WATERING. 311 



Before any specially hard day's work or trial of his speed, his al- 

 lowance of water is still more reduced. ' 



It is a very bad practice, and one that should never on any con- 

 dition be permitted, for grooms or teamsters to give any kind of 

 medicine, either for tonic or diuretic purposes. Many a fine horse 

 is completely ruined by ignorant grooms and owners, who think 

 they can help nature by giving niter and other strong medicines; 

 that are never admissible except in certain emergencies, and then 

 should be given only very cautiously. ' 



I am satisfied that many veterinary practitioners give not only 

 too much but too strong medicine, which, though of apparent ad- 

 vantage for the present, must ultimately result in serious harm to 

 the health of the horse. Clean, good feed properly prepared, and 

 given in quantities according to the needs of the animal, is safer and 

 better than to be giving medicine for every little change of condi- 

 tion. 



If the horse is out of sorts, overfed in proportion to his work, 

 becomes dainty, or the depurative processes are obstructed by the 

 feeding of too much or of too highly concentrated feed, let up on 

 the grain, and feed more bran mashes or green food. 



Old horses that are not feeding well, or are running down with- 

 out apparent cause, should have the teeth carefully examined (see 

 article on the " The Teeth "), as sometimes the horse cannot grind his 

 feed. The simplest way of making an examination, is to catch the 

 tongue, and, with the hand closed, let its under part rest upon the 

 lower jaw, with the end of the thumb forced upward against the 

 roof of the mouth. (See illustration of giving ball,) This will com- 

 pel the horse to keep his mouth open, so as to enable looking into it 

 or passing the hand far enough back to examine the teeth. If they, 

 are found to be the cause of the trouble, they should be filed down, 

 as directed under that head. 



Watering. 



If a large quantity of cold water is taken into the stomach while 

 the sysfem is agitated, by the circulation being so increased as to 

 open the pores of the skin freely, it is liable to chill the stomach and 

 close the pores of the skin, and thus excite some one of the com- 

 mon alimentary derangements, as colic or inflammation of the bow- 

 els, etc. Hard water, especially cold well water, is more liable to 

 cause mischief in this way than soft water. Hard water will affect 

 some horses so much as to almost immediately cause the hair to look 

 rough or staring, and derange the appetite. Horses that are raised 



