THE SO-CALLED "INCAPACITATING VICES." 289 



anything with which use has familiarized them, the least venturesome 

 of grooms will brave daily danger. In vain does the irritated quad- 

 ruped writhe, frisk, stamp, kick, snap and bite, under the infliction; the 

 servant has been taught that a curry-comb is an instrument to be applied 

 to the skins of horses. The head will be tied up — the leg-strap em- 

 ployed; nay, the hobbles and the twitch will be applied, before the 

 lesson he has learned to regard in his youth shall be discarded. Such 

 tools of the lowest routine are the ignorant in everything which does 

 not involve their personal gratifications. 



The consequence is, that because the animal, while being dressed, 

 cannot forbear biting at all objects which are near to it, the incisor teeth 

 rapidly lose the cutting edges, and become rounded. Such a shape of 

 the nippers used to be viewed as indicative of crib biting; but the fal- 

 lacy of this notion having been exposed, the idea is generally abandoned. 

 Nevertheless, an animal having rounded front teeth would fare badly at 

 an equine banquet where the provender had to be cropped from the 

 eai'th. It is, therefore, only prudent to prevent the creature from spoil- 

 ing its mouth. To accomplish this, remove the curry-comb ; for, should 

 it be allowed to remain in the stable, the chances are very strongly 

 against the groom's favorite tool being discarded. Have the skin dressed 



£plill!|pll|l|l!lfirlkuiiiiiiill!|^:C^-^^ 



A H0B8E, HAYINQ A 8EN8ITITE BKIN, IS DRESSED BETWEEN THE FILLAB-REINS. 



with a penetrating brush ; or, should that prove too sharp, order it to 

 be groomed very gently with the wisp and water brush. Animals 

 possessed of extremely sensitive skins generally carry very fine coats ; 

 therefore they can well afford to dispense with very much labor from 

 their stable attendant. 



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