Harness and TTARNEssiNfi. 741 



damp and the hair remain so all night. In case the blanket is not used 

 until the animal has ceased to steam and is somewhat cooled, which 

 he will be in a quarter of an hour, the hair will be dry and smooth the 

 following morning. Stable blankets may be disposed of in the hot 

 summer months if the flies are excluded by screens or by some other 

 means. If blankets are used at this time thfey should be of light material 

 and kept clean. As soon as the nights begin to get cool, the blankets 

 should be continued, as an early use will arrest to a marked degree 

 the growth of hair. This may obviate the necessity of clipping, as the 

 coat of hair is kept short and comparatively thin. In case the horse 

 is clipped, and it is well that he should be if the coat of hair is dense 

 and long, he should be covered with an extra heavy blanket, or with 

 two blankets, for a time. 



Outdoor blanket. — The use of the outdoor blanket is as important as 

 the use of the stable blanket. If the horse is allowed to stand outdoors 

 either for a short or for a long time he should be well blanketed. If 

 one is going to stop but a short time the temptation not to blanket the 

 animal is strong. The horse cools off rapidly and may chill, so that 

 it is best to blanket if only for a moment. Again, in the spring when 

 the weather is nice, one is likely to think that no ill will result from 

 leaving the animal unblanketed; and yet he may chill as before. It 

 is best, on stopping the animal, to see that he is well protected at all 

 times. 



Grooming 



The grooming of the horse deserves much consideration. Nothing 

 contributes so much to the beauty and the lustre of the coat as grooming. 

 Because of this the body receives much attention and the legs entirely 

 too little, whereas the legs should always receive the more attention, 

 as the care of the legs is really more important than the care of the body. 

 On arriving at the stable, if the animal's legs are muddy they should 

 be roughly cleaned by using a half-worn common broom. The animal 

 should then be placed in the stable, fed, unharnessed, given a thorough 

 grooming, and blanketed. The legs should not be neglected but be 

 given a thorough and rapid brushing. Time spent in cleaning and 

 rubbing the horse in the evening after the day's work is done is worth 

 much more than time thus spent in the morning. 



If the animal is working in the mud it is desirable that the hair be 

 clipped from the limbs, as by so doing the animal's legs may be kept 

 clean with much less difficulty. In case the legs are clipped, it is all 

 the more important that they should be thoroughly cleaned and rubbed 



