ON HARNESSING. 193 



they press on the part affected. The cloth facing can 

 likewise be kept soft, by having it well beaten with a 

 stick — whereas leather will get hard by being constantly 

 wet, and nothing can be done with it but to keep it clean 

 — scraping off the sweat and dirt, and every now and 

 then running the oil-brush over it. With very tende?' 

 shoulders, nothing will do but the false collar, which 

 should be the last resource, for it is very unpleasant to a 

 horse in hot weather, as the air cannot get under it. 

 For gentle work, however, with gentlemen's horses, par- 

 ticularly those used to ride and drive, they are useful, as 

 they prevent collar marks, which are very unsightly. 

 Whenever the skin is the least wrinkled under the collar, 

 the hair will invariably come off, although the injury to 

 the skin may be but trifling. 



When shoulders of unseasoned horses become raw, 

 time will heal them, although they go on working, with- 

 out any more assistance than merely keeping them clean 

 —and if you like — washing them with brine made strong 

 enough to swim an egg. Some horse-keepers never take 

 the collars off their horses, giving as a reason that they 

 are always warm and dry when the horses are put to their 

 coach again. Generally speaking, I should not recom- 

 mend this plan, as we cannot suppose a horse to enjoy 

 himself so much when lying down, which coach horses 

 commonly do at full length, as though his collar were off. 

 Incase, however, of a bolting horse, or a gibber, it may 

 be of service, for many horses will start with a warm 

 collar, that would not touch a cold one. The old breast 

 collar is nearly lost sight of. It was never calculated to 



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