Horses and Horsemastership, 103 



As a rule, on arrival in camp the built-up rope is 

 already in position, so the first thing to be done is to get 

 your horse watered, and unless he is in a muck sweat 

 the sooner the better. Before watering always loosen 

 the girths and remove the bit. In picketing your horse 

 be careful to see that when the horse is standing natur- 

 ally the head-rope is at right angles with the built-up 

 rope and without any slack. The heel strap should be 

 properly fitted above the fetlock joint, and so that it 

 cannot by any chance slip down over it. It should not, 

 of course, be so tight as to interfere with the circulation. 

 If there are not sufficient holes in the strap to enable 

 you to fit it as directed, have more punched at once, 

 otherwise it's odds on your horse getting cut heels. The 

 heel-rope should have very little, if any, slack, but it 

 should not be drawn taut. All the mischief of cut heels 

 one sees is caused mainly through neglect of the simple 

 precautions I have mentioned, and troop sergeants 

 should personally see that the horses in their respective 

 troops are at all times properly picketed. It is desirable 

 to change the heel strap from one leg to the other.* 



If your horse has come in hot don't remove the saddle 

 until he has quite cooled. If by any chance it becomes 



* In my regiment we have lone since given up using the built-up rope and 

 heel-rope, and the horses are tethered to a picketing-rope instead. Our experience 

 has fully justified the change. The picketing-rope holds better ; the horses 

 Ptand much quieter, and despite the fact that their heels are free, our 

 "casualties" in the lines have been far fewer. 



