HORSE-CONTROL.
The breaking enclosure--Making a rope-halter--Haltering a loose
horse--Making a loose horse stand still--Taking up a
fore-leg--Holding up a fore-leg--Tying up a fore-leg--Blindfolding
a horse--Applying the halter-twitch--The rope-twitch--The
head-stall twitch--The bridle-twitch--The strait-jacket--Lifting up
a hind-leg--Gagging a horse.
_The breaking enclosure._--In order to carry out the system of breaking
horses, it is a great advantage to have a proper enclosure, of about 20
yards square, with walls around it about 7 ft. high. The ground inside
should be quite soft, so that horses which are made to lie down on it,
may not run any chance of hurting themselves.
I may here impress on the reader the danger there is to the breaker of
having any one standing right behind him when he is handling vicious
horses; for, in such a case, if the animal make an offensive movement,
the man will probably knock up against the other, and thus fail to get
out of harm’s way.
_Making a rope-halter._--The simplest way to do this is to take a
half-inch rope, about 9 yards long; make it double for about 3 ft. 6
in.; put a knot on the doubled part, so as to form a large loop, in
which make a small loop, for the leading rein to pass through. The
second knot should divide the large loop, so that the head-piece should
be about twice as long as the nose-band. The halter will now be ready to
be put on (see Figs. 4 and 5). The nose-band may be made sufficiently
long, and the loop through which the loose end passes, tight enough to
prevent the nose-band and leading rein (the free end of the rope),
forming a running noose, which might hurt the horse. Or, if required, a
knot may be made with the leading rein at the ring through which it
passes; so that the nose-band of the halter may not squeeze the horse’s
jaws together.
[Illustration: Fig. 4.--First loop in forming a rope-halter.]
[Illustration: Fig. 5.--Second step.]
The rope employed should be soft, and not too thick, so as to allow the
knots to be made with facility.
The reader will observe, that this halter which I have devised, is only
an improvised adaptation, which need not take half a minute to make, of
the ordinary rope-halter. I have no doubt that others, prompted by
necessity, like myself, have hit on this rough-and-ready method;
although I have never seen a halter made in quite the same manner as I
have described.
_Haltering a loose Horse._--Let us suppose that the animal is in some
suitable enclosure, such as a yard, loose box, or small paddock; for it
is almost needless to say, that if he were at liberty in the open, and
averse from being captured, no man unaided could possibly catch him. The
first thing to do is to make the rope-halter--as described in the
preceding part of this chapter--if one be not at hand, and then to get
the horse to stand quietly in some convenient corner. We may make him
move, or stop, as may be required, by gently working a long pole held in
the hands across the body, alternately, behind and in front of him; and,
having got him into the proper position, we may induce him to stand
steady, as I have found by experience, by touching him on the neck, and
then rubbing it with the end of the pole. I have hardly ever known this
to fail in its object. Horses, almost always, like having their necks
scratched. As soon as the animal will stand still, while his neck is
being “gentled” with the stick, the halter may be put on the end of the
pole by a couple of turns (see Fig. 6), while the free end of the rope
may be twisted once or twice round the pole, to prevent it hanging down
too low. The operator will now take the pole, with the halter then
rigged on to it, and will endeavour to bring the crown-piece of the
halter behind the ears, without frightening the animal; while holding
the end of the pole a little above
[Illustration: Fig. 6.--Rope-halter on pole, ready for use.]
its head (see Fig. 7). He can take the precautions I have described, for
making the horse stand still, as he may think necessary. As soon as the
crown-piece of the halter comes behind the ears,
[Illustration: Fig. 7.--Haltering vicious horse with rope-halter on
pole.]
the operator should swing the pole smartly down in front of the animal’s
nose, and then under the lower jaw; a proceeding which will bring the
halter into its proper place. Nothing now remains except to withdraw the
pole. Care should be taken not to bring the pole under the lower jaw,
until the nose-band is in front of the ears; for, if it remains behind
them, when the end of the stick is brought down, the horse will be
lassoed and not haltered. The precautions necessary to be taken in
haltering the horse will depend on the amount of his vice, or timidity.
