572 THE HORSE. 
to go down without resistance, for the severe struggle which the un- 
taught horse makes before he submits is calculated to produce injurious 
constitutional disturbance, and, moreover, it would sadly increase any of 
the various diseases of the limbs for which operations are so often per- 
formed. Sometimes, however, it might advantageously be introduced 
into veterinary surgery, as for instance in castration, when the colt will 
not suffer his hind legs to be touched, but even then it will be necessary to 
throw him two or three times, or he will be in such a state of arterial 
excitement that inflammation will be likely to follow. The usual methods 
of confinement are: 1st. The hobbles ; 2d. The side line. 3d. The trevis, 
or break. 4th. The twitch and barnacles. 
Hosstes consist of four broad padded leather straps, provided with 
strong buckles, and long enough to encircle the pasterns. To each of 
these an iron ring is stitched, and to one of them a strong soft rope, six 
yards in length, is securely attached. Provided with four, or, if possible, 
five assistants, the operator buckles the hobble with the rope attached to > 
the near fore leg, and the remaining three to the otherlegs. Then passing 
the rope through their rings, and through the first also, it is held by three 
assistants, the nearest of whom stands about a yard from the horse, so as 
to pull upwards as well as away from him ; a fourth assistant holds him 
by the head to keep him quiet, and to be ready to fall on it as soon as he 
is down, and the fifth stands at his quarters, ready to push him over on 
his off side. This place is sometimes occupied by the operator himsel 
when he is short of hands. Casting should never be attempted on any 
hard surface, a thick bed of straw being necessary to prevent injury from 
the heavy fall which takes place. The hind legs should be brought as far 
forward as possible before beginning to pull the rope, and when the men 
do this they should do it “ with a will,” but without jerking, so as to 
take the horse off his guard, when he will resist much less stoutly than if 
he is allowed more time. As soon as the legs are drawn up together, the 
man at the quarters is quite safe from injury, and he may lean forcibly 
against that part, and force the horse over to the off side, upon which he 
falls: the assistant at the head keeping that part down, no further strug- 
gling takes place, and he is secured by passing the end of the rope under 
the hobble rings between the fore and hind legs, and securing it with a 
hitch. Something more, however, is necessary to be done before any of 
the usual operations can be performed, as all of the legs are at liberty to a 
certain extent and the scrotum cannot be reached in safety. The fol- 
lowing further precautions must therefore be taken, varying according to 
the part to be operated on. 
For castration the horse should be cast on his near side, with a web 
halter in the usual place of a collar. The rope of the halter is then passed 
through the ring of the hobble on the off hind leg, and using it as a pulley 
the foot is drawn forcibly forward beyond the arm and firmly secured to 
the webbing round the neck, and bringing it back again it may be passed 
round the thigh above the hock (which should be guarded from friction 
by a soft cloth or leather), and again secured to the webbing. By these 
precautions the scrotum is completely exposed, and the hind legs cannot be 
stirred beyond the sight spasmodic twitch which extends to the whole 
body. 
To PERFORM ANY OPE/'’ATION ON THE FORE LEG, it must be taken out of 
its hobble, and drawn forward upon the straw by a webbing attached to 
its pastern, where it must be held by an assistant, the horse having little 
or no power over it in this position. 
