Chapter 6. Wind and Eye

It must be remembered that "whistling" and "roaring" are different degrees of the same complaint, namely, an affection of the larynx or throat due to paralysis of the left vocal cord.

Broken wind is a different disease affecting the lungs only.

In a "whistler"the left vocal cord is partially paralysed and in a "roarer"it is completely out of action.

In effect, such paralysis decreases the available area of inhalation, and the actual noise is caused by the forcible passage of air through a restricted aperture.

A horse starts the process of "going in the wind" by "whistling," and the odds are that later on—it may be soon or it may not be for some years—he will eventually become a "roarer."

The horse is not getting enough air into its lungs and lack of staying power is usually the sequel. Distress from "roaring" may lead to heart trouble. "Whistling" generally commences in horses under six years of age, but older ones are not immune from it.

Testing a Horse for his Wind

Whistling may be heard at the trot, but the best way to test a horse for his wind is to have him trotted and cantered on a small circle, wearing his usual bridle.

This should be done on both reins, and as the horse comes close by you listen very carefully for any noise as he takes his breath.

Then have the horse galloped and pulled up near you and listen again. Some horses will make a noise at slow paces only, and more when going on one rein than on the other. There is a diversity of opinion as to whether the horse should be ridden by the examiner or not, but it is safest to do so, especially if nothing is heard when unmounted. The fitter the horse is, the less noise he will make.

Grunting

If, in the stable, you threaten to hit a horse in the flanks and he grunts, he must be regarded with suspicion, as often grunting and unsound wind go together, though not invariably.

Unless you have experience yourself it is wise to have him "grunted" by an expert, as there are some "grunts"which constitute unsoundness and others which do not, and there is a subtle difference between the two.

Thick in the Wind

A horse will often be thick in the wind when he is gross and fat, and in this condition should not be given severe or fast work as it might lead to whistling. A gross horse may convey the impression of being wrong in the wind when not so in actual fact. Thick wind may be a sequel to bronchitis, or may be a temporary condition, but as long as it persists it is an unsoundness.

High Blowing

A noise made by horses during exhalation only. It is caused by a flapping of the nostrils and may lead the uninitiated into suspecting unsoundness in the wind. High blowers are usually very sound-winded horses. High blowing is due to an abnormality of the false nostril and is not a disease; in fact, it is quite common among well-bred horses.

Paralysis of the False Nostril

This is due to the pressure of the bridle causing the muscles on the side of the face and nostril to become flaccid.

Pressure at the point where the upper and lower jaws meet is the cause of the paralysis.

It is not a common disease.

The sound produced is somewhat similar to that of high blowing, but it occurs during inhalation and exhalation and is on a shriller note.

Treatment. The pressure on the nerve must be removed, in which case the paralysis of the muscles in most cases disappears.

If the pressure is not removed permanent paralysis of the muscles may ensue, and this would constitute an unsoundness.

Whistling

This may be the result of over-strain on the lungs and respiratory muscles, or the legacy of a disease such as influenza or strangles. It is uncertain whether the actual disease is hereditary, though predisposition to respiratory trouble certainly is congenital.

Intermittent Whistlers

A horse is called an intermittent whistler when one day he makes a noise
and another day he is sound, or he may vary from hour to hour. This undoubtedly is a weakness of nervous origin, and though the horse may pass the veterinary surgeon, it is more than probable that one day he will be a real "whistler."

Pronounced Roarers

In pronounced roarers there is a deep, hollow, prolonged cough, especially if the gullet is pressed, and often in really bad cases there is a thin nasal discharge.

Symptoms. Roaring may be heard when the horse is galloped, trotted or cantered. It may be scarcely perceptible or quite noticeable, according to the gravity of the condition.

Treatment of Whistling and Roaring. A course of aconite powders, given every other night in a small, cold bran mash with a few crushed oats, may have beneficial results.

All food should be given damp, and long hay given in restricted quantities.

In mild cases the condition may remain almost stationary for a considerable period, but it will probably grow worse in time.

Though a certain amount can be done to lessen the noise by judicious feeding and by generally getting the horse fit, only surgical measures have any chance of working a permanent cure.

An operation which consists of stripping the lining membrane from the pouch which is behind the vocal cord and allowing the ends to adhere to the walls of the larynx, so as to leave the space permanently open, has
been performed in England on many thousands of horses during the past thirty years.

