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

88 The Management and Treatment of the Horse,
and Mr Greaves, of Manchester. Laminitis is of two
specific kinds, and may be designated natural and
unnatural.—First, natural laminitis is mostly found in
horses of a low breed, heavy and corpulent in body, such
as draught horses of various kinds, and this arises, doubt-
less, from constitutional causes. Unnatural laminitis or
artificial phase of this terrible disease is most frequently
met with in light-bred animals, and no doubt is the
result of their endeavour to resist the violence occasioned
by over-exertion on hard roads, and by the exhaustion
produced by rapid driving and other artificial de-
leterious causes, such as being called upon to perform
long journeys when the stomach is overloaded with
food. Always remember " Full feed, then rest,"—eating
large quantities of wheat or feeding upon new oats.
There is one cause, however, so prominent and influen-
tial in its character, that ought never to be lost sight
of, and that is work or what may be construed into
violence done to the feet ; for instance, a horse with
high stamping action going any great distance or for
any length of time upon the hard macadamised
road, or hard pavement of any kind whatever, will be
a very likely subject for an attack of this disease,
particularly if he has been idle, at rest, or unseasoned,
and is suddenly and at once put to do severe work.
It is here that the groom requires to use great
caution ; when a new horse is brought under his care
he does not know if the animal has been idle and been
u made up " for sale, and if suddenly put to hard
work the chances are he will fall to pieces. It is a
safe plan to always put a new purchase through a