74 STABLE MANAGEMENT. 



six inches in diameter, is driven several feet into the 

 ground, so that it is five or six feet above the surface, 

 a strong iron ring is slipped over it, and to this the 

 head rope is made fast ; no heel ropes are used, and 

 the horse can move round it as he pleases. The 

 post must be smooth, so that there is nothing for 

 the ring to catch in, and when put into the ground 

 the point should be put into the fire and charred, or 

 covered with kerosene oil, to keep off the white ants. 

 It will also have to be examined occasionally to see 

 that it is not damaged or rotten. The only draw- 

 back to this plan is that, if there are several horses, 

 a considerable space is necessary, as they must be 

 far enough apart to prevent their kicking at each 

 other. 



Ringing. 



In South Africa and the colonies horses are 

 picketed by the method known as " ringing," the 

 head rope of one being fastened to the head collar of 

 the next, and so on, till the head rope of the last is in 

 its turn fastened to the head collar of the first, their 

 heads forming a ring looking inwards. Colonial 

 horses will stand like this for hours together ; but 

 they are very quiet, and behave in a different way 

 to the Indian country-bred. I have seen the same 



