Fungus Poisoning.

One of my mares, every evening after a full day’s work harrowing, stands for an hour or so with her head to the ground, shaking it frequently and not touching the feed till the spell was over.  She does not seem to be any worse off, and in the morning seems to be in good shape.

This is due to a mold or fungus in the earth or hay.  Let them have access to plenty of water during the day.  In the morning feed give a handful of sodium hyposulphate.

Treatment for Horse’s Feet.

The soles of the fore feet of a fine 4-year-old horse, weight 1350, are rather spongy and grow down faster than the hoof, sometimes causing slight lameness.  He is not on soft pasture, but is stabled all the time.  Now have bar shoes on him.  What treatment do you recommend?

Use leather, tar and okum and a dish-shoe.

For a Cleft Hoof.

I have a horse with a cracked hoof.  One hind foot has been in a bad condition, the other seems to be beginning to crack.  Can anything be done by feeding or otherwise to toughen the hoofs and render them less liable to crack?

Apply the following:  Honey, 2 ounces; yellow wax, 4 ounces; tar, 2 ounces; olive oil, 8 ounces.  Melt, mix and apply once daily.

Stiff Joints.

I have a horse that was bruised on the ankle about two years ago.  This is now producing an enlargement of the bone and stiffness of the joint.

Apply the following liniment:  Sulphuric ether, 1 ounce; tinct. iodine, 1 ounce; pulv. camphor, 1 ounce; alcohol, ounces; turpentine, 2 ounces; oil of cedar, 2 ounces.

Treatment for Nail Puncture.

Our horse got a nail in his foot.  It was a wire nail, rusty, entering about one inch from the point of the frog, and just puncturing far enough to reach a sensitive part of the hoof.  It occurred six days ago; the nail was pulled at once, the hoof cut open, and thoroughly cleaned with turpentine (the first thing we could get), then later filled with iodine.  Since then I have kept on a flaxseed poultice.

The treatment with turpentine and iodine was proper and should prove a success.  If the foot becomes tender and inflamed, it will be because all dirt was not removed from the wound, and the poultice should be taken off, all foreign matter removed from the wound, and the treatment repeated.  In case of similar accidents, other disinfectants could be used in place of turpentine or iodine.

Pregnancy of Mare.

Is there any way to tell when a mare is in foal?  I have had a veterinarian and he could not tell me.