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CHAPTER XI. 

 Management of Horses on Board Ship. 



As my experience extends only to the transport of 

 single horses on boardship, and not to that of large num- 

 bers, I shall confine my remarks to the former. 



The frogs and soles of a horse's feet, before he is 

 embarked, should be hard, strong, and as fully developed 

 as possible. Hence it is advisable to let him go bare 

 foot for a couple of months beforehand, or to shoe him 

 a la Charlier, or with tips, while the crust and heels are 

 kept low, and to forbid all paring of the soles and frogs 

 with the drawing knife, or stopping with cowdung, &e. 

 If thrush be present, the animal's feet should be treated 

 for it without delay. (See Veterinary Notes for Horse 

 Owners.) Shortly before being put on board, the shoes 

 (if they be used) should be taken off, and the heels and 

 walls of the hoofs should again be lowered, so as to 

 obtain frog and sole pressure as much as possible. 



The foregoing precautions are most necessary in order 

 to lessen the possibility of the animal getting inflam- 

 mation of the feet (laminitis) from long standing. I 

 believe that I am not incorrect in saying that fully half 

 of the horses, which come from England to India, suffer 

 more or less from this most serious disease. 



For ten days or so before sailing, the horse should be 

 put on laxative food, if he be at all gross, so that his 

 system may be as little prone as possible to the attacks 

 of any kind of inflammation. With this object in 



