1 OiJ 



rendered particulailv useful if a small quantity of ta}* 

 is put into it. Oiling the hoofs is a very bad practice, 

 and certainly renders them brittle ; but the Mix- 

 ture advertised at the end of this book will greatly 

 assist them. Let all the litter be moved from under 

 the fore feet the first thing in the morning ; and if 

 the feet should be naturally hard and dry, or tending 

 to contract, then wet the stall ; or, what is better, 

 wrap some thick pieces of cloth around the hoof dip- 

 ped in water. Carefully pick the feet after exercise. 

 Enquire of the smith the convenient time for a horse 

 to be shod : horses sometimes remain many hours in 

 a cold shop, exposed to the tricks or brutality of per- 

 sons around ; but by suiting this operation to the con- 

 venience of the smith, it must be attended to imme- 

 diately. After a long journey, it is a very good plan 

 to pull off the shoes, and turn the liorse into a loose 

 place with plenty of litter under him. It recovers 

 the feet very fast; for they suffer, like ourselves, 

 from tender heated feet in summer, or after long ex- 

 ercise, without causing any real disease in tliem. 



THE APPOINTMENTS OF THE HORSE. 



In attending to these, some things are essential to 

 the health of the horse, others only to the appoint- 

 ments themselves. Of the former kind, is airing 

 every thing belonging to the horse thoroughly, and 

 which is more essential than may be at first imagin- 

 ed. When a horse comes in hot from a journey, his 

 saddle must have absorbed a large quantity of mois- 

 ture : without care, this must remain damp ; and if 

 put on in this state the next day, will very frequently 

 give cold: — the same ofren happens from the body- 

 clothes, and even from the girths. It is a very pro- 



