146 THE COMPLETE HORSEMAN 



in these directions will probably save a great deal 

 later as a bad overreach is a nasty thing to deal 

 with. 



But accidents will occur in the best-regulated 

 families, and when the going is deep, or the ground 

 is false the best of horses is liable to have his 

 heels bruised. If however proper precautions 

 are taken a truly shaped horse will seldom have a 

 bad overreach. 



On a horse's return from hunting his heels 

 should be carefully examined to see that there 

 are no bad bruises or overreaches. These if not 

 serious may be washed with a little antiseptic 

 and all will be well. But a deep overreach after 

 having been thoroughly washed out, calls for a 

 poultice to begin with in order to free it from 

 any dirt which the washing has failed to remove. 

 Col. Meysey Thompson advises that after one 

 night's poulticing the wound shall be sprinkled 

 with a mixture of Red Oxide of Mercury and 

 powdered sugar in the proportion of one to 

 twenty. I always used Tincture of Myrrh my- 

 self — some use Tincture of Arnica. If the wound 

 was deep I usually poured a quantity of Tincture 

 of Myrrh on some tow which I fastened over it 

 with a piece of tape. 



An indiarubber guard can be obtained at any 

 saddler's which will prevent overreaching, and 

 I have used one occasionally when the wound has 

 not got quite ' hardened.' It answers a good 

 purpose in keeping dirt out of the wound when 

 exercising and certainly it is a protection. I 