A horse can be thus caught best, when he is standing in the corner of a
wall which is too high for him to look over. In a circular enclosure,
the animal will be able, by turning round, to defeat the intentions of
his would-be captor, much more easily than he could do in a rectangular
one. In a roped-in arena, the horse can get his head away from the
halter, easier than he could do when close to a wall. There is no fear
of a horse, however vicious he may be, of “charging home” on the
operator, if the man keeps the pole across the animal’s face, ready, if
need be, to give him a tap or two on the muzzle. The larger the
enclosure, the less will a horse attempt to “savage” any one approaching
him. In extreme cases, a blow on the forehead might be necessary. I may
mention that the brain is covered at the forehead, by only a thin plate
of bone. Mr. O. S. Pratt, the American “horse-tamer,” gives, in his
book, a method for haltering a loose horse, by putting the crown-piece
of the halter on the end of the pole (see Fig. 8). In applying this, the
horse is very apt to shy away from the halter, which has to be put on
from the front. The manner of haltering which I have described, and
which was shewn to me by Mr. Banham, F.R.C.V.S., appears to be much
better than Pratt’s plan.
_Making a loose Horse stand still._--If timidity
[Illustration: Fig. 8.]
is the only cause that renders a loose horse difficult to halter, we may
make him stand still after having put him in a proper enclosure, by
cutting him, with the whip, about the hocks and hind-heels whenever he
attempts to turn round, and to shew his hind-quarters to the breaker. If
the animal attempts to pass by, the man should stop him with the point
of the whip. As soon as the horse understands that he exposes himself to
punishment by turning round, he will, proportionately, abstain from
doing so. He will then be readily induced to stand still by the point of
the whip preventing him from passing; and the fear of punishment, from
turning round. As a rule, the operator can quickly get up to his
forehand by “gentling” his crest with the end of the whip or pole, and
afterwards with the hand. The foregoing method, which I learned from
that excellent teacher, Professor Sample, is not altogether suitable for
horses that “strike out in front.” The punishment that has to be
inflicted during its application, may be an objection to its employment.
_Taking up a fore-leg._--Having haltered the horse, we may, in order to
gain further control over him, take up a fore-leg in two ways.
1. If we are afraid that the horse, on our approaching him, will “strike
out,” or kick, we
[Illustration: Fig. 9.--Noosing a fore-leg.]
[Illustration: Fig. 10.--Pulling up a fore-leg when noosed.]
may, as Colonel Rawlins, R.H.A., shewed me, form a noose about two feet
and a half in diameter, with a rope, and having laid it on the ground,
give the free end to an assistant to hold. We may, then, make the horse
move about until he places one fore-foot within the noose (see Fig. 9),
when the assistant should pull the rope, and thus lasso the pastern. The
end of the rope may, now, be thrown over the animal’s back to the other
side, and the leg pulled up (see Fig. 10); or, if the animal will not
stand this being done, the leg may be pulled back by the rope, and
lifted up by another assistant. If the horse “shews fight,” it may be
necessary to blindfold him at this stage of the proceedings. The long
pole may, also, be called into requisition to “gentle” the horse, and
thus render him comparatively quiet. The operator can always quickly
accomplish his object, in the manner described, if he will only exercise
a little patience.
I may mention that this method of noosing the leg, is precisely similar
to that employed in securing the limbs of wild elephants, in India, when
they have been driven into a stockade.
2. The best way for lifting up a fore-leg, with the hand, is, as I have
found out, to grasp, say, the near fore, with the left hand; pinch it
with the fingers to stimulate the flexors of the knee to contract; turn
the elbow in, and press it against the upper part of the fore-arm, so as
to throw the weight from the near, on to the off fore, and thus to
render the picking-up of the near fore a very easy matter (see Fig. 11).
