74 STATIONARY MOVEMENTS OF THE HORSE. 



CHAPTKR XL 



STATIONARY MOVEMENTS OF THE HORSE. 

 Lying Down and Getting Up — Rearing — Kicking — ^The PiafFei. 



Lying Down and Getting Up. — When a horse prepares 

 to lie down, he will bring all his feet well under his body, 

 while resting his weight chiefly on his hind feet. After 

 making a few tentative movements with his fore limbs, he 

 will gently lower his fore hand until his knees lightly touch 

 the ground. He will then give his body a twist, and will roll 

 over, and rest, partly on his side and partly on his breast 

 bone. Colin describes as follows the position of the horse 

 when lying down. As a rule, if he is on his right side, for 

 instance, the right fore leg will be under the chest, with its 

 foot facing the inside of the left elbow. The other fore, 

 equally bent, but clear of the body, will have its foot close to 

 its own elbow, and there will be a space of about twelve 

 inches between the two knees. The hind limbs will be bent 

 up under the body, with the feet carried to the front. The 

 near hind will be far removed from the side ; its hock will be 

 on a line with the hip joint , and its hoof, with the point of 

 the hock. The neck will be raised, and the head will be in- 

 clined to the left side. Sometimes the animal rests his lower 

 jaw on the ground. He may even, at certain moments, 

 support his head on the flank or hock, which is a favourite 

 position with cattle, buffalo and deer, when they have stopped 

 ruminating, and appear to want to go to sleep. They cannot, 

 however, long maintain this position. 



As the suspensory ligament of the neck can support the 

 weight of the head and neck without giving rise to the sensa- 

 tion of fatigue ; a horse can sleep comfortably on his side 



