STABLE VICE 137 



You should also remember before going up to the head 

 of a vicious animal, to put the horse well over in his 

 stall, approaching him from the near side. 



Rough usage is absolutely useless as a cure for 

 kicking. If you maltreat a kicking horse, the animal 

 will surely look for an opportunity to have his own 

 back. 



With another form of vice, which I am about to 

 mention, however, matters are different. 



Biting. — Biting is a habit frequently associated 

 with kicking, and sometimes, though more rarely, 

 manifest by itself. Horses are to be found so savage 

 as regards biting that they will stop at nothing short 

 of worrying a man to death. This is a class of animals 

 which have become known as " man eaters." 



Some entires are particularly given to the biting 

 habit. So vicious a temperament is certainly not a 

 recommendation in an animal when you are looking out 

 for a sire. Still, it by no means follows that the 

 progeny of a biter partakes of the evil habits of his 

 parents. 



I have stated above that rough usage was worse than 

 useless in dealing with a kicking horse. With a biting 



