STABLE. 



by the breakinj? and patHiing of tlie 

 harness. In all these cases, preven- 

 tion is better than cure ; and, besides 

 the established regulation of remo- 

 ving the dung and ' selling the stable 

 fan"' every morning, as well as see- 

 ing that each horse be thoroughly dry 

 and clean, his feet washed, and occa- 

 sionally oiled and stopped, before 

 ' making up for the night,' it would be 

 a good rule to have a regular inspec- 

 tion of the cattle, harness, and imple- 

 ments, once every week, even were 

 a portion of the Saturday evening's 

 usual work devoted to that ])ur[)ose. 

 '' Shucini{. — Although the better 

 class of veterinary surgeons are men 

 of education, it is yet to be regretted 

 that the coirnnon run of farriers are 

 of a very different description, who, 

 though usually employed in common 

 cases, yet should never be intrusted 

 in one that incurs danger. They, 

 however, are generally handy work- 

 men, and possessed of knowledge 



and observation sufficient to shoe a 

 horse with propriety, though it is oft- 

 en an operation which requires con- 

 siderable delicacy, and, in the com- 

 monest case, should never be confi- 

 ded to a man who is not perfectly 

 master of his business. Though usu- 

 ally executed through the general do- 

 cility of the animals, without any ex- 

 traordinary difiiculty, yet there is no 

 one who has not witnessed repeated 

 instances of accidents to both men 

 and horses, through the violence or 

 the imperfect performance of the op- 

 eration, through the unsteadiness of 

 the latter ; and it even sometimes 

 becomes necessary to cast them, in 

 order to avoid danger, from the want 

 of a proper machme for the purpose 

 of security. 



" This difficulty may, however, be 

 avoided by the adoption of the Flem- 

 ish forge, which is in general use 

 throughout the Low Countries, and 

 consists of strong posts and rails, bv 



Rr R 8 



740 



