5o6 



The Book of the Horse. 



"tie," as it is called, may be either of rope, leather, or chain. In the woodcut there are two 

 ties next to the horse's head, of chain, so that he may not be tempted to bite it ; the rest is of 

 leather. The proper length of a tie should be such that the log will only just reach the ground 

 when the horse is standing over his manger. If longer than this the horse may get his leg 

 over it, and a serious accident follow. If shorter, he cannot lie down comfortably. Chains 

 have the advantage over leather straps or ropes, that their weight prevents the liability to 

 become slack between the ring and the horse's head. Their drawback is the noise they make. 



When the stalls are very wide, two ties, as in the woodcut, -are 

 used, to prevent the horse turning his tail to the manger. But one is 

 quite as commonly employed. It should be attached to the headstall 

 by a spring swivel catch, which can be detached in an instant. Some 

 very ingenious arrangements have been invented for receiving the tie in 

 a tube (see illustration), so as to protect a horse from entangling a leg in 

 a " slack tie." 



In every stall or box there must be a rack-chain, to fasten up the 

 horse's head while he is eating his corn, and when he is being dressed, 

 if he is dressed in his stall, a practice to be avoided if there is con- 

 venience for the operation out of the stable. It is important that there 

 should be no hook on this chain on which a horse could catch his eyelids 

 or mouth. 

 The posts of each stall must be provided with a pair of iron or brass rings, screwed 

 at about the proper height of a horse's head ; to these rings are attached the pillar reins, 

 for fastening a horse when saddled or harnessed. White cords, provided with brass spring 

 swivel hooks, are a very neat substitute for chains, if kept perfectly clean. But old girths 

 make very good pillar reins. 



In the washing-house a sort of gallows, with pillar reins, to which horses may be fastened, 

 when either dressed, singed, or clipped, is a useful piece of furniture. If a horse is inclined 

 to kick, care should be taken that he is not put on pillar reins where the insufficient length 

 of the divisions of the stalls would allow him to injure himself Capped hocks are frequently 

 produced in this way. 



PATENT TIE. 



STABLE TOOL.S. 



In addition to horse-clothing, head-collars, and rack-chains, the following articles are 

 required in the stable where even one horse and carriage is kept : — Stable forks, shovels, and 

 brooms ; pails, corn sieve, and measure ; brushes, viz., heel brush, harness brush, plate brush, 

 spoke brush, lining brush, body brush, dandy brush, currycomb ; sponges, wash-leathers, 

 scraper, foot-pick, scissors, and comb ; iron setter for washing carriage ; garden hydrant for 

 ditto ; singeing lamp or clipping machine ; exercise saddle and watering bridle ; buckets ; a 

 registering thermometer. See appendix for a priced list of these and other articles sold by 

 saddlers. These articles, when delivered to the groom by the saddler or storekeeper, should 

 be entered in a book, with the date of delivery, so as to check unreasonable consumption ; 

 and, if a saddler supplies everything, the book system common with butchers or grocers should 

 be adopted, if economy is a matter of any importance. 



The washing buckets should be of wood, the drinking buckets of galvanised iron. The 

 drinking buckets ought never to be used for any other purpose, on any pretext. Fomenting 

 buckets, which arc essential in every hunting stable, arc of wood or gutta-percha, made ex- 



