HORSES: THEIR POINTS AND MANAGEMENT 



Possibly ever\ groom may flatter liimsclt that he lias his 

 share of all the foregohig ; cwn go further hy unci'^ination. 



To try and clean a horse with a heavy coat upon him is not 

 a satisfactory task, so that whenever possible the hair should 

 be kept short, besides, it is much healthier for the horse. 



Grooms, masters, and their coachmen, \'erv often differ 

 as to the advisability of washing the mud off, or leaving it on 

 until dry, and then brushing it off with the dandy brush. It 

 seems to be purely a matter of opinion as to which of these plans 

 is the best. Neither of them are free from objection ; still, the 

 matter is in the wrong place, and must be got rid of. 



So far as the welfare of the horse (not the groom) is con- 

 cerned, the writer thinks it better to allow the mud to dry on, 

 only it must be got thoroughly off the skin, otherwise it is 

 irritating to it. It is quite eas\^ to tell whether a horse has 

 been properly cleaned by running one's hand down the inside 

 of the thighs, legs, etc., when any adherent particles of dust 

 will be readily felt. 



As to the advisabilit}^ of washing the feet directly a horse 

 comes in, there can be no two opinions, but the heels ought not 

 to be wetted, unless very thorouglily dried and then bandaged. 



During the hot weather, if a horse comes in with a lather 

 upon him, it is a good plan to sponge and dry him. For keeping 

 the coat down in winter, a heavy woollen rug should be used, but 

 in summer linen ones only. 



Vigorous shampooing with a wisp of straw has been prac- 

 tised from time immemorial, yet there is nothing superior to it 



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