212 Cloathing. 



soft sill^' covering' which its skin produces iu the climate in which it 



is indigenous. 



Again, in summer the hair of all, Hotscs iS short and sleek ; it 

 gradually lengthens at the end of Autumn, and finally becomes 



very long and rough m the course of the winter, especially upon 



such as are not housed. At the approach of Spring another 

 change commences, and when the heat of Summer would render the 

 long coat not only useless, but oppressive to the animal, it is cast off, 

 and the skin is again protected by a sleek and short covering. 



Here then, the finger of Providence is not only clearly visible 

 to the peasant as well as the philosopher, but may be seen most 

 distinctly pointed to the object^ which thesp changes are calculated 

 to attain. 



But, the absurdity of the human mind, when under the guidance 

 of fashion and custom, seems to be limited by no bounds. 



For, people are not content with keeping Horses in an atmos- 

 phere of such a high degree of temperature as would of itself, in a 

 great measure, frustrate the attempts of Nature to effect this salu- 

 tary change in their coats against the approach of winter ; but whilst 

 exposed to the influence of this hot air, they are, nevertheless, co- 

 vered with woollen cloathing, which must necessarily operate as an 

 encreased impediment to the change in question. 



But this is not all, for they are frequently in winter exposed sud- 

 denly to the action of .mi atmosphere of full thirty degrees lowet tem- 

 perature than that of tlie stable, a few minutes after tbiey have been 

 stripped of their Cloathing. And it is this custom of stripping 

 them which occasions such frequent derangements in the health of 

 Horses, rather than that of previously exposing them to theinflu- 



