50 



sharp liniment round tlie coronet, and keeping the horse at gentle 

 work in harness if possible, will frequently effect a cure. 



OVERREACH. 



Overreach is an accident almost confined to hunters. Over- 

 reaching in the hunting field produces a wound on one or other of 

 the bulbs of the heel, by tearing down the horn covering from the 

 true skin where the hair terminates above, over the inner or outer 

 half of the frog, according to the side on which the hind foot has 

 struck the fore. A bruise of more or less intensity is produced 

 with the tear, and on that depends the degree of pain caused. An 

 overreach is always more formidable in appearance than it is in 

 reality; it seldom need cause a hunter to lose a day's work, or, at 

 most, to postpone his turn for more than one or two days. 



Mr. Gamgee advocates the following treatment, which we have 

 found to be thoroughly efficacious. He says: '•When a horse 

 comes into the stable with a wound from an overreach, let him be 

 dressed all over except the foot injured ; then taking a pail of water 

 comfortably warm, put the foot into it, and continue fomenting the 

 leg and foot until the dirt is removed. Examine the overreach, 

 then ascertain the extent of the wound, and whether it be freed 

 from all gravel, foreign matter, &c. ; the leg and foot should be 

 sponged and rubbed dry with cloths, and some soft tow wetted with 

 warm water laid over the wound, and a flannel bandage, similarly 

 moistened, is to be put round the coronet, and tied so as not to 

 press on the wound. The next day the bandage and tow may be 

 changed, when it w411 be found that the cure will be well advanced. 

 These may be removed after forty-eight hours, and the detached soft 

 horn will by next day be shrivelled, and of little substance. When 

 the line of demarcation between the dead and the living textures is 

 obvious, the former may be detached with a small knife or scissors." 



The time-honoured system of curing overreach was by cleaning 

 the wound thoroughly, applying an active astringent or caustic mix- 

 ture, and strapping the surface with a plegit of tow, making all 

 tight with a bandage. 



PRICK. 



When a horse becomes lame, and upon an examination of the 

 legs no sufficient cause is discovered, the shoe should be carefully 

 taken off and the foot well pared out. If the cause is not then 

 visible, the cautious application of the pincers or a rapping round 

 the hoof with a hammer, will disclose the seat of the injury, by 

 caasing the animal to w^ince. This ascertained, remove all pressure 



