388 HORSE AILMENTS AND HOW TO DOCTOR THEM. 



Treatment. Soak the swollen legs in hot water — as hot as 

 can be conveniently used — then bathe freely with either Di- 

 mon's Spavin Cure or a stable liniment applied with friction, 

 and bandage. (See instructions as to bandaging in " Manage- 

 ment of the Trotter.") Give the following ball : 



Powdered sulphate of iron, . . 1 drachm. 



Powdered gentian root, . . .2 drachms. 



Spanish fly, . . . .2 grains. 



Mix, and in mild cases give once a day ; in severe cases give twice. Give 

 a bran mash every night, and one teaspoonf ul of Fowler's Solution of arsenic 

 to a bucket of water for a drink once a day for two days. 



STUMBLING. 



Veterinary writers are nearly all silent on this subject, 

 while those who venture to mention it at all call it a " habit." 

 In this I do not agree with them. While any and all horses 

 are liable to stumble and sometimes fall, yet an habitual 

 stumbler cannot be regarded as a safe animal to either ride or 

 drive — especially to drive in single harness when attached to a 

 two-wheeled vehicle. Neither do I believe we have a right to 

 call a chronic stumbler a sound horse, inasmuch as there must 

 be a source of unsoundness about him as a primary cause of his 

 stumbling. 



I regard the cause as nervous debility resulting in atrophy 

 of the muscles of the shoulder. 



Treatment. For a stumbling horse without apparent cause 

 for stumbling, occasionally bathe the shoulders well with hot 

 water and then apply Dimon's Spavin Cure with friction, giv- 

 ing at least ten minutes' good hard hand rubbing. Otherwise 

 treat, work, or drive as usual. 



SLAVERING. 

 From certain causes the glands of the horse's mouth become 

 excited to secrete undue quantities of saliva, and it runs from 

 the mouth in the form of slavers ; it may be of such an extent 

 or so long continued as to seriously reduce his flesh and 

 strength. 



