6 EXAMINATION OF HORSES 
quently repeated, and which is brought about by any 
of the forms of indigestion. Crib-biting is very ob- 
jectionable. The victim of it imparts it, through 
imitation, to others, and injures his own teeth, and 
his digestive track generally, directly he begins to 
“suck wind.” It is truly astonishing how soon these 
diseases of imitation are contracted. I at one time 
rode a white pony for six months, during which 
period I scarcely could tire him ; when one day I 
had the misfortune to tie him in a stable alongside 
a ‘“‘cribber:’’ he certainly was not in the stable more 
than twenty minutes, but from that’ day he began 
to “crib.” This at first was of little consequence, 
but in a very short time—certainly in less than six 
weeks—he began to “suck wind;” then every time 
I wanted him he was full of wind, and for the first 
mile or two on the road he was wet all over with 
perspiration, and he could not be kept in condition. 
Watching a horse in the stable will not at all times 
detect this. Sometimes a horse may be for hours, 
or for days, without the habit; but we have still 
another way of detecting it, which I shall mention 
afterwards, of looking at the incisor teeth for their 
being broken and worn, and at the top of the neck 
for marks made by the ‘cribbing ” strap. 
“Weaving” is a vice which may generally be de- 
tected by watching a horse in the stable. This, like 
the last, is a nervous habit which is very objection- 
abie, as it keeps the fore legs in a constant state of 
