528 



On Mismanagement of Farm-Horses. 



too often the cause of such mismanagement, a few months' work 

 is gained at the expense of years of good service^ and a useful 

 animal is virtually rendered aged before reaching maturity ; for 

 certain it is that undue work during early life and before the 

 animal is fit for it brings on premature old age ; nor do we think 

 we over-estimate the evil when we say that a year of future useful- 

 ness is lost for every month that the colt works before he is fit 

 for it. 



The colt intended for agricultural purposes, if well grown and 

 carefully nurtured, may be taken up for work when two and a 

 half years old ; but for at least six months after he should not 

 have more than three or at most four hours' work per day, and 

 that only of the lightest description. With a quiet, steady neigh- 

 bour, he may be employed for light ploughing, or may be yoked 

 in the thrashing-mill. Until four years old, the amount and 

 times of work may be gradually increased ; and at this age the 

 animal will be fit for all ordinary farm-work, except heavy carting, 

 for v/hich he should not be used until at least five years old. 



There are two diseases to which overworked young horses are 

 especially liable— splint and spavin. Splints are bony tumours, 

 situated between the cannon bones and the small splint bones, 

 and generally occurring on the inside of the fore limbs. They 

 rarely cause lameness, except during their formation, and when 

 high up on the limb. They are produced by an abnormal 

 activity of a perfectly normal process. The bones above men- 

 tioned are, in early life, united to each other by a cartilago- 

 ligameritous connection ; but about the time of maturity osseous 

 matter is produced, by which they become firmly cemented 

 together. If, during this natural process, the animal is made to 

 use his limbs for fast or severe work, active inflammation is set 

 up in the soft tissue between the two bones, apparently as a 

 natural provision for strengthening the pafts as rapidly as pos- 

 sible, by uniting the two bones into one. But from the undue 

 action to which the parts have been subjected, the inflammation 

 still continues ; and after the bony cement is produced, osseous 

 matter is deposited in nodules. These constitute splints, and 

 untU the inflammation is subdued they continue to cause more 

 or less lameness. The inflammation and lameness may be over- 

 come by rest and appropriate treatment ; and although the splint 

 still remains, the lameness is cured. 



Many horses become the victims of hone spavin, from being 

 injudiciously worked at an early age. This disease is especially 

 apt to occur in animals with upright hocks, and in cases where 

 the width below the hock is disproportionately small as compared 

 with that above it. Spavin, like splint, is caused by inflammation 

 of the ligamentous connection between two bones. It appears on 



