752 
IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL HORSES. 
we have been considering are unquestionably very greatly 
and generally needed. A specimen with nothing to be 
desired may be occasionally met with^ but, considering the 
entire race, we have no lack of abuses to remove and errors 
to rectify. 
Before offering any suggestions for improving the animaFs 
condition, it may be as well to indieate the nature of the 
defects of which we complain. 
It has already been remarked that the cart-horse is the 
subject of many diseases, some of them (such as glanders, 
farc}^, mange, and surfeit), directly traceable to bad manage¬ 
ment, poor quality of food, defective ventilation and drainage; 
some, including diseases of the eyes, thrushes, canker, 
quittors, sandcracks, to the obvious effeet of neglect or in¬ 
jury; others are the consequences of too early or too severe 
work, and among them may be mentioned bony deposits and 
bursal enlargements (under the names of windgalls, blood or 
bog spavins, and thoropins). Two diseases, grease and 
chapped heels (the former being almost indicative of an 
admixture of cart-horse blood), are so constant among cart¬ 
horses, that we are inclined to suspect a constitutional ten¬ 
dency to them; indeed, the thick hard integument clothing 
the extremities of the animal is in itself a condition un¬ 
favorable to elasticity and free circulation ; and when, in 
addition, that integument is covered with long coarse hair, 
constantly retaining dust and moisture, we cannot fail to 
recognise a further reason for such a predisposition as the 
animal manifests. 
The occurrence of spasmodic colic and intestinal inflam¬ 
mation is also frequent, and may be correctly ascribed to the 
objectionable system of allowing animals immediately after 
w’ork to drink immoderately at the tank or pond. 
The existence of these several diseases, in association with 
the causes that produce them, rather strengthens the position 
we advanced to the effect that “ the farm-horse ought to be 
the healthiest animal in existence,’^ as, in faet, all the affec¬ 
tions we have enumerated are connected with some reme¬ 
diable error in breeding or management, and could hardly 
occur if proper precautions were taken to place the animals 
under the most favorable circumstances. 
Means of Improving the Breeds of Agricultural 
Horses. 
Commencing with the parents, the breeder, having deter¬ 
mined upon the kind of horse he requires, makes his selec- 
