I JO Common Diseases of the Horse 



the Hunter and Hackney, the most free being the cart horse and 

 pony. A peculiarity of the disease also is that it affects stallions 

 much more frequently than geldings, and these again more fre- 

 quently than mares. It also occurs in large animals more often 

 than in small ones, and is rarely seen in any under 14 hands. The 

 larger the animal the more susceptible it is to the disease. 



As already observed, "roaring" and "whistling" are most cer- 

 tainly hereditary, but, on the other hand, may be also acquired 

 through various causes, the most common of which are strangles, 

 abscesses in the throat, which press upon the nerves and so cause 

 them to lose their function, severe colds, catarrh, influenza, inflam- 

 mation of the throat, and in fact almost any disease of the respira- 

 tory organs, particularly if they are of a protracted character. 



Over-exertion is believed by many to be an exciting cause of 

 wind infirmity, particularly if at the time the animal is suffering 

 from any slight ailment of the upper air passages which may not 

 be apparent to the owner. Thus a horse driven or ridden to 

 distress, by either being sent too far or too fast, may very soon 

 give evidence that he has become affected in his wind. There is no 

 doubt that many cases of broken wind — that is, when the lungs 

 and not the throat become affected, and are unable to properly 

 perform their functions — are caused in this way. In fact, this is the 

 common method of causing broken wind. These sufferers are 

 popularly called "wids". 



The latter defect is not hereditary, but it is even a worse ailment 

 than either roaring or whistling. It produces such a state of 

 exhaustion if any work is attempted that the animal is left practi- 

 cally useless to its owner. Such a one in the hands of an un- 

 scrupulous person becomes most dangerous to the unwary or 

 unexperienced horse purchaser. As there are drugs and devices 

 which, when administered, cause temporary relief, and unless 

 expert knowledge is brought to bear when the examination for 

 soundness is made, the defect may easily escape detection. The 

 following is a narrative the truth of which can be vouched for by 

 the writer: — 



Several low-class dealers obtained possession of a very good- 

 looking Shire-bred mare. She was, however, badly broken-winded. 

 Their method of procedure was to put her in a fair, use certain 

 measures to give her temporary relief, and then sell her for sums 

 varying from £60 to ^80. The buyer, of course, did not discover 

 the fraud until he had paid his money and had tried her as a good 

 worker, when she was discovered to be absolutely useless and 

 hardly able to pull an empty cart. The next act in the comedy. 



