254 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



sions a more than ordinary derivation of blood to the le^ 

 and feet ; and hence arise swelling or gourdiness of those 

 parts, greasy heels, and stiffness or numbness. If the horse 

 lies down for relief, the heat of the litter soon forces him to 

 get up again, and after repeatedly lying down, and forced to 

 get up immediately from the above cause, he attempts it no 

 farther ; he stands upright, or perhaps a little straddling, 

 often shifting the weight of his body from one leg to the 

 other. This erect position, in which he is obliged to stand, 

 increases the swelling of his legs, &c., and recourse is then 

 had to bleeding, purging, diuretics, &c. 



Lord Pembroke, in his Military Equitation, observes that 

 after working, and at night of course, as also in lameness and 

 sickness, it is good for horses to stand on litter ; it also pro- 

 duces staling, &c. At other times, it is a bad custom; the 

 constant use of it heats and makes the feet tender, and causes 

 swelled legs ; moreover, it renders the animal delicate. 



Swelled legs may be often reduced to their natural size 

 merely by taking away the litter, which, in some stables, 

 where ignorant grooms and farriers govern, would be a great 

 saving of physic and bleeding, besides straw. 



Lord Pembroke has noticed by repeated experiments, that 

 legs swell or unswell by leaving litter or taking it away, like 

 mercury in a weather-glass. Mr. Blaine is of opinion, that 

 the custom of standing on litter ruins more horses than all 

 the mails or stage-coaches put together ; that it is the fruit- 

 ful source of contracted feet, and brings on that ruinous affec- 

 tion with more certainty than the hardest work. In my 

 own stables (he says) no litter is ever suffered to remain 

 under the fore-feet during the day. The horses stand on bare 

 bricks, which, in summer, are watered to make them more 

 cool ; by which means I have experienced astonishing benefit. 

 Behind, a little litter is strewed, because they are apt to kick 

 and break the bricks with their hind feet ; and because the lit- 

 ter thus placed sucks up the moisture of the urine, which 

 would be detrimental to the hinder feet, which are more lia- 

 ble to thrushes than contraction. 



Colts. ' " Colts are usually foaled about the beginning of 

 summer, and it is the custom to let them run till Michael- 

 mas with the mare, at which time they are to be weaned. 

 When first weaned, they must be kept in a convenient house, 

 with a low rack and manger for hay and oats ; the hay must 

 be very sweet and fine, especially at first, and a little wheat 

 bran should be mixed with their oats, in order to keep their 



