12 GROOMING. 



GROOMING. 



I do not profess to teach grooms their business, but 

 to put masters on their guard against the common 

 errors and malpractices of that class ; and with a view 

 to that end, two or three general rules are added which 

 a master would do well to enforce on a groom when 

 hiring him, as binding, under pain of dismissal. 



1. Never to doctor a horse himself, but to acquaint 

 his master immediately with any accident, wound, or 

 symptom of indisposition about the animal, that may 

 come under his observation, and which, if in existence, 

 ought not to fail to attract the attention of a careful, 

 intelligent servant during constant handling of and at- 

 tendance on his charge. 



2. Always to exercise the horses in the place ap- 

 pointed by his master for the purpose, and never to 

 canter or gallop them. 



3. To stand by while a horse is having its shoes 

 changed or removed, and see that any directions he 

 may have received on the subject are carried out. 



4. Never to clean a horse out of doors. 



These rules are recommended under a just apprecia- 

 tion of that golden one, "Prevention is better than 

 cure." 



If the master is satisfied with an ill-groomed horse, 

 nine-tenths of the grooms will be so likewise ; therefore 

 he may to a great extent blame himself if his bearer's 

 dressing is neglected. 



Grooms are especially fond of using water in clean- 

 ing the horse (though often rather careful how they use 

 it with themselves, either inside or out) : it saves them 



