34 THE HORSB. 



and when your back is turned to have the ball coughed into the manger. 

 In morbid conditions of the S5'stem, and in the unnatural manner in 

 which the ball is given, the passages are not well moistened and lubii- 

 cated, and it may be some time before the ball enters the stomach 

 through the cardiac orifice. ' ' 



Making a Ball. The old way of making a ball is to mix the ingre- 

 dients with a little molasses, honey or syrup so as to form a stiff dough, 

 adding if necessary, enough ground flax seed or bran to give it the re- 

 quired size, which is about that of a man's thumb. There are now to be 

 had in nearly every drug-store gelatine capsules, which are much nicer in 

 every way. Those having many horses to care for, would do well to keep 

 a supply on hand. 



Giving' I/iquids. In the absence of a drenching horn use a soda- 

 bottle. The following rules if followed will be found to be practical. 

 "First, hold the horse's head up at a moderate height, so that the line 

 of the face is horizontal. Second, allow sufficient movements of lips, 

 tongue, cheeks, and jaws, so as not to interfere with the first act of 

 swallowing. To draw the tongue forcibly outward is very injurious, for 

 if the tongue is stretched it does not aid in pressing back the fluid 

 which gravitates as the tongue is pulled upon, and the larnyx and phar- 

 nyx advance, the animal may be choked. Third; if the animal makes 

 an effort to cough, rather lose the draught than risk the danger of suf- 

 focation, which so readily occurs if fluid is suddenly thrown over the 

 tongue. Fourth; entice efforts of swallowing should the horse obsti- 

 nately hold the liquid in his mouth. This is done by rubbing the side 

 of the neck, along the oesophagus. 



Holding the Horse. The following from F. O. Kirby gives the 

 best known methods: ' 'The methods of holding horses during the giving 

 of liquids are various, but the most important ones are three. In the 

 first place, by ropes and pulleys a horse's head is pulled up from a beam 

 or other high object in a stable or shed. This is very objectionable, 

 especially in a vicious horse; and we have never found it to answer 

 better than the method of introducing a rope-noose ever the upper jaw. 

 This noose is fastened to a stick, or slipped over a stable-fork prong, and 

 a man can then hold up the head of the heaviest horse and follow him 

 in his movements. It requires management. I do not like the fork, 

 as it is a dangerous instrument, and prefer an ordinary twitch. In the 

 third method the man holds the head up and gives the medicine. It is 

 the most simple and useful method. It only requires one person, who 



