(ilass^.SXl5i 
 
PRACTICAL 
 
 OR, -7'T' . 
 
 r r^- k' .■•'': 
 
 TTie-TTayeWeT's Poc\$.et Com^anioB. 
 
 SHEWING 
 
 THE BEST METHOD TO PRESERVE THE HORSE 
 IN HEALTH; 
 
 AND 
 
 LIKEWISE THE CURE OF THE MOST PROMINENT DISEASES TO 
 
 WHICH THIS NOBLE ANIMAL IS SUBJECT, IN THE 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
 The whole being the result of nearly forty years' experience, 
 with an extensive practice. 
 
 To assist great nature in her wond'rous plan, 
 Should be the study and pursuit of nian. 
 
 SECOND EDITION, 
 
 Much enlarged, and embellished loith three engravings. 
 
 BY WILLIAM CARVER, FARRIER: 
 
 OF NEW-rORK. 
 
 
 075 >■*' 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY MCARTY & DAVIS, 
 South East coiner of Race and Ninth street. 
 
 1820. 
 
EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, to wit: 
 
 Be it Remembered, That on the thirteenth day of May, 
 *####*## in the forty-fourth year of the Independence 
 
 * T c * ""'f the United States of America, A D. 1820, 
 
 * • I M'Carty & Davis, of the said district, have de- 
 ******** posited in this office the title of a book, the 
 
 right whereof they claims as proprietors, in the words fol- 
 lowing to wit: 
 
 " Practical Horse Farrier; or The Traveller's Pocket 
 " Companion: Shewing the best method to preserve the 
 *' Horse in health — and, likewise, rhe cure of the most pro- 
 *' minent diseases to which this noble animal is subject, in 
 " the United States of America. The whole being tie re- 
 " suit of nearly forty years' experience, with an extensive 
 '* practice. To assist great nature in her wond'rous plan, 
 " should be the study and pursuit of man. Second edition, 
 *• much enlarged, and embellished with three engravings: 
 ** By William Carver, farrier, of New-York " 
 
 " In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United 
 States, entitiiled, " An Act for the encouragement of learn- 
 ing, by securing the copies of niaps, charts and books, to 
 the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times 
 therein mentioned." And also to the act, entitled, "An 
 Act supplementary to an act, entitled. An Act for the 
 encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, 
 charts and books to the authors and proprietors of such 
 copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending 
 the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and 
 etching historical and other prints." 
 
 D CALDWELL, 
 Clerk of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 fiage. 
 Plat€, shewing the Skeleton of the Horse, - 10 
 
 Plate, shewing the Intestines, - - 13 
 
 Plate, shewing the Horse's teeth and age by them 15 
 
 Preface, --- - - -17 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Some generel direction^ in regard to the manage- 
 ment and care of some Horses, - - 26 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 On Bleeding, Purging, &c. - - 31 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Of Colds, ... - 39 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Of Fevers, . ^ . . . - 43 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Of the Pleurisy, and Inflammation of the lungs, 45 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Of a Cough, and Asthma, - - 49 
 
4 eONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 fiage. 
 Of an Apoplexy, or Staggers, - - 53 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Of the Strangles, - - - 57 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Of the Diseases of the Eyes, - . 59 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Of the Farcin, or Farcy, - - - 61 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Of the Yellows, or Jaundice, - - 6r 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 Of the Cholic, or Gripes - - - 69 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Of Worms and Bots, - - - - 73 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Of Wounds in general, - - - 77" 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Of the Locked Jaw, - - - 85 
 
 t CHAPIER XVI. 
 
 Of Strains, in various parts, - - 91 
 
CONTENTS. 5 
 
 * CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 fiage. 
 Of Bone and Blood Spavin, - - 95 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Of the Pole Evil, and Fistula, - - 99 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 On Shoeing, - - - - - 103 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 Of Founder, - - - - 115 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 OfSplents, 119 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 Of a Curb and Ring Bone, - - - 121 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Of the Grease, - - - . 123 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Of Scratches, . - - - - 127 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Of Sand Cracks and Quittors, - - 129 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Of Relax and Scouring, - - • tZ^ 
 
 a2 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 fiage. 
 Of the Disorders of the Kidneys and Bladder, 13 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Of Alterative Medicines, - - ISr 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 Of Consumption, - - - - 141 
 
 CHAPTER. XXX. 
 
 Of Scratches, Rat-tails, &c. - - 143 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 On the Blood and Pulse of the Horse, 147 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIL 
 
 Of the Running Thrush and Canker, - 151 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 Of the Diseases of the Feet, - t55 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 Of Colds, &c. - 159 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 Ofa Broken Wind. - 163 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 Of Surfeits, Hide-bound, and Mange, - 169 
 
CONTENTS. 7 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIL 
 
 page. 
 
 Disease of the Mouth and Tongue, - 177 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII 
 
 Nicking, Docking, and Cropping, - 1^3 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Advice to purchasers of Horses, with in- 
 structions how to ascertain the age of the 
 
 horse by his teeth, and otherwise, - 191 
 
 The Stallion, - - - - - 224 
 
 Breeding Mares, - - , ■ ^ 227 
 
 Parts of a Horse's Body, - = - 232 
 
 Signs of Disease in Horses » > 238 
 
 Conclusion, , . . , 247 
 
10 
 
 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
€arver^s Farrier, 11 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. 
 PLATE I. 
 
 SHOWING THE SKELETON OF THE HORSE. 
 
 A. The head, including all its parts as articulated with 
 the neck. 
 
 C. The hunnerus, or shoulder bone. 
 
 D. The bones of the leg, or fore-arm, consisting in each 
 
 of the radius and ulna, 
 
 E. The joints of the knees, with the small ranges of bones. 
 G. The shank-bones, consisting in each of the cannon 
 
 bone, and the two metacarpal, or splent-Dones. 
 H. The great pastern bones, with the two sesamoid 
 
 bones of each fetlock. 
 I. The lesser pastern bones. 
 K. The bones of the feet, consisting in each of the coffin 
 
 and navicular bones, with the lateral ca tiluges. 
 L. The bones of the pelvis, called ossa innomiuaia. 
 M. The thigh-bones. 
 N. Tlie bones of the hind-legs ; consisting in each of the 
 
 tibia and the fibula. 
 
 0. The points of the hocks. 
 
 P. The small bones of the hocks. 
 
 Q- The bones of the insteps ; consisting, in each, of the 
 
 cannon bone and two metatarsal bones. 
 R. The great pasterns and sesamoid bones of the hind 
 
 legs. 
 S. The little pastern bones of the hind-legs, 
 T. The coffin and navicular bones of eacli hind-foot, with 
 
 the lateral c.irtilages. 
 V. The sternum, or breast-bone. 
 X. The point of the sternum. 
 Y. The ribs. 
 
 Z. The cartilaginous ends of the ribs on the breast and 
 
 abdomen, 
 
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The seven vertebrae of the neck. 
 
 1. The eighteen vertebrae of the thorax and back. 
 
 2. The six vertebrae of the loins. 
 
 3. The five spines of the os sacrum, 
 
 The eigh teen joints of the coxendix and tail. 
 
12 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 PLATE II. 
 
 Representing the intestines of the horse as they appear in 
 
 theii* natural situation, when the abdomen is laid open. 
 
 AAAAAA. The colon, with its various circumvolutions 
 
 and windings together with its numerous folds, and 
 
 under which lie the small intestine. 
 
 B. Tlie coecum or blind gut. 
 
 C, The rectum. 
 
Carver^ s Farrier 
 
 XIll 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 State ot a Colt's teeth, from 3 months to 3 years old. 
 
 XV 
 
 A. thcJPincers 
 
 B . t/tejSeparat&rs 
 
 Q.ihe Corners 
 iy,theTus7cs 
 
 Fhe age of the horse determined by the 'I'eeth. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The author of the following treatise is 
 aware that his work will meet with objec- 
 tions, on account of there having been 
 many large volumes published on Farriery 
 by men of science, who were acquainted 
 with the dead languages. It was on this 
 ground that he thought the undertaking 
 more necessary, as the greater part of those 
 that are owners of the noble animal, the 
 horse, are, like himself, unacquainted with 
 the Greek and Latin. And he believes 
 that the anatomy of the horse, as well as 
 the human body, can be as well understood 
 and defined, by the language of our own 
 mother tongue, as by the dead languages :^ 
 Yes, and that those languages only serve 
 
 B 2 
 
XVIU PREFACEc 
 
 the purpose of those who wish to keep 
 the world in ignorance, and profit by the 
 credulity of others. For my part, I believe 
 that neither the Greeks nor Latins taught 
 their pupils the languages of any other na- 
 tions : at least I never saw an author, that 
 informed me that they did so. 
 
 It is probable, by this time, the reader 
 may think that I am an enemy to science 
 and a friend to ignorance — ^but the case is 
 otherwise. I should feel myself happy to 
 see science flourish, stripped of her grab of 
 mystery and quackery : and if the Veteri- 
 nary College of London had pursued this 
 laudable method, Mr. Blaine, and his co- 
 temporaries in that college, would have 
 deserved immortal praise : But their books 
 are at too high a price for the common 
 reader to purchase — ^and too voluminous 
 to be read — and too obscure to be under- 
 stood, but by those who have had a clas- 
 sical education. 
 
 I have been an eye witness to the dread- 
 ful effects of the ignorance of those who 
 have undertaken to doctor the horse, both 
 in this country and England. A coach- 
 man who lived with a gentleman in this 
 
PREFACE. XiK 
 
 city, undertook to bleed one of his employ- 
 er's horses in the mouth, and, as there is 
 a large artery that comes from the heart 
 into the mouth, the man had cut that ar- 
 tery asunder and could not stop the blood, 
 and the horse had continued to bleed for 
 two hours before he was brought to me, 
 and it was with gi'eat difficulty that I stop- 
 ped it : and believe that the horse could 
 not have lived ten minutes longer if the 
 blood had not stopped, as the poor animal 
 was struck all over with a cold sweat, and 
 trembled like a leaf. 
 
 One more instance I will relate, which 
 is, that a groom belonging to a gentleman 
 in this city, also undertook to clean the 
 yard of his master's horse — in doing which 
 he drew down the yard beyond its natu- 
 ral extremity, which overstrained the lead- 
 ing tendons, or nerves of the yard, like a 
 violin string that is overdrawn, and has 
 lost its elasticity, so that the animal had 
 not power to draw it back to its place* 
 When the man brought the horse to me 
 he said, Mr. Carver, what is the matter 
 with this horse ? I told him immediately 
 that he had forced down the yard with 
 
XX PREFACE. 
 
 his hand, beyond its natural position : He 
 at first denied the fact — but on my insist- 
 ing on its being the case, he confessed, 
 and begged that I would not . inform his 
 master how it had happened ; by applying 
 restringent medicines, I brought the yard 
 to perform its natural functions. It w^as a ju- 
 dicious remark of Lord Pembroke, when he 
 said — " Any gentleman who permitted his 
 groom to administer any thing more to his 
 horses, than messes or warm gruel, would 
 soon find himself on foot.'' 
 
 I am certain that there are persons in 
 this city, who undertake to doctor the 
 horse, that cannot either read or write 
 their own names — and consequently know 
 nothing of the quality or powder of medi- 
 cine ; and I have seen them apply a re- 
 stringent, when they should have applied 
 a relaxative : In consequence of this igno- 
 rance, they cannot consult the state of the 
 blood of the horse, which is the first thing 
 to be considered in all kinds of fevers. 
 And I furthermore believe, that they know 
 not where to find the pulse veins — or how 
 many times the pulse beats in a minute, in 
 order to judge of the state of the animal, 
 they pretend to cure. 
 
PREFACE, XXI 
 
 I have read a great number of authors 
 who have attempted to describe the method 
 or best manner of shoeing the horse ; and 
 they have given what was, in their opini- 
 ons, the form or the shape of the shoe 
 that should be placed on the foot ; but I 
 have found by long experience, that they 
 for want of practice, have been, almost all 
 of them, very erroneous : the author that 
 comes nearest to the point, so as to pre- 
 serve the foot, is Clark. As shoeing the 
 horse is a most essential point to be con- 
 sidered, I have attempted to describe the 
 best method that I have discovered, in 
 thirty year's practice, in the chapter on 
 shoeing : and this 1 think the more neces- 
 sary, as I have witnessed the dreadful, and 
 the most evil consequences, of horses be- 
 ing placed in the hands of unexperienced 
 shoers in this city. I have known smiths 
 to open shops, and undertake to shoe 
 horses, who never had shod a horse in 
 their lives ; and the result has been, that the 
 feet have been ruined, and the horses have 
 been obliged to be turned to pasture, in 
 order that nature might replace the injured 
 foot. The most celebrated authors, and 
 
XXU PREFACE. 
 
 judges of horses, have considered the 
 knowledge of the foot, and the manner of 
 shoeing, as very essential points : Bracken 
 has said — no foot, no horse : and Mr. 
 Blaine, of the Veterinary College of Lon- 
 don, says — that he would not trust many 
 of the pretended shoers, to drive a single 
 Tiail in the foot of his horse. And, for my 
 own part, I would not permit three fourths 
 of the smiths, of this city, to take off a sin- 
 gle shoe from my horse's foot, was I 
 not present at the time. 
 
 I presume the public will consider 
 that I have not written this small treatise 
 with a view of deriving any pecuniary ad- 
 vantage, as I am now arrived at an advanced 
 period of life ; but that my only object is 
 that of being useful to those who are in 
 possession of that useful animal, the horse. 
 And as there are thousands in this city, 
 and in the United States, whose whole de- 
 pendance for the support of themselves 
 and families, is on the health and labour 
 that they derive from the horse ; and gen- 
 tlemen who travel, are often retarded on 
 their journey, owing to the misconduct of 
 those that take charge of their horses — or 
 
PREFACE XXlll 
 
 by the smiths that shoe them : I therefore 
 believe, that this small pocket companion 
 will enable the traveller to set both the 
 groom and the smith right, when they 
 have comitted errors, or prevent their com- 
 mitting any 
 
 It is probable that this publication will 
 be criticised on, and in a measure con- 
 demned, by those that profess themselves 
 judges of orthography and grammar ; but 
 the only apology that I shall make, is, that 
 the common reader in general will under- 
 stand my meaning, or ideas, and this is 
 grammar and orthography sufficient for 
 them. I know that Bailey, Sheridan, and 
 Johnson, have told us that each svllable 
 must be spelt with such and such letters 
 and vowels ; and that they must be pro- 
 nounced in such and such a manner, with 
 such a tone of voice ; but I find that what 
 is called grammar in one century, is con- 
 demned in an other — As a proof of this, let 
 any one refer to books that were published 
 one or two centuries past — let them read 
 Sidney on Government, Fox's Martyrs, 
 or any old authors, and they will find that 
 the language or grammar materially differs 
 
XXIV PREFACE. 
 
 from that of the present day : a word spok- 
 en, that can be understood, is far better 
 than ten thousand words spoken in a lan- 
 guage that cannot be understood. Had I 
 been acquainted with the Greek or Latin 
 languages, or terms of art and obscurity of 
 expression, I should have avoided them as 
 much as possible. I am more desirous of 
 being intelligible to the meanest capacity, 
 than ambitious of writing in what is called 
 a polished style, to which I make no pre- 
 tensions — on this account I expect indul- 
 gence from the candid reader. It will be 
 found that I have given but few receipts, 
 and those that are given have been proved 
 by experience. I have been always oppos- 
 ed to giving a variety, or complication of 
 medicines, either to man or beast ; for, 
 should not few medicines be found to re- 
 lieve the patient in a short time, it is better 
 to leave nature to struggle with infirmities, 
 as she at times performs wonders : this I 
 have proved by the horse — likewise by my 
 own family, as I am my own family physi- 
 cian, and have been for more than twenty 
 years past ; and, during that time, I have 
 not paid five dollars to any one of the facul- 
 ty to attend them, although they (as is 
 
PREFACE. XXV 
 
 common to mankind) have had their share 
 of sickness. If man would but take the 
 trouble to examine and think for himself, 
 he might then be his own physician, and 
 save himself a great deal of expense. I 
 would reccommend every father of a fa- 
 mily to provide himself with Buchan's Do- 
 mestic Medicine, and the Edinburgh Dis- 
 pensatory. — The assistance of these books, 
 and study, v/ill, in most cases, supersede 
 the necessity of employing a physician. 
 
 Although there are a great number of 
 horses kept in this city, I do not find one 
 citizen that makes the economy or welfare 
 of the horse so much his study that he 
 might examine this work, or to whom I 
 might dedicate it. I therefore dedicate it 
 to the public at large, leaving them to judge 
 of its merits, and my experience or veraci- 
 ty. I have given in the appendix a most 
 valuable receipt for the pleurisy, or pain in 
 the back or side, for the human species. 
 This receipt I have communicated to 
 many gentlemen of the faculty, which they 
 have proved to have the desired effect. 
 
 WILLIAM CARVER. 
 
 New Tork^ November Sd^ 1818. 
 
 c 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 Some general directions^ in regard to the ma- 
 nagement and care of Horses » 
 
 The horse, by nature, is doomed to roam 
 at large in the woods or fields, and, while re- 
 maining in this state, his wants are easily 
 supplied, and his diseases are few ; but, when 
 broup'ht into a domesticated state, his dis- 
 eases are many and his wants are great, and 
 he requires the fostering hand of care and di- 
 ligence to keep and preserve him in health. 
 It should be observed to give horses as few 
 medicines as possible, and not follow the ri- 
 diculous custom of frequently bleeding and 
 purging, when the horse is in perfect health. 
 
 Proper dressing, feeding, and exercise will 
 alone cure many disorders, and prevent most. 
 Proper care should be taken to procure good 
 sweet hay and oats, for, should either of these 
 articles be either musty or foul, they will af- 
 fect his lungs, and at times, cause him to be 
 broken winded ; and, what is commonly call- 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 27 
 
 ed shorts or bran, is frequently in a state of 
 fermentation before it is given to the horse, 
 and this is what I apprehend to be the cause 
 of so many horses dying with the worms, or 
 bots. If a small portion of clean cut straw 
 be given, either with oats or bran, it will have 
 a tendency to eradicate those insects. 
 
 All stables should be ventilated, so as to 
 admit a free and constant circulation of fresh 
 air; for without this, the horse is constantly 
 breathing, or taking into his stomach or lungs, 
 the foul air that arises from the dung, urine,- 
 or the perspiration that flies from the body 
 of the horse ; and, when the stable is crowd- 
 ed with horses, the eflluvia must arise to a 
 high degree, which, of course, will give rise 
 to the most malignant fevers, and also chro- 
 nick complaints. 
 
 Having visited many stables in this city, I 
 have found many stalls where horses have 
 stood in their dung, to the thickness of six 
 or seven inches, which I could attribute to 
 nothing but the indolence of those that had 
 the care of horses committed to them. And 
 I have likewise observed, that horses stand- 
 ing in this situation, have fallen back in their 
 stalls as far as their halters would permit ; 
 and this was done, in order that the poor 
 
28 Carver^s Farrier* 
 
 animal might escape the fume that was con- 
 stantly arising and flying into his nostrils, 
 every time that he drew his breath. I have 
 given this hint, in order that the owners and 
 lovers of horses might attend to this, and have 
 the neglect remidied. 
 
 All stables should admit of a sufficient 
 quantity of light, as nature has provided this 
 for the benefit of both man and beast. All 
 horses, standing in dark stables, are liable to 
 have their sight affected; as asudden transition 
 from a state of total darkness to the brilliancy 
 of that of the sun, at noonday, will have a pow- 
 erful effect upon the optics of the eye, and 
 will cause excessive pain, and probably, in 
 time, the total loss of sight. As to the cus- 
 tom that is prevailing in this city, in regard 
 to the blanketing of horses, and driving them 
 with the blankets on their bodies through 
 rain and snow, must certainly be pernicious 
 to the health of the animal — as the labour 
 that they perform will cause a perspiration, 
 and consequently the pores of the skin are 
 more open than they are while remaining in 
 a state of inactivity ; therefore, the water that 
 is contained in the blanket must be absorbed 
 into the system of the horse, which, accord- 
 ing to reason, must make the horse liable to 
 
Carver'* s Farrier. 29 
 
 colds, and stiff limbs, or what is commonly 
 called founder. If nature, that is complete 
 in her works, had destined the horse to wear 
 blankets, she would have sent him covered 
 with them ! When the horse is standing in 
 the stable, if he must have a blanket, it should 
 be a light one, and not two or three at one 
 time, with a broad roller girted tight,' as 
 grooms will tell us, in order to take up the 
 belly, as they call it, which prevents the ex- 
 pansion of the lungs, and causes the animal 
 to breath with difficulty. — Blankets should 
 be taken along with the traveller, and thrown 
 on when the horse stops on the road. 
 
 Common observation teaches us that na- 
 ture, at proper seasons of the year, designed 
 the pasture for the horse, and the horse for 
 the pasture ; therefore, if the horse could 
 possibly be spared for two or three weeks, in 
 the month of May or June, he ought of course 
 to be turned out to roam at large. 
 
 A proper degree of exercise is of the ut- 
 most conseejuence, to keep the horse in per- 
 fect health and vigour ; but a horse should 
 never be rode hard, or put on violent exer- 
 cise, when his belly is full of feed or water 
 — move him gently at first, and he will natu- 
 rally mend his pace. Many diseases are 
 
 c2 
 
30 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 brought on for want of proper exercise. I 
 have seen horses that have stood in their stalls 
 for two or three months, without being ex- 
 ercised at all, and by this neglect, they have 
 fell victims to the lock-jaw, and farcy. Na- 
 ture demands exercise, as well for the ani- 
 mal as the human species, in order to keep 
 the blood and fluids in circulation. 
 
 It must certainly be obvious to every one 
 of common understanding, that great care 
 should be taken, that after a horse has had 
 violent exercise, or come off a hard journey, 
 that he cools not too fast — ^that he drinks no 
 cold water, and that he is not washed with 
 cold water, which is too often practised in this 
 country, by those that have the care of hor- 
 ses, in order to save the labour of rubbing 
 and cleaning of them ; and it should likewise 
 be observed, that their feet should not be 
 permitted to stand in a damp or wet stall, 
 which will have a tendency to bring on a 
 founder. 
 
CHAPTER IT. 
 
 On Bleedings Furging^ bV. 
 
 Those horses that have been standing long, 
 in the stable, and have been full fed, require 
 at times to be bled and physicked, especially 
 when their eyes look heavy, dull, and inflam- 
 ed, as also when they feel hotter than usual, 
 and mangle or waste their hay. But the cases 
 that chiefly require bleeding, are colds, fevers 
 of most kinds, falls, bruises, hurts of the eyes, 
 and all inflammatory disorders. All horses 
 should be bled by measure, in order to know 
 the quantity that is taken away: — two or three 
 quarts is always enough at one time, but 
 must be repeated in case of the pleurisy, 
 which may be known by the blackness of the 
 blood, which should be carefully examined, 
 when cold, to see whether black, florid, sizy, 
 &CC. The neck is the safest place to bleed, 
 or in what is commonly called the jugular 
 vein : and it should be observed to bleed 
 near the head, and not, as is frequently done, 
 down the middle of the neck, which will 
 often cause a swelled neck, if not a mortifi- 
 
32 Carve fs Farrier. 
 
 cation in the vein. During the course of my 
 practice, I have been obliged to take off a 
 part of the jugular vein of the neck of two hor- 
 ses, owing to their having been struck too 
 low down the neck, when bled by unexpe- 
 rienced hands ; and to perform what is com- 
 monly called netting the vein, which is done 
 by tying the vein with a silk thread, at a cer- 
 tain distance, in two places, so as to ad- 
 mit of the cutting away, between the two 
 threads, that part of the vein which was in 
 a state of mortification; and, by this me- 
 thod, I saved the lives of both the horses. 
 All blood should be drawn from the part 
 where there is least danger, which is the 
 vein I have described, and not on the 
 thigh vein, or the corinett of the foot, or the 
 mouth. All blood flow^s from the heart, let 
 it be taken from what part of the body it may ; 
 but, in case of a shoulder sprain, I have 
 found it beneficial to bleed in what is called 
 the plate vein, which is a large vein on the 
 inside of the fore legs ; and, in case of a 
 founder, I have drawn blood from the toes of 
 the fore feet. 
 
 The first purge that is given to a horse 
 should be mild, in order to know his consti- 
 tution. It is a mistake, that if a purge, pro- 
 
Caf"uer^s Farrier. 33 
 
 perly prepared, does not work according to 
 expectation, the horse will be injured by it. 
 Although it may not pass by stool, it may 
 operate, and be more efficacious as an alte- 
 rative, to purify the blood : and it often pas- 
 ses by urine, or other secretions. Hordes 
 that fail of their stomach, whether it pro- 
 ceeds from too full feeding, or engendered 
 crudities, and indigested matter, should have 
 a mild purge or two. It should be remem- 
 bered, that a horse is purged with difficul- 
 ty — that all physick generally lies twen- 
 ty-four hours in the intestines, before it be- 
 gins to work off ; and that the tract of bow- 
 els it has to pass through, is about thirty 
 yards, which lay horizontally. If mercurial 
 physick is given, care should be taken that 
 it be well prepared, and warm clothing and 
 great circumspection are then required. All 
 purges should be given in the morning ; but 
 the horse should have a warm mess or two 
 the day before, in order to relax, his bowels ; 
 and if he has a mess in the morning, before 
 the ball is given, it will be so much the bet- 
 ter-^and, about three hours after taking the 
 ball, he should have another mess given him, 
 of scalded bran or shorts. Early the next 
 morning give him another mess — and let his 
 
34 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 water be warm, with a handful of bran or 
 shorts squeezed in it ; but if he refuses warm 
 water, he must be indulged to have it cold. 
 He should be properly clothed, and rode 
 gently about ; and this should be done two 
 or three times in the day, unless he purges 
 violently, then once or twice will be suffi- 
 cient — at night give him a feed of dry oats. 
 But, should the physic continue to operate 
 too long, give him the following drink : take 
 half a pint of brandy, one ounce of liquid lau- 
 danum, and one ounce of aniseeds, finely pow- 
 dered, to be put in one pint of good ale. If 
 he refuses all kinds of food, of an ordinary na- 
 ture, let him be tried with two quarts of 
 wheat : this I have tried with good effect. 
 By this means I once saved the life of a no- 
 bleman's horse in England, that had been 
 over-purged by his coachman, and had not 
 eatenone mouthful for three days. I shall omit 
 giving a variety of receipts for purging balls, 
 and only give one that I have proved to an- 
 swer all the purposes to which it was intend- 
 ed as a common physick, and which I have 
 continued to administer for thirty years past. 
 And when the rules that I have laid down 
 were attended to, in regard to giving the 
 messes and water, not five balls, out of one 
 
Carver"* s Farrier, 35 
 
 hundred, have failed to purge the horse suf- 
 ficiently. 
 
 To make what is commonly called a Coarse Phij- 
 sick^ or Three Balls for a Horse. 
 
 Take four ounces of succotrine aloes, two 
 ounces of fresh jalap, two ounces of powder- 
 ed ginger, two ounces of cream of tartar, and 
 add thirty drops of oil of aniseed, with as 
 much buckthorn syrrup, or molasses as will 
 form it into a paste — divide, and let each ball 
 weigh three ounces and, a half. — When only 
 one ball is wanted, take only the third part 
 of all the above named ingredients. 
 
 Observe, that when the horse is to under- 
 go a coarse physic, or take three balls, that 
 six or eight days interval of time, should be 
 given between each dose, or it will injure 
 what is generally called the mucus, or lining 
 of the guts. 
 
 When a horse loses his appetite for some 
 days, after purging, it will be necessary to give 
 a warm stomach drink, made of an infusion 
 of chamomile flowers, aniseeds and saffron, 
 and half an ounce of asafcetida. This infu- 
 sion may be made in one quart of ale, with a 
 
36 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 small quantity of honey, in order to make it 
 palatable. 
 
 When balls are given, they should be of an 
 oval shape, and not exceed the size of a pul- 
 let's egg ; and, when the dose is large, it 
 should be divided into two, and they should 
 be dipt in oil, to make them slip down the 
 easier. 
 
 As I have given my experience, in regard 
 to purging the horse, I will now proceed in 
 regard to clysters, with a few remarks and 
 cautions. 
 
 Let it be observed, that before the admin- 
 istering of emollient clysters, in costive dis- 
 orders, a small hand, well oiled, should be 
 passed up the fundament, in order to bring 
 away the hardened dung, that would be an 
 obstacle to the clyster's passage. Authors 
 have differed with regard to the apparatus to 
 give the clysters with : some have preferred 
 a pipe and bladder, to the syringe ; but I have 
 for many years used the syringe. It should 
 be observed not to give more ihan two quarts 
 of a clyster atone time, as an overcharge will 
 cause it to return too quick ; but it should be 
 often repeated, and more particularly when a 
 quick passage is wanted. 
 
Carver'* s Farrier, 37 
 
 To prepare an Opening Clyster. 
 
 Take two quarts of water, and stir into it a 
 handful of wheat flour or oatmeal, let it be 
 boiled, then add half a pint of molasses, half 
 a pint of neat's foot oil, and a handful of com- 
 mon salt. 
 
 For a Re stringent Clyster, 
 Take of oak bark two ounces, boil it in two 
 quarts of water, till one is nearly consumed, 
 pour off*, and dissolve in it four ounces of di- 
 ascordium, to which add one ounce of liquid 
 laudanum, and a pint of port wine. 
 
