ACCIDENTS OF WORK. 341 



He breathes, sees, hears, swallows, and his blood flows as 

 usual. But the limbs, before and behind, are perfectly motion- 

 less and insensible. The horse may be pulled about, rolled 

 over and over, pinched, pricked, and cut, as if he were quite 

 dead. The head, part of the neck, and some of the internal 

 organs alone retain vitality. Looking at the neck as it lies, 

 depression or elevation is sometimes apparent ; when not, 

 the seat of injury is shown by raising the head ; the neck 

 yields all at one place. When it is clear that the limbs are 

 all quite powerless, the neck fairly broken, recovery is out 

 of the question. The horse may be destroyed. This acci- 

 dent is very rare on the road and on the race-course. It 

 happened, however, on the Paisley course in 1836. The 

 horse tumbled completely over his head, and lay with his 

 tail homeward. 



Injuries of the Head. — The horse is often stunned from 

 a side or a back fall, or from running against some fixed ob- 

 stacle. The blow falls with such violence that the brain re- 

 ceives a shock from which it does not immediately recover. 

 The horse lies motionless for three or four minutes ; few lie 

 longer without return of sense. Nothing can be done but to 

 remove harness, girths, or whatever may encumber him. 

 He should not be urged to rise, till he is fairly restored to 

 himself. When the skull is fractured, the bones driven intc 

 the brain, the horse either dies immediately, or in less thai 

 forty-eight hours, never being able to get up. Fracture of the 

 skull is not always indicated by an external mark. But it may 

 be surmised, if the horse be unable to rise, or to stand when 

 raised. Time is to be allowed for him to recover from stun- 

 ning. Unless death be immediate, the horse always strug- 

 gles. There is no palsy like that produced by fracture of the 

 neck, or of the back. One or two of the legs, generally two 

 on one side, are powerless when the horse is raised, but in 

 almost every case he can move them while he is lying. 

 When raised it is apparent that he can put only two below 

 him. I have never known a horse recover from an injury of 

 this kind. 



Breaking Down. — There are two injuries which go under 

 this name. One is merely a sprain of the back tendons, 

 usually in a fore leg. It may be so slight as to escape no- 

 tice till the horse be cool ; or it may be such as to make him 

 fall very lame in the middle of his work. Pressure on the 

 part injured produces pain. The horse should walk slowly 

 home. 



