264 RIDING FOR LADIES, 



have them at command. To keep a few properly com- 

 pounded balls on the premises, or, in other words, " at 

 hand," is an exceedingly wise precaution, but in keeping 

 them I should do so under lock and key. I have scores of 

 times saved poor horses from the abominable punishment of 

 having nauseous physic thrust down their throats, by simply 

 treating them with continued soft mashes — five, or even six 

 a day, given in small quantities at a time — and so great is 

 my faith in this treatment, that, except in extreme cases, 

 where feverish and other symptoms are present and render 

 physic absolutely indispensable, I would never permit any 

 contrary system to be adopted. For merely relaxing 

 purposes it is far before all others. 



When a ball must be given, have nothing to do with the 

 horrible contrivance known as a twitch, nor yet with a 

 balling-iron, which is another aversion. The use of this 

 latter frequently causes the operator to sustain a broken or 

 injured arm, for the horse throws up his head, and the 

 holder of the iron is fairly lifted from the ground, and, as a 

 rule, sustains some hurt to the limb. Even the improved 

 contrivance, with the aperture at the side, which is decidedly 

 an advance upon the old-fashioned round orifice, is open to 

 a variety of objections ; moreover, this method of adminis- 

 tering medicine subjects the groom, or operating surgeon, 

 to extreme risk from kicks from the fore-feet. A startled 

 horse almost invariably rears up, and hits out madly with 

 his fores — a blow from one of which is not by any means 

 soon forgotten. I have seen a ball most skilfully given by 

 coaxing and encouraging the horse in the first instance, 



