72 HORSES: 



Nature's way of doing things. On the other hand, 

 it is most fortunate that she does try to help us out 

 of a bad fix", first, by causing the generation of gas 

 through fermentation, when too much food has been 

 swallowed or taken under wrong conditions; and 

 second, by arranging for its escape by one outlet or 

 another. 



The crib-biter is a dyspeptic without doubt. It is 

 not positively known that this practice is pursued s 

 for the purpose of facilitating the eructation of gas 

 from the stomach, though many believe this to be 

 so, and there are certainly good grounds for this be- 

 lief. The practice may arise from the uneasiness oc- 

 casioned by the irritation and discomfort of a disor- 

 dered stomach. 



" We conclude," says the Prairie Farmer, " that it 

 generally arises in horses in poor condition, and that, 

 in the first instance, the habit is acquired from an 

 effort of nature to get rid of the gases collected in 

 the stomach. We have not known a fat horse to 

 take to crib-biting by standing next to another af- 

 fected with it, but a lean horse that is difficult to 

 get fat may do so. This habit when once acquired, 

 will seldom be left off, but the same diseased action 

 and tendency to flatulency will still continue. A 

 greatly improved regimen is the only hope. Wedo 

 not think that horses inhale the air in crib-biting. 

 We consider it an effort to expel air. We never saw 

 a horse make a gulp or attempt to swallow air. ^ f 

 Whether any air is expelled from the stomach in 

 crib-biting we can not determine, but think there is 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



