372 BITING CHEEK OF THE BIT IN THE MOUTH. 



They who are accustomed to horses know what seemingly 

 trivial circumstances occasionally produce this vice. A horse, 

 whose shoulders are raw, or have frequently been so, will not 

 start with a cold collar. When the collar has acquired the 

 warmth of the parts on which it presses, the animal will go with- 

 out reluctance. Some determined gibbers have been reformed by 

 constantly wearing a false collar, or strip of cloth round the 

 shoulders, so that the coldness of the usual collar should never be 

 felt ; and others have been cured of gibbing by keeping the collar 

 on night and day, for the animal is not able to lie down completely 

 at full length, which the tired horse is always glad to do. 

 When a horse gibs, not at starting, but while doing his work, it 

 has sometimes been useful to line the collar with cloth instead 

 of leather ; the perspiration is readily absorbed, the substance 

 which presses on the shoulder is softer, and it may be far more 

 accurately eased off at a tender place. 



BITING. 



This is either the consequence of natural ferocity, or a habit 

 acquired from the foolish and teasing play of grooms and stable- 

 boys. When a horse is tickled and pinched by thoughtless 

 and mischievous youths, he will first pretend to bite his tor- 

 mentors ; by degrees he will proceed farther, and actually bite 

 them, and very soon after that, he will be the first to challenge 

 to the combat, and, without provocation, seize some opportunity 

 to gripe the incautious tormentor. At length, as the love of 

 mischief is a propensity too easily acquired, this war, half play- 

 ful and half in earnest, becomes habitual to him, and degen- 

 erates into absolute viciousness. 



It is seldom that anything can be done in the way of cure. 

 Kindness will aggravate the evil, and no degree of severity 

 will correct it. "I have seen," says Professor Stewart, " bilers 

 punished until they trembled in every joint, and were ready to 

 drop, but have never in any case known them cured by this 

 treatment, or by any other. The lash is forgotten in an hour, 

 and the horse is as ready and determined to repeat the offence 

 as before. He appears unable to resist the temptation, and in 

 its worst form biting is a species of insanity." 



Prevention, however, is in the power of every proprietor of 

 horses. While he insists on gentle and humane treatment of 

 his cattle, he should systematically forbid this horse-play. 



GETTING THE CHEEK OF THE BIT INTO THE MOUTH. 



Some horses that are disposed to be mischievous try to do 

 this, and are very expert at it. They soon find what advantage 



