8o Stable Vices. 



for the blow intended for the inanimate wood. It arises 

 from idleness, and is often continued almost incessantly 

 night and day, except, of course, while the animal is lying 

 down. Hard work is the best remedy, but when that is 

 not practicable, a branch or two of furze nailed to the 

 post will often stop the habit ; though, in one case, I have 

 known it to aggravate a mare almost to madness, and she 

 kicked herself almost blind with fury. Mares are said to 

 be much more subject to this vice than geldings; but, as 

 far as my experience goes, there is little difference. Logs 

 of wood are commonly applied to the leg, but they are not 

 nearly heavy and severe enough ; and if any good is to be 

 done, the weight must be of iron or lead. A common 

 heater for a tea-urn, of about 4 Ib. weight, is about as good 

 as anything ; but it should not be put on until a lighter 

 one has been tried for an hour or two, for if a horse is 

 frightened by it,, he may do himself a serious injury. When, 

 however, he is used to the wooden log, and has got over 

 his first alarm, the iron weight may be buckled on, and 

 will hit him hard enough to stop his frolics in any case. 

 A broad strap should be buckled tightly round the leg, 

 above the pastern, and the weight suspended from it, so 

 as to clear the coronet, which will inflame to a mischievous 

 extent if bruised. Sometimes a weight is required for each 

 leg if the horse kicks both stall-posts. 



Weaving is a restless habit of moving the head in a quick 

 and peculiar way from side to side of the stall, just as the 

 wild beast does in his den. It may arise from an irri- 

 table disposition, but the fact that few " weavers " are 

 good feeders or workers, points to some internal disorder, 

 which in all probability is within the stomach. In such 

 cases the character of food and work must be suitable. 



Pawing is from a similar cause, and is evidenced by a 

 constant working away of the litter with the fore-feet. The 

 best remedy is a pair of fetters, which keep the two fore- 

 legs close together, and prevent pawing with either. The 

 fetters, or shackles, consist of two padded straps, large 

 enough to encircle the small pastern-bone, and connected 

 by a short chain of about 10 or 12 inches in length. 



Eating the litter is easily prevented by a muzzle, which 



