54 THE HORSE 



at all. The best kind of currycomb Is the currycomb 

 with corrugated edges instead of teeth. This is far 

 less irritating to the skin than the ordinary currycomb 

 with teeth. A mane brush, especially one with a rather 

 small handle so that it can be firmly clasped, is a good 

 tool ; but even this is irritating to a thin-skinned horse. 

 It is, however, always useful for the legs, as well as for 

 the mane and tall. 



Still more useful even than the mane brush are 

 those small, cheap bristle-brushes which are made 

 for miscellaneous purposes. They are light and easily 

 grasped, and I like to use a stiff one instead of a curry- 

 comb, and afterward one with soft bristles. The motion 

 of the brush should be a circular one. This screws the 

 dandruff out of the hair. The final polish should be 

 given by a cloth, or it can be done with a crumpled 

 newspaper, and sometimes It Is useful to moisten the 

 cloth or newspaper with a little kerosene. It used to be 

 the custom in ''York State" to plant oats and peas 

 together, and the resulting tangled straw made an ideal 

 horse-cleaner. 



When a horse is full of dandruff, especially if his 

 coat is long, it is very difficult, in fact impossible, to 

 remove it with a currycomb or brush. The best way 

 is, first, to loosen the dandruff with a currycomb or 

 brush, and then to take a wet wisp of hay or straw, 

 preferably rather fine hay, and rub the hair up and 

 down and around. In this manner the dandruff will 

 adhere to the wet wisp. 



If the legs are wet and muddy, they can be dried, if 

 the hair is not too long, by vigorous rubbing, first witK 



