ORDINARY SWEATING. 265 
crossed over the withers, it is kept in its place under the breast-cloth, by the 
pressure of the saddle; or a rug may be folded and placed round the chest, 
without extending to the loins, in case the heart is supposed to be oppressed 
with fat. All these points of detail will call upon the groom for an exercise 
of ingenuity and tact, and if he possesses these qualities, he will have no diffi- 
culty in placing his sweaters where they will be required. When they are 
all securely fixed the horse is ridden out, and after walking for a short time 
to empty himself, he is started off to go his sweat, which is generally four 
miles, doing three-quarters of the distance at a slow pace, and then being 
set going a little faster, and at last brought out to his top-speed, if in 
full training, or nearly so if in his second preparation. Ly his top-speed, 
however, is not to be understood the very outside pace which can be got 
out of the horse, but only such a speed as is short of that by so much as 
will preserve his stride in full vigour, and prevent that over-pacing which 
leads to the rupture of muscular or tendinous structure. In his first pre- 
paration he should seldom be extended, and it is better to increase the 
distance rather than to accelerate the speed beyond the steady gallop ; but 
iew horses refuse to sweat at a slow pace in this stage of training. As soon 
as he has finished the distance, the trainer examines his state, and either 
directs him to be walked or-trotted on to the rubbing place, which should 
be a box set apart for the purpose, either on the training-ground or at the 
usual stables; or if the ground is at a distance from any available 
stable, the shelter of a haystack or high hedge should be sought 
for. The full benefit of the sweat is not obtained unless the fluid is 
scraped off before it has had time to be re-absorbed, which is the result, 
if it is allowed to remain on the skin after this has ceased to give out 
any fluid. Its vessels in that case, instead of perspiring, adopt the oppo- 
site extreme, and appropriate the sweat by their own power of absorption ; 
thus doing away with the chief benefit which was expected and desired 
from the sweat itself When the hand of the groom, applied to the 
shoulder of the horse under his breast-cloth, tells him that the sweat is 
coming kindly, the horse may have a couple of rugs heaped upon him, 
and be suffered to give out fluid for a very few minutes only ; but if 
it does not break out at once, three or four must be put on him, and he 
must wait a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes before he is fit to scrape. 
If he sweats freely, the groom in charge of his head may rub his ears and 
wipe his eyes, so as to refresh him slightly ; but if there is any difficulty 
in bringing on the sweat this will only retard the process, and he may be 
allowed to stand quite quietly, and without any attempt to refresh him by 
the above little attentions, or by rubbing his legs, or wiping his thighs or 
bosom. As soon as the groom is satisfied, the hood is taken off, and the 
head and neck rapidly scraped, together with the bosom, from which 
the breast-cloth is removed, and the rugs and quarter-piece turned back so 
as to expose the whole neck and the points of the shoulders. One or two 
strappers may be employed in scraping and afterwards drying this part, 
besides the one holding the bridle ; but if the horse is quiet enough, this 
may be removed, and the head dressed all the more effectually. A very 
few minutes suffice for drying this half of the horse, when the bridle 
should be readjusted, and the quarter-piece and sweaters wholly turned off 
over the croup; upon this the strappers again set to work with their 
scrapers and rubbers, they soon get rid of every particle of sweat, and 
have the coat perfectly dry and smooth. Much depends upon the stage 
of training ; in the early part, the sweat is profuse, thick, and soapy, and 
takes more time to dry; while in the latter stages, when the horse is getting 
