49 



of giving balls to dogs may be feen in the Prelimi* 

 saary Remarks on Dogs, at the end of the book. 



A horfe halt fliould be lefs than a pullet's egg, 

 but longer : it fliould be firm in confiftence, and not 

 liable to crumble; nor yet fhould it be too hard, or 

 it may choak. This is a fault that mofl ready pre- 

 pared horfe balls have : fome are fo hard, that, even 

 if they do get down, all the powers of the llomach 

 can hardly diflblve them, and th.ey may pafs away 

 una<5led upon ; this defeat arifes from making ufe of 

 an improper fubftance to mix them with ; it will, 

 however, be found, that the ready prepared balls I 

 recommend never harden by age. There is an in- 

 ftrument called a hailing iron, often ufcd by perfons 

 not very expert at delivering balls : it is beli to give 

 them without it; but, when it is ufed, it fliould al- 

 ways be guarded with cloth, to prevent the bars 

 from being wounded. The moji conienient mode of 

 delivering a ball is, to back the horfe in his flail, 

 when the operator, railing himfelf on a flool (the 

 bottom of the bucket is a very ufual convenience, 

 but it fometimes falls in, and alarms the horfe), 

 fliould gently draw the tongue a little out of the 

 mouth, fo as to prevent its rifmg to reflfl the pafTage 

 of the hand ; but the tongue fliould not be held out 

 alone, or the flruggles of the horfe may injure it, 

 but it fliould be held firmly by the fingers of the 

 left hand againfl the jaw. The ball, being previoufly 



