446 KICKING. 



half playful and half in earnest, becomes habitual to him, and degenerates into 



absolute viciousness. 



It is not possible to enter the stall of some horses without danger. The 

 animal gives no warning of his intention ; he is seemingly quiet and harmless : 

 but if the incautious by-stander comes fairly within his reach, he darts upon 

 him and seldom fails to do some mischief. A stallion addicted to biting is a 

 most formidable creature. He lifts the intruder — he shakes him — he attacks 

 him with his feet — he tramples upon him, and there are many instances in 

 which he effects irreparable mischief. A resolute groom may escape. When 

 he has once got firm hold of the head of the horse, he may back him, or muzzle 

 him, or harness him ; but he must be always on his guard., or in a moment 

 of carelessness he may be seriously injured. 



It is seldom that any thing can be done in the way of cure Kindness will 

 aggravate the evil, and no degree of severity will correct it. •' I have seen," 

 says Professor Stewart, " biters punished until they trembled in every joint, 

 and were ready to drop, but have never in any case known them cured by this 

 treatment, or by any other. The lash is forgotten in an hour, and the horse is 

 as ready and determined to repeat the offence as before. He appears unable to 

 resist the temptation, and in its worst form biting is a species of insanity."* 



Prevention, however, is in the power of every proprietor of horses. While 

 he insists on gentle and humane treatment of his cattle, he should systema- 

 tically forbid this horse-play. It is that which can never be considered as 

 operating as a reward, and thereby rendering the horse tractable ; nor does it 

 increase the affection of the animal for his groom, because he is annoyed and 

 irritated by being thus incessantly teased. 



GETTING THE CHEEK OF THE BIT INTO THE MOUTH. 

 Some horses that are disposed to be mischievous try to do this, and are very 

 expert at it. They soon find what advantage it gives them over their driver, 

 who by this manoeuvre loses almost all command. Harsh treatment is here 

 completely out of the question. All that can be done is, by some mechanical 

 contrivance, to render the thing difficult or impossible, and this may be managed 

 by fastening a round piece of leather on the inside of the cheek of the bit. 



KICKING. 



This, as a vice, is another consequence of the culpable habit of grooms and 

 stable-boys of teasing the horse. That which is at first an indication of annoy- 

 ance at the pinching and tickling of the groom, and without any design to injure, 

 gradually becomes the expression of anger, and the effort to do mischief. The 

 horse likewise too soon recognizes the least appearance of timidity, and takes 

 advantage of the discovery. There is no cure for this vice ; and he cannot be 

 justified who keeps a kicking horse in his stable. 



Some horses acquire, from mere irritability and fidgettiness, a habit of kicking 

 at the stall or the bail, and particularly at night. The neighbouring horses 

 are disturbed, and the kicker gets swelled hocks, or some more serious injury. 

 This is also a habit very difficult to correct if suffered to become established. 

 Mares are far more subject to it than horses. 



Before the habit is inveterately established, a thorn bush or a piece of furze 

 fastened against the partition or post will sometimes effect a cure. When the 

 horse finds that he is pretty severely pricked he will not long continue to punish 

 himself. In confirmed eases it may be necessary to have recourse to the log, but the 

 legs are often not a little bruised by it. A rather long and heavy piece of wood 

 attached to a chain has been buckled above the hock, so as to reach about half way 



* Stewart's Stable (Economy, pago 160. 



