234 THE HORSE 



sprinkled with water, preferably with lime water. It 

 should be cut fine with a haycutter, if that is prac- 

 ticable, and it should not be more than half the usual 

 quantity. The shortage of hay may be made up by 

 liberal rations of oats and bran mixed with a little 

 water. Linseed meal should also be given occasionally 

 and, if the horse is old or thin, brown sugar, molasses, 

 or molassine. 



Horses afflicted with heaves, even though they were 

 formerly most delicate feeders, will always devour 

 their bedding or anything else that is edible. This, 

 of course is the worst thing possible for them, and it 

 should be prevented by bedding the horse with saw- 

 dust, shavings, peat-moss, or some other inedible sub- 

 stance. Why these unfortunate animals should have 

 this morbid appetite is not certainly known, but prob- 

 ably it is because they are extremely uncomfortable 

 inside, and they stuff themselves with the hope of 

 obtaining relief, just as human beings sometimes eat 

 when they have a " gnawing" in the stomach caused by 

 ijidigestlon. A horse with heaves always has difficulty 

 in breathing, and is never comfortable. In severe cases 

 this discomfort amounts to distress, and the only 

 humane course is to kill him. 



The most useful drug for heaves is probably Fowler's 

 solution of arsenic, the dose being about one teaspoon- 

 ful, given once a day for a few days, and then both 

 night and morning. This should be given constantly, 

 except that occasionally, say, once a month, the night 

 dose should be omitted for two days, and for one or 

 two days following both the morning and the night dose 



