LEG STRAP. 



with, and the leg-strap passed through the surcingle or 

 girth. This method of suspending the leg is very useful 

 when gentling the fore limb, and when shoeing a " diffi- 

 cult " animal ; as the foot can be retained at any convenient 

 height from the ground without irritating the horse, and, 

 consequently, without inciting him to " fight." 



I have learned, on more S\ 

 than one occasion, by pain- 

 ful experience, that it is 

 possible for a horse to 

 effectually cow-kick with 

 the hind leg of the side on 

 which a fore leg is tied-up. 



A stirrup leather, with 

 two or three holes punched 

 at convenient distances, 

 will, as I have said on 

 page 113, make a capital 

 leg-strap (see Fig. 34). It 

 has the advantage of 

 having, at the back of the 

 buckle, no leather keeper, 

 which is always liable to 

 give way, by reason of the 

 strain exerted on it. 



For suspending a fore 

 leg, we need punch no extra 

 holes in the stirrup leather, if we take, as already described, a 

 few turns with it round the pastern, before passing its end 

 through the lower part of the buckle. An ordinary stirrup 

 leather would, therefore, require a few seconds longer to 

 apply, than if more holes had been punched, which it is 

 prudent to do, in order to save time, if we have got to 

 tie up the leg of a difficult or dangerous horse. 



3* 



34- A stirrup leather utilised for 

 tying up a fore leg. 



