CRIB BITING. 97 



cure of the spavin, he will show lameness. A blister 

 of Spanish flies applied to the part affected (after 

 shaving off the hair) with a bath of strong spirits or 

 vinegar, and a week's rest, will frequently suspend 

 the lameness produced by the spavin for a time, but a 

 radical cure may not be expected. 



CRIB BITING. 



CRIB BITING is one amongst the number of bad 

 habits to which some horses are addicted. It consists 

 in his catching hold of the manger, grunting and 

 sucking in wind, until he is almost ready to burst. To 

 discover this vice, it is only necessary to have a horse- 

 fed : whenever they eat, at least one half of his victuals 

 is wasted, by their catching hold of the manger, 

 grunting, straining, and swallowing large quantities of 

 wind every two or three mouthfuls, which produces 

 the cholic and other distressing diseases. 



Whenever this very bad habit is acquired, it is 

 practised as long as the animal lives. Many experi- 

 ments and fruitless attempts have been made to 

 remedy it, but without success. An elegant horse, 

 when once he becomes a crib biter, is reduced in value 

 to little or nothing. He always looks hollow, jaded, 

 and delicate, and is incapable of rendering service in 

 any situation 



