THE HORSE. 



end being formed by a wide grating ; a movable 

 bottom slides up and down in the casing, being 

 drawn up towards the top by a weight, which is 

 sufficiently heavy to lift also the hay which is placed 

 upon it. As the horse draws the hay through the 

 top grating, the weight keeps it constantly pressed 

 against it, so that he withdraws only a mouthful 

 at a time, and is prevented from Uttering it about 

 his stall. Mangers, for the supply of corn, &c. 

 are now almost universally made of iron, with 

 enamelled interiors ; they are thus easily kept 

 clean. They should be supplied through a spout 

 regulated from the outside of the stalL Water is 

 also provided now by an iron enamelled trough, 

 to which it is supplied by a special water-pipe and 

 tap, and withdrawn by means of a plug in the 

 bottom leading to a waste-pipe. 



Bedding Cleaning. 



The good horse sleeps in a lying posture, his 

 legs being partly drawn under him, and his head 

 remaining up. A horse that habitually sleeps 

 standing, or will not lie down at night, is usually 

 reckoned to be of little value ; for it is indispens- 

 able to doing his duty during the day that he rests 

 well at night. The preparation of a bed for the 

 animal ought to be one of the most pleasing parts 

 of a stable-keeper's duty, and he should perform 

 it well The best bed is made of wheat-straw ; 

 but when that is dear, or cannot be got, the straw 

 of oats may suit the purpose. The more even and 

 less rumpled the litter, the better. The bed should 

 be made level, or sloping slightly from the sides 

 and head towards the centre, and be completely 

 free of hard lumps. All ought to be smooth, 

 clean, soft, and the depth of litter perhaps seven 

 or eight inches. Every morning, the soiled litter 

 is to be taken away to the dung-yard, and the 

 clean portion separated and placed at the head of 

 the stall, or in some other convenient situation, 

 ready to be employed again at night. The stable 

 should be clean swept, brushed, and thoroughly 

 ventilated every morning, leaving impurities 

 neither on the ground nor in the atmosphere. 



Stable Furniture Stablemen. 



Every stable is to be provided with proper 

 receptacles for hay and straw. The oats, peas, 

 beans, bran, &c. should be kept in one large 

 chest with divisions, or separate chests, and, if 

 possible, be placed in an apartment separate from 

 the stable. For small stables, an adjoining room 

 should be fitted up neatly for the accommodation 

 of the corn-chest, the saddles, and other apparatus ; 

 all saddles, bridles, and small articles being pro- 

 perly hung on hooks on the wall, or placed on 

 other appropriate supports. A cupboard for 

 combs, brushes, &c. will be an advantage. If 

 the stable be not supplied with water in pipes, a 

 well should be at hand. 



Horses require to be under the charge of per- 

 sons who understand the business of attending to 

 them in all their varied wants. Some individuals 

 seem to imagine that any boy or lad will do for 

 taking care of a horse. This is both inhumane and 

 bad policy. Where only one horse is kept, a 

 steady lad, under the directions of his master, and 

 instructed in the line of his duty, will often be 

 found sufficient ; but he requires constant looking 

 after. 



In stables in which two or more horses are 

 kept a regular groom should be employed; and 

 he should reside' close by the stable, so as to 

 be always at hand. The qualifications of a groom 

 ought to be steadiness of conduct, promptitude in 

 a case of difficulty, openness to advice or instruc- 

 tions, experience in well-managed stables, taste 

 for cleanliness ; and he should be as desirous of 

 making his charge comfortable as he would his 

 own person. 



If all horses were good-tempered, or rendered 

 docile by kind treatment, they might be advan- 

 tageously left at liberty in their stalls; circum- 

 stances, however, require that they should be 

 restrained ; but this should be done with as little 

 pain to them as possible. The halter or rein from 

 the headgear should be led to a ring at the head 

 of the stall, leaving the animal at liberty to lie 

 down in an easy posture. The rein, whether of 

 rope or chain, should not be tied to the ring. It 

 should go through the ring, and drop down with 

 a plummet at the extremity to keep it down, yet 

 allowing the animal to pull it up or allow it to sink 

 at pleasure. A shorter halter may be employed 

 during the day than at night, so as to keep him 

 from straggling backwards into the passage or 

 gangway. 



Grooming Dressing Trimming. 



The skins of horses are liable to become clogged 

 with a scurf of dried perspiration, along with par- 

 ticles of dust and mud, which collect and lodge 

 among the hairs. It is of great importance to 

 remove these impurities by currying and brushing, 

 for the sake of the health of the animal, independ- 

 ently of the value of the operation as respects the 

 appearance of his coat The degree to which this 

 species of grooming is carried will of course very 

 much depend on circumstances ; but, as a general 

 rule, it should take place every morning before the 

 horse is led forth to the labour of the day. 



If horses are not groomed regularly they will 

 inevitably lose their health, or be troubled with 

 parasitical animals lodging beneath the hairs, 

 and never have a glossy and cheerful appearance. 

 Some horses have a great repugnance to being 

 groomed, but this generally arises from harsh 

 treatment while they were young : if treated con- 

 siderately, they will feel pleased with the friction, 

 and grateful for the attention bestowed on them. 



The cleaning of a horse after work is as neces- 

 sary as the morning grooming. When a horse is 

 brought to the stable in a state of perspiration, it 

 should not be taken in to be at rest all at once, but 

 be walked gently about till it becomes moderately 

 cool. This allows the excitement of the blood- 

 vessels and muscles to be allayed gradually, and 

 prevents any sudden stoppage of the pores of the 

 skin. To assist in drying and cooling down the 

 animal, he may be scraped or rubbed with wisps. 

 Wisping is preferable. After the horse has been 

 walked and wisped, his legs and feet should be 

 washed with water and a brush or sponge, and 

 also his belly, if it be dirty with sparks of mud ; 

 but, after any such washing, every part should be 

 thoroughly dried with a fresh wisp. Never leave 

 a horse with wet legs or feet In the country it is 

 not unusual to walk horses into a river to wash 

 their legs a practice most detrimental to their 

 health, and which should not be allowed. 



When the horse has been cleaned and dried. 



617 



