KICKING. 
375 
discovered that a horse has this vice, a furze or thorn-branch 
should be fixed to the partition or post; and few horses will 
continue to kick when they are pricked at every attempt. 
Many cures have been effected by this simple means, 
although cases have occurred where it was not a remedy. 
The next remedy is to have recourse to the log. This con¬ 
sists of a heavy piece of wood attached to a chain, and 
buckled a little way above the hock, so as to reach half way 
down the leg. As often as the horse kicks, he receives 
a severe blow from the log; and he soon learns to desist, 
finding the pain which it inflicts. However, not unfre- 
quently considerable injury is done to the limbs, by the 
bruises and severe swellings which have followed. 
Kicking is a dangerous vice, especially with horses used 
in harness; bad with a chaise, but much more so with a gig 
behind them. The slightest touch on their quarters, even 
by the reins touching, will set them to kicking ; and in 
many instances the bottom of the chaise will be driven in, 
or a gig may be battered to pieces, and the horse, frequently 
coming off with a broken limb, or the driver may sustain 
serious injury. With kicking horses, the greatest care 
should be taken not to allow the harness to pass under the 
tail, as the moment they feel it, the tail is pressed suddenly 
and tightly down, so much so, that it is impossible to extri¬ 
cate the reins ; and the more the driver pulls, the more the 
animal kicks and plunges. When the driver finds that the 
reins are so entangled, he should on no account attempt to 
extricate them by pulling, but quietly dismount, and relieve 
them by lifting the tail gently. 
This vice is seldom eradicated. Where persons cannot 
afford to part with such horses, as they must be sold at a 
great loss, a strong kicking strap may be used, which 
circumscribes the use of the hind limbs, and prevents the 
