The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2): Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the FieldTaplin, William
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The Sporting Dictionary and Rural Repository, Volume 2 (of 2): Of General Information upon Every Subject Appertaining to the Sports of the Field
Taplin, William
Hunting -- Dictionaries; Sports -- Dictionaries
ONION—is an article which would not have found its way here, but in
consequence of its great utility upon a certain emergency, which
entitles its property to be more universally known. No trifling
occurrence can possibly occasion more temporary mortification to a
SPORTSMAN, than to see his horse labouring under the STRANGURY (or
suppression of urine) after the long stage of a journey, or the severity
of a chase. In such cases, the first FARRIER is generally called in, who
proceeding upon the "KILL or CURE" system of former times, prepares a
_potion_ of the most powerful urinary stimulants, plentifully
_besprinkled_ with SPIRITS of TURPENTINE, oil of juniper, and other
equally _mild_ and _efficacious_ ingredients, frequently laying the
foundation of inflammation; when an onion being peeled, and a small
clove or two of the inside properly insinuated within the SHEATH, may
nineteen times out of twenty be expected to produce the desired effect,
without the interposition of any medicine whatever.
OPENING THE HEELS.—The ceremony of opening a horse's heels is sometimes
necessary, when they are become _contracted_ by so constantly standing
upon the dry litter, and hot dung of stables, in the Metropolis; a
circumstance which occurs much _less_ in the country, where the defect
is but _little_ known. Although there can be no doubt of a hoof's
contracting in a great degree by the means already mentioned, it must be
more so, where the hoofs are not OILED or STOPPED for _weeks_, or,
probably, _months_ together. It is, however, a matter of doubt, whether
the _back-handed_ stroke of the smith's _rasp_ in SHOEING, is not a more
constant or frequent cause of the narrowness of the heels than any
other. Let it arise from whatever cause, the remedy with them is always
ready; "OPEN THE HEELS;" or, in other words, _cut away_; first with the
BUTTRESS, and then with the _drawing-knife_, till _little_ or _nothing_
is left to cut: when the basis of bearing is taken away, the _heel_ is
let down to the _ground_, the TENDONS are put upon the STRETCH, the
horse, being divested of his natural support, _hobbles_ like a cripple,
and there is no remedy, but to wait with patience for a perfect
regeneration of parts so wantonly destroyed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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