ARTISTIC HORSE-SHOEING. 119 



blue-stone every day. The whole art consists in causing" 

 the wound to contract by tlie swelling- and stimulus of 

 the blister, and in keeping- down the granulations, or 

 "proud flesh," as they are called, by means of caustic. 

 The groom, however, should carefully avoid touching these, 

 unless they are above the surrounding skin, for below its 

 surface they are useful and necessar^^ to the healing- 

 process. Thirdly, when the joint itself is opened, the aid 

 of a veterinary surgeon should be called in, who will decide 

 upon the propriety or otherwise of destroying the animal. 

 Sometimes there is only a small opening, which may at 

 once be closed with the touch of a hot iron ; and at others 

 there is a discharge of serum, which the uninitiated will mis- 

 take for synovia (joint oil); but in an^^ cases it is better to 

 have the advice of a competent judge of the injury. 



KNOCKING DOWN OF THE HIP. 



The point of the hip is often knocked off by the horse 

 being cast in the stall or in the field ; sometimes by falling 

 into a ditch in the dry summer weather, when the struggles 

 of the animal Avill often break off the extreme point of the 

 hip, especially if at all ragged, and then the muscles, acting 

 upon the broken portion to wliich they are attached, draw 

 it down out of its place, and the hip is said to be ''knocked 

 down." After a time it does not much interfere with the 

 ordinary action of the horse ; but I am not aware of any 

 horse having been able to race after such an accident, 

 though many otherwise lik'cly colts have been thrown by, 

 and used for the stud or other purposes, in consequence of 



