Nag, s. A small horse; a horse in familiar language.
Nail, s. The horny substance at the ends of the fingers and toes; the talons of birds and beasts; a spike of metal by which things are fastened together; a stud, a boss; a kind of measure, two inches and a quarter.
Nape, s. The joint of the neck behind.
Narcotic, a. Producing torpor, or stupefaction.
Nares, s. The hawk’s nostrils.
Narrow, a. Not broad or wide.
Narrow-heels, s. A disease in horses.
Chronic lameness may exist in various degrees, and, in the early stages of the disorder, a horse may do considerable work, by paring his feet properly, and keeping them cool and moist; by paring the soles, putting on a wide hollow shoe, and keeping them stopped with tar ointment. By such management the progress of the disease may be retarded, and the horse much relieved; but it can never be cured. Most commonly the disease gradually gets worse, and at length the horse becomes unfit for every kind of work. At this period the horse is generally blistered or fired, and turned to grass. But this never does any good; shoes with claws, or hinges and screws, have been proposed, and employed with a view to open the heels; but of course they have never done any good, either in the way of prevention or cure. The hoof has been all rasped away, and the horse turned to grass until a new hoof has grown down of a proper form, but it has never done any good. That cruel operation of tearing off the sole, technically termed drawing the sole, was formerly practised for it, but is now, I trust, completely discontinued. In short, every thing that human ingenuity can devise has been tried, but nothing has ever been found to cure this disorder. I believe at this time all veterinarians agree in the opinion of its being absolutely incurable.—Blaine.
Native, a. Produced by nature, not artificial; natural, such as is according to nature; conferred by birth; pertaining to the time or place of birth, original.