CONTROL OF HOESE DURING SHOEING. 197 



fixed part, so that, if the horse ' hangs back,' the halter will 

 readily untwist and release him. 



(b) Horses wliich are known to resist being quietly shod 

 should not be fastened up, but be held by a reliable assistant. 



(c) No attempt should be made to hold up the foot con- 

 tinuously until the horse has been accustomed to allow the leg 

 to be handled, except in the case of ticklish horses, which, as 

 they seem to resent firm treatment less than light handling, 

 ought to be grasped firmly. 



(d) The foot to be shod must never be suddenly grasped, and 

 it is well to accustom, the animal first to standing on three legs. 

 In lifting^ the les: it should be noted whether the animal stands 

 fairly on the other three. The farrier should avoid any un- 

 necessary noise, the w^ork being better performed quietly, 

 rapidly, and with as little inconvenience to the animal as 

 possible. In young horses the limbs should not be kept raised 

 too long ; an interval of rest is desirable. The legs of stiff, old 

 horses should not be lifted too high, especially at the beginning 

 of shoeing. When the hocks are very stiff, the limb should 

 not be drawn forwards, but backwards and upwards, care being 

 taken that the animal does not fall. 



Vicious horses are better shod in a winker bridle with strong 

 snaflle, by which they can be better controlled. Any attempt 

 at vice should be immediately punished, either by jerking the 

 bridle or by calling to the animal in loud tones. If this is 

 insufficient the horse may be forced to move backwards in soft 

 ground, as this form of exercise soon wearies and reduces it to 

 subjection. In lifting the hind-feet a broad piece of webbing 

 may be fastened to the tail and then passed completely round 

 the fetlock from the outside, emeri^in<T; ai^ain at the back. The 

 webbing is grasped close to the fetlock, the foot drawn under 

 the body and held as above desoiibed. This arrangement 

 forces the animal to carry a portion of its own weight, while 

 it effectually prevents kicking. In first applying the w^ebbing 

 it is well to lift the fore-foot of the same side. 



Twitches are undesirable and should not be employed, except 

 in carrying out painful operations on the feet. The plan of 

 drawing the hind-limb backwards and upwards by means of a 

 rope is also bad, and sometimes results in rupture of the flexor 

 metatarsi. The ' side-line ' consists of a long rope with a fixed 



