CARROTS — CASTING HORSE 



Carrots are a most excellent food for horses, and incom- 

 parably the best of all roots for animals in hard work. All 

 horses like them, and many a shy feeder will be tempted 

 to eat a carrot when he will refuse all other food. It is 

 necessary that they should be sliced up small, cutting them 

 lengthways, else pieces are liable to get lodged in the throat. 

 (See Choking, Feeding, Laxatives.) 



Cart-horse. — A general term applied to the heavier 

 varieties. (See Clydesdale, Shire, Suffolk?) 



Cartilage is a species of gristle which connects and 

 protects the ends of the bones. 



Casting Coat. — Horses cast their coats in the spring, 

 either early or late according to the weather, a cold winter 

 and delayed spring causing the winter coat to come off 

 slower. It is never wise, if it can be avoided, to clip a horse 

 at this time, as the operation does the summer coat no good ; 

 but in a very late season it is sometimes necessary to do 

 so, if the coat has grown sufficiently to spoil his looks or 

 to cause him to become overheated. A good deal of extra 

 grooming and warm clothing will usually accomplish much 

 in the way of getting the coat off, but care must be taken 

 to prevent him catching cold. (See Clipping, Singeing?) 



Casting Horse. — There are several methods of casting 

 a horse, but that explained in the accompanying illustration 

 is as simple and safe as any when there is a refractory animal 

 to deal with. It consists of a rope looped round the neck, 

 from which lines extend to behind the back pasterns, where 

 they cross and return to the loop at the neck, whence they 

 are extended to behind the horse. A man takes hold of 

 each end and a third holds the horse by the halter. On 

 the ropes being pulled the hind-legs are brought forward, 

 and a slight push at the shoulder from a fourth man will 

 bring the animal gently over on to his side, where he can 



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