622 THE HORSE 



undei' the horse's upper lip. Jerking the loose end inflicts pain, and to 

 avoid a repetition of it the animal may consent to remain steady. With 

 each jerk the word of command should be given, " Steady ! steady ! " being 

 at all times a better word than " Woa," since the horse is taught to under- 

 stand by the latter that he is to halt, and a young one may show the same 

 confusion as the infant who has to learn that a certain word of one syllable 

 may mean " Thank you " or something nasty, and to be avoided. Both 

 the infant and the horse learn to differentiate, but it is by the tone only. 



Strapping up a fore-leg with a stirrup leather may answer when some 

 operation has to be performed on the head or opposite fore-leg, or upon the 

 hind-leg of the same side as that in the strap. A horse cannot, or does not, 

 cow-kick, that is to say kick with one leg without raising the loins, if the fore- 

 leg on the same side is held up, but he may kick with the opposite hind-leg. 

 A knee-cap should be put on, and a bandage from below the knee, so that, in 

 the event of the horse throwing himself do^n, the skin may escape blemish. 

 The leg can be secured by either passing the strap round the pastern and 

 the fleshy part of the arm, or suspended from a loop in a surcingle. 



Blindfolding, says Captain Hayes in his Illustrated Ilmse Brealdng, 

 is an efficient means of control with the majority of horses, although it 

 excites some to offer more vigorous resistance than they would otherwise do. 

 I have never found a horse which would, when blindfolded, attempt to kick 

 or strike out on the chance of hitting his man, unless he was touched about 

 the limbs or body. 



SIDE LINES 



These ai'e either for securing a hind-leg, preventing kicking, or else 

 for the purpose of throwing the animal down altogether. An ordinary 

 rope such as wagoners use, preferably one that has become supple with 

 work, may be passed round the horse's neck like a collar and then be- 

 tween his hind-legs, and picked up again in such a manner as to bring it 

 round the pastern : it is then turned once round itself so as to make a loop 

 near the fetlock, and the end pulled through the collar or loop Avhich was 

 first formed. If the foot is drawn forward sufficiently to prevent much 

 slack, the animal is not likely to get out of it, and it can be fastened off 

 with an ordinary hitch. It is a useful contrivance when a torn quarter has 

 to be sewn up and there are reasons for not casting. 



The double side line is adjusted in much the same way, only that the 

 rope is first folded in the middle, and a knot made so that when put over 

 the horse's head it will be about the same size as his collar. The free ends 

 are carried between the hind-legs and passed through in exactly the same 

 Avay as a single line. Some operators allow the knob to fall on the chest 

 and pass the lines between all the legs, but more power for throwing is 

 obtained by keeping the knot on the top of the withers, and the lines out- 

 side the fore-limbs. With nothing more than an ordinary thirty-six-foot 

 wagon rope the castrator has performed for ages, and it is a very effectual 

 way of getting a horse down, if the assistants pull well together and behind 

 the horse, instead of, as often happens, in a zigzag, or in any position but the 

 right one. Side Hues are now made by all the veterinary instrument makers 



