CHAPTER XXIII. 



VICES IN THE STABLE. 



. CRIBBING. II. WIXD SUCKING. III. GNAWING THE MANGER, CLOTHING, 



ETC.— — IV. KICKING WHILE EATING GRAIN. V. WASTING THE GRAIN. VI. 



PULLING BACK, AN1> BREAKING THE HALTER. VII. BALKING. 



Horses frequently contract pernicious habits in the stable, such as 

 always jDrove very annoying and often incurable. Nevertheless, a little in- 

 genuity will sometimes work wonders, not only in preventing the forma- 

 tion of such habits, but also in breaking them up. The most common 

 stable vices are those above noted. 



I. Cribbing. 



This is a habit of catching hold of the manger, post, fence, or other 

 object in front of the horse, with the teeth, and bearing down till the 

 neck is altered in position, so as to form a tempo- 

 rary vacuum in the pharynx, when the air rushes 

 in to fill it, making a sound not unlike the hic- 

 cough. It frequently occurs that the horse will 

 devote nine-tenths of his time to cribbing, to the 

 neglect of eating and sleeping, especially if at 

 grass, and bringing on indigestion, emaciation 

 and hidebound. For this reason, cribbers are 

 usually thin in flesh. 



Cause. — Cribbing is considered by some to be 

 the result of indigestion ; by otheiis, of pain in cribbing. 



the teeth while teething; and by others still, of idleness. While there 

 are cases that undoubtedly seem traceable to the first two mentioned 

 causes, the writer thinks this habit will l)e found, uniformly, to be associ- 

 ated, at least, with idleness. Old horses sometimes take it up, and horses 

 of all ages are apt to do so, if tied beside a cribber ; but in every such 

 case idleness seems to be a prerequisite. This opinion is strengthened, 

 too, by the undeniable fact that a horse kept in the stable several weeks, 

 from some trivial cause, is especially apt to acquire it. 



What to do. — There are many devices in vogue for the cure of crib- 

 bing, each containing more or less merit, — such as a piece of buffalo 

 robe, or of iron, nailed on the edge of the manger ; red pepper smeared 

 over the latter ; a small strap around the throat, drawn very tio-ht, etc. 

 But the most effectual plan is to tie him in a wide stall, with a line from 



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