THE DEHORNING OV CATTLE. 



1357 



the front up and over the horizontal stanchion rail, then down underneath 

 the neck and up and through the top of the stanchion rail to an assistant 

 who should hold it firmly. Now, release the stanchion, allowing the anima 

 to withdraw its head, so that the horns are just inside of the stanchion rail 

 or stringpiece; then, keeping the head tight, pass it once around the muz- 

 zle UP and over the stanchion rail, and through to the front again to the 

 hands of the assistant, who should stand 3 or 4 feet in front of the animal 

 and hold the rope firmly, but prepared to release it when told to do so by 

 the operator. The animal is now ready for the dehorning operation. 



It is necessary that the rope be held by an assistant, as ^ the event of 

 the animal struggling during the operation so as to throw itself off its feet, 



-HORNS SHOWING (a, PROPEK AND 



IMPROPER) CUTTING. 



or if there appears to be danger of its choking, the rope may be slackened 

 promptly at the word of the operator and the animal partly released. 1 his, 

 however, is rarely necessary, for as soon as the head is secured the operator 

 should be ready, standing at the right shoulder of the animal ^^ath his 

 saw and proceed to saw off first the right and then the left^horn. The 

 horns should be severed at a point from a quarter to a half inch below 

 where the skin joins the base of the horn, cutting from the back toward 

 the front Figure 47 shows the animal and the operator in position for 

 the dehorning operation by this method. It is a good plan before com- 

 mencing the real work to e:cperiment upon an animal in the matter of con- 

 trol by snubbing the head to the stanchion rail as described. 



If the stanchion rail is too wide to permit of properly securing the lower 

 part as well as the upper part of the animal's head, the turn of the rope 



