252 IHE HORSE. 
tive, or if he wants experience, he will have notched the end of the tail 
in a most unsightly manner. If the groom wishes to try his hand in this 
operation, he should get hold of a long tail, and begin far below the point 
where the squared end is intended finally to be. This will aflord him five 
or six experimental cuts, and if he cannot satisfy himself, as he nears the 
proper length, that he will be likely to succeed, he can still call in the 
aid of a more skilful operator before it is to» late. The hair of the tail 
grows so slowly, that two or three months are required to remove the 
disfigurement which is sometimes caused in this way,’and consequently 
it behoves the groom to be doubly careful, for his own sake as well as his 
master’s. 
To make the mane lie smoothly on its proper side, which it sometimes 
obstinately refuses to do, it must be plaited in small locks, and the ends 
loaded with lead, if it cannot be made to lie down without. An expe- 
rienced groom, however, will generally succeed in so managing the plaits 
that they lie close to the neck, which is all that can be effected by the aid 
of lead, but sometimes the hair is so obstinate that nothing else will effect 
the object in view. 
USE AND APPLICATION OF BANDAGES. 
BanDAGES are applied to the legs of the horse for three different pur- 
poses. First, to give support to the blood-vessels and synovial capsules ; 
secondly, as a vehicle for applying cold lotions ; and thirdly, for drying 
and warming them. 
For the mere purpose of support either linen or flannel bandages may be 
put on, according to the weather, and the tendency to inflammation. The 
legs of seasoned old horses are seldom so prone to become hot as those of 
young ones, and excepting in very warm weather, flannel bandages seem to 
suit them better than linen. On the contrary, if flannel is applied to the 
tegs of a colt, even if they are not inclined to inflame, they will become 
hot and uncomfortable, and he will learn to tear them off, in which some 
horses become perfect adepts. Whichever kind of bandage is put on, it 
should be previously tightly rolled with the strings inwards, then taking 
it in the right hand, and unwrapping about six inches, they are laid 
against the canna bone on the side nearest to the groom, so that the folds 
shall have a tendency to unrol from him and not to him. While the left 
hand keeps the end from slipping, the right passes the roll of bandage 
closely round the leg till it meets the left, when the latter, still pressing 
the end against the leg, lays hold of the roll, and allows the right to be 
brought back to meet it on the other side. After which the coils are 
repeated till the whole bandage is run out and the leg encased, one row 
being slightly above or below the level of the next, as may be required. 
The great art consists in avoiding unequal pressure, and yet giving 
sufficient to accomplish the purpose for which bandaging is designed. 
From the projection backwards of the pastern-joints it is impossible to 
make the folds lie perfectly smooth, and there must be loose parts, which 
however are covered over by, the next turn. No written description, 
however, will suffice to teach this little operation, and the young groom 
should watch a good bandager, and imitate him as exactly as he can. The 
strings at the end serve to tie the bandage on, and these also must neither 
be so tight as to cut the leg, nor so loose as to allow the bandage to fall 
down. 
