CRIBBING AND WEAVING 267 



I believe, the best form of treatment even for the 

 confirmed cribber — much better than the tight strap 

 around the throat which always impedes the breathing 

 of the horse, and often causes him to become a 

 "roarer." He need not, except in an extreme case, 

 wear the muzzle while at work, for the amount of 

 cribbing which the horse can do then, if he is used 

 single, as he should be, does no great harm in ordinary 

 cases. 



The bad results of cribbing in the form of indiges- 

 tion are, I believe, exaggerated. Cribbers frequently 

 keep in good condition and live long. A trotting-bred 

 horse with some speed was brought to the city many 

 years ago, and held for sale at $500. Unfortunately 

 he became a cribber and was disposed of for $120 to 

 a liveryman who kept him until he died, or was killed, 

 more than twenty years later. He was always the best 

 horse in that stable, and always in good condition. 



Sometimes, however, one sees an enlarged abdomen 

 in a cribber, and in such cases a tonic should be given 

 almost continuously. Nux Vomica is good for this 

 purpose, twenty drops in water, once a day, for a horse 

 five years old or over; seventeen drops for a four-year- 

 old; fifteen drops for a three-year-old; ten drops for a 

 two-year-old; six or seven drops for a yearling. The 

 following condition powder may also be recommended 

 for a cribber: 



Gentian, well-ground i pound 



Peruvian bark I pound 



Ginger root ^ pound 



Dose : a heaping tablespoonful in the grain three times a day. 



