CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 751 



as to expose the pulp cavity, and yet it does not stop 

 the vice. 



Muzzles, perforated mouthpieces, and many other con- 

 trivances have been employed, all may be of temporary 

 use, but an owner may be quite certain he will never cure 

 the vice, though the above methods may help to control it. 



Crib-biting leads to alteration in the incisor teeth, while 

 windsu eking induces a condition of debility which in some 

 cases is extreme, and further causes changes to occur in 

 the stomach which are frequently associated with colic. In 

 a few rare cases we have known a windsucker to be un- 

 affected in his condition by this vice. 



A crib-biter may be kept on pillar reins, fed from a nose 

 bag, or off the ground, wear a crib-biting or ordinary 

 muzzle, a ' cribbing ' strap with a piece of iron in the gullet 

 piece, which inflicts punishment, or a hollow bit in the 

 mouth to prevent air being swallowed, but none of these 

 contrivances can cure the vice, some may temporarily 

 prevent it, but they are never satisfactory. The best advice 

 to give the owner is to get rid of the horse, and in the 

 meantime keep it isolated should any other horses be in 

 the stable. 



Weaving is a curious vice associated with a highly 

 nervous disposition, and in some cases due, in our opinion, 

 to mental aberration, in others to idleness. A horse might 

 learn to weave by playing with his collar chain, as some do 

 by pulling it to and fro through the manger plate, but as a 

 rule it is a nervous, irritably constituted horse that weaves, 

 and like windsucking it may be hereditary. A weaver does 

 not give himself sufficient rest, the gymnastic display is 

 always more evident when he is being watched, so that 

 such a horse should not only be placed in a box, but ought 

 never to be the object of curiosity. We do not think the 

 vice is ever forgotten. 



Kicking may be vice or play, both are most destructive 

 of stables, sources of lameness, and a danger to other horses 

 and men. 



Kicking as a vice is more frequent with mares, and may 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



