34 i STABLE ECONOMi'. 



good deal of practice to become expert in giving this assis- 

 tance. Some are so awkward about it that they will have the 

 horse up and down half-a-dozen times, and bruised all over, 

 before they get him on his feet. 



In harness, the horse is seldom able to rise till liberated 

 from the shafts or traces. About towns the moment a horse 

 falls, he is surrounded by a crowd of officious assistants, ev- 

 ery one giving orders, or doing some mischief. They are 

 very fond of cutting the harness ; and if the owner do not look 

 sharp, he will have traces, pole-piece, and back-bands, cut to 

 shreds before he hears a word about it. The first thing to be 

 done is to secure the horse's head. Keep it down that he 

 may not injure himself, or do further mischief, in fruitless at- 

 tempts to rise. The next thing to be done, is to unbuckle 

 such parts of the harness as connect the horse with the draught. 

 In double harness, it is generally sufficient to unbuckle the 

 neck strap, which connects pole-piece and traces to the collar. 

 By backing the carriage a few yards, the horse gets room to 

 rise. When lying with his feet inward, his companion should 

 be removed. If the harness do not come separate upon loos- 

 ing the neck strap, the traces must be taken off the horse, or 

 off the bar. In shafts, the carriage must be put back before 

 the head is freed ; but if there is no weight on the back, and 

 the legs are not entangled, it is enough to support the head, 

 without unyoking the horse. After the horse is up, steady 

 him for a few moments till he collect himself. Examine his 

 knees, legs, haunches, head, and mouth ; see that none of the 

 shoes are torn off. If not disabled, let him start at a gentle 

 pace ; some part may be so painful or benumbed, that a hur- 

 ried start will produce a second fall. 



The Causes of Falling are very numerous. Bad riding, 

 bad shoeing, or neglect of shoeing ; bad roads, over-reaching, 

 cutting, an ill-fitting or ill-placed saddle ; a stone in the foot, and 

 weakness of the horse, are among the most common causes. 

 A bad rider may permit a horse to fall, merely by neglecting 

 to support his head ; he may hurry over roads hardly fit for a 

 walking-pace ; he may lean too much forward ; or he may 

 ride the horse till he can scarcely put one foot before another. 

 Bad shoeing may throw a horse down. By neglecting to 

 shoe at proper times, or to change the mode of shoeing when 

 the work changes, the feet become long, the shoes defective, 

 or perhaps the horse goes to the field with shoes made for the 

 road. There are various other causes which I have no room 