If required, an upward pull is given with the left arm, and the foot is
caught with the right hand as the horse lifts it up. I may add, that the
muscles against which the man’s elbow presses assist in raising the foot
from the ground. By this plan the breaker can stand at the side of the
leg that has to be raised, and a little away from it, thus keeping out
of danger, as much as possible. If
[Illustration: Fig. 11.--Picking up a fore-leg.]
he attempts to lift the fore-leg of a bad cow-kicker, in the ordinary
way, by catching hold of the pastern, he will run a great risk of
getting hit on the head or body, by having to stoop down while standing
close to, and a little behind, the fore-leg.
Mr. J. Leach, M.R.C.V.S., shewed me a neat method for lifting up the leg
of a heavy cart-horse, by catching the hair of the fetlock, and then
drawing up the leg. The slight irritation caused by the pull at the
roots of the hair will cause the horse to readily bend the knee.
_Holding up a fore-leg._--If the fore-leg be held up by the hand passing
under the fetlock or pastern, as is frequently done, the horse, by
bearing a portion of his weight on the man’s hand, can easily kick with
either hind-leg. The foot should, on the contrary, be held by the hoof,
under which the fingers pass, while the thumb presses down on the sole
(see Fig. 12). The animal will now avoid placing weight on the man’s
hand; for by doing so he would cause the joints of the foot to become
bent in a painful manner.
[Illustration: Fig. 12.--How to hold up a fore-leg.]
A convenient way for holding up the fore-leg, for “gentling” and other
purposes, is that shewn by Fig. 10.
_Tying up a fore-leg._--Having “picked up” the foot, we may secure it as
follows:
1. By Rarey’s leg strap, which is about 3 ft. long, and is furnished, at
one end, with a buckle, below which, a leather “keeper” is placed on
both sides (see Fig. 13). To apply it, the free end is passed round the
pastern, from the outside, through the keeper at the back of the buckle,
thus forming a loop. Another turn is taken round the forearm, and a
second loop is made by passing the end through the buckle. The strap can
now be tightened up as may be required, and the end run through the
second keeper. Fig. 14 shews how this can be equally well done with a
stirrup leather, with which two or three turns have been taken round the
pastern; so as to bring the punched holes sufficiently near
[Illustration: Fig. 13.--Rarey’s leg-strap.]
the buckle. (See, also, Fig. 16.) The objections to the employment of
this method of tying up the leg are: (_a_) That it is apt to irritate
the animal by the compression needed to keep the strap in its place;
(_b_) That, when the leg is thus fixed, the horse, in the event of his
“coming down,”
[Illustration: Fig. 14.--Tying up fore-leg with stirrup-leather.]
is liable to hurt his knee, “capped knee” being the usual result of the
injury; on account of the broad extensor tendon being, necessarily,
tightly stretched over the part. I have had this accident occur, on
different occasions, when making a horse lie down, even when he had
knee-caps on, and when the ground was quite soft; (_c_) The heel of the
shoe, if one be on, is apt to bruise and cut the elbow; (_d_) The
compression exercised by the strap on the fore-arm numbs the leg, and
tends to make the animal fall awkwardly, if he is made to lie down;
(_e_) Unless the strap is kept very tight, it is apt to slip down the
fore-arm, and thus exercise an injurious strain on the fetlock joint.
2. By far the best way for tying up a fore-leg is the one described by
Mr. Saunders in ‘Our Horses,’ by which the leg is simply suspended, at
any length required, from the surcingle. Mr. Saunders advises the use of
a small loop to connect the surcingle and strap together (see Fig. 15),
with the object, I presume, of keeping the limb in a plane parallel to
the general direction of the horse’s body. This is certainly an
advantage when making a horse lie down, although I have found, for
ordinary purposes of control,
[Illustration: Fig. 15.--The best method of fastening up a fore-leg.]
that the employment of the small loop may be dispensed with, and the
leg-strap passed through the surcingle, or girth.
