THE HORSE 121 



out of ten stabled horses are subject in the 

 winter. 



Mud fever is another ailment which can, as a 

 rule, be traced to faulty methods of management. 

 At one time quite a large proportion of clipped 

 hunters and harness horses in certain districts were 

 the victims of this complaint. It has now been 

 found that if the mud is left to dry on the horse 

 will never suffer from any inflammatory condi- 

 tion of the skin. This may seem a somewhat 

 drastic and dirty method, and it does not recom- 

 mend itself to tidy grooms, but it is the only sure 

 preventative of the complaint. In those stables 

 in which the owner takes an intelligent and active 

 interest in his animals, the hunters are turned into 

 their boxes with legs and belly uncleaned, and the 

 dried mud is not removed until the following 

 morning. This practice has been attended with 

 the happiest results as far as the health of the 

 horses is concerned, and it is to be recommended 

 to all who wish to keep their animals fit and well, 

 and free from those tiresome minor ailments which 

 incapacitate a number of harness horses and hunt- 

 ers every year. The practice of washing the 

 bodies of horses is not to be recommended under 

 ordinary circumstances, as it has a tendency to 



