82 THE HORSE : ITS KEEP AND MANAGEMENT. 



but should be fed principally on stewed linseed, bran, and 

 hay. Stewed linseed and bran mixed with two tablespoon- 

 fuls of sulphur cools the blood, and if the fat from 

 a fowl is rubbed into the wound it soon draws the matter 

 out and heals it up at the same time. Some people put 

 alum on a cracked heel, which is very wrong, because it has 

 a tendency to dry and harden, and although it dries the 

 place for a time it makes it hard and brittle and very often 

 it will crack again directly. A little dry fullers' earth put 

 into the wound is an excellent thing, as it is of such a 

 healing nature, and dries it at the same time. If a little 

 fat from a fow^l is used it makes the skin pliable. This will 

 generally cure a cracked heel in a horse, no matter how bad 

 it is, and often without the animal lying up at all. 



Whenever a horse has cracked heels the legs should 

 never be washed more than is really necessary. Cracks 

 are not like ordinary sores, because there is a kind of friction, 

 and every time the foot moves it opens the wound, which at 

 once begins to bleed or discharge matter. Sometimes too 

 much corn and too little work will make the horse 

 humoury, and this is likely to cause a break out in the heel. 

 The remedies I have mentioned are simple but very 

 safe ones. A greasy heel, properly speaking, is not what 

 is called a cracked heel, though the former may arise 

 from the cracked heel. I have said the latter contains a 

 .great deal of humour, and when a horse has this 

 complaint it should be kept very low and have but little 

 corn and only do light work. If the leg and heel are 

 well rubbed with the fat of fowls, and a little fullers' 



