Riding and Driving

by Edward L. Anderson; Price Collier

A gallon of gruel may be made from a pound of meal put into cold water, placed on the fire and stirred till boiling, and then allowed to simmer till the water is thick.

A bran mash should be made in a clean bucket; three pounds of bran, one ounce of salt, two pints and a half of boiling water, covered and allowed to stand twenty minutes or so till it is cooked.

A Bran and Linseed Mash.—Boil one pound of linseed slowly for two hours or more, add two pounds of bran, one ounce of salt; the whole to be stirred up and allowed to steam. The thicker the mash, the better.

Linseed Tea.—Boil one pound of linseed in two gallons of water until the grains are soft.

Hay Tea.—Fill a clean bucket with clean hay, then pour on as much boiling water as the bucket will hold, then cover and allow to stand till cool, when the liquid may be strained off and used.

Linseed oil, from a quarter to half a pint daily may be mixed with the other food, keeps the bowels and skin in good condition; but no artificial stimulant as food should be used constantly.

In weakening diseases or low fever, or in cases of severe exhaustion, a quart of ale or porter, or a pint of port or sherry, may be given mixed with the mash. Oatmeal and ale are easy to carry, and a palatable mash can be made quickly of these with a little warm water almost anywhere, and nothing will help out a tired horse more.

Common cold is an inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nostrils and air passages. Symptoms are loss of appetite, staring coat, tendency to sweat easily, and discharge from the nostrils. Treatment: removal to loose box, plenty of fresh air, well blanketed if cold weather, bandages for the legs, laxative diet, green food, warm mashes instead of oats, and plenty of water. If the irritation and cough continue and the running at the nose is bad, the head may be steamed by holding it over a pail of hot water. If the horse becomes and continues feverish, a dose of one to two drams of nitrate of potash may be given daily for two or three days. Where the cold is accompanied by sore throat and difficulty of swallowing, give nitrate of potassium, one dram to half a bucket of water three times a day. A good liniment to use on the throat and to be well rubbed in is mustard and water rubbed on and allowed to remain half an hour and then washed off, or two parts linseed oil, one part turpentine, and one part solution of ammonia.

Colic is caused by bad food, change of diet, sudden exposure. The horse gives evidence of spasmodic pain, turns his head toward his flank, bites and kicks, and even rolls. As an immediate remedy, give a pint of gruel with two ounces spirit of nitrous ether, one ounce tincture of opium, and half an ounce of aromatic spirits of ammonia. There should be relief within the hour; if not, repeat the dose, and use oil and warm water as an injection.