Rural School Leaflet 1185 



Blanketing 



In this climate the use of a blanket is indispensable. A horse will 

 be more efficient and will endure mtich longer if reasonably protected 

 against cold rains, heavy winds, and sudden changes in temperature. 

 If the horse is warm and sweating on his arrival at the stable, he should 

 not be l^lanketed until he has ceased to steam, nor should he be left in 

 a draft. When blanketed at once there is Httle opportunity for him 

 to dry, the blanket becomes damp, and the hair remains moist all night. 

 If the blanket is not used vmtil the animal lias ceased to steam and is 

 somewhat cool — which will be in a quarter of an hour — the hair will 

 be dry and smooth on the following morning. 



Some caretakers of horses use two stable blankets. One is placed 

 on the animal immediately after he arrives in the stable; this is removed 

 in a quarter of an hour and is replaced by another that remains on the 

 animal during the night. This is perhaps advisaljle in very cold climates, 

 since the animal may cool off too quickly if not given some protection 

 on arriving at the stable. 



IV. HARNESS AND HARNESSING 



The work of the horse is accomplished by means of power transmitted 

 through the harness. Properly fitted harness adds much to the efficiency 

 and the comfort of a horse. A well-kept harness adds very materially 

 to the general appearance of the equipment. Hence it is important to 

 know what the various parts of the harness are and the use of each. A 

 set of harness is really very complicated, and if the parts were unbuckled 

 and mixed together, there are few persons who could buclde them together 

 quickly at the first trial. 



The names of the parts of a harness and the uses are given as follows: 

 (Illustration, page 11 86.) 



1. Bridle — used to hold the bit in the mouth and to restrain the 

 horse. The parts are: a, bit; b, noseband; c, chin band; d, face band; e, 

 blinds; f, winker braces; g, brow band; h, crown band; i, gag swivel; 

 j, side cheek; k, throatlatch. 



2 . Lines — used to control and restrain the horse. 



3 . Collar — used to protect the shoulder, thus enabling the horse to 

 draw heavy loads without injuring the shoulder. 



4. Hames — used to distribute weight along the collar. 



5. Hame tugs — used to fasten the traces to the hames. 



6. Traces — used to connect the hame tugs to the load. 



7. Martingale — often used to hold the collar in place in backing a 

 load, and sometimes attached to the lines to hold the horse's head in 

 position. 



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