128 THE PRACTICAL HORSE KEEPER. 



become raw very quickly. The horse must either be rested 

 and astringent lotions applied, or the collar must be eased 

 at the chafed part, if this is limited, or the animal may be 

 worked in a breast-strap or collar. The latter is sometimes 

 used continuously, but the only advantage it possesses is 

 that it fits every horse; otherwise it is not so good as the 

 collar. 



When the shoulder is chafed in a pai-ticular part on a 

 journey, and there is no opportunity for having the collar 

 altered, an opening may be made in the lining and some of the 

 stuffing removed over the part. Or if it is unadvisable to 

 damage the collar in this way, a piece of cloth folded to make 

 a pad may be tied on the collar immediately above the injured 

 place, so as to relieve it from pressure ; this, however, is a very 

 temporary expedient. 



The traces should be of equal length, otherwise traction 

 will be more on one shoulder than the other, to the injury of 

 that which sustains most pressure. Traces for gentlemen's 

 carriage horses usually have a large buckle not far from the 

 collar, with the view of shortening them ; but this is rarely 

 necessary, unless the same traces are used with various-sized 

 horses, and they might be dispensed with, if there is a chain at 

 the carriage end of the trace, the links of which can be put 

 over a hook in the carriage. 



The pad or saddle sustains the weight of the shafts by 

 means of the tugs attached to it. For four-wheeled carriage 

 horses it may be very light, as although it has to undergo some 

 strain when the carriage is descending a hill if the horse has 

 no breeching, or the vehicle is not furnished with a drag, yet 

 this does not much afiect the animal's back. The tugs ought 

 to be of a proper length, so as to suspend the shafts at a proper 

 height, which again depends upon the bend of the latter. If 

 the traces are too long, the carriage is drawn by the tugs 

 instead of by the traces, and this generally makes the horse 



