344 



THE HORSE. 



Shying on coming out of the stable is a habit that can rarely or never be 

 cured. It proceeds from the remembrance of some ill-usage or hurt which the 

 animal has received in the act of proceeding from the stable, such as striking 

 his head against a low door-way, or entangling the harness. Coercion will 

 but associate greater fear and more determined resistance with the old recol- 

 lection. Mr. Castley, to whom we are indebted for much that is valuable 

 on the subject of the vices of the horse, gives an interesting anecdote which 

 tends to pi'ove that while severity will be worse than useless, , even kind 

 treatment will not break a confirmed habit. "I remember a very fine grey 

 mare that had got into this habit, and never could be persuaded to go 

 throug a door-way without taking an immense jump. To avoid this, the 

 servants used to back her in and out of the stable ; but the mare happening 

 to meet with a severe injury of the spine, was no longer able to back; and 

 then I have seen the poor creature, when brought to the door, endeavouring 

 to balance herself with a staggering motion upon her half-paralyzed hind 

 extremities, as if making preparation and summoning up resolution for 

 some great effort; and then, when urged, she would plunge headlong for. 

 ward with such violence of exertion, as often to lose her feet, and tumble 

 down 'altogether most pitiable to be seen.' This I merely mention," he 

 continues, "as one proof how inveterate the habits of horses are. They 

 are evils, let it always be remembered, more easy to prevent than cure." 



SLIPPING THE COLLAR. 



This is a trick at which many horses are so clever, that scarcely a nisht 

 passes without their getting loose. It is a very serious habit, for it enables 

 the horse sometimes, to gorge himself with food, to the imminent danger 

 of staggers; or it exposes him, as he wanders about, to be kicked and 

 injured by the other horses, while his restlessness will often keen the whole 

 team awake. If the web of the halter, being first accurately fitted to his 

 neck, is suffered to slip only one way, or a strap is attached to the halter 

 and buckled round the neck, but not sufficiently tight to be of serious 

 inconvenience, the power of slipping the collar will be taken av\'ay. 



TRIPPING. 



He must be a skilful practitioner or a mere pretender who promises to 

 remedy this habit. If it arises from a heavy forehand, and the fore-legs 

 being too much under the horse, no one can alter the natural frame of the 

 beast: if it proceeds from tenderness of the foot, grogginess, or old lame- 

 ness, these ailments are seldom cured ; and if it is to be traced to habitual 

 carelessness and idleness, no whipping will rouse the drone. A known 

 stumbler should never be ridden, or driven alone, by any one who values 

 his safety or his life. A tight hand, or a strong bearing-rein are precautions 

 that should not be neglected, but they are generally of little avail; for the 

 inveterate stumbler will rarely try to save himself, and tins tight rein may 

 sooner and farther precipitate the rider. If, after a trip, the horse suddenly 

 starts forward, and endeavours to break into a canter, the rider or driver 

 may be assured that others before him have fruitlessly endeavoured to 

 remedy the nuisance. 



If the stumbler has the foot kept as short and the toe pared as close as 



the moment he has started, being- conscious of his fault, and expecting- chastisement, he 

 jumps about in fearful ajritation, makinsr plunsres to strike into a callop, and attemptincr to 

 run away. Sc^ that by this correction, instead of rendering- his horse tranquil during- the 

 passag-c of a coacli, the rider adds to the evil of shying tliat of sulisequently plunging-, and 

 perhaps running away." — The Veterinarian, by Messrs. Percivall and Youati, vol. i. p. 96. 



