THE CARE OF HORSES. 321 



that has very little work, being ridden or driven only 

 a few miles every other day, perhaps, — in such a case 

 there can be no doubt that a heavy coat, and the con- 

 sequent sweating, are advantageous. This is a plain 

 consideration, but I have never seen it adverted to 

 in any horse book. 



Another point of some importance in deciding 

 whether or not to clip your horse is this : Will the 

 operation have a permanent effect upon his coat, mak- 

 ing it come out earlier, or heavier, or coarser the next 

 autumn ? Skilled opinions differ on this point ; but, 

 as a general principle, the cutting of hair certainly 

 tends to affect its future growth ; and there is no 

 reason why this should not be true of horses as of 

 other animals. Still, clipping the coat once a year 

 probably has only a slight effect, — at least, until it 

 has been repeated for some years. 



In fine, whether or not your horse should be clipped 

 depends upon his coat, upon the work which he has to 

 do, upon the exposure to which he is subjected, and 

 in some degree upon the stable where he is kept. If 

 you wish to avoid a necessity for clipping him, be 

 sure that he has a thick blanket on the first cool 

 nights of autumn, even in September : this will tend 

 to keep his coat short. 



The operation of clipping should not be performed 

 on a damp day, nor on a warm day when the pores of 

 the skin are open and there is a consequent liability 

 to take cold ; and it need not be said that a clipped 

 horse requires at least one more heavy blanket than 

 an undipped one. 



