HALTERING. 17 



sized one can suit all heads. Ordinary liead-stalls have 

 only one buckle, which, is on the throat-lash near-side ; 

 and if the stall be made to fit, that is sufficient. Other- 

 wise there should be three bu.ckles, one on each side of 

 the cheek-straps, besides the one on the throat-lash. 



Let the fastening from the head-stall to the log be 

 of rope or leather. Chain fastenings are objectionable, 

 because, besides being heavy, they are very apt to catch 

 in the ring, and they make a fearful noise, especially 

 where there are many horses in the stable. By having 

 rope or leather as a fastener, instead of chain, the log 

 may be lighter (of wood instead of iron), and the less 

 weight there is to drag the creature's head down, the 

 less the distress to him. Poll-evil (page 107), it is said, 

 has frequently resulted from the pressure of the head- 

 stall on the poll, occasioned by heavy pendants. 



Chains are m.ore durable, and that is all that can be 

 said in their favour, except that they may be necessary 

 for a few vicious devils who are up to the trick of sever- 

 ing the rope or leather with their teeth. 



See that the log is sufficiently heavy to keep the rope 

 or leather at stretch, and that the manger-ring is large 

 enough to allow the fastening to pass freely. If the 

 log is too light, or the manger-ring too small, the likely 

 result will be that the log will remain close up under 

 the ring, the fastening falling into a sort of loop, 

 through which the horse most probably introduces his 

 foot, and in his consequent alarm and efforts to disen- 

 tangle his legs, chucks up his head, and away he goes 

 on his side, gets " halter-cast,'^ most likely breaks one 

 of his hind legs in his struggles to regain his footing, or 

 at least dislocates one of their joints. 



