ARTISTIC HORSE-SHOEING. 117 



worse than before, and a slig'ht strain is often thereby con- 

 verted into serious mischief. This golden rule should be 

 rig-orously acted on by stablemen in all cases. 



BROKEN KNEES. 



Broken knees, like strains, are of every degree, from the 

 slightest touch to the horrible wounds of the joint which 

 sometimes occur when a horse is dragged over a flinty road, 

 or falls over a heap of stones. These accidents, however, 

 rarely occur, if we are to believe the assertions of horse 

 salesmen, who pledge their honor (!) to the fact that 

 each case has been occasioned by the manger, or by a 

 stone wall in hunting, if the horse has at all the appear- 

 ance of that class of animals who are likely to be used as 

 hunters. But, leaving the cause out of the question, it 

 remains to consider what is the best treatment Avhen it 

 unfortunately happens that a particular horse has really 

 touched his knee by a contacts with the ground. This 

 will depend upon the extent of mischief, which may be 

 one or other of the three following degrees : First, if the 

 hair and cuticle only are rubbed off, and the cutis, or 

 real skin, is entire, the best plan is to give the horse a 

 dose of physic, and bathe the knee night and morning 

 with hot water, if there is an^^ swelling, or to appl^^ the 

 tincture of aimica diluted with water, in the proportion 

 of two drachms of the tincture to a pint of water; 

 then, when all the inflammation is gone off, which will 

 usually be in a couple of days, apply a blister to 

 the whole of the knee except the back, which is to be 



