ING ^ M D OTHEE TEICKS. 159 



of their own accord. Some horses cannot be easy till they 

 have pawed their bedding quite out of the way, leaving 

 them the bare floor to lie on, soiling their clothes and 

 Lair in a manner not very agreeable to the groom, his 

 duties thereby being much increased. Turning them loose 

 in a box, fastening a clog above the knee, will sometimes 

 cure this evil. When the latter is tried, there should 

 be a pad. applied to the shin, to keep the clog from in- 

 juring the very sensitive membrane covering the tendons. 

 From having been led carelessly through a doorway, 

 where they have been injured, horses are afterwards fear- 

 ful of attempting the passage, and when urged to do so 

 will go through with a bound that adds greatly to the 

 danger. Compel the groom to get the horse square with 

 the door before leading him out, holding him firmly by 

 the halter, so that the leap cannot be made, never urging 

 him to go faster than the slowest pace ; in no case per- 

 mitting a blow to be given. Eather than use force, either 

 blindfold or back him out, until the fear is overcome by 

 judicious usage. 



Kicking the sides of the stall is a very unfortunate cus- 

 tom some horses possess, and no amount of punishment 

 will cure one that has become determined in the practice. 

 Clogs and whips are of no avail, and it seems to be al- 

 most a species of insanity, compelling them to kick away 

 till their legs are bruised and swollen from the blows. I 

 had one very fine horse that I had tried every method of 

 cure I could hear of without effect. "When he was shackled, 

 of course he could not kick, neither could he lie down, 

 and I have kept him standing for a week, when in less 

 than an hour after the straps were removed he would fall 

 to kicking as furiously as if the lost time had to be made 

 up. I cured him by putting him in a stall about the 

 width usually made in livery stables, the sides of the same 

 length of the horse when standing with his head at the 



