THE 
VETERINARIAN. 
VOL. XXXII. 
No. 381. 
SEPTEMBER, 1859. 
Fourth Series. 
No. 57. 
Communications and Cases. 
LOSS OF THE HOOF OF A MARE FROM THE 
LEG HAYING BEEN STRAPPED UP TO 
SUBDUE VICIOUSNESS. 
Communicated by B. Cartledge, M.R.C.V.S., Sheffield. 
Dear Sirs, —It may be well to inform the readers of 
your journal, and through it the public generally, of a 
danger that is incurred in carrying out to too great an extent 
the system of subduing vicious horses, introduced by Mr. 
Rarey. 
A fortnight ago a mare, belonging to a gentleman in this 
neighbourhood, became so unmanageable as to induce him to 
place her in the hands of a breaker. The near fore leg was 
with some difficulty strapped up, in the manner adopted by 
Mr. Rarey, and the mare was left in that position for rather 
more than forty-eight hours. At the end of that time the 
breaker could, without fear of injury, approach her in her 
box and lead her round it; but the leg which had been 
strapped up was observed to be swollen both above and below 
the knee, and the mare was slightly lame. Walking exercise 
was, however, given in the breaker’s yard daily, without any 
apparent increase of either the lameness or the swelling, and 
with the exception of what was described to me as “ a 
sweating” around the coronet, nothing further was observed. 
To-day (Aug. 22d)—exactly a week since the mare was put 
into the breaker’s hands—she was found in her box with the 
near forefoot hoofless . The hoof, with the shoe on it, was lying 
just within the door, and the animal was feeding as usual at the 
manger. My attendance was at once requested, and by my 
advice the mare has been destroyed, as I found that already 
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