258 THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE-ROOM. 



less degree. It is a somewhat troublesome thing 

 to cure when contracted. However, I trust I may 

 be able to show what is the cause of mud fever, or 

 at least to explain how it may be prevented. I 

 wonder how many miles of correspondence have 

 been written on this subject ? Certainly a great 

 deal of nonsense and some little sense. All sorts 

 of preparations have been made to cure it, but very 

 few people appear to know how to prevent it. I 

 did not until I was told, and since I found that the 

 advice given me was good, I will give the reader 

 the benefit of it. 



The winter of 1872 was about as wet as any I 

 can remember either before or since. Every day 

 it rained more or less, generally more. Hunting 

 was rather a misery than a pleasure. If hounds 

 found and ' got away,' the ' going ' was so heavy 

 that horses were pulled to pieces, and nearly every 

 stable I knew was more or less hors de combat from 

 mud fever. I was at the time quartered at the 

 cavalry depot at Canterbury. One day, when con- 

 versing with our veterinary surgeon, the — I regret 

 to say — late Mr. Longman, as good a sportsman, 

 companion, and practitioner as ever lived, he re- 

 marked to me, ' What a number of horses have got 

 mud fever ! Yours have got it, I see, also. Now 

 look at mine ; they have not got it, and never do 



