72 CHAPTER 6. 



Different breeds of horses vary very much in the length of their coats. 

 The high-bred horse, which was originally brought from a hot climate, 

 still retains much of the shortness of coat natural to his original habitat. 

 Horses, however, even of the same breed, vary much in the length of 

 their coats, even though placed under exactly similar circumstances. This 

 may probably be accounted for by greater or less strength of circulation 

 in the particular animal. Age has also frequently a great effect on the 

 length of the coat. Old horses, whose circulation is becoming languid, 

 are generally supplied by nature with longer coats than younger animals. 



111. Improper means used to produce sliort and glossy coats. 



Short and glossy coats, as a general rule, indicate good grooming and 

 careful stable management, whilst long dull coats argue the reverse. But 

 we must caution the reader against the practice of some servants of 

 administering tonics and other stimulants, which, by artificially exciting 

 the system, produce temporarily a good external appearance, but in the 

 long run are the fruitful parents of disease. 



112. Time for grooming. 



The highest powers of the horse can only be developed by careful 

 attention, not to one or two great points, but to every point which con- 

 cerns his health and comfort. Of primary importance, in connection 

 with health and comfort, is the time or times at which the operation of 

 grooming is performed. 



Unquestionably the horse ought to be groomed, that is, to have re- 

 moved from his skin in the morning those insensible emanations of the 

 pores which have accumulated during the night and the latter portion of 

 the previous day. Equally, too, immediately after exercise he needs to 

 have removed from his skin the more sensible emanations of the pores, 

 commonly called sweat. 



In most stables, however, it is usual, when the master does not require 

 the horse during the day, to combine these two occasions in one. The 

 horse is taken out to exercise early in the morning, and cleaned after- 

 wards. This plan answers pretty well, but it is undoubtedly inferior to 

 that practised in cavalry and racing stables, where the horses are cleaned 

 in the morning and exercised after breakfast, and cleaned again after 

 exercise. The other plan, however, saves much time and labour. 



If the master requires his horses during the day, the animals must, of 

 course, be cleaned in the morning, and again after the ride or drive. 



Owners are often very much disappointed that their horses do not 

 improve or thrive as much as they expect, when they use them least. The 

 reason may perhaps be found in some degree in the fact that they are 

 generally least groomed when least used. Every horse should be 

 groomed, or, in other words, have the pores of the skin thoroughly 

 cleansed at least twice in each day. 



A horse which has not been exercised during the day, in some respects 

 requires more labour to get his skin thoroughly clean than if he had been 