 D 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Of Colds. 
 
 The source of the generality of fevers, 
 coughs, and many other disorders, arise from 
 taking cold, both in men and horses. When 
 this is the case, the pores and outlets of the 
 skin, which, in a state of health, is constantly 
 breathing out a fine fluid, like steam arising 
 from hot water ; but when the horse has tak- 
 en cold, these steams and perspirable mat- 
 ter are deprived of a free passage through 
 them, and are hindered from going off in thei^^ 
 usual course, and, in consequence, are recoil- 
 ing on the blood and overfill the vessels, and 
 affect the head, glands, or kernels of the neck 
 and throat, the lungs, and other principal 
 parts. 
 
 To enumerate all the causes of colds, would 
 be both endless and useless. The usual, are, 
 riding horses or driving of them till they are 
 hot, and letting them stand in the cold air ; 
 and by not being carefully rubbed down 
 when they come in hot, off* long journeys. 
 
40 Carver'^s Farrier, 
 
 The signs of a horse having a cold, are, a 
 cough, heaviness and dullness, in proportion 
 to the severity of it, and he rattles in his 
 breathing — his flanks work, and he will loath 
 his meat, and refuse his water — his mouth 
 will be slimy — his ears and feet will be cold ; 
 in this case there is danger of a fever, and the 
 pulse should be consulted. In small horses 
 the pulse is generally from 50 to B5^ but in 
 large horses, from 45 to 50. Two pulse veins 
 are to be found, one on the inside of the jaw 
 bone, the other on the inside of the fore leg, 
 between the point of the shoulder and the 
 knee joint. If the disorder should increase, 
 bleed him two quarts ; and if his lungs are 
 affected, repeat the bleeding the next day. 
 If the horse be costive, give him a mild purg- 
 ing ball or drink. The balls that I have 
 recommended for a purge, may be dissolved 
 in warm water or ale. 
 
 Particular notice should be taken to see 
 that the horse waters or stales freely — if not, 
 his yard should be examined. This should 
 be done, by the operator oiling his hand be- 
 fore it is introduced into the sheath ; but the 
 yard should not be strained down, which is 
 often practised, as both the yard and sheath 
 can be cleaned without stretching down the 
 
Careers Farrier, 41 
 
 yard. In performing this operation, I have 
 found hard substances round the point of the 
 yard, like stones, about the size of an Indian 
 corn ; and at other times I have found a cap 
 over the point of the yard, of a substance 
 similar to a skin or isinglass, but both these 
 obstructions are easily removed without 
 straining down the yard, or the internal part 
 of the sheath. All horses' yards should be 
 examined every three or four months. I have 
 attributed those stones that I have described, 
 to the horses drinking the hard pump water 
 in this city, as the stones appear to be of the 
 same consistency as the fur on the inside of 
 our tea kettles. I have known it to be the 
 case, through the neglect of examining the 
 yard in time, that the horse's water has been 
 stopped for a great length of time — that the 
 bladder has burst, and the horse has died. 
 After I have removed these obstructions, I 
 have given the f)llowing diuretick ball. 
 
 Take one ounce of nitre, finely powdered, 
 one ounce of Juniper berries, half an ounce 
 of white rosin, with as much Venice tur- 
 pentine as would make it into a ball. This 
 I have proved to be effectual, as it will gene- 
 rally pass through, by urine, in three or 
 four hours. 
 
42 Carver^ s Farrier 
 
 Should the cold continue, give the follow- 
 ing ball, from Dr. Bracken : 
 
 Take aniseed, and greater cardamomum 
 and caraway seeds, finely powdered, of each 
 one ounce ; flour of brimstone, two ounces ; 
 turmeric, in fine powder, one ounce and a 
 half; saffron, two drachms ; Spanish juice dis- 
 solved in water, two ounces ; liquorice pow- 
 der, one ounce and a half; oil of aniseed, 
 "half an ounce ; wheat flour sufficient to 
 make it into a stiff" paste — beating all the in- 
 gredients well, in a mortar. These balls 
 consist of warm, open ingredients ; and given 
 in small quantities, about the size of a pullet's 
 Q^^y will encourage a free perspiration ; but 
 in case of a fever, should be cautiously con- 
 tinued. This simple method, with good 
 nursing and warm messes, and gentle exer- 
 cise every day, will hasten recovery. The 
 manger should be kept clean, by filling it 
 with clean straw. His feeds should be given 
 in small quantities ; his hay well shook, and 
 sprinkled with water. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 On Fevers^ 
 
 The symptoms which denote a fever, are 
 the following: The horse is restless, his 
 flanks work quick, his eyes are red and in- 
 flamed, his tongue parched and dry — his 
 breath is hot, and smells strong ; his appe- 
 tite is lost and he nibbles his hay, and is 
 frequently smelling to the ground — his whole 
 body is hotter than ordinary, and he dungs 
 often, and little at a time — his urine is high 
 coloured — he appears to crave water, but 
 drinks little : his pulse beats full, and hard 
 to fifty strokes or more, in a minute. 
 
 The first thing necessary to be done, is to 
 bleed two or three quarts, if the horse is 
 strong and in good condition ; then give 
 him a pint of the following drink, four times 
 a day. 
 
 Take nitre, one ounce -, of balm, sage, 
 and chamomile flowers, each, a handful ; li- 
 quorice root, sliced, half an ounce : infuse 
 in three pints of boiling water — strain oflT, 
 and add to it the juice of two or three limes, 
 
44 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 and sweeten with honey or nlolasses — The 
 chief article to be depended on, is the nitre. 
 In a high fever I have given as much as half 
 a pound of nitre per day, with good effect. 
 
 Sbould the horse be costive, give the fol- 
 lowing clyster : 
 
 Take two full hands of marshmallows, and 
 one of chamomile flowers ; fennel seed, an 
 ounce — boil in three quarts of water to two — 
 strain off" — add four ounces of molasses, and 
 a pint of linseed or neat's foot oil. 
 
 His diet should be as recommended be- 
 fore, for colds : to consist of warm messes, 
 given in small quantities — should he refuse 
 warm food or water, he should be indulged 
 with cold. A small portion of picked hay 
 should be put into his rack at a time, as his 
 breath will taint all manner of food. Mode- 
 rate exercise, fresh air, and a clean stable, 
 will have a tendency to restore the horse to 
 health. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 Of the Pleurisy, and Inflammation of the L ungs. 
 
 This is a disorder that horses are much 
 subject to in this country. I have frequent- 
 ly found, by examining the carcasses of dead 
 horses, different kinds of inflammations on the 
 pleura, or membrane that lines the chest 
 internally. The whole substance of the 
 lungs were black, and full of a gangrened 
 water ; and, in short, inflammations in every 
 bowel. The blood vessels were so overload- 
 ed, that the blood has burst out of the small- 
 er vessels, and gushed out as from a foun- 
 tain, filling all the cavities of the body. At 
 other times I have found large clots of blood 
 resembling liver, adhering or sticking to the 
 sides of the body. A pleurisy, then, is gene- 
 rally termed an inflammation of the lungs. In 
 this disorder a horse shews great uneasiness ; 
 shifts about from place to place. In the be- 
 ginning he often strives to lie down, but 
 starts up immediately, and frequently turns 
 his head towards the affected side ; and this 
 
46 Carver* s Farrier. 
 
 has caused many to mistake the pleurisy for 
 the gripes. The cure of this disorder de- 
 pends in a great measure on plentiful bleed- 
 ing. If the horse is strong, three or four 
 quarts of blood should be immediately taken ; 
 and, if the symptoms do not abate, the bleed- 
 ing should be repeated. I have taken away 
 as much as eight or ten quarts in twenty- 
 four hours. But the disorder may, in a great 
 measure, be discovered by the blood, which 
 appears black and thick, nearly like molas- 
 ses. A blistering ointment should be rub- 
 bed all over his brisket, upon the foremost 
 ribs. The diet and medicine should be 
 both cooling, relaxing, and diluting— warm 
 messes, and plenty of water or gruel. 
 
 The following balls should be given thrice 
 a day : 
 
 Take of spermaceti and nitre, one ounce ; 
 oil of aniseed, thirty drops ; with honey 
 enough to make a ball. 
 
 A purging clyster should likewise be given. 
 
 Take senna, two ounces ; fennel seed and 
 bayberries, of each, one ounce : boil in five 
 pints of water, to two quarts — pour oft' the 
 clear, and add four ounces of purging salts, 
 half a pint of molasses, and half a pint of lin- 
 seed oil. If the horse should be costive. 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 4y 
 
 give a purging ball ; and he should be gra- 
 dually exercised in the open air. I have found 
 a rowel, placed between the fore legs, to be 
 of great service. 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 Of a Cough, and Asthma, 
 
 I HAVE seen old practitioners more per- 
 plexed to remove a settled cough, than maiiy 
 other complaints ; which, perhaps, has been 
 owing to their want of attention to the dif- 
 ferent symptoms, which distinguish one 
 cough from another : therefore it was im- 
 possible for them to find out the true method 
 of cure. 
 
 If a horse's cough is of long standing, at- 
 tended with the loss of appetite, and wasting 
 of flesh, it denotes a consumption, and that 
 the lungs are full of knotty, hard substances, 
 called tubercles, which are commonly disco- 
 vered on dissection. 
 
 The following signs denote when the cough 
 proceeds from phlegm, and slimy matter, 
 that stop up the vessels of the lungs : the 
 horse's flanks have a quick motion, but not 
 with his nostrils open, like in a fever, or that 
 is broken winded : his cough is at times dry 
 
 E 
 
50 Carver'' s Fa 
 
 rrier. 
 
 and husky, and sometimes moist : he rattles 
 in the throat, and at times throws out of his 
 nose and mouth, a quantity of white phlegm, 
 especially after drinking or exercise — which 
 discharge gives great relief. 
 
 Asthmatic cases are to be distinguished 
 in their symptoms, from pursiness, and thick 
 windedness ; and is occasioned by too full, 
 or foul feeding, and want of proper exercise. 
 
 As soon as a horse is discovered to have 
 a cough, he should be moderately bled, and 
 have a purging ball ; which will generally 
 give relief. But, should the cough continue 
 for a week or ten days after bleeding and 
 purging, give him two drachms of calomel, 
 mixed up with an ounce of diapente, for two 
 nights, and the next morning give him a 
 purging ball : keep him well clothed and 
 litered, and fed with warm messes. Once, 
 in eight or ten days, a purge may be repeat- 
 ed, with one mercurial ball given over night ; 
 the mercurial ball may be mixed up with 
 wheat flour and honey. Should the cough 
 continue, and the horse be valuable, the fol- 
 lowing balls should be continued to be given, 
 every day, for two or three weeks or longer, 
 to be of real service. 
 
 Take of cinabar of antimony, half a pound ; 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 51 
 
 gum guiacum, four ounces ; myrrh, and gum 
 ammoniac, of each, two ounces; Venice soap, 
 half a pound : the cinabar must be finely le- 
 vigated, and the whole mixed up with honey. 
 But, after all that has been done, if the horse 
 should prove broken winded, he then must 
 be kept on wet feed, as no certain cure, in 
 that case has as yet been discovered. 
 
i 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 
 Of an Apoplexy^ or Staggers. 
 
 I SHALL in the present chapter omit, as I 
 have done in the preceding chapters, to give 
 a variety of different opinions, of different au- 
 thors, as to the cause of this disorder ; and 
 only go to shew the practice that I have pur- 
 sued, and the means by which I have effect- 
 ed a cure. 
 
 The previous symptoms that I have disco- 
 vered, are a drowsiness, with watery eyes, 
 full and inflamed, and a disposition to stag- 
 ger or reel ; feebleness, and the head con- 
 stantly hanging or resting on the manger ; 
 with but little fever, and but little alteration 
 in the dung, or urine : at times the horse is 
 inclined to rear up and fall back, when han- 
 dled by the head. Besides the above symp- 
 toms, the horse will be frantic at times. I 
 have seen them when let loose, run with 
 open mouth, at any person that stood before 
 them ; and at other times, I have seen them 
 
 2 E 
 
54 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 run direct against a wall or fence : they hav- 
 ing, apparently, lost their sight. This is what 
 is generally termed the blind, or mad stag- 
 gers. I recollect, a few years past, to have 
 been called by a respectable Dutchman in 
 this city, to see his horse, that had the mad 
 staggers. He said to me, Mr. Carver, mine 
 horse is bewitched — I suspect the person that 
 has done it — I some very bad neighbours. 
 I laughed at the ignorance of the man, and 
 his belief in ancient superstition ! For my 
 own part, I have long since discarded from 
 my mind, witches, hobgoblins, and ghosts of 
 all kinds ! having swept them away from my 
 brains, with the besom of thought ! I drove 
 the old lady, the witch, out of my employer's 
 horse — but the poor animal lost the sight of 
 one eye. This I did not attribute to my 
 friend's old witch, but to the malignity of the 
 disorder. 
 
 When it is discovered that a horse has 
 the staggers, the first thing that should be 
 done is to empty the vessels, by purging and 
 bleeding. If the horse is strong, four or five 
 quarts of blood should be taken ; and two or 
 three rowels should be introduced, to cause 
 a plentiful discharge. Opening clysters should 
 be given. If a small portion of Spanish flies, 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 5^ 
 
 be mixed with a small quantity of Venice 
 turpentine and hog's lard, to make the rowel 
 of, it will cause a quick suppuration. By pur- 
 suing this method, and giving the following 
 balls, I have performed cures in the worst of 
 cases. 
 
 Take of asafoetida, half an ounce ; Russia 
 castor powdered, two drachms ; valerian 
 root powdered, one oimce : make into a ball, 
 with honey and oil of amber. This ball 
 should be given twice a day, at first, for two 
 or three days, until the horse is found to be 
 mending ; and after that, one ball should be 
 continued, until the cure is jjfcrformed. 
 
 The following ointment should be rubbed 
 into the cheeks, temples, neck, spines of 
 the back, and wherever there are contractions 
 and stiflfuess : 
 
 Take marshmallow ointment, four ounces : 
 oil of amber, two ounces, and a sufficient 
 quantity of camphorated spirit of wine to make 
 a liniment. 
 
t 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Of the Strangles. 
 
 The strangles is a distemper to which colts 
 and young horses are very subject. It be- 
 gins with a swelling between the jaw bones, 
 which at times, extends to the muscles of 
 the tongue, and is attended with great heat, 
 pain, and inflammation : so that, till matter is 
 formed, it is difficult for the horse to swallow, 
 I have known horses, in this country, that 
 have been eight or nine years old, to have 
 this disorder, which I never saw in England. 
 This disease is critical. But the most ap- 
 proved method, is, to assist nature in bring- 
 ing the swellings to maturity, by keeping 
 the jaws and throat constantly moist, with 
 ointment of marshmallows, and covering the 
 head and neck with a warm hood : but all 
 swellings in glandular parts, suppurate slowly. 
 The following poultice should be applied 
 twice a day, hot, to the throat : 
 
 Take half a peck of turnips, and half a 
 peck of onions — boil them until they are 
 
58 Carver"^ s Farrier, 
 
 quite soft ; and white lily root, balfa pound ; 
 and add half a pound of ointment of marsh- 
 mallows. By this method, the swellings on 
 the inside of the jaw bones will break ; or it 
 will cause a discharge from the nostrils. I 
 have known the throat so affected, that the 
 horse could not eat a mouthful for several 
 days. In this case I have given him, twice 
 a day, a cordial drink to support his system ; 
 and have, every two hours, gargled his throat 
 with vinegar and honey : and, by doing this, 
 the ulcer has broke, and a powerful discharge 
 has followed ; without which, the horse 
 must have died. Great care should be taken 
 that the horse be not costive ; and, to that 
 end, a purging drink should be given, and 
 two quarts of blood should be taken, from 
 the jugular or neck vein. But should a cos- 
 tiveness continue, relaxative clysters should 
 be administered : warm messes should be 
 given, as soon as the horse can eat, in which 
 a small portion of nitre should be put. — 
 Should the running at the nose continue too 
 long, which will greatly weaken the horse 
 give him, every day, an ounce of Jesuits' 
 bark, or a strong decoction of guiacum shav- 
 ings. 
 
 If a hardness remain, after the sores are 
 healed up, anoint with mercurial ointment. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Of the Diseases of the Eyes. 
 
 The disorders of the eyes arise from dif- 
 ferent causes : such as colds, bruises, and in- 
 flammation of the blood. Some authors have 
 supposed it to be hereditary. But, from 
 whatever cause it may originate, in the first 
 place the horse should be physicked and 
 bled, ;^in order to cool his blood. All inter- 
 nal applications, before this, will only increase 
 the inflammation : such as blowing into the 
 eye burnt alum, white vitrol, powdered su- 
 gar, Sec. Should the eye be swelled, attend- 
 ed with a running, it should be sponsred with 
 cold spring water and vinegar ; or the fol- 
 lowing w^ash : 
 
 Take of white vitrol, half an ounce ; sugar 
 of lead, two drachms : dissolve in a pint of 
 spring water. Let the eye be bathed with 
 this w^ash three or four times a day. 
 
 When the inflammation has been very great 
 I have found that a rowel, placed between 
 the forebrows, is of great service. Likewise 
 bleeding in the large vein under the eye 
 
60 Carver"* s Farrier, 
 
 will at times give great relief. If, after the 
 heat is abated, and the swelling gone down, 
 there shoiil d remain a film on the globe, or 
 any internal part of the eye, there should be 
 a little white vitrol, finely powdered, and 
 sugar candy blown into the eye, which will 
 take off the film. During the time, the horse 
 should be fed on messes, and an ounce of 
 nitre put in his feed, once a day. I have 
 seen horses that have had a speck on the eye 
 occasioned by a stroke from the lash of a 
 whip, which I have completely removed, by 
 touching the speck with luna caustic. But 
 this should not be done every day, but once 
 in two days, for fear of inflaming the eye ; 
 and, at the same time, the eye should be 
 bathed with the aforenamed wash. I have 
 seen practitioners attempt to cure moon 
 blindness and cataracts, but I never saw one 
 of them succeed. They are complaints that 
 I never attempted, through my thirty years 
 practice. But considered it like attempting 
 to cure the glanders. And, whenever I 
 have been applied to for that purpose,- I 
 have reccommended the owner immediately 
 to give the horse a leaden ball through his 
 heart or brains ; and I always looked on it 
 as folly for an author even to write on it, or 
 prescribe any cure. 
 
CHAPTER. X. 
 
 Of the Farcin^ or Farcy, 
 
 This is also a distemper to ^vhich horses 
 are much subject to in this country ; and 
 which perhaps has called forth as much, or 
 more of my practice, than any other disorder, 
 and in which I have been as much success- 
 ful in curing ; as I do not recollect but one 
 horse to have died under my care, with this 
 distemper. The said horse was taken care 
 of by a negro, who did not follow my direc- 
 tions, in regard of exercise and diet, and the 
 horse was a few miles in the country. The 
 practitioner, in this particular, labours under 
 a great disadvantage ; as proper regimen, 
 exercise, and good nursing, are very essen- 
 tial in performing a cure. The practitioner 
 also has other evils to encounter, as he is 
 seldom applied to until a variety of nostrums 
 have been given the horse, which he has to 
 encounter and counteract, as well as the dis- 
 ease. Therefore let his knowledge of the 
 anatomy or oeconomy of the horse, be w^hat 
 
 F 
 
62 Carver'' s Farrier. 
 
 it may, he gets but little applause. These 
 observations I know to be correct. Besides 
 it is expected that he be almost possessed 
 of supernatural powers, so as to raise the 
 dead to life — or perform an instantaneous 
 cure. And his employer is not acquainted 
 with the danger to which he is exposed, at 
 the time he is practising on this powerful 
 animal. Neither is he acquainted with the 
 quantity of medicine that the horse requires, 
 or the expense of those medicines. I have 
 given balls that have cost me one dollar, 
 before it was put down the horses throat. 
 Therefore, on account of the high price of 
 drugs, an d for fear of ofience being given 
 in regard of charge. I have been obliged to 
 substitute medicine of a cheap quality, and 
 to omit those that would have had a far bet- 
 ter effect : for gentlemen in this country do 
 not pay that respect to a valuable horse, that 
 the gentlemen in England do. I beg par- 
 don of my readers for thus digressing from 
 the subject ; but they were ideas that struck 
 my mind at the time, and a man cannot 
 help his thoughts. But to the point, as re - 
 gards the farcy ; on which I m ean to be as 
 xplicit, or plain and concise as possible. 
 Different authors have given their different 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 63 
 
 opinions, in regard to the origin of the farcy. 
 Some having viewed it as a distemper of 
 the blood vessels, while others have consi- 
 dered it as a local one, by which the constitu- 
 tion is not tainted — the poison being arrested 
 or seated, only in the glands. Be this as it 
 may in the beginning of the disease, it will 
 at length, however, insinuate itself into the 
 circulation of the blood, and poison the whole 
 mass. There are, therefore, two kinds of 
 farcy — the one called the button, and the 
 other the water farcy. The button farcy at 
 first, makes its appearance in small round 
 buds, like grapes or berries, that spring out 
 over the veins, and all parts of the body 
 from the head almost down to the hoofs. 
 In the beginning they are hard, but soon 
 turn into soft blisters ; and when broke, dis- 
 charge an oily or bloody ichor, and turn into 
 very foul ulcers, that yield a great and offen- 
 sive discharge. I have seen them constantly 
 continue to drip from all parts of the body 
 on the floor of the stall in which the horse 
 has stood, like the dripping of meat that was 
 roasting before a fire : in this case the cure 
 is difficult — but in which I have performed 
 perfect cure. But at times this kind of farcy 
 will turn to seated glanders \ when this is 
 
64 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 the case, the horse should be dispatched as 
 quick as possible, for fear of the contagion 
 spreading : besides, no other horse should 
 be permitted to stand in the same stable with 
 a horse in this situation. 
 
 I now proceed to describe what is called 
 the water farcy : it is a species of one and the 
 same distemper, but makes its appearance in 
 a different way or form. I believe this dis- 
 order to be what is generally called the yel- 
 low water, by farmers and others in the in- 
 terior parts of the country ; and by which 
 they loose a great number of horses, for want 
 of knowing a remedy to perform a cure. — 
 The water farcy begins generally with large 
 swellings in different parts of the body ; such 
 as the cheeks, neck, and hind legs, and at 
 times the fore legs also — with two large swel- 
 lings that run along both sides of the belly^ 
 from the flank to the fore legs, which swellings 
 are generally as large as a man's arm, and 
 are full of yellow water : the sheath is also 
 greatly swelled — and at times there will be a 
 running at the nostrils — These symptoms 
 will be attended with a high fever and a cos- 
 tiveness. 
 
 Both kinds of this distemper being of an 
 inflammatory nature, and particularly affect- 
 
Carver's Farrier, ^^ 
 
 ing the blood vessels, must of course require 
 large bleeding ; and more so, if the horse 
 should be fat and full of blood — this I have 
 always found to check the farcy : but if the 
 horse is low in flesh, the loss of too much 
 blood proves injurious. Care should be 
 taken to examine his yard and sheath imme- 
 diately ; and that a passage be obtained as 
 quick as possible, both by dung and urine ; 
 and one or more rowels are always necessary. 
 Give one of the purging balls, as recommend- 
 ed in chapter the second ; and likewise give, 
 in a day or two, the diuretick balls, as recom- 
 mended in chapter the third. Should the 
 distemper prove obstinate, and be found not 
 to give way to these means, give a drachm 
 of corrosive sublimate, night and morning, 
 two or three times, in a ball made of wheat 
 flour and honey ; observing, at the same time, 
 to give the horse, now and then, an ounce of 
 nitre — that is, refined saltpetre, in his messes. 
 I have many times observed the good effect 
 by giving the corrosive sublimate, as it would 
 alter the colour of the matter that discharged 
 from the rowels, in twelve hours, from a yeK/ 
 low hue to that as black as a coal ; and by 
 these means, and proper exercise in open air, 
 I always effected a cure. But it should be 
 
 F 2 
 
66 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 observed not to give the sublimate too often, 
 as it will salivate the horse, or cause his mouth 
 to be sore. After the cure is peformed, it 
 would be well to give a purging ball, and 
 take a small quantity of blood, in order to 
 prevent a return of the distemper. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 Of the Yellow s^ or Jaundice. 
 
 Horses are frequently subject to this 
 disorder; which is easily discovered by 
 a dusky yellowness of the eyes — the in- 
 side of the mouth and lips — the tongue, 
 and the bars of the roof of the mouth 
 also look yellow ; the horse is dull and fee- 
 ble, and refuses food, the fever is slow — 
 but both the yellowness and fever will in- 
 crease, provided no remedy be applied to 
 check it. The dung is generally hard and 
 dry, of a pale colour : his urine is of a dark 
 dirty brown colour : and when it has stood 
 some time on a pavement, or the floor of 
 the stall in which he stands, looks red like 
 blood — He stales with difiiculty ; and if the 
 disorder is not quickly checked, the horse 
 will grow frantic : but if proper means are 
 taken, there is but little doubt of a cure. The 
 following directions should be observed : 
 First bleed plentifully ; and, as horses are 
 apt to be costive with this disorder, the next 
 
68 Ca?'ver^s Farrier, 
 
 morning give a purging ball, as before re- 
 commended ; but add to it two drachms of 
 saffron ; his feed should be messes — and he 
 should have gentle exercise in open air. 
 The following balls, which are opening, may 
 be given in a few days after the physick has 
 done working : 
 
 Take of Dethop's mineral, half an ounce ; 
 millepedes, half an ounce ; and Castile soap, 
 one ounce. Give one of these balls every 
 day, for four or five days ; and, should the 
 horse be full of flesh, it will be proper to put 
 in a rowel. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Of the Colic k or Gripes. 
 
 This disorder has, perhaps, perplexed the 
 farrier or practitioner more than many other 
 complaints ; as the internal parts, or bowels 
 of the horse, cannot be seen, and he has 
 not, like Balam's ass, been endowed with the 
 faculty of speech ; and I presume never will, 
 as nature's laws are like their great Author, 
 immutable. The best authors have described 
 the gripes into three different species — the 
 flatulent or windy — the bilious or inflamma- 
 tory — and the dry gripes ; each of which 
 must be known by their different symptoms 
 The flatulent or windy cholic is thus known : 
 The horse is often lying down, and suddenly 
 rising again with a spring, and strikes his 
 belly with his hind feet : stamps with his 
 fore feet : refuses food ; stretches out his 
 limbs, as if dying ; his ears and feet are al- 
 ternately hot and cold ; he falls into profuse 
 sweats, and then into cold damps : and often 
 tries to stale, but cannot. This proceeds 
 
70 Carver'^s Farrier. 
 
 from a stoppage of urine, by a load of dung 
 pressing on the neck of the bladder, which 
 should be removed, with a hand dipt in oil, 
 which will make way for the confined wind 
 to discharge itself, by easing the neck of the 
 bladder. The followingball should be given 
 as quick as possible. 
 
 Take Venice turpentine, and juniper ber- 
 ries pounded, of each one ounce ; nitre, one 
 ounce ; oil of juniper, one drachm ; salt of 
 tartar, two drachms : make into a ball, with 
 honey or molasses : w^ash down with a horn 
 or two of warm gruel. 
 
 I have given the following drink, and have 
 found it effectual : 
 
 Take one ounce of nitre : one ounce of 
 juniper berries powdered ; one ounce of 
 anniseeds ; half a gill of spirits of turpentine 
 and half a gill of liquid laudanum : mix in 
 three half pints of warm ale, and sweeten 
 with molasses : at the same time give warm 
 opening clysters. I have seen practitioners 
 bleed in the mouth for this disorder, which 
 seems to be of little or no use — the neck 
 vein being more eligible. If, in an hour or 
 two, the horse neither stales, dungs, or breaks 
 wind, give another ball, or drink — walk or 
 trot him about gently, but not to jade him. 
 
Carve fs Farrier* 71 
 
 The next species of cholic is termed the 
 biilious, or inflammatory and is attended with 
 most of the preceding symptoms — But a high 
 fever soon comes on, with a panting and dry- 
 ness of the mouth ; the horse continues to 
 throw out a little hot dung, which appears 
 blackish, or of a red colour, and is of a foetid 
 smell, this denotes an approaching mortifica- 
 tion. In this case the horse should be im- 
 mediately bled^ as much as three or four 
 quarts ; and it should be repeated in three or 
 four hours if the spmptoms do not abate ; an 
 emolient clyster should be given, with two 
 ounces of nitre disolved in it, two or three 
 times a day. The following cooling drink 
 should be given every two or three hours, 
 till several stools are produced ; afterwards to 
 be only given night and morning: 
 
 Take of senna, three ounces ; salt of tartar, 
 half an ounce ; infuse in a quart of boiling 
 water : in an hour or two add four ounces of 
 glauber salts, with two ounces of honey. If 
 the symptoms do not abate, the only thing to 
 be depended on is a strong decoction of 
 Jesuit's bark, given to the quantity of a pint 
 every three hours, with half a pint of port 
 wine. 
 
 If the horse is not of much value, give the 
 following alterative ball : 
 
72 Carver^s Farrier 
 
 Take of diapente, one ounce ; diascordium, 
 half an ounce — make into a ball, with tv/o 
 drachms of myrrh, and two drachms of oil of 
 amber : give it two or three times a day. 
 
