Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15
Hostiership for Every Day Use.

from the Boston Post.
A civil service examination was held in New
York last week to select foremen for the stables
OF the street cleaning department. Some
doubts having been expressed as to the FEAST
bility Of such an application Of the principle
involved we ventured to suggest trial list of
questions Since then we have received sew
eral urgent requests to answer these questions,
which were as follows:
Q) State the uses and properties Of bran
mash.
ca Under what circumstances. il any. would
you feed 'cut feed" il you had the chance?
90 What is the Office Of the frog in a horses
foot?
a. Give two remedies for thrush. What are
the causes OF thrush?
% Discriminate the two kinds Of colo and
name a remedy for each.
Co. Are mud fever and scratches necessary or
avoidable evils?
90 How would you treat the two last named
diseases?
90 State any views that you may have as to
the theory and practice OF bedding.
(9) How often and when should horses be
watcred?
u0) Would Won. under any circumstances,
apply water to u horses iegr, and if yes, under
what circumstances!
ND How would you deal with balky horse?
az state Your qualifications for handling a
drunken hostier.
And We answer them as follows:
u A bran mash is to regulate the bowels and
to purify and cool the blood. 1t takes the place
OF grass Though not so good when grass is not
obtalnEble, ana it should be given to some
horses once week. to some twice. according
to their constitution and the work they per-
form, and to O few horses never.
CD To old horses and. as a change offood, to
working" horses generally.
90 To sustain part of the conclusion; hence
the horse should be shod SO that the frog
touches the ground.
~ Salt, mOistened with kerosene. for mild
cases, and a solution of blue vitrioi aud vinegar
(of rich blue color for more severe cases.
The latter should be applied with an oil can.
such as is USED for a1les The cause of thrush
is usually wet and dirty stall. Sometimes
however. it is the result Of plethoric conGi-
ton and sometimes of extreme dryness and
hardness of the foot.
(5) SpasModic and fatulent In the former
case the pain is intermittent and the patient
more restless. The latter is more severe and
often follows the former. For spasmodic collie
give aloes, from five to ten drachms. and an
enema Of hot water and little opium. For
hatuient colo the treatment is much the same.
with hot fermentation applied to the abdomen
II the stomach is disiended with gas. turpen-
tine, oil and carborHte of ammonia should be
given. In severe cates Of collie call in q vet"
if possible.
(6) Mud fever and scratches ere in ninety.
nine cases out of a hundred avoidable.
" Ory tne legs Rpd feet as soon as the horse
comes in and apply vasefine and occasionally
giycorine. hsu'iase the legs with WOODEN or
flannel bandages when the horse comes in with
wet legs in cool w,sstisr. Ii the horse il over
tat and has scratches. r!,ysic might be given.
go Bedding shorii he lett under horses day
and night Thus they Will be tempted TO lie
down more than they would otherwise. and the
more horse lies down the longer his feet and
legs will last. deep, soft bed is more COM
Portable for the horse than . scanty one and
more economical in the long run. because il
can be dried to better advantage. Peat moss is
good bedding for horses whose hoofs are over
hard or need to be grown OUT
90 Horses should be watered as often al pos-
sible. provided they are not warm. The best
plan is to have water always before them.
horse should never be allowed to drink more
than few swallows just before be goes out
(10) Water should never be applied 10 a
horses legs, except, perhaps, in hot weather
legs should never be washed when he first
comes into the stable.
Ql Divert his attention BY tapping his fore
legs with the whip or by doing anything else
that your ingenuity suggests.
QO This question must be answered accord
ing TO the qualifications, tho self-confidence
and the discretion Of the person under exami-
nation. drunken hostler il, unfortunately,
not very far from being the normal hostler.
With ell Difference to horsemen, each Of
whom has his own notions and his own reme-
dies (and perhaps, IL might be added, his own
prejudioes), We submit the foregoing answers
- being not altogether vide Of the mark.