272 CONFESSIONS OF A HORSE DEALER. 



head, and holding him down by main force. By the 

 new system the horse is cast first, and hobbled after. 



The assertion made by those who are prejudiced 

 against the system that the process of casting, by this 

 system, is cruel is preposterous, although I am pre- 

 pared to admit that it can be made BO by UXSKILFUI. 

 PRACTITIONERS, and so can common rising or driving. 



Many horses will not lie down in their stalls or boxes, 

 even after a hard day's work, solely because they have 

 been hurt sometimes, either by lying down or rising up, 

 or while they were down hence their dislike to lying 

 down again in the same place or one similar. But we 

 will take, for instance, a horse that has stood on his 

 legs continually (in that portion of time allotted to him 

 for rest) for months together, solely because he is afraid 

 to lie down through fear of the pain which (perhaps by 

 sheer accident) he experienced the last time he lay 

 down. I have seen many valuable horses absolutely 

 ruined by the formation of curbs, spavins, capped hocks, 

 &c., caused by standing in the stable, hanging back on 

 the halter, and resting their quarters against the wall or 

 stall post. Such horses are rarely in condition, because 

 they do not take their natural rest. "Well, suppose we 

 apply Mr. Karey's system to such a horse about three 

 times, laying him down each time on a deep bed of 

 clean straw the last thing at night, and leaving him 

 down, I will guarantee that he lies all night, and does 

 not rise until roused by a slap of the hand or a sharp 

 word, on the following morning, and after the third or 



