HORSE DOCTOR. 7$ 



tron ; he is seemingly quiet and harmless : but if the in* 

 cautious by-standei- comes fairly in his reach, he darts 

 upon him, and seldom fails to do some miscliief. Aslal* 

 lion addicted to biting is a most formidable creature. 

 He hfts the intiuder^lie shakes him — he attacks him 

 with his feet — lie tramples upon him, and there are 

 many instances in whicli he effects irreparable mischief. 

 A resolute groom may escape. When he has once got 

 firm hold of the head of the horse, he may back him, or 

 muzzle him, or harness him ; but he must be always 

 on his guard, or in a moment of carelessness, he may be 

 seriously injured. 



It is seldom that anything can be done in the way of 

 cure. Kindness will aggravate the evil, and no degree 

 of severity will correct it. " I have seen," says Professor 

 JStewart, '-biters punished until they trembled in every 

 joint, and were ready to drop, but have never in any 

 case known them cured by this treatment, or by any. 

 other. The lash is forgotten in an hour, and the horse. 

 is as ready and determined to repeat the offence as be- 

 fore. He appears unable to resist the temptation, and 

 in its worst form biting is a species of insanity." 



Prevention, however, is in the power of every propri- 

 etor of horses. While he insists on gentle and humane 

 treatment of his cattle, he should sysfemaiicaliy forbid 

 this horse-play. It is that which can never be consi- 

 dered as operating as a reward, and thereby rendering 

 the horse tractable ; nor does it increase the affection of 

 the animal for his groom, because he is annoyed and ir^ 

 ritated by being thus incessantly teased. 



GETTING THE CHEEK OF THE BIT INTO THE MOUTH. 



Some horses that are disposed to be mischievous, try 

 to do this, and are very expert at it. They soon find 

 what advantage it gives them over their driver, who by 

 this manoeuvre loses almost all command. Harsh treat- 

 ment is here completely out of the question. All that 

 can be done is, by some mechanical contrivance, to ren- 



