On casting horses ; with a description of the new casting hobbles, invented by Bracy Clark / [Bracy Clark].

  • Clark, Bracy, 1771-1860
Date:
[1842]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On casting horses ; with a description of the new casting hobbles, invented by Bracy Clark / [Bracy Clark]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    taught us for effecting it the more easily and with less risk of accidents or injuries. For we remember in early times of this profession, our friend Moorcroft, in casting a horse for Lord Kinnaird, with the common Hobbles, broke his back. With high-spirited, shy, or skittish horses, much discretion is necessary, and the four Hobbles cannot be applied with too much expedition; there should be a man to each leg, and the rope previously passed through the rings, and made fast to the pin, with men ready at the rope in case of any sudden movement or stuggling of the horse on finding himself hampered, to pull him down immediately, and prevent his moving from the spot; and, on all occasions, the horse should be blinded previously to the Hobbles being applied, and a twitch to the nose or ear is also useful to divert his attention. The blinding-hood should be very coarse, thick, soft, cloth, and made to cover the head and upper part of the neck, with ties below of ferrit or tape ; it is best applied by being laid upon the crest, and then gradually advanced forwards over the head and eyes, and tied, which is always to be undone but not removed, till he is fully at liberty for getting up. The smith’s apron usually used to be resorted to in these cases for blinding; it is however but a very uncertain and indifferent blinding-hood. And this hood cannot be made of too thick materials, as it may then be of very great use in defending the head and eyes from injuries after the fall and during the operation. In the plate annexed, the legs of the horse are seen to be brought approaching each other out of the perpendicular, and drawn towards the centre of the body, by which the power of resistance is greatly diminished, and into which position they may mostly be brought before the men begin to pull the rope, or the horse is aware of being hampered or is disposed to make any resistance; and if only one or two of the legs are so situated, it will have its effect in facilitating the fall without his moving from the place on which he stands ; but, with some very shy horses, it is best not to make any attempt of this sort; but with all heavy or draft horses, it will be found more particularly of advantage. When it is practicable, it is also most advanta- geous to get the two legs of the off or opposite side to the men pulling at the rope, into this situation, that being the side on which he is to fall; as he then will more certainly fall to that side. Some horses spring from the ground, when they find themselves entangled, in which case their fall becomes more uncertain; if in this case by chance, they should fall towards the rope, they must be turned over on their backs after the Hobbles have been made fast by the hook.* In casting down, I have thought the following stratagem of use, which is to pull lightly at the tail in the opposite direction to the one we desire him to fall—he naturally opposes you and pulls against you—when he is acting pretty strongly in this manner, suddenly change your pull for the opposite, which will decide his fall. They often, when they find their legs drawn together, bend their knees, and it is then rendered un- certain on which side they fall; he who has the head, if a strong man, can then best decide his fall, as also by the tail, but if it should so happen, it is not very difficult to turn him over on his back. * We may also reverse the proceeding, by passing the chain only through the four hobble rings, and then pin it, not passing the rope through at all, which is more speedily done if the horse stand fair and quiet, and then the trouble of getting the knot or splice of the rope through with the chain is avoided. Also if the chain be a little lengthened the rope might be dispensed with altogether.