MILITAEY HYGIENE 949 



B^ to 4 feet in length does not admit of the animal getting 

 its hind heel over it, so that if horses are tied up with a 

 rope which is not too long, they are perfectly safe without 

 heel-ropes. There are few things more difficult to secure 

 than this, simple as it is, while the injury arising from 

 neglect of these precautions is excessive. 



An air-line is far better than a ground-line ; it is fixed at 

 about three and a half to four feet from the ground, either by 

 means of stakes, or by being secured to the wheels of a 

 waggon. In the Artillery gun-limbers or waggons are used 

 for the purpose and answer admirably. With this air-line 

 no injury is possible from the head-rope. 



A system of picketting by one fore leg to a ground-line 

 has been successfully used ; it has many advantages but 

 has not been universally adopted. Eighteen inches of 

 rope and a shackle around the pastern are all that are 

 required. By this method the use of head-ropes is 

 abolished, which in itself is a great advantage, as there is 

 nothing which wears out so quickly or is so difficult to 

 replace. 



Known kickers should always be placed by themselves at 

 the end of the lines, either secured by the fore leg system to 

 a peg, or by a head-rope. The latter is not recommended, 

 as without a heel-rope the horse walks round and round 

 until he winds himself up like a clock-spring, and at the 

 same time untwists the strands of his rope. A heel-rope 

 will prevent this, but is not always available. 



All pegs used for single horses without a heel-rope 

 should be driven in flush with the ground, otherwise a 

 serious accident may happen, the animal either lies on it, 

 or rolls over on it, and penetrating wounds of the chest 

 from this cause are by no means uncommon. 



Horses on piquet or outpost are generally tied together, 

 the head-rope of one passing to the head collar of the other, 

 the process being known as linking. If startled they may 

 go off with their heads tied together, but it is an accident 

 which should not happen if the guard over the horses does 

 his duty. The Italian ring, which is an ordinary ring 



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