TRIPPING. 455 



has received in the act of proceeding from the stable, such as striking his head 

 against a low doorway, or entangling the harness. Coercion will but associate 

 greater fear and more determined resistance with the old recollection. Mr. Castley 

 gives an interesting anecdote, which tends to prove that while severity will be 

 worse than useless, even kind treatment will not always break a confirmed habit. 

 " I remember a very fine grey mare that had got into this habit, and never 

 could be persuaded to go through a doorway without taking an immense jump. 

 To avoid this, the servants used to back her in and out of the stable ; but the 

 mare happening to meet with a severe injury of the spine, was no longer able 

 to back ; and then I have seen the poor creature, when brought to the door, 

 endeavouring to balance herself, with a staggering motion, upon her half-paralysed 

 hind extremities, as if making preparation and summoning up resolution for 

 some great effort ; and then, when urged, she would plunge headlong forward 

 with such violence of exertion, as often to lose her feet, and tumble down, 

 " altogether most pitiable to be seen. This I merely mention," he continues, 

 " as one proof how inveterate the habits of horses are. They are evils, let it 

 always be remembered, more easy to prevent than to cure." 



When the cure, however, is early attempted, it may be so far overcome that 

 it will be unattended with danger or difficulty. The horse should be bridled 

 when led out or in. He should be held short and tight by the head that he 

 may feel he has not liberty to make a leap, and this of itself is often sufficient 

 to restrain him. Punishment or a threat of punishment will be highly impro- 

 per. It is only timid or high-spirited horses that acquire this habit, and rough 

 usage invariably increases their agitation and terror. Some may be led out 

 quite at leisure when blindfolded ; others when they have the harness bridle 

 on ; some will best take their own way, and a few may be ridden through the 

 doorway that cannot be led. By quietness and kindness, however, the horse 

 will be most easily and quickly subdued. 



SLIPPING THE COLLAR. 



This is a trick at which many horses are so clever that scarcely a night 

 passes without their getting loose. It is a very serious habit, for it enables the 

 horse sometimes to gorge himself with food, to the imminent danger of staggers ; 

 or it exposes him, as he wanders about, to be kicked and injured by the other 

 horses, while his restlessness will often keep the whole team awake. If the 

 web of the halter, being first accurately fitted to his neck, is suffered to slip 

 only one way, or a strap is attached to the halter and buckled round the neck 

 but not sufficiently tight to be of serious inconvenience, the power of slipping 

 the collar will be taken away. 



TRIPPING. 



He must be a skilful practitioner or a mere pretender who promises to remedy 

 this habit. If it arises from a heavy forehand, and the fore legs being too much 

 under the horse, no one can alter the natural frame of the animal : if it pro- 

 ceeds from tenderness of the foot, grogginess, or old lameness, these ailments 

 are seldom cured. Also, if it is to be traced to habitual carelessness and idle- 

 ness, no whipping will rouse the drone. A known stumbler should never be 

 ridden, or driven by any one who values his safety or his life. A tight 

 hand or a strong-bearing rein are precautions that should not be neglected, 

 although they are generally of little avail ; for the inveterate stumbler will 

 rarely be able to save himself, and this tight rein may sooner and farther pre- 

 cipitate the rider. If, after a trip, the horse suddenly starts forward, and 



