BITING. 213 



care to jnit very little weight on the tail. This elTects a cure ia 

 most cases, but a horse so cured is never so reliable as one that 

 has been carefully tied up at first, and never learned that he could 

 break anything. 



BITING. 



497. — Horses bite each other, bath playfully and aggressively, 

 though even amongst their own species there is a great deal 

 more threatening than execution. The wild, unhandled horse 

 rarely if ever attempts to bite a human being. It is not a very 

 common vice with the tame horse, but is most seen amongst 

 foolishly handled pets, horses that have been teased with boys, 

 or tantalized by timid, fussy, or thoughtless men. Entire horses 

 are more prone to a serious exhibition of this vice than any other 

 description of horse ; but, amongst them all, threatening is far 

 more common than performance, so that for one horse that will 

 viciously bite there are twenty that will warningly or playfully 

 threaten to do so. 



498. — "We have had something to say about biting under 

 the head of cleaning (59). The large wooden bit there recom- 

 mended will be found a very simple and harmless remedy or 

 preventative in all mild cases, and will often prevent any more 

 serious development of the vice. Any groom can make one for 

 himself, as it need be nothing more than a piece of round stick, 

 eight inches long and nearly two in diameter, with a small hole 

 bored two inches from each end, through which to put and 

 fasten a piece of strong string, long enough to go over the head 

 behind the ears, and suspend the stick in the horse's mouth. 

 This will both divert his attention and make him feel helpless to 

 bite. In more serious cases, where the horse has become dangerous 

 and aggressive, the formidable gag bridle (357) may be used to 

 any extent that may be found necessary to make the animal 

 entirely submissive. 



CRIB BITING. 



499. — This curious, disagreeable, and unaccountable habit 

 has been made a great deal more of in horse books than it deserves, 



