exact cause 

 is unknown, there can be no doubt it is connected with 

 malaria in the night air : as, if during its prevalence, a 

 horse is stabled from shortly before sundown until the 

 dew is off the grass in the morning, it will never con- 

 tract the disease ; and where this cannot be done, keeping 

 a nose-bag on all night is a great preventive ; whilst 

 even putting them in a kraal with a lot of other stock 

 is good. 



The first symptoms noticeable are, that the horse 

 suddenly breathes heavily, droops its ears, and makes for 

 its stable. Froth generally comes from its nostrils, and 

 in twenty- four hours it dies. It is not in the slightest 

 degree infections or contagious, but in a season when 

 the disease is bad, a single night's exposure, when the 

 dew is falling heavily and there is a cold clammy feel in 

 the atmosphere, will be fatal to a large per-centage of the 

 horses that are at large, especially if feeding in a valley. 

 Some people imagine that the cobwebs on the grass 

 have something to do with it, but this is only owing to 



