The strangles is a disorder standing in much greater need of nursing, and constant stable attendance, than the least medical interposition: the system requires to be kept up by art, and every nutritious attention in proportion as the appetite has been observed to decline. In its earliest stage, no attempt whatever should be made at repulsion, (by external astringents, or any spirituous application whatever;) on the contrary, hot emollient fomentations to the part, (with two sponges dipt in the decoction alternately for a quarter of an hour daily,) followed directly with stimulative poultices of a proper heat, repeated and patient offers of gruel and sweet-wort, mixed a little warm in a pail perfectly clean, and free from grease. Small quantities of mash (prepared of ground malt and bran, equal parts) should, at proper intervals, be placed in the manger: these and the gruel being constantly refused, the case will then require the additional adoption of a pectoral cordial ball, to be dissolved in a pint of gruel, and mildly insinuated about a third part with the horn at each time, till the whole is got down; and this should be repeated three times in every twenty-four hours, till the tumor is broke, and the crisis arrives; when which is observed, if the aperture is too small, it may be a little enlarged with the point of any instrument, that the matter may the more easily run off. To promote this, the poultice, covering a pledget of digestive ointment, should be continued for two or three days, when a cure is soon effected. Two or three doses of physic, or a course of alteratives, is always necessary after this disease.
STRANGURY
—is a temporary suppression of urine in horses, brought on more by the indiscretion of their riders or drivers, than any morbid affection, or constitutional defect in the horse. It may proceed from a spasmodic stricture upon the sphincter, or the neck of the bladder, occasioned by a too long retention of urine; in continuing an immoderate length of time on the road, or in the field, during which the distrest animal has no opportunity to stale; as well as from a slight inflammation, or tendency to tumefaction, in the kidnies; likewise from calculous concretions in the bladder, jaggy particles of which may irritate, and painfully plug up the urinary passages. Some horses feel great pain when labouring under the suppression, which, when judiciously managed, seldom proves more than a temporary inconvenience. Instantaneous bleeding will sometimes, by unloading the vessels, take off the stricture, and produce instantaneous effect. If the horse is perpetually straining to stale, evacuating only a few drops, or partial dribblings, two or three cloves of a separated onion, or divided garlic, may be insinuated, and left within each side of the sheath; in addition to which, a large sponge, dipt in very warm water, and repeatedly applied to the neighbouring parts, will assist; those local applications proving salutary and expeditious substitutes for the more tedious process of medicine internally administered. In cases of long continuance, and increasing emergency, more commanding means must be adopted; of which DIURETIC BALLS, with a drachm of camphire, and a few grains of opium incorporated with each, and periodically repeated, will be found to answer the most sanguine expectation.
STRING-HALT
.—This defect in a horse is a kind of spasmodic jerk, or sudden twitching of one or other of the hind-legs in action, and has been, in different opinions, attributed to various causes, and probably by none to the right; as there is no one disorder, disease, defect, or imperfection, to which the horse is liable, upon the origin, progress, or cure of which so little has been introduced. It is conjecturally said by some "to be brought on by sudden colds, after severe riding or hard labour, particularly by washing a horse when hot with cold water; a practice too common, and erroneously ridiculous; and that it may also be produced by blows or bruises near the hock." All this may be well upon the score of speculative amusement, but it forms no feature of scientific disquisition. The string-halt, from its appearance, must palpably originate in a previous distortion of some part of the ligamentary junction; or a preternatural contraction, (or partial rupture,) of its muscular appendages; in either or both of which, no regular road to relief can be adverted to without a much greater probability of repentant trouble and mortifying disappointment.
STUBBED
.—A horse is said to have sustained this injury, when in hunting amongst the stumps of newly cut coverts and underwood, he is punctured, cut, or bruised, in any part of the foot, coronet, or fetlock, by some of the infinity of stubs with which newly cut copses so plentifully abound. When accidents of this kind happen, the applications must depend entirely upon the magnitude of the injury received. In all slight cases, amounting to little more than simple laceration, Friar's balsam, tincture of myrrh, or even common vinegar, may soon close the mouths of the vessels, harden the surface, and effect a cure. Where swelling and inflammation ensue, poultices must follow; and WOUNDS must of course be treated as such. Although misfortunes may frequently occur, and cannot, even by the most circumspect, be always avoided, yet it is certain, more horses are stubbed by the folly and indiscretion of those who ride them, than by any casual or inevitable occurrences of the chase.
STUD
—is a term applicable to three distinct meanings, and is so used in its different significations. A stud, in its more extended acceptation, applies to an aggregate collection of horses, without giving priority to any particular sort; as the person having a great number of horses, is said to have a very large stud; but the term, in its divided and sub-divided state, proves more extensively comprehensive. One is in possession of a very expensive RACING STUD; another has a numerous STUD of HUNTERS; and a third, still more opulent, or still more fashionable, shall have a BREEDING STUD, to produce an annual supply for the two preceding. The management of each individually, is now so perfectly understood, by those perpetually engaged in the practice, that no information can be derived from literary or theoretic inculcation.