248 MODERN PIG-STICKING CHAP. 



Sprains, Tendons, and Ligaments. Symptoms : heat, 

 pain, and swelling, singly or in combination. Either put 

 on a pressure bandage, which requires careful adjustment, 

 or bathe the leg well with hot water for about half an hour, 

 then wring a bandage out of hot water and apply it to the 

 sprain fairly tightly, putting a dry bandage over it. 



A pressure bandage is simply the following : A thick 

 long pad of cotton-wool is carefully moulded to the leg over 

 the seat of sprain, special care being taken that it is of uniform 

 thickness throughout ; then an ordinary bandage is put 

 on tightly over this, leaving the upper and lower ends of 

 the cotton -wool sticking out a couple of inches above 

 and below. This may sound simple, but it requires some 

 considerable care and expert manipulation to adjust a 

 " pressure bandage " effectively. I would recommend 

 pig-stickers to practice putting on " pressure bandages " 

 in their stables, as it often comes in useful when hot water 

 is not available. 



Never be sure you are dealing with a sprain until the foot 

 has been thoroughly searched for a stake or shoeing prick. 

 Heat in the leg may be the result of injury to the foot. 



Girth and Saddle Galls. Cold water and " white 

 lotion," viz. sulphate of zinc and acetate of lead equal 

 quantities, 1 ounce, and water 1J pints. 



Three or four high-heeled shoes might be taken into 

 camp. They would be useful for walking horses into camp 

 or station with badly sprained or cut tendon. 



Drenching Horses. Stand on the off-side, grasp the 

 lower jaw firmly with fingers and thumb of the left hand 

 in the interdental space and raise the head well up. Intro- 

 duce the drenching bottle into the angle of the mouth with 

 the other hand and administer the drench in fairly large 

 mouthfuls. 



The above method sometimes fails with fractious 

 animals, and the best way is to place the loop of a long- 

 handled twitch in the interdental space of the upper jaw 

 behind the incisors and tushes (if there are any). Raise 

 the head well up and drench as before ; or make a loop at 

 the end of a medium-sized long rope, place loop in the 