This method of suspending the leg is most useful, when gentling the
fore-limb, and when shoeing a “difficult” animal; as the foot can be
retained at any convenient height from the ground without irritating the
horse, and, consequently, without inciting him to “fight.”
I have learned, on more than one occasion, by bitter experience, that it
is possible for a horse to effectually cow-kick with the hind-leg of the
side on which a fore-leg is tied up.
A stirrup leather, with two or three holes punched at convenient
distances, will make a capital leg-strap (see Fig. 16). It has the
advantage of having, at the back of the buckle, no leather keeper, which
is always liable to give way, by reason of the strain exerted on it.
For suspending a fore-leg, we need punch no extra holes in the leather,
if we take, as before
[Illustration: Fig. 16.--A stirrup-leather as used for holding up a
fore-leg.]
described, a few turns with it round the pastern, before passing its end
through the lower part of the buckle. This way would naturally take a
few seconds longer than if the holes were punched at proper distances,
and, consequently, is not as applicable as the other, to horses that
are extremely difficult to handle.
_Blindfolding a Horse._--After the animal has been secured in the manner
described, or after he has been simply haltered, a further step in the
process of rendering him helpless may be taken, by throwing a rug, or
other convenient cloth, over his head, and then applying the rope-twitch
(see page 113). If he be dangerous to approach, the rug may be placed on
the end of a long pole, and then brought over his head, or a
blindfolding halter may be put on, now, or in the first instance. The
originating idea of this appliance is, I believe, of French origin. It
consists of an ordinary halter, with a cloth filling up the space
between the cheek-pieces, brow-band, and nose-band; so as to cover the
horse’s eyes.
Blindfolding is an efficient means of control with the majority of
horses, although it excites some to offer more vigorous resistance than
they would otherwise do. I have never found a horse that would, when
blindfolded, attempt to kick, or strike out, on the chance of hitting
his man, unless he was touched about the limbs or body; nor bite,
whether touched or not, under similar circumstances. I, therefore, think
that the breaker runs no risk whatsoever in going up to the animal’s
head, when it is, thus, temporarily deprived of sight, no matter how
vicious it may be.
_Applying the halter-twitch._--At this stage of the proceedings, the
breaker may apply a modification of Pratt’s twitch, by making a half
hitch with the free part of the rope of the halter, passing the loop
over the ears (see Fig. 17), bringing the lower part of the loop under
the animal’s upper lip, and then pulling it taut (see Fig. 18). He may
jerk the rope (leading rein) three or four times, accompanying the
action on each occasion with the word “steady.” I may
[Illustration: Fig. 17.--The halter-twitch.]
mention that the part of the rope which passes under the upper lip,
should be kept slack, except
[Illustration: Fig. 18.]
when the jerk is given, and that any other suitable word may be
substituted for that of “steady.” It is now perfectly safe to remove
the blindfolding apparatus; as no horse will attempt any aggressive
movement towards the man who holds the leading rein, when thus secured.
The rope may be jerked and the word “steady” used, as may be required.
The pain inflicted by the application of this twitch, is a necessary
evil, which may well be disregarded; for its amount is trifling in
comparison with the extent of control obtained by its means. If employed
carefully, no mark need be left on the mucous membrane. The proper use
of this twitch is thoroughly rational, for it keeps the horse quiet by
its deterrent effect, and not by retaining the horse in a continued
state of suffering, as is done by the ordinary twitch. The word
“steady,” or any convenient substitute for it, should never be omitted;
for, after the animal has learned, as he will do in a minute or two, to
connect it with the idea of pain, the twitch may be removed, and the
word alone used, in order to keep him in subjection. In this experiment,
it is evident that the horse fears the word, and not the twitch; for,
no matter how often the rope is put on, he will not resent its
application more than he did on the first occasion. The oftener, on the
contrary, the ordinary twitch is employed, the shyer will the animal
become of having his muzzle touched. The chief advantages of the
rope-twitch over the common one, are: that it can be easier procured and
applied; it does not inflict so much pain, which, with it, is momentary,
and not continuous, as with the other; it is more effective; it is not
so liable to slip off; it can be retained in position for any reasonable
length of time, to be used as required; it has a more or less
permanently good effect on the horse’s temper, and not a bad one, like
the other; and it does not make the horse shy of having his mouth
touched. The fact of numbers of horses being rendered difficult to
bridle, by the employment of the ordinary twitch, will, naturally, occur
to the reader. The general substitution of this twitch for the ordinary
one, by veterinary surgeons, would certainly remove a grave reproach
against us which now exists. It is, of course, used by them, only,
_faute de mieux_.
