STABLE HABITS. 147 



above the point of the hock. The clog in most common use 

 is a piece of hard wood, or a wooden bullet, weighing two 

 or three pounds, and attached to a light chain from twelve to 

 twenty-four inches long. The other end of the chain is 

 fastened to the pastern by a strap. This is applied only to 

 the leg with which the horse kicks. When he strikes with 

 both, a clog is required for each. The horse should be fa- 

 tigued when the clog is put on for the first time. The only 

 objection to a clog of this kind is its liability to be trampled 

 on by the other foot ; but the horse soon learns to take care 

 of that. Sometimes the chain, without a bullet, suffices. 

 Sometimes the chain is much shorter, and the strap buckled 

 above the fetlock, not on the pastern, so that the clog lies 

 upon the hoof without touching the ground. In this way the 

 clog should be long or egg-shaped rather than round. The 

 strap requires to be tighter than when it is placed upon the 

 pastern, otherwise it falls down. A broad strong strap, ap- 

 plied very tightly above the hock-joint, with or without a 

 clog, prevents kicking, but it also prevents the horse from 

 lying down ; it often marks the leg and makes it swell. The 

 legs are sometimes shackled together. But this is seldom 

 needful or right. The horse is apt to hurt himself, and he 

 can not lie. I have met with cases in which all these means 

 failed to prevent nocturnal kicking. 



Weaving. — This habit consists in darting the head from 

 side to side of the stall. The horse stands in the middle of 

 the stall, with his fore feet somewhat apart ; the motion of 

 his head is constant and rapid, as if he were watching some- 

 thing running from end to end of the manger. Sometimes he 

 performs a kind of up-and-down motion, perhaps when he 

 gets tired of the lateral. I am unable to discover the origin 

 or object of this habit. Some horses are fond of playing 

 with the halter-chains. They are of an irritable, restless 

 disposition, desirous of constant employment. They seem 

 to have pleasure in making a noise with the chains, by draw 

 ing each alternately and rapidly through the rings. Possibly 

 this may have something to do in the production of weaving 

 Whatever be the cause, the habit is harmless. A dark stall 

 has been recommended ; but at this moment I know a con- 

 firmed weaver who is perfectly blind. In general the horse 

 should be tied with only one rein. 



Pawing. — Hot-tempered horses are much in the habit of 

 scraping away the litter and digging their fore feet into the 

 ground, as if they meant to tear up the pavement They 



