76 THE HORSE 



body tends to dry up any moisture that penetrates to 

 the inside of the blanket. In this way the horse is kept 

 warm and dry throughout a cold, rainy day, and 

 inasmuch as he moves only at a walk with short stops, 

 he does not become sv/eaty. If, in a work-horse stable, 

 there are no rain-covers, and there is only one street 

 blanket for each horse, a drying room should be pro- 

 vided fitted with steam pipes or some other contrivance 

 for drying the blankets at night after a rainy day. A 

 very small room will suffice for many blankets. Our 

 rain and snow storms usually clear off cold, and if there 

 are neither extra blankets nor drying room, the driver 

 will have no protection for his horse on the succeeding 

 day except a wet blanket, or, what is worse, a blanket 

 frozen as stiff as a board. 



A wet blanket is much better than none provided that 

 it is folded, and thrown over the loins of the horse. 

 If it is so used, the outside air cannot get through the 

 double thickness; whereas if a wet blanket is unfolded 

 and put on in the ordinary manner, the horse will be 

 chilled. If only one part of his body can be kept warm, 

 the loins should be the part selected. That part is 

 even more delicate than the lungs. 



Rain-covers should never be used on horses, such as 

 hack horses, who have to travel at a good pace and are 

 often obliged to go long distances. On the whole it 

 seems likely that a horse who is provided v/ith two 

 good street blankets, one newer one for fine weather, 

 and one old one for wet weather, would be better off 

 in the long run not to have a rain-cover. Of course, in 

 this matter as in all others, much depends upon the 



