18 MEANS OF BESTBAINT. 



under circumstances when the animal can be controlled by being 

 merely held by the head against a wall, or with the hind quarters 

 in a corner, or perhaps tied to a wall, a post, or a tree. Certain 

 minor precautions are necessary on these occasions. For exam- 

 ple, the ground on which they stand must be smooth, though not 

 sUppery ; of a good holding character, and neither too hard or too 

 damp, in order to avoid falling, or slipping, or other possible ac- 

 cidents. Attention to these matters wiU be of great benefit to the 

 operator by leaving him a good foothold, with facilities for free- 

 dom of movement, and more at liberty to guard himself against 

 his patient, unexpected changes of attitude. 



The means by which the movements of the head are kept under 

 control are the halter, the bridle, the bridoon and the cavesson — 

 instruments which need no description here. If the animal is left 

 unconfined, the assistant having passed the rope of the halter or 

 bridoon through his mouth, holds him close to his head, places 

 himself in front of him, or slightly on one side, and being atten- 

 tive to every movement the animal may attempt, anticipates it, by • 

 puUing the head downwards if the animal is about to rear, or rais- 

 ing it upwards to prevent him from kicking with his posterior legs, 

 or inclining it to one side or the other, as the animal moves it in 

 one or the other direction. 



An animal should never be tied vrith the halter-rope in his 

 mouth or over his nose. There is danger in both methods of se- 

 rious accidents, in case of a violent backing or jerking of the 

 head. In one case the result might be a section of the tongue, 

 and the other might involve a fracture of the maxillary. For simi- 

 lar reasons the bridle is also dangerous. The height at which the 

 head should be secured must vary with the movements attempted 

 by the horse. Thus, to prevent him from rearing or striking with 

 his fore legs, it should be placed low, but high when it becomes 

 necessary to guard against his elevating his posteriors in order to 

 kick with his hind legs. 



To protect his head against possible self-inflicted blows result- 

 ing from his defensive struggles, and to prevent him from seeing 

 surrounding objects likely to alarm him, are precautionary items 

 of not a Httle importance, and the employment of the mask or cap 

 (Fig. 6C) is very effectual for that purpose. Fractious patients, 

 dangerous to handle and difficult to control, often become perfectly 

 quiet and thoroughly docile on finding themselves involved iu dark- 



