864 THE EXTERIOR OF THE HORSE. 



12th. Horses which paw in the Stable. — Certain subjects con- 

 tract the habit of persistently pawing the floor of their stable with one 

 of their fore-feet. In cases of colic the horse frequently manifests, in 

 this manner, the uneasiness and pain which he suffers. We do not 

 allude here to this symptom. We wish to speak more especially of an 

 analogous habit, which has no morbid cause, but which evidences the 

 restlessness the animal feels when alone in the stable, when he has in- 

 sufficient exercise. This is a most disagreeable vice. Besides useless 

 fatigue and loss of energy, it causes a rapid wearing out of the shoe, 

 necessitating its more frequent renewal, and gives rise to incessant 

 noise, well-nigh unbearable, especially at night-time, an inconvenience 

 of no trifling nature when the stable occupies the first floor of a dwell- 

 ing-house. The means of remedying this habit consists in giving the 

 horse proper daily work, and, if need be, from time to time fettering 

 the two anterior members. 



13th. Horses which weave. — This habit, similar to that of the 

 bear, consists in lateral oscillations of the head and neck, accompanied 

 by an analogous and alternate movement of the body upon the anterior 

 members. Sometimes these members retain the same position, at other 

 times one foot is slightly raised, the left, for example, when the move- 

 ment takes place to the right, and ince versa. The subjects which es- 

 pecially contract this habit are those which stand too long in the stable, 

 and whose fore-feet rest upon an uneven stable floor. Generally being 

 of an irritable temperament, they assume a particular attitude in order 

 to execute it ; their anterior feet, separated from each other, diverge ; 

 their toes are turned outward like the outbow-footed horse. The 

 habit is indulged in with more or less frequency, but especially during 

 the intervals between meals. Its principal effect is a useless fatigue, 

 and it is with much difficulty that the habit can be prevented. This 

 may be effected, however, by attaching the animal with two straps of 

 such a length that the head can still be raised and lowered, but cannot 

 be turned to the right or the left. 



14th. Horses which eat Earth. — This vice is a depravation of 

 the appetite, which is by no means rare in some localities. Perhaps the 

 saline taste of certain soils causes the animals in some cases to contract 

 the habit. But, ordinarily, the insoluble and insipid minerals thus 

 swallowed are not capable of stimulating the taste. Thus, examples 

 have been recorded of horses which eat chalk ; we have seen several 

 of them in Champagne. They had at first fallen into the habit of 



