GENERAL TREATMENT 217 



pressing the finger at the angle of the lower jaw bone. 

 A horse in normal condition breathes from twelve to 

 fifteen times a minute. The respiration can be gauged 

 by watching the flanks or by pressing the ear to the 

 side. 



ADMINISTERING MEDICINE 



If the medicine is given in the form of a ball, as a 

 dose of aloes for instance, the horse's tongue should 

 be grasped by the left hand, and gently pulled out and 

 placed on that part of the right side of the lower jaw 

 which is bare of teeth. With the right hand the ball 

 should then be placed at the root of the tongue; and 

 when that is done the tongue should be released, which 

 will cause the ball to be pushed further back. The 

 mouth should then be closed and kept closed until the 

 ball is swallowed. 



Medicine, if not mixed with the grain, is usually 

 given to the horse in liquid form from a bottle which 

 should be of thick glass, like a tonic bottle, or earthen- 

 ware, to avoid the danger of its breaking. An India 

 rubber bottle is made especially for this purpose. 



The head of the horse need not be raised so high as 

 is usually done — if his nose is raised a little above the 

 horizontal line, it will be sufficient. With a quiet 

 horse, a man, standing on a stool or chair, can some- 

 times raise the horse's head with one hand, and 

 administer the dose with the other, but usually it Is 

 necessary to put the halter-rope over a beam, or better 

 yet, to lift the head by a loop placed under the lower 

 jaw, a rope or strap coming from the loop and passing 



