132 ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKING, 



hand deprives the hind-leg of the greater part of 

 its action, and the hind pastern is caught so 

 quickly after, even if not before, the near fore 

 reaches the ground, that the animal has not time 

 to make a deliberately offensive movement. By 

 catching the pastern in the way described, we 

 aid in preventing the animal from cow-kicking, to 

 do which, he must bend his hock ; for the muscle 

 which flexes the foot extends the hock. Were 

 we to catch the canon bone, instead of the 

 pastern, we should, besides losing this advantage, 

 have less ability to act on the lever formed by 

 the bones below the hock, by reason of our 

 shifting the point of application of the "power," 

 closer to the fulcrum (the head of the tibia). The 

 irritation caused by the grasp of the hand on the 

 hamstring — which is composed of two tendons — 

 stimulates their muscles to contract, and, thus, to 

 keep the hock extended. In this operation, we 

 should follow the principles, already laid down, 

 of removing the cause of any pain or irritation, 



