HARNESS STORES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 228, 26 September 1928, Page 21

HARNESS STORES.

A correspondent wants to know what to do with surface sores on the back, girth galls, etc. A frequent cause of such sores is a broken arch of the saddle, or the padding being out of repair. A girth or crupper too tight or too loose, dirty harness, or stiff, new harness will cause galls and sores. The first step, of course, is to remove the cause of trouble. When a horse is in soft condition care should be taken to clean the coat before he is saddled or harnessed. A useful and common dressing for hardening the skin is salt and water. Methylated spirits of wine is also good, and by its rapid evaporation is a cooling lotion in warm weaI ther. These can be put on with a sponge two or three times a day. As soon as a sore or gall is noticed, it should be leaned with warm water and a cooling lotion put on, such as a mixture of $oz sugar of lead, 2oz methylated spirits, and one pint rainwater. An old remedy for all sores is sulphate of zinc. A good mixture is composed of Aoz sulphate of zinc, Joz formalin, one pint rain-water. Those who will not bother with preparing mixtures should keep on hand some antiseptic ointment or lotion which veterinary firms advertise.

The bitterest frosts have little or no effect on the numbers of the flock, provided they are dry frosts. This will fully account for a fact which has been noted by all shepherds, past and present, namely, that sheep in winter always do better when it is frosty and cold than when the weather is wet. Rain, when it falls heavily, penetrates slowly, until the fleece is 0 drenched right through, when it clings around the form most uncomfortably, giving, no doubt, the sensation wet blankets impart to the skin of humanity.

Leaving an excessive amount of curdy matter in butter is a cause of rancidity, especially in warm weather. The curd forms a food for the bacteria that produces butyric acid, causing rancidity to develop in a few days after the butter is made.