 The last to be described is the dry gripes ; 
 which arises from costiveness ; and is to be 
 discovered by the horse's frequent and fruit- 
 less motion to dung, and the quick motion 
 of his tail j the hardness and blackness of the 
 dung, and the high colour of his urine — and 
 his great uneasiness. In this case the strait 
 gut should be emptied, by a hand dipt in oil ; 
 and an oily opening clyster, and a purge, 
 should be given as quick as possible. The 
 diet should be warm messes — warm water ; 
 and four ounces of gum Arabic should be 
 dissolved in a quart of water — a little of which 
 should be given every time the horse drinks. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Of Worms and Bots. 
 
 It appears by examining the laws of na- 
 ture, that the whole is one eternal round of 
 living principle ; and strictly speaking there 
 is no such thing as death throughout the 
 whole system, but that a constant change 
 from one state of beings, to that of another 
 state of beings, is constantly going on 
 throughout the whole eternal round of na- 
 ture, as every part of animated existence is 
 subservient to other parts. The various 
 tribes of animals, fishes and insects constant- 
 ly prey or live on each other, and we in turn 
 prey on them ; in fact, whether living or 
 dead, man becomes food for various living 
 beings of diiferent kinds. While we contin- 
 ue as moving machines on this our earth, we 
 may be said to be worlds for the habitation 
 of numerous living beings, as all our blood 
 and vital parts are filled with them : let man 
 but study this grand work of nature in only a 
 small proportion, and contemplate, and med- 
 
 G 
 
74 Carver'*s Farrier. 
 
 itate on it, and it will raise his heart and mind 
 with thankfulness, wonder and gratitude 
 and give him the most exalted ideas of 
 his Creator. 
 
 It would be both needless and useless to 
 insert all the nostrums that have been recom- 
 mended to destroy worms and bots, that re- 
 side in the stomach of the horse ; and like- 
 wise to give the opinions of different authors 
 as to their origin, and the manner by which 
 they are introduced into the stomach. It is 
 sufficient then to know that there are three 
 kinds of worms found in horses ; the most 
 mischievous are called bots — They are of a 
 reddish colour, and seldom exceed three 
 quarters of an inch in length ; at one extre- 
 mity they have two small hooks, by which 
 they attach themselves to the maw, or the 
 insensible coat of the stomach, and then they 
 do not appear to cause any great uneasiness ; 
 but when they attach themselves to the sen- 
 sible part, they do great injury, by keeping 
 up a constant irritation, and occasioning 
 emaciation, a rough standing coat, hide 
 bound, and a cough, and often destroy the 
 horse. In opening horses after they have 
 been dead, I have found as many bots as 
 would half fill the crown of a hat, and have 
 
Carvcr^s Farrier. 75 
 
 known them to live a fortnight after the 
 horse had been dead. Bots are very tenacious 
 of life ; on this account it is almost impossible 
 to drive them from their hold — It appears 
 that all strong medicines, such as mercurials, 
 only serve to make them stick faster ; as they 
 work themselves into the maw, like bees into 
 a honeycomb. To attempt, therefore, the 
 destruction of bots, is probably useless : but 
 La Fosse, a French author, highly recom- 
 mends soot ; and powdered savine has been 
 known to cause them to evacuate. But they 
 appear to be fond of any thing sweet : I 
 therefore have given to horses that have been 
 troubled with them, one pint of sweet milk 
 and half a pint of molasses for three morn- 
 ings running ; and the next morning given 
 a purging ball, to which I have added a 
 drachm of calomel — and in some cases with 
 good effect. 
 
 The next worm that I shall describe is 
 very slender, of a blackish colour, and sel- 
 dom exceeds two inches in length ; but they 
 are never found in the stomach — the largest 
 parts of the canal is the place of their resi- 
 dence. 
 
 The third kind of worm is of a whitish 
 colour, being from six to eight inches in 
 length, and are generally found in the lower 
 
76 Carver* s Farrier » 
 
 parts of the intestines : both of these kind 
 of worms are common to horses in this coun- 
 try. They appear to consume a great quan- 
 tity of chyle, or the nutritious part of the food 
 that the horse eats, so that he is always poor 
 and lean, and at times hide bound. But 
 they are easy to get rid of, by giving two or 
 three purging balls, with a drachm of calomel 
 in each ball ; always observing to wait eight 
 or ten days, between giving each dose. Any 
 observer may be satisfied of worms in the 
 intestines, by raising the horses tail, and he 
 will discover a whitish or straw coloured 
 powder, sticking below the anus or funda- 
 ment. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Of Wounds in generaL 
 
 All fresh wounds made by cutting instru- 
 ments, should, in the first place, be brought 
 together as much as possible, either by sewing 
 or bandage ; but not so as to prevent a sup- 
 p_uration, or a discharge of matter. But, 
 provided the wounded part will neither admit 
 of sewing nor binding, and the blood should 
 flow in a copious manner, the first thing, in 
 this case, to be attended to, is to stop the 
 blood ; and this I have effected by applying 
 a quantity of lint, or soft flax, dipt in a tinc- 
 ture made in the following manner, (which 
 tincture ought to be always ready at hand, 
 for the practitioner) — 
 
 Take half a pint of spirits of wine ; half a 
 pint of brandy ; and one ounce of succotorine 
 aloes, finely powdered ; mix them together in 
 a bottle. If the wound should be in such a 
 part as not to admit of a bandage, so as to 
 bind on the lint or flax, thus dipt in the tinc- 
 ture, it must be continued to be held on by 
 
 G 2 
 
78 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 the hand until there is an eschar formed; 
 otherwise it will elude the expectation, and 
 frequently cause alarm with fresh bleeding. 
 By the application of this tincture, in the man- 
 ner above described, I have never failed to 
 stop the flow of blood, occasioned by the 
 worst of wounds. 
 
 I recollect that, a few years ago, a horse 
 belonging to Mr. Charles Ludlow, of this 
 city, had the boom or shaft of a cartman's 
 cart drove through his sheath, which came 
 out at the hind part of his thigh ; the wound 
 was so large that a hand could be passed 
 through it, and the blood gushed out, as from 
 the spout of a pump ; but by holding on the 
 flax to the wound, for the space of four hours, 
 dipt in the tincture, an eschar was formed. 
 The next morning I proceeded to inject the | 
 wound with warm tincture of myrrh, which 
 quickly brought on a suppuration, or a plenti- 
 ful discharge of thick white matter ; anointing, 
 at the same time, the swollen parts, with the 
 London ointment of marshmallows — and fre- 
 quently giving the horse cordial balls of the 
 following description : One ounce of aniseeds, 
 and one ounce of carraway ; one ounce of nitre, 
 finely powdered — mixed up with liquid lau- 
 danum. By these balls the horse was kept 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 79 
 
 from starving ; and every time I gave him 
 water, an ounce of nitre, powdered, wasmixed 
 with it. — In one month the cure was complet- 
 ed, and scarcely a scar to be seen on the outer 
 part of the thigh. I have never known the 
 forenamed tincture to fail in stopping of blood, 
 either on man or horse, when closely applied. 
 
 A friend and countryman of mine, who 
 resides about twelve miles from N. York, 
 was one day going up on a hay stack ; and 
 there was a large, old fashioned hay cutter, 
 that fell down, by the shake of the ladder, 
 right across the instep of his foot — and so 
 far severed the foot, that the fore part of it 
 dropt down, so that it formed a square. The 
 whole family was greatly alarmed — expecting 
 the man quickly to bleed to death. — ^But on 
 recollecting that there was some of my tine- 
 tu^'e in the house, it was immediately applied; 
 the foot bound up ; and the blood stopped. 
 The next day a man was sent to town for 
 more of the tincture ; and by continuing to 
 apply it, and anointing the swelling with the 
 ointment of marshmallows, the cure was com- 
 pleted, without being attended with any lame- 
 ness. 
 
 By the following mixture I have likewise 
 
 stopped profuse bleeding : 
 
80 Carver"* s Farrier, 
 
 Take one ounce of spirits of turpentine, 
 and one ounce of oil of vitriol — mix them to- 
 gether in a bottle ; leaving out the cork until 
 the inflammation has subsided, or it will burst 
 the bottle. But the former mixture is pre- 
 ferable, as it will both stop the blood and cure 
 the wound. 
 
 All deep wounds should be injected with 
 tincture of myrrh, to bring on a speedy dis- 
 charge ; and the injecter should have a long 
 tube, in order that the tincture may be ap- 
 plied to the bottom of the wound. And no 
 wound should be so closed at the mouth, or 
 front, as to prevent a free discharge. 
 
 Some time past 1 was called on by a gen- 
 tleman, to attend a horse a few miles in the 
 country, that had had a shaft of a chair run 
 into one of his shoulders. An ignorant 
 blacksmith, of this city, had previously at- 
 tended the horse, and filled up the wound 
 with salt ; and so closed the wound, that no 
 suppuration could take place. I directly 
 found, that both an inflammation and mortifi- 
 cation had taken place, in consequence of 
 this treatment : I therefore pronounced that 
 the horse w^ould die in twelve hours, and he 
 did so. 
 
Carver''' s Farrier, 81 
 
 Of Wounds in the Jeet, 
 
 Wounds in the feet arise from different 
 causes : such as cuts by hard substances — as 
 glass, stones, and pricks from nails, by shoe- 
 ing, or by taking up nails by travelling; and 
 when a nail is taken up, at, or near the point 
 of the frog, it is oftentimes attended with dif- 
 ficulty to cure, as it often penetrates the joint 
 of the coffin bone. As soon as it is discover- 
 ed that a nail has thus entered the foot, the 
 first thing to be done is to remove the nail ; 
 afterwards the top of the hole should be en- 
 larged, by a knife or razing iron, so as to 
 admit of medicine going to the bottom of the 
 wound. But the ridiculous custom, as prac- 
 tised by smiths in general, should never be 
 adopted ; which is to pour into the hole spirits 
 of turpentine — oil of vitriol — or burn the 
 wound with a hot iron, as either of these will 
 harden the top of the wound, by forming a 
 hard crust, which will prevent a suppuration, 
 and bring an inflammation into the foot. 
 After the wound is thus opened, the hollow 
 in the bottom of the foot should be stopped 
 up, with equal parts of Venice turpentine, 
 
82 Carver"* s Farrier* 
 
 tar, and hog's lard ; the stopping being con- 
 iined in with splints put across the foot, 
 under the shoe ; and the horse should be 
 suffered to stand still for twelve hours, at least. 
 After this the foot should be examined again, 
 to see whether an inflammation has taken 
 place or not ; if an inflammation should have 
 taken place, and the wound be found not to 
 discharge or suppurate, there should be some 
 tincture of myrrh poured hot into the hole, 
 and the foot stopped as before. But after all 
 this precaution has been taken, if there should 
 still remain a violent heat in the foot, and 
 the horse appears to be in great pain, the 
 sole of the foot should be pared away, round 
 the wound, with a butteris, and the hole more 
 opened ; but not entirely to take off* the sole, 
 which is both a cruel and barbarous practice, 
 and mostly causes the hoof to come entirely 
 off*. After the wound is thus opened, as be- 
 fore described, there should be a little tinc- 
 ture of myrrh poured boiling h ot into it, and 
 a small piece of corosive sublimate pushed 
 down to the bottom of the wound, with a 
 probe made of whale bone — as that will not 
 break, so as to leave any part of it in the foot. 
 After this has been done, the foot should be 
 stopped with the aforenamed ointment; and 
 
Carver^s Farrier. 83 
 
 a small portion of verdigris added to the oint- 
 ment — The foot likewise should be tied up 
 in a bag, filled with fresh cow dung — The 
 horse should also be physicked and bled ; 
 and have nitre given, in both his feed and 
 water. By following up these observations, 
 I never failed to perform a cure, even in the 
 worst of cases. After the wound has been 
 properly cleansed out, and the danger subsid- 
 ed, the foot should be continued to be dres- 
 sed, but with a more mild ointment — such 
 as marshmallows ; or an ointment made of 
 beeswax and hog's lard, and a small portion 
 of Venice turpentine. And when the horse 
 has so far recovered, as to be able to work, 
 there should be a bar welded on the shoe, 
 about two inches wide, to come opposite the 
 wound in the foot, in order that no hard sub- 
 stance shall press on the tender part ; and 
 this is far preferable to a plate placed all over 
 the shoe — as the foot can be washed, or 
 cleaned out and dressed, without removing 
 the shoe. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Of the Locked Jaw, 
 
 This is a disorder, that has hitherto baffled 
 the art of the physician, and also the power 
 of medicine to cure, either on man or beast : 
 although it must be acknowledged, that there 
 have been instances of cures being performed 
 — but perhaps, more by chance than any 
 other cause. In the course of my practice, 
 I have had a great number of horses under 
 my care, that have had, what is generally 
 called the stag evil, or lock jaw — but per- 
 formed a cure on two only : and I believe, 
 that nineteen out of twenty, that are seized 
 with this complaint, die. I recollect to have 
 kept a very fine horse alive fourteen days 
 with this disorder on him, merely by giving 
 him clysters, and pouring cordial drinks down 
 his nostrils ; but he died, after all the pains 
 that had been taken. As for my part, I have 
 consulted a great many authors on the sub- 
 ject, and tried a variety of inventions of my 
 
 H 
 
86 Carver'' s Farrier. 
 
 own — being determined, if possible, to find 
 out a perfect cure : I have bled, till the horse 
 has almost dropt by the loss of blood ; and 
 have thrown them into the most profuse per- 
 spiration ; plunged them in the river : and 
 even electrified them — but to no good effect. 
 By the last two operations, the jaw appeared 
 for a short time to drop — but immediately 
 closed as fast as ever. The celebrated Mr. 
 Gibson, has in my opinion, given the best 
 and most lively description of the lock-jaw 
 of any author that has written on the subject, 
 which I quote in his own words — who says, 
 "As soon as the horse is seized, his head is 
 raised, with his nose towards the rack ; his 
 ears pricked up, and his tail cocked, looking 
 with eagerness, as an hungry horse, when 
 hay is put down to him — or like a high spi- 
 rited horse when he is put upon his mettle ; 
 insomuch, that those who are strangers to 
 such things, when they see a horse stand in 
 this manner, will scarce believe any thing of 
 consequence ails him, but they are soon con- 
 vinced, when they see other symptoms come 
 on apace ; and that his neck grows stiff, 
 cramped and almost iuimoveable : and if a 
 horse lives a few days, several knots will 
 arise on the tendinous parts thereof : and all 
 
Cai^er'^s Farrier. 87 
 
 the muscles, both before and behind, will be 
 so much pulled and cramped, and so stretch- 
 that he looks as if he was nailed to the pave- 
 ment, with his legs stiiF and straddling ; his 
 skin is drawn so tight, on all parts of his 
 body, that it is almost impossible to move it ; 
 and, if trial be made to make him walk, he is 
 ready to fall at every step, unless he be care- 
 fully supported : his eyes are so fixed with 
 the inaction of his muscles, as gives him a 
 deadness in his looks ; he snorts and sneezes 
 often; pants continually, with shortness of 
 breath; and this symptom increases conti- 
 nually, till he drops down dead, which gene- 
 rally happens in a few days, unless some 
 sudden and very effectual turn can be given 
 to the distemper." This I know to be as 
 correct a description as can be given. But 
 I have wondered to see almost all the authors 
 that I have read on the subject, and they are 
 not a few, recommend giving to horses, in 
 this situation, balls of various prescriptions. 
 I would ask those gentlemen, how a single 
 ball is to be given, when not so much as a 
 shilling piece can be put between his teeth ; 
 and his jaw cannot be pried open, even with 
 an iron bar. 
 
 In the cases wherein I have succeeded. 
 
88 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 the following remedies were applied — First 
 to bleed plentifully, and anoint the jaws and 
 head with ointment of marshmallows — and 
 holding a large hot iron bar to the neck and 
 jaws, to force in the ointment ; afterwards I 
 have rubbed in strong blistering ointment — 
 from the withers, to the tail ; and also applied 
 a blister plaster, begining at the withers, and 
 continuing the whole length of the spine, to 
 the tail ; and instead of attempting to give 
 a ball, I have poured the following drink 
 down the nostrils : composed of — 
 
 Half an ounce of assafoetida ; Russia castor 
 three drachms ; valerian root, powdered, one 
 ounce ; oil of amber, one ounce — put into a 
 pint of warm ale, sweetened with honey. 
 Two or three of these drinks should be given 
 in a day, with w^i^rm gruel : but it requires 
 the assistance of two or three men to give it. 
 
 The following clyster should be given 
 once a day : 
 
 Take rue, pennyroyal, and chamomile flow- 
 ers, of each, a handful ; and asafoetida, one 
 ounce — boil in three quarts of w^ater, to two — 
 strain off, and add half a pint of neat's foot 
 oil — The horse must likewise be supported 
 by nourishing clysters, made of milk pottage 
 which must be given to the quantity of three 
 or four quarts a day. These medicines 
 
Cai'ver'^s Farrier^ 89 
 
 being given, will warm, invigorate, and at- 
 tenuate the blood : and by using these means 
 I have succeeded, in a few cases, in perform- 
 ing a cure. 
 
 h2 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Of Strains in various parts » 
 
 It is to be observed that in all strains, the 
 muscular or tendinous fibres are over stretch- 
 ed ; like a piece of catgut that is overdrawn^ 
 so as to destroy its springiness or elasticity ; 
 therefore it is easy to see, that by soaking or 
 bathing the affected part in oil, must of course 
 be erroneous, as this will serve more to ex- 
 tend the fibres, that are already over stretch- 
 ed. But I have seen instances where the 
 muscle or fibre has been shrunk, occasioned 
 by a stroke or a kick on the leg of the horse, 
 which has caused him to stand altogether on 
 the toe of the foot, for a length of time, until 
 the muscle or fibre has so much shrunk up, 
 that the heel of the foot could not be brought 
 to the ground. In cases of this kind, I have 
 continued to soak the affected part with neat's 
 foot oil, and rolled up the leg in a flannel 
 roller, until the fibre has been relaxed^ and 
 the horse has been perfectly cured. But it 
 is a difficult task to convince the illiterate 
 
92 Carver'* s Farrier. 
 
 and unthinking, of the absurdity of applying 
 restringents : or to persuade those that are 
 owners of valuable horses, not to let them 
 be tampered with, by those who have never 
 thought or studied for their own benefit, and 
 much less for the horse ; for common observa- 
 tion proves, that two thirds of the human race 
 think but very little — neither can they think. 
 When it is clearly proved that a horse is lame 
 in the shoulder, he should be rowelled a little 
 below the point of the shoulder, and likewise 
 be bled and physicked. — VVhen a horse's 
 shoulder is overstrained, he does not put out 
 that leg as the other, but, to prevent pain, 
 sets the sound foot, firmly on the ground, to 
 save the other, even tliough he be turned 
 short on the lame side, which motion tries 
 him more than any other. VVhen trotted in 
 hand, instead of putting his leg forward in a 
 right line, he forms a circle with the lame 
 leg ; and, when he stands in the stable, that 
 leg is put forward before the other. If the 
 shoulder is much swelled, it should be fo- 
 mented, by woolen cloths dipt in a strong 
 decoction of wormwood, tansy, and chamo- 
 mile flowers— to which may be added, half 
 a pint of spirits of wine. 
 
 Strains of the back sinews are very com- 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 93 
 
 mon, and are easy to be discovered by the 
 swelling, ^\hich extends, at times, from the 
 back side of the knee, down to the pastern 
 joint. These strains likewise, in the first in- 
 stance, should be fomented — and afterwards 
 treated in the following manner, and the oils 
 here prescribed applied ; 
 
 Take of the best vinegar, one quart ; spirits 
 of turpentine, half a gill ; bole ammoniac, one 
 ounce ; common salt, a teacup full — mix in a 
 bottle — shake up — and rub in well with the 
 hand; place a flannel roller round the leg, 
 and draw it moderately tight : the roller 
 should be about two yards long, and four or 
 five inches wide. 
 
 Or take the following receipt for strain oil, 
 which can be recommended, and will recom- 
 mend itself. 
 
 Take of spirits of wine, two ounces ; cam- 
 phire, half an ounce ; linseed oil, half a pint ; 
 vinegar, one pint. 
 
 When a horse is lame in the stifle, he al- 
 ways treads on the toe, and cannot set the 
 heel to the ground ; if a large swelling ensues, 
 foment it well with the aforenamed decoction, 
 till it disperses, and then bathe the part with 
 either of the above medicines. 
 
 A lameness in the whirlbone and hip, is 
 
94 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 to be discovered by the horse dragging his 
 leg after him, and dropping backward on his 
 heel when he trots. If the muscles of the 
 hip, only, are injured, the cure is easy; but 
 but when the ligaments of the joint are af- 
 fected, the cure is difficult. In either case, 
 at first the parts should be bathed or foment- 
 ed : should neither of these succeed, a strong 
 blister should be applied over the hip or 
 whirlbone, and the horse be turned out to 
 pasture, at least for three months, as rest 
 and time only can restore the injured parts 
 to their proper tone ; and this must be ob- 
 served in all kind of strains. The following 
 blister should be applied : 
 
 Take of marshmailow ointment, four oun- 
 ces; Venice turpentine, two ounces ; tar, two 
 ounces ; mustard, two ounces ; Spanish flies, 
 powdered, two drachms ; oil of origanum, 
 two drachms. The blister may be kept on, 
 by applying pitch, or any thing of a sticking 
 nature, round the edge of the plaster. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Of Bone and Blood Spavin, 
 
 It would be altogether needless to enter 
 into the cause of this disorder. Let it suf- 
 fice then, that I describe both the bone and 
 blood spavin : and the method that I have 
 pursued, whereby cures have been effected 
 
 That which is generally termed a bone spa- 
 vin, is a hard bony excrescence, or hard 
 swelling, growing on the inside of the hock 
 of the horse's hind leg. A spavin that begins 
 on the lower part of the hock, is not so dan- 
 gerous or difficult to cure, as when it puts out 
 higher — between the two round processes 
 of the leg bone : And a spavin near the edge 
 is not so hard to cure as when it is more in- 
 ward, towards the middle, as it does not so 
 much affect the bending of the hock joint 
 For my own part, I am convinced that it is 
 impossible to cure the bone spavin, if it has 
 been of long standing. Some years past, a 
 gentleman that owned a valuable horse, that 
 
96 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 had got the bone spavm, persuaded me to 
 attempt to take it off: I therefore fixed the 
 horse m stocks, and laid open the part ; and 
 by the use of knives and chissels, took oiF 
 all the hard substance from the bone ; and 
 afterwards applied caustic, and powerful di- 
 gestive ointment. The wound at length was 
 cured, and the horse turned out to pasture for 
 some months; but after all that had been 
 done, the horse continued lame — owing, I 
 presume, to a defect in the joint. I have 
 many times since been applied to, for to cure 
 the bone spavin, but declined the attempt. 
 But on hearing of a Mr. Clements, a farrier 
 in this city, who, it is said, is in possession 
 of a diploma from the Veterinary College 
 of London, and that he could cure the bone 
 spavin, I advised those who applied to me, 
 to take their horses to him : although I con- 
 fess, that I did not place any more confidence 
 in the talents of Mr. Clements, on account of 
 his diploma, or his knowledge of the dead 
 languages — as neither of these can give ex- 
 perience. During the course of my life, I 
 have conversed with many college-bred gen- 
 tlemen, who in my opinion, were colleg'd 
 idiots — as the schools had taught them sci- 
 ence, and the Greek and Latin, before they 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 97 
 
 had taught them common sense. But my 
 opinion was, that as nature has diversified her 
 gifts, that Mr. Clements might have disco- 
 vered something new, that might perform a 
 cure ; but, by seeing several of the horses 
 after he had operated on them, I found that 
 he had exactly pursued the former methods 
 that myself and old practitioners have pru- 
 sued for a number of years past, and that 
 the horses still remained lame. If I myself 
 am in possession of any diploma, it is a grant 
 from the college of nature, and the creden- 
 tials are, experience, reason, and common 
 sense. But to return to the spavin — as soon 
 as it is discovered that there is a swelling on 
 the horse's hock, and the appearance of a 
 bone spavin is coming on, it should be im- 
 mediately fired, and a strong blister applied 
 to the part, which should be repeated two or 
 three times, leaving a space of two or three 
 days between each application — And the 
 horse must be permitted to rest, or, if it is 
 convenient, he should be turned out to pas- 
 ture for two or three months — and this will 
 perform a cure. Every time the blisters 
 are taken off, the part should be anointed 
 with elder or marshmallow ointment. 
 
 A blood spavin, is a swelling and diluta- 
 
 I 
 
98 Carver'* s Furrier. 
 
 tion of the vain that runs along the inside of 
 the hock of the hind leg, which will rise 
 and fall like a cushion, by the presure of the 
 finger. But this is easily cured, by repeated 
 blisters, and resting the horse. The blister- 
 ing ointment that I have applied for the pur- 
 pose, is the following : 
 
 Take of marshmallow ointment, three 
 ounces ; Venice turpenrine, two ounces ; 
 Spanish flies, a drachm and a half; sublimate 
 one drachm ; and oil of origanum, two 
 drachms. 
 
 The hair should be cut off as close as pos- 
 before the blister is applied— this should be 
 done in the morning, and the horse's head 
 tied up to the rack all day, so as to prevent 
 his getting off* the blister. Care must be 
 taken to bind the blister fast on, with a 
 broad tape or list. After the blister has done 
 running, and the scabs peal off*, it should be 
 repeated a second time ; and if required, a 
 third, time, in the same manner. * These ap- 
 plications will, generally, perform a^cure. 
 
CHAPTER XVIIL 
 
 Of the Pole Evil and Fistula* 
 
 It is my intention to treat of these t-wo dis- 
 eases under one head, or chapter, as they ap- 
 pear to be of a similar nature, and require 
 almost the same treatment. The pole evil 
 is an abscess near the pole of the horse, form- 
 ed in the senuses, between the pole bone and 
 the uppermost vertebras, or what is common- 
 ly called the whiteleather of the neck. It 
 often proceeds from blows, bruises, or some 
 external violence. It should, in the first 
 place, be attempted to be dispersed, by bath- 
 ing the part with hot vinegar or train oil : 
 but if an oozing, or matter of a hot, ichory 
 kind, should make its way through the skin, 
 the best way is to poultice, with any kind of 
 a strong drawing poultice. But should the 
 swelling have been of long standing, and it 
 has become a foul ulcer, and the matter Hows 
 in great quantities, resembling melted glue, 
 and is of an oily consistence, it will then re- 
 quire to be opened wite a knife ; and the 
 
100 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 depth of the cavities should be discovered, 
 by the finger or a probe — and should there 
 be found a quantity of mortified or rotten 
 flesh, it should be taken out : and this I have 
 often found, when the swelling has been neg- 
 lected for a length of time. Care should be 
 taken not to cut away or injure the tendinous 
 ligamenl, that runs along the neck under the 
 mane. When the matter is on both sides, 
 an opening must be made on each side, and 
 the ligament, remain undivided. This being 
 done, and the horse fixed fast in a pair of 
 stocks, the following scald or mixture should 
 be applied, boiling hot, to the cavities, after 
 they have been well washed out with a sponge 
 dipt in vinegar : 
 
 Take of train oil, half a pint ; honey, two 
 ounces ; spirits of wine, four ounces; sub- 
 limate and white vitriol, of each, two drachms; 
 verdigris, half an ounce ; oil of turpentine, 
 two ounces ; mix together in a bottle — then 
 put a sufiicient quantity into a ladle with a 
 spout. Care must be taken that it does not 
 take fire, while making it hot. It will be 
 well to close the wound with one or two 
 &titches, after the scald has been poured into 
 the abscess. 
 
 This should remain untouched for several 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 101 
 
 days, and, if a good matter appears, it will do 
 well without any farther dressing ; but if the 
 matter flows in abundance, andof atliin con- 
 sistence, the scalding must be repeated, until 
 the matter lessens and thickens, and the ciiPfe 
 is performed. I have several times succeed- 
 ed with only scalding once. 
 
 A Fistula 
 
 is a sore disease — a hollow, winding ulcer, 
 and frequently arises on the withers of a horse; 
 and is occasioned by bruises, or pinches of 
 the saddle ; and in the first place should be 
 treated with impellers. The tumour should 
 be bathed three or four times a day with hot 
 vinegar ; or an ounce of the oil of vitriol may 
 be put to a quart of vinegar. But when these 
 swellings are critical, the repelling medicine 
 must be avoided ; and assist in bringing the 
 swelling to matter, by means of suppurating 
 poultices. The tumours should never be 
 opened before they are ripe— if they are, 
 the sore will be'spungy, and discharge a bloody 
 ichor. But if the fiistula has been of long 
 standing, and appears to be a foul ulcer, it 
 must then be opened : and if both sides of 
 the wither or swelled, of course they must 
 
 I 2 
 
102 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 both be opened. Care should be taken to 
 enlarge the openings, by paring away the lips 
 downwards, so that the dressings may be ap- 
 plied easily : and care must be taken to avoid 
 tlie ligament which runs along the neck, to 
 ^Bie shoulders or withers: the openings should 
 decline downwards, so that the medicines are 
 sure to go to the bottom of the ulcer. The 
 following scalding mixture should be applied : 
 Take of mutton suet, one pound ; tar and 
 train oil, of each, half a pint ; white vitriol 
 and corrosive sublimate, of each, one ounce. 
 The tar and suet should be melted over a 
 slow fire ; and the sublimate and vitriol should 
 be finely powdered, and stirred*nto the ladle, 
 with the tar and suet, after it is taken off the 
 fire. 
 
