272 AMERICAN FARMER'S HORSE BOOK. 



With such an effort is this performed, that his lips fairly 

 quiver, his sides tremble, and his flanks puff* in and out, like 

 a horse that has been running at the top of his speed. His 

 ears are thrown back, with an angry look, like a stubborn 

 mule, pulling at the halter with all his might. He shakes, 

 trembles, groans, and sucks wind at the same instant. Pres- 

 ently the muscles of the jaw relax and give way, unable any 

 longer to endure the strain, and the horse either falls to the 

 ground or staggers wildly for a moment. This breaks the 

 spell ; he turns round, and walks off" or begs for something 

 to eat, as though nothing particular had happened. 



In some cases, the horse rests the ends of his front teeth 

 upon some hard, firm surface, with the extremities of the 

 jaws separated about half an inch, and the tongue between 

 them, and so remains, pressing his teeth with all the weight 

 of his head and strength of his neck. These paroxysms, as 

 they may be called, last from ten to forty minutes, and vary 

 greatly in intensity. Occasionally they are very light, and 

 the horse does nothing more than press his teeth upon the 

 object, or merely grips it with them, for a short time. 



The most inveterate case we ever knew was that of an old 

 horse belonging to Mr. Thomas Bay, of Haywood County, 

 Tennessee. He was a stump-sucker for many years, and we 

 have often heard him suck wind and groan at the distance 

 of at least one-eighth of a mile. He lived until he was 

 twenty years old, and was always in good working condition. 



By many this strange affection js considered one of the 

 vices, or, at least, a most disagreeable habit of the horse, and 

 such, perhaps, his nibbliugs of the manger may sometimes 

 be. But when the practice is accompanied by the actions 

 above described, we are satisfied that it should properly be 

 classed among the animal's diseases, and venture the opinion 

 that it proceeds from a disordered condition of the teeth, 

 probably some neuralgic affection. It is most likely that the 

 sufferer has somehow discovered that, by pressing his teeth 

 upon some hard substance, or by biting and pulling with 

 them, he can obtain relief. When one has been salivated, 



