PALIJATIVE TEEATMENT. 231 



Hitch Form, and make the horse feel its jDower by giving a 

 few sharp pulls right and left. Then step back to the 

 hips, pull the head around a little, keeping the cord taut, 

 and take up the foot, punishing instantly for any resistance. 

 Or, stand to the head, and keep the cord drawn rather 

 tight to hold the attention of the horse while an assistant 

 takes up the foot. If the horse is very stubborn, bring the 

 second turn of the cord over the upper jaw, under the lip. 

 This part being very sensitive, a slight pressure hurts so 

 severely as to disconcert the horse sufficiently to make him 

 submit. Or the cord. Second Form, can be put on, with 

 the loop brought over the upper jaw, and pulled suffi- 

 ciently taut to force submission. In either case, gradually 

 let up as the horse submits. In no case should the cord 

 be held tight more than half a minute at a time. 



The four-ring bit properly used will sometimes work 

 extremely well in making a horse submit to be shod. The 

 bit is put into the mouth with an ordinary head-piece, and 

 the strap closely adjusted across the nose. Now tie the 

 end of the cord to the near ring, pass it around and tie to 

 the opposite one back of the jaw ; then pass over the neck, 

 well back, and down behind the jaw, as for Second Form 

 of War Bridle. Now by pulling down upon the cord the 

 joint of the bit will be forced up against the roof of the 

 mouth, which hurts so severely that the horse is at once 

 disconcerted, or disabled sufficiently to permit the foot to 

 be taken up. The amount of pressure, or force of the pull- 

 ing, must be regulated according to the resistance. If there 

 is submission in a short time, the lightest pressure will be 

 sufficient to make the horse stand quietly to be shod. 

 There is this to be said about this method of treatment, 

 as well as that of the War Bridle : if it works at all, it 

 seems to work so well as to leave nothing to be desired. 

 But if it fails, the failure will be equally marked. It is, 



