158 . avery's own farrier. 



or natural breaches at the navel, the edges of the wound 

 will be healed over as smooth as your finger, and in that 

 case you roust pare the margins off smooth so that it will 

 be raw and bleed quite round the hole, and then it will 

 readily unite and heal together. The operator should 

 furnish himself with a very keen edged knife for this 



purpose. 



The animal should be put up and fed on green food 

 and bran, or a\few oats a short time previous to this 

 operation as well as afterwards until well, not allowing 

 him to fill himself too full with any kind of food during 

 the time. 



Never permit a horse to carry a beetle knot on his 

 side or belly; it is such an eye sore to his owner and 

 every one that sees it. Besides this, the guts are very 

 liable to get knotted and twisted up where they pro- 

 trude, during the violent motion he is accustomed to, 

 often causing colic, spasms and even death. 



Castration. — There are various opinions as to the best 

 time of year and age to perform this operation on the 

 colt, as well as on the different modes of doing it, &c. 

 When convenient, I would perform it when the so called 

 sign is right, and that is when it is in the legs and 

 going down. The most suitable time of year to perform 

 this operation (in my opinion) is in the spring of the 

 year, and when the colt is a year old. Or in the fall 

 of the year after, unless it be while quite young and 

 runs with the dam. If allowed to run without until after 

 he is two years old, he becomes restless; when the sexual 

 fire begins to burn with such ardor that he is continually 



