THEIR FEED AND THEIR FEET. 39 



only less foolish to eat even with an appetite when 

 evidences of this disorder have appeared. Taken at 

 the outset, a single day of fasting, with regular work 

 or exercise, will usually nip the disease in the bud ; 

 though sometimes, and whenever there has been a 

 delay in treatment, a somewhat larger " dose " of 

 this remedy will be required. When the disease has 

 been permitted to run until the blood-poison has af- 

 fected the entire organism to the point of zvcaknesSy 

 the voluntary muscular system should not be taxed 

 unduly, but some degree of exercise (hand-rubbing, 

 if the creature is too weak to move about), and in 

 the open air, is desirable. Fresh air, light, and 

 plenty of pure water are always in order. 



Whenever there is a distemper ''scare/' when the 

 disease has made its appearance in town, the first 

 thing (and, if this is attended to, the only thing nec- 

 essary) to be done is to stop the feed entirely; not a 

 lock of hay, no hot mashes, nor a spoonful of any- 

 thing, except pure water, should be offered to any 

 horse whose lack of condition is even suspected. 

 Whatever may be his notion as regards the condition 

 of his animals, or his theory as to the origin of the 

 disorder, the owner of any number of horses may rest 

 as'iured that only the ones that are predisposed by 

 reason of a clogged — that is, an already diseased — 

 condition will be " attacked." 



