228 THE VETERINARY DOCTOR. 
should be kept on a level with the outdoor air. Indeed, in keen, frosty 
weather the temperature within should be much above that outside. It is 
not only not advantageous to expose a horse to cold when he is inactive in 
a stable, with a view to inuring him to severity when he is taken out, but it 
is very injurious. The exercise when out of doors will compensate fora 
great change in temperature. But more caution is necessary, on the whole, 
to prevent too high a temperature in the stable, since it will greatly increase 
the poisonous gases arising from the excrements and other refuse of the 
stable, which are more injurious to health than a much lower temperature. 
Bedding.—This should have constant attention, and be kept 
thoroughly clean. Many of the coughs in horses which are closely stabled 
are undoubtedly traceable to a neglect of this important part of their care. 
Even among a few horses the foul matter in any part of the stable, and 
the notoriously poisonous exhalations of the same, prove highly deleterious. 
In cold weather, when the closeness of the stable prevents a free circula- 
tion of the air, special care should be taken. It is not enough that the ma- 
nure and wet litter be removed from the stall; they should be carried ez¢zrely 
out of the stable, the stall itself being kept as dry as possible. When 
standing in the stable the horse should always have a liberal supply of 
bedding, of which the best are wheat and oatstraw, though peastraw 
is good. Sawdust is reasonably good, but when it is wet it is more liable 
than straw to impart dampness to the stall. The floor should be swept 
before the bedding is put down for the night; then the litter should be 
carefully arranged, being higher at the sides than in the middle. 
CARE OF THE FEET. 
The feet are liable to so many mishaps and disorders that they need 
scrupulous care. They should be examined frequently—the careful man 
will do this daily—to see if any untoward condition exists. The shoes 
should receive special attention to detect any misfit, looseness, irregular 
pressure, and the like, and to discover any injuries to the feet and joints 
from the rims or nails on other feet. They should be drawn and re-set or 
replaced with new ones at intervals of from four to six weeks. When the 
horse is turned out, they should be taken entirely away, or should give 
place to the grazing-shoe. 
Heels with little hair should be sponged and carefully dried after a 
journey, and those with long or thick hair should be cleansed from dirt by 
hand-rubbing or otherwise. Horses that stand much in the stable should 
have a dirt floor, and in dry weather their feet may be washed occasion- 
ally, but such washing should be done quickly, particularly if the horse 
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