240 THE HORSE 



remedy is to remove the animal into a loose box, or, if 

 this is not possible, to have two bars made to fit across 

 the end of the stall so that the horse need not be tied 

 up, forming the stall practically into a small box. Some 

 contrivance, some kind of v^ings to the side-posts, will 

 be necessary to prevent the horse from annoying its 

 neighbours, if they happen to stand in stalls adjoining. 

 Other restless animals occasionally will not rest in a 

 loose box, but keep ever on the move, tramping round 

 and round without ceasing, and they may be successfully 

 dealt with by transferring them into stalls. Frequently 

 such changes as the above are a complete success. 



The habit, which is occasionally met with, of sleeping 

 standing, and never lying down, is very undesirable, and 

 most likely arises from the horse having been cast at some 

 period or another, and being afraid of the same thing 

 happening again. A horse which sleeps standing is very 

 likely to fall down in its sleep, and may injure itself 

 when so doing ; and since the weight of a horse is very 

 considerable — a well-bred 13- stone hunter will weigh about 

 13 cwt., while a three-year-old Shire often weighs over a 

 ton — it is very desirable that the legs should be freed from 

 sustaining such burden during a portion of the twenty-four 

 hours. No method is more efficacious in forcing a horse 

 into lying down than attaching a weight to his tail, 

 which sooner or later will make him think better of it, 

 and lie down to relieve himself from the unwelcome 

 imposition. When once relief is found by so doing there 

 will most probably be no further trouble on that account. A 

 7-lb. weight may be used at first, and increased if necessary 

 even up to 14 lbs., though if the original weight proves 

 successful it may be altered with advantage to 3 lbs. the 

 next day, and left off altogether as soon as it seems to 

 be no longer required. 



Gkooming. 



It may be asked why a horse in the stable requires groom- 

 ing, whilst the same animal turned out in a field does well 



