HOW TO SELECT A HORSE AXD KEEP IT. 139 



can be left the anything but agreeable task of cleaning a shedding 

 horse. In three weeks the new hair will all be out, and a cleaner, 

 sleeker animal it will be hard to find. The danger of taking cold is 

 almost nothing, if ordinary precautions are taken. 



BLANKETING. 



The question of blanketing the horse has been a subject of con- 

 troversy for several years. So far as the winter exposure goes, the 

 blanket has been beneficial, and is steadily used — a thick, warm one 

 for winter, a lighter one for spring and autumn, and a burlap cover- 

 ing for use during the day, while standing in the stall, as a pro- 

 tection against flies. It is urged by some that use of the blanket 

 makes the horse tender and more Hable to take cold, and also that 

 nature will take care of the heat of the animal by furnishing an 

 extra thick coat of hair; but we must remember that the horse, shut 

 up in a bam more or less warm, does not conform to the same con- 

 ditions as the wild animal, and that since the horse's appearance — a 

 smooth, sleek coat is always gratifying to the owner — he must be 

 careful that the horse is kept comfortable, without calling on nature 

 more than is necessary. What would apply to horses used in the 

 Maine pine forests to haul logs would not be proper for the horse 

 kept for family use. 



DOCTORING. 



Horses are always liable to be sick, and some general directions 

 would not, perhaps, be out of place here. In winter, colds are quite 

 common throughout the Eastern and Middle States. If difficulty of 

 breathing is noticed, with running at the nose, see, first of all, that 

 there are no drafts of cold air striking him ; put on an extra 

 blanket ; give a warm bran mish and ten drops tincture of aconite 

 once in two hours. If the cold take the form of a cough, there is 

 nothing better than a tablespoonful of ground lobelia and ginger, 

 mixed in equal parts, put in the bran mash, and it will be taken 

 without trouble. Where the horse becomes suddenly lame, the first 

 step is to ascertain whether or not it is the fault of the shoeing, as it 

 very often is. In such a case, pull off the shoe, give the foot a rest of 

 a day, and then put it on rightly. If it be due to a sprain, bathe in 

 hot water and rub dry. The various liniments are not efficacious as 

 a rule, and generally result in taking off the hair. It is better to call 

 a well-known veterinary physician than to risk the loss of a valuable 

 animal. The horse may die, of course, in spite of all that is done ; 

 but it will be a satisfaction in case of his death to feel that all has 

 been done that was possible. 



