CLIPPING HORSES. 90 



With time my dislike to clipping horses becomes confirmed, 

 and, as it is a very common practice, it is proper to state the 

 reasons why nature's clothing should be left on the horse's 

 skin during the winter months. The great advocates of the 

 clipping system are grooms and clippers the first, because it 

 saves them trouble in cleaning and drying a horse; and the 

 latter, because the operation is a very remunerative one. Not 

 a few horsemen also declare that the animals move more 

 freely, and stand more work. A clipped horse, moreover, 

 pleases the eye of the so-called connoisseur. There is no 

 doubt that some animals during a couple of months in the 

 dead of winter have a rough appearance, and, in exceptional 

 instances, it may be excusable to clip or singe for appearance 

 sake, but the disadvantages are many. 



In the first place, a young horse from a warm stable, where 

 he has been covered with heavy rugs, after the loss of his 

 natural covering, stands shaking and suffering, on a frosty 

 morning affections of the respiratory organs necessarily 

 result, and sometiuies of a fatal nature. 



We have known such a sudden impression induced on 

 a horse as to lead to tetanus. The case occurred on a 

 four-year-old grey gelding, in Edinburgh, clipped as a mere 

 matter of fancy in the month of November. No sooner was 

 the operation concluded than the horse was heard to champ 

 with its jaws, and the signs of tetanus were soon marked. 

 The animal died. 



Horses of all kinds are clipped, and many with the most 

 delicate coat and tender skins. As the scissors are not ade- 

 quate to the clearing every particle of hair off the skin, the 

 singeing apparatus is used, and valuable animals are scorched, 

 and even permanently blemished. The owner has perhaps 

 the annoyance of seeing a patch of white hair, or no hair at 

 all, where a black coat should prow. 



