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METHODS OF HORSE-CONTROL, 



The wooden gag. — This is useful for preventing the 

 animal from biting, and also for breaking him of this 

 objectionable habit. It may be made out of a block of 

 hard wood, five inches long and two inches square, with 

 the corners planed off, so as to form an octagon in section 

 (see Fig. 71). It may have a semicircular groove (which 

 is not shown in this illustration), about a third of an inch 

 broad, running down the centre of each face of the 



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Fig. 71. — Wooden gag. 



octagonal, in order to make it more " punishing." A hole 

 is bored down the centre for a chain which is attached to 

 the head-stall. I use leather guards on each side to prevent 

 the animal from getting the gag out of his mouth. This is a 

 modification of Rarey's wooden mouthing bit, which was a 

 round block of wood. 



General Peat suggested to me the advisability of having 

 the gag made with sharp edges, and not round ; so as to 



