114 



THE HORSE AND THE WAR 



and dangerous liorse, and the result of a longer period of patience, or methods 

 which have to be " vigorous to be kind," have often resulted in the sentence 

 of casting being removed. Still an occasional incorrigible wrong 'un among 

 so many thousands is bound to occur. One does not mind the kicker so much. 

 The horse that strikes with his forelegs or rushes at you open-mouthed and 

 bellowing like a bull is not a pleasant individual for the bravest man to tackle. 

 The striker with his forelegs gives you so little warning and may do so much 

 damage. A development which has done much to reduce castings in this 

 country as well as to advance the prices realized at sales of " casters " is the 



Who'll give me another half-guiney 



tremendous stimulus given to national food production. ]\Iany a draught 

 horse with ringbone, navicular, or even laminitis, has had his career of useful- 

 ness extended through being transferred from the Army to the Food Produc- 

 tion Department. He was useless in a team with a General Ser\ice wagon 

 on the roads ; his poor old feet and legs would not stand the " jar." But 

 he could work in comparative comfort in the plough or on the stubbles, and 

 moreover he helped to produce corn at a time when horse po\\er on the land 

 was very badly wanted. 



Perhaps the lot of the cast riding-horse is most pathetic. Who wants 



