In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 71 



THORN. 



This is another troublesome customer to the groom, 

 for otten it is in the horse's legs some days before it can 

 be detected. But every groom after a day's hunting 

 should examine very carefully the legs to ascertain if 

 there are thorns in them ; the two worst and most likely 

 places for a thorn to be is in the knee joint and the 

 coronet between the hair and hoof. Sometimes a horse 

 will get punctured with a thorn so deep in the joint that 

 it will cause synovia or joint oil to run, and when this 

 occurs, under the best treatment, there is sure to be an 

 enlargement of the joint. Often a limb is pierced with 

 a thorn and the point broken off and left in the wound. 

 This is more troublesome than a large thorn left in, for 

 the latter is soon detected, and when once pulled out 

 causes but little trouble ; while a very small piece of 

 thorn, especially black thorn, from its acid nature, will 

 set up inflammation and suppuration, sometimes to a 

 great extent before the evil is found out, as many grooms 

 are apt to mistake a swelling from a thorn for a rap with 

 a rail in the hunting-field. If there is any doubt about 

 a swelling being caused by a blow or a thorn, the leg 

 should be examined minutety. The best way to do this 

 is to take a knife and draw the blade slowly up against 

 the hair and examine the skin as you proceed. If you 

 find a puncture only as large as the eye of a needle 

 probe the wound to see if any thorn is there ; if you 

 cannot find one, rub into the hole a small quantity 

 of Gregory's vesico sudorific ; this will keep the wound 

 open and set up a discharge, and if a thorn is there 

 it will draw it out ; if there is no thorn it will act 



