KICKING 347 



he will go on. To prevent unpleasantness of this 

 kind it would be well to warm the collar at a fire 

 before putting it on. Some horses, which were 

 inveterate gibbers, have been cured of this vice by 

 constantly wearing a false collar ; while others have 

 been reformed by keeping the ordinary collar on 

 night and day. This is, however, not to be recom- 

 mended, as it interferes with the animal's rest. 



Many horses are such determined gibbers that they 

 will never cure. When this is the case, they should 

 be sold to the owners of a stage-coach, in which four- 

 in-hand are driven, and if placed as the near wheeler, 

 they will be forced to do their work. Some have 

 also been worked in a team by farmers ; but nobody 

 would think of keeping an animal which can only 

 occasionally be rendered serviceable. 



KICKING. 



The vice of kicking is too often caused by horses 

 being teased, tickled, and pinched by grooms, from 

 wanton mischief or thoughtless folly. The habit 

 becomes habitual with the animals, and what was at 

 first only done in play, is exercised in anger, and often 

 too when one least expects it. In short, it is a 

 dangerous and incurable vice. 



Horses with an irritable or fidgety disposition kick 

 the stall or bail, and especially during the night. 

 This is a great annoyance to other horses in the 

 stable, and breaks their rest. Besides, the animal is 

 liable to injure himself seriously, and bring on swelled 

 hocks or other malady. Mares are more given to 

 this than horses ; and in either it is difficult to 

 eradicate if once confirmed. As soon as it is dis- 

 covered that a horse has this vice, a furze or thorn- 

 branch should be fixed to the partition or post ; and 



