OF FARRIERY 



181 



paid to the food the animal is eating, such as 

 his liay and corn, which ought to be of the 

 very best quality. Then being satisfied on 

 this head. 



Mix the sulphate of iron with the glauber 

 salts together in a mortar, and pound them 

 very fine, then add the other ingredients, 

 working them well together. Divide into 

 twelve balls, and give one morning and night. 

 Boil a teacnpful of rice until it is entirely 

 soft, then squeeze through a thin tamis or 

 cloth, and give in the Horse's water to drink. 

 Should these means not succeed, give the 

 following : 



Take Sulphate of iron - 12 drams. 

 Arsenic - _ . 1 do. 

 Gentian - - - 12 do. 

 Aloes, Cape - - 12 do. 

 Mix well together, and form into a 

 mass, with soft soap. 



Divide into twelve balls, and give one every 

 morning. You will perceive by pursuing this 

 course of strengthening medicine, that the 

 Horse will speedily regain his appetite, and his 

 usual courage and strength. In some cases 

 it is highly proper to give a few cordial balls 

 (as prescribed in the foregoing case,) at inter- 

 vals, until the disease is entirely removed. 



ON CRIB-BITING. 



The peculiar action^f crib-biting cannot be 

 mistaken by the merest tyro in Horse-know- 

 ledgCj on seeing the Horse feed ; for, at every 



swallow an eructation of air is produced, and 

 by making the edge of the manger a fixed 

 point, he is enabled thus to do so with ease. 

 This, as has been said by some writers, is ex- 

 ceedingly painful to the animal ; but this I 

 am not inclined to believe, for very frequently 

 we find crib-biters, not only high conditioned 

 animals, but fat ; therefore, whatever creates 

 pain, cannot produce fat. Still tliere is a dif- 

 ference in ciib-biting Horses ; some will crib 

 badly, and get fat ; others become lean ; and 

 this appears extraordinary at first sight, but is 

 of great importance ; for as the Horse keeps in 

 flesh or condition with crib- biting, or falls off, 

 so his soundness or unsoundness depends ; con- 

 sequently, it becomes a matter of great import- 

 ance. This disease, or habit, more properly 

 speaking, takes place mostly in young Horses , 

 and here my opinion differs from many others, 

 for I am confident it is frequently occasioned 

 by uneasiness in cutting the breeding teeth. 

 Sometimes the cause is. Horses being ill-fed, 

 when they are particularly hungry. I have 

 no doubt many Horses wear away their fore 

 teeth so much they will not meet, and it 

 occurs by not being able to gather up their 

 food ; but there is one decided symptom o;' 

 taking in air, and expelling it also at the same 

 moment, for, if you observe the Horse swal- 

 lowing, he expels air, and at the same moment 

 he inhales fresh air, clearly shewing it by 

 the expansion of his nostrils. Now, by some 

 writers, crib-bitino- has been described as 

 dyspepsia, similar to that disease as affecting 

 the human subject ; but this is impossible, or 

 how would one Horse take it from the other 

 >tanding in the same stable ? which I have 

 known frequently to occur ; and it is a well 

 known fact, that no training-groom will allow 

 a crib-biter to stand in his stable. I could 