 The dressing should remain untouched for 
 ten days ; and should the running be stopped, 
 it should only be bathed with train oil ; but 
 should the discharge continue, the scalding 
 must be repeated. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 On Shoeing, 
 
 The shoeing of a horse is an operation of 
 far greater importance than is generally ima- 
 gined : as the expectations of the owners of 
 fine horses are often blasted, owing to the 
 badness of their feet ; which is frequently 
 occasioned by being sadly shod. This me- 
 chanical art being solely committed to smiths 
 who, generally speaking, are altogether un- 
 acquainted with the anitomical structure of 
 the foot of the horse, and consequently 
 cannot judge correctly the manner in which 
 the shoe ought to be placed on the foot, in 
 order to cause the horse to travel sound. 
 I am well aware, that what I shall here ad- 
 vance will meet with opposition, from the 
 ignorant and prejudiced shoers of horses ; 
 and it is a notorious fact, that three fourths 
 of them are as ionorant of the nature and 
 structure of the foot, as the horse is of them^ 
 But I shall appeal to the understandmg and 
 
104 Carver^s Farrier^ 
 
 judgment of the experienced few, both in 
 this city and elsewhere, for the justness of 
 the statement that I have given ; and I mean 
 to be as plain and explicit as possible ; as it 
 must be considered, that the preservation of 
 the foot of the horse is a most essential 
 point : and that the owners of them should 
 be aware, into whose hands they commit 
 them to be shod. A most perncious custom 
 is practised in this city, by many pretended 
 shoers, which is to make presents to gentle- 
 men's coachmen, grooms, or negroes, in 
 order to obtain horses to shoe : and some of 
 them have gone so far, as to pay them two 
 shillings per horse, for every horse that they 
 brought to their shops. And during the 
 time that I continued shoeing horses, I have 
 had coachmen come to me, and inform me 
 that they were going to drive for such and 
 such gentlemen, and asked what I would 
 give them, provided they continued the 
 horses to be shod by me ; my reply was, that 
 I should give nothing ; and asked them if 
 the gentlemen did not pay them wages — 
 They then told me, that there was no call to 
 put new shoes on the horses, every time they 
 were shod, but only to remove them, and 
 charge them as new. By my not complying 
 
Carver^ s Fairier, 105 
 
 with these demands, many horses were re- 
 moved that I had shod for years. But it 
 was plain to me, that gentleman had by this 
 custom been imposed on ; and some of them 
 had discovered the fraud, and told me that 
 they believed there were more horses shod 
 for bribes and grog, than by experienced 
 workmen ; and when they discovered the 
 fraud, they immediately ordered the horses 
 back to my shop. I think it proper to make 
 these remarks or facts known, in order that 
 gentlemen may not be imposed on ; and 
 that their horses may not be removed by 
 their servants, out of the hands of experien- 
 ced workmen, into the hands of those that 
 know but little of the important art of shoe- 
 ing. I shall, in the first place, proceed to 
 give an anatomical description of the foot of 
 the horse, as far as it is reqpaisite to be known 
 by those that undertake to shoe them. 
 
 The external covering of the foot is cal- 
 led the hoof; it is of a horny substance, 
 without sense or feeling, and serves as a 
 box or covering for the foot, to defend the 
 blood vessels, nerves, tendons, &c. from ex- 
 ternal injuries, and support the weight of 
 the body of the horse. The external parts 
 of the hoof mav be divided into four paits *. 
 
106 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 1st, the crust or ^vall of the hoof ; 2d, the 
 the sole ; 3d, the frog or heels; 4th, the 
 bars or binders. First, the circular part, into 
 which the nails are drove when the horse is 
 shod, is called the crust, or vvall of the foot : 
 it is a tough, hard substance, and thick or 
 strong at the front or toe, but thinner towards 
 the heels ; and more so in the fore feet than 
 in the hind ones, as it often happens that 
 the crust or wall of the hind feet, is strongest 
 or thickest at the heels. Second, The sole fills 
 up the inner and under part of the crust, and 
 is composed of scaly layers, which, when 
 grown too luxuriant, become dry, and fall off 
 in scales ; but when too much pared away 
 with the butteris, the internal parts of the 
 foot are exposed to bruises, from stones and 
 other hard substances. And I have known 
 at times, the outeiksole of the foot to become 
 so hard, by the horse's continuing to stand 
 in the stable, or traveling on hot sandy roads 
 that it has bound tight on the internal part 
 of the foot, so as to cause lameness , but by 
 stopping the foot with tar and grease, or even 
 with fresh cow-dung, the sole has been relax- 
 ed, and in a few days the horse has travel- 
 led sound. Third, The frog is of a soft, spon- 
 gy substance, shaped like a dart, and reaches 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 107 
 
 from the extremity of the heel, to the mid- 
 dle of the sole ; in the middle of the frog 
 is a cleft, or opening, by which the heels 
 have a small degree of contraction, and ex- 
 expausion, every time the horse sets his foot 
 on the ground. At times the frog is affected 
 by a disease called the running thrush, 
 which will frequently destroy almost the 
 whole of it : when this is the case, the heels 
 have lost their support, and the horse will 
 go lame. The only thing to bo done, is to 
 place a bar shoe on their foot, which will 
 prevent the heels from contracting and ex- 
 panding, and guard the decayed part from 
 stones, or other hard substances. After the 
 shoe is placed on the foot, there should be a 
 little of the tincture, as recommended in 
 chapter xiv. poured into the affected frog, 
 two or three times a pay : at the same time 
 it will be well to bleed and physic the horse 
 and afterwards to give him one or two diure- 
 tic balls. The frog composes a great part 
 of the heel of the horse : but the e tremities 
 of the crust, on each side of the frog, are cal- 
 led the heels, and are distinguished by the 
 names of outside and inside. 4th, What are 
 called the bars, or binders of the foot, are 
 hard pieces of the hoof, growing on each 
 
108 Carver'^s Farrier. 
 
 side of the frog, which serve in a measure 
 to extend and guard the heels : and these 
 like the frog, should never be too much cut 
 away — as nature has placed them as a cover- 
 ing, to defend the internal parts, and bones 
 
 of the foot. 
 
 The bones of the foot are distinguished by 
 
 the following names : the coffin bone — the 
 shuttle bone — aud the coronary bone : these 
 bones are all in contact with each other, and 
 require the fro^ and the binders to be strong, 
 to prevent them from being injured by hard 
 substances. It is requisite that all shoeing 
 smiths should be acquainted with the exter- 
 nal and internal parts of a horse's foot : if this 
 was the case, they would not cut down the 
 heels, or pare away the sole and frog, as they 
 generally do. I would recommend to them 
 the plan that I set for my apprentice boys — 
 which was, to cut off the foot of a dead horse, 
 and fix it in a vice, and continue to pare it 
 away by shavings, with a butteris, until the 
 whole structure of the foot is discovered. By 
 this plan, and giving proper directions as to 
 paring the foot and fitting the shoe, the young 
 men have become accomplished workmen. 
 
 I shall now proceed to describe, as clear as 
 language can convey my ideas, the form of a 
 
Carver'^s Farrier, 109 
 
 shoe, and the manner in which it should be 
 fitted, before it is nailed on the foot. A shoe 
 then, for the fore foot of a horse, should be 
 made thinner on the inside rim, than on the 
 outside, in order to clear the sole of the foot, 
 and to let the bearing rest entirely on the 
 crust, or wall of the foot. By the shoe being 
 made in this form, it will not require to be 
 set so concave, or hollow, as if the shoe was 
 made in all places of a thickness ; besides, 
 the surface of the shoe will be nearly flat, so 
 that when the foot comes to the ground, it 
 will be more even and stedfast. But to des- 
 cribe the weight of a shoe, is impossible — it 
 must be left to the judgment of the shoer; 
 but it must be so proportioned, as to com- 
 pletely bear the weight of the horse, without 
 yielding or spreading out : and it should be 
 observed, not to let the web of the shoe be 
 too narrow at the heels, which is an error that 
 almost all the smiths in this country are guil- 
 ty of, as many of their shoes are not more 
 than half an inch wide at each point of the 
 heel, whereas they should be never less than 
 one inch, and more for large horses, as it is 
 the heels that want covering or guarding, and 
 not the toe of the foot ; for it is almost im- 
 possible to make the horse go lame at the toe, 
 
 K 
 
110 Carver^ s Far tier- 
 
 without driving a nail into the quick — but at 
 times it is attended with difficulty, to make 
 the horse go sound at the heels of the fore 
 feet : the heels of the shoe should neither be 
 too long or too short — if they extend too far 
 beyond the heels, they act as a lever ; and if 
 too short, they sink into the heels, and pro- 
 duce corns. Many horses' feet may de said 
 to resemble a wedge, that is, their heels are 
 low or thin, whilst the toe is deep or thick ; 
 there being a far greater distance from the 
 corinet, or setting on of the foot, to the point 
 or front of the bottom of the toe, than there 
 is from the coronet, or bottom of the heel ; 
 and w^hen the foot is thus formed, the horse 
 is said to be low heeled. — When this is the 
 case, great care should be taken not to pare 
 away the frogs, binders or heels ; but pare 
 down the toe, and shorten it as much as it 
 will admit of — leaving a sufficient quantity of 
 the crust, or wall, to contain the nails : but 
 the nails should never be placed too far back 
 towards the heels of the shoe. From the first 
 or second heel nail holes, or what is called 
 (of the shoe) the quarters, it should be strong 
 and wide, as it is the heels which want pro- 
 tecting or guarding, and not the toe of the 
 oot: and the heels of the shoe should be 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 111 
 
 placed over the edge of the anvil, and set oiF 
 with the hammer, about an inch from the 
 point of the heels, in order that they may not 
 rest on the point of the heels of the foot ; so 
 that when the shoe is nailed on, there may 
 be a space between the heels of the feet, and 
 the shoes, nearly sufficient to contain the 
 thickness of a dollar — and some feet will re- 
 quire more, as, by the horse's travelling, the 
 heels of shoes will naturally sink down to 
 the heels of the feet. By following this plan 
 I could always make the horse travel sound ; 
 and in a few months the heels would expand 
 and grow up —and the weight of the horse 
 would be taken off the heels, and thrown on 
 the toes ; or, what is called the centre of 
 gravity, would fall on a point that can receive 
 no injury; and care should be taken to let 
 the heels of the shoe stand full, and not curv- 
 ed in, as it is too often done. It is a mis- 
 taken idea of 'many smiths, who suppose that 
 a horse will cut at the heels, provided the 
 heels of his shoe extend beyond the crust of 
 the foot : but a horse, to cut at the heels, 
 must have his feet in the position that a lady 
 has her's, whilst her feet are placed in the 
 stocks in a dancing school, with her toes 
 turned outwards ; but not one horse in a hun- 
 dred travels in this form. When a horse cuts 
 
112 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 with his heels, he strikes his legs a little be- 
 low the knee joint, and is said to trot high 
 — and this is called a speedy cut : but almost 
 all horses that interfere, or cut, strike their 
 legs about the pastern joint — and then tliey 
 strike with what is generally called the quar- 
 ter, or side of the foot ; in this case, the inside 
 of the shoe should be brought strait, and fit- 
 ted a little within the crust, or wall of the 
 foot : and at times, the nails should be left 
 out at the quarters, and be placed round the 
 toes : and some horses require the inside of 
 the shoe to be raised higher than the outside, 
 with what is called a feather edged shoe. 
 But it is impossible to prevent some horses 
 from cutting — nature having formed them 
 narrow in the chest, and at the buttocks ; 
 and at times they get weary, and are not able 
 to carry their feet in a strait line — Many 
 smiths commit an error, by making what is 
 called the inside quarter of the shoe, weaker 
 than the outside, whereas it should be strong- 
 er; as the inside of the foot and heel are 
 generally the weakest, and consequently re- 
 quire more support and cover. And a shoe 
 should never be fullered too fine, or near the 
 outside edge or rim, as this will have a ten- 
 dency to leave the wall, or crust of the foot 
 thin. Likewise, the foot should never be 
 
Carver^ s Farrier* 113 
 
 rasped above the clinches, as nature has form- 
 ed the outside crust tough and hard, and the 
 inside of the hoof soft and flexible, the 
 rasping away the outside crust of the hoof, 
 may be compared to cutting away the outside 
 bark of a tree : and there are but very few 
 people but know that the inner bark is soft 
 and tender. 
 
 As to shoeing the hind feet, it is not, in 
 general, attended with so much difficulty as 
 shoeing the fore ones ; but should the horse 
 inrerfere or cut, the same precaution must 
 be taken, as I have recommended for the 
 fore feet. Care should be taken that the 
 clinches of the nails are well let into the 
 hoof, and more particularly on the inside of 
 the hoof; for should the clinches raise, or 
 project out beyond the hoof, it will cause the 
 horse to cut. 
 
 There is one omission that I have observ- 
 ed in almost all the shoeing smiths in this 
 country, which is, that they do not what is 
 practised in England, that is to redraw the 
 clinches of the nails, which is to place the 
 pinchers under the nails the second time, 
 ^nd drive them up tight with the hammer, 
 and rivet them down again : by this method 
 the clinches will never raise, but continue 
 
 2k 
 
114 Carve fs Farrier. 
 
 close in the hoof, so that the horse will not 
 cut his legs with the clinches. But if this 
 practice is not pursued, by the horse's stamp- 
 ing or setting his foot on the ground, the 
 nails will be drove farther into the holes of 
 the shoe, and the clinches will of course raise, 
 I appeal to the understanding of the expe- 
 rienced few, shoeing smiths, for the justness 
 of these remarks, and likewise for fitting and 
 placing the shoes on the feet, and more par- 
 ticularly on the fore ones, which require by 
 far the greater skill, as there is much more 
 weight borne on the fore feet than on the 
 hind ones : as it must be observed, that the 
 weight of the horse's head and neck, and 
 also the rider, are principally thrown on the 
 fore legs or feet ; and this is what causes 
 corns in the fore feet, and not in the hind 
 ones : this also is the cause w^hy corns are fre- 
 quently found in the heels of horses' fore 
 feet, and not in the hind ones. — When it 
 is discovered that there are corns, they should 
 be razed off with a drawing knife, and a little 
 oil of vitriol poured on them ; or an equal 
 portion of spirits of turpentine and oil of 
 vitriol mixed together in a bottle, applied for 
 a few days : By doing this, and not letting the 
 heels of the shoes bear on them, they will 
 get well. 
 
CHAPTER XX, 
 
 Of Founder. 
 
 , This is found to be a destructive disease ^ 
 and is generally brouglit on by the inatten- 
 tion or neglect of the owner or rider of the 
 horse, by letting him cool too fast, after com- 
 ing off a hard journey, or violent exercise 
 and by letting him stand with his feet in a 
 cold damp place : and at other times horses 
 have been foundered, by letting them eat 
 corn or oats, or drink cold water, before they 
 had properly got cool, after they had been 
 at hard labour. — This disease is often sup- 
 posed to be an affectation of the loins or chest 
 and farriers have applied medicines to this 
 effect ; whereas the principal seat of the dis- 
 ease is in the feet, and has often terminated 
 in the death of the horse. The feet will be 
 found to be violent hot, and the animal will 
 draw his hind feet as close as possible to- 
 wards his fore ones, which will cause some 
 persons to suppose that he is strained in the 
 loins : but when the hind feet are most affect- 
 
116 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 ed the fore feet will be placed under the bel- 
 ly, as far as possible, in order to bear the 
 weight of carcase, but this is not often the 
 case. The disease generally comes on very 
 rapidly, and appears in a few hours, after 
 hard riding and permiting the horse to stand 
 in the snow ; or may take place in conse- 
 quence of putting the horse into a hot stable, 
 the vessels of the feet not being able to bear 
 the sudden change, and of course w^ill bring 
 on an inflammation ; and I have, as above 
 stated, seen it brought on, by giving cold 
 water before the horse had got cool. 
 
 This disease is easily discovered, by the 
 inability of the animal to move, and by the 
 position of his legs — the whole of them be- 
 ing aftected : The horse will lay down and 
 be unable to rise, and at times the fetlocks 
 will swell, and there will be a violent fever 
 in the feet, and the pain will be intense ; 
 the coffin bone of the foot will be thrown 
 out of its natural position ; the crust will 
 fall in ; and there will be rings and circles 
 formed round the hoofs : it sometimes hap- 
 that the horny sole loses its concavity, and 
 becomes convex — or what is generally called 
 pummiced : this is frequently the case in a 
 severe founder. 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 117 
 
 When a horse is found to be foundered 
 the shoes should be taken off immediately — 
 and the feet should be well pared down at 
 the toe, so as to draw blood, with a razing 
 iron ; and he should likewise be bled in the 
 jugular vein of the neck — and his feet should 
 be put into bags of fresh cow dung, or any 
 cooling poultice — and the following medi- 
 cines should be given twice a day : 
 
 Take of cream of tartar and nitre, of each" 
 one ounce ; tartarised antimony, one drachm : 
 make into a ball, wdth wheat flower and mo- 
 lasses. If costive, give a purging ball and 
 clyster. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Of Splents, 
 
 These are hard substances that grow on 
 the shank bone, and are of different shapes 
 and sizes : young horses are more subject 
 to them than old ones — in young horses 
 they often disappear and wear off; very few 
 horses put out splents after they are seven- or 
 eight years old. A splent that arises in the 
 middle of the shank bone, is not so danger- 
 ous as those which arise on the back part 
 of this bone : when they grow large, and 
 press against the back sinew, they always 
 cause lameness or stiffness, by rubbing against 
 it ; but the others, except they are situated 
 near the joints, seldom cause lameness. As 
 to splents, I judge it best not to meddle with 
 them, unless they are of such a size as to 
 disfigure the horse, or cause him to go lame. 
 When a splent first makes its appearance, 
 it should be bathed with vinegar, to which 
 may be added a small piece of camphire, 
 and this will often put a stop to their growth. 
 
120 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 A variety of remedies are prescribed for 
 this disorder : Some have recommended, to 
 rub the splent with a round stick, or a ham- 
 mer handle, until it is almost raw, and then 
 to touch it with oil of origanum : others have 
 laid on a pitch plaster, with a little sublimate 
 but I have always succeeded, by firing, and 
 blistering with the blister that is recommen- 
 ded in the chapter on the blood spavin : the 
 blister should be repeated two or three times 
 observing to wait three or four days between 
 each application : during this time, the splent 
 should be anointed with the ointment of 
 marshmallows. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Of a Curb and Ring Bone, 
 
 What is generally called a curb, is a hard 
 bony substance, situated a little below the 
 back part of the hock of the hind leg ; and 
 at times, when it has been neglected, will 
 cause a stiffness, and the horse will, at first 
 starting, go lame : and when the bone is affect- 
 ed, it proves that the callous or hard sub- 
 stance is fixed fast to the bone of the leg. — 
 When this is the case, the most sure way to 
 perform a cure, is to fire with a thin iron, 
 drawing some straight lines, about a half an 
 inch apart, and then cross-bar them ; but 
 this operation should be performed by a 
 person of judgment — and the horse should 
 be confined in a pair of stocks. After the 
 firing is thus judiciously performed, the blis- 
 ter that is recommended in the chapter on 
 the spavin, should be applied, and repeated 
 three times, and there need be no doubt of a 
 cure being performed. 
 
 L 
 
122 Carver'' s Farrier* 
 
 Ri7tg Bone. 
 
 This is a swelling that grows on the pas- 
 tern bone, and runs round the coronet of the 
 foot, and appears like a ring, from which it 
 derives its name — and it generally produces 
 lameness ; a cure is generally pei formed by 
 firing and blistering. I once saw a cure of 
 a ring worm effected, by flawing oflF the skin 
 round the worm, and then placing a thin 
 piece of copper around on the top of the 
 worm, bringing the skin over the copper, 
 and binding the copper fast to the affected 
 part — by this method verdegris was produ- 
 ced, and the worm finally eaten off" : the cop- 
 per was taken off* every two or three days 
 and wiped clean and replaced again. But 
 by whatever means the cure is attempted 
 or performed, it will require that the horse 
 rests for six months — and he should be turn- 
 ed to pasture, if the season of the year will 
 permit. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Of the Grease. 
 
 The grease may be considered as a dis- 
 order of the vessels, as well as the blood. 
 Swellings in the legs of horses may be ac- 
 counted for, from a partial stagnation of the 
 blood and juices in the finer vessels, where 
 the circulation is most languid — and when 
 there is a want of proper exercise, and a 
 proper muscular compression on the vessels 
 to pusii forward the returning blood, and 
 propel the inert and half stagnated fluids 
 through their vessels : the blood in such 
 cases cannot so easily ascend as descend 
 as a greater quantity is brought by the arte- 
 ries, than can be returned by the veins. 
 Considering the grease in this point of view- 
 it may be looked on as a local disorder, and is 
 often an attendant of some distemper — 
 such as the farcy, yellows, or dropsy : and 
 should the horse be afflicted with either of 
 these disorders, they must be first cured, be- 
 fore the grease can be removed ; but proper 
 
124 Carver^s Farrier* 
 
 care should be taken to cut off the hair close 
 round the legs and fetlock joints, and to keep 
 them properly clean. 
 
 When it is first discovered that a horse's 
 heels swell in the stable, and go down on his 
 being exercised, care should be taken to wash 
 them clean, every time he comes in, with 
 Castile soap suds, chamber lye, or vinegar 
 and v/ater, which, with good rubbing, will 
 bring down the swelling ; this method of 
 treatment will often remove the complaint. 
 But should the legs continue to swell, they 
 should be bathed two or three times a day, 
 with good old vinegar — and a bandage of 
 linen or flannel should be bound round 
 the Ipo-^ ^bovit the width of thiee or four 
 fingers — and if rags dipped in the vinegar 
 are placed under the bandage for a few days 
 they will be of great service : by this method 
 the bandage will support the vessels of the 
 legs, till they have recovered their proper 
 tone. When I have found it difficult to re- 
 move the swelling of the legs, which often 
 happens, I have had a pair of stockings 
 made, of strong canvas or leather, and laced 
 them tight around the legs — and washed the 
 legs two or three times a day with the fol- 
 lowing wash : 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 125 
 
 Rectified spirits of wine, four ounces — 
 dissolve in it half an ounce of camphire 
 and add one quart of the best vinegar. 
 
 This complaint is looked on as trifling, 
 but those who are unacquainted with the 
 disorder ; but I have many times found it 
 difficult to conquer ; and was I to go through 
 the whole of the practice that I have pur- 
 sued in its order, it would tire the patience 
 of the reader, and probably be of little use 
 to him. I therefore shall conclude, by rec- 
 ommending the following diuretick balls, to 
 be givin one every morning, for three or four 
 weeks successively : 
 
 Take of yellow rosin, four ounces : salt of 
 
 tartar, and sal prunella, of each, two ounces; 
 
 Venice soap, half a pound ; oil of juniper, 
 
 half an ounce — make into balls of two ounces 
 weight. 
 
 L 2 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Of Scratches, 
 
 The disorder that is commonly called 
 scratches, and is found in the heels of horses, 
 has much affinity with the grease, and is often 
 a concomitant of the same distemper. When 
 a horse is found to have cracks or scratches 
 in his heels, the best method in the first place 
 to be pursued, is to apply poultices made of 
 turnips and linseeds, with a little common 
 turpentine and hog's lard, to bring on a dis- 
 charge : this being done, and a suppuration 
 brought on for a short time, the cracks may 
 then be dried up, with the wash that is re- 
 commended in the preceding chapter. It is 
 best after this to keep the heels supple, and 
 softened with currier's dubbing, or neat's 
 foot oil : this will soften, or prevent the skin 
 from cracking, in the same manner that it 
 preserves leather. When the sores are deep, 
 and prove obstinate, use the following oint- 
 ment — for no foundation for a cure can be 
 laid, until the wounds are cleansed at the 
 bottom : 
 
128 Carver'' s Farrier. 
 
 Venice turpentine, four ounces ; quick- 
 silver, one^unce — incorporated well together, 
 by rubbing it some time ; add to it sheep's 
 suet, and honey, of each, two ounces. 
 
 If the heels are anointed with mercurial 
 ointment, after the wounds are thoroughly 
 cleansed, this will often make a final cure. 
 Great care should be taken to wash the legs 
 clean with soap suds, after the horse has 
 come in from a journey. During this treat- 
 ment, the horse should have two or three 
 diuretick balls given him in a week. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Of Sand cracks and Quittors. 
 
 That which is called a sand crack, is a 
 little cleft, or crack of the hoof, and gener- 
 ally makes its appearance on the inside of 
 the fore feet of horses, and runs in a straight 
 line from the coronet downwards, and pene- 
 trates through the horny part of the hoof. 
 At times it proves troublesome to cure ; but 
 if it passes through the ligament that unites 
 the hoof with the coronet, is often found to 
 to breed a quittor, or false quarter, which is 
 hard to cure ; but when the crack penetrates 
 only through the hoof, it should be rasped 
 down at the edges, and the crack should be 
 drawn open with a razing iron, and the sand 
 which is collected, should all be taken out. 
 The operator having proceeded thus far, 
 he should then draw a stroke across the crack 
 with a hot firing iron, as near as possible to 
 the coronet : afterwards it should be dressed 
 with thick pledgets of cotton, spread with 
 wound or basilicon ointment. The dress- 
 
130 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 ing should remain on two or three days : by 
 this time the pain will have left the foot. 
 When the dressing is removed, a little pre- 
 cipitate should be applied to the crack, and 
 the foot dressed with a mild ointment, such 
 as elder or raarshmallows. The dressing 
 should be bound on with list. When en- 
 tirely taken off, the foot should be immersed 
 three or four times a day in cold water, and 
 fresh cow dung should be applied to the bot- 
 tom of the foot. 
 
 A quittor is an ulcer, formed between the 
 hair and hoof, and on the inside of the quar- 
 ter of the foot. It often arises from the hor- 
 ses striking the part aifected, with the heel 
 of the other foot or shoe ; or as it is generally 
 expressed, the horse has corked himself; 
 and the gravel will work its way into the 
 wound and lodge about the coronet. If it 
 is taken in time, it may be cured with cleans- 
 ing, dressing and bathing the coronet with 
 spirits of wine, two or three times a day ; 
 but if it has been of long standing, and the 
 matter has formed a lodgment, and become a 
 foul ulcer, the firing iron, or the knife must 
 be applied. I have performed cures both by 
 the knife and the firing iron. With a round 
 pointed iron, about a quarter of an inch thick 
 
Carver'' s Farrier. 131. 
 
 1 have burnt a hole through the swelling, 
 beginning towards the heel and pushing it 
 forward to the toe of the foot, as far as the 
 swelling continued. After the hole had 
 been made, I have rolled up a quarter of an 
 ounce of corrosive sublimate in a piece of 
 writing paper, and made it about as long 
 as the hole, and as large as a goose quill, 
 and afterwards applied the strong wound 
 ointment, composed of Venice turpentine, 
 rosin, verdigris, and hog's lard. The dress- 
 ing must be made sepure, and remain on 
 three or four days. When taken off, it must 
 be dressed again with the wound ointment, 
 and if the core does not come out, the subli- 
 mate must be applied again. By this method 
 I have brought out cores as large as my thumb 
 and this has made a complete green wound. 
 When this has been affected, the wound has 
 been dressed with the tincture recommended 
 in a former chapter, and the ointment of 
 marshmallows. The horse must be thrown 
 down to perform the operation. I have 
 also used the knife, but prefer the firing iron 
 in bad cases ; but in both operations it re- 
 quires time for nature to do her part. The 
 owner of the horse must not expect him to 
 work in less time than two months, and if 
 
432 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 possible he should be turned out to pasture, 
 or the foot treated in the stable as recommend- 
 ed before with cow dung and cold water. 
 
CHAPTER XXVL 
 
 Of Relax^ and Scouring. 
 
 It is evident, that at times horses are sub- 
 ject to different kinds of loosnesses or scour- 
 ing. I shall not therefore trouble the reader 
 with a tedious description of the complaint ; 
 but contentmyself with as brief a description 
 as possible. A lax, or scouring in horses, 
 is a frequent discharge of thin watery mu- 
 cus, phlegmy, frothy, fat, black matter, by 
 the fundament, and mostly with excrements ; 
 but sometimes without : at times it is attend- 
 ed with gripings of the guts. This com- 
 plaint at times is thought to be brought on 
 by giving the horse unwholesome food, such 
 as musty hay, stale shorts, or damaged oats. 
 From whatever causes the complaint might 
 originate, the stomach requires to be strength- 
 ened ; therefore, a cordial drink should be 
 given as soon as possible. Give the follow- 
 ing drink : 
 
 Take of anniseed and carraway seed, of 
 each one ounce ; juniper berries, two ounces ; 
 
 M 
 
134 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 bruise the seeds and berries, and boil them 
 in three half pints of good ale ; add one 
 ounce of liquid laudanum, one gill of brandy, 
 and half a pint of molasses : this drink may 
 be repeated every three hours, if necessary. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 Of the disorders of the Kidneys and Bladder, 
 
 The signs of the kidneys of a horse being 
 affected, or hurt, are weakness of the back, 
 and loins, with a difficulty of staleing. He 
 will lose his appetite ; his eyes will appear 
 dead and heavy ; the urine will be thick and 
 foul ; and will at times appear bloody. If an 
 attempt is made to put him backwards in a 
 straight line, he will be in great pain, which 
 can be observed as soon as he is put to trial. 
 Bleeding plentifully is the principal remedy 
 to prevent inflammation, and particularly if 
 a fever attends, with a difficulty of staleing. 
 A rowel should be put into his belly, which 
 I have found to be of great service. If the 
 horse be of great value, a great deal of cau- 
 tion and care is necessary, in order to pre- 
 serve his life. Give the following drink, 
 which I am confident, by repeated trials, will 
 be found to be the best ever administered. 
 
