DRESSING, OR GROOMING 185 



disturl tte propei position of a hair. The ro^ w is smoothly put 

 on, being first laid on the back double, and then the offside is turned 

 over into its place, when the straps being laid hold of under the 

 belly, it is properly tightened and the quarter piece smoothed 

 beneath it. This completes the dressing of the body, but there 

 are several minor points still to be attended to. A clean sponge 

 is squeezed out, and with it the nostrils, eyes, and anus are sponged 

 clean, and, if necessary, the mane is damped so as to enable the 

 groom to comb and brush it smoothly down on its right side. The 

 tail also is carefully combed out, beginning at the lower end, if it 

 is a full one, and not touching the top until the bottom is smoothly 

 arranged. Lastly, the legs and feet are attended to, the stopping, 

 or whatever may be in the latter, being picked out, the legs washed 

 if stained, and then carefully rubbed dry. Many grooms, when 

 they have white legs to keep clean, begin the dressing by washing 

 them, and then putting on flannel t»andages, they leave them on 

 till they have done the body, when they are taken off and the legs 

 rubbed with the leather and linen rubber, till they are quite dry, 

 finishing with plenty of hand rvibbing if they are at all inclined 

 to fill. All this being done, the litter is put straight, and the horse 

 is ready to have his second feed. A good deal of muscular exer- 

 tion, and laid out in the right way, is necessary for the due per- 

 formance of the groom's daily task. There is no royal road to 

 make a horse's coat, when in work, really look well, and not less 

 than an hour's hard strapping will suffice for this daily. White and 

 light gray horses will take up even more time than this, as with 

 all the care that can be exercised the thighs and legs will occa- 

 sionally become stained by lying in the dung dropped during the 

 night. Soap and water laid on warm, and well rubbed, will get 

 rid of a great deal of the brown color left, and if it is not suffered 

 to increase by successive layers, it may be removed with compara- 

 tive ease. The slight tinge which remains may be got rid of by 

 the aid of washerwoman's blue, a bag of which is to be dipped into 

 clean water and the skin washed with this after the soap has been 

 got rid of. A little experience is required to ascertain the exac t 

 amount of blue, but one or two experiments will soon teach an in- 

 telligent groom. 



Whenever a horse is wanted to go out, he must again be 

 whisped over before his saddle or his harness is put on. The groom 

 strips the whole of the clothes off, turns him round in the stall, 

 and carefully clears all the dust away from the ears and head with 

 the rubber ; then, proceeding regularly backwards, the whole body 

 is smoothed over, and the saddle and bridle or harness put on. 

 Lastly, the feet are picked, and an oil-brush is rubbed over the 

 outside of the hoofs, to give them a neat appearance, when tha 

 16* 



