STABLE VICES 107 



or two of furze-bush nailed against the post will generally 

 stop it. Mares are stated to be addicted to this bad habit 

 far more than horses. A log of wood strapped to the leg 

 most nsed in mischief has been advised. We think them 

 very dangerous, and not heavy enough to be efScacious. 

 A broad strap fastened round the pastern, and the weight, 

 about five pounds, attached, so as to avoid bruising the 

 coronet, will be found an improvement. 



Biting. — This dangerous and unpleasant habit, which is 

 often a mere indication of playfulness, is a decided vice in 

 many horses. Watch carefully that your stable-boys and 

 grooms do not promote or encourage it, which they often 

 do, and then exclaim against it and punish the animal for 

 what is caused by their own provocation and folly. If we 

 could cover a man with a coat of mail, with invisible spikes 

 standing from it, two or three times seizing the man would, 

 I doubt not, radically cure the horse — not of his disposition 

 to bite, but of attempting to do so. But as v/e cannot well 

 do this, I believe a short stick, and keeping an eye on him, 

 in approaching or quitting him, is the only thing to be 

 trusted to. Flogging him after he has bitten will tend to 

 increase his propensity to do it, for this reason : it is either 

 dislike to man or fear of man that makes him bite ; he 

 seizes us to prevent our hurting him, or in revenge for 

 having been hurt. Consequently, punishing only confirms 

 his fear and bate ; so probably, if we do this, and he finds 

 he dare not bite, he tries the efiicacy of a kick. 



An instance of a mare viciously addicted to biting being 

 cured of the habit by an accident occurred a short time 

 since. Her former owner had foolishly taught her to do 

 this by teasing her, and she had contracted the habit to 

 such an extent, that whenever any person went into her 

 box, unless her head was tied up, she would assuredly run 

 at him. Knowing that beating her, or adopting any 

 harsh measures, would have only a prejudicial eflfect, 

 it was forbidden, and by putting the muzzle on when 

 she was being dressed, any serious consequences were 

 avoided. The way she cured herself was singular. She 

 had been out to exercise, and the boy was washing her legs 

 and feet, her head being racked up, and the muzzle taken 

 off to allow her to eat a little hay. She turned her head 

 suddenly, with the intention of seizing the boy, by which 

 act she caught the stirrup-iron in her mouth, and, being 



