174 UNASKED ADVICE. 



manner, with no spring, so to speak, in his action. 

 When the disease commences it is generally curable. 

 The horse goes short, or lame, more or less, and the 

 groom will very likely ascribe the misfortune to a corn, a 

 splint, or anything in the world but the true cause. Feel 

 the heels of your horse above the coronet. If they are 

 perfectly springy and elastic, they are all right, but if 

 they feel hard anywhere, like bone or stone, they are 

 wrong — ossification has commenced. Blister the heels, 

 for two inches above the coronet, with biniodide of 

 mercury 1 drachm, lard 16 drachms (mix). When the 

 scurf caused by this application comes off, repeat it ; 

 meanwhile have your horse shod with tips and exercised 

 moderately. Taken in time, the disease is to be checked 

 — at least, I have succeeded in doing so in three different 

 cases in the last two years ; but I ascribe my success 

 chiefly to the use of the tips and Charlier shoe, both of 

 which I have tried. Eing bone is a more visible affection 

 of the same nature. The treatment is the same ; some- 

 times, however, firing is requisite, and that even is not a 

 certain cure. Luckily, it is not a very common complaint 

 with hunters, and does not always lame the horse, in 

 which latter case of course it should be let alone. 



Next we come to one of the most common maladies 

 of the hunting stable, and one that I have never seen 

 mentioned in print — I allude to " mud fever.^^ It is not 

 dangerous, as it never kills a horse, but it sometimes 

 lames them, and, if the master goes in at all for appear- 

 ances, it keeps the steed at home. It is very curious 

 that no veterinary writer has, to my knowledge at least, 

 ever alluded to this affection, with the exception of an 

 article on it which appeared in the Field. This would 

 lead one to suppose that it is an affection of modern 



