The following chapter is mainly devoted to some few suggestions to prevent, or to deal with, in the first instances, some of the many ailments that young horses are heir to.

Boots

Boots are recommended for schooling young horses. When worn care must be taken that dirt does not get inside and cause irritation. Cotton-wool around the leg inside the boots will prevent this and give additional support to the tendons and ligaments.

Boots afford protection from splints and brushing.

Brushing

The latter only occurs at the walk and trot and is due to:

1. Want of condition.

2. Fatigue.

3. Ill-fitting shoes.

4. Deformed limbs (especially turned out toes).

Careful preparation of the feet for shoeing is essential. The inside of the shoes may require to be made deeper and feathed-edged shoes may be necessary (see Shoes).

Blows. Contusion, Immediate Treatment

Blows caused, when schooling, by stone walls, etc., should be immediately fomented and hot water swabs kept on, covered over with oil silk to maintain the heat. When the inflammation is out the enlargement can be reduced to the normal size by frequent hand rubbing. This must be done before the injury becomes hard and callous.

Colds And Coughs

Young horses coming in from grass to stables are liable to catch colds and coughs, especially if their stables are not well ventilated. The symptoms are a discharge from the nostrils, and possibly a cough. If the cold is severe there may also be fever, and sometimes the horse may not be able to swallow his food. The horse's comfort should be attended to, and he should not be deprived of fresh air, but be warmly rugged.

Steam the head to promote discharge. Rub the throat with embrocation or liniment. A paste of mustard and vinegar applied to the throat will generally relieve a cough. Soft food should be given. The bowels should be kept acting freely.

Fresh Air

Fresh air is essential for horses' health, though their coats will appear shiny in a badly-ventilated stable, and for this reason grooms often like to keep stables at an excessive temperature with the windows shut.

Fresh air prevents and even cures coughs and colds, and consequently, owing to the healthy state of the lungs and the horse generally, his wind is less likely to become affected. Stables should never smell stuffy or feel hot. A draught is of course obnoxious. In winter extra food and clothing to maintain warmth is preferable to curtailing the supply of fresh air.

Cooling Lotion

For bruises and sprains and splints forming. The lotion should be applied in the treatment of sprains after the first heat and tenderness have passed away. (See Sprains.) A good cooling lotion that is always obtainable is:

Spirits of Wine - 4 oz. Water - 8 oz.

Cold Water

Running cold water is an excellent method of hardening and strengthening and keeping cold an injured part.

Exhaustion

When the horse is overtired, the whole system is overtaxed, and he will be unable to digest his normal feed. When brought in in an exhausted condition the horse should be well bedded down in a large box, warmly clothed and bandaged, given a warm bucket of oatmeal gruel with some brandy in it (2 to 4 oz.), and later a warm mash. A pint of porter in a bucket of chilled water will help a tired horse on his way home, and is obtainable almost anywhere.

Humour

This shows itself by lumps appearing under the horse's skin, and they may become aggravated by friction or pressure of the saddle. The cause is too much hard food and the blood becoming heated. A small amount of Epsom salts may be given in the feeds; oats must be reduced, and bran mashes and green food substituted.

Physic

Grooms generally are anxious to physic horses on every possible occasion. Horses coming up from grass on to a hard diet will generally require physicing, otherwise it is recommended to have professional advice before administering a physic. Horses should be prepared for physic, i.e. on soft food forty-eight hours before a dose.

Overreach

Overreaches occur when jumping or galloping, and are caused by the hind-shoes striking into the fore-limbs. Concave hind-shoes with the inner edge of the ground surface rounded off are the least likely to give a serious overreach. Overreach boots may be necessary for some horses. An overreach into the back tendon is generally caused by landing in boggy ground and the horse being unable to get his fore-limbs out of the way before the hind-limbs come down. (See Wounds.)

Spurs

Sharp spurs should, if possible, never be resorted to when schooling youngsters. It sickens a great many horses, whilst others rush or take off erratically if ridden in sharp spurs. A well-trained horse should come up to his bit with a pressure of the legs, in which case spurs, other than blunt ones for appearance, will be found unnecessary.

Sharp Teeth

All horses should have their teeth looked to periodically. The molar teeth are apt to become sharp at the edges on the outside of the upper and inside of the lower jaw. This will prevent proper mastication, and the edges must be rasped smooth.