284 THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE-ROOM. 



well dabbed with it for a day or two. After that 

 it should be well sponged with salt and water twice 

 a day; but care should be taken that when this 

 is done all the salt should be well brushed out 

 of the hair before a saddle is again used, or other- 

 wise the crystals of the salt will establish a raw 

 very rapidly. The salt water is used only for the 

 purpose of hardening the skin. If the skin is 

 broken, it should be first bathed with warm water, 

 and then one of the following applied, viz. : Glycer- 

 ine and tannin, spermaceti ointment, or Holloway's 

 ointment. I pin my faith on the latter. The 

 glycerine and tannin is, perhaps, more speedy, but 

 not so good, if proper time for cure can be given. 

 Of course a horse must not be worked with a sore 

 back, unless the saddle is ' chambered,' as I have 

 before described. When the skin has quite healed, 

 and the hair begins to grow again, the salt and 

 water may be used. 



It is by no means an uncommon occurrence to 

 find w T hat is called a ' sitfast ' on the back of a horse. 

 It has been caused by the horse's back having been 

 sore, and not properly treated. It is, in fact, a 

 corn in the back. Needless to say, when a horse 

 has a sitfast, his back is very prone to gall on the 

 slightest provocation. May I urge the reader, if 

 he should ever possess a horse with a sitfast, to 



