CRIB-BITINa. 555 



" PREVENTION.— From what lias already been stated, it is 

 clearly evident that a change of pasture, as well as of locality, is 

 one of the surest means, not only for preventing the disease, but 

 also for hastening recovery in those already affected. Pasturing 

 cattle or sheep along with horses appears to have a beneficial in- 

 fluence. Overstocking and long-continued pasturing exclusively 

 with horses should be avoided, especially on land that has been 

 under the plough and afterwards laid down with cultivated grasses. 



" TREATMENT.— Of this little can be said, except that all sorts 

 of remedies, both likely and unlikely, have been tried, chiefly by 

 unskilled hands, with about an equal amount of success. A change 

 of locality, especially if a dry, well-sheltered paddock is chosen, 

 and the warm summer weather seems to hasten recovery, which 

 is invariably tardy under all circumstances. Some good has been 

 thought to have been done by applying pitch plasters and blisters 

 etc., along the back, and by the internal use of salts of soda and 

 potash, colchicum, nux vomica, and various other drugs, and by 

 repeated physicking, warm clothing, etc. ; but it seems doubtful 

 whether the cases that have been so treated, would not have reco- 

 vered quite as soon if they had been left to themselves, as they 

 almost invariably do in the first two forms of the disease. In the 

 third form it is necessary to tend and nurse the sick animals, and 

 to use slings when they are unable to rise from the ground. When 

 this is done in the early stages, and the animals are fed on good 

 nourishing food, they are soon out of danger, and recovery, though 

 slow, is pretty certain. 



• "Blistering the fetlock joints seems to have had a beneficial 

 effect in a few cases where it has been tried " (Kendall). 



Crib-biting and Windsucking. 



DEFINITION. — Cribbing and windsucking are two forms of 

 the same vice, in the practice of which, the horse, while standing 

 still, draws air into his mouth, makes a convulsive effort to 

 swallow it. and then, generally, emits a guttural noise. If, for the 

 exercise of this habit, he needs the support of some fixed object, 

 he is said to be a crib-biter. If he does not require it, he is called 

 a windsucker. In a few confirmed cases, the animal will crib, if 

 a suitable support be present; but if it be absent, he will wind- 

 suck. Although the change at present might be too much opposed 

 to long-established custom to warrant its adoption; I venture to 

 suggest for future consideration, "air-swallowing" as a general 

 term for cribbing and windsucking, and would call the former, 



