WARBLE
—is a small hard tumour, produced upon the side or the back of a horse, by the heat and friction of an ill-fitted saddle. It is sometimes occasioned by the pad of the saddle's becoming exceedingly hard, and inelastic, from its long and constant absorption of perspirative matter; to prevent which, the pads of saddles should be occasionally inspected, beat with a stick, and the stuffing restored to its elasticity, by the use of a proper awl, or point of a packing-needle. Upon their first appearance, if they are attended to before the injury is repeated, they never fail of submitting to a plentiful bathing of hot vinegar, followed by a gentle friction with camphorated spirits, if twice or thrice repeated; but if they are neglected in the first instance, and the same saddle (or harness) persevered in without alteration, the surface will become an eschar, and ultimately a sitfast, (which see,) and then can only be removed by instrumental extirpation.