SUDDEN ILINESS. 147 



A common accident is that of horses falling or becoming 

 thrown, either when being ridden or driven. If such an acci- 

 dent occurs to the animal when attached to a vehicle, a very 

 eomnjon error on the part of those in attendance is that of 

 cutting the harness to pieces. This we will venture to assert 

 is not necessary upon an occasion of this kind (if ever) one 

 time in a thousand. "When a horse suddenly finds himself in 

 a novel and alarming position, it is natural that he should 

 struggle and fight to release himself; now, instead of the 

 attendants proceeding to cut and destroy the harness, let them 

 use their power to pacify the animal. The first thing to do in 

 the generality of such cases is to secure the head of the horse. 

 An attendant must place himself upon the neck, and hold 

 down the head by main force, then, by speaking firmly but 

 kindly to the animal, he will soon be pacified. A second 

 person may then deliberately proceed to undo every buckle 

 which holds the various straps together. The secret of success 

 for the most part consists in holding down the head, when, with 

 very little trouble, the poor animal may be speedily liberated. 



Colic. — One of the most common forms of sudden disease 

 to which the horse is liable is colic. In a general way it is 

 anything but a dangerous disease, but the violence of the 

 animal, particularly in the more severe forms of the malady, 

 will terrify an inexperienced owner or attendant, who not 

 unfrequently wastes more time and labour in running from 

 place to place in search of relief to the patient, than, with a 

 little foresight and the aid of common things which are usually 

 at hand, would suffice to cure the disease. As usual in matters 

 of sudden emergency, people often do that which ought to' 

 remain undone. Not unfrequently a crowd of gaping idlers col- 

 lect, many of whom will doubtless consider themselves qualified 



