,
and you may buckle it almost as tight as a neck-strap, which is the
safest of all fastenings. The objection is that, when a horse has to
raise heavy logs in the stall for each mouthful of hay, the strap wears
his mane. For this reason a front is used to the head-stall; it however
then wears the horse's head, and is the origin of what is called
pole-evil; the bone of the nose is often worn through by the nose-band,
forming abscesses _inside_ the nostrils. Small horses and ponies are
particularly liable to this, in getting their hay from high racks. These
are reasons for horses standing loose where this is possible. A quarter
of a century ago I had the honour to arrange the head-stalls of the 2nd
Life Guards as above, and I am proud to see them still in use.

[Sidenote: Never physic, blister, or fire.]

On no occasion and on no persuasion give your horse physic, or bleed
him, or blister him, or fire him, or let the blacksmith have anything to
do with any part of him which is more sensible than the callous crust of
his hoof.

[Sidenote: Food for condition. Rest for strains. Nature for wounds.]

Condition depends on food, not physic. Rest is the cure for sprains and
strains. Nature cures wounds unless prevented by _art_. Nature stops the
bleeding by the glue of the blood coagulating about the wound;
_staunching_ with cloths wipes this off and promotes the bleeding. Lint
assists, but when Nature has formed a plaister over a wound it should
not be interfered with or _washed_; leave it to come off of itself.
Where great discharge ensues wash it off _sound_ parts, and grease them
to prevent the skin coming off. Don't believe in what is called "_proud
flesh_." The granulations of new flesh are always called so, and burnt
off as fast as they grow by corrosive sublimate or "oils as'll cut a
broomstick in two."

[Sidenote: Miles for shoeing.]

As a brother officer of the 2nd Life Guards has published a perfect book
on shoeing, and as he did me the honour to dedicate it to me, I have
only to say that on that subject I am completely "Miles's boy."

[Sidenote: Water always by the horse.]

About a quarter of a century ago I recommended in print that all horses
should have water by them in the stall: it is now so universally the
practice, that I need not here repeat the reasons for it. I have not
heard of any horse drinking till he burst, though all grooms assured me
that all stabled horses would do so.

It is distending fo