IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 193 



conversing with a man who had been sent out to 

 India, in charge of some valuable horses. I asked 

 him how he contrived to give them exercise on 

 board, or what substitute he found for it. He in- 

 formed me that he had a helper for every three 

 horses. The animals were partially suspended in 

 slings all the voyage, so as to remove as much 

 weight as possible from the limbs ; and in this posi- 

 tion, it was the principal duty of the helpers to rub 

 down the legs of each horse with the hand, for two 

 hours every day. He added that the effect of this 

 treatment was such, that they arrived with legs as 

 clean as if they had enjoyed daily exercise, and 

 were fit for work within ten days after their arrival. 

 A good hand-rubber cannot be essentially a bad 

 groom. 



Whenever it is necessary to wash a horse's legs, 

 it is best to do it in the morning. Most grooms act 

 on a different principle, and wash them the moment 

 they come in. I am satisfied that this is a bad prac- 

 tice. When the roads are very dirty, and the wea- 

 ther very wet, the legs being thoroughly soaked 

 already, a washing can do no more harm : but to 

 deluge the legs with water, the moment a horse 

 17* 