 Take one pint best castor oil, two ounces 
 of liquid laudanum, two ounces of sweet 
 
136 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 spirits of nitre, and half a gill of spirits of 
 turpentine. 
 
 A stimulating diuretick ball : 
 
 Take of juniper berries powdered, one 
 ounce ; half an ounce of camphire; sal prunel- 
 lo, six drachms; nitre, one ounce; make into a 
 ball with honey or molasses. 
 
 The loins of the horse should be foment- 
 ed three or four times a day, with a strong 
 decoction of herbs, such as wormwood, tansey> 
 or pennyroyal. A large piece of flannel should 
 be dipped in the fomentation, after it has 
 been boiled, and laid on the loins, as hot as 
 the horse can bear it without scalding. After 
 the drink, or the ball has been given, the 
 horse should be made to drink plenty of water 
 with gum arabic dissolved in it. Give the 
 following stimulating glister : 
 
 Take juniper and bayberries, of each a 
 handful ; powdered nitre, one ounce ; jalap, 
 one ounce ; boil into a decoction, add a pint 
 of linseed oil. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 Of Alterative Medicines, 
 
 What is meant by alteratives, are those 
 medicines that have no immediate sensible 
 operation, but gradually gain upon the con- 
 stitution of all animals, and change the state 
 of the blood, and juices of the body from a 
 state of distemperature, to that of health. 
 They correct the blood and juices of the 
 whole system, and accelerate the motion of 
 the blood; and are often more beneficial than 
 purging medicines. Nitre ranks first among 
 the alteratives ; sulphur and crude antimo- 
 ny are the next in repute. I shall therefore 
 take upon me to recommend nitre, from the 
 opportunity that I have had in the course of 
 my practice, to witness its powerful and bene- 
 ficial effects. Nitre or purified salt-petre has 
 been long held in high estimation by those 
 who were acquainted with its virtues. I have 
 depended more on nitre, in all inflammatory 
 disorders, than any other medici e ; it has an 
 extensive power in allaying fevers, taken in 
 
 2 M 
 
138 Carver^ s Farrier* 
 
 proper quantities; is excellent in cases of 
 surfeit, hide bound, grease heels, and it will 
 greatly assist in curing the farcy, and many 
 other distempers to which horses are subject. 
 It has a great advantage over other medicines, 
 its operation is chiefly by urine. It neither 
 requires confinement or clothing. The horse 
 can be moderately worked through the whole 
 course. There has been many trials made 
 in the London hospitals of nitre, nnd it was 
 found to correct the acrimony of the juices 
 of the human body, and has been the means 
 of causing old ulcers, and sore legs, to heal 
 up. One of the most eminent physical 
 writers speaks of it in the highest terms of 
 praise. Lord Bacon held it in such high 
 estimation, that he believed it would prolong 
 life. As a proof of its efficacious powers, 
 those who are in the practice of what is call- 
 ed curing or salting down beef and pork, are 
 certain that it will resist putrefaction. If it 
 will thus preserve the flesh of dead animals, 
 why not the blood and flesh of living ones ? 
 That the powers of it may be proved, by 
 those that bleed horses, let them make a solu- 
 tion of it and mix with the blood that is drawn 
 from a horse, and they will find that it will 
 prevent the blood from coadulation, and 
 change its colour from a dark or black, to a 
 
Carver's Farrier, 139 
 
 beautiful florid and will preserve it for a con- 
 siderable length of time. 
 
 If I am not mistaken in the name of the 
 author, Mulpighius, informs us that he inject- 
 ed it into the blood vessels of a dog, where it 
 immediately mixed with the blood without 
 any detriment to the animal ; but it caused a 
 more copious discharge of urine. It, has 
 been known to destroy worms in the stomach 
 of different animals. I am persuaded that 
 nitre is one of the best and safest alteratives 
 that has been discovered. 
 
 The quantity of nitre that should be given, 
 is two ounces at one time. It should be finely 
 powdered, and given in the morning for five 
 or six days running. In cases of high fevers, 
 I have given as much as half a pound a day : 
 and often given the horse two or three horns 
 full of molasses, mixt with powdered ginger, 
 to make it sit easy on the stomach. 
 
 To mix alterative powders for a horse : 
 Take half a pound flour of brimstone, half a 
 pound of powdered nitre, two ounces of crude 
 antimony ; mix them well together, and give 
 the horse two ounces a day for one week ; 
 then rest a few days and repeat. The pow- 
 ders may be given in his feed, and should be 
 given plentifully to a horse that has been 
 foundered. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Of Consumption. 
 
 A sonsumption is a defect or disease on 
 the horse's lungs. The liver becomes putri- 
 fied, and the lights will be found to be full 
 of black spots, about the size of half a dol- 
 lar. The symptoms of consumption are 
 as follows : — The eyes look dull, the ears 
 and feet are generally hot, he coughs strong- 
 ly, at times ; sneezes much, and frequently 
 groans ; his flanks will have a quick motion ; 
 he gleets often at the nose, and discharges 
 a yellow curdled matter, and loses his appe- 
 tite. At times he w^ill eat grain, but refuses 
 hay. The grain will cause him to feel hot. 
 
 Bleeding is one of the principle things to 
 be depended on to effect a cure, which 
 should be often repeated, by taking about one 
 quart at a time. Mercurial purges should 
 also be given. Half an ounce of calomel, 
 mixed with a physical ball ; and the follow- 
 ing alterative powders should be given at 
 intervals of time. 
 
142 Carver's Farrier. 
 
 Take cinnabar of antimony, one pound ; 
 powder fine one pound of nitre, add the 
 same quantity of gum guaiacum ; give an 
 ounce of these powders three times a day in 
 the horse's feed. 
 
 The horse should be turned out to pasture 
 in the spring of the year. The salt marshes 
 are to be preferred, and more to be depended 
 on than medicines, as the grass will cause 
 great alterations in the blood and juices, and 
 he will receive the benefit of the fresh open 
 air, and gentle exercise. But, if after all 
 that has been tried, the horse relapses, and 
 a yellow curdled matter continues to run 
 from the nose, and he gets emaciated, and 
 sweats profusely, and the cough continues 
 with a rattling, there can be little or no hopes 
 of his recovery. In order to save expense, 
 it would be best to dispatch him, as an incu- 
 rable patient. 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Of Scratches^ Rat tails, ^c. 
 
 Horses, at times, are subject to a complaint 
 called the scratches ; that is, their heels are 
 swelled, and full of cracks in the fetlock 
 joint, which at times will cause them to go 
 lame. Great care and attention are requi- 
 site to perform a cure in this disease. The 
 scratches have some affinity to the grease, 
 and are very often nearly the same complaints. 
 When either of these are found to have taken 
 place, the treatment should be similar- In 
 the first place, the heels should be poulticed 
 with linseed, turnips, onions, and wheat 
 shorts, or bran, boiled together until all 
 becomes a pulp : then add as much hog's 
 lard as will keep the ingredients soft, when 
 applied. The poultice should be kept on 
 a few days, in order to relax the parts, and 
 make the heels supple. Care should be 
 taken to keep the heels clean, by washing 
 them with warm water and soap. If curri- 
 er's dubbing is applied, which is made of 
 
144 Carver'* s Farrier* 
 
 oil and tallow, it will keep the skin from 
 cracking, and preserve it as it does leather. 
 When they prove obstinate, and the sores are 
 deep, they must be laid open, in order to lay 
 a foundation for a cure by going to the bot- 
 tom, or what is called making a green wound ; 
 afterwards, dress with the following ointment: 
 
 Take of Venice turpentine, four ounces ; 
 quick silver, one ounce ; incorporate togeth- 
 er, by rubbing some time, then add honey 
 and mutton suet, of each two ounces, with 
 half an ounce of verdigris, finely powdered : 
 anoint with this twice a day, and if the 
 horse is full or fleshy, bleed and purge. If 
 the blood is in a bad state, give the altera- 
 tive powder, as recommended in the chapter 
 on alteratives. 
 
 Rat tails are excresences, which rise from 
 the pasture to the middle of the shank, and 
 they derive the name from the resemblance 
 they bear to a rat's tail. Some are moist and 
 others are dry. The former should be 
 treated with drying ointment, and washes ; 
 such as mercurial ointment : but if the hard- 
 ness does not yield to those medicines, it 
 should be pared off with a knife, dressed 
 with tar, turpentine, and honey ; to which 
 may be added verdigris, or white vitriol : 
 
Carver's Farrier, 145 
 
 but before the knife has been used, the fol- 
 lowing ointment may be tried : 
 
 Take of black soap, half a pound ; quick 
 lime, four ounces ; and vinegar, sufficient to 
 make an ointment. 
 
 The crown scab breaks out round the cor- 
 onet of the foot, and is attended with a scur- 
 finess, and itching. The best method of 
 treatment in this disease, is to mix marsh- 
 mallow ointment and yellow basilicon, equal 
 quantities of each, spread them on raw cotton 
 and lay it round the coronet. The horse 
 should have a dose or two of physic, and di- 
 uretic balls given him at intervals of time, or 
 alterative powders, as recommended in a for- 
 mer chapter. 
 
 N 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 On the Blood and Pulse of the Horse » 
 
 In this chapter I mean to be very particu- 
 lar, as it is one of the most essential princi- 
 ples in the veterinary art, or farriery ; and by 
 which the practitioner in most cases ought 
 to be guided, especially in all kinds of fevers. 
 The heart may be said to be the great reser- 
 voir, or fountain of life and blood in all ani- 
 mals ; therefore a knowledge of the circula- 
 tion or the rapidity of the blood's motion, 
 throu2rh the heart and arteries, is an essen- 
 tial point for the practitioner to be acquaint- 
 ed with. By a knowledge of this science, he 
 will be brought to admire the power and 
 wisdom of the all- wise creator of the universe. 
 The heart may, with propriety, be compared 
 to a large lake, which sends out its waters 
 into thousands of rivers and small streams. 
 In this manner the heart propels, or forces 
 the blood through thousands of arteries and 
 veins, in all living animals. It is wonderful 
 to observe the rapid motion of the blood, and 
 
148 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 the force with which the heart and arteries 
 labour to propel it round the whole organi- 
 zed system. The most accurate calculation 
 that has been made, is, that it beats about 
 forty strokes in a minute, so that in propor- 
 tion, as the number is increased, the fever is 
 rising. When it increases to above fifty, we 
 may conclude the fever is very high. This 
 calculation is easily made by placing the 
 fingers on any part of the arteries ; those 
 that run up on each side of the neck are 
 generally to be seen beating and likewise 
 felt, a little above the chest. There is also 
 one runs up on the inside of each fore leg ; 
 and one on the inside of each jaw bone. A 
 strict attention to the pulse is very important 
 to the practitioner, as there are times when 
 a horse should not be bled, although he is 
 found to be unwell. This must be determin- 
 ed by the pulse alone : an old experienced 
 practitioner's judgment is guided by it, there- 
 fore he makes as accurate observations and 
 calculations as possible. 
 
 There are diseases to which horses are sub- 
 ject, that will not admit of bleeding. I re- 
 collect a case some years past, to which my- 
 self and Mr. William Carver, of Chatham 
 street, was called ; he was a countryman of 
 
Cwvefs Farrier, 149 
 
 mine, from England, and one of the best 
 farriers that ever came to this country. There 
 are many others who profess to have a tho- 
 rough knowledge in veterinary surgery ; over- 
 stocked with diplomas of which they boast, 
 like coxcombs with their fine coats, and a 
 little knowledge of the latin language ; but 
 I never saw them perform cures equal to this 
 good old friend of mine. He was a man of 
 sound judgment, and long experience. We 
 went hand in hand in all difficult cases. I 
 hope the reader will pardon this digression. 
 
 The case alluded to was of a very fine 
 horse, belonging to a gentleman in New 
 York. The animal was taken sick, and his 
 disease appeared to be a very complicated 
 one. The pulse was low and languid. My 
 friend was for letting blood ; but I differed in 
 opinion, and said, that if the horse was bled, 
 he would live but a short time. I however 
 yielded to his judgment. He bled him, and 
 the horse died in about half an hour after- 
 wards. 
 
 I have mentioned this case in order to 
 put gentlemen and others on their guard 
 against letting stable keepers, ostlers, coach- 
 men, and grooms, bleed their horses, as they 
 are generally ignorant of the motion of the 
 
 n2 
 
150 Carver'' s Farrier* 
 
 blood. So valuable an animal, therefore, 
 should not be tampered with by those who 
 know nothing of his economy. It was my 
 opinion whilst writing this chapter that I could 
 not too much enforce the necessity of the 
 study of this important branch of farriery, 
 as the physicians' judgment is generally di- 
 rected by it : for when a horse has been bled 
 prior to his attending, he cannot form that 
 correct judgment, because he had not an op- 
 portunity to examine the quantity and the 
 state of the blood. Very accurate observa- 
 tions can be made with regard to the motion 
 of the blood, and the hardness of the artery 
 from its difficult vibrations. This is the 
 only sure guide to distinguish an inflamma- 
 tory fever with dense sizy blood, from an ir- 
 regular depressed one, and how often bleed- 
 ing should be repeated in fevers, and other 
 disorders. Many a fine noble horse, has fal- 
 len a sacrifice to the ignorance of those who 
 have bled and doctored them ; when a know- 
 ledge of this important branch of farriery 
 might have saved and restored them to per- 
 fect health and soundness. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 Of the Running Thrush and Canker. 
 
 The Thrush is an huposthume that gath- 
 ers in the frogs of horses feet, and at times 
 becomes ulcerous, and discharges a foul 
 stinking humour. It often totally destroys 
 the whole frog, and causes it to decay, or rot 
 off; and will frequently cause the horse to 
 limp so much as to make it necessary to put 
 bar shoes upon him to guard the frogs and 
 
 heels. 
 
 I recollect some time past, that a Mr. Cle- 
 ments, who is said to be in possession of a 
 diploma from the Veterinary college, Lon- 
 don, observed in one of the courts of justice 
 in this city, (New York) that a horse never 
 went lame with the thrush in the frogs of his 
 feet ; and that a horse was never known to 
 die with the bots. So much for theory and 
 a diploma. If Mr. Clements had been in the 
 practice of shoeing horses for thirty years 
 and like myself, had shod many thousands 
 of horses, he would have known that a great 
 
152 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 number of horses limp in traveling, on ac- 
 count of the thrushes in the feet ; and that 
 they frequently die with the bots. A great 
 many theoretical authors like Mr: Clements 
 has recommended bar shoes to be put on the 
 feet, for the thrushes in the frogs, and say 
 that the bar which covers the heel of the 
 foot should rest on the frog. Reason and 
 common sense ought to teach us that this 
 theory is impracticable ; for how can the bar 
 of a shoe rest on the frog, when the whole of 
 the frog is destroyed, or rotted away with the 
 disease. The least pressure with the fin- 
 ger on the decayed part, will b e painful to 
 the horse and cause him to flinch. I write 
 upon the principles of long experience, and 
 not on the vision of theories and diplomas. 
 The object I have in view, is to prevent the 
 owners and lovers of horses from being im- 
 posed upon, and as they generally are, and 
 not for my own emolument or agrandizement. 
 As to horses dying with the bots, almost 
 every superanuated old woman knows that 
 the bots destroy numbers of fine horses. 
 But to return fo the subject of the horses 
 feet : when a horse is discovered to have a 
 violent running thrush in his feet, no attempt 
 should be made to put an immediate stop to 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 153 
 
 the discharge, because it is an effort in nature 
 to relieve itself from its infirmities. It is 
 supposed to originate from a disordered state 
 of the fluid system, and is an outlet of foul 
 matter, in order to renovate, or purify the 
 general mass of blood ; therefore no drying 
 washes should be applied before the horse 
 has been bled, and a purging ball given him ; 
 he should likewise have a few diuretic balls, 
 and the frogs should be daily washed clean 
 with castile soap and rainwater. When the 
 thrush has been long neglected, it is apt to 
 produce a canker ; in order to prevent which 
 the following wash should be applied. 
 
 Take spirits of wine and vinegar, of each 
 two ounces ; tincture of myrrh and aloes, 
 each one ounce ; segyptiacum, half an ounce ; 
 mix them together and buthe the frogs with it 
 twice a day. 
 
 If, after all that has been done, a canker 
 should take place, and the foot prove to be 
 rotten, apply strong oils, such as vitriol, aqua 
 fortis, and butter of antimony till the fungus 
 is destroyed. Apply this daily, and it will 
 keep down the rising flesh. A little fine 
 precipitate powders should be sprinkled over 
 the new grown flesh until the sole begins to 
 grow anew. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIIL 
 
 Of the diseases of the Feet, 
 
 The feet of horses are subject to a variety 
 of diseases, such as hoof bound, narrow heels, 
 and corns. Many of these complaints are 
 brought on by bad shoeing ; but there are 
 others which are natural, and often incurable. 
 It may naturally be supposed that no person 
 can be more capable of forming a correct and 
 proper judgment of the horses foot, than an 
 old and experienced shoeing smith ; and there 
 are a few such characters in this city, and 
 but few. The greater part of them have 
 never made the anatomy of the foot their 
 study. They are generally employed as jour- 
 neymen, and like birds of passage, are here 
 to-day and gone to-morrow. Talk to them of 
 the internal structure of the foot, of the coffin, 
 and coronet bones, and you will find them 
 entirely ignorant, and know no more about 
 the matter than the horse knows about them. 
 
 A horse may be said to be hoof bound 
 when his foot is contracted ; that is, too small 
 
156 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 in proportion to his body. The heels are 
 narrow, and drawn almost together. The 
 horny soal will be found to be exceeding hard 
 and dry. When this is the case, the hoofs 
 should be opened with the butteriss and draw- 
 ing knife ; but the points of the heels should 
 not be cut away. What is called the outer soal 
 of the foot, will often become bound, and so 
 constructed, that it will press on the inner 
 and fleshy soal, and cause lameness. When 
 this is the case, the foot should be stopped 
 with cow dung, or a poultice made of bran 
 and hog's lard, and bound on the foot. It has 
 been my opinion for many years, that oiling 
 the horse's feet is an erroneous practice and 
 ought not to be pursued, as it has a tendency 
 to stop the perspiration, or circulation of the 
 blood that is constantly moving through the 
 whole foot. The oil will likewise cause the 
 dust to adhere to the foot, and stick to it 
 like glue or paste, consequently the pores 
 must be closed. All that should be done is 
 to follow up nature as near as possible, and 
 apply remedies similar to those the feet would 
 partake of if the horse was out at pasture. 
 
 We never saw a tub of oil placed out in a 
 field for a horse to go and plunge his feet 
 into ; but supposing this to be the case, is it 
 reasonable to suppose that he would delib- 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 157 
 
 erately go and dip his feet in it ? certainly 
 not. I have known a horse's feet to be con- 
 stantly oiled with lamp oil, so that when he 
 had been newly shod, and the foot rasped 
 after shoeing, it had the appearance of an old 
 ruiity bar of iron. All that is requisite is to 
 stop the cavities of the feet with clay or cow 
 dung, three or four times a week when stand- 
 ing in the stable in perfect health. 
 
 Corns in the feet of horses are generally to 
 be found near the points of the heels of the 
 fore feet, which at times will cause a horse 
 to limp exceedingly ; and are very -painful 
 and tender. They often lay deep under the 
 sole of the foot, and should be drawn out or 
 opened with a razing iron. When this is 
 done, a little spirits of salts, or oil of vitriol 
 should be applied, and the foot stopped up 
 with tow or flax dipt in tar and hog's lard, 
 and kept in with splints under the shoe for 
 a few days ; then apply the cold stopping as 
 recommended before. It is often found 
 necessary to put on bar shoes, in order to 
 guard and protect the heels. Corns are often 
 brought on by improper shoeing, the shoe 
 being too weak ai the heals, and bearing too 
 hard on the points. See the chapter on 
 shoeing. 
 
 O 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Of Colds, 
 
 Horses, as well as human beings, are sub- 
 ject to colds. When a horse has taken a cold 
 he frequently coughs and appears dull and 
 heavy, more or less, according to the severity 
 of the cold. His eyes are at times moist and 
 watery. The kernels about the ears, and 
 under the jaws swell, and the nose gleets, 
 together with a rattling in breathing. When 
 the cold is violent, he will be feverish ; his 
 flanks work quick, loathe his food, and at 
 times, water. When these symptoms are 
 attended with a slimy mouth, ears and feet 
 cold, and great inward soreness, they are 
 evident symptoms of a bad fever. 
 
 When a horse is in perfect health, the pores 
 and outlets of his skin are constantly breath- 
 ing out a fine fluid steam, like that from hot 
 water, or smoke from a fire ; but when he 
 is in the state as before described, the pores 
 are closed or locked up ; the perspirable 
 matter has not a free passage, and are pre- 
 
160 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 vented from going off; they recoil on the 
 blood, vitiating its quality, and overflowing 
 the vessels ; affects the head glands, or ker- 
 nels of the neck and throat, and other princi- 
 pal parts of the constitution. But if the 
 horse coughs strong, snorts after it, loses but 
 little of his appetite, pricks up his ears, moves 
 freely in the stall, dungs and stales freely, and 
 his coat does not stare, there is little or no 
 danger to be apprehended ; he will require no 
 medicines. If he is strong, take about three 
 quarts of blood from him, and give him warm 
 messef) of shorts ; add an ounce of nitre to his 
 drink two or three times a day. If the disorder 
 should increase, the horse feel hot, and re- 
 fuse his feed, take again two quarts more of 
 blood, and give the following drink : 
 
 Infuse three ounces of aniseeds with two 
 drachms of saffron, in three half pints of 
 water : add to it four ounces of honey, to 
 which put four spoonsful of sweet oil. This 
 drink should be given every night. If the 
 horse be costive, his body should b e kept 
 open with emolient clysters, or cream of tar- 
 tar dissolved in his drink, and taken in quan- 
 tities of three or four ounces a day : or, take 
 the following excellent cordial ball, as recom- 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 161 
 
 mended by the celebrated Dr. Bracken, to 
 whom all lovers of horses are much indebted 
 for his works on Farriery. 
 
 Take aniseeds, carraway seeds, and the 
 greater cardimons, finely powdered, of each 
 two ounces ; flour of brimstone, two ounces ; 
 turmeric, powdered, one ounce and a half; 
 saffron, two drachms ; Spanish juice dissolv- 
 ed in water, two ounces; oil of aniseed, half 
 an ounce ; liquorice powder, one ounce and a 
 half; wheat flour and molasses sufficient to 
 make into a paste, give one ball a day, the 
 size of a pullet's tg^. This I think will have 
 the desired effect. 
 
 o2 
 
CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 Of a Broken Wind, 
 
 This disorder seems to be little under- 
 stood. Mr. Gibson, who had obtained as 
 much knowledge of horses, as most authors 
 who have treated on the subject, thought 
 that it was caused by injudicious, or hasty 
 feeding of horses when they are young. By 
 this means, the growth of the lunsrs, and all 
 the contents of the chest are so increased, 
 and in a few years become so enlarged as to 
 overfill the chest, and consequently leave 
 not room enough to expand themselves and 
 perform their ordinary functions. This cei- 
 tainly may be deemed sound reasoning ; for 
 a narrow constructed chest, with large lungs 
 may naturally be the cause of this disorder. 
 In the course of my practice, I have opened 
 several horses after they were dead, and found 
 the heart and lungs of more than natural 
 size. Horses rising eight years of age are 
 as liable to this distemper as at any period 
 of life. The reason why this disorder 
 
164 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 becomes more apparent at this age, is be- 
 cause the horse comes to his strength and 
 maturity. At six years he commonly fin- 
 ishes his growth in height, and lets down 
 his belly, and all his parts are grown to their 
 full extent ; so that the pressure on the lungs 
 and midriff are more increased. 
 
 The disproportion of the lungs have been 
 observed to be almost twice their natural 
 size, but perfectly secured, and without any 
 ulceration or defect in the windpipe, or glands : 
 It therefore appears that the enormous size 
 of the lungs and the space they occupy, by 
 preventing the free action of the midriff, is 
 the cause of this disorder ; and as the lungs 
 are thus enlarged, they must of course lose a 
 great deal of their spring and tone. 
 
 When we consider a broken wind in this 
 point of view, it must be said to rank among 
 the incurable diseases of horses ; and all 
 the boasted pretentions to cure are vain and 
 without foundation ; and can amount to no- 
 thing more than palliating the symptoms, and 
 mitigating their violence, so as to render 
 the horse as useful as possible under this 
 afflicting malady. It is generally the case, 
 before a broken wind appears, that the horse 
 has a dry, obstinate cough, without the ap- 
 
Carver^s Farrier* 165 
 
 pearance of sickness or the least symptoms 
 of his having lost his appetite ; but on the 
 contrary, he craves food, and will eat foul 
 litter, and drink a great deal of water. 
 
 When this is discovered to be the case 
 he should immediately be bled to the quan- 
 tity of three quarts, and a strong purging 
 ball should be given him, and repeated two 
 or three times. By this method, I believe 
 the disease may be prevented : at least my 
 experience has proved it to my satisfaction. 
 
 I wish to recommend the following balls 
 for the purpose : Take gum ammoniacum, 
 galbanum, and assafoetida, of each two oun- 
 ces ; squills, four ounces ; cinnabar of anti- 
 mony, six ounces; saffron, half an ounce; 
 make into balls with honey, and give the 
 quantity of a pullet's Q^g every morning. 
 
 Broken winded horses should have their hay 
 and oats sprinkled with chamber lie, or fair 
 water : and I have seen them greatly relieved 
 by being constantly fed on potatoes. Gar- 
 lick is likewise found to be of great assist- 
 ance to the wind. They should be carefully 
 fed and moderately exercised. 
 
 I recollect when I was a young man, to 
 have seen a singular experiment performed 
 on a mare, belonging to a gentleman who 
 
166 Carver'' s Farritr, 
 
 held her in high estimation. She was one 
 of the most beautiful creatures in creation 
 but was exceedingly broken winded. It 
 was the opinion of an old experienced far- 
 rier, that if the wind or air could be brought 
 off the lungs by any other conveyance than 
 by the nostrils or mouth, it would give relief 
 to the animal. Accordingly there was a 
 leaden pipe constructed of about twelve or 
 sixteen inches in length, very thin, and 
 about a half an inch in diameter ; atone end 
 of which it was turned over a little, so as to 
 form a foot, with small holes pinched round 
 so as to admit a needle. When every thing 
 was prepared and ready for the operation 
 the mare was thrown down, and the old doc- 
 tor made an incision just above the funda- 
 ment, so as to miss the gut called the rectum 
 through which the excrements pass from 
 the body. The leaden pipe was then intro- 
 duced, over the gut, and sewed in with a 
 strong double silk thread. This had the 
 desired affect : the air rushed back through 
 the pipe, and the animal could not be per- 
 ceived to be broken winded. I saw the 
 mare several years after, and she bore every 
 appearance of a sound horse. I should 
 like to try the experiment myself, for I must 
 
Carver'^ s Farrier. 167 
 
 acknowledge I have the greatest confidence 
 in its efficacy. The expenses are so tri- 
 fling, that it can be no object to the owner 
 of a fine horse to have the operation per- 
 formed. 
 
 It has been the opinion of many owners 
 of broken winded horses, that if they were 
 turned out to pasture, they would recover : 
 but experience has proved the contrary ; for 
 after their return to the stable and being 
 put on dry feed, they will be more than ever 
 oppressed with short breathing, for want of 
 that open air and moist feed which they ob- 
 tain while at pasture. In the spring of the 
 year the horse might have a few bunches of 
 green grass given him in the stable. The 
 following is an excellent drink for thick win- 
 ded horses : 
 
 Take of Barbadoes and common tar, two ta- 
 ble spoonsful, mixed with the yolk of an t^g ; 
 dissolve this in a pint of warm ale, and give 
 fasting two or three times a week, and par- 
 ticularly when the horse is going a journey. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVL 
 
 Of Surfeits i Hide-bound^ and Mange. 
 
 This is a disorder that horses are subject 
 to in all countries, when they are kept in a 
 domesticated state : it arises from different 
 causes, and is often brought on by some 
 old complaint that has not been properly 
 attended to and cured. A horse may be 
 known to be Surfeited when his coat stares 
 and he looks rusty and dirty, although care 
 may have been taken to keep him clean : — 
 the skin will be found to be full of scales 
 and dander, which lie thick among the hair, 
 and come on in succession until they form 
 little bunches over the body and limbs as 
 large as peas ; at other times there will be a 
 moisture, attended with great heat and in- 
 flammation, and will cause so violent an 
 itching as to make the horse rub himself 
 until he becomes raw ; he will have a very 
 unwholesome look, and it will cause him to 
 be dull, sluggish lazy, and hide bound. 
 Some horses appear lean, and have flying 
 
 P 
 
170 Carver'* s Farrier. 
 
 pains that will cause lameness, similar to 
 that occasioned by the rheumatism, with a 
 species of the scurvey ; when a horse is af- 
 flicted with this disorder he should be bled 
 two or three quarts, after which give the fol- 
 lowing ball : 
 
 Take of sucotrine aloes one ounce ; gum 
 guaiacum, half an ounce : diaphoretic anti- 
 mony, two drachms ; myrrh, two drachms, 
 and make them into a ball with molasses. 
 This ball should be repeated once a week 
 or at farthest every ten days, for some time ; 
 during the intervals give the alterative pow- 
 ders, as reccommended in the chapter on 
 alteratives. 
 
