HUNTERS 161 



a horse that broke down badly in training, and 

 now it is impossible to distinguish between the 

 two legs in either appearance or by touch, and he 

 has stood work again for a long time. Had the 

 horse been fired he would have been for ever 

 marked out as a screw, and beyond that he would 

 have much deteriorated, for the moment the 

 firing-iron has been laid on the leg, that horse 

 as a racehorse is fully a stone, to tw^o stone, 

 below his former form. This is caused by the 

 contraction of the skin, wiiich never recovers 

 its pristine elasticity after firing, though it does 

 so after blistering. When it is considered that 

 if a horse's stride is only contracted by a couple 

 of inches very many yards will be lost in the 

 course of a mile, it is evident that every other 

 means should be tried to escape this misfortune. 

 The real benefit that results from firing is the 

 enforced rest that is obliged to be given, before 

 it is possible to put the horse into work again. 

 It is the rest, and not the firing, that really 

 completes the cure. 



When a horse is blistered it is needful to 

 muzzle it for a few days, or take other pre- 

 cautions, to prevent it gnawing its leg, being 

 provoked to do so by the irritation ; but as soon 

 as this has passed off, and a scab formed, the 

 horse can go out to grass, if such a convenience 

 is at hand, until the leg is ready to be blistered 

 again. It is as well to put a bandage on the leg 

 at first to prevent any mishap. 



One reason why firing is often recommended 

 by the groom is that his class believe in 

 heroic measures ; and the owner feels also that 

 at least he has tried the severest remedy he 

 could. The veterinary surgeon gets a good fee 

 12 



