M. Horace Hayes

Difficult and vicious to catch—Hanging back on the head-stall—Kicking—Kicking at night—Pawing at night—Pawing back the litter—Rubbing the tail—Sleeping standing.

Difficult and vicious to catch.—If the animal be viciously inclined, make him quiet by the methods described in the preceding chapters. Teach him to come up to you when you call him (see page 261); and to turn his quarters away from you, when you approach him (see page 87).

Hanging back on the head-stall.—The Americans employ the crupper leading-rein (see page 148), to hitch up a horse given to this fault. I have been told that a good way is to shorten the rack chain, by tying it with a piece of thin twine, so that when the animal pulls on the chain, he will break the twine, and will then cease to pull, on the presumed supposition that he has broken the chain. For horses with this habit, it is common to place a broad band across the lower part of the stall, so as to allow the animal to rest against it, if he likes.

Kicking.—See Chapter XV. We may, also, teach the animal to “stand over” in his stall, by pulling his head round with a cord attached to the side of the head-stall, passed through a ring on the top of the roller, and carried outside of the stall, while giving, simultaneously with the pull on the cord, some appropriate verbal order, such as “over!” (See Fig. 47.)

Kicking at night.—I have no experience in breaking horses of this habit. I would suggest the employment of the strait-waistcoat, which should

be loose enough to allow the animal to lie down and get up. I have seen it recommended, in such cases, to hang some soft object, such as a large bag filled with hay, behind the animal, so that, when he kicked, it would give to the stroke, and would then swing back and hit him, without hurting him; the effect being that the horse would get tired of kicking the inoffensive object, and would, accordingly, drop the habit. If this method be adopted, I would suggest that the animal should, before being left for the night, be accustomed to the stuffed bag, or whatever else is used, touching him. Tying up one fore-leg, or applying the rope-twitch, will keep him quiet while this is being done. I take for granted that he has been, previously, made thoroughly docile, with the exception of this particular vice. The strait-jacket, loosely put on, would, I have no doubt, prevent the kicking. If it was properly applied, and, gradually let out, say, a hole or two, each night, it would, in all probability, break the horse of the habit.

Pawing at night.—I have prevented the practice of this vice by employing a spancel (coupling strap) to connect the animal’s fore-legs together, so as to give him freedom to lie down, but not to paw. The use of this strap would, no doubt, in time, cure the vice.

Pawing back the litter.—I note that a correspondent, replying to a query, in the Field, as to some means of stopping this practice, which causes the horse to sleep, more or less, on the bare floor, states that connecting the fore-legs in the manner I have just described, will accomplish the object in view, and, after a few repetitions, will wean the animal from the habit.

Rubbing the tail.—Although this vice comes more within the province of the veterinary surgeon, than within that of the breaker, a few remarks on it may not, here, be out of place. Mr. D. C. Pallin, A. V. D., who is a thorough good authority on all

matters connected with horses, tells me that he has always found the plan of tying the animal’s tail round, with two separate pieces of tape (see Fig. 48) to be efficacious in stopping the practice of this habit. I may add, that this result may, also, as a rule, be obtained by the application, with the finger, from time to time, of a little blue mercurial ointment, round the inside of the anus. If the rubbing be due to the presence of worms, or to skin disease, appropriate remedies should be employed.

Sleeping standing.—There are many horses that will never, voluntarily, lie down—a habit which seriously detracts from their capacity for work. Such horses might be taught to lie down (see page 153), and, when they had done so, might be kept in the recumbent position by the strait-jacket. Having no experience in this matter, I offer the advice, merely, as a possibly useful suggestion. In all cases, a good, deep bed of straw will be a strong inducement for a horse to lie down.