ILLUSTRATED GUIDE. 171 



is an animal of peculiar value, or placed for a time under 

 pecnliar circumstances. Without dwelling on the want 

 of cleanliness, when the scurf and dust which are brushed from 

 the horse, lodge in his man2:er, and mingle with his food, 

 experience teaches, that if the cold is not too great, the 

 animal is braced and invigorated to a degree that cannot 

 be attained in the stable by being dressed in the open 

 air. There is no necessity, however, for half the punish- 

 ment which many a groom inflicts upon the horse in the 

 act of dressing ; and particularly on one whose skin is thin 

 and sensitive. The curry-comb should at all times be 

 lightly applied. With many horses its use may be al- 

 most dispensed with; and even the brush need not be used 

 very hard, nor the points of the bristles so irregular, as 

 thev often are. A soft brush, with a little more weio;ht 

 of the hand, will be equally effectual, and a good deal 

 more pleasant to the horse. A hair cloth, while it will 

 seldom irritate and tease, will be almost sufficient 

 with horses that have a thin skin, and that have 

 not been neglected. After all, it is no slight task to dress 

 a horse as it ought to be done. It occupies no little time 

 and demands considerable patience, as well as dexterity. 

 It will be readily ascertained whether a horse has been 

 well dressed by rubbing him with one of the fingers. A 

 greasy stain will detect the idleness of the groom. Where, 

 however, the horse is changing his coat, both the curry- 

 comb and brush should be used as lightly as possible. 

 Whoever would be convinced of the benefit of friction to 

 the horse's skin and to the horse generally, needs only to 

 observe the effects produced by well rubbing the legs of a 

 tired horse. While every enlargement subsides, and the 

 painful stillness disappears, and the legs attain their uat- 



