HINTS ON HORSES 



89 



Stampeding en masse, therefore, with this 

 method, is practically impossible, and the 

 wheel (unlike the peg) being unattached to 

 the ground, individual horses are unable to 

 get a direct pull against it, with a view 

 to break their head-gear, a trick which many 

 horses acquire, and are in consequence tied 

 up with a thick strap round the neck like a 

 dog-collar. 



When thus tethered to a ring, the horses 

 are fed in groups, but without nosebags it is 

 impossible to insure that each horse gets his 

 fair share of grub. 



A wheel of about eight inches diameter 

 will hold twelve or thirteen horses. A quoit 

 of about this size, with holes drilled through 

 it, might make a convenient tethering ring. 

 The head ropes would be passed through the 

 holes and then knotted, to prevent the horses 

 getting free. 



The method of tethering to long picket 

 ropes has its advantages in moving a large 

 body of animals across country. The ropes 

 are invaluable for the passage of rivers. If a 

 herd of horses is driven into a river, it is with 

 difficulty that they can be forced to land at 



any given point. The tendency is for them to 

 scatter, some up, some down stream, and to 

 land at various points on either bank, or, if 

 there be one, on an island. 



By attaching the ropes together, passing 

 one end across the stream, and retaining the 

 other, a form of ferry is established. To this 

 rope the horses should be tethered, as if in 

 camp, and then dragged across the river in 

 groups. By this means the horses will be 

 landed in their proper order, and no delay 

 need arise due to sorting them, etc. The 

 number of horses in each group depends on 

 the length of the rope, which must be more 

 than twice as long as the width of the stream. 

 The rope must always be kept taut, and not 

 allowed to sag below the water, otherwise it 

 is apt to foul the animals' legs, and prevent 

 their swimming. In which case animals often 

 blow themselves out like bladders, and though 

 they can be dragged ashore and saved, the 

 difficulty of disentanglement and risk of injury 

 is great. 



After the passage of the animals, the rope 

 can be rigged as a tight rope for the dry 

 passage of gear. 



M 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



