160 



clothed in a kersey sheet, and generally a quarter piece, the sheet 

 girded with a broad roller. The breast plate is put on or not, according 

 to circumstances, on J^oing out to exercise; the hood is used to Race 

 horses only, excepting in case of sickness. Clothing is certainly unne- 

 cessary in the summer season, excepting to Racers, but custom and the 

 desire oi" seeing our hackney's coats in the highest style of smoothness 

 and sleekness, have decided in favour of keeping them clothed. The 

 articles above stated constitute the suit of Horse clothes, the price of 

 which is at this time, like that of every thing else, advanced. 



Some grooms have the very absurd practice of girding their Horse's 

 bodies excessively tight in the stable, under the notion, in their phrase, 

 of getting up their carcases. But in reahty, no other end is answered, 

 than that of putting the animals to great pain and risk of injury. If a 

 Horse have a large carcase, it is a sign of his ability to labour, and 

 exercise is the only proper and eftectual mean of its reduction. But 

 happily, and much to the credit of the present times, very few of the 

 barbarous and unmeaning tricks, formerly so much in use with Horses, 

 are now put in practice, or even known. 



Saddle Horses of all descriptions, and those used in quick draught, 



are now trimmed, in the following manner. The legs and heels are 



trimmed quite close and delicately smooth and even, with the comb 



and scissars. The long hairs around the eyes are pulled, those below 



upon the nose and lips, cut close with the sc'.ssars. The hair under the 



chin and in the ears is singed off Avith a lighted candle. The mane is 



puUed v.ith the fingers, a few hairs at a time, until thin enough to hang 



lightly and smoothly on the offside of the Horse's neck, to somewhat 



more than a finger's length. At the upper extremity of the neck, the 



mane is shorn close with the scissars, to the extent of two or three 



fingers breadth, in order to admit the headstall of the bridle, and this 



leaves, detached from the mane, the foretop: this lock cut close in the 



front, at the roots, with the scissars, and at the extremity, with the 



knife, is lel't about the thickness and length of the mane. Horses, 



more })articularly galloways and ponies, are sometimes hogged, or 



their manes cut so as to stand erect like the bristles of the hog. The 



hair of the tail is cut short and even. The broom tail of die Racer, is 



now 



