STABLE VICES i',i 



J 



always be provided for horses, and anyone who 

 has regularly visited stables in which a constant 

 supply of rock salt is in the mangers cannot fail 

 to have observed that he never entered that 

 stable without finding some of its inhabitants 

 busily employed with their rock salt. There 

 are all kinds of cribbing straps which are drawn 

 tightly round the neck, but whether they are 

 quite as effective as is claimed for them may be 

 open to question. At any rate I have heard some 

 owners of crib-biters say that they have used 

 them without much benefit. In some stables 

 the manger is made so wide that it is not possible 

 for a horse to get hold of it with his teeth, but 

 this would not prevent a really confirmed crib- 

 biter from cribbing. 



Capt. Hayes gives three methods of preventing 

 crib-biting ^ which may be briefly epitomised as 

 follows : (i) By preventing the horse from com- 

 pressing the mouthful of air he intends to force 

 into his gullet. This can be done by putting 

 on a bridle with a perforated mouthpiece. (2) 

 By preventing him drawing in his chin towards 

 his breast by means of a stick attached between 

 those two points, and 1(3) By rendering the 

 muscles which draw in the chin and arch the neck 

 unable to contract. This is done by means of 

 the strap to which reference has already been 

 made. Sometimes spikes are used in the straps, 

 etc. And undoubtedly they make them more 

 efficacious but they are dangerous. The bit 



^ Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners. 



