HORSES AND CATTLE. 203 



the disease will be very apt to run on into glanders. 

 With these exceptions a farmer's horses running at grass 

 will be but little troubled with disease. The principal 

 things that will bother him will be horses getting lame 

 and bad sore backs ; and for these, turning them out for 

 a spell is the cheapest and best remedy. When travel- 

 ling, if the horse is saddled oflP every two hours, even 

 if only for a few minutes^ to allow him to stale, and is 

 not allowed to drink water whilst hot, he will seldom hurt 

 in South Africa. If a chafe is seen, raw brandy should 

 be put on it ad libitum to harden the flesh. If the horse 

 gets an attack of gripes, a good and easily procured 

 remedy is a soda-water bottle of gin with a wine- 

 glassful of pepper in it. 



The farmer should look well to his saddles, as one 

 badly-stuflPed saddle will soon lay up several horses. 



Cattle are an essential item on every Ostrich-farm : 

 not only working oxen, but cows, to supply fresh milk 

 and butter to the farmer, and thick milk to the native 

 servants. Even with a few head of cows, the butter he 

 can make and sell in the nearest town will pay all the 

 expenses attending them; whilst the food they supply, 

 for native servants, in the shape of thick milk, 

 together with their increase, gives a very handsome 

 profit. Excepting on the coast and some portions of the 

 grass veldt, 90 to 100 per cent, of the calves will be 



