TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



503 



almost sure to break him, as I never knew ahorse to kick more than 

 three to five times with this training." 



Crib-biting 1 Is a habit many horses learn to crib from decayed 

 or aching teeth. The spasmodic cribbing cannot be cured. It may 

 be prevented by buckling a strap so tight about the neck that it 

 cannot be given the peculiar arch necessary to cribbing. Another way 

 is to keep a wire muzzle on his head continually, only removing it 

 at meal-times, adjusting it again immediately after he has finisned 

 his meal. Another way may be adopted as a preventive ; remove 

 the manger entirely and feed his hay from the floor and his grain 

 from a nose -bag, and nail sheet-iron or zinc, full width, commenc- 

 ing two feet six inches from the floor, extending upwards and 

 around the partition walls of his stall. This will prevent him from 

 fastening his teeth on any object that will allow him to crib. 

 Ordinary care and judgment with regard to food and treatment is 

 all that is necessary in ordinary cases of crib-biting. 



To Catch a Horse in a Pasture The most successful 

 method, if the horse has a trick of refusing to be caught, is to turn 

 him into the smallest lot you have, so that when he runs from you 

 he must circle about this small enclosure. Walk slowly around in 

 the center of the lot, following the motions of the horse, until he 

 stops, and then go up to him and caress him, always speaking 

 kindly to him. Keep this up until he will allow you to approach 

 him without shying or running. A few lessons of this sort will 

 entirely correct his bad habit, which proceeds entirely from fear, 

 and he will soon follow you like a dog. 



To Break a Horse of Jumping Sew a strap of leather 

 one and one-half or two inches broad to the head-stall, so that it 

 will pass directly across the eyes of the horse. Split the leather 

 into four or five strips. It must be so arranged that when he 

 raises his head to jump these strips will come directly over his eyes, 

 and he will at once desist from jumping any fence. 



TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



Kindness Domestic animals of all kinds should be treated 

 with gentleness and mildness; men or boys who are rash and bad- 

 tempered, ought not to be permitted to have charge of them. 

 Animals that are kept in constant fear of suffering never thrive 

 well, and they often become vicious and intractable by unkind and 

 cruel treatment. 



Salt Essential to Health All domestic animals should 

 be abundantly furnished with salt. Horses and pigs should occas- 

 ionally have ashes given them in their food ; and pigs ought at all 

 times, when confined in pens, to be supplied with charcoal, bitum- 

 inous coal or rotten wood, as, besides being an alterative, it is a 

 cheap and valuable remedy against indigestion. , 



Proper Time for Blanketing Horses When a horse 



