86 



ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



Injury 



from 



surcinsfles. 



Injury 

 under 

 rear arch. 



Injuries 

 from 

 side bars. 



It must not be supposed that every injury on the top or sides of the 

 wither is necessarily due to the cause we have named, but they represent 

 probably 98 per cent. ; the remainder is made up of such causes as the 

 seat sinking and touching the spines of the back, or even resting on them 

 through an insufficient amount of material being beneath the side bar ; 

 the loose end of a strap getting under the arch, a badly fitting horse rug, 

 and similar rare conditions. 



Injury from surcingles. — An injury to the middle of the back over the 

 spine occurs through trying to keep numnahs or blankets on the back 

 with the overgirth without a pad. The pressure is sometimes so severe 

 as to kill a piece of skin the size of a half-crown. Nothing can be used 

 as a roller unless it has a pad on it. As a fairly useful makeshift, some 

 hay passed under the surcingle on either side of the spine so as to keep it 

 off the ridge of the backbone may be used with advantage. 



Injury under rear arch. — Injuries in connection with the rear arch 

 and- the portion of blanket and numnah which it covers are not very 

 common. From the rear arch itself no injury is inflicted, but the numnah 

 may cause very considerable inflammation if allowed to come down on 

 the back and get tightly stretched over the spine. Even without getting 

 tightly stretched it may cause considerable trouble due to the stitches 

 which hold the leather patch and strap in position. The remedy to apply 

 in the above case is very obvious. 



Injuries due to not strapping the rear pack high enough is a fault 

 which is quite unpardonable. It can be seen at a glance whether the spine 

 is free from pressure, and if not, this should be brought under " careless 

 saddling," and made the subject of punishment. In those cases where 

 the pack comes down as the result of loss of condition, no further strapping 

 up is possible. Such cases should be dealt with by placing more folds of 

 blanket under the side bar or by putting on strips of numnah or numuah 

 pannels. 



The loose end of a baggage strap v/ill do nearly as much harm as the 

 kit resting on the spine. 



If saddles be used for military purposes without a cantle, or with a very 

 low one, a rear pack can only be carried so long as the horses are in good 

 condition ; after that it must be cast aside, for no pack can be carried 

 behind with a low cantle and impoverished condition. 



Injuries from sidebars. — These are determined by their position beneath 

 the bar and may occur at any point throughout its length or breadth. 



We have previously had occasion to deal at such length with the 

 matter of side bars and their fit that there is no necessity to do more than 

 indicate the means to adopt to prevent further injury. 



