WHIMS AND VICIOUS HABITS. 863 



fodder in the stable, or if the oat-box has been left open, a greedy, 

 gluttonous horse is apt to contract a fatal indigestion. In other cases 

 he goes and scents around his neighbors, attempts to fight, teases the 

 mares and perhaps mounts them if he be a stallion, and is liable to 

 injuries from bites and kicks, as well as to falls, wounds, contusions, 

 fractures, and accidents of all kinds. 



A plain strap around the neck, instead of the halter, would often 

 be sufficient to keep the horse in his place, if it did not leave too much 

 liberty to the head. Hence it is better to employ at the same time both 

 neck-strap and halter, each fastened separately to the manger. But it 

 would be erroneous to believe that a throat-latch added to the halter 

 will always be sufficient to check this practice, as certain authors 

 thought, particularly Cardini. 1 We have from personal knowledge 

 numerous proofs to the contrary. 



10th. Horses which roll as soon as they are harnessed 

 or when they return to the Stable after working. Another 

 very disagreeable habit is that of rolling upon entering the stable after 

 work, or on being harnessed. Some horses experience this desire to 

 such an extent that they seek its gratification at every opportunity. 

 After an insignificant exercise, with a harness perfect in regard to its 

 adjustment, under conditions, therefore, when the horse can be neither 

 tired nor inconvenienced, lie will commence to roll as soon as he is not 

 watched. The consequences of this vice are much more serious for the 

 owner than for the animal himself. The latter only runs the risk of 

 getting soiled ; he is rarely injured. But it often happens that he 

 breaks the saddle, tears his blankets, and ruins the harness. Under 

 these conditions, the expenses of repairing become onerous. Fortu- 

 nately, the vice is easily prevented by tying the horse, so that he 

 cannot lie down until the harness has been either put on or removed. 



llth. Horses which trot in the Stable. This habit is rare; 

 however, several horses have furnished us examples of it. In the 

 stable, in front of the manger, they move successively upon their diag- 

 onal bipeds with considerable rapidity, thus accomplishing a sort of 

 stationary trot, but more or less irregular and interrupted. We think 

 that regular exercise instead of a prolonged stay in the stable would 

 overcome this vice. The result of the habit, when it exists in an ex- 

 aggerated degree, is to fatigue the animal to no purpose whatever. In 

 this case, his anterior members must be fettered or hobbled. 



1 Cardini, Dictionnaire d'hippiatrique et d'6quitation, Paris, 1848. 



