AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
tendons of the leg, when considerable swelling and lame- 
ness may follow. 
If the animal is young, the action of the Horse may be 
materially improved; otherwise, nothing can be done, ex- 
cept to keep the toe of the hind foot as short and as round 
as it can safely be, and to bevil off and round the toe 
of the shoe, like that which has been worn by a stum- 
bler for a fortnight, and, perhaps, a little to lower the 
heel of the fore foot. 
A blow received on the heel of the fore foot in this 
manner, has not unfrequently, and especially if neglected, 
been followed by quittor. 
PAWING. 
Some hot and irritable Horses are restless even in the 
stable, and paw frequently and violently. Their litter 
is destroyed, the floor of the stable broken up, the shoes 
worn out, the feet bruised, and the legs sometimes 
sprained. If this habit does not exist to any great ex- 
tent, yet the stable never looks well. Shackles are the 
only remedy, with a chain sufficiently long to enable 
the Horse to shift his posture, or move in his stall; but 
even these must be taken off at night, otherwise the 
animal will seldom lie down. 
QUIDDING. 
A Horse will sometimes partly chew his hay, and suf- 
fer it to drop from his mouth. If this does not pro- 
ceed from irregular teeth, which it will be the busi- 
ness of the veterinary surgeon to rasp down, it will be 
found to be connected with sore-throat, and then the 
Horse will exhibit some other symptom of indisposi- 
tion, and the swallowing of water will be accompanied 
by a peculiar gulping effort. In this case the disease, 
(catarrh, with sore-throat,) must be attacked, and the 
quidding will cease. 
ROLLING. 
This is a very pleasant and perfectly safe amusement 
for a Horse at grass, but cannot be indulged in the 
stable, without the chance of his being dangerously en- 
tangled with the collar rein, and being cast. Yet, al- 
though the Horse is cast, and bruised, and half-stran- 
gled, he will roll again on the following night, and con- 
tinue to do so as long as he lives. The only remedy 
is not a very pleasant one to the Horse, nor always quite 
safe; yet it must be had recourse to if the habit of rolling 
is inveterate. ‘*The Horse,” says Mr. Castley, in the 
265 
Veterinarian, ‘should be tied with length enough of 
collar to lie down, but not to allow of his head resting on 
the ground; because, in order to roll over, a Horse is 
obliged to place his head quite down upon the ground.” 
SHYING. 
This vice, while it is often the result of cowardice, or 
playfulness, or want of work, it is at other times the con- 
sequence of a defect of sight. It has been remarked, and 
we believe very truly, that shying is oftener a vice of 
half or quarter-bred Horses, than of those who have in 
them more of the genuine racing blood. 
In the treatment of shying, it is of great importance to 
distinguish between that which is the consequence of de- 
fective sight, and that which results from fear, or new- 
ness of objects, or from mere affectation or skittishness. 
For the first, every allowance must be made, and care 
must be taken that the fear of correction be not associated 
with the imagined existence of some terrifying object. 
The severe use of the whip and the spur cannot do good 
here, and are likely to aggravate the vice tenfold. A word 
half encouraging and half scolding, with a gentle pres- 
sure of the heel, or a slight touch of the spur, will tell 
the Horse that there was nothing to fear, and will give 
him confidence in his rider on a future occasion. It should 
be remembered, however, that although a Horse that 
shies from defective sight may be taught considerable re- 
liance on his rider, he can never have the cause of the 
habit removed. We may artificially strengthen the hu- 
man sight, but the Horse’s must be left to itself. 
The shying from skittishness or affectation is quite a 
different affair, and must be conquered: but how? Seve- 
rity is out of place even here. If he is forced up to 
the object by dint of correction, the dread of punishment 
will afterwards be associated with that object, and on the 
next occasion, his startings will be more frequent and 
more dangerous. ‘The way to cure him is to go on, turn- 
ing as little as possible out of the road, giving the animal 
a harsh word or two, anda gentle touch with the spur, 
and then taking no more notice of the matter. After a 
few times, whatever may have been the object which he 
chose to select as the pretended cause of affright, he will 
pass it almost without notice. 
A colt may be cured of the habit of shying from 
fear or newness of objects; and if when ‘breaking 
in,”? he be accustomed as much as possible to the 
objects among which his services will be required, he 
will not possess this annoying vice when he grows io 
maturer age. @ 
