76 STABLE MANAGEMENT. 



they are not a desirable invention, and in young 

 animals are very likely to cause ringbones. But this, 

 I think, is on account of their clumsy shape and 

 being constantly worn, as I believe shackles made out 

 of round iron that shut with a spring were used by the 

 Canadian mounted police at one time when turning 

 their horses out, and they found they did not chafe 

 and rub so much as leather ones did. It was found 

 that even moving through the wet grass the steel 

 hobbles were polished, kept bright, and required no 

 attention, whereas the leather ones perished and 

 became hard, and gave constant trouble unless care- 

 fully looked after. I have never tried this plan my- 

 self, for I have found the Cape system of knee- 

 haltering when turning animals out to graze the 

 best I have yet come across. 



Picketing-pegs {make). 

 Picketing-pegs should be made out of hard wood 

 about eighteen inches to two feet long; iron ones 

 are dangerous. They should be driven into the 

 ground in a slanting direction, the point towards 

 and the head away from the animal, to resist 

 the strain on it. If there are no tent-pegs, or the 

 ground is so soft that there is no holding for them, 

 a hole a couple of feet deep can be dug, and a bundle 