If, when the ordinary twitch is twisted up tight, its stick be struck or
jerked, as some do, on the animal moving, it will doubtless have a
deterrent effect, as well as the one produced by the brutal and needless
infliction of continued pain.
_The rope-twitch._--Everything I have said in the preceding paragraphs,
respecting the halter-twitch, applies equally well to its original form,
as described in Mr. O. S. Pratt’s book, ‘The Horse’s Friend,’ which was
published at Buffalo in 1876. Mr. C. G. Frasier, who was Pratt’s
assistant for some years, in America, tells me, that this twitch was not
invented by Pratt, long before whose time it was in use. He thinks that
it was, probably, the idea of the “horse-tamer,”
[Illustration: Fig. 19.--Pratt’s rope-twitch, first portion.]
Fanchion, who practised his art many years ago in the States. Pratt
calls it “the double-hitch Bonaparte bridle.” It is made as follows:
Take a rope, and make a simple knot with it at one end, at a distance of
about eighteen inches from which make another knot loosely, and pass
the
[Illustration: Fig. 20.--Pratt’s twitch completed.]
first knot through the second, so as to form a loop which will not draw
tight. Make a halter by taking a turn of the rope through the fixed
loop (see Fig. 19). Place the halter over the horse’s head, and the loop
in his mouth. Make a half hitch with the free part of the rope, pass it
over the horse’s head and under his upper lip, and draw moderately tight
(see Figs. 20 and 21). By making the fixed loop long, one can obtain
more power than with the halter-twitch.
[Illustration: Fig. 21.--Pratt’s twitch on horse’s head, and tightened
at word “steady.”]
If an ordinary head-stall or snaffle-bridle is on, the twitch may be
applied by knotting the end of the rope to one of the D’s on the
cheek-pieces of the former, or to one of the rings of the latter, and
passing the half hitch over the ears and under the upper lip, as before
described.
[Illustration: Fig. 22.--Head-stall twitch on horse.]
If there be much difficulty in applying the rope-twitch, the horse may
be tied head and tail (see page 197), and it can then be put on without
trouble; the animal being, of course, released, immediately after this
is done.
_Head-stall twitch._--Fig. 22 will explain this ready and effective
method of applying the twitch. The rope is passed through the upper ring
of the cheek-piece of the head-stall, and is tied on to the lower ring.
The turn over the ears and under the upper lip is, then, taken, with the
portion of rope which, after being drawn out, is included between the
two rings.
_The bridle-twitch._--This is a useful and ready means for making the
horse stand quiet after he is bridled, and is applied by passing one of
the snaffle-reins under the upper lip, and drawing it tight to the
opposite side (see Figs. 23 and 24). I was shewn this twitch by Mr. Esa,
of the firm of Shaikh Ibrahim & Co., Poona.
_The strait-jacket._--For English readers, I
[Illustration: Fig. 23.--The bridle-twitch, front and near-side view.]
venture to apply this term to the _hippo lasso_ of MM. Raabe and Lunel.
