754 VETEEINAEY HYGIENE 



suspended from the iDastern until the foot is lifted off the 

 ground. This will control a kicker, but it is very difficult 

 to get a contrivance of this kind regularly applied. 



The legs of an inveterate kicker may be hobbled together 

 by light hobbles, which allow of limb movement but no 

 kicking ; but the use of these may prove dangerous except- 

 ing in capable hands. 



Another contrivance is a block of wood hollowed out to 

 the shape of the heel and pastern and placed in the latter, 

 being secured by a strap around the pastern. The theory 

 of its application is that the block of wood prevents the foot 

 being flexed, and kicking without flexing the foot is 

 impossible. 



Kicking from high spirits and insufficient work is obviously 

 very simply dealt with. 



The damage done by horses to their companions and to 

 themselves by kicking is very great. About ninety-eight 

 per cent, of fractures are produced by kicks, the bones most 

 frequently broken are the radius and tibia. In both cases 

 the injury is inflicted on the inner aspect of the limb, and at 

 that part where the bone is exposed and only covered by 

 skin and periosteum. 



The injury on the hind limb is about 27 inches above the 

 ground, which tells us that in the case of baled stables the 

 bale should never be of such a height as to admit of this 

 blow being delivered beneath it. In the fore limb the kick 

 is implanted on the inside of the arm about two feet above 

 the ground ; see also p. 311. 



When a determined kicker makes an attack on the 

 partition of box or stall, he often drives his shoe across the 

 foot, the clip may penetrate the sole and damage be inflicted. 

 More frequently the chief evidence of kicking is borne on 

 the shank, which swells, becomes extremely tender, and 

 frequently ends in an unsightly and thickened leg or 

 capped hock, which tells its own story to the trained 

 eye. 



With an inveterate kicker no pain or suffering incurred 

 through his own vice ever acts as a corrective in the 



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