110 STABLE MANUAL AND HORSE DOCTOR 



be fixed in the wall, by piercing it and screwing a nut on 

 at the back. The groom should watch for the trick, and 

 give him a smart lash from behind the moment he tries 

 it on. 



Rolling. — Horses that roll in the stable are apt to be 

 injured from want of sufficient room, and also to get 

 entangled in the halter; and, strange as it may appear, 

 although he may get severely hurt and be nearly choked 

 by the halter, he will repeat it night after night. The 

 only thing which will prevent him from rolling is to give 

 him just enough of collar to enable him to lie down, but so 

 short that his head will not touch the ground, because it is 

 impossible he can roll over without resting his head upon 

 the ground. If a horse is in a field, rolling is a harmless 

 and even healthful amusement. 



Not Lying Down, — Horses are sometimes prone to stand- 

 ing constantly ; and some only lie down once in a fortnight, 

 or even a longer period. When this is the case, they are 

 generally liable to swellings in the limbs, and seldom able 

 to go through much work. Such horses should, if possible, 

 be put into a stable by themselves and left at liberty, and a 

 well-made bed will sometimes tempt them to lie down. No 

 means can be adopted to force the animal to take rest by 

 lying down. When it is not possible to place him in a 

 stable alone, an empty box should be constructed so that he 

 may be left for the night unhaltered in it. We had a 

 remarkably fine harness horse that never was known to lie 

 down, and yet he kept in good condition, and was not 

 troubled with swelling in the limbs ; but this is a rare 

 occurrence. He sometimes fell down on his knees while 

 asleep, but the groom always found him on his legs before 

 he could reach the stable, although his house was next 

 door. 



Casting, — This is the result of a sportive inclination* in 

 the horse to roll completely over in his stall, as though at 

 liberty in the field. It is a trick fraught with danger, as 

 the unwieldy animal in so confined a space gets completely 

 over on his back against the wall or ramp, and there, unable 

 to roll back again, struggles to his death by rupturing the 

 colon, "ricking" his spine, or some other mortal injury. 

 The prevention is difficult ; but, if the horse is within 

 hearing of the groom, a prompt attendance will usually 

 prevent unpleasant consequences. We have known horses 



