THE VETERINARIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 753, 6 August 1886, Page 15

THE VETERINARIAN.

HORSE-BREEDIN G.

We append a few admirable remarks on horse-breeding taken from the journal of the Boyal Agricultural Society : Breeding is one thing, management quite another. A man may be successful as a breeder, yet fail as a manager, i.e., in breaking and making handy. Manners vastly go to make the horse. One-fourth of the value of a riding-horse depends on his manners, his mouth. Horses may be bred with almost as much certainty as other kinds of stock, not on haphazard, but on system. One really good horse will leave more money than a whole field full of cattle. But lam sure of this—nothing will bring a farmer to a stone heap sooner than stocking his farm with a lot of worthless horses. The class of horse that appeals to the tenant breeding half-bred horses is a horse 15*2— 15-3 hands high ; and looking several inches lower —gaining length underneath him, by his well-sloped, well-laid shoulders, Not a long, low horse, getting length by the shoulder ran into the neck, a long, weak-back, a lady-likc waist. Bear this in mind. You mnst have game and mettle in sire and dam —a coarse, heavy mare will most assuredly breed a slug ; to any horse a sluggish mare will breed a slug. Influenza. and breeding or using long, tail, leggy, half-bred stallions, produce roarers. liong-backed, long-legged sires not unfrequently become roarers. A compact horse, and one hear the ground, are seldom affected ; nothing predisposes to roaring like influenza. Breeders should select and individually fit the horse to the marc, blending together, slightly opposing yet almost invisible deviations. The foundation of all improvement is : Judgment in selection —that’s it. We often meet with too much length of top, not underneath. Light leg?, bad ankles, shoulders into the neck, instead of sloping into the back, light girth, bad feet, curby hocks, spavin, and rine bone. The market want is this :—Whole colors — if possible dark horses—length underneath your horees, shoulders sloping well into the back, strong below the knee, ample bone, quality in the tendons, set well back from the bone, the knee to bend, with supple shoulder action, free stifle movement, perfect hock flexion, and free use of the pastern joints, good open sound feet. For every purpose, horses must carry their heads gaily ; that is, they must be put on right, tail well up, a sure indication of quality ; and firm courage ; four good legs, two good eyes, a good theatb, soundness in wind, soundness in limb, neat shoulders, slashing muscular quarters, powerful propellers, grand hocks, powerful knees, fulcrum, and stability.—ft. H. Hilhouse.

VETERINARY CtUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

I have lost within the last four months -some half-dozen cows, and they were all particularly good milkers. They wasted away. Nearly all of them had great difficulty in swallowing food. On being opened, large yellow ulcere were found in the inside, some attached to 'the windpipe, and some to the lights. In one instance, an ulcer as large as gallon measure was on the lights. The color of these ulcers was the color of decorticated cake. I should tell you that these cows had been fed most liberally on this cake. The other food is pulped up mangold., ensilage, grains, hay, and oat straw, dan you throw any light upon this matter, which seems to puzzle all those about here who are knowing in the diseases of animals and causes of disease ? —F. M. I am firmly of an opinion that a scrofulous state of the system resulting in the formation of the * ulcers ’ (or probably tumors) which * F. M..* describes as existing within the chests and along the course of the windpipe of his cows, is the true cause of death of these animals. It is, however, very unusual _ for such a number to die within so short a time, except when hereditary influence is very great, or means for acquiring this diseased state, unusually accessible. It would . therefore, be well to know if these animals that hsve died were sired by the same or different bulls, and if when calves they were weaned upon milk taken from a cow or cows that suffered .from tuberculosis or any similiar disease. In the disease to which the name * Actinomycosis * has recently been given, and which in some instances attacks several animals in a herd within a few months, indurated tumors are formed, generally about the upper part of the windpipe, mouth or tongue, and thus produce emaciation by preventing proper mastication of food; but the tumors are not usually found within the chest, or if so, not developed to such an extent as in these cases, I see no reason to think the food has anything to do in producing this diseased state of your cows. English paper. WORMS. * I. I.’ says : We have a large, carriagehorse very badly affected with worms. The coachman gave him‘a dose’ two months ago, hut the worms are as bad as ever, and he has lately given him turpentine. The horse is very weak. What is (he best treatment ! there any form of iron we could give with safety * I think ‘I. I.’ will find the following treat ment successful in ridding his horse of the worms. Give him a powder, consisting of eantonine two scruples, tartar emetic one dram, fine oatmeal one ounce ; these must be thoroughly mixed, and given in a gallon of wet bran, previous to which the horse should be kept without food for at least 12 hours, so that his stomach is quite empty, then the powder, which he will readily eat in the bran, will have a fair chance to operate, and

he should be allowed no other food for two hours after the do3e. Give a second powder containing half a dram of santonine, instead of two scruples, and one dram of tarter emetic, four days after the first in the same way, after which give him IA dram doses daily of sulphate of iror, finely powdered mixed with bia ordinary food, which should consist of good sweet oats, a little bran, plenty of good meadow hay, and a few sliced carrots ; the latter will be found very beneficial. CART MARE. * Yonng Farmer’ has a cart mare that has been lame for about a week, and his carter, thinking she had sprained her hock, applied eome oils to that joint ; but a discharge appeared on (he inside, immediately above the hoof, which seemed to afford her some relief, as before this occurred Bhe could hardly set her foot to the ground, but now, although very lame, she bears a little weight on it. Is it likely that lameness is caused at the point where the discharge appeared ; and what had better now be done to it ? The discharge at your mare’s coronet, no doubt, proceeds from the foot, which has been either pricked with a nail while shoeing, or bruised, and as the matter which formed in consequence could not get vent at the bottom, it has risen to the coronet. The shoe must be at once removed, the sole pared away so as to allow the matter to escape at the bottom of the foot, and warm poultices with a stimulating ointment (the ordinary * green ’ ointment will do well) applied each morning and night until the discharge ceases.