CHAPTER XII 

 GROOMING, RUBBING, AND SCRAPING 



TT Is a frequent saying of horsemen that a good 

 grooming is as beneficial to a horse as a quart or 

 two of oats, and this undoubtedly Is true. In winter 

 when horses' coats are long and they are very little 

 if at all sweated, the grooming is not Important, pro- 

 vided that the coat is kept free from outside dirt. In 

 fact, the accumulation of dandruff In the hair will tend 

 to keep the horse warm, and by making the hair some- 

 what oily, will tend to shed the rain. 



But In summer the case Is different. Then, if the 

 coat Is full of dandruff. It becomes extremely Irritating 

 to the horse when he Is sweated. A horse with a 

 summer coat should be so thoroughly groomed that the 

 dandruff will be wholly removed from his skin and 

 hair. If, when the horse has been sweated and dries off, 

 white marks appear on his hair, it Is a proof that he is 

 not properly cleaned. I confess that I cannot help 

 despising a man whose horse exhibits these telltale 

 white marks. 



It does not matter much what tools are used in 

 cleaning a horse. In India the work Is done almost 

 wholly with the bare hands of the groom. A curry- 

 comb affords a quick and fairly easy way of cleaning 

 a horse, but It should always be used with a light hand, 

 and on thin-skinned horses It should not be used 



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