24 LESSONS IN HORSE JUDGING. 



passes over the cheek near the root of the ear as 

 three or four stripes as of thick whip-cord running 

 along under the skin towards the nostrils. This 

 nerve, after leaving the bony canal at the bottom 

 of the skull near the root of the ears, has to pass 

 through a gland, which produces the saliva or 

 spittle. It is this gland which swells at the side 

 of the face when he is said to have got the * vives.' 

 In the horse, should this gland swell, it presses 

 uj^on the nerve we are speaking of, and stops its 

 current, and (as this nerve suppUes the lips, the 

 muscle which closes the eye, also the principal 

 muscle of the cheek), when its current is quite 

 stopped these muscles become paralyzed and can- 

 not move the parts, so that the lips hang down 

 and swing about like pendulums ; the eye always 

 remains open with a fixed stare, and the cheek 

 bags out and the nostrils cannot become expanded. 

 All this can be brought about by a draught blow- 

 ing on to the side of the head and giving a ^ cold ' 

 to the gland and causing it to swell and press on 

 the nerve. This state of things usually lasts from 

 one to three weeks, or until the ' cold ' disappears. 

 The lesson we thus learn is this ; see that the nos- 

 trils expand when the horse comes to exert him- 

 self, and also see that his hps are not swinging 

 about like pendulums. Very old horses some- 

 times have pendulous lips from dcbihty. If you 

 are buying such a one give him a feed of hay, 

 and watch him to see if he can grasp the hay 

 with his lips, or if he has to push his nose into it 

 and seize it with his teeth. If he has to do this 

 don't buy liim, because he will spoil more food 



