366 THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE. 



him, as he wanders about, to be kicked and injured by the other horses, while his 

 restlessness will often keep the whole team awake. If the web of the halter, being 

 first accurately fitted to his neck, is suffered to slip only one way, or a strap is attached 

 to the halter and buckled round the neck, but not sufficiently tight to be of serious 

 inconvenience, the power of slipping the collar will be taken away. 



TRIPPING. 



He must be a skilful practitioner or a mere pretender who promises to remedy this 

 habit. If it arises from a heavy forehand, and the fore legs being too much under the 

 horse, no one can alter the natural frame of the animal : if it proceeds from tenderness 

 of the foot, grogginess, or old lameness, these ailments are seldom cured. Also, if it 

 is to be traced to habitual carelessness and idleness, no whipping will rouse the drone. 

 A known stumbler should never be ridden, or driven by any one who values his safety 

 or his life. A tight hand or a strong-bearing rein are precautions that should not be 

 neglected, although they are generally of litrle avail; for the inveterate stumbler will 

 rarely be able to save himself, and this tight rein may sooner and farther precipitate 

 the rider. If, after a trip, the horse suddenly starts forward, and endeavours to break 

 into a sharp trot or canter, the rider or driver may be assured that others before him 

 have fruitlessly endeavoured to remedy the nuisance. 



If the stumbler has the foot kept as short and the toe pared as close as safety will 

 permit, and the shoe is rounded at the toe, or has that shape given to it which it 

 naturally acquires in a fortnight from the peculiar action of such a horse, the animal 

 may not stumble quite so much ; or if the disease which produced the habit can be 

 alleviated, some trifling good may be done, but in almost every case a stumbler should 

 be got rid of, or put to slow and heavy work. If the latter alternative is adopted, he 

 may trip as much as he pleases, for the weight of the load and the motion of the other 

 horses will keep him upon his legs. 



WEAVING. 



This consists in a motion of the head, neck, and body, from side to side, like the 

 shuttle of a weaver passing through the web, and hence the name which is given to 

 this peculiar and incessant and unpleasant action. It indicates an impatient, irritable 

 temper, and a dislike to the confinement of the stable. Ahorse that is thus incessantly 

 on the fret will seldom carry flesh, or be safe to ride or drive. There is no cure for 

 it, but the close tying-up of the animal, or at least allowing him but one loose rein, 

 except at feeding-time. 



CHAPTER XX. 

 THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF THE HORSE. 



This is a most important part of our subject, even as it regards the farmer, although 

 there are comparatively few glaring errors in the treatment of the agricultural horse 

 but it comes more especially home to the gentleman, who is too often and too impli 

 citly under the guidance of an idle, and ignorant, and designing groom. 



We will arrange the most important points of general management under the fol- 

 lowing heads : 



AIR. 



The breathing of pure air is necessary to the existence and the health of man and 

 beast. It is comparatively lately that this has been admitted even in the manage 

 ment of our best stables. 'I'hey have been close, and hot, and foul, instead of airy, 

 and cool, and wholesome. The effect of several horses being shut up in the same 

 stable is completely to empoison the air ; and yet, even in the present day, there are 

 too many who carefully close every aperture by which a breath of fresh air can by 

 possibility gain admission. In effecting this, even the key-hole and the threshold arc 

 not forgotten. What, of necessity, must be the consequence of this] Why! if one 