It consists of a
[Illustration: Fig. 24.--The bridle-twitch, off-side view.]
breachen and breast-band, supported by straps passing over the back, and
connected by traces, which proceed from the breachen, through D’s, with
rollers on them, at the end of the breast-band, back again through
similar D’s on the breachen, and then forward; to become finally
attached to buckles on the sides of the breast-band (see Fig. 25). A
strap and buckle, laid along the top of the back, connects the two back
straps together. A felt guard may be used with the supporting strap of
the breast-band, so as to prevent it hurting the back. The breachen
should be lined with felt. The back straps should be made of strong
stirrup leather. The traces should be particularly strong, close to the
breachen. The breachen and breast-band should be provided, at their
respective centres, with a D, to which ropes may be attached, in order
to keep the animal steady, before and behind.
This gear may be applied in the following way:
If the horse is quiet, the breast-band and breachen may be put on
separately, with the back straps supporting them, and may be
[Illustration: Fig. 25.--The strait-jacket.]
connected together by the strap on the top of the
[Illustration: Fig. 26.--Horse with strait-jacket on.]
back, and by the traces on each side. The breast-band should rest high
up against the fore-arms, and the breachen behind, and a little below
the level of the stifles (see Fig. 26).
If the animal is dangerous to handle, only, behind; the breast-band may
be put on, and the breachen attached to it, in the manner just
described, but without putting it over the quarters. A rope can now be
fixed to the D in the centre of the breachen, which, by the aid of the
rope, can be pulled over the croup into its proper position, by an
assistant from behind. Before doing this, the traces should be let out,
to be pulled tight, the moment the breachen slips over the tail. In this
and other cases of difficulty, ropes may be attached to the ends of the
traces, so that the assistants who hold them, need run no risk of
getting kicked.
When the horse strikes out, as well as kicks, the different parts of the
strait-jacket may be connected together, with the exception of, say,
the near trace, the end of which may be held by an assistant, while
another helper holds a rope attached to the D which is on the near side
of the breast-band. The loop formed by the breast-band and its back
strap is, now, passed over the horse’s neck, the end of the near trace
passed through the near side D of the breast-band, and the remaining
fixings accomplished. Or, if the animal be not very violent, the gear
may be connected together; the loop made by the breast-band and its back
strap, passed over the head and neck; and the breachen pulled over the
croup by a rope.
If the precaution of putting on the rope-twitch be taken, no difficulty
need be experienced in subsequently applying the strait-jacket.
_Lifting up a hind-leg._--The two methods to which I need direct my
readers’ attention, for performing this operation, are as follows:
1. If the operator has two assistants--one to
[Illustration: Fig. 27.--Picking up a hind-leg.]
[Illustration: Fig. 28.--First step in picking up a hind-leg without the
assistance of a helper.]
hold the horse, the other to hold up, say, the near fore-leg--he may get
alongside the animal’s near hind; catch the _tendo Achillis_ (the
hamstring) with the left hand, and the pastern, backhanded, with the
right hand; give a signal to the assistant to let go the near fore; then
lift the leg, and place it resting on his left thigh (see Fig. 27).
If he has no one to hold up the near fore, he may “pick it up” in the
way previously described; grasp the hoof with the right hand, while
facing to the horse’s rear (see Fig. 28); take a step forward with the
left foot; catch the hamstring with the left hand (see Fig. 29); let go
the near fore, and, at the same moment, seize the pastern, backhanded,
with the right hand; and place, as before, the animal’s leg on the left
thigh. This method, which, I believe, I have been the first to devise,
ensures almost complete immunity from danger. As long as one has hold of
the fore-hoof with the hand, one can get forward, out of danger, if the
horse tries to kick. The grasp of the left hand deprives the hind-leg
of the greater part of its action, and the hind pastern is caught so
quickly after, even if not before, the near fore reaches the ground,
that the animal has not time to make a deliberately offensive movement.
