Ch . LVI ! I. Of Gelding and Curtailing. 2 1 7 

 CHAP. LVilL 



Of Gelding and Curtailing of Horfes. 



'T^HE Gelding of a Foal is an eafy Operation, and feldom 

 '*■ attended with any ill Accident. But if a Horfe*s Stones 

 fhould be bruis'd, or otherwife hurt, and fo become irreco- 

 verable, the extirpating of thefe will require the Skill of a 

 good Artift. 



The Horfe being firft caft on a Dunghill, or other foft 

 Place, the Scrotinn^ or outward Cafe, is to be cut open on 

 each fide, where both Stones are to be taken away ; and 

 where there is but one, that Side where the difeafed Stone 

 lies ; afterwards tie a waxt Thread round the Strings, to flop 

 the Blood, and with a pair of fharp Sciflars or Knife, cut 

 the Strings between .the Ligature and the Stone, applying 

 to the Wound Pledgits dipt in the common Digeilive mix*J 

 "with Spirit of Wine, laying over all Compreiles and a Ban- 

 dage, fuch as has been direded to fufpend the Sheath. If 

 an Inflammation happens, it is to be treated with warm Fo- 

 mentations and fpirituous things, and the Horfe kept to an 

 opening Diet, with Barle)'- water for his Drink. 



This is a more fafe Method than what is generally prac- 

 tis'd, zz/z. by applying the adual Cautery, and then filling 

 the Place with Salt 5 for albeit it may fucceed with a Colt 

 or P'oal, while the fpermatick Veflels are very fmall, yet it 

 muft needs expofe a Horfe to many Accidents when he is 

 come to his Maturity. . 



As to the Curtailing or Docking of Hor- ^ ... 

 fes, all that I intend upon the Subjed, is on- ^^ **' ^"^' 



Jy to advertife the Farrier, that his fearing Iron fhould be 

 fmoother and better polifh'd than what is generally made 

 ufe of, and that it fhould be rubb'd very clean on a woollen 

 Cloth, and the Metal hardened, for when it is otherwife, the 

 Scoria^ or Sparks that fiy off from the Iron, are apt to caufe 

 an intolerable Anguifh, which falls down into the Funda- 

 ment and Sheath : Neither fhould the Iron be at any time 

 apply'd fiaming hot, or elfe it will bring the burnt Part 

 along with it ; for want of this laft Caution, I have feen 

 the Iron apply'd two or three times before an Efcar could 

 be form'd, which is always of bad Confequence, as it muft 

 \ip a conliderable Time before the Bone is covered. 



CHAP. 



