CARE OF LEGS AND FEET. 343 



hunter which is accustomed, after a day with the hounds, to 

 return to his stable with his legs apparently sound, but has 

 them next morning as round as the proverbial bed-posts. 

 Instead of waiting until his legs have filled, before treating 

 them, we should employ the thoroughly sound preventive 

 measure of applying cotton wadding bandages immediately 

 after he comes back from work. If we do^ this, we may be 

 fairly confident that his legs will be as fine on the following 

 morning, as they were on the previous evening. ^The efficacy 

 of this new departure which I have introduced into stable 

 practice, has been amply proved by many who have followed 

 my lead, as well as by myself. 



With a horse whose legs fill, we should keep the cotton 

 wadding bandages on in the stable, and take them off only 

 a short time before he goes out, and then hand-rub the 

 legs thoroughly. They should be again hand-rubbed and 

 bandaged on his return. This method of bandaging is also 

 an admirable means for reducing the inflammation caused 

 by blows and sprains, in which case it should be a " first 

 aid to the wounded," before calling in a veterinary surgeon. 



The groom should be careful to report any change in the 

 size or temperature of the legs and feet, especially after a 

 hard day, or after shoeing, in the event of one foot being 

 hotter than the others. In such cases, he should not wait 

 until the animal is lame ; for an ailment of this kind which 

 admits of successful treatment, if taken in time, will often be 

 the cause of permanent unsoundness if neglected. The effects 

 of slight pricks in shoeing and of nails driven too " close," 

 often do not show themselves until a few -days after the 

 animal has been shod, during which time, fluid (pus and 

 serum) due to inflammation, accumulates in the injured part, 

 and finally gives rise to so much painful pressure that lame- 

 ness is the result. The spread of the inflammation enables 

 the abnormal heat to be felt from the outside. Slight cuts 