By catching the pastern in the way described, we aid in preventing the
animal from cow-kicking, to do which, he must bend his hock; for the
muscle which flexes the foot extends the hock. Were we to catch the
canon bone, instead of the pastern, we should, besides losing this
advantage, have less ability to act on the lever formed by the bones
below the hock, by reason of our shifting the point of application of
the “power,” closer to the fulcrum (the head of the _tibia_). The
irritation caused by the grasp of the hand on the hamstring--which is
composed of two tendons--stimulates their muscles to contract, and,
thus, to keep the hock extended. In this operation, we should follow the
principles, already laid down, of removing the cause of any pain or
irritation,
[Illustration: Fig. 29.--Second step in picking up a hind leg without
the assistance of a helper.]
inflicted by us on the horse, the moment he yields to our wishes. I need
hardly say, that if the horse overpowers the grip of our hands on his
hind-leg, and kicks out behind, he can do us no harm, for we are then in
front of his hind-leg. If the animal will not submit, we should apply
the rope-twitch (see page 113); and, by its aid, and a little
“gentling,” proceed as before described.
2. In order to “gentle” the hind limb, or to take it up and let it down
at will, while maintaining complete control over it, we may proceed as
follows: Put on, say, the near hind pastern, a hobble with a D attached
to it. Take a strong cord about 20 ft. long, and tie with it a “double
sheet bend” (see Fig. 30) to the end of the tail, in the middle of the
cord. Pass one end through the D to the near side, the other end through
it to the off side, and give the respective ends to an assistant on each
side to hold (see Fig. 31). These men should stand at right angles to
the horse, and can lift the leg by
[Illustration: Fig. 30.--Shewing how to fasten a rope to the end of
horse’s tail with a “double sheet bend.”]
pulling equally on their respective cords. In this manner, the leg will
be brought straight up under
[Illustration: Fig. 31.--Hind hoof held up by two assistants with rope
from tail.]
[Illustration: Fig. 32.--Leg pulled back with one rope, a method which
should be avoided; as it throws the horse off his balance.]
the body, so as not to throw the animal off his balance. The fact of
thus keeping the joints of the leg flexed will obviate any chance of his
straining himself while struggling, which he might do by the old method
of using only one cord,
[Illustration: Fig. 33.--Mode of fastening a rope to a short tail.]
which will necessitate the leg being pulled back, and will,
consequently, disturb the animal’s equilibrium
[Illustration: Fig. 34.]
(see Fig. 32). By the other and better method, which was taught me by
Colonel W. Gatacre, the foot may be lifted up, and put down again,
without causing the animal any inconvenience. It is a most valuable
means for “gentling” the hind limb; for its action is irresistible, and,
at the same time, causes no irritation. If the horse’s tail is too short
to make a knot in its hair, we may pass a loop made in the middle of a
doubled cord over the dock, and further secure it by a half hitch (Figs.
33 and 34).
I have devised the following method for improvising a hobble for lifting
up a hind-leg, which, I think, will be found useful. Place a stirrup
iron, foot part pointing to the rear, at the back of the hind pastern;
take a few turns, with the stirrup-leather, round the pastern and iron,
and buckle up (Fig. 35).
_Gagging a Horse._--This is useful for preventing the animal using his
teeth aggressively, and, also,
[Illustration: Fig. 35.--Improvised hobble made with a stirrup iron.]
for breaking him of this objectionable habit. The
[Illustration: Fig. 36.--Wooden gag.]
one I use is made out of a block of hard wood, 5 inches long and 2
inches square, which is made octagonal by planing off the corners.
Lately, I have had this gag made with a semicircular groove, about a
third of an inch broad, running down the centre of each face of the
octagonal, in order to make it more “punishing.” A hole is bored, down
the centre, for a chain which is attached to the head-stall. I use
leather guards on each side to prevent the animal from getting the gag
out of his mouth (see Fig. 36). This is a modification of Rarey’s wooden
mouthing bit, which was a round block of wood.
General Peat suggested to me the advisability of having the gag made
with sharp edges, and not round; so as to teach the horse, by the pain
inflicted on his gums, not to bite.