Filling Horses’ Feet.—I am totally against this system, but, when those who are partial to it are bent upon carrying it out, they should see that it is done with fresh moss, soft and very damp, pressed well into the feet, and tucked away on the inside of the shoes.
The Semi-Military and Travelling saddle is made to fit any horse, and is in great request among officers serving abroad. Peat & Co., of Piccadilly, have patented it, and the sealed pattern is at the War Office.
Biting the Collar-Rope.—If you want to see a horse do this, leave him a rope about two or three feet too long; shut him up in a close stable, and give him nothing to do. It is not a vice, but rather one of the many signs of weariness and idleness in which dumb animals indulge. I append a sketch of a rope-biter.
A Horseman’s Skill in the management of his bridle-hand consists in the discretion with which he makes the bit be felt. It ought never to be used too severely, and its effects should be moderated by the mildness and pliability of the hand.
When Boiling Grain of any kind, give it plenty of water, and keep it constantly stirred. If you neglect this necessary precaution, it will stick to the bottom of the boiler, and the burned part will acquire a nasty nauseous taste. According as the water evaporates, add a fresh supply. Never let the liquor boil over; it is a great waste to do so, as it contains a large amount of nutriment. Oats will need more boiling than beans; these latter more than barley, carrots and turnips more than potatoes. Four measures of oats, boiled and bursting, will fill seven measures; four of beans, something over eight and a half; while four of barley will fill quite ten. I have proved all these statistics in my own stable.
False Quarter is a defect of the outer wall of the foot. I give a sketch of the only possible relief for it.
Rick in the Back will necessitate the throwing up of the sufferer for at least six months. He must be placed in a roomy stall, the hair over the seat of injury be carefully removed, and the place kept moist with cloths dipped in a lotion composed of tincture of arnica two ounces, and water one pint. Soft nourishing food must be given, but no medicine on any account whatever—the restoration to finish with liquid blistering of a judicious kind.
The safest Arrangement for Side Saddles, to avoid risk of being hung up, or dragged after a fall, is that adopted with “the level seat saddle,” by Messrs. Nicholls of Jermyn Street. They have patented a bar for the stirrup leather, extremely simple in construction, and which will instantly disconnect it, should a rider have the misfortune to get her foot caught when falling over the off-side of the saddle. An elastic safety-band, stretched across the heads, will, when a fall occurs, prevent the habit catching on the saddle,—and the unpleasant predicament of a horse galloping about, with his rider suspended by the skirt, head downwards (as witnessed sometimes in the hunting-field), will be avoided.