 When a horse is discovered to have the 
 Mange, his skin is tawney, thick and full of 
 wrinkles about the mane, the loins and the 
 tail ; and the little hair that remains, stands 
 almost straight up. The ears and eyebrows 
 are often quite naked : and when the limbs, 
 are attacked, it causes them to have the 
 same appearance, and they will feel hot and 
 inflamed. This distemper is contagious and 
 is frequently caught by infection. 
 
 I have known men who have taken care 
 of horses with the mange to have caught the 
 itch from them. This disorder is often con- 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 171 
 
 tracted by poverty, and low feeding. When 
 this is the case, the horse must be better 
 fed, in order to mend the blood, and the fol- 
 lowing ointments rubbed every day into the 
 parts affected. 
 
 Take powdered brimstone, train oil, and 
 tar, equal quantities, to which may be added 
 ginger, or white hellebor : or, take quicksil- 
 ver and oil of vitriol, of each one ounce ; hog's 
 lard, one pound ; sulphur of brimstone, four 
 ounces. At the time the horse is rubbed, 
 he should have two or three ounces of sul- 
 phur of brimstone given him in a day. 
 
 When a horse in labouring under this dis- 
 ease, by taking a microscope and looking at 
 him through it, you may discover a number of 
 small live insects in the pustules. 
 
 The following piece was published in this 
 city (New York) in the public newspapers 
 in July 1818. I have thought proper to 
 give it a place in thi s work for the benefit of 
 the public, as this may probably be the last 
 time they may hear from me on the subject 
 of that most excellent and noble animal the 
 horse ; wishing that my fellow beings called 
 man, may perform their duty through life as 
 well as the beautiful creature I have just 
 mentioned, and long admired, and endea- 
 
172 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 voured to relieve when in distress, and to 
 protest against the brutality of the worst of 
 all animals, Man, 
 
 It is a well known fact, that many coach- 
 men and grooms, who have the charge or 
 care of horses committed to them, are con- 
 tinually administering pernicious drugs, or 
 medicines, or, what is called spiceing horses, 
 wh?.ch has a tendency to inflame the blood 
 and ultimately destroyjthe constitution of 
 the horse. This treatment will cause them, 
 for a time, to grow fat, make them high spi- 
 rited, and the coat to look fine, but it often 
 happens, that the servants who have given 
 these medicines quit their places, and 
 their successors omit to continue them, the 
 consequence is — the horse falls off, loses 
 his appetite, and nothing can restore him to 
 his former state of health. He will appear 
 like a person that has been in the habit of 
 drinking ardent spirits. 
 
 When a veterinary surgeon is called on to 
 attend a horse in this situation, it baffles all 
 his experience to find out the horse's disorder 
 and the person who administerd these medi- 
 cines takes care to conceal from the farrier 
 the cause of the complaint. A large portion 
 of these drugs have lately been found con- 
 
Carvefs Farrier, 173 
 
 cealed in the stable of a gentleman of this 
 city. Many of the hackney masters have 
 suffered greatly by this practice ; and Mr. 
 Yates, Maidenlane, in particular, who gives 
 me the liberty of using his name. The late 
 Lord Pembroke, who was the admirer and 
 lover of the horse, and who studied the con- 
 stitution and economy of that noble animal, 
 remarked, that ''any gentleman who permit- 
 ed his groom to give his horses any thing but 
 gruel and mashes, would soon find himself 
 on foot." It is transportation, in England, 
 for any man to administer spice to a horse 
 belonging to another person. 
 
 It has been my intention for some time 
 past, to write something on this subject, that 
 the owners of horses might not be thus im- 
 posed upon. The public and my fellow citi- 
 zens at large, may rely with confidence that 
 I have stated truths. Facts are stubborn 
 things. 
 
 Great care and caution should be observed 
 by those who purchase horses from the hands 
 of persons called dealers, or horse-jockeys. 
 
 If gentlemen will take the trouble to go 
 into their stables at the time their horses are 
 feeding, they may discover by smelling their 
 
 2 p 
 
174 Carve fs Farrier* 
 
 breath or the mangers, whether they are 
 spiced or not. 
 
 I have introduced into this work, the ad- 
 vice of Dr. Bracken, to the purchasers of 
 horses, believing that few men have had a 
 better knowledge than him of the make or 
 formation of the horse. Here the reader 
 will find a description of the age of the horse, 
 by his teeth, together with references to the 
 plate for further information on the subject. 
 
 It is acknowledged by experienced shoe- 
 ing smiths in this city (andtherearebut few) 
 that the chapter on shoeing is perfectly cor- 
 rect, and the best that can be given on the 
 subject, and will stand the test of the strict- 
 est scrutiny of any college bred gentleman. 
 
 I perfectly agree with my friend Mr. James 
 Carver, veterinary surgeon, from the Farrier's 
 college at London, that the smiths called 
 horse shoers, are generally ignorant of their 
 business, in consequence of which they 
 ruin many thousands of fine horses in shoeing 
 them. They are so tenacious of their own 
 opinions, and so perverse, through ignorance 
 that they will not be taught. Since I have 
 given up the business of horse shoeing, I 
 have frequently, at the solicitation of gentle- 
 men, gone to smith's shops and shod their 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 175 
 
 horses, in order that they might travel sound. 
 In many instances of this kind I have endea- 
 voured to instruct smiths in the principles 
 of shoeing ; and this I have made as plain 
 and as clear as their understandings would 
 permit, or reason define ; but the next time 
 they attempted to shoe, they could not fol- 
 low the plan — they would still cut down the 
 heels, frogs, and bars of the feet, against 
 which I have so much protested. 
 
 Attempts have been made to establish a 
 Veterinary College in the United States, but 
 all to no purpose. An institution of this 
 kind could not fail to be of the utmost utility 
 and importance, in cultivating that valuable 
 science, veterinary surgery ; but at this time, 
 it appears to me impracticable. Mr. Carver, 
 some time since attempted to eftect ithe es- 
 tablishment of one in N. York, but failed in 
 the accomplishment of his object ; I presume 
 his son recollects the circumstances and the 
 futility of his efforts. 
 
 I have perused, with considerable interest, 
 Mr. James Carver's work on Farriery, and 
 am clearly of opinion that his doctrines are 
 sound. He reasons like a man of experience 
 and sound judgment. I should like to hold 
 a correspondence with him. His father and 
 
176 Carver* s Farrier, 
 
 myself were as intimate as brothers, and I 
 regret the loss of his friendship and associa- 
 tions. 
 
 In this edition as in the former one, I pre- 
 sume it will be found that I have used every 
 endeavour to simplify my doctrines, and 
 render them plain and comprehensive to the 
 most ordinary capacities. If I have commit- 
 ed any orthographical or grammatical errors, 
 or erred in any shape on the principles of 
 the veterinary art, or farriery ; I shall ever 
 be ready to retract those errors, and return 
 my sincere acknowledgements to those who 
 may point them out to me. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 Diseases of the Mouth and Tongue, 
 
 The present contagious disorder, that pre- 
 vails among horses in Pennsylvania, and 
 different parts of the United States, originates 
 from an inflammation of the lungs and throat, 
 attended with a violent fever, difficulty of 
 breathing and loss of appetite ; the head and 
 throat greatly swelled, the jaws stiffened, and 
 the tongue swelled, and looking like that of 
 a person having the yellow fever or the small > 
 pox, the pulse will beat fifty strokes a minute 
 instead of forty, as it should do in a state of 
 good health. I believe the cause of this 
 mortal disease originates from the feed that 
 horses eat, and not from the air, as some 
 physicians have imagined : there is an herb 
 or weed that grows in the fields with the 
 grass, called John's- wort, that is possessed 
 of a great quantity of mercurial properties ; 
 I have seen horses after they had eat it in the 
 fields or in their hay, almost salivated with 
 it ; their tongues have been greatly swollen. 
 
178 Carver'^ s Farrier, 
 
 and large quantities of slime, and water has 
 continued to run from their mouths for hours 
 after they had partook of it. 
 
 As soon as the horse is found to be attack- 
 ed with this disorder, no time should be lost 
 in attempting to give relief, to effect which, 
 four quarts of blood should be taken from 
 the jugular vein of the neck, and one quart 
 more the next day ; if the blood is found to 
 look black as on the first time of bleeding, 
 two quarts may be taken : in half an hour after 
 the horse has been bled the first time, give 
 him half a pint of the best castor oil, and 
 half a pint of sweet oil, two ouncees of bal- 
 sam of capivi, two ounces of sweet spirits 
 of nitre, mixed together in a bottle ; if the 
 mixture cannot be put down the throat, it 
 must be poured down the nostrils, the horse's 
 head being raised up ; and sweet oil should 
 be rubbed in all over the head and tliroat — 
 to make a gargle for the mouth and throat, 
 take half a pint of sweet oil, one pint of the 
 best vinegar, quarter of a pound of honey, 
 one ounce of alum finely powdered, simmer 
 them together over a slow fire, then make a 
 kind of a mop, of a sponge put on a stick, 
 and apply the mixture to the mouth and 
 tongue, letting it go down the throat as much 
 
Carver'^s Farrier. 179 
 
 as possible ; this should be done every hour. 
 In six hours after the foregoing drink has 
 been given, give the purgnig ball, as descri- 
 bed in chapter IL of this work, with the addi- 
 tion of twodrochmSof corrosive sublimate 
 powdered and mixed with the ball — if the 
 mouth is closed, dissolve the ball in a pint of 
 w^arm ale and give it as a drink ; repeated 
 clysters should be administered every hour, 
 two quarts at a time, composed of sweet or 
 linseed oil, molasses and warm water , three 
 or four rowels should be introduced, dipped in 
 ointment made of Venice turpentine, hog's 
 lard, and a small portion of Spanish flies, to 
 bring on a quick suppuration or discharge ; 
 at the same time, give the horse warm gruel 
 every hour. 
 
 The following remedy has proved very 
 successful in cases where the attack has not 
 been very severe : — give the horse one pint 
 of sweet oil and one pint of castor oil mixed 
 together, if it cannot be given down the 
 throat, owing to its being too much swollen 
 it must be poured down the nostrils, rais- 
 ing the head for that purpose, and w^arm 
 clysters should be given every hour made of 
 sweet oil, molasses, soft soap, and warm 
 water ; a large handful of squa root should 
 
180 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 be boiled in four quarts of water, until it is 
 reduced to three quarts, and then put in the 
 manger boiling hot, and the horse compelled 
 to hold his head over it; blood should not 
 be taken unless the pulse beats iifty strokes 
 a minute. A wash for the mouth should be 
 immediately made, composed of a pint of 
 sweet oil, a pint of strong vinegar, half a 
 pound of honey, two ounces of alum, and 
 two ounces of powdered nitre, and simmered 
 over a slow fire until they incorporate, when 
 a swab should be dipped in the mixture and 
 applied every hour to the mouth and throat. 
 Sv/eet oil is one of the best antidotes against 
 all kinds of poison, and poisonous insects; I 
 saved the life of a woman a short time past, 
 by pouring a gill of sweet oil down her throat 
 after she had taken a portion of oil of vitriol, 
 mistaking it for sweet spirits of nitre. The 
 owner of a fine horse lately gave him a pint 
 of spirits of turpentine, for the belly-ache, as 
 he supposed, (one half gill is enough for a 
 horse, mixed with other ingredients) I pour- 
 ed a pint of sweet oil down the horse's throat, 
 and he soon got well : if a wasp or hornet is 
 touched with a feather dipt in sweet oil, they 
 will immediately turn black and die ; there 
 is no doubt but it would destroy all kinds of 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 181 
 
 poisonous reptils, — I presume it would be 
 the bestremedy to apply to a wound occasion- 
 ed by the bite of a mad dog. I have shewn 
 the effects of this sovereign remedy in a few 
 instances, and could enumerate many more 
 that have come within my knowledge. 
 
 Q 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 
 Nicking^ Dockings and Cropping, 
 
 These are surgical operations, and require 
 both care and judgment in the performance. 
 Nicking is performed, by cutting asunder 
 the sinews that are on each side of the bottom 
 of the horse's tail, in three or four places, 
 leaving a space of about two or three inches 
 between each cut : but it should be observed, 
 not to make the first cut too nigh the funda- 
 ment, as there is most danger after the nick- 
 ing has been performed, and the blood stop- 
 ped for eight or ten hours. The wounds 
 should be dressed with drawing ointment, 
 such as basilicon, Sec. in order to bring on a 
 discharge or suppuration, of good thick white 
 matter ; but all horses should be physicked 
 and bled before nicking, to bring their blood 
 into a good state. It is not attended with 
 much difficulty to nick a horse, but it is 
 often attended with trouble to cure him. The 
 operator should always have the horse un- 
 der his own immediate care, and not suffer 
 
184 Carver's Farrier, 
 
 any one to meddle with the tail — as many 
 horses have died by the operation, although 
 they have been committed to the most ex- 
 perienced surgeons and farriers. When the 
 tail is put to the pulleys, the weights should 
 not he too heav}- — and the tail should be let 
 down about twice a day, and examined, to 
 see if it discharges properly; and, at the 
 same time, it should be washed wath cold 
 water, or sugar of lead water. The horse 
 should be kept on low diet, and exercised 
 once a day, and have nitre given him in his 
 messes or water. 
 
 Docking, is taking off part of a horse's 
 tail; which at times is performed, by laying 
 the tail on a block of wood, and striking it 
 off with a chissel — or by placing an axe, on 
 a block, and laying the tail on the edge of 
 the axe, and striking the tail with a maljet 
 — but this must both bruise and cut the tail 
 at the same time : but the best instrument 
 for the purpose is somewhat like a pair of 
 shears, with long handles, only the rivet is 
 at one end, and the knife falls into a groove. 
 When the amputation is performed, the tail 
 should be well held up, before the burning 
 iron is applied, which at times will cause the 
 horse to carry a good, or high tail, so that he 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 185 
 
 will not require nicking : it will be best to 
 keep the tail washed, a few days after dock- 
 ing, with cold water. If it should be found 
 difficult to stop the blood, although the tail 
 has been seared with the hot iron, with a 
 little powdered rosin melted on with the 
 burning iron, there may be strong twine 
 thread tied round tight, about an inch from 
 the end, but this must be taken off in a few 
 hours, or it will cause the tail to swell, and 
 be inflamed. 
 
 Cropping, is best performed with a pair 
 of irons, called cropping irons, as they will 
 best cause the ears to represent nature. 
 Young practitioners who have cropped horses, 
 have been alarmed to observe the outside 
 skin of the ear drop away from the gristle, 
 and likewise by the flowing of blood ; but 
 nature has constituted the blood as a balsam, 
 so that nothing should be applied after the 
 ears are taken off*, and the skin will return 
 to its proper place, without any further 
 trouble. 
 
 Notwithstanding I have given the preced- 
 ing advice, it has ever been my wish to pre- 
 serve the horse from the cruelty and barbari- 
 ty of man. The docking and nicking of 
 horses is a cruel practice, and ought to be 
 
 0.2 
 
186 Carve fs Farrier. 
 
 abandoned by the whole race of mankind. 
 The scriptures tell us that " a righteous man 
 regardeth the life of his beast ; but the ten- 
 der mercies of the wicked are cruel."— -Pro- 
 verbs xii. V. 10. Every human being, pos- 
 sessed of a feeling heart and magnanimous 
 mind, must confess that both the docking and 
 nicking of horses is cruel ; — but that crea- 
 ture called man, attempts thus to mend the 
 works of his almighty wise Creator, and in 
 the execution of which, he frequently spoils 
 and disfigures them. What is more beau- 
 tiful to the view, than to behold a fine horse 
 with an elegant long tail, and flowing mane 
 waving in the sports of the wind, and exhi- 
 biting itself in a perfect state of nature ? Be- 
 sides, our Creator has given them to the 
 horse for defence, as well as beauty. If the 
 poor animal was endowed with the power of 
 speech, he would say to his cruel oppressors, 
 *' why deprive me of the faculties with which 
 nature has gifted me ; — I could serve you 
 better with thanwithout them ; and by tak- 
 ing them from me, you pay but little regard 
 to my life and feelings ! O, cruel master! " 
 At times there is great danger in both 
 these operations ; — many fine horses have 
 died in consequence of them, setting aside 
 
Caf-ver^s Farrier. 187 
 
 the extreme pain the poor animal must en- 
 dure. 
 
 In the course of my practice I had one fine 
 horse that died by nicking, although every 
 care and attention was paid to effect his re- 
 covery ; and I have known many others to 
 die that had been nicked by able and experi- 
 enced farriers. 
 
 Two years ago, a gentleman placed under 
 my care a horse that had been docked by 
 a blacksmith who had permited the wound 
 close up without a suppuration being brought 
 on. This consequently produced a violent 
 fever ; his muscles became stiffned, and it 
 was with the utmost difficulty that he was 
 preserved from lock jaw. This was done by 
 bleeding, purging, clystering, and foment- 
 ing his loins with strong decoctions of 
 herbs, together with blisters and alterative 
 powders. At length, after much pains and 
 trouble, the horse recovered sufficiently to 
 be turned out to pasture, and was finally re- 
 stored to perfect health. 
 
 About twenty years ago, William Consta- 
 ble, esqr. arrived in this country, and 
 brought over with him several fine English 
 horses. He was much of a gentleman, and 
 the poor man's friend ; a lover and judge of 
 
188 Carver"* s Farrier, 
 
 horses. I attended several of his horses 
 under different complaints ; he always ap- 
 peared perfectly satisfied, and would insist 
 on paying me more than I demanded. He 
 once told me that he owned as fine a horse 
 as ever was mounted; and in hunting, he 
 would carry him over the highest five bar 
 gate, with ease ; but he thought the horse 
 did not carry so good a tail as he wished ; he 
 therefore had him nicked, and when the 
 horse got well, he could scarcely carry him 
 over two bars. Thus said he, I have spoil- 
 ed a fine horse, and no wonder, for it weak- 
 ened him in the loins. — So much for nicking 
 his horse. 
 
 A clergyman, a few miles from the town 
 I was born in, took his horse to a blacksmith 
 to have him docked, and held the horse by 
 the twitch while the animal was undergoing 
 the operation. Just at this time an old mil- 
 ler came in, and said, " why sir, has not the 
 Almighty made the horse good enough for 
 you, that you must alter him." The person 
 was struck with astonishment and made 
 no reply, and well he might. 
 
 The French and Russians never cut, 
 dock, nick, or crop their horses ; for they 
 say they will have none but whole horses. 
 
Carver* s Farrier. 189 
 
 This conduct redounds much to their honour 
 and humanity. 
 
 The reader must observe that I have 
 made these remarks contrary to my pecunia- 
 ry interest ; but I always, from my childhood^ 
 lovedand admired a horse, and if I can pre- 
 vent only one owner of a horse from perform- 
 ing this brutal practice on the aninal, my 
 wishes, in some measure, will be gratified. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 ADVICE TO PURCHASERS OF HORSES. 
 
 [BY DR. BRACKEN.] 
 
 Nothing is more true than the common 
 observation, that in the art of horsmanship, 
 the most difficult part is that of giving proper 
 directions for the purchasing a horse free of 
 fault and blemish. The deceptions in this 
 branch of traffic being looked on in a less 
 fraudulent light than they seem to deserve, 
 and of consequence are more frequently prac- 
 tised. It shall therefore be my business in 
 the following brief remarks, to shew, in the 
 best manner I am able, the imperfections, 
 which, from either nature or mischance, 
 every horse is liable to. 
 
 In the Stable,"] See the horse you are about 
 to purchase in the stable, without any person 
 being in the stall with him ; and if he has 
 any complaint in his legs he will soon show 
 
192 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 it, by altering the situation of them, taking 
 up one and setting down the other; and this 
 denotes his being foundered or overworked. 
 
 On ordering him out, let no one be the 
 last in the stable but yourself; you should 
 also, if possible, be the first in, lest the 
 owner, or some of his quick emissaries, take 
 an opportunity to fig him; a practice com- 
 mon among dealers, in order to make the 
 tail shew as if carried very high, when, in 
 reality, the day after, he will in appearance 
 be five pounds worse. 
 
 I'he Eyes*'] This is the proper time to 
 examine his eyes, which may be done in a 
 dark stable with a candle, or rather in the 
 day-time when he is led from the stall ; cause 
 the man who leads him to stop at the stable 
 door just as his head peeps out, and all his 
 body is still within. If the white of the eye 
 appears reddish at the bottom, or of a colour 
 like a withered leaf, I would not advise you 
 to purchase him. A moon-eyed horse is 
 known by his weeping, and keeping his eyes 
 almost shut at the beginning of the distem- 
 per : as the moon changes, he gradually reco- 
 vers his sight, and in a fortnight or three 
 weeks sees as well as before he had the dis- 
 order. Dealers, when they have such a 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 193 
 
 horse to sell, at the time of his weeping, 
 always tell you that he has got a bit of straw 
 or hay in his eye, or that he has received 
 some blow : they also take care to w^ipe away 
 the humour, to prevent its being seen ; but 
 a man should trust only himself in buying of 
 horses, and above all be very exact in examin- 
 ing the eyes : in this he must have regard to 
 time and place v/here he makes the axamina- 
 tion. Bad eyes may appear good in winter, 
 when snow is upon the ground ; and often 
 good ones appear bad, according to the posi- 
 tion of the horse. Never examine a horse \«) 
 eyes by the side of a white wall, where the 
 dealers always choose to shew one that is 
 moon-eyed. 
 
 The moon-eyed horse has always one eye 
 bigger than the other, and above his lids 
 you may generally discover wrinkles or 
 circles. 
 
 If you observe a fleshy excrescence that 
 proceeds from the corner of the eye, and 
 covers a part of the pupil, and is in shape 
 almost like the beard of an oyster, though 
 seemingly a matter of no great consequence, 
 yet it is what I call a witlow in the eye, and 
 if suffered to grow, it draws away a part of 
 the nourishment of the eye, and sometimes 
 
 R 
 
194 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 occasions a total privation of sight. On the 
 contrary, if the eyes are round, big, black 
 and shining ; if the black of the eye fill the 
 pit, or outward circumference, so that in 
 moving very little of the white appeareth, 
 they are signs of goodness and mettle. The 
 eye which in general is esteemed the best, 
 is that which is neither small nor large ; but 
 be sure to observe that the crystaline Ibe 
 thoroughly transparent, for without that, no 
 kind of eye can be said to be good. 
 
 Countenance, '\ After having carefully satis- 
 fied yourself as to his eyes, let him be 
 brought out, and have him stand naked be- 
 fore you; then take a strict view of his coun- 
 tenance, particularly with regard to the 
 cheerfulness of it, this being an excellent 
 glass to observe his goodness and best per- 
 fections. Be careful you are not deceived 
 by the marks in his face, as frequently a 
 goodlooking star is made of cat's skin. If 
 his ears be small, sharp, short, pricked, and 
 moving ; or if they are long, but^et well set 
 on, and well carried, it is a mark of good- 
 ness ; if they are thick, laved, or lolling, 
 ^vide set, and unomoving, they are signs of 
 dullness and of an evil nature. 
 A lean forehead, swelling outward, the mark 
 
Carver'^s Farrier. 195 
 
 or feather in his face set high, with a white 
 star or ratch of an indifferent size and even 
 placed, or a white snip on the nose or lip, 
 they are all marks of beauty and goodness : 
 on the contrary, a fat, cloudy, or frowning 
 countenance, the mark in his face standing 
 low, as under his eyes, if his star or ratch 
 stand away, and instead of a snip his nose 
 be raw and unhairy, or his face generally 
 bald, they are signs of deformity. 
 
 Strangl€s.'\ Handle his cheeks, or chaps, 
 and if you find the bones lean and thin, the 
 space wide between them, the thropple or 
 windpipe as big as you can gripe, and the 
 void place without knots or kernels, and the 
 jaws so great that the neck seemeth to couch 
 within them, they are all signs of great 
 wind, courage, soundness of head and body ; 
 on the contrary, if the chaps are fat and 
 thick, the space between them closed up 
 with gross substance, and the thropple little 
 they are signs of short wind and much in- 
 ward foulness. Should the void place be 
 full of knots and kernels, beware of the 
 strangles or glanders, the former of which 
 may be easily discovered by a swelling be- 
 tween the two nether jaw-bones, which dis- 
 charges a white matter. This disorder 
 
196 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 usually appears at about three, four or five 
 years old; there is no young horse but 
 what is subject to it, either perfectly or im- 
 perfectly : there is also a disorder which is 
 called the bastard strangles, which appear 
 sometimes like, and sometimes different 
 from the true strangles. The bastard stran- 
 gles are what prove the horse has not thrown 
 ofPhis true strangles, but that some foul hu- 
 mours arestill left behind ; this disorder may 
 come at four, five, six or even seven years 
 of age. A continual lans"our at work, and 
 seemingly perpetually weary, without any 
 visible ailment, is a certain sign that he is 
 not clear of this disorder, which sometimes 
 will affect the foot, the leg, the ham, the 
 haunch, the shoulder, the breast or the eye, 
 and without care in this latter case, may 
 corrupt the pupil of the eye, as the small 
 pox does in men. 
 
 MorJoundering~\ There is also another 
 disorder, much like the strangles, which is 
 called Morfoundering, and appears by a run- 
 ning at the nose ; but the swelling under 
 the jaws is less. 
 
 Glanders.'] The glanders are discovered 
 by a running at the nose, either on the one 
 side or the other : Feel if he has any flat 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 197 
 
 glands fastened to the nether jaw, which 
 give him pain when you press -them ; and 
 remember that a running at one nostril is 
 worse than at both. 
 
 Fives »'] When the jaws are strait so that 
 the neck swelleth above them, it is a sign 
 of short wind ; but if the swelling belong, 
 and close by his chaps, like a whetstone, 
 then be sure he has the vives, which is a 
 distemper most frequent in high mountain- 
 ous countries, especially to horses that are 
 not used to the crudities produced in the 
 stomach by the spring and fountain waters 
 that rise in- hilly grounds ; standing waters, 
 or those of very little current, are the least 
 dangerous, and seldom cause the vives ; but 
 very deep wells are bad. 
 
 J^ostrils.'] If his nostrils be open, dry, 
 wide, and large, so as upon any straining 
 the inward redness is discovered; if his muz- 
 zle be small, his mouth deep, and his lips 
 equally meeting, they are signs of health and 
 wind : but should his nostrils be strait, his 
 wind is then little. Should you find the muz- 
 zle to be gross, his spirit will be dull. 
 
 If his mouth be shallow, he will never carry 
 the bit well ; and if his upper will not reach 
 
 r2 
 
198 Carver'' s Farrier. 
 
 his under lip, old age and infirmity mark his 
 or carrion. 
 
 ^ge.2 Respecting the age of a horse that 
 is fit for work, he should have forty teeth : 
 twenty, four grinders, which teach us noth- 
 ing ; and sixteen others, which have their 
 names, and discover his age. As mares 
 usually have no tusks, their teeth are only 
 thirty six. A colt is foaled without teeth ; 
 in a few days be puts out four, which are 
 called pincers, or nippers ; soon after appear 
 the four separators, next to the pincers : it is 
 sometimes three or four months before the 
 next, called corner teeth, push forth. These 
 twelve colt's teeth, in the front of the mouth, 
 continue without alteration, till the colt is 
 two years, or two years and a half old, which 
 makes it difficult, without great care, to avoid 
 being imposed on during that interval, if the 
 seller finds it is his interest to make the colt 
 pass for either younger or older than he really 
 is ; the only rule you have then to judge by 
 is his coat, and the hairs of his main and tail. 
 A colt of one year has a supple, rough coat, 
 resembling that of a water spaniel, and the 
 hair of his main and tail feels like flax, and 
 hangs like a rope untwisted ; whereas a colt 
 of two years has a flat coat, and strait hairs, 
 like a grown horse. 
 
Carver'* s Farrier. 199 
 
 At about two years and a half old, some- 
 times sooner, sometimes later, according as 
 he has been fed, a horse begins to change 
 his teeth. The pincers, which come the 
 first, are also the first that fall ; so that at 
 three years he has four horse's, and eight 
 colt's teeth, which are easily known apart 
 the former being larger, flatter, and yellower 
 than the other, and streaked from the end 
 quite into the gums. 
 
 These four horse pincers have, in the mid- 
 dle of their extremities, a black hole, very 
 deep ; whereas those of the colt are round 
 and white. When the horse is coming four 
 years old, he loses his four separators, or 
 middle teeth, and puts forth four others, 
 which follow the same rule as the pincers. 
 He has now eight horse's teeth and four 
 colt's. At five years old he sheds the four 
 comor, which are his last colt's teeth, and 
 is called a horse. 
 
 During this year also, his four tusks 
 (which are chiefly peculiar to horses) come 
 behind the others ; the lower ones often 
 four months before the upper ; but whatever 
 may be vulgarly thought, a horse that has 
 the two lower tusks, if he has not the upper 
 may be judged to be under five years old, 
 unless the other teeth show the contrary ; 
 
200 , Carver^s Farrier* 
 
 for some horses that live to be very old, 
 never have any upper tusks at all. The two 
 lower tusks are one of the most ceriain rules 
 that a horse is coming five years old, not- 
 withstanding his colt's teeth may not be 
 all gone. 
 
 Jockies and breeders, in order to make 
 their colts seem five years old when they are 
 but four, pull out their last colt's teeth ; but 
 if all the colt's teeth are gone, and no tusk 
 appear, you may be certain this trick has 
 been played ; another artifice they use, is to 
 beat the bars every day with a wooden mal- 
 let, in the place where the tusks are to ap- 
 pear, in order to make them seem hard, as 
 if the tusks were just ready to cut. 
 
 When a horse is coming six years old, the 
 two lower pincers fill up, and instead of the 
 holes above-mentioned, show only a black 
 spot. Betwixt six and seven the two middle 
 teeth fill up in the same manner ; and be- 
 tween seven and eight the corner teeth do 
 the like ; after which it is said to be impos- 
 sible to know certainly the age of a horse, 
 he having no longer any mark in the mouth. 
 
 You can indeed only have recourse to the 
 tusks, and the situation of the teeth, of 
 which I shall now speak. 
 
Carver'* s Farrier, 201 
 
 For the tusks you must with your finger 
 feel the inside of them from the point quite 
 to the gum. If the tusk be pointed flat, 
 and has two little channels within side, you 
 may be certain the horse is not old, and at 
 the utmost only coming ten. Between ele- 
 ven and twelve the two channels are redu- 
 ced to one, which after twelve is quite gone 
 and the tusks are as round within as they 
 are without ; yuu have no guide then but 
 the situation of the teeth. The longest 
 teeth are not always a sign of the greatest 
 age, but their hanging over and pushing for- 
 ward, as their meeting perpendicularly, is a 
 certain token of youth. 
 
 Many persons whilst they see certain little 
 holes in the middle of the teeth, imagine 
 that such horses are but in their seventh 
 year, without regard to the situation the 
 teeth take as they grow old. 
 
 When horses are young their teeth meet 
 perpendicularly, but grow longer and push 
 forward with age ; besides, the mouth of a 
 young horse is very fleshy within the palate 
 and his lips are firm and hard : on the con- 
 trary, the inside of an old horse's mouth, is 
 lean both above and below, and seems to 
 have only the skin upon the bones. The 
 
202 Carver'^s Farrier. 
 
 lips are soft and easy to turn up with the 
 hand 
 
 All horses are marked in the same man- 
 ner, but some naturally, and others artificially 
 The natural mark is called Begne ; and some 
 ignorant persons imagine such horses are 
 marked all their lives, because for many 
 years they find a little hole, or a kind of 
 void in the middle of the separators and cor- 
 ner teeth. But when the tusks are grown 
 round, as well within as without and the 
 teeth point forward, there is room to con- 
 jecture, in proportion as they advance from 
 year to year, what the horse's age may be 
 without regarding, the cavity above men- 
 tioned. 
 
 The artificial manner is made use of by 
 dealers and jockies, who mark their horses 
 after the age of being known, to make them 
 appear only six or seven years old. They 
 do it in this manner : They throw down the 
 horse to have him more at command, and 
 with a steel graver, like what is used for 
 ivory, hollow the middle teeth a little, and 
 the corner ones somewhat more ; then fill 
 the holes with a little rosin, pitch, sulphur, 
 or some grains of wheat, which they burn 
 in with a bit of hot wire, made in proportion 
 
Carver^s Farrier. 203 
 
 to the hole. This operation they repeat 
 from time to time till they give the whole 
 a lasting black, in imitation of nature ; but 
 in spite of all they can do, the hot iron 
 makes a little yellowish circle round these 
 holes, like what it would leave upon ivory ; 
 they have therefore another trick to prevent 
 detection ; which is, to make the horse foam 
 from time to time, after having rubbed his 
 mouth, lips and gums with salt, and the 
 crumb of bread dried and powdered with 
 salt. This foam hides the circle made by 
 the iron. 
 
 Another thing they cannot do, is to coun- 
 terfeit young tusks, it being out of their 
 power to make those two crannies above 
 mentioned, which are given by nature. 
 With files they may make them sharper or 
 flatter ; but when they take away the shin- 
 ing natural enamel ; so that one may always 
 know by these tusks, horses that are past 
 seven, till they come to twelve or thirteen. 
 As the defects of the mouth may destroy 
 a horse without any distemper, I shall here 
 just describe the barbs, the lampas, gigs 
 upon the lips, and gag-teeth. 
 
 Barbs ] For the barbs look under his tongue 
 and see if he has not two fleshy excrescences 
 
204 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 on the under palate, like little bladders. It 
 seems to be a mere trifle ; but these however 
 will hinder a horse from drinking as usual ; 
 and if he does not drink freely, he eats the 
 less, and languishes from day to day, per- 
 haps without anyone's taking notice of it. 
 
 Lampas,'\ The lampas is known by open- 
 ing the horse's mouth and looking at his 
 upper palate, to see if the flesh comes down 
 below the inner teeth. This gives him pain 
 in eating his oats, and even his hay, when 
 it is too harsh, though he can very well man- 
 age bran, grass or kind hay. 
 
 Gigs upon the lips,~\ When you have looked 
 into the horses mouth, without finding either 
 of the two disorders above, turn up his lips 
 both upper and under, and perhaps you may 
 find several small elevations, like little white 
 blisters, which make the inside of the lip 
 uneven. This defect may be felt with the 
 finger, and is what hinders horses from eat- 
 ing as usual ; and this is what is called gigs 
 upon the lips. 
 
 Gag teeth~] Gag teeth are a defect that 
 rarely happens to young horses ; and are to 
 be discovered by putting the colt's foot into 
 the mouth, and looking at the large grinders 
 which, in this case, appear unequal, and in 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 205 
 
 eating catch hold of the inside of the cheeks 
 causing great pain, and making them refuse 
 their food. 
 
 His breast.'] From his head look down to 
 his breast, and see that it be broad, out swell- 
 ing and adorned with many fea tures ; for 
 this shows strength. The little or small 
 breast shows weakness ; as a horse with a 
 narrow one is apt to stumble. 
 
 The Articor or Anticoxv.'] Put your hand be- 
 tween his fore legs, and feel if he has a swell- 
 ing there from the sheath quite up between 
 the fore legs : such a swelling is called the 
 Anticor, or Anticow, and is mortal to horses 
 if they are not soon relieved. It proceeds 
 from different causes viz. the remains of an 
 old distemper which was never perfectly 
 cured, or after which the horse was too soon 
 put to labo^ir, from too much heat, con- 
 tracted in the stable, by being kept up ^ 
 longtime without airing, or from having lost 
 "loo large a quantity of blood in what part 
 soever the vein was opened. When you 
 touch a swelling of this kind, the impres- 
 sions of the fingers remain for some time 
 as if you had made them in a bit of puff 
 paste, filling up again by degrees, as the 
 paste would rise. This swelling contains 
 
 S 
 
206 Ca?'ver''s Farrier, 
 
 bloody water, that insinuates between the 
 flesh and the skin, and proves that all the 
 blood in the veins is corrupted. 
 
 His Thighs ana Legs.l From thence look 
 down his elbow to his knee, and see that 
 the fore thighs be rush grown, well horned 
 within, sinewed, fleshy, and out-swelling ; 
 those being signs of strength, as the contra- 
 ry of weakness. If his knees bear a propor- 
 tion to each other, be lean, sinewy, and close 
 knit they are good ; but if one is bigger or 
 rounder than the other, the horse has receiv- 
 ed mischief ; if they are gross, he is gouty ; 
 and if he has scars, or the hair be broken, 
 beware of a stumbling jade, and perpetual 
 faller. 
 
 Splents,'] From his knees look down his 
 legs to his pasterns, and if you find them 
 clean, lean, flat, sinewy, and the inward 
 bought of his knee without seams, or hair 
 broken,' it shews a good shape and soundness ; 
 but if on the inside of the leg you find hard 
 knots, they are splents, of which there are 
 three sorts. The simple splent, which ap- 
 pears within the leg under the knee, remote 
 from the great nerve and the joint of the 
 knee, ought not to hinder a man from buying 
 a good horse, for it gives him no pain, is 
 
Carver's Farrier. 207 
 
 only disagreeable to the sight, and goes away 
 in time of itself. All the three sorts of splents 
 are known by the same rule ; for whenever 
 you see a tumour upon the flat of the leg, 
 whether within or without, if it be inider the 
 knee, and appears hard to the touch, it is a 
 splent ; and when it is situated as above des- 
 cribed, it signifies nothing ; but w^hen it 
 comes upon the joint of the knee, without 
 any interval, it loses the name of splent, and 
 may be called a fusee : it then, as one may 
 easily concieve, makes the leg of a horse stiff, 
 and hinders him from bending his knee; 
 consequently it obliges him to stumble, and 
 even fall, and after a violent exercise makes 
 him lame. Rest alone cures the lameness, 
 but not the fusee. 
 
 The third kind of splent, whether within 
 or without, is when you feel it between the 
 nerve and the bone, and sometimes even at 
 the end of the nerve ; this is called a nervous 
 splent, and is the worst of all the kinds ; be- 
 sides that, the horse is never here so firm 
 footed, but that he limps at every little de- 
 gree of labour. The French reject every 
 horse that has a splent, very often without 
 knowing how to distinguish them ; and one 
 that has only a simple splent, is as bad in 
 
208 Carver'^s Farrier, ' 
 
 their eyes as one that has the other sort ; but 
 a simple splent always goes away of itself by 
 the time a horse is eight or nine years old. 
 
 Oss€letsr\ There are also three kinds of 
 osselets, which are of the same nature as 
 splents, and some persons take them for the 
 same thing ; but there is this difference, how- 
 ever between them, that splents come near 
 the knees, and osselets near the fetlocks. 
 Their seat is indifferently within or without 
 the leg. 
 
 The first is the simple osselet, which does 
 not grow near the joint of the fetlock or the 
 nerve. 
 
 This need not hinder a man from buying 
 a horse, because it puts him to no inconve- 
 nience and very often goes away of itself 
 without a remedy. The second is that which 
 descends into the fetlock, and hinders the 
 motion of that joint : this occasions a horse 
 to stumble and fall, and with a very little 
 w^ork to become lame. The third has its 
 seat between the bone and the nerve; and 
 sometimes upon the nerve ; it so much in- 
 commodes a horse, that he cannot stand firm, 
 but limps on every little occasion. 
 
 fFindgalls.'] There are also three kinds of 
 windgalls, which appear ^o the eye much like 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 209 
 
 osselets, but are not however, just in the 
 same places ; nor do they feel like them ; for 
 osselets are hard; but windgalls give way to 
 the touch. Some horses are more liable to 
 these than others, and that for several reasons. 
 Some proceed from old worn-out sires, and 
 others by being worked too young. A simple 
 windgall is a little tumour, between the skin 
 and the flesh, round the fetlocks. When it 
 appears at a good distance from the large 
 nerve, it does not lame the horse ; and if he 
 has but age on his side, that is, be under ten 
 years old at most, he will be nearly as useful 
 as before, provided the work you put him to 
 be not of the most laborious kind ; however, 
 a horse is much better without than with 
 even this sort of simple windgall, which con- 
 sists of thin skins, full of red liquid, and soft 
 to the touch. The nervous windgall answers 
 the same description, only, as the simple one 
 comes upon the fetlock, or a little above it, 
 upon the leg bone, in the very place of osse- 
 lets ; nervous ones come behind the fetlock, 
 upon the great nerve which makes them of 
 worse consequence, for they never fail to 
 lame a horse after much fatigue. These 
 windgalls may happen upon any of the legs ; 
 but some of them are more dangerous than 
 
 s2 
 
210 Carver^ $ Farrier, 
 
 others, in porportion as they press the nerve, 
 and are capable of laming the horse ; and 
 take notice, by the way, that windgalls are 
 more troublesome in summer than in winter, 
 especially in very hot weather, when the 
 pores are all open. The third is the bloated 
 windgall, and is of the worst sort, Avhen they 
 come over the hind part of the fetlock, be- 
 tween the bone and the large nerve, and 
 make the horse so lame at every little thing 
 he does, that he can scarce set his foot on 
 the ground. They appear on both sides of 
 the leg, without as well as within ; and when 
 you touch them with your hand, or finger, 
 they feel like a pig's or cow's bladder full of 
 wind. If under his knees there are scabs on 
 the inside, it is the speedy or swift cut, and 
 in that case he will but ill endure gallopping ; 
 if above the pasterns on the inside you find 
 scabs, it shows interfering ; but if the scabs 
 be generally over his legs, it is either occa- 
 sioned by foul keeping, or a spice of the 
 mange. 
 
 Pastern,'] Take care that the pastern joint 
 be clear and well knit together, and that 
 the pastern be strong, short, and upright; 
 for if the first be big, or swelled, beware or 
 sinew strains ; if the other be long, weak of 
 
Carver'* s Farrier, 211 
 
 bending, the limbs will be hardly able to 
 carry the body without tiring 
 
 HoofsJ] The hoofs should be black, smooth 
 and tough, rather long than round ; deep, 
 hollow, and full sounding ; for white hoofs 
 are tender, and carry a shoe ill ; and a brittle 
 hoof will carry no shoe at all : A flat hoof, 
 that is pumiced, shows foundering ; and a 
 hoof empty and hollow sounding, shows a 
 decayed inward part, by reason of some 
 wound or dry founder. If the hair lie smooth 
 and close about the crown of the hoof, and 
 the flesh flat and even, then all is perfect ; 
 but should the hair be there rough, the skin 
 scabbed, and the flesh rising, you may then 
 be apprehensive of a ring bone, a crown 
 scab, or a quitter bone. 
 
 Circled Fe€t,~\ Circled feet are very easy 
 to be known : they are when you see little 
 excressences round the hoof, which inclose 
 the foot, and appear like so many small cir- 
 cles. Dealers who have such horses, never 
 fail to rasp round the hoofs, in order to make 
 them smooth ; and to conceal the rasping 
 when they are to show them for sale, they 
 black the hoofs all over ; for without that 
 one may easily perceive what has been done ; 
 and seeing the mark of the rasp is a proof 
 
212 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 that the horse is subject to this accident. 
 As to the cause, it proceeds from the re- 
 mains of an old distemper, or from having 
 been foundered, and the disease been cured 
 without care being taken of the feet, where- 
 upon the circulation of the blood not being 
 regularly made, especially round the crown 
 between the hair and the horn, the part lo- 
 ses its nourishment, and contracts or enlar- 
 ges itself in proportion as the horse is worked. 
 If these circles were only on the surface, the 
 jockies' method of rasping them down would 
 then be good for nothing ; but they form 
 themselves also within the feet, as well as 
 without, and consequently press on the sen- 
 sible part, and make a horse limp with ever 
 so little labour. One may justly compare a 
 horse in this situation, to a man that has 
 corns on his feet, and yet is obliged to walk 
 a long way on shoes that are too tight and 
 stubborn. A horse therefore is worth a 
 great deal less on this account. 
 
 Bow-legged.'] After having well examined 
 the feet, stand about three paces from his 
 shoulders and look carefully that he is not 
 bowlegged, which proceeds from two differ- 
 ent causes ; first from nature, when a horse 
 has been got by a worn-out stallion ; and 
 
Carvers Farrier, 213 
 
 secondly, from his having been worked too 
 young ; neither in the one case nor the other 
 is the horse of much value, because he can 
 never be surefooted ; it is also a disagreea- 
 ble sight, if his knees point forwards, and 
 his legs turn in under him, so that the 
 knees come much further out than the feet. 
 This is what is called a bow-legged horse 
 and such a one ought to be rejected for any 
 service whatsoever, as he never can stand 
 firm on his legs ; and how handsome soever 
 he may otherwise be, he should on no ac- 
 count be used for a stallion, because all his 
 progeny will have the same deformity. 
 
 Head,'] Then stand by his side and take 
 particular notice that his head be well set on 
 for if thick set, be assured it will cause him 
 to toss up his nose for want of wind, which 
 causes a horse to carry his head disagreeably 
 high, and occasions a ticklish mouth. 
 
 JVeck,'] His neck should be small at the 
 setting on of his head, growing deeper to 
 the shoulders, with a high, strong and thin 
 mane ; long, soft, and somewhat curling ; 
 those being beautiful characters ; on the con- 
 trary, a head ill set on is a great deformity. 
 
 Pole-evil,'] To have a large bigness or 
 swelling in the nape of the neck, shows the 
 
214 Carver'* s Farrier. 
 
 pole-evil. To have a short thick neck like a 
 bull, to have it falling in the withers to 
 have a low, weak, thick, or falling crest, 
 shows want of strenp-th and mettle. 
 
 The Mane.'\ Much hair on the mane shows 
 dulness, as too thin shows fury ; and to have 
 none, or shed, shows the worm in it, the 
 itch, or manginess. 
 
 The Shoulders,'] In showing a horse, a 
 dealer or jockey will generally place him 
 with his four feet on a higher ground than 
 his hind ones, in order that the shoulder 
 may appear further in his back, and make 
 him higher in sight than he really is ; but 
 be sure to cause him to be led on level ground 
 and see that his shoulders lie well into his 
 back ; for an upwright shouldered horse car- 
 ries his weight too forward, which is disa- 
 greeable and unsafe to the rider. Have his 
 fore legs stand even, and you will then have 
 it in your power to judge of his shoulders. 
 If you do not observe this, the dealer will 
 contrive that his near leg stand before the 
 other, as the shoulders in that position ap- 
 pear to lie further in the back. If his knees 
 stand nearly close, and his toes quite in a 
 line, not turning in, nor turnig out, be assu- 
 red he will not cut ; if he takes his legs up 
 
Carver'' s Farrier^ 215 
 
 a moderate heigth, and neither clambers nor 
 yet goes too near the ground he will most 
 likely answer your purpose. 
 
 Back^ Body, £9V.] Observe that the chine 
 of his back be broad, even and straight, his 
 ribs well compassed, and bending outward, 
 his fillets upright, strong, short, and above 
 an handful between his last rib and his buc- 
 kle bone ; his belly should be well let down 
 yet hidden within his ribs, and his testicles 
 close thrust up to his body, those being 
 marks of health and goodness. Be careful 
 in observing that he has no swelling \v: his 
 testicles, a disorder that usually proceeds 
 either from some strain in workins: or from 
 the horse's having continued too long in the 
 stable, or from his putting one leg, over any 
 bar, and being checked by the halter, or, in a 
 word, from any other accident that confines a 
 horse, makes him kick or fiing, and bruise 
 his cods and there is no other wav of know- 
 ing this distemper, but by some outward 
 swelling upon the part. 
 
 The comingdownof the testicles proceeds 
 from the same causes, with this difference 
 only, that it is a long time discovering itself; 
 whereas the other may come in one night. 
 If his chine be narrow, he will never carry 
 
216 Carver'' s Farrier, 
 
 a saddle well ; and to have it bending or 
 saddle backed, shows weakness. If his ribs 
 be flat, there is but small liberty for wind. 
 Should his fillets hang low, or weak, he will 
 never climb a hill, or carry a burden well. 
 A belly that is clung up, or gaunt, and tes- 
 ticles hanging down loose, are signs of sick- 
 ness, tenderness, foundering in the body : 
 and unaptness for labour. His buttocks 
 should be round, plump, full, and in an even 
 level with his body. The narrow, pin but- 
 tock, the hog or swine rump, and the falling 
 and down let buttock, show an injury in 
 nature. The horse that is deep in his girth- 
 ing place, is generally of great strength. 
 His hinder thighs, or gastains, should be 
 well let down, even to the middle joint, thick, 
 brawny, full and swelling, this being a great 
 sign of strength and goodness ; lank and slen- 
 der thighs show disability and weakness. 
 From the thigh bone to the hock it should 
 be pretty long, but short from the hock to 
 the pastern. Observe the middle joint be- 
 hind, and if it be nothing but skin and bone, 
 veins and sinews, rather a little bending than 
 too straight, it is perfect as it should be ; on 
 the contrary, should it have chaps or sores on 
 the inward bought, or bending, it is a sal- 
 lender. 
 
Carver'* s Farrier. 217 
 
 Spavins.'] Should the joint be generally 
 swelled all over, he must have had a blow 
 or bruise ; if in any particular part, as in the 
 pot, or hollow part, or on the inside, the 
 vein full and proud, and the swelling soft, 
 it is a blood spavin. You cannot therefore 
 take too much care in examining the houghs 
 of delicate horses, for let the swelling appear 
 ever so small upon the flat of the lower part 
 of the hough, within side, though the horse 
 may not limp, you ought to be apprehensive 
 that in time and with but little labour, the 
 spavin will increase on him. 
 
 The fat spavin comes almost in the same 
 place as the other, but is larger. 
 
 A third kind is the ox spavin ; and this is 
 thought the worst of the three. If the swell- 
 ing be hard> it is a bone spavin ; you should 
 examine a horse thoroughly, therefore, be- 
 fore you buy him ; and, in particular, see if 
 all the joints of his legs move with equal 
 freedom. Most horses that have the bone 
 spavin, are very apt to start when you go to 
 take up their legs, and will hardly let you 
 touch them with your hand. Examine them 
 well, therefore with your eye, and see if, be- 
 tween the fetlock and the crown, the leg 
 descends even and smooth ; for if you see 
 
 T 
 
218 Carver^ s Farrier, 
 
 any proturberance between the flesh and the 
 skin, that looks like a sort of knot, or ker- 
 nel, you have found the defect. 
 
 ^ Curb.'] If you observe the swelling to be 
 exactly before the knuckle, it is a curb ; 
 which is an accident that may happen in 
 different manners ; such as a strain in work- 
 ing, slipping his foot in a hole, or in marshy 
 ground &c. out of which he pulls it with 
 pain, and by that means wrenches his hoof, 
 without dislocating any thing, and yet, 
 without speedy care, he may be lamed. 
 
 ^ Hat^s TaiL~\ There is also a defect 
 which is more common in the hind than the 
 fore legs, though the latter are not quite ex- 
 empt from it, and it is called the rat's tail, 
 and is thus known : when you see, from the 
 hind part of the fetlock, up along the nerves, 
 a kind of line or channel that separates the 
 hair to both sides, this is a rat's tail. In 
 summer, there appears a kind of small dry 
 scab along this channel ; and in winter, there 
 issues out a humidity, like the water from 
 the legs. A horse may work notwithstand- 
 ing this disorder, for it seldom lames him ; 
 it sometimes occasions a stifthess in the legs 
 and makes horses trot like foxes, without 
 bending their joints. The hind legs should 
 
Carver'^ s Farrier, 219 
 
 be lean, clean, flat, and sinewy ; for if fat 
 they will not b^r labour- ; ^if swelled, the 
 grease is molten into them ; if scabbed above 
 the pasterns, it is the scratches ; and if he 
 hath chops under his pasterns, he hath what 
 is generally called the Rains. -If he has a 
 good buttock, his tail cannot stand ill, but 
 will be broad, high, flat, and couched a little 
 inward 
 
 A Walk and Trot ?72 Z^^/7f/.] Having with 
 care examined the horse, let him be run in 
 hand a gentle trot ; by this you will soon 
 perceive, if he is lame or not. Make the 
 man lead him by the end of the bridle ; as in 
 this case you cannot be deceived by the man's 
 being too near him. The far fore leg, and 
 near hind leg, or the near fore leg and far 
 hind leg, should move and go forward at one 
 and the same time ; and in this motion, the 
 nearer the horse takes his limbs from the 
 ground, the opener, the evener, and the 
 shorter is his pace. 
 
 Forging.~\ If he takes up his feet sloven- 
 ly, it shows stumbling or lameness ; to tread 
 narrow, or cross, shows interfering, or fail- 
 ing : to step uneven, shows weariness ; and 
 if he treads long, you may be apprehensive 
 he forges : by which I mean, that when he 
 walks, or trots, he strikes the toes of his 
 
220 Carver^ s Farrier. 
 
 hind feet against the corners of his shoes 
 before, which occasions a* clattering noise 
 as you ride : and this proceeds generally from 
 the weakness of his four legs, he not having 
 strength in them to raise them up sufficient- 
 ly quick to \nake way for the hind ones. A 
 horse of this kind is not near so serviceable 
 as one exempt from it ; and the dealers, to 
 get rid of him, will make abundance of pre- 
 tences. If he has been just shod, they will 
 say, the farrier has put on him too long 
 shoes. If his shoes are old, they will tell 
 you he has just come off a long journey, and 
 is much fatigued. You must not therefore 
 be over credulous to any thing a jockey or 
 dealer affirms ; for what they say in this man- 
 ner, is too often with an intent to deceive ; 
 and it is very certain, that a horse who forg- 
 es can never be surefooted, any more than 
 one who has tottering and bow legs. 
 
 Walk and Trot mount ed.~\ On his being 
 mounted, see him walk. Observe his mouth, 
 that he pulls fair, not too high, nor bearing 
 down : then stand behind him, and see if he 
 goes narrower before than behind : as every 
 horse that goes well on his legs goes in that 
 manner. Take notice that he brushes not 
 by going too close ; a certain sign of his cut- 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 221 
 
 ting, and tiring in travelling. Have nothing 
 to do with that horse who throws his legs 
 confusedly about, and crosses them before : 
 this you may observe by standing exactly be- 
 fore or behind him, as he is going along. In 
 his trot, he should point his fore-legs well, 
 without clambering, nor yet as if he were 
 afraid ; and that he throws well in his hind 
 legs, which will enable him to support his 
 trot, and shoot his fore parts forwards. 
 
 Jl Canter or Gallop,'] In his canter, ob- 
 serve he does not fret, but goes cool in his 
 pace ; and in his gallop, that he take his feet 
 nimbly from the ground, and do not raise 
 them too high ; but that he stretcheth out 
 his fore legs, and follows nimbly with his 
 hind ones ; and that he cutteth not under his 
 knee, (which is called the swift or speedy 
 cut) that he crosses not, nor lays one foot on 
 another ; and ever leadeth with his far fore 
 foot, and not with the near one. If he gallops 
 round, and raises his fore feet, he may be 
 said to gallop strongly, but not swiftly ; and 
 if he labours his feet confusedly, and seems 
 to gallop painfully, it shows some hidden 
 lameness ; for in all his paces, you should 
 particularly observe that his limbs are free, 
 without the least stiffness. 
 
 2 T 
 
222 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 Tottering legs,'\ Now that he has been well 
 exercised in those different paces, it is your 
 time to examine for an infirmity not easily 
 discovered, and that is what I call Tottering^ 
 Legs : You cannot percieve it till after a horse 
 has galloped for some time ; and then, by let- 
 ling him rest a little, you will see his legs 
 tremble under him, which is the disorder I 
 mean : how handsome soever the legs of such 
 a horse may be, he never can stand well on 
 them ; you are therefore not to mind what 
 the jockey says, when he talks of the beauty 
 of the limbs ; for if you oblige him to gallop 
 the horse, or fatigue him pretty much, (which 
 is commonly done in order to try the crea- 
 ture's bottom) you will, in all likelihood, dis- 
 cover this defect, unless you suffer the groom 
 to gallop him to the stable door, and put him 
 up in a moment ; which he will certainly en- 
 deavour to do, if he is conscious of it, while 
 the master has another horse ready to show 
 yt3u, in order to take off your attention from 
 what he is afraid you should see. 
 
 Thus having, to the best of my judgment, 
 gone through every requisite observation 
 relative to the purchase of a horse, studiously 
 avoiding its being drawn into an unnecessary 
 length, yet at the same time being as careful 
 
Carver'* s Farrier, 223 
 
 to avoid an aiFected brevity, the gentlemen, 
 to whom many of my observations are famil- 
 iar, will please to observe, that I have endea- 
 voured, as much as possible, to write for the 
 information of a person entirely unacquaint- 
 ed with the qualifications which form a com- 
 plete horse ; in the purchase of which, the 
 person should particularly consider the end 
 for which he buys ; whether for running, 
 hunting, travelling, draught or burden : and 
 it is therefore almost unnecessar}^ to remind 
 him, that the biggest and strongest are fittest 
 for strong occasions, burdens, draught, or 
 double-carriage ; as the middle size is for 
 hunting, pleasure, general employments, and 
 the least for summer hackneys. The last 
 thing I shall take the freedom to observe to 
 my reader, is, that a very small portion of 
 this treatise has been taken form a late publi- 
 cation, deficient in many respects, though, 
 at the same time, containing some trite ob- 
 servations ; and that the bulk of it has been 
 compiled from my own experience, assisted 
 by various authors on the subject, oLw^ich 
 Monsieur Saunier is the principal. All I 
 have therefore to observe is, that it was com- 
 piled at the request of the publishers, as a 
 suitable companion to a book of the same 
 
224 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 size, entitled, The Gentleman's Pocket Far- 
 rieny ; showing how to use a horse on a 
 journey ; and what remedies are proper for 
 common accidents that may befal him on the 
 road : which having been universally ap- 
 proved, and met with a very extensive sale, 
 they are hopeful, that a well drawn up assis- 
 tant towards the purchase of a horse, des- 
 cribing the disorders, &c. to which he is lia- 
 ble, might stand fair to be received with 
 marks of the same public approbation. 
 
 THE STALLION. 
 
 [Fi-om the Fairiei's Dictionary, by Dr. Hunter.] 
 
 Stallions should be chosen as free as pos- 
 sible from all kinds of natural imperfections. 
 They should in particular be totally free 
 from moon, watery, and blood- shotten eyes, 
 splents, spavins, curbs, &c. for all these im- 
 perfections are liable to be entailed on their 
 stock, which must of course render them infi- 
 nitely ^ss valuable than such as are free from 
 every thing of the kind. Perhaps it is ut- 
 terly impossible to find a stallion that is total- 
 ly free from imperfection, but they should 
 at least have none of the gross ones above- 
 
Calmer'' s Farrier, 225 
 
 mentioned ; in addition to which they should 
 be bony, of a good colour, a fine shape, and 
 above all, high spirited and full of mettle. 
 