In a few cases this operation has worked a permanent and complete cure., In, many cases it has turned horses that were practically useless into
workably sound animals. If, however, a horse has had this operation the fact should be mentioned when selling it privately, and must be when selling at auction, this now being a requisition printed in the catalogues issued by the principal horse auctioneers.

Broken Wind

Is over-distention and a breakdown of the air vesicles of the lungs caused by too much strain being put on them. This may occur in a chronic cough or after bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy or pneumonia.

It may be brought about by excessive feeding before exercise, especially on bulky foods like sanfoin, vetches, lucerne or dusty hay, and it is for this reason that horses that make a habit of eating their bedding should be muzzled.

During even moderate exercise the horse appears distressed.

Symptoms. In the early stages the horse has a harsh, dry cough, which gets worse with exercise, and there is a slight discharge from the nose.

Later the cough becomes weak and short, and after any exertion the breathing is unduly laboured.

If the horse sneezes after a bout of coughing it is a good sign, as it means that the cough is probably only due to some irritation of the throat.

The effect of broken wind is to cause an alteration in the breathing, as instead of breathing in and out regularly, on exhalation there will be a sort of double effort to force out the breath. This can best be noticed by watching the flanks, when it will be observed that the horse appears to heave twice on exhalation. Broken wind is also called "Heaves" for this reason.

The condition and shape of a horse with broken wind changes; the animal will develop a large stomach, and the flanks will fall away.

Treatment. There is nothing that will cure a broken-winded horse, but in the early stages a great deal can be done to ease matters by special feeding. All food should be damp and linseed oil mixed with it two or three times a week. It is advisable to call in the veterinary surgeon to obtain advice as to the feeding and treatment of the particular case.

In the author's experience broken-winded horses have been kept workably sound by the use of Vergotinine—a French remedy.

This disease is not considered hereditary.

THE EYE

Sight is very important to the horse, as indeed it is to nearly every mammal, and as the more serious diseases are difficult for the amateur to detect the warranty of a hunter at auction guarantees soundness of the eye as well as wind.

Conjunctivitis and Opacity of the Cornea

The commonest diseases of the eye are:

(1) Conjunctivitis; which is an inflammation of the membrane covering the eye, called the conjunctiva.

(2) Corneal Opacity.

Either of these may be due to any of the following causes:

(a) Cold.

(b) The presence of foreign matter in the eye.

(c) A blow or flick from a whip lash.

Symptoms. Tears are visible and the affected eye is swollen. The eye will probably be kept closed to protect it from the light.

If it is due to cold both eyes may be affected.

The cornea, which in health is quite transparent, may show a speck or whip mark.

Later it may become dim, having a cloudy appearance like steamy glass.

Treatment. The eye must be carefully examined for the presence of any foreign body, which if present must be carefully removed. The eye may then be bathed with boracic lotion and the eyelid smeared with boracic ointment or vaseline.

The patient should be kept in a dark box on a laxative diet and given a physic ball.

Epsom salts may also be given in the drinking water to keep the bowels open.

If the cornea becomes dim the disease is incurable.

Ophthalmia

This is an inflammation of the eyeball and may be due to a blow or to infection.

It is an extremely painful condition and in only a few cases is recovery complete.

Frequently cataract or complete loss of sight follows this complaint.

Treatment. This should be carried out on the same lines as for conjunctivitis.

Any disease which affects the sight is a frequent cause of shying in horses.

Cataract

This is opacity of the lens, and is a graver defect than corneal opacity, although a small cataract need not necessarily impair sight.

Cataract may be of any size, from a pin point to the whole area of the lens, and there may be one or more in the same eye.

It may be hereditary, caused by a blow or a sequel to any other disease of the eye.

To detect either corneal opacity or cataract put the animal in a dark box and hold a lighted candle in front of the eye being examined. There will be images of the flame formed on the surface of the cornea and on both surfaces of the lens. The image on the inner surface of the lens will be inverted—the remaining two upright. When the light is moved the inverted image moves in the reverse direction to the light. If the eye is healthy the images are sharp and distinct. With cataract the images will be blurred, and in the case of a large cataract no third image is visible.

Treatment. There is no cure.

There are other diseases of the eye, but they do not, in the author's opinion, come within the scope of this work, as the veterinary surgeon should be called in to attend to any eye trouble which does not respond to simple treatment.

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