The management and treatment of the horse in the stable, field, and ...

180 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
Christian gentlemen, and who would be quite ready to
punish severely any slight act of cruelty done by an
ignorant drover. It may be easily conceived the great
pain this causes to the poor animal, and those who have
had the slightest touch of inflammation of the gums will
have some idea of its sufferings. Every man with any
feeling will make it his first study to see that the bit
fits the horse, does not hurt its mouth, and can in no
way injure the sides of the mouth or the palate. Even
his own comfort ought to dictate this, as no horse can
perform its work pleasantly while it is suffering from
an irritation of the mouth. When the owner or groom
finds the bone injured he should at once send for a
veterinary surgeon, as it may be necessary to perform
an operation to remove the shattered portions of the
bone, but if the wounds are only of a fleshy nature
they may be cured by the parts being frequently
washed with alum, one ounce to one quart of water.
If the wound has become ulcerated it may be necessary
to touch the parts affected with lunar caustic or liquid
nitrate of silver, to stimulate and cause them to
heat ; at tbe same time the wash is being used it will
be proper to give a laxative such as has been recommended
for farcy. This complaint is one that
could be entirely prevented by a little care and patience
on the part of the rider or driver, yet we often see men
pull at the sensitive mouth of a horse as if they had a
bull by the horns, and this frequently happens from
some fault of their own. The horse may be nervous
and shy at some object it does not thoroughly under-
stand, when, instead of a gentle word and a slight pull