88 STABLE ECONOMY. 



teaching him to bite, or to strike in play, which easily passes 

 into malice. 



Biting may be prevented by putting on a muzzle, or by 

 tying the head to the rack, or to the ring outside of the stable. 

 When reversed in the stall, the head may be secured by the 

 pillar-reins. A muzzle often deters a horse from attempting 

 to bite, but some will strike a man to the ground though they 

 can not seize him. These must be tied up. Many harness- 

 horses are perfectly quiet while they are bridled, and it is 

 sufficient to let the bridle remain on, or to put it on, till they 

 be dressed. Others again are quite safe when blindfolded. 

 Kicking horses are more dangerous than biters. A great 

 many strike out, and are apt to injure an awkward groom ; 

 yet they are not so bad but an expert fellow may manage 

 them, without using any restraint. A switch held always in 

 the hand, in view of the horse, and lightly applied, or threat- 

 ened w^hen he attempts to strike, will render others com- 

 paratively docile. A few permit their hind quarters to be 

 cleaned while their clothes are on. Some there are, how- 

 ever, that can not be managed so easily. They strike out, 

 those especially that lead idle lives, so quickly and so ma- 

 liciously, that the groom is in great danger, and can not gel 

 his work properly performed. There are two remedies — the 

 arm-strap and the twitch. AVhere another man can not be 

 spared to assist, one of the fore legs is tied up ; the knee is 

 bent till the foot almost touches the elbow, and a broad buck- 

 ling-strap is applied over the forearm and the pastern. The 

 horse then stands upon three legs, and the groom is in no 

 danger of a kick. Until the horse is accustomed to stand in 

 this way, he is apt to throw himself down ; for the first two 

 or three times the leg should be held up by a man, rather 

 than tied with a strap. The horse should stand on a thick 

 bed of litter, so that he may not be injured should he fall. 

 In course of time he may perhaps become quieter, and the 

 arm-strap may be thrown aside. It should not be applied 

 always to the same leg, for it produces a tendency to knuck- 

 ling over of (he pastern, which, in a great measure, is avoided 

 by tying up each leg alternately, the right to-day, the left 

 to-morrow. Even the arm-strap will not prevent some horses 

 from kicking ; some can stand on two legs, and some will 

 throw themselves down. The man must just coax the horse, 

 and get over the operation with as little irritation as possible. 

 Upon extraordinary occasions the twitch may be employed, 

 but it must not be applied every day, otherwise the lip upon 



