KICKING. 337 



this trick. Connecting together by a rope the near fore 

 with the near hind, and the off fore with the off hind, or 

 connecting together both hind legs, passing a rope from 

 the coupling rope, between the fore legs, round the base 

 of the neck and securing it, would effectively prevent 

 kicking ; but such gear would not be safe to be left on at 

 night ; as the horse might get " cast " in his stall by his 

 legs becoming entangled in it. The habit of abruptly 

 kicking from time to time with one hind leg, is a symptom 

 of the presence of a particular kind of mange insect 

 (symbiotes) which infests the legs. I have known horses 

 to kick at night from being disturbed by rats, in which 

 case a cat should be kept in the stable. 



PAWING AT NIGHT. 



We may prevent the practice of this vice by employing 

 a spancel (coupling strap) to connect the animal's fore 

 legs together, so as to give him freedom to lie down, but 

 not to paw. The use of this strap would, no doubt, in 

 time cure the vice. 



PAWING BACK THE LITTER. 



I note that a correspondent, replying to a query in The 

 Field, as to some means of stopping this practice, which 

 causes the horse to sleep more or less on the bare floor, 

 states that connecting the fore legs in the manner I have 

 described in the preceding paragraph, will accomplish 

 the object in view, and, after a few repetitions, will wean 

 the animal from the habit. 



RUBBING THE TAIL. 



Although this vice comes more within the province of 

 the veterinary surgeon than within that of the breaker ; 

 it may not be out of place if I mention that a bandage 



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