ON THE HABITS AND VICES OF HORSES. 
417 
findsout afterwards. It is a vice that must lessen a horse’s value 
in any person’s estimation ; and although he may be quiet enough 
in every other respect, yet, as it is well known the animal is of no 
kind of use in this country without shoes, so perhaps it ought'to 
be considered equivalent to unsoundness: but then it might be 
difficult to draw the line; for there are many horses uneasy to 
shoe, whilst but few are downright vicious. One of this sort will 
snatch and drag his leg all the time he is being shod, with so 
much violence, or kick so viciously, as to endanger the limbs and 
even the life of the smith; or even make it necessary to cast him 
every time the operation has to be repeated. Horses sometimes 
become uneasy to shoe from being taken to the forge alone, when 
they are accustomed to stand in company with others. Young 
horses (especially when they are shod the first time) should 
always have a companion with them, to keep them quiet. For 
want of this precaution they often become restless and uneasy 
under the operation of shoeing, and sometimes contract the bad 
habit we are speaking of, and which generally gets worse, par¬ 
ticularly if a system of punishment be resorted to in the first in¬ 
stance. Twitching and gagging are the usual means employed 
on these occasions; at the commencement, however, they should 
be avoided as much as possible, and milder treatment tried. 
Some horses will allow themselves to be shod in the stable, but 
not at the forge; others will stand when blinded; and I have 
known the placing a person on the back of a horse take off his 
attention from the shoeing. A patient and gentle treatment 
should be persevered in as long as there is any chance of doing 
any good by such means. 
Shiness in passing through a Door, although less of a vice, is 
still a troublesome thing enough, and ought to be noticed as we 
proceed. Ahorse often gets a fright (or as it is termed in York¬ 
shire a mistetch ) in passing through a stable door, which he 
never afterwards forgets, either from striking his head against 
the top of a low door-way, or in consequence of the stirrup of a 
saddle, or perhaps some part of the harness, catching hold of 
something sticking out at the sides; and if care be not taken, 
this may grow into a confirmed habit, so that the animal will 
never get in or out of the stable quietly. I have known some 
instances where a horse would always make a leap going through 
a door-way, no matter how large, even if it were a barn-door. 
I remember a very fine grey mare that had got into this habit, 
and never could be persuaded to go through a door-way without 
taking an immense jump. To avoid this, the servants generally 
used to back her in and out of the stable; but the mare happen- 
