8 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



to this ability as much as to their ability as practitioners 

 of veterinary medicine and surgery. 



In a country practice, while the same money basis of 

 case handling must be always borne in mind, it is not of 

 quite so much importance. The country practitioner's 

 clients usually have ample stable room and plenty of 

 feed for their horses. Neither is the serviceableness of 

 work horses on the farm computed at day wages, as is 

 the case with most city horses. In addition to this, there 

 usually remains the alternative of consigning the animal 

 to procreative function should the patient be of the 

 female sex. The latter alternative is the gateway t(» 

 the ultimate recovery of many grave cases in a country 

 practice, cases that in a city practice would inevitably 

 end in the destruction of the horse. 



"While it is of very great importance that the attend- 

 ing veterinarian call a halt in the handling of cases of 

 this sort, it is of no less importance to be patiently per- 

 sistent in some eases that, although presenting a most 

 discouraging clinical picture, are known to terminate in 

 a manner that warrants the expenditure of a considerable 

 amount of time and money. This is especially true in 

 the handling of certain cases in young horses, horses that 

 will yet "grow into money." 



An item that is worth considering along this same line 

 of thought is that pertaining to the fee charged by the 

 veterinarian when a difQcult, protracted case terminates 

 in death. "While it may seem that the veterinarian's fee 

 is not based upon the life or the death of the animal, but 

 wholly upon the service rendered in connection with 

 the case, it may be questioned whether this is entirely 

 correct. 



Young graduates who are just beginning to establish 

 themselves in practice in a community must give consid- 

 erable thought to such matters. It does not help to in- 



