IN SEARCH OF A HORSE. 195 



ing came with a long face to tell me that the animal 

 was lame ! but he never mentioned the cause, 

 nor should I have discovered it, had not the same 

 stupidity left the stone and the picker lying in the 

 litter. 



The clothing of the horse must depend upon 

 habit ; if he has always been accustomed to heavy 

 cloths, they must be continued ; but my own prac- 

 tice has been, to limit them to a light rug, except in 

 the severity of winter, and then I allow them two. 

 It is customary, when a horse comes in, to cover him 

 with his cloth long before he is cool. I do not con- 

 demn this habit if the roller is not put on ; if it is, 

 the horse will not be cool for some hours. It is 

 scarcely to be expected that a groom will go on with 

 the dressing till the hair is perfectly dry : and espe- 

 cially if the coat is very thick. It is a work of at 

 least two hours to rub a horse dry after a long sweat. 

 After half an hour of fair rubbing, let the cloths be 

 put on ; in a very short time the horse will " break 

 out" again, and then he should receive a second 

 rubbing ; he may after this be covered with a differ- 

 ent cloth, (the first will have become damp,) and may 

 be left to himself with safety. 



