LAMENESS IN HORSES. 
437 
together may be tried; it being borne in mind, however—what I 
have just now begged attention to—that whatever the nature of 
the stop or impediment to kicking had recourse to, it must on no 
account be persisted in to the animal’s detriment; though it but 
very rarely occurs, under proper management, through gentle 
and gradual application—applying the shackles or fetters for some 
few days, at first, only during the day and at such hours as the 
groom is in the stable—that a horse cannot be brought to wear 
either shackles or fetters continually, by night as well as by day ; 
the latter, if not the former, being a complete hindrance to his 
kicking propensities. 
The Pattern of Fetters I have found to answer best is 
shewn in the subjoined woodcut:— 
Length of chain, including swivels, 15 inches. 
A, hobble lined with soft material. 
c, c, Swivels, to turn freely, to prevent kicking, or entanglement of the connecting chain. 
D, Length of hobble when extended, 18 inches. 
The fetters may be buckled on, either, above the hocks—in which 
case the connecting chain should be but 13 instead of 15 inches in 
length—or, what my experience has pointed out to me as the pre¬ 
ferable place, around the pasterns (below the fetlocks), which is more 
coercive than the confining of the hocks ; added to which, an objec¬ 
tion to the latter situation is that the hobbles in the course of time 
are apt to chafe the small of the thighs, and leave white marks 
upon them. With young or unbroken horses we must be more 
fastidious in our precautionary measures than we need be with 
others; and in the case of any particular shyness or timidity, our 
first essay had better be restricted to a single hobble, without any 
appendage, buckled round the thigh, leg, or pastern, as seems most 
prudent; proceeding afterwards by the steps already pointed out, 
until we succeed—should such be required—to the enduring of 
VOL. XXII. .3 M 
