82 



CHAPTER XVII 



MISCELLANEOUS 



To Cure Bog-spavin in a Foal. — To cure bog-spavin in a foal, take 

 two told weight of amar bel;^ pound it and add a little gur, and 

 give after the evening feed (ddna), for several days. The bog- 

 spavin will certainly disappear. Item : give half a told of burnt 

 borax in the drinking water daily. Item : seize the upper lip and 

 draw it forwards ; pierce the vein that stands out clearly defined 

 between the nostrils, and then for three days rub on the place 

 powdered salt and turmeric ; or take half a pint of oil " and heat 

 it, and cast in a quantity of hhildwen^ and cook till brown and crisp; 

 crush and mix and apply to the wound ten or fifteen times a day. 

 By the time the lip is healed the bog-spavin will have disappeared. 



Foaling. — Do not, when the foal is being produced, let it fall on 

 the ground, but catch it and shake it in a blanket, and then place 

 it carefully on the ground : this will make it strong and active. In 

 youth, rub and knead well the scrotum of a colt with ghl,* and in 

 maturity it will behave itself even in the company of mares. Out- 

 wardly, in appearance, it is a stallion,^ but inwardly it is a gelding. 



Strained Loins. — Should your horse get a strain in its loins :^ 

 First see that the head-ropes are fast and then remove the heel- 

 ropes and hobbles. Next take hot water that rice has been boiled 

 in ipich), and put it in a copper basin {lagan), and place the vessel 

 on the palm of the right hand ; lift the tail and draw back the hair 

 so as to expose the tip of the dock, and dip it in the very hot water; 

 the horse will start forward and shake its body violently and so shake 

 out the pain from its loins ; it will straighten out the kink that was 

 in the back muscle. 



1 A common wild creeper also called amar-lat {amar = " non-dying," 

 and lat or bel = "creeper"). 

 3 i.e., til; or sweet oil. 



3 Bhildwen, pL, the fruit of the Marking-nut Tree, Semecarpus 

 Avacardium. 



4 During colthood the spermatic cord can easily be destroyed by 

 <mulling, without causing any great pain. It is not necessary to cast the 

 colt. The cord is pulled for about a quarter of an hour daily. 



5 Ayghir, T., '* a stallion." 

 ^ Kamar men ladikd and. 



