1818 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



long time he should be well blanketed. In very cold weather the blanket 

 should be secured about the abdomen by blanket pins. 



The proper use of fly blankets or fly nets brings much comfort to the 

 horse. Whether it is better to use nets or blankets will depend on 

 circumstances. The blanket, being warmer and less presentable, is not 

 advised by many persons; there are conditions, however, under which 

 it appears very desirable, particularly on horses whose color fades on 

 being exposed to the direct rays of the sun. Nets are more present- 

 able and therefore are more approved by horsemen generally. Both 

 nets and blankets are annoying to the driver, warm for the animal, and 

 more or less expensive. For these reasons they are often discarded 

 entirely, although their judicious use is often of advantage to horses. 



CLIPPING 



This consists of cutting the hair over the entire surface of the body 

 of the horse. Several advantages are claimed for clipping: it improves 

 the appearance of the horse and enables his coat to be more easily cleaned; 

 a clipped horse is less likely to take cold than a long-haired horse because 

 the evaporation of moisture is more rapid and the horse does not become 

 so warm; the natural process of shedding hair is a draft on the vitality 

 of the animal, leading to a diminished appetite and to loss of flesh. 

 Clipping accomplishes in a short time what nature requires much more 

 time to do. From this it would seem that horses having long, thick 

 coats should be clipped. 



If horses are to be clipped twice each year the first clipping should be 

 done soon after the hair has grown out in the fall ; thus the horses become 

 used to the change before cold weather and obtain some growth cf hair 

 before winter sets in. The second clipping should be done in early spring 

 as soon as the weather begins to grow warm and before the animals begin 

 to shed their winter coats. Horses thus treated will be much more easily 

 kept in presentable condition and, if protected by blankets and properly 

 groomed, will pay many times over for such extra care. When horses 

 cannot be protected from cold and wet, either in the stable or outside 

 of it, they should not be clipped in the fall. Animals exposed to the 

 weather grow a long coat for their own protection and this should not 

 be removed; if, however, the owner means to give them extra care and 

 attention, they may be clipped. 



ADJUSTMENT OF THE HARNESS 



Since the horse receives commands and accomplishes his work by 

 means of the harness, a perfectly adjusted harness adds much to his 

 comfort and increases his usefulness. Unequal pressure due to a poorly 



