THE HUNTER AT HOME. 171 



and possessed of the most extravagant trotting action. 

 This action soon decreased when she came to work ; then 

 she used to come out going short, and work sound ; and 

 finally she could not work at all. Then she was turned 

 out to grass for five years, and, being the screw I 

 describe, her sapient owner bred four foals from her, 

 selecting a roarer as the sire. One foal, by the way, 

 died at two years old ; another had his dam's complaint 

 from the end of the first month he was worked, besides 

 being the worst roarer I ever heard ; the third is still 

 going, and is sound in his feet, though a fearful roarer ; 

 and the fourth was disposed of at the dam's foot, with 

 her. This gentleman never ceases to declare that 

 breeding horses does not pay ! One would think that a 

 winter's run, let alone five of them, would have done 

 something for the mare's feet, but she got very little 

 better, if any. I may as well mention that she was bare- 

 footed all this time. Pumiced foot is often the result of 

 fever in the feet. I should fancy that the old-fashioned 

 plan of standing the horse barefoot upon " pitching " 

 might do good here, and a system of shoeing that allows 

 of frog pressure might prevent a relapse, but I cannot 

 speak from actual experience. General inflammation 

 often ends in fever of the feet ; it is a case for the vet. 

 and above my powers of advice. Bleeding, however, is 

 a safe mode of treatment in all cases of inflammation. 

 Inflammation of the lungs may be brought on by 

 standing about after a quick gallop while a fox is being 

 bolted, for example. Bleeding and blistering are the 

 chief remedies to be applied, but the veterinary surgeon 

 must direct this, and by no means the groom, the farrier, 

 or the village cow doctor. Big legs are very common 

 amongst hunters; sometimes they are to be reduced^ 



