GIVING BALLS, DEBILITY 191 



and easily applied disinfectant, and wards off 

 dangerous germs, as well as keeping the stables 

 thoroughly sweet and well purified. 



Now the object of this book is to point out 

 and emphasise the fact that thousands of works 

 on the Horse have been written, forming a 

 collection big enough to term Equine Literature 

 of a high order. Therefore, if this book appeals 

 to the public in the manner the author hopes 

 it may, it will be in conjunction with the study 

 of other books which he has mentioned, and 

 also with plenty of others which he has not 

 mentioned. 



You must be practical and have a natural gift 

 to recognise diseases, or you are unfitted to treat 

 animals under your charge, so by all means send 

 for a vet when a horse is worth doing so in your 

 opinion. When in doubt, therefore, send for a 

 vet, if his professional charges are likely to be 

 sufficiently reasonable to be worth your while to 

 pay ungrudgingly. If in doubt on this point 

 obtain the services of a practical vet, and pay 

 him by a scale of charges which you can arrange 

 amongst yourselves if you particularly wish ; in 

 short, let him do contract work for you. If you 

 object to this, a nice and clever vet will not 

 charge you a price which you can reasonably 

 dispute, as a rule. 



At this point we come to a stage which is 

 very common amongst over-careful breeders and 

 purchasers of horses. A little knowledge is a 

 dangerous thing. Many owners fuss and begin 

 to imagine horses have diseases which they 



