THE HORSE. 61 



down completely at full length, which the tiled horse is always glad to 

 do. When a horse balks, not at starting, bnt 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 raischievons 

 youths, he will first pretend to bite his tormentors; 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 

 playful and half in earnest, becomes habitual to him, and degenerates 

 into absolute viciousness. 



It is seldom that any thing can be done in the way of cure. Kind- 

 ness will aggravate the evil, and no degree of severity will correct it. 

 "I have seen," says Professor Stewart, "biters 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 ofi'ense as before. He appears unable to resist the tempta- 

 tion, 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 it gives them over their driver, who by 

 this maneuver loses almost all command. Harsh treatment is here 

 completely out of the question. All that can be done, is, by some me- 

 chanical contrivance to render the thing difficult or impossible, and this 

 may be managed by fastening a round piece of leather on the inside of 

 the cheek of the bit. 



Kicking. — This, as a vice, is another consequence of the culpable 

 habit of grooms and stable-boys of teasing the horse. That which is 

 at first an indication of annoyance at the pinching and tickling of the 

 groom, and without any design to injure, gradually becomes the expres- 

 sion of anger and the efii"ort to do mischief. The horse, likewise, too 

 soon recognizes the least appearance of timidity, and takes advantage 

 of the discovery, and he cannot be justified who keeps a kicking horse 

 in his stable. 



Some horses acquire, from mere irritability and fidgetiness, a habit 

 of kicking at the stall or the bail, and particularly at night. The 

 neighboring horses are disturbed, and the kicker gets swelled hocks, or 

 some more serious injury. This is also a habit very diflicult to correct 

 if suff'ered to become established. Mares are far more subject to it 

 than horses. 



Before the habit is inveterately established, a thorn busli or a piece 



