I 6 , HORSES: 



horse may be, is extremely cruel, — times, indeed, when 

 it means a painful death. Horses do not die from 

 overdriving alone ; at least, not often. I am inclined 

 to think that in 99 cases in the 100, when this is the 

 supposed cause of death, and when without such over- 

 exertion the horse might have continued to live, except 

 for some wrong condition connected with his diet, he 

 would still not only have lived, but would haVe with- 

 stood the great strain without harm ; in other words, 

 what proved too great a strain for him, fed as he 

 was, would not have been excessive, or, at least, not 

 fatal, had he been fitted for it by judicious treat- 

 ment, and had the strain been succeeded by reasona- 

 ble, or reasoning, care, instead of routine care, which 

 I place under the head of instinctive. Often enough, 

 it is the care and treatment which are most kindly 

 intended that kill or break down animals prematurely, 

 and put them, as before remarked, into the keeping 

 of those who can only obtain the ownership of cheap 

 horses ; and such persons, by continuing the very 

 means which have made their horses dyspeptic and 

 emaciated, keep them so and prevent the recovery 

 which might often be assured by a strictly hygienic 

 and curative regimen. 



HOW TO MANAGE. 



We occasionally observe an instance wherein an 

 especially intelligent stable-keeper buys a seedy, pot- 

 bellied horse, perhaps, of a farmer, who has been in 

 the habit of keeping hay in the creature's crib all the 

 time, the horse munching- away, eating or nibbling 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



