Stable Vices. 77 



feet great good may be effected by the regular use of the 

 hoof ointment. See Chapter XXIX. 



One of the good results of treatment of the feet of 

 horses is seen in the plan laid down by Charlier. 

 Hitherto popular systems failed to expose the causes of 

 hoof destruction. Charlier's shoe is eminently suitable for 

 sound feet, and the method of preparing the foot for the 

 reception of his armature strikes a death-blow to hoof 

 mutilation. The shoe itself possesses little merit beyond 

 being light ; it is unsuited to the heavy wearers in this 

 land. Many years ago, when Charlier was unknown in 

 this country, his plan of hoof preparation and^ preserva- 

 tion was practised by the father of the writer of these lines, 

 upon all kinds of horses , with the greatest success. 



CHAPTER VI. 

 STABLE VICES. 



STABLE vices may be considered to include the following 

 long list of offences against the code of laws made for the 

 stabled horse, and enforced by the stablemen. They are : 

 i, Getting loose from the head-stall ; 2, Hanging back ; 

 3, Leaping into the manger ; 4, Turning round in the 

 stall ; 5, Lying under the manger ; 6, Halter casting ; 7, 

 Casting in the stall; 8, Kicking the stall-post; 9, Weav- 

 ing; 10, Pawing; u, Eating the litter; 12, Kicking at 

 man; 13, Biting; 14, Crib-biting; 15, Wind-sucking. 



Getting loose is a very troublesome vice, and many horses 

 are so cunning as almost to defy the efforts of the groom 

 and saddler. If, however, a head-stall is made with a strong 

 throat-lash, and this tightly buckled, no horse can get it 

 off, because the circumference of the head at the jaw is 

 always greater than that of the neck from the back of the 

 ears to the throat. If the horse bites his halter, a chain 

 must be substituted : but as this makes a constant noise. 



