TYING. 129 



and biting till morning arrives, when a broken leg or a 

 wounded and sick horse is seen — as usual, to be placed to 

 the account of accident. 



The above-named results, are but a few that can be 

 classed amongst avoidable or preventable injuries, which, 

 by a judicious and careful system of tying would be almost 

 impossible, at least in the stable. The head stall or leather 

 portion should neither be too large nor too small for the 

 head to which it is to be fitted, and when it is on, the 

 crown strap should also be neither too long nor too short, 

 and the loose end should always be secured in its keeper; 

 this to many persons seems a small thing, and conse- 

 quently a very important matter is thus neglected. The 

 head portion of the halter or stall-collar being of a proper 

 fit and well secured, attention to the tying of the shank, 

 whether of leather, rope, or chain, is of the utmost import- 

 ance, because more injury is caused by improper tying of 

 this, than ever occurred from the mere getting loose, which 

 in itself is often of little account, as the horse may be a 

 quiet one, and will neither disturb his mates nor the corn- 

 bin. But if the leg gets over the shank of the halter, the 

 head is held to the floor, the animal becomes almost frantic 

 in his eiForts to free himself, dances about, and finally casts 

 himself in the stall — the leg is badly bruised, it may be 

 broken, and the Jin ale is a dead horse. The only safe plan 

 of fastening the shank of a halter from the head to the 

 manger, is to run the strap or shank through an iron ring, 

 secured to the centre of the manger or the top rail by a 



