THE GEXESEE FARMER 



309 



METHOD OF ADMINISTERING MEDI- 

 CINES TO HORSES. 



The author almost invariably administers medicine 

 in the form of drench, using a common champagne 

 bottle. Some persons, however, assert that "there 

 is gi-eat danger in drenching horses from a bottle ; 

 also, that it is very difficult to make them swallow 

 fluid." We never knew of anv accident foUowinar 



sound one. If a man wants to do a hard day's work 

 — if he wants to exert his muscles and sinews, either 

 in walking, running, fighting, digging, felling trees, or 

 carrying weights — he must have those muscles free 

 and unconfined by straps, and ligatures, and tight 

 clothing. Xo one can gainsay this. But how is it, 

 then, that a principle which every one, whether a sol- 

 dier or a sailor, farmer or laborer, would insist upon 

 in his own case, should be, in England, at least, so 



the use of the bottle, where ordinarv caution was ! universallv disre?arded in the case of our hard-work- 



observed. There is a space between the canine teeth 

 and grinders where the bottle can be introduced; and 

 if kept in that position while " drenching the horse," 

 it cannot do any harm. Our usual plan is, to stand 

 on the right side of the horse, our back tm-ned toward 

 his body ; we then take a firm hold of the lower jaw 

 with the left hand, at the same time moderately ele- 

 vating the head (not too high), while with the right 

 we gradually pour down the contents of the bottle. 

 Time should be taken in the process ; and if it is 

 poui'ed down in small quantities at a time, so much 

 the better, the horse will be more likely to swallow 

 it, especially if it shall be made palatable by the ad- 

 dition of a few caraway seeds or a little honey. Horses, 

 like children, must be handled in the most gentle 

 manner. They will generally refuse to drink even a 

 little gruel, when any unnecessary severity is resorted 

 to in its administration. They may be coaxed, but 

 not forced. 



In answer to the second objection, we observe, 

 that there is no more difficulty (not half so much) in 

 administering a drench to a horse, under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances, than there is in giving a ball. To the 

 latter we have great objections. First, in reference 

 to its bulk ; secondly, the length of time it takes for 

 the gastric fluids to dissolve it : and lastlv, its action 



ing, patient, and too often iU-used beasts of burden ? 

 How is it that the ignorance of " common things," 

 which Lord Ashbcrtox so justly complains o^ should 

 be so lamentably conspicuous in a matter so con- 

 stantly before our eyes, in our towns, in our fields, in 

 our crowded streets, in our rural lanes, namely, our 

 draught-horse appointments? It must be owned that 

 one class — all honor, therefore, be to it — that of cab 

 and omnibus proprietors, have set a good example in 

 one respect, viz., in doing away with that hateful in- 

 strument, the bearing-rein. But, alas I in ninety-nine 

 carts and wagons out of a hundred (carts and wagons, 

 which are to move at a slow and steady pace), we 

 still persist in crippling unnecessarily our motive 

 power, and gagging our unhappy horses by tying up 

 their heads, as if in the very tyranny of wantonness. 

 On the continent the bearing-rein is rarely used, and 

 then only as ser^^le English imitation ; but in horse- 

 racing, hunting, horse-loving England, it must be 

 confessed its use is all but universal In Yorkshire, 

 in the midland counties, in the southern, up to the 

 steep hills near Scarborough, as up the not less steep 

 downs near Brighton, we may see heavy-laden wagons 

 at all hou!-s of the day dragged miserably along by 

 horses : on one hand ui'ged forwaixi by ever-restless 

 whip-cord ; on the other, as if in the veriest spirit of 



is uncertain. AVhereas, medicine given in the fluid | contradiction, curbed in by senseless bearing-reins ; 

 form is readily taken np by the lacteals, and operates, ' and yet. if the attendant carter's attention be drawn 



for good or evil, in much less time. It has also been 

 urged that, when a horse is suffering from disease of 

 the respiratory organs, the additional excitement fol- 

 lowing the act of drenching is unfavorable to a cure. 

 Unfortunately, we are in a worse predicament when a 

 ball is given, for then the tongue is forcibly drawn 

 out of the mouth, while the hand is passed up to its 

 root, where the ball is deposited. Our own expe- 

 rience in the matter leads us to decide in favor of the 

 bottle. If any further proofs of its utility are wanting, 

 we may mention the fact that one-half of our city 

 horsemen are in the habit of administering drink from 

 the bottle without accident. — Modern Hoise Doctor, 

 hy Dr. Dndd. 



OX THE 



USELESSXESS 

 BEARING-REIN. 



OF THE 



It is said that when his Majesty George III., with 

 a view to some improvement in military tmiform, 

 asked a life-guardsman, who had done good service 

 in the battle of "Waterloo, what sort of a dress he 

 should prefer had he another simUar battle to go 

 through, he received for answer, -Please your ^Maj- 

 esty, I should prefer my shirt-sleeves," Xow, though 

 we should be much sm-prised to see our cavalry regi- 

 ment tm-n out for parade in shirt-sleeve order, there 

 can be no doubt the life-guardsman's principle is a 



to the imnatural cruelty of the proceeding, he generally 

 appears fully alive to it. 



On seeing, the other day, a poor horse tugging 

 away at a cart full of sand up the cliff at Brighton, 

 of course with his head tied tightly back, we observed 

 to a laborer near. What a shame not to undo the 

 bearing-rein with such a load ! " Oh yes, sir,'' was 

 the reply, " I likes myself to see 'em free, but it's cus- 

 tom, sir, ctistom; they thinks they looks well.'' How- 

 ever,- it is to be feared the truth is, thought has little 

 enough to do with it ; if people did think, the days 

 of bearing-reins would soon be numbered. The foUy 

 of the practice was, some years ago, very ably shown 

 by Sir Fraxcis Head, in his Bubbles by an Old .Man, 

 where he contrasted most unfavorably om- English , 

 custom of tying tightly up, with the German one of 

 tying loosely down, and both with the French one 

 of leaving the horse's head at liberty (and a man of 

 his shrewdness and observation, a distinguished sol- 

 dier, who has galloped across the South American 

 pampas, and seen there herds of untamed horses in 

 all their native wildness and natural freedom, is no 

 mean authority). Xow, he has pointed out most 

 clearly that when a horse has real work to do, whether 

 slow work, as in our plows and carts, or quick, as in 

 a fast srallop. or in headlong flight across the plains 

 of Ainerica, nature tells him not to throw his head 

 up and backward toward his fail, but forward and 



