212 THE HORSE 



sooner the operation is performed the better, as delay 

 only aggravates suffering and leads to further complica- 

 tions. 



Mud Rash and Mud Fever 



The skin of the heels and other parts of the body in 

 horses which are neglected as regards grooming some- 

 times becomes the seat of an erythematous eruption or 

 rash, characterised by a dry condition of the skin, on which 

 numerous minute blisters form, apparently due to some 

 irritating material contained in the mud. The skin seems 

 to lose all its pliancy, and the animal becomes what is 

 called " hide-bound " — a sure indication of unthriftiness. 

 This trouble is also spoken of as ''mud fever," owing to 

 the fact that the animal does occasionally suffer from slight 

 constitutional disturbance. The best treatment for 

 mud rash is to give the animal a physic ball and follow 

 this up with a liberal supply of linseed gruel along v/ith 

 the other forage, until the animal shows decided improve- 

 ment. Plenty of good strapping is essential in order to 

 encourage the circulation in the skin. 



Cracked Heels 



This abnormal condition is a very common one, more 

 particularly during the late autumn and winter. The 

 heels are most susceptible to the action of cold and wet, 

 more especially in horses which have been clipped and 

 improperly groomed. Sometimes the skin at the heels 

 becomes so sore and painful as to lead to lameness. 

 Probably one of the most fruitful causes of cracked heel 

 is that of washing the heels and failing to dry them pro- 

 perly afterwards. Many horsemen consider that one of 

 the best preventatives against cracked heels is to allow 

 the hair to grow fairly long in the region of the heels, 

 though of course many horse-masters object to this on 

 the ground of its being unsightly. When horses come in 

 with wet and muddy fetlocks and the hair is long at this 



