140 



HORSE— DISEASES AND REMEDIES. 



good solid bed of manure (which is al- 

 ways to be had where horses are) should 

 be spread a foot thick at least, and over 

 this clean straw may be laid. To return 

 to the subject of the operation, whom we 

 left with the alternative of bounding in 

 the air on his hind legs, or falling on his 

 knees in the annexed attitude, the chief 

 art in managing this part of the process 

 is to keep firm hold of the strap attached 

 to the off leg close to the surcingle ; the 

 hand being protected by the glove, can 

 easily prevent it from slipping through 

 during the struggles of the horse, and at 



the same time serves as a. point cP appuiiox 

 the operator, so that he can follow the 

 movements of the bounding animal in 

 whatever direction he may progress. The 

 operator must on no account attempt to 

 stand away from his patient, nor must he 

 advance before the girth-place ; but keep- 

 ing close to this he is in no danger, pro- 

 vided he has sense and the ability to give 

 way if the horse should throw himself 

 down towards his side. The rein, being 

 still held in the left hand, prevents the 

 horse falling away from the operator, and 

 is also used by him as a means of guiding 



Fig. 32. — The horse bounding on his hind legs. 



the animal, if he happens to progress in a 

 direction which is not desired. Nothing 

 else is to be attempted till the horse has 

 quite exhausted all his energies, which 

 those possessed of high courage will soon 

 do; but low-bred animals are very apt to 

 turn sulky, and, refusing to plunge, re- 

 main on their knees, in spite of every kind 

 of stimulus which can be given them short 

 of severe punishment with the whip, 

 which is to be avoided, as opposed to the 

 principles on which the whole process is 

 founded. By taking time with these brutes, 

 they may always be made to tire them- 

 selves, for the kneeling position is very 

 irksome to them, and the most stubborn 

 will give a plunge now and then to relieve 



themselves, though they will not follow 

 up one with another as speedily as a thor- 

 oughbred. Sooner or later (the time vary- 

 ing from ten minutes to two or three hours), 

 the tail begins to tremble, the flanks 

 heave, and a profuse perspiration breaks 

 out, which are signs that the horse of 

 himself desires the recumbent position, 

 and will lie down of his own accord, if 

 not pulled over by the right hand of the 

 operator. 



Let them wait till the horse is thor- 

 oughly tired, and then only interfere to 

 such an extent as to keep him leaning to- 

 wards their side, by laying hold of the 

 right rein instead of the left, as shown in 

 the engraving Fig. 32 ; and drawing the 



