THE PRACTICAL COUNTRY GENTLEMAN 



dentist, is of the opinion that half of the ail- 

 ments which horses develop are caused by neg- 

 lect of the teeth. If horse-owners would real- 

 ize that horses are apt to suffer from abscesses 

 and all the other tooth troubles as human be- 

 ings are, they would in many cases save them- 

 selves money by applying the ounce of preven- 

 tion that is worth a pound of cure. 



Bad habits in horses are often the result of 

 neglect of the teeth. Among them are slobber- 

 ing, driving on one rein, having the tongue out, 

 pulling on the reins, jerking the head back and 

 forth, and taking the bit in the teeth. Slobber- 

 ing is caused by the horse's tr}'ing to find a com- 

 fortable spot for the bit, which, in pressing on 

 the tongue, causes it to flatten out, thus bringing 

 the sides against some sharp edge of the molars. 

 In doing this he keeps his jaws going, causing 

 saliva to form, churning it into a foam, which 

 runs from his mouth. The loss of this saliva 

 often causes indigestion. Hanging the tongue 

 out is done for the same reason, for by lengthen- 

 ing the tongue the width is decreased so that the 

 sides do not touch the teeth. 



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