212 THE HORSE. 



twenty minutes before he is fit to scrape. If he sw^eats freely, the 

 groom in charge of his head may rub his ears and wipe his eyes, 

 so as to refresh him slightly; but if there is any difficulty in bring- 

 ing on the sweat this will only retard the process, and he may be 

 allowed to stand quite quietly, and without any attempt to reiresh 

 him by the above little attentions, or by rubbing his legs, or wiping 

 his thighs or bosom. As soon as the groom is satisfied, the hood 

 is taken off, and the head and neck rapidly scraped, together with 

 the bosom, from which the breast-cloth is removed, and the rugs and 

 quarter-piece turned back so as to expose the whole neck and the 

 points of the shoulders. One or two strappers may be employ^'d 

 in scraping and afterwards drying this part, besides the one holding 

 the bridle; but if the horse is quiet enough, this may be removed, 

 and the head dressed all the more effectually. A very few minutes 

 suffice for drying this half of the horse, when the bridle should be 

 readjusted, and the quarter-piece and sweaters wholly turned off 

 over the croup; upon this the strappers again set to work with their 

 scrapers and rubbers, they soon get rid of every particle of sweat, 

 and have the coat perfectly dry and smooth. Much depends upon 

 the stage of training; in the early part, the sweat is profuse, thick, 

 and soapy, and takes more time to dry; while in the latter stages, 

 when the horse is getting fit, it is watery and scanty, the horse will 

 scarcely scrape, and dries without the slightest trouble. This is a 

 good sign of condition, and the necessity for a repetition of the 

 sweat may generally be gathered by the appearance of the fluid, 

 which, when thick and lathery, shows that there is much gross fat 

 in the system requiring removal ; but, nevertheless, it also shows 

 that great care must be taken in the process, lest mischief should 

 be done, by calling upon nature too rapidly while the animal is in 

 this fat state, and liable to inflammation of all kinds. After rub- 

 bing all the coat dry, and smoothing it down with the leather 

 rubber, the usual clothing should be put on, and the horse allowed 

 his exercise, which he may have as usual, care being taken that 

 he does not catch cold if the weather is severe. The reason why 

 the horse is taken out again is, that if he were left in the warm 

 stable he would break out into a second sweat, and if he Avere placed 

 in a cool one he would surely take cold. Walking exercise, there- 

 fore, with a short canter, is adopted as a means of avoiding both 

 of these injurious conditions; but he should not continue it longer 

 than to put him into a cool state, and restore his nerves and blood- 

 vessels to their usual condition. The length of ground and pace 

 for sweating vary with the age, condition, and purpose for which 

 the horse is trained, the maximum length being six miles, and the 

 minimum two to three, with a speed varying with every indivic^ual 

 case, and depending upon the age, breed, and action of the horse, 

 as well as his constitution and legs, and the state of preparation in 



