MANUAL FOR STABLE SERGEANTS. 5» 



in the stable, as one animal with a contagious disease may infect 

 all the animals of the organization. 



143. Grooming'. — Grooming is essential to the health and appear 

 ance of the domesticated horse. Its objects are cleanliness, preven- 

 tion of disease, particularly of the skin, and .the improA'ement of- 

 the animal's general condition. WTiile many diseases are not the 

 direct result of dirt, it is nevertheless true that they are most fre- 

 quently found where dirty conditions prevail. 



Horses should be thoroughly groomed at least once a day, and this 

 should be immediately after exercise or work. They should also 

 be brushed off before going to drill or exercise. 



The idle horse should be groomed the same as the rest. 



Mud should be wisped off with hay or straw, or it should be allowed 

 to dry, then removed \^ith a brush. 



144. Wet horses. — Wet horses should be dried before being 

 groomed or left tied up to the line or in the stable. If wet from rain 

 or by washing, wisping with loose straw and lively rubbing with 

 grooming rags or pieces of gunny sacking is a good method of making 

 them dry and warm. 



145. Sweating horses. — Sweating horses should be blanketed 

 and walked about until cool, then rubbed and wisped until dry. 

 Returning horses from work wet with sweat may be avoided by- 

 allowing them to walk the last half mile or so of the return journey. 



146. Hand rubbing-. — Hand rubbing is most soothing and rest- 

 ful to tired muscles and limbs. It also removes the loose hair and 



.produces a smooth glossy coat. 



To remove hair and stimulate the skin, the hands are slapped 

 down briskly on the coat one after the other, the weight of the body- 

 is thrown against them, while both are moved over the skin wdth 

 firm pressure. 



The legs should be rubbed briskly with the fingers and palms in 

 the direction of the hair. After rubbing, the legs should be care- 

 fully bandaged, taking care that the bandages are not too tight. 



147. Washing horses. — As a general practice this should not 

 be allowed except in warm climates, and then only when the tem- 

 perature of the air and the water used is approximately the same as 

 that of the body. In cold and changeable climates washing may 

 cause chilling and lead to sickness, usually respiratory diseases and 

 chapping of the skin. 



WTien horses are w^ashed, great care must be taken that they are 

 thoroughly dried by wisping and rubbing and that they are not 



