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CHAPTER XIV. 

 MANAGEMENT OF HORSES ON BOARD SHIP. 



Special Dangers Best kind of Ship Position of Horses on Board Ship 

 Preparation before going on Board Taking a Horse on Board Slinging 

 Horse Boxes Feeding Trough Floor Rough Cocoanut Matting Cotton 

 Wadding Bandages Slings Food Help on Board Ship Grooming Exer- 

 cise Clothing Lowering the Heels Treatment after Disembarkation. 



THE chief special dangers to which horses that travel by sea 

 are exposed are : Injury during embarkation, disembarkation, 

 and while on board ; destruction by being washed overboard 

 or by shipwreck ; diseases of the organs of breathing, from 

 bad ventilation when the animals are carried below ; and 

 laminitis (fever of the feet) from long standing. An attack of 

 laminitis is always a serious affair ; because, even if the patient 

 recovers, it will, as a rule, permanently impair his working 

 capabilities. The probability of this disease being set up, 

 greatly increases according as the duration of the voyage is 

 prolonged. When horses used to be sent via the Cape of 

 Good Hope on sailing vessels to India, a large proportion, I 

 would almost venture to say the majority, of them became 

 affected with this grave form of unsoundness as a result of the 

 voyage. 



The best kind of ship on which to take horses is one that 

 is fast, steady, roomy, and (when the animals are carried 

 below) well ventilated. Speed in the vessel is of course an 

 advantage ; for it reduces the length of the voyage, and 

 consequently its bad effects on the horses. The stability 

 (freedom from rolling) of a vessel largely depends on her 



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