ii2 THE CARE OF HORSES 



get him clear of the harness. Talk quietly and en- 

 couragingly to him, and he won't give much trouble. 

 When he is up never beat him, as many a cruel, 

 ignorant fool does. Only fools would do such a 

 thing. If he has broken his knees, and you are in 

 a town or near a house, lead the poor animal into 

 the yard, and get a pail of clean, cold water. Stand 

 close, and throw the water on the wounds with your 

 hand, to get the worst of the grit out. Never do 

 what I once saw a ' clever, knowing man ' do — 

 scrape the wounds with his finger-nails. It was a 

 poor little pony with terribly broken knees, and 

 when it flinched he hit it and scraped the harder, 

 and then tied dirty rags round each knee. 



If the bleeding is very bad, and you can't stop it 

 with the cold water, get some dry starch and powder 

 it, or take powdered white sugar — either will do — 

 and throw it on in the same manner as you did the 

 water. The bleeding will soon cease. Then walk 

 your patient home as slowly and quietly as possible. 

 Then get the vet. to see the knees if they are very 

 badly broken, in case a flint has gone deep. When 

 that is so, very serious trouble may follow. Never 

 ' tinker ' wounds until they get so bad that you don't 

 know what to do. It may mean the total loss of 

 your horse ; but it will certainly mean a much longer 

 loss of his services than if you have him properly 

 treated at once. 



A Runaway. — This may be also, I take it, counted 

 as an accident ; and nine cases out of ten result in 

 very bad accidents to somebody or something. The 

 great and most necessary thing is to keep cool. Don't 

 lose your head. Plant your feet w r ell forward, lean 

 towards your horse at the very start, straighten your 

 arms to the utmost, and get hold of the reins, one in 

 either hand, as short as possible, one hand lower 

 than the other. Never ' see-saw' the reins; it gives 



