34 SICKNESS AND CASUALTIES. 



cure. But in case of an attack, the sufferer should be 

 immediately isolated, or the whole stable may quickly be 

 affected, from its epidemic character. Change of air is an 

 excellent remedy if only for a short distance, and a little 

 time, with careful nursing and liberal diet, will generally 

 be found efficacious. 



Most horses suffer from sore shins. There is no guarding 

 against this complaint. It no doubt comes from work, but 

 unfortunately comes suddenly without the slightest warning 

 of its approach. It generally makes its appearance after a 

 few weeks' work, and sometimes before the young ones are 

 broke : some get it at two years old, when about three parts 

 fit to run ; some not till after being tried ; others still later get 

 it from running. But the cause and effect are the same in all, 

 as is the remedy. 



Dressing the shins with some vesicant should be resorted 

 to, and a week's rest given and a dose of physic ; after which 

 the horses may be set to do steady work again, and alternately 

 worked and rested till the complaint passes off altogether ; 

 fortunately it seldom returns. A cure may be effected by the 

 first application, or it may want repeating many times at inter- 

 vals of about a fortnight : during which period only walking 

 exercise should be given. The action of some is so much 

 affected by this complaint that they can scarcely stride over a 

 straw, whilst others go as free and well as the horses that have 

 no signs of it, and its existence in such cases can only be 

 known by the touch. 



A remarkable instance of this complaint occurred in Starter, 

 whose shins, when a yearling, were very bad, the soreness 

 never leaving him until after he ran for the Goodwood Stakes 

 at three years old. He never went short during the whole of 

 his work ; still the shins were very sore and flinched at the 



