244 THE HORSE. 
bandages, they leave them on till they have done the body, when they 
are taken off and the legs rubbed with the leather and linen rubber till 
they are quite dry, finishing with plenty of hand rubbing if they are at 
all inclined to fill. All this being done, the litter is put straight, and the 
horse is ready to have his second feed. A good deal of muscular exer- 
tion, and laid out in the right way, is necessary for the due performance 
of the groom’s daily task. There is no royal road to make a horse’s coat, 
when in work, really look well, and not less than an hour’s hard strapping 
will suffice for this daily. White and light grey horses will take up even 
more time than this, as with all the care that can be exercised the thighs 
and legs will occasionally become stained by lying in the dung dropped 
during the night. Soap and water laid on warm, and well rubbed, will 
get rid of a great deal of the brown colour left, and if’it is not suffered to 
increase by successive layers, it may be removed with comparative ease. 
The slight tinge which remains may be got rid of by the aid of washer- 
woman’s blue, a bag of which is to be dipped into clean water and the 
skin washed with this after the soap has been got rid of. A little experi- 
ence is required to ascertain the exact amount of blue, but one or two 
experiments will soon teach an intelligent groom. 
WHENEVER A HORSE IS WANTED to go out, he must again be whisped 
over before his saddle or his harness is put on. The groom strips the 
whole of the clothes off, turns him round in the stall, and carefully clears 
all the dust away from the ears and head with the rubber; then, pro- 
ceeding regularly backwards, the whole body is smoothed over, and the 
saddle and bridle or harness put on. Lastly, the feet are picked, and: an 
oil-brush is rubbed over the outside of the hoofs, to give them a neat 
appearance, when the pillar reins are buckled to the bit on each side, and 
the horse is left till he is wanted. 
DRESSING AFTER WORK depends upon the state in which the horse is 
returned to the stable, when he may be cool and clean, or in a profuse 
sweat still going on, or with his sweat dried in, or completely smothered 
with dirt, or wet from rain, but chilled rather than too hot; or lastly, 
when exhausted from a severe run or other hard work. 
WHEN THE HORSE RETURNS COOL AND CLEAN, the groom throws his rug 
lightly over his quarters, and, taking a bucket and a brush, he proceeds 
to pick and wash out the feet, standing on the near side, with his back to 
the horse’s head, so that he can use his left hand to hold the feet, and his 
right for the brush. If the legs are quite clean, there is no necessity for 
washing them at all; but most grooms do so as a matter of course, and if 
they are properly dried afterwards, there is no objection to the plan. 
Hunters, and valuable horses of all kinds, are immediately protected by 
flannel bandages; but in ordinary stables the legs are merely partially 
dried with a rubber, and are left in that state till the horse is dressed 
over. If the work has been continued for more than four or five hours 
without feeding, it will be well to put on flannel bandages, and let the 
horse have a feed of corn; but, otherwise, it is better to finish the dress- 
sng first. The cloth being removed, a whisp of hay is taken in the 
hand, and first the head and neck, and then the body, is dressed over; 
finishing off with the rubber, as previously described. The clothing is 
then put on, the legs thoroughly dried, the litter put straight, and the task 
is finished. 
WHEN BROUGHT IN STILL SWEATING PROFUSELY, if the weather is warm, 
the horse must be led about in the shade, with the saddle on, till he is nearly 
or quite dry ; for if he is put inta the stable before he is cool, he will break 
