The Horse in Sickness 313 



many years ago, we should save more sick animals 

 than we do. 



The estabHshed treatment for a sick or lame mule 

 used to be to bleed him from the roof of the mouth 

 and turn him out in the pasture lot, there to stay 

 until he either recovered or passed on to wherever 

 mules go. This Spartan treatment at least gave 

 nature a chance! but we so seldom do that! Your 

 horse refuses his feed and seems dull ; forthwith you 

 or the groom strive in every way to tempt back his 

 vanished appetite, and to coax him to overload his 

 failing stomach, and further to upset his probably 

 fevered system. You remit all exercise, you close 

 all windows, you bother him to distraction with 

 your fussy attentions, and from being merely dull 

 he grows really sick, and probably dies offhand. 

 Did it ever occur to you that in not taking the 

 time to inform yourself as to his nee-ds. symptoms, 

 etc., you were culpably negligent? and that if you 

 will not learn to care for him you ought not to 

 own him? He showed you by his actions what was 

 necessary in his case, but you blindly refused his 



