HOW. 157 



Take a strong hame strap, or any plain strap, about 12 or 15 

 inches long, put it round the left fore pastern, with the buckle 

 outside, and passing it through the keeper, so as to form a loop, 

 di'aw up the foot, put the end of the strap through the ring at 

 the brisket, and buckle quickly. 



354. — The horse is now on three legs. Take the rope 

 coming through the ring at the wither, put on a pair of strong 

 rough leather gloves to save your hands, and pull steadily and 

 firmly, but not violently to draw* the horse's head to the right, 

 standing well away from him on the left side. After a little 

 struggling he will come down quietly on the left side, and must 

 stay there until you loosen his head. If you are without an 

 assistant you may fasten the head back to the ring at the wither, 

 whilst you reach over and strap up the other leg. He will lie 

 more easily if his head is then loosened ; he can only rise to his ^ 

 knees at the worst, and this you can always prevent if you have a 

 quick eye and keep the rope in your hand. Do not trust yourself 

 amongst his legs, as a prostrate horse can strike very violently in 

 his struggles, but you can safely do anything by standing at his 

 back and reaching over his body. 



If the horse whilst standing is too wild, or restive, or vicious 

 to give his fore leg up easily to the strap, a soft rope with a loop 

 may be thrown round the pastern, and brought either through 

 the lower ring, or between the surcingle and the hodj, drawn 

 up and tied. It is not necessary or even desirable, that the foot 

 should be drawn up very close to the horse's body under this 

 arrangement, although it requires to be tightly strapped round 

 the fore arm, when Rarey's plan is adopted, or it will not be 

 secure. When so strapped the circulation is impeded, the leg 

 is often ben numbed, and cannot be depended upon for some 

 time after it is let down. 



355. — Instead of the jaw loop bridle, which we have recom- 

 mended, for twisting the horse's head when putting him down, 

 some American writers have advised to tie the end of the long 

 rope round the neck, and then passing the rope from the neck 

 into the left side of the mouth and out at the right side, bring 

 it back on the right side of the neck, through the ring at the 



