oUti ROAD, TRACK, AND STABLE. 



William H. Allen was led under a tree for that pur- 

 pose. But being a nervous horse, and his skin doubt- 

 less beiug tender from continual rubbing, he strongly 

 objected to the practice, and spent the whole time of 

 what should have been his intervals of rest in vain 

 attempts to kick his tormentors, lashing out at them 

 with his hind legs, and pawing and striking with his 

 fore legs. He lost the race, partly perhaps because 

 he was handicapped by these unnecessary exertions. 

 The practice nowadays is, after a brief scraping and 

 drying, with the application of liniment and some- 

 times the bandaging of the legs, to walk the horse 

 about, blanketed according to the weather. 



After very long drives I rub my nags' legs with a 

 strong solution of arnica and water, or, perhaps bet- 

 ter, with a mixture of arnica, Xew England rum, and 

 water in about equal parts. Alcohol is of course the 

 essential ingredient. This should be applied from a 

 point above the hock or knee to the foot, and on all 

 sides of the leg ; it tends to prevent spavin, curb, and 

 windgalls. There is nothing like rubbing of the legs 

 for a tired horse. The animal stands in his stall 

 with drooping head, eyes nearly closed, and appetite 

 gone. 1 Now take him in hand, clean him well but 

 quickly, then gently pull his ears, and rub his legs 

 for half an hour if necessary, not up and down, but 

 downward so as to induce a proper circulation of 

 the blood, and to soothe the muscles. Before long 

 his eyes will open, his head will be raised, his ears 

 pricked forward, and you will soon have the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing him munch his hay. 



1 I have seen horses in this condition, but not as the result of 

 my own driving. 



