192 ELEMENTS OF HIPPOLOOT. 



and the horse alternately opens and closes his lips, and a sound 

 is produced similar to sucking air. The remedies attempted 

 have been tying up the head of the horse, except when feeding, 

 and the application of a muzzle with sharp spikes bending to- 

 wards the neck, which will prick him when drawing in his head. 



" Not Lying down. — Horses are sometimes prone to stand- 

 ing constantly, and some only lie down once in a fortnight, or 

 even a longer period. When this is the case, they are generally 

 liable to swellings in the limbs, and seldom able to go through 

 much work. Such horses should, if possible, be put in a stable 

 by themselves and left at liberty, and a well-made bed will 

 sometimes tempt them to lie down. No means can be adopted 

 to force the animal to take rest by lying down. When it is not 

 possible to place him in a stable alone, an empty box should be 

 constructed, so that he may be left for the night unhaltered in it. 



"Pawing. — This is a disagreeable and very bad habit, and 

 proceeds from an irritable temper. Bruised feet and sprained 

 legs too often proceed from it. The shoes are quickly worn 

 down in front, and the litter considerably wasted. 



"Weaving. — Animals of an impatient, irritable temper, 

 that dislike confinement in a stable, will sometimes keep moving 

 their head, neck, and body to and fro, like the motion of a 

 weaver's shuttle. These have been called 'weavers.' Such 

 horses seldom or never carry much flesh, from their fretful 

 temper and incessant movement. The only preventative is to 

 tie the head close up, except when feeding." 



REWARD AND PUNISHMENT. 



In training and handling a horse, full advantage should be 

 taken of his lack of inteUigence and his acute memory. To make 

 a horse understand in his training that he is wanted to back, for 

 instance, the rider must, in the first place, adopt a set of signals 

 that mechanically suggest the idea of backing. The horse is 



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