194 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



enters the yard, heated with exercise, is to my mind 

 as unnatural and absurd, as to jump into a shower 

 bath, after playing an hour at cricket. If one could 

 be assured that the legs were carefully rubbed after- 

 wards till dry, so as not to leave a drop of moisture 

 behind, though I should still think the habit inju- 

 rious, it would be less objectionable ; but the hour of 

 the day when the horse returns, is usually that at 

 which the groom begins to feel fatigue, and there- 

 fore it is unreasonable to calculate upon this extraor- 

 dinary labor ; and even if it were given, three legs 

 must remain wet while one is rubbed dry ; the rapid 

 evaporation would make them cold and chilly, and 

 effectually destroy the animal's comfort for the next 

 six hours. My plan is to have the legs carefully 

 rubbed down with straw, and then brushed with a 

 dry brush, to remove as much dirt as possible : after 

 this, a good hand-rubbing should follow, and the 

 next morning, when the horse is cool, they may be 

 v/ashed as clean as soap and water can make them. 

 The feet, however, should be carefully picked out, 

 and the soles washed immediately a horse leaves the 

 road. A blockhead once left my horse standing 

 with a stone in his shoe all night, and the next morn- 



