740 YETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



Some horses acquire the knack of removing their head 

 collars, or ' slipping ' them as it is termed, and they take 

 great care to be very seldom seen at the operation, which 

 is performed with remarkable rapidity. Even if one 

 secretes himself in a stable for the purpose of seeing a 

 horse well known to possess this accomplishment remove 

 his head collar, it is quite likely disappointment may 

 follow. Hayes* has witnessed it, and describes that the 

 horse gets his head rope on to the top of his poll and then 

 hangs back ; the rope is prevented from slipping off the 

 poll by getting held behind the buckle of the check piece. 

 In our experience the horse slips his head collar by putting 

 his head under the manger, and catching the poll piece on 

 the edge of the manger, and by gently hanging back pulls 

 it off his head. 



Once this trick is learned no ordinary head collar can be 

 kept on ; tightening the throat lash is of no use and often 

 harmful, for it cannot prevent the poll piece being pulled 

 forward, though it may make the head collar too small to 

 slip over the eyes, where it gets fixed and causes injury. 



One or two contrivances may be adopted ; for instance, a 

 neck strap may be worn, and the head rope attached direct 

 to it ; or a special throat strap may be made to the ordinary 

 head collar, quite distinct from the head collar itself, but 

 attached to it by an elongation of the brow band. 



A head collar with a separate throat strap cannot be 

 pulled over the head, and prevents this dangerous habit. 



The length of a head rope or collar chain is a matter of 

 supreme moment. It is fully dealt with on p. 302, and 

 the object of this precaution explained. On no account, 

 however, should head ropes or collar chains be made so 

 short that the horse cannot lie down comfortably, as we 

 shall presently describe a horse does not sleep on his breast 

 but must lie out quite fiat with his head on the ground, 

 and he cannot assume this attitude with a short fastening. 



Some animals require a double fastening, one from 

 either side of the manger, probably all would be the 



* ' Stable Management and Exercise,' Captain Hayes, P.R.C.Y.S. 



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