THE COMPLETE FARRIER. 61 



near the place you intend to bait at, either at noon or night, that is, 

 within a mile, or a mile and a half of it, you may suffer him to drink 

 more freely, going at a moderate trot afterwards, by which means the 

 water will be warmed in his belly, and he will go in cool. Observe, 

 however, that if there is no water on the road, you should never suffer 

 your horse to be led to water, or to have his heels washed, after you 

 have arrived at your inn, but let him have luke-warm water when he has 

 stood some time in the stable. Much mischief has been done by im- 

 prudent riders, who, after traveling hard, have suffered their horses to 

 drink as much as they would just at going into the town, or inn where 

 they intended to lie. 



It is a general rule that when any extraneous body, or foreign mat- 

 ter, such as sand or gravel, is lodged in any part of the animal's body, 

 it must be extracted as soon and as easily as possible. When gravelly 

 matter has got into the quick at a nail-hole, or any other aperture, it 

 ought to be removed as soon as possible, but with as little loss of sub- 

 stance as the nature of the case will admit of, for it is a folly to cut 

 and pair away the hoof as some ignorant farriers do ; because by that 

 means they increase the evil instead of removing it, as it is a conside- 

 rable time before the breach is repaired, and till that is done, the same 

 part is likely to admit more gravel. So much, therefore, and no more, 

 of the hoof should be taken away as is absolutely necessary, viz: till 

 the blackness or discoloration vanishes ; then the wound should be 

 dressed with the following balsam: 



* oz. of Gum Benjamin. 3 drams of Storax. 



i do. Balsam of Peru. 3 do. Socotrine Aloes. 



6 drams of Myrrh. 3 do. Frankincense. 



3 drams Gum Guaiacum. 



Powder the ingredients that will powder, and put them in a bottle 

 with one quart of spirits of wine, and let them stand warm for eight 

 or ten days, shaking the bottle up every day. This is an excellent 

 balsam for green wounds, and no person that keeps valuable horses 

 should be without it. Apply it warm to the wound, dipping a piece 

 of tow or lint into it, and fastening it on to the. part out of which the 

 gravel or thorn has been taken, and renew it as it grows dry. 



Sprains and twistings of the joints sometimes happen on a journey 

 without any sensible heat or swelling, so that farriers often mistake 

 where the ailment lies. The place must therefore be carefully sought 

 for. and if you cannot find it, do not begin to doctor where there is no 

 grievance. It may be a slight rheumatic affection, and go off of its 

 own accord. In a sprain of the back sinews, be careful not to lay on 

 anything hot or blistering while on your journey, if you can avoid it. 



A horse is often seized with the Gripes on a journey, the best and 



shortest cure for which is the following : 



9 drams of Tincture of Opium. 1 oz. of Spirits of Sweet Nitre. 



2 oz. Olive Oil. 



Mix the above in half a pint of mint-water, give it to the horse, and 

 at the same time bed him well, that he may lie down to rest, and 

 be careful not to give him cold water for a day or two after. 



A horse that is subject to scouring, or purging, upon the road, has 



