DIFFICULT TO SHOE, 



tions, at finding him difficult, if not dangerous, to shoe. 

 The principles upon which we should act in correcting 

 this fault are : (i) to avoid, as much as possible, altering 

 the animal's equilibrium, while lifting a leg off the ground 

 and holding it up ; (2) to make the horse- understand that 

 if he disobeys us we shall punish him, and that if he 

 complies with our wishes we shall reward him ; and (3), in 

 the event of his displaying determined resistance, to show 

 him that he must obey. 



In these cases it is, as a rule, best to put on the rope- 

 twitch in the first instance. To avoid throwing a horse off 

 his balance when lifting up his hind leg, it is well to help the 

 horse to place more weight on the other side, by turning 

 his head towards it, and by gently shoving him over to it. 

 Thus, if we wish to have the off hind lifted up, we may 

 get the animal's head bent round to the near side by an 

 assistant holding the twitch or rein in his left hand, and 

 pressing his fist against the base of the neck on the near 

 side (see Fig. 16) ; while the man who lifts the off hind, 

 or another assistant, presses against that limb. If the foot 

 which is to be operated upon be a fore one, we may lift 

 it up (see page 108) and suspend it from the surcingle (see 

 page 114). If it be a hind one, it is well, first of all, to tie 

 up the fore leg of that side, and then put on the hind pastern 

 a hobble (see Fig. 62), or one improvised out of a stirrup- 

 iron and leather (see Fig. 70). We may then get command 

 over the leg by pulling it back (see Fig. 64) ; and finally 

 raise it by a doubled cord attached to the tail or dock (see 

 Figs. 65, 66, and 68). If we have got a strait-jacket 

 and find it inconvenient to attach a rope or cord to the 

 animal's tail, we may deprive him of his power to kick 

 us, if we put on him the strait- jacket, which should 

 be loose enough for its presence not to interfere with the 

 horse preserving his balance ; and may then lift up the hind 



