XL] THE HORSE AND HIS STABLE. 125 



ornament, of webbing bis Afro murice tincta, or of 

 scarlet and gold if he likes. 



The roller must keep the cloths forward ; if they are 

 fastened tight across the chest, the horse bursts them 

 in getting up or in putting his head down. 



The head- stall should have a buckle on each cheek- The head- 

 stall, 

 strap; the throat-lash should be sewed to the top, 



and should have a buckle on each side. If the horse 

 slips his head-stall, take the throat-lash out of the 

 front, and you may buckle it almost as tight as a 

 neck- strap, which is the safest of all fastenings. The 

 objection is that, when a horse has to raise heavy 

 logs in the stall for each mouthful of hay, the strap 

 wears his mane. For this reason a front is used 

 to the head -stall; it however then wears the horse's 

 head, and is the origin of what is called pole-evil ; 

 the bone of the nose is often worn through by the 

 nose -band, forming abscesses inside the nostrils. Small 

 horses and ponies are particularly liable to this, in 

 getting their hay from high racks. These are reasons 



