246 THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE-ROOM. 



a linseed-meal poultice. As a rule, the horse is 

 sound again in a few days, if thus promptly treated. 

 If you can persuade your farrier to do so, let him 

 sign an agreement with you to pay a fine of five 

 shillings for every time he pricks your horse, and 

 in order to further induce care on his part, promise 

 him a substantial Christmas-box if he does not prick 

 any of your horses during the year. 



The usual price paid for shoeing is Is. per foot. 

 In order to secure extra good work, it will be wise 

 to offer 5 s. a shoeing'. 



When horses have been working on very hard 

 ground and in hot weather, their feet are apt at 

 times to get hot from the concussion, and it is well 

 to cool them with a wet swab made of felt, and 

 which can be loosely buckled round the fetlock. 

 Some horses are very subject to hot feet. It is 

 evidence of weakness of constitution, and should be 

 alleviated as much as possible. 



If it is required at any time to soften the feet of 

 a horse by reason of the horn having become brittle, 

 which, by the way, it will not become in a healthy 

 foot, the feet may be ' stopped,' as it is called. 

 Clay and cow-dung mixed together are generally 

 used for this purpose, and the latter is very cooling. 

 Horse-dung is as heating to the foot as cow-dung is 

 cooling ; hence the necessity for never allowing dung 