 At four years of age, a stallion is fit for 
 covering, and most of them will continue 
 able to get colts till they are twenty or up- 
 wards, though it is suspected that the stock 
 of old horses is far inferior to that got by 
 them in their prime and vigour. 
 
 Stallions should be so high fed as to be 
 full of lust and vigour, and twelve, fourteen 
 or at most, twenty mares, are as many as a 
 good horse should be permitted to cover in 
 one season. It may not be amiss to observe, 
 that when mares are covered in hand, or at 
 large, they should have the same kind of 
 feeding as the stallion, that is to say, if the 
 horse is at hard meat, the mare should be so 
 likewise, or she will be apt not to hold to 
 him so well. In like manner, if the stallion 
 is at grass, the mares should be at grass 
 likewise. 
 
 When the stallion has done his duty, let 
 him be removed from the mares : they like- 
 wise should be put into fresh pasture. 
 Those mares that are in midling case gener- 
 ally conceive the most easily, whereas those 
 that are fat and gross hold with more diffi- 
 
226 Carver^ s Farrier,' 
 
 culty ; such, however, of both descriptions 
 as are hot, and in season, retain a great deal 
 better, their heat exciting the stallion to per- 
 form his part of the action with greater 
 vigour and ardour. 
 
 When you have a mare covered in hand 
 that she may the more certainly stand to the 
 horse, let the mare and stallion stand in the 
 same stable for some time, that they may 
 see each other, which will make them both 
 more keen, and consequently more apt to 
 generate. 
 
 It is the opinion of many, that a stallion 
 should be well fed for at least three months 
 before he is to cover. He should also be led 
 out to water twice a day at least, and gently 
 exercised each time for an hour or therea- 
 bouts, but not so as to make him sweat. For 
 if he be not thus brought into condition and 
 wind before he covers, he will be in dansrer 
 of becoming pursive, or broken- winded, and 
 if he is not well fed at the same time, he 
 will be unable to perform his task in a proper 
 manner, at best his stock would be poor, 
 pitiful, weak things, and no credit to their 
 sire : and besides, if he was not in a proper 
 condition at the commencement of the sea- 
 son, he would be so reduced before it is 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. . 227 
 
 concluded, that though you take all imagina- 
 ble care and pains of him after, he w ill con- 
 tinue very weak for a long Jtime. 
 
 If he is put to too many mares, it will soon 
 wear him down, and his mane and tail will 
 fret and fall off through mere poverty, and it 
 will be found a difficult matter, notwithstand- 
 ing the length of time that intervenes, to 
 bring him into condition against the season 
 following. 
 
 BREEDING MARES. 
 
 In speakina* of mares, we shall only consid- 
 er them as kept for breeding ; for which pur- 
 pose they should be chosen as free from de- 
 fects as possible, and should (no more than 
 stallions) have either moon, watery, or 
 blood-shotten eyes, nor any splent, spavin, 
 curb, or other natural imperfection, as the 
 colts would be apt to have the same. But 
 choice should be made of the best and ablest, 
 the highest spirited, and finest shapes that 
 can be, for such only can be expected to 
 breed valuable colts. As for example, if you 
 would breed for the manage or pad, let your 
 mares have fine forehands, their heads well 
 
228 Carver'' s Farrier. 
 
 set on, large sparkling eyes, broad roomy 
 breasts, and legs not too long. They should 
 be of a gentle dis|)osition, and all their mo- 
 tions both nimble and graceful. But if you 
 would breed for hunting or racing, the mares 
 must be lighter, with short backs, and long 
 sides; their legs must likewise be longer, 
 and their breasts not so broad ; but above all 
 things, be sure to make choice of such mares 
 for this purpose, as have got good blood in 
 their veins. If you have tried the speed 
 and wind of any mare that you wish to breed 
 from, and find her to your mind, you need 
 not fear of having a good colt, providing she 
 is in health and vigour, and you put her to a 
 good horse. 
 
 A mare may be put to the horse when she 
 is past two years old, but the best age for a 
 breeding mare is from four to seven, for al- 
 though she may breed to fourteen or fifteen, 
 she cannot nourish the colt so well, and be- 
 sides it has long been remarked, that an old 
 mare's colt is more dull aud heavy at labour, 
 than that of a young one. Some people will 
 tell you, that the best time for a mare to be 
 covered, is from the end of the first quarter 
 to the full of the moon, and that colts got at 
 that time will be much stronger and hardier, 
 
Carver s Farrier* 229 
 
 than such as are got during the other periods 
 of the moon's age ; this, however, is but little 
 regarded among bi'eeders, nor do I believe 
 that those who are the greatest advocates for 
 such a notion, can advance one sound argu- 
 ment in support of it. It will not, however, 
 be amiss to take the mare into the stable, and 
 have her well fed with good hay and oats for 
 a few weeks before she is covered, that she 
 may have strength and vigour to perform the 
 office of generation. It is not uncommon to 
 take about a quart of blood from each side 
 of the mare's neck a few days before she is 
 put to the horse, in order that she may the 
 more certainly concieve, or stand to him. As 
 for the manner of covering it is pretty well 
 known that the mare should be brought out 
 into some roomy place, and be either tied to a 
 post, or held in the hand, w^hile some stone 
 horse of little value is brought out to try her, 
 and provoke her lustful appetite ; after which 
 the stallion should be led to her, and suffer- 
 ed to leap her, and when he is dismounted, 
 let a pail of cold water be thrown over her 
 hinder parts, which will make her shrink 
 and truss up her body, and consequently 
 must occasion her to retain the seed more cer- 
 tainly than otherwise she might do. Let her 
 
 U 
 
230 Carver'^s Farrier. 
 
 then be taken away out of the hearing of the 
 horse, and let her neither eat nor drink for 
 four or five hours ; but at the end of that time 
 give her a mash, and afterwards feed her as 
 usual. You will soon be able to tell whether 
 she stands to her covering, by her keeping a 
 good appetite, and not neighing at the sight of 
 a horse. While, on the contrary, you may 
 conclude, that she does not stand, if she 
 neighs at every horse that comes in her sight, 
 or stales often, and frequently opens and 
 shuts her shape. 
 
 The same method of feeding the mare with 
 good hay and oats should be followed for a 
 few weeks after covering, during which time 
 she should be kept in the stable, with little 
 or no exercise, and be well cleaned ; after 
 which she may be turned out for the summer, 
 and taken up again towards the latter end of 
 September, after which she should continue 
 to be housed till after she has foaled. 
 
 If there should happen any difficulty in 
 foaling, authors recommend holding the nos- 
 trils so close, that the mare cannot take wind ; 
 and if that has not the wished for effisct, they 
 recommend a decoction of madder roots or 
 fennel in water, with the addition of a little 
 \vine, or ale, to be given luke-warm. Some 
 
Carver'' s Farrier, 231 
 
 mares are apt to eat the secondines after foal- 
 ing, but they should be prevented if possible, 
 as it is unnatural food, and will injure their 
 health. When the foal has been licked, 
 and before he is permitted to suck, let some 
 one milk the mare, which will both cause 
 her milk to come down more easily, and in 
 greater abundance, and likewise prevent her 
 udder from becoming wedged, which often 
 occasions them to go dry, or at least to ap- 
 pear so ; though while this is a recent thing, 
 the cure is frequently very easily effected by 
 the following simple application. 
 
 Let as much milk as can be obtained from 
 her, be boiled with some lavender flowers in 
 it, and the udder thoroughly bathed with the 
 warm decoction three or four times a day. 
 But if no milk can be obtained, cow's milk, 
 or even water, may be substituted in its stead, 
 as the effect is produced entirely by the heat 
 of the liquor, and the penetrating qualities 
 of the lavender flowers, which together 
 mollify and soften the tumour ; and then the 
 colt, by sucking more and more as it gets 
 strength, will prevent any accident of that 
 kind from happening in future. 
 
 The water that is given to mares for the 
 first month, or thereabouts, after foaling. 
 
232 Carver^s Farrier. 
 
 should have some bran put into it, and be 
 stirred together till the mixture becomes 
 white. This is what horse-dealers call the 
 white mash. At the end of the month she 
 may have a little brimstone and savin given 
 her in a moderate strong decoction. And 
 after that, she may be put occasionally to any 
 moderate exercise, which will be of service 
 to both her and the colt ; only care should 
 be taken not to let the latter suck while the 
 mare ishot, as he might be aurfeited thereby, 
 and his growth greatly hindered. 
 
 A great many reciepts are give by differ- 
 ent authors for preventing mares from going 
 barren, slipping their foals, &c. but they ap- 
 pear too trifling and insignificant to be intro- 
 duced in the present work. 
 
 Mares are said to go eleven months, and 
 as many days with foal, as they are years old, 
 but I imagine that they are no more exact in 
 bringingforth their young to a few days, than 
 other animals. 
 
 PARTS OF A HORSE'S BODY. 
 
 1. The hair and hide, which includes all 
 the hair and skin on the horse's body. 
 
Carver'* s Farrier. 233 
 
 2. The mane, or that long hair on the 
 horse's neck. 
 
 3. The fore- top, or topping, which hangs 
 down the face. 
 
 4. The fetter-lock, or fetlock, the hair that 
 grows behind the feet. 
 
 5. The coronet or cronet, the hair that 
 surrounds the top of the hoof. 
 
 6. The brills,, which is the hair on the 
 eyelids. 
 
 The external parts of the head and neck 
 are as follow : 
 
 1. The crest or crist, that ridge on the 
 neck on which the mane grows. 
 
 2. The neck itself, by which is meant the 
 whole of that part of a horse which is be- 
 twixt his head and breast, or shoulders. 
 
 3. The breast, brisket, or chest, is the fore 
 part of the neck, from the shoulders down* 
 to the fore legs. 
 
 4. The star, or blaze, is in the forehead. 
 
 5. The rache, down the face, when the 
 hair there is of a different colour to that on 
 the other parts of the head. 
 
 The parts of the body are : 
 1. The withers, the top of the shoulder 
 blades, at the setting on of the neck. 
 
 u2 
 
234 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 2. The dock, or place where the saddle 
 is put. 
 
 3. The navel-gall, or that part of the back 
 opposite to the navel. 
 
 4. The reins, are all the middle part or 
 ridge of the back, from the mane to the tail. 
 
 5. The dock or strunt, which is the tail of 
 the horse. 
 
 6. The fundament or tuel. 
 
 7. The swayed back, is the hollow or sink- 
 ing down of the back bone. 
 
 8. The thropple or windpipe 
 
 9. The girth place, or the fore part of the 
 belly. 
 
 10. The belly or navel place, the middle 
 of the belly, or that part where the navel is. 
 
 11. The flank, or the hinder part of the 
 belly next the sheath. 
 
 12. The groins, or hinder parts near the 
 thighs, on each side. 
 
 13. The sheath in which the yard is in- 
 closed. 
 
 14. The yard itself. 
 
 15. The nut, or glans, at the extremity of 
 the yard. 
 
 16. The cods, or the loose skins which 
 contain the stones. 
 
 17. The fillets, or fore parts of the shoul- 
 der next the breast. 
 
Carver'' s Farrier. 235 
 
 18. The two sides, near and ofF, or farther 
 and rising sides. 
 
 19. The buttocks, or hindermost parts of 
 the horse's body. 
 
 20. The top of the buttock, or that part 
 next the ridge of the back and the tail. 
 
 The parts of the legs and thighs are rec- 
 oned in the following manner : 
 
 1. The stifle, or stifle joint, which is the 
 first joint or bending at the buttock and 
 above the thigh. 
 
 2. The thigh or that part betwixt the stifle 
 and the gambril. 
 
 3. The gambril, or elbow, is that joint or 
 bending of the upper part of the hind leg 
 that bends backwards, wheretis the bend of 
 the stifle comes forwards. 
 
 4. The ham and bight, or bought, or the 
 inward bending of the chambril. The ben- 
 ding of the knees in the fore legs are like- 
 wise characterised by the same name. 
 
 5. The hough, leg, or shank. This 
 reaches from the chambril to the fetlock, or 
 pastern joint. 
 
 6. The small of the legs, is the smallest 
 part of both the fore and hind legs. 
 
 7. The foul of the legs. 
 
236 Carvef'^s Farrier, 
 
 8. The back sinews, which are the back 
 parts of the legs, just above the fetlocks. 
 
 9. The pastern joint, fetlock, or ancle, 
 is the joint in the fetlock which in all the 
 feet bends forward. 
 
 10. The coronet is the foot above the 
 hoof of the ancle joint, and is called by the 
 same name in all the feet. 
 
 11. The curb. 
 
 12. The shoulder is that part which ex- 
 tends from the withers to the top part of the 
 fore thigh. 
 
 13. The thigh reaches from the bent of 
 the thigh to the knee. 
 
 14. The off legs are those on the right 
 side, and the near legs those on the left, 
 which is likewise called the rising side. 
 
 The feet consist of the following parts : 
 
 1. The hoof or horn. 
 
 2. The coffin, or the hollow of the hoof in 
 which the foot is fixed. 
 
 3. The frush, or that tender part of the 
 hoof next to the heel. 
 
 4. The sole of the foot. 
 
 5.. The frog, or as some call it, the ball of 
 the foot. 
 
 6. The riff of the hoof, or the part that is 
 paared or cut off when grown too long be- 
 twixt the frush and the heeL 
 
Carver^s Farrier. 237 
 
 7. The heel, or the rising in the middle 
 of the sole. 
 
 8. the toes, or fore parts of the hoofs. 
 
 9. The quarters, or insides of the hoofs. 
 
 10. The pastern, or that part which reach- 
 es from the fetlock to the hoof. 
 
 The parts of a horse's body which many 
 people suppose most proper to draw blood 
 away from, are the following : 
 
 1. The jugular veins, which lie on each 
 side of the neck, and these are commonly 
 opened for the farcy, mange, repletion, &c. 
 
 2. When a bite or blow has been receiv- 
 ed in the eye, it is usual to take away blood 
 from the temples with a very small lancet. 
 
 3. Farriers have a lancet made on pur- 
 pose for opening the veins under the tongue 
 which operation they perform for head-achs 
 or for being disgusted or overheated with 
 hard labour, as likewise for the vives, &c. 
 
 4. It is usual to bleed horses in the gris- 
 tle of the nose for the same complaints, but 
 it is sometimes rather a difficult matter to 
 hit the vein. 
 
 5. Some let horses blood in the middle of 
 the palate, either with a lancet or sharp horn 
 for the same disorders. 
 
 6. Blood is taken from the veins in the 
 
238 Carver* s Farrier* 
 
 thi^h for strains in the shoulders, or for the 
 mange in those parts. 
 
 7. Horses are bled in the pasterns with 
 either a fleam or a lancet, for strains, or other 
 infirmities of the hams or knees. 
 
 8. They are likewise let blood in the toes 
 with a buttress or drawing-knife, for swell- 
 ings in the legs, and the like. 
 
 9. The veins in the flanks are sometimes 
 opened with a small lancet made on purpose 
 for the farcy in the adjacent parts. 
 
 10. Sometimes blood is drawn with 
 fleams from the flat part of the thighs, for 
 blows or strains in the haunches ; and 
 
 11. They sometimes bleed horses in the 
 tail or dock, with a long lancet, for fevers 
 and short or thick-windedness ; it is, howe- 
 ver, a matter of little moment, some few 
 cases excepted, from what part of the body 
 blood is drawn, notwithstanding the diver- 
 sity of opinions entertained about itc 
 
 SIGNS OF DISEASE IN HORSES. 
 
 The first symptom of indisposition in 
 these creatures is their loathing their food, 
 and whenever this takes place, the master 
 
Carver'* s Farrier. 239 
 
 t)f the beast should take the alarm, and en- 
 deavour to find out the cause, that a timely 
 remedy may be applied. In order to do 
 this, observe if he looks wild and haggard 
 or dull and stupid, also whether his ears are 
 cold or warm, his mouth hot, foaming, dry, 
 or clammy ; or if the hair about hisfianks is 
 rough and staring, and his dung hard, or 
 black, or of a greenish cast, or his urine 
 pale and like water ; from which appearan- 
 ces you will be enabled, in some measure, 
 to judge of the nature of the complaint, and 
 of the consequences with which it is likely 
 to be attended. 
 
 When a horse that has been long ill stales 
 without striding, or even witliout drawing 
 his sheath, letting the water drop from the 
 skin, it is almost a sure indication of death, 
 unless, as is the case with some horses, they 
 have been accustomed to stale in this man- 
 ner when they were in health. 
 
 It is likewise a bad sign when the hair on 
 
 his scull, or that on his tail, can be easily 
 pulled off. 
 
 Another dangerous symptom is, that if a 
 horse never lying down during his illness, 
 or if he does, starting up again immediately ; 
 such horses seldom recovering. 
 
240 Carvefs Faarier, 
 
 When the eyes of a horse are subject to 
 weep, and he hangs down his head and ap- 
 pears heavy, stumbles as he walks, and is 
 slow, though he used to be lively and vigor- 
 ous, never minds Jther horses, frequently 
 lies down and gets up again, looks towards 
 his flanks, and is indifferent and mindless of 
 what is done about him, that horse is in dan- 
 ger. 
 
 But to speak more particularly, if a horse 
 is heavy ia the countenance, much scoured 
 or very costive, short of breath, troubled 
 with a hollow cough, works in the flanks, 
 and hangs down his ears, it is a fever ; and 
 sometimes these symptomes are the fore- 
 runners of the staggers. 
 
 When a horse turns his head back fre- 
 quently to his right side it indicates some 
 obstruction, or disease of the liver ; but 
 when he puts it down, almost under his bel- 
 ly, it is a sign that he is troubled with worms 
 or bots, or else that he is afllicted with pain 
 in his bowels from the cholic, or some other 
 cause. 
 
 A stinking breath, or foul matter proceed- 
 ing from the nostrils, indicates an ulcer or 
 imposthume in the head ; and if the matter is 
 black, white, or yellow, and very offensive, 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 241 
 
 it is a fatal sign, as it shews that the glanders, 
 or a consumption of the lungs, are the occa- 
 sion. 
 
 The breath, or body being very hot, indi- 
 cates a feverish disposition, or a preternatu- 
 ral heat at the stomach ; and the tongue 
 hanging out, and being swelled, betokens an 
 inflammation of the liver, or some other of 
 the principal viscera. The strangles occa- 
 sion a horse to heave violently in the flanks, 
 as likewise do most feverish complaints. 
 Sometimes however, this symptom is owing 
 to the horse's wind being touched, or bro- 
 ken. 
 
 A swelling under the throat, attended 
 with a continual propensity to cough, is a 
 sign that the glanders are to be feared ; if 
 the swelling is about the root of the tongue 
 perhaps the strangles are the sole cause of 
 it ; and if there is nothing but little knots, 
 like waxen-kernels, they may have been oc- 
 casioned by a common cold, without indi- 
 cating any disease whatever. Whenever a 
 horse appears scabby, and looses the hair 
 from his body and neck, it is a certain sign 
 that he has got the mange ; and ulcers, full 
 of knots, spreading about the veins, charac- 
 terise the farcy, or canker. 
 
 X 
 
242 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 When the left side swells without any ap- 
 parent external cause, there is reason to sus- 
 pect that the spleen is diseased. The cho- 
 lic will sometimes occasion a tumour in the 
 flank, and it is a common case to see the bel- 
 ly and legs of such horses as are inclined to 
 be dropsical, swell, and become much larger 
 than they were in a state of health. 
 
 When a horse's coat stares and is rough 
 it may be owing to being badly cloathedand 
 looked after, but is not unfrequently the ef- 
 fect of a bad stomach, or the symptom of a 
 foundering in the chest. Leanness and 
 gauntness are generally accompanied by hide 
 bound, inflammation of the liver, chest foun- 
 dering, worms, cholic, or the yellows ; stal- 
 ing with difiiculty is a symptom of the stone 
 or wind cholic ; and if the urine he passes 
 be thick, and of a blackish colour, it indi- 
 cates that one or both of the kidnies are 
 diseased. 
 
 Trembling is indicative of a fever, par- 
 ticularly when a horse shivers violently 
 after drenching. Scouring indicates great 
 heat in the liver, and costiveness is a sign of 
 the yellows, or other diseases of the gall and 
 liver. 
 
 If you see a horse frequently striking at 
 
Carver\s Farrier. 243 
 
 his belly, you may conclude that he has got 
 the cholic ; but if at the same time he frisks 
 his tail, it betokens his being infested with 
 worms or bots. 
 
 When a horse that has been some time 
 sick, stales clear, and there is no sediment 
 formed therein on its being set by, it is rath- 
 er a dangerous symptom, but if it turns of a 
 reddish or yellowish colour, and has a cloud 
 swiming in it that is neither black nor 
 earthy, and deposits a kind of brickdust- 
 like sediment, smelling strong at the same 
 time, it is a good sign in general, and is fre- 
 quently the prelude to a speedy recovery. 
 
 If at different periods of the disease it 
 varies greatly, sometimes appearing of an 
 healthy aspect, and at others quite the re- 
 verse, there is danger to be apprehended 
 as it is a sure indication that there is a con- 
 siderable degree of malignity in the disease. 
 The best appearances of a horse's urine are 
 a yellowish colour, a thickish consistence, a 
 strong smell, and penetrating quality, for 
 these all betoken health and vigour, whereas 
 the contrary of any of these indicate ap- 
 proaching disease. 
 
 But there is nothing by which an intelli- 
 gent person can judge better, respecting the 
 
244 Carver'* s Farrier* 
 
 health of his horses, than by their dunging. 
 For the colour and consistence of a horses ex- " 
 crements, are sure indications of the inward 
 state of his body, and ought to be well at- 
 tended to when he is in his best health, and 
 at best feeding, that when he is found to 
 alter therefrom in any particular, a judgment 
 may be the better and more clearly formed 
 respecting his health or sickness. The 
 dung of a horse that is' clean, well fed, 
 and free from disease, will ever be found 
 clear, crisp, and of a pale yellowish hue, 
 hanging together, and not easily separating 
 more than as it is broken in falling to the 
 ground by its own weight, and is of such 
 a consistence that it will be a little flatted by 
 its fall to the ground. If his first and second 
 dung be well coloured, and yet fall from him 
 in round pellets or scybals, and the rest be 
 good, there is no harm to be dreaded, for 
 this is only an indication that he has been 
 eating hay lately, which will always produce 
 this effect, but if all his dung is of that 
 hard kind, it betokens foul feeding, and that 
 he has eaten too much litter or hay, and too 
 little corn. When a horse^s dung is voided 
 in round hard pellets, of a dark blackish 
 brown colour, it discovers inward heat of 
 
Carver^s Farrier, 245 
 
 the body ; if it be greasy, it is a sign of 
 great foulness. Again, if the dung be 
 strong and hard, it indicates that his heats 
 have been too violent, and if care is not ta- 
 ken to prevent it, costiveness will ensue. 
 If it be pale and loose, it shows he has had 
 too much moist and corrupt feeding, or that 
 his body is inwardly cold. 
 
 The disease of the Mouth and Tongue, is 
 indicated by an inflammation of the lungs and 
 throat, attended with a violent fever, difficul- 
 ty of breathing and loss of appetite ; the head 
 and throat swelled, the jaws stiffened, and 
 the tongue swelled, and looking like that of 
 a person having the yellow fever or the small 
 pox, and the pulse will beat fifty strokes a 
 minute instead of forty, as it should do in a 
 state of good health. 
 
 After all that can be said on this head, the 
 most experienced farrier will frequently find 
 himself at a loss to distinguish one complaint 
 from another, as he has nothing to assist 
 him in making the discovery but his own 
 judgment, and such symptoms as are most 
 predominant at the time, many of which 
 are common to several diseases. It is well 
 however, in such doubtful cases, to be ac- 
 quainted with all the principal symptoms 
 
 x2 
 
246 Carver^s Parrier. 
 
 with which the diseases of this noble animal 
 are accompanied, as such a knowledege, 
 though it will not always prove an infallible 
 guide, will give the person who possesses 
 it a decided superiority over him that has 
 neglected to make so useful an acquirement 
 his own. 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 Every person that has had a long expe- 
 rience and is acquainted with the power of 
 drugs, from his own knowledge must be 
 aware of the extreme difficulty of ascertaining 
 their medicinal properties, and their effects 
 on different constitutions, and also in the dif- 
 ferent stages of the same disease. There ai'e 
 many circumstances to which the practition- 
 er does not, or perhaps cannot sufficiently at- 
 tend ; which vary their operation and effects, 
 and is frequently disappointed in his calcula- 
 tions and expectations of those medicines with 
 which he is best acquainted. 
 
 Thus briefly, I have thought necessary to 
 inform gentlemen of the great uncertainty 
 of medicines in general ; to the end that they 
 may not be imposed on by the trifling reas- 
 onings of those who pretend to the healing 
 art in horses ; and who are often pouring 
 down nauseous drenches into the stomach of 
 the animal, and if he was not almost proof 
 against them, he could never bear the attacks 
 of those combustibles. It is the judicious 
 timing and adapting the medicine to the na- 
 
248 Carver"* s Farrier. 
 
 ture -of the disease, that will constitute a 
 beneficial remedy. 
 
 It has often occured to me, that if a few 
 young men in this country would turn their 
 attention to the cultivation of this important 
 branch of science, and make the veterinary 
 art their study, they might become useful to 
 the community and rise to opulence, by the 
 profession. There are many who have good 
 educations, and although there are no vete- 
 rinary colleges in this country they might 
 derive the necessary information from the 
 study of the most celebrated authors, such 
 as Barcken, Gibson, Bartlet, Taplin, &c. and 
 the books of the veterinary college at Lon- 
 don, written by Mr. Blame. These gentle- 
 men W'ere all surgeons and physicians, and 
 thought is no disparagement to make the 
 anatomy and economy of the horse their 
 study. By a proper application to these 
 works, a young man, even of ordinary capa- 
 city, might in a short time become a profi- 
 cient in Farriery. While a great number of 
 coxcombs are boasting of their diplomas and 
 smattering of Latin, Stc. and at the same time 
 are destitute of a knowledge of the laws of 
 nature ; a young man, by attending to the 
 works, which I have just mentioned, might 
 
Carver^ s Farrier, 249 
 
 rise superior to all their bombast, and as I 
 before observed acquire an ample fortune. 
 It is by the study of those books, and an ex- 
 tensive practice that I have obtained a knowl- 
 edge of the horse. 
 
 The receipts which I have given, I hope 
 will not be thought too numerous or compli- 
 cated. I have avoided as much as possible 
 a numerous composition of drugs and herbs, 
 such as most authors have prescribed ; and 
 for this reason, that before they could be 
 obtained and prepared, the horse would be 
 dead ; almost all the medicines which I have 
 recommended can easily be procured, and 
 administered in a short space of time ; be- 
 sides, there is a difficulty in adjusting the 
 quantities and qualities of drugs, even among 
 persons w^ho are well acquainted with them. 
 In short I have endeavoured to prescribe the 
 cure by the most expeditious method pos- 
 sible. 
 
 It cannot be expected that an extensive 
 prosrress in the art of Farriery can be made 
 in this country, until some ingenious young 
 men apply themselves to the study of the 
 anatomy and dissection of the horse in all 
 his parts. This alone will unfold to their 
 minds a new scene of contemplation, instruc- 
 
250 Carver^s Farrier, 
 
 tion and delight. They will then behold 
 the wonderful works of nature in the forma- 
 tion of that noble and valuable animal, and 
 exclaim with Galen, who was said to have 
 been an atheist, on his finding a human skele- 
 ton ; — This said he is of too great a construc- 
 tion to be the production of chance. By- 
 pursuing this laudable method, the young 
 student will be led to dissect other animals 
 and become acquainted with comparative 
 anatomy. He may become an ornament to 
 society in his day and generation ; and it 
 will lead him to contemplate nature and her 
 immutable laws, and without a knowledge 
 of those laws, the greatest professional cha- 
 racter must be an ignoramus. 
 
 As the first edition of this work was dis- 
 posed of in the course of eight months, it was 
 thought advisable to publish a second, under 
 the impression that the first met the appro- 
 bation of the public. It will be found that 
 the second far exceeds the first in point of 
 size ; and contains an original treatise on the 
 subject of the origin, progress, and mode of 
 treatment to be observed in the distemper 
 that has recently made its appearance among 
 horses, in Pennsylvania, N. York, and several 
 other states. The present edition is em- 
 
Carver^ s Farrier. 251 
 
 bellished with three excellent engravings on 
 wood, of the skeleton of the horse, exhibiting 
 a clear and comprehensive view of the intes- 
 tines, and another showing the age of the 
 horse by his teeth. 
 
 It will be of the utmost importance fofthe 
 reader to attend to the chapter on alteratives, 
 and particularly to the use of nitre, as by 
 practical experience, I have given to the 
 quantity of half a pound per day, particularly 
 in fevers and inflammatory cases, with good 
 eflfect. Almost all physicians have attacked 
 the solids, and neglected too much the fluid 
 system. 
 
 Hoping this work may prove of utility to 
 the owners and lovers of horses, the author 
 takes his leave of the public, and subscribes 
 himself 
 
 Their obedient servant, 
 
 WILLIAM CARVER. 
 New York, May, 1820.