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

In the Stable, Field, and on the Road. 33
have a horse off its feed because its digestive organs are up-
set, I take it out in the fresh air for half-an-hour in the
morning before feeding. After it has had its walk, I bring
it in and let it drink what cold water it likes, and then give
it a small quantity of corn and a little sweet hay. I give
little at one time, but feed often, and in a few clays, with-
out the aid of any drugs, I find my horse always ready for
his food." No horse gets less medicine than the horse of
a veterinary surgeon, and I believe with Shakespeare,
" Throw physic to the dogs ; " yet it is necessary for every
groom with horses under his care to have a knowledge of
the drugs commonly used for the horse, and the effects it
produces. No man uses less drags than the man who
thoroughly understands them. It is the abuse of drugs,
not the use of them, that has to be deprecated. If a groom
has a knowledge of drugs, he is of great use to the
veterinary surgeon, for he will watch minutely the effects
of medicine left to be given to the patient, and will be
able to inform the practical veterinary surgeon the symp-
toms that have taken place since his last visit. The
veterinary surgeon has great drawbacks to contend with
in the treatment of animals, and I am afraid he has too
often reason to find fault with the ignorance of the groom.
This is not to be wondered at, as a great many gentlemen
take lads from the plough, and in a few years, without
any training, and without any knowledge of the business
beyond cleaning a set of harness, washing a carriage, and
dressing a dirty horse, he is put into the position of groom
or coachman, and the trust and care of valuable animals
thrust upon him. It is this sort of thing that makes the
name of a stableman the scoff of a large number of gentle-
c