64 ANIMAL MANAGEMENT. 



shears inclined a trifle upwards, so that the outer hairs of the tail may be 



a little longer than those nearest the legs. Troop horses' tails should 



be banged such a length that they reach within six inches of the points 



of the hocks when moving, and if the dock is too short to admit of this, 



they should be left as long as possible consistent with neatness. Tails 



should not be combed unless a " swish " is required, as it breaks and pulls 



out the hair. 



Wet and iVet atid sweating horses should be dried before being groomed or 



sweating j^fj.^ j£ ^-j^gy ^j-g ^^^^ from rain, wisping with hands full of loose straw 



horses. ^^^ brisk friction with the rubber subsequently, is a good method of 



making them warm and dry. 



A sweating horse should be led about till dry, scraped and wisped as 

 above, or allowed to roll in a sand bath (p. 78), and, if the weather 

 permits, he should not be brought into the stable till he is quite cool. 

 With troops, the return of horses from work wet with sweat can generally 

 be avoided by walking the last part of the return journey. Sweat patches 

 under the saddlery should be dried immediately the saddle is removed, or 

 have some covering left on the back till they are cool. 



" Breaking out," that is, sweating in patches, is occasionally observed 



after drying or grooming in hot weather ; the patches should be again 



dried, and if they recur, the animal may be led out into the open for a 



little while. The condition occurs most frequently in horses which are 



not fit, but some animals constantly exhibit it. 



fo judge To judge the clea7ilmcss of a horse the hand may be passed the 



the reverse way of the hair, to get a view of the skin, and the points of the fingers 



cleanliness j-^j^ firmly against the set of the coat, when lines of grey are left on a 



o a orse. ^^^^^ ^Yya and the points of the fingers are likewise covered with scurf. 



Between the branches of the under jaw, under the crown piece of the 



head collar, the bends of the knees and hocks, under the belly and 



between the fore legs and thighs are the places usually scamped when the 



work is not thorough, and should be looked at when the horse is being 



passed. 



Other stable details which may be included under " grooming " are 



washing of the mane, tail, and sheath, and picking out the feet. 



Washing The mane and tail may be washed with soap and water when necessary 



the mane to remove greasy dirt. Rubbing the tail is not uncommon, and is 



and tail. generally due to its dirty condition, the irritability being in such cases 



removed by a good washing and subsequent brushing. 

 Washing The sheath should be washed occasionally, and some horses require 



the sheath, it oftener than others, especially those that stale without drawing the 

 penis, a habit which is generally induced by the accumulation of dirt. At